She received the judge’s choice award at the International Quilt Show, which was hosted in Houston, Texas.
Ms Layt has been creating fibre art since the early 1990s, the Kyabram exhibition serving as somewhat of a return to the world of quilting.
“I haven’t exhibited much recently, so this was very exciting. It is showing 21 years of work, from 1999 to 2020,” she said.
Ms Layt now works in sewing machine sales, ironic considering she has five of her own, having run a successful patchwork and quilting business for 10 years.
Since its closure she has pursued design and teaching work, tackling new techniques and finding innovative ways to present her work.
Her first set quilt was titled Balranald 1974, telling the story of the floods and heat wave which affected the area.
Another of her pieces Phoenix Rising representing adversity and she also has an original element to her work.
She will be at the gallery on two Saturdays in September (September 10 and 24).
That much is abundantly clear in the three styles of quilting that she has on display.
Her exhibition came about after she visited the town hall while another artist was showing her work.
“Because I am in this scene I visited one of the previous artists. This is an extraordinary opportunity to see my word in citu,” she said.
The 23 quilts hanging on the walls of the gallery are machine appliqué, thread painting and geo web (geometrical web, which offers a 3D effect).
Oscar’s Cubes is one of the more eye catching quilts, named in honour of a famous mathematician.
Ms Layt said quilting required a significant amount of mathematical work.
“I am not sure of how many cubes are in the piece, but it is certainly unique,” she said.
Her last piece of the exhibition was competed two weeks before COVID-19 hit.
“This is the second outing for my latest work,” she said.
Wedding Wonder is one of the more interesting quilts, a series of interlocking circular patterns celebrating the same sex marriage referendum of 2016.
“There was so much controversy, I was moved to make a quilt in honour of the occasion,” she said.
Ms Layt said she tried to push boundaries, but not too far — after all, she does work in quilting.
Ms Layt, from Bacchus Marsh, said Kyabram was particularly strong on the quilting scene.
She met teenage quilting prodigy Matt Nevins while at the gallery on her first meet the artist day.
He is an award winning quilter himself and spends a lot of time at Catharina’s Vintage Stitches alongside the gallery in Allan St.
She will spend a day teaching thread painting at Catharina’s on September 11.
And she has no fears about going up against the grand final day on September 24.
“It’s the best day to get out and about, everyone is at home watching the football,’’ she said.
Of the gallery, Ms Layt said it was a beautiful facility with exceptional lighting and the support of the Kyabram organisation was fabulous.
“I’ll be back next year with something completely different. This has reinvigorated me,’’ she said.
Ms Layt said there were several Australians that have won internationally.
“It is funny to think America has 20 million quilters, where as we only have 25 million people.
“The whole quilting movement in the USA is massive,” she said.
While her five Janome sewing machines are among her prize possessions and she obviously enjoys displaying her quilts, several will never see the walls of a gallery.
“I have 18 grand children and a two-year-old great grandchild. They all have quilts on their beds and when I am not around probably in their wardrobes,” she said.
“I have 134 quilts in my house. They are a big part of my life.”
