Trail cold in hunt for quilt snatcher

It's a transtasman theft that has Australian police in a stitch.

They are investigating the theft of a New Zealand-embroidered quilt, valued at A$10,000 ($10,750), from the Australian Quilt Convention in Melbourne just over a week ago.

"It's been quite extraordinary answering all the calls about this quilt," Senior Detective Dave Tarrant said.

The quilt, called Forests of Nukulani, was crafted by Libby Shallard and Sue Horta of Rotorua and is described as a three-dimensional work .

It was loaned to sewing machine company Janome for the convention.

Its disappearance comes amid a wider bout of quilt-snatching, as detailed on Lost Quilt Come Home at www.lostquilt.com.

The website lists 66 quilts internationally - including Forests of Nukulani - which have been stolen from quilt shows or displays. Eight have been recovered.

Mr Tarrant said the quilt was hanging on a wall at the Melbourne Convention Centre on February 27, before being wrapped in a white doona (duvet) and left on top of a box of other quilts.

He said the stall was left unattended for a while, before the quilts were taken back to a Janome store. Later it was realised the New Zealand quilt wasn't there.

"The next day the white doona was found near a commercial rubbish bin at the convention centre. Only a green embroidered leaf from the quilt was found."

Mr Tarrant said he believed it to be an opportunistic theft.

"It's a unique looking work, not just something that you can go and sell. Someone probably wants to keep it for themselves."

Mr Tarrant said media interest in the disappearance of the quilt had surprised him.

"It's certainly my biggest case of the day."

As its name suggests, the New Zealand quilt has a forest theme. It is 60-70cm wide by 100-120cm long, and the main colours are forest greens, browns and blues.

It is decorated with three-dimensional trees with leaves, ferns, birds and animals.

- NZPA