Arnprior & District Quilters' Guild Newsletter - September 2022
President's Message
President's Message
Welcome everyone to another year of quilting, learning, community outreach (charity) and fun socializing!
With no current Covid restrictions this season, we are planning to meet in person until December. In the new year switch to Zoom meetings for January, February and March to eliminate winter driving, and weather-related meeting cancellations, and have some interesting guest speakers in an economic manner. Then April back to in person meetings again. Spring also brings our long-awaited Quilt Show on April 29 & 30th, so mark your calendars! Stay tuned, the guild will need your help to make it a successful fundraising event! Come to the September meeting to see the beautiful completed Charity Raffle Quilt!
It should be a very exciting season, so get your sewing machines ready to roll. Presently the guild is going forward without a Program Officer & team. In order to do this we have separated the duties and are hoping you can help us with a few things to roll out the season’s events. Thanks very much to the brave members, who have already come forward to help with:
- Raffle basket purchases - Amanda Vajda and Johanne Vajda
- Selling raffle tickets at our meetings - Debbie Cauvier and Brenda Greeley
- Block of the month, challenge, and mystery quilt - Emma Russell and Mary DeVries
- Sew-days - Some Charity time help-out and some of your own sewing, and socializing - Marilyn Erskine and Charity Team
- Contracting speakers for the three winter zoom meetings – Joyce Murray & Rennie Hickey; Lists of inter-guild favorite speakers will be supplied.
- Quilt Show Planning Committee: A great group of members are underway planning this event for us: Joyce Murray, Rennie Hickey, Tina Matte, Allison Kubiseski, Marilyn Erskine, Lana Dean, Nancy Hayley, Gwen Pennings, Anne Cruickshank, and Vickie MacNabb
However, we need a few more volunteers to help with our season’s activities. It would be nice if you could consider volunteering for one of these tasks:
Please submit your name or ask any questions you may have about these tasks to any of the executives at the September meeting or directly via guild email.
- Christmas & the June Pot-Luck Parties - a couple of friends of could plan these parties’ food and activities.
- Retreats - one member or a couple of friends to plan the venue and inform guests: Spruceholme Inn in Fort Coulonge. Quebec is a suggested venue. (The Providence Point venue of past retreats has been sold and is no longer avaialable.)
- Meeting learning events for 2 meetings. First learning meeting will be in October – the topic will be 5 methods of appliqué. Second meeting in the Spring, topic TBD. One person or a few members could head this up by planning set-up, inviting members to demonstrate, and rolling out the activity.
Please submit your name or ask any questions you may have about these tasks to any of the executives at the September meeting or directly via guild email.
Happy quilting...
Vickie MacNabb
President
September Meeting
Covid-19
Ontario's current Covid-19 Public Health Measures and Advice can be found here. Guests We welcome guests to our meetings and for this first meeting of the season the usual $5 guest fee is being waived. |
Paul's previous visit in September 2016
Guest speaker!
Our meeting will feature a trunk show by Paul Leger.
Paul lives in Ottawa, where he retired after working for the federal government for over 16 years after spending 21 years in the Canadian Armed Forces. He began quilting in May 1990. His mother, a quilter and dressmaker, had encouraged him to buy a sewing machine “for sewing emergencies”. One day, he remembered in the "old days" people would use clothing to make bed quilts. 31 years later and over 250 quilts to his credit, Paul has never looked back. In retirement life, Paul’s quilting has taken on another life. He doesn’t quilt any more or any less but now he also teaches, make presentations as well as contribute to magazines and blogs.
Paul will start off his trunk show with his first quilt and bring us to the present with his most recent works.
Our meeting will feature a trunk show by Paul Leger.
Paul lives in Ottawa, where he retired after working for the federal government for over 16 years after spending 21 years in the Canadian Armed Forces. He began quilting in May 1990. His mother, a quilter and dressmaker, had encouraged him to buy a sewing machine “for sewing emergencies”. One day, he remembered in the "old days" people would use clothing to make bed quilts. 31 years later and over 250 quilts to his credit, Paul has never looked back. In retirement life, Paul’s quilting has taken on another life. He doesn’t quilt any more or any less but now he also teaches, make presentations as well as contribute to magazines and blogs.
Paul will start off his trunk show with his first quilt and bring us to the present with his most recent works.
Program Notes
Block of the Month
Block of the Month
August BOM blocks
This season's Block of the Month (BOM) features 12 1/2" blocks (12" finished) that are made from sixteen 3½” Half Square Triangles (HSTs). We are making two blocks each month, with instructions for the first two already posted in August and the last two in January.
