Born and raised in The Netherlands, Hilde first caught the quilting bug in Marietta (Georgia, USA) over 30 years ago. Since then, she has lived in 11 countries across 4 different continents. While living and travelling around the world she got the chance to explore different techniques, styles and textiles: North American, Asian, South American, Mediterranean and West African.
“Sharing my love for African textiles with those who want to learn something new and who are, like me, passionate about the vibrant colours is one of my goals”
portrait by Bertrand Bechard
Hilde started making boxes with acid free grey cardboard / binder board (French cartonnage) when she lived in Singapore. Soon she started teaching with a friend and discovered she loved teaching and sharing her passion for colours and textile crafts. This is when she started her small business Geckoboxes, which she continued in the countries that followed, with the craft connecting her to new friends and inspiration.
From 2015 until 2018 she resided in Accra, Ghana. When relocating there, Hilde decided not to bring any of her own materials with her as she wanted to work only with those available at the local markets, such as Makola market, and the various stalls along the streets. Hilde became fascinated by the women draping their bodies with different fabrics in such vibrant combinations of colours she would never have thought of. This is where her journey of bringing together the bold prints and colours of the African fabrics in her quilts started.
In Accra she hosted workshops focusing on how to make boxes in different shapes and sizes. For those who couldn’t sew but wanted to do something with the widely available fabrics this was a great skill to take on. She also collaborated with small local entrepreneurs and showed them how to make gift boxes for their own businesses.
After 3 years in Ghana, Hilde and her husband returned to the Netherlands with a supply of African fabrics big enough to continue making quilts and boxes for many more years.
Resume
Thread designer with Aurifil Threads
Owner of Gecko Boxes
Member of Dutch Quiltersgilde, MQG, SAQA and SAQA Europe & Middle East
Books:
Author of Flying away with me (Quiltmania 2023)
Included in:
Quilt Lapis Lazuli cover girl and patterned in Quiltmania #150 magazine
Quilt Fly away with me featured is Quiltmania #19 Simply Modern magazine
Featured in Dutch magazine Quilts en Zo #19 – 2019
Exhibits:
The Patchwork & Quiltdagen – Rijswijk (NL), April 2019
Solo exhibition
Quilt Festival Birmingham, August 2019
‘Fly Away With Me’ Hilde Hoogwaerts 2018
Pour l’Amour du Fil Quilt show - Nantes (Fr), April 2023
Solo Exhibition
Quilt National ‘23 Dairy Barn Arts Center - Athens Ohio (USA), May 2023
Juried International Artist with my quilt Summer Garden
Carrefour European Patchwork Meeting - the Alsace, September 2023
Solo Exhibition
International Quilt Festival Luxembourg, May 2024
Solo Exhibition
Quilt Festival Birmingham, August 2024
‘El Fandango’ Hilde Hoogwaerts 2023
‘Blue Lotus 1’ Hilde Hoogwaerts 2023
web design by romke hoogwaerts ︎︎
Hilde Hoogwaerts 2024 — Doorwerth, The Netherlands