Kathy Doughty is the owner and Creative Director of Material Obsession, a Sydney-based patchwork shop she has run since 2003. A self-taught quilter, her eclectic style grew through decades of hands-on experience working with customers, students, and designers.

She is an accredited patchwork teacher and the author of six books published by C&T Publishing — including the co-authored international bestsellers Material Obsession One and Material Obsession Two — exploring contemporary fabrics and simple techniques. Her latest focus is organic appliqué.

Kathy is proud to be designing fabric collections for Art Gallery Fabrics. Before quilting, she built a career in NYC in advertising, fashion, and at Swatch Watch USA.

She runs Material Obsession with her husband John, a professional photographer, serving over 100 class participants monthly and 400 worldwide through their BOM program. Kathy, an American, now calls Australia home but enjoys frequent trips to the USA to teach in shops, at events and for guilds.