Members are encouraged to keep the blocks to make a lap (or other size if you like) quilt for the Guild Quilt Show in April, 2023. The quilts will be displayed at our April meeting where members will vote for their favourites and prizes will be awarded.
Photos of your blocks can be posted on the Guild Facebook page so others can see your progress.
Refer to the BOM page for instructions for the August blocks which are pictured in two colour variations.
We'll have the sample August and September blocks at the September meeting and we'll be available to answer your questions.
-- Emma Russell and Mary deVries, BOM Coordinators 2022-2023
Membership
We are delighted to welcome our newest and returning members to our guild! It’s wonderful to be back together again for these meetings in the fall!
We will be greeting everyone and asking all to sign in at the door for the meeting on Sept 28th. Our new members and guest members will be asked to meet Janet Brownlee near the library area at the break so that we can greet you and answer any questions you might have about our guild. We welcome beginner and experienced quilters!
Please let your friends know that if they would like to join just for one meeting, they are most welcome! Our guest fee of $5 will be starting in October.
We will be accepting registrations and payments at the door on Sept. 28th. If you have friends who have not yet registered online, please encourage them to attend and we can register them there.
For more information, including online registration click/tap here.
Looking forward to seeing you all on Sept. 28th!!!!
-- Martha Palmer, Membership
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Charity
During the summer of 2022, we donated 11 quilts to charities and 2 quilts privately.
This Bethlehem Star block quilt is pictured with Holly Hurl, the President of "Two Rivers 707 Club." They are going to raffle the quilt to raise money for seniors in Arnprior. They pay for wigs, driving, walkers, supplies for health, and give donations to the Food Bank.
Several quilts were donated to Arnprior Regional Health where they were gratefully accepted by Carole Beattie, coordinator of Palliative Care.
Four quilts were donated to Neighbour Link Fountain in Arnprior and are pictured with Pastor Julie and 2 other volunteers. Neighbour Link Fountain provides a drop-in center where dedicated volunteers support people in need from all walks of life by linking resources from churches and community to meet their physical, emotional and spiritual needs. They serve residents of the communities of Arnprior, McNab/Braeside, and Pakenham.
Our guild donated quilts to 10 year old Easton Harris, an Arnprior child preparing for a bone marrow transplant at Toronto Sick Kids Hospital in August, and to his younger brother, Cameron, 5, who also has medical challenges.
Pictured accepting the 2 quilts is Kristen Cooper who coordinates the collection of donations to Easton.
Here's a recent media article about Easton's treatment and his own efforts to raise funds. A web search for "easton harris arnprior" will result in this, and other news articles.
Judy, of "Antique Treasures and Treats" in Arnprior was presented with 2 quilts - one will be donated to Lanark County Interval House and Community Support in Carleton Place, and the other to Bernadette McCann House in Pembroke, which both provide support to abused women.
L to R: Judy and ADQG's Marilyn
-- Marilyn Erskine, Charity
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Library
That summer went far too quickly and I feel that I didn’t get nearly enough quilting done! The call of my garden and the outdoors was too difficult to resist! But, now it’s back to my “happy room” for finishing my Block-of-the Month quilt from last year (quite a challenge to put it together!) and some new Christmas projects.
I have been busy with re-cataloging our Guild Library and I hope to have that information ready to share by our September meeting. I’m about half way through….. ! I won’t be buying a “new” book each month this year, as I found so many interesting books in the Library that I thought I’d review one of them for you most months. However, I did find “Jelly Roll Jam” by Barbara Groves and Mary Jacobson in a recent visit to Kawartha Quilting & Sewing in Bethany, ON. It features some really cute quilts made from jelly rolls; I have my eye on one or two!
We will be resuming the “Guess the Number of Pages” contest at our September meeting. Our book this month is a super one that was a “double” in our collection. We will also have books and magazines for sale, so bring your loonies and quarters!
I’m looking forward to seeing you all next week!
-- Nancy Hayley, Librarian
I have been busy with re-cataloging our Guild Library and I hope to have that information ready to share by our September meeting. I’m about half way through….. ! I won’t be buying a “new” book each month this year, as I found so many interesting books in the Library that I thought I’d review one of them for you most months. However, I did find “Jelly Roll Jam” by Barbara Groves and Mary Jacobson in a recent visit to Kawartha Quilting & Sewing in Bethany, ON. It features some really cute quilts made from jelly rolls; I have my eye on one or two!
