Threads of Community: The Quilting World of Katell Renon

I first met Katell Renon at Nadelwelt in Karlsruhe in the spring of 2025, where she was exhibiting the Temperature Quilts, a remarkable community project. I must admit that, while I recognized the importance of the theme, it had never interested me enough to make one myself. So I approached the exhibition with a mix of curiosity and hesitation.

But the moment I entered the space, I was in awe. I could never have imagined such diverse interpretations: some quilters added moon phases; others embroidered global events like seasons or lockdowns, or personal milestones, making each temperature quilt truly unique. I enjoyed the quilts immensely, as well as the conversation I had with Katell that day.

Then, in September 2025, I visited the Seven Sisters exhibition, another inspiring community project, at Carrefour in Alsace. I was completely captivated - both by the concept and by the fact that 35 women from France and Belgium had come together to create quilts and quilted books inspired by the saga. Katell spoke about the project with eyes burning with excitement and pride, sharing the spirit of the community that made it possible.

The quilted books were displayed so visitors could touch them (with special gloves), turn the pages, and experience the exquisite craftsmanship. It was easy to feel how much love each maker poured into her work.

What ties both exhibitions together is a profound spirit of collaboration and passion - a spirit that would not exist in the same way without Katell at its heart.

In this conversation, Katell shares her creative journey, the joy of teaching, and the ways in which community, friendship, and collaboration have shaped her life in quilting.

Discovering a Passion

When did you first discover your passion for quilting? What inspired you to pursue it seriously, and what experiences have shaped you as a quilter?

In the 70s, as a teenager, I discovered Art History. I was curious about Impressionism, fascinated by Van Gogh and many other painters. But I was convinced that I couldn’t paint or draw, despite my enthusiasm for everything crafty with paper, dried leaves, fabrics, or yarn. I loved sewing my own clothes.

When I saw American quilts in a magazine for the first time, I was amazed. The geometric patterns were comforting, but I thought one person could only make a single quilt in her whole life! The play of geometry and fabric was fascinating, and I learned some tips from craft magazines - how to make hexagons, log cabins… Each time, I tried the technique just to understand it, but I didn’t dare make a whole quilt.

In 1986, I came across a quilt exhibition - my first encounter with real quilts! - in Dublin during a holiday in Ireland. I said to my boyfriend, “I know I want to make quilts.” Then we went to a bookshop, and I bought every book related to patchwork. I learned how to make quilts from those books, and the boyfriend who encouraged me later became my husband.

Storytelling through Quilts

If your quilts could talk, what stories would they tell about you - your creative journey, your inspirations, and your style?

Style… well. I have followed many techniques and styles over the years, but I can confess that I have never made a quilt entirely by hand. I had a sewing machine before I had a washing machine!

When I lived in Hamburg, Germany (1987–1995), I discovered modern quilting with the rotary cutter, and I made several quilts from Burda magazines and from American and German books. When I moved back to France, Quiltmania Editions provided endless inspiration, even though I didn’t follow their classical trends.

With the rise of the internet, I found my quilting family: the unruly quilters, with Gwen Marston and friends. Getting rid of rules and rulers sounds basic or even silly in a world of geometry, but it leads to what I truly love: creating with basic knowledge, then letting go and entering a special state of mind with no fear of failure.

I am not an outstanding artist, but I love playing with my fabrics. Colors show me the way.

Teaching & Sharing Knowledge

What do you find most rewarding about teaching? Your blog, La Ruche des Quilteuses, has inspired many quilters since 2011. What motivated you to start it, and what do you hope readers take away from your posts?

I soon realized that I could explain everything about patchwork in my club, so I began offering free workshops. I was born to teach! It is such a pleasure to see that grateful glance after a student completes a successful block. I later taught patchwork lessons in a store, but unfortunately it closed. I wanted to keep in touch with my students, so I started my blog, La Ruche des Quilteuses, in April 2011. I spent more and more time feeding it, and I am still not tired of it!

I like to share my view that everything is connected. Something I read can lead to a new color scheme; an event can push me to express myself with fabrics. And I love sharing because I feel part of a large community of women with the same affinities.

I also wrote two books in French about creative patchwork, inspired by the flow of unruly quilts with their Afro-American roots and spontaneity. They led to many workshops, and I truly love showing how easy it is to make stunning quilts that vibrate - and how no two quilts are ever alike.

Community & Collaboration

Your projects often bring people together. What draws you to community quilting, and what makes a collective exhibition truly special? Could you share the story behind The Seven Sisters curated exhibition?

For more than 20 years, my friends and I have met every Friday. We have organized many exhibitions and events as part of the French Guild, France Patchwork, and have taken many quilt-related trips together. At first, we were called The Friday Girls. During Covid, we split from our club and took the name of my blog: we became The Bees of the Quilters’ Beehive. I don’t like being considered the chief, even if I bring most of the ideas, but being the Queen Bee does make me smile!

My group is my test laboratory, but above all, they are true friends. They help me through every new chapter of my quilting life. They are my secret strength.

Through my blog, I connect with many French quilters, and I noticed that many lack an incentive to create. I realized the ideas I had for my group could interest many others. So in 2020, I launched the Temperature Quilts project in Europe, inspired by an emerging idea in the USA. We created wonderful exhibitions, especially in Alsace in September 2021. That remains one of my best memories because I was so proud to exhibit completely unknown quilters who simply trusted me and created incredible quilts!

As for the Seven Sisters exhibition, it began in summer 2023 when I read all eight books of the saga written by Lucinda Riley. The artistic themes, breathtaking landscapes, travels, and stories were a wonderful source of inspiration that I wanted to share. I asked my Bees first - to make sure I wasn’t going crazy - then launched the idea on my blog, set up a Facebook group, created a schedule, and promised to find a place to exhibit the quilts. Organizing such events gives me so much energy and brings me new friends! It is a very important part of quiltmaking: meeting people who share the same passion.

Reflection & Advice

If you had the chance, would you change anything about your quilting style or creative journey? Based on your own experience, what advice or lessons would you share with someone just beginning their quilting journey today?

My life would have been so different without quilt making - probably duller! My goal is to give joy and receive joy, without any career plan, so I cannot be disappointed with my life path.

Things are changing; most beginners are not looking for a guild but for a guide on Instagram or YouTube. My advice is to take at least one workshop to learn how to use the rotary cutter properly. It will save time - and fingers! Then freely explore - the internet is full of ideas - but don’t forget to go and see real quilts in exhibitions.

I hope the future of quilting will be more and more exciting, with the freedom to mix patchwork with slow stitching and to express ourselves freely. Connecting quilting with other arts - literature, music, cinema - or with scientific topics will continue to inspire me. And I believe the quilting world will increasingly create for a purpose or a cause.

Katell’s quilts are more than just fabric and thread; they are stories, friendships, and sparks of joy, stitched together with care. Through teaching, collaboration, and a fearless embrace of color and technique, she has built a world where creativity and community intertwine - one project at a time.