Kathy Doughty

Kathy Doughty remembers a simple childhood spent playing on green grass and exploring the forests accessed through her yard in Ohio. Upon graduating she landed in the punk rock era of the East Village of NYC where she spent ten years working in advertising, fashion and marketing, which taught her to look at traditional things with a new eye. It was her move to Australia in 1990 that brought Kathy to sewing and quilting. She found the “American” activity of sewing and quilting connected her to roots in the USA and filled a big gap in her life.

In 2003 she co-founded Material Obsession, then in 2008 became a sole owner/director of the popular patchwork shop where you can find her every day listening, learning, and helping customers select fabric for their projects. Material Obsession made a dynamic entry into the quilt world by embracing the newest FreeSpirit designers including Denyse Schmidt, Amy Butler and Anna Maria Horner as well as Kaffe Fassett. The shop encourages quilters to experiment with textiles, design and method.

In 2014 Kathy designed her first collection of fabric inspired by her personal collection of Kantha quilts from India. Her second fabric collection was inspired by the pond-side environments of her youth. Now, Kathy joins the FreeSpirit collective of designers, who have been inspiring her quilts for many years, with her first collection, Flock Together. As an avid quilter, Kathy’s quilt designs reflect her eclectic interests in a wide range of techniques from modern quilting to paper piecing. She also teaches workshops internationally, has written two books, and additionally has co-authored two Material Obsession books.