We will be resuming the “Guess the Number of Pages” contest at our September meeting. Our book this month is a super one that was a “double” in our collection. We will also have books and magazines for sale, so bring your loonies and quarters!
I’m looking forward to seeing you all next week!
-- Nancy Hayley, Librarian
Tips from Gwen
by Gwen Pennings
PANELS
How many of you like panels, buy panels and then they sit in your stash?
I watched an interesting Pfaff Quilting with Panels with Nancy Bronstein on Facebook but she is also on Youtube.
She mentioned some ideas that I would like to share with you:
FREE, FREE PATTERNS
There are many choices here at fabshophop.com/free-patterns_at_fabshophop.asp
FabShop Hop introduces you to a variety of free patterns from fabric manufacturers and pattern designers across the quilting and fabric industries including free in-house patterns. I downloaded the Whimsical Quilt pattern and made this pretty batik quilt for a cancer patient.
PANELS
How many of you like panels, buy panels and then they sit in your stash?
I watched an interesting Pfaff Quilting with Panels with Nancy Bronstein on Facebook but she is also on Youtube.
She mentioned some ideas that I would like to share with you:
- If you are stuck, put in the company and name of the panel on the internet, and often a pattern will come up.
- Panels are very reasonably priced to practice your free motion on without ruining or being afraid of ruining your pieced top that you spent hours making.
- Prewashing a panel can distort the design. Not all panels are printed on the same quality of cotton. I learned this lesson the hard way.
FREE, FREE PATTERNS
There are many choices here at fabshophop.com/free-patterns_at_fabshophop.asp
FabShop Hop introduces you to a variety of free patterns from fabric manufacturers and pattern designers across the quilting and fabric industries including free in-house patterns. I downloaded the Whimsical Quilt pattern and made this pretty batik quilt for a cancer patient.
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Get to Know Your Guild Member - Sharon Huffman
We are continuing this feature and hope that it is helping us better connect with each other, which will hopefully be easier now that we are again meeting in person.
In this month's Get to Know Your Guild Member feature, we're hearing from Sharon Huffman.
Q: How long have you been making quilts? Would you describe your learning process?
A: I have been quilting for about 20 years. Most of my information has come through classes given in the various quilt shops, some by instruction through special speakers and most importantly from other quilters who are willing to share their experiences. I could add that I learn from my own experience of trial and error.
Q: Were there special people or circumstances that encouraged you to begin to quilt?
A: As a child at home I would sometimes go with my mother to a weekly quilting bee and watch the ladies quilting. As an adult my sewing machine was used mainly for sewing my clothes for work purposes and for mending blue jeans. It was after I retired that I bought my basic Pfaff machine and got more serious about quilting.
A: I have been quilting for about 20 years. Most of my information has come through classes given in the various quilt shops, some by instruction through special speakers and most importantly from other quilters who are willing to share their experiences. I could add that I learn from my own experience of trial and error.
Q: Were there special people or circumstances that encouraged you to begin to quilt?
A: As a child at home I would sometimes go with my mother to a weekly quilting bee and watch the ladies quilting. As an adult my sewing machine was used mainly for sewing my clothes for work purposes and for mending blue jeans. It was after I retired that I bought my basic Pfaff machine and got more serious about quilting.
Q: What are your feelings about quilt making compared with other household activities?
A: I would prefer to be quilting a lot more because it is much more fun. However, the household jobs must be done too so I recognize that I need to improve my time management and create much more quilting time.
Q: How do you decide on the colors and fabrics that go into your quilts? Do you ever use the colors recommended on patterns that you buy or see in books?
A: Because most of the quits I have made so far were for other people the colour choices were requested by them. In general I have been using the fabrics I have. Some of my fabric has come form other people's leftovers. Some is pretty fat quarters which I have bought over time so the quilts become scrappy looking. When I buy some yardage it usually is required for a specific quilt.
Q: Would you rather create your own pattern and color combinations or have a pattern to go by?
A: At this point I prefer to use a pattern but I hope to try my own creation at some point in the future. I have some books by Harriet and Carrie Hargrave and I want to follow their instructions and see what I can do.
Q: What part of the quilting process do you like the best? For example, piecing, appliquéing, hand quilting, machine quilting, etc.
A: I enjoy the piecing process. I have done machine applique work on some wall hangings and table runners. I have a sit-down quilting machine and that is a lot of fun but this process is still new to me. My skill level has no where to go but up!
Q: Do you put quilt labels on all of your quilts?
A: Yes I do put labels on the bed quilts but usually not on placemats or table runners.
Q: Do you keep all your quilts? If so, how do you use quilts in your home?
A: I keep some quilts. Most of the ones I have made have gone to family members.
A: Yes I do put labels on the bed quilts but usually not on placemats or table runners.
Q: Do you keep all your quilts? If so, how do you use quilts in your home?
A: I keep some quilts. Most of the ones I have made have gone to family members.
My granddaughter Maddie wanted a purple quilt. The Dance of the Dragonflies pattern was beautiful so I was determined to make it and it was completed in time for the 2019 Arnprior Quilt Show. Shelley Byers did the machine quilting. I was thrilled to win the Viewer's Choice Award and this provided me with a Canadian Quilters Association red ribbon.
This quilt was made for my Aunt Elinor. The pattern is a design by Alex Anderson. It was fun to plan and make. She requested the rounded corners. She really enjoys the quilt.
Embroidered deer block
This block was made by my sister's mother-in-law who did hand embroidery on 42 blocks. The following 3 quilts were wedding gifts for my niece and 2 nephews so each received some of their grandmother's hand-crafted quilt blocks.
This block was made by my sister's mother-in-law who did hand embroidery on 42 blocks. The following 3 quilts were wedding gifts for my niece and 2 nephews so each received some of their grandmother's hand-crafted quilt blocks.
This quilt used 12 deer blocks. The sashing shows peregrine falcons which are commonly seen in Prince Rupert where my niece Melissa worked . I did free motion quilting using a small sewing machine. It was fun to do.
For this quilt I used blocks with dogs as well as the blocks with the embroidered deer. Michelle Gagnon did the long arm quilting.
The blocks depicting deer in a natural setting were interspersed with the embroidery blocks in this quilt. The custom machine quilting was done by Shelley Byers.
This quilt was my first Log Cabin design which was pieced using various brown colors. At first I couldn't imagine how it would be a pretty quilt but I was pleased with the result. The next photo shows a closeup so you can appreciate the long arm quilting done by Shelley Byers who is my daughter-in-law's sister.
It was now time to make a quilt for my grandson. His mother requested brown colors. I chose to use large hexagons. Various sporting activities were chosen to give a masculine look so that was how I put some brighter colors in. Thanks go to the ladies from the guild at the Providence Point retreat who suggested that I cut the large blocks in half to simplify the sewing process. This quilt was a great learning experience for me. My next hexagon quilt will have a more medium size hexagon.
This quilt was done for my sister. The blocks were appliqued by her mother-in-law so I pieced and assembled the remaining parts of the quilt. I did the free motion quilting using my sit-down quilting machine. She was delighted to receive the quilt. Again it was a fascinating learning process for me.
These 2 wall hangings were obtained in Hawaii and show Hawaiian flowers. Both are machine appliqued. The piecing required precision and patience but I like the results.
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Sustainable Quilting
A recent newsletter from the Canadian Quilters Association (CQA) included this information about impressive work on environmentally sustainable quilting by Bridget O'Flaherty who presented at our meeting in October 2018.
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Did you know that Canadians, on average, send 80 lbs of textile waste to landfill per person every year? Starting this Autumn, Bridget O’Flaherty (aka The Sustainable Quilter) is going to help us understand what we can do to help make the quilting industry more sustainable.
We’ll be sharing Bridget’s first of three articles on our blog on October 1, so everyone has access to this important information. In the meantime, check out Bridget’s Threads of Sustainability podcasts, including a recent episode regarding Ways to Save T-shirts from Landfill. |
Emma's Terry Fox Quilt
Guild member Emma Russell and her Terry Fox quilt, were featured during the summer in a story in our local Inside Ottawa Valley news in conjunction with the return of the annual Terry Fox Run in Renfrew on September 18th. A long time supporter and participant, Emma made a quilt from Terry Fox T-shirts and ribbons from previous runs. She generously donated the quilt for a raffle with the proceeds going to the Terry Fox Run.
The winning ticket was drawn by Emma on September 18th and the raffle raised $1,200 for the Terry Fox Run. Well done Emma!
Our guild members saw this stunning and unique quilt at our March Show and Tell on Zoom and heard its story then. (Emma is also our talented guild photographer.)
Read the Inside Ottawa Valley story here
The winning ticket was drawn by Emma on September 18th and the raffle raised $1,200 for the Terry Fox Run. Well done Emma!
Our guild members saw this stunning and unique quilt at our March Show and Tell on Zoom and heard its story then. (Emma is also our talented guild photographer.)
Read the Inside Ottawa Valley story here
Quilt Shop!
by Betty Rehbein
by Betty Rehbein
I just wanted to tell you about my visit to one of our newsletter advertisers. I had mentioned to Janet that we were going to visit St. Catharines, and she reminded me that we have an advertiser there, so I took the opportunity to visit the shop.
Up Yur Quilt is run by a very friendly and helpful Kelli Steele, and I had a lovely time chatting and browsing, and came away with some fabric and a paper-piecing book to use for making a quilt for my granddaughter. Kelli was happy to have a visitor from one of the quilt guilds that she advertises with.
Up Yur Quilt is run by a very friendly and helpful Kelli Steele, and I had a lovely time chatting and browsing, and came away with some fabric and a paper-piecing book to use for making a quilt for my granddaughter. Kelli was happy to have a visitor from one of the quilt guilds that she advertises with.
Betty at Up Yur Quilt
L to R: Kelli Steele and Betty
ADQG at the Valley Agricultural Festival
In late July our guild hosted an ADQG information table at the Valley Agricultural Festival (reincarnation of the Arnprior Fair).
We demonstrated how to hand sew hexi blocks and other hand sewing, and provided barn quilt colouring pages for the children. I'm not sure if we attracted any new guild members but we did attract people's interest and we heard some lovely reminiscences about family members and friends who are or were quilters.
Thanks to Tina, Jane, Penny, and Vickie who gave so generously of their time to help promote our guild and to make this demonstration possible.
-- Janet Brownlee
Penny and Jane
Quilt Shows
In person quilt shows have started again!!! I enjoyed my visits to the show in Ottawa in May, and to the quilt show associated with the International Plowing Match in Kemptville in August.
I try to track down any upcoming shows in Eastern Ontario, and when requested, I publish information about shows that are further afield.
Here's a list of the upcoming shows that I'm aware of. See our Upcoming Quilt Shows page for more detailed information on each of these shows.
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Location |
Dates |
Guild |
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Kemptville ON |
September 20-24 |
International Plowing Match |
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Canmore AB |
September 24-25 |
Mountain Cabin Quilters Guild |
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Brantford ON |
Sept 30 – Oct 1 |
Brant Heritage Quilters Guild |
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Hudson QC |
October 1-2 |
Hudson Village Quilters |
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St-Hyacinthe QC |
October 20-23 |
Courtepointe Québec |
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Toronto ON |
November 11-12 |
York Heritage Quilters Guild |
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Arnprior ON |
April 29-30, 2023 |
Our own Arnprior & District Quilters’ Guild |
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Halifax NS |
June 8-10 |
Canadian Quilters Association |
Tips:
- You can find the up-to-date quilt show information from anywhere on our web site More... --> Resources --> Upcoming Quilt Shows
- If you know of any upcoming local shows that are not listed on our web site, please let us know
- You can browse quilting events across Canada by province, territory, or date In the CQA Events Calendar
-- Janet Brownlee
Guild Facebook Group
Have you joined our guild members only Facebook Group yet? If not you are missing out on all the fun. The group now has 40+ members and is a great way to get to know your fellow guild members, to ask questions, learn a new block, a new tip or trick. We've seen some lovely photos of the Charity Pick Up Sticks quilts being assembled and finished off, Blocks of the month, completed mini-maker cases from the recent workshop, and much more. Tina is doing a fantastic job of keeping monitoring and facilitating the activity in this group. Thank you Tina for this wonderful new initiative!
Hope to see you there soon.
Click/tap here to join the group now.
-- Janet Brownlee
Contacting Guild Members
We plan to distribute a printed list of 2022-2023 guild members who have authorized us to share their contact information at the October guild meeting.
In the meantime if you would like to get in contact with any fellow guild members - perhaps to ask about a pattern of a Show-and-Tell quilt, or follow up on something you hear at a guild meeting, or read in a newsletter, you can do that through the members-only Facebook group, or you can send an email message to the guild and we'll ask that guild member to contact you by email. You can reach us at the guild email address arnpriorquilters@gmail.com or with the Contact Form
Advertisers
Thank you to our newsletter advertisers! Your support funds our Communications budget which includes the hosting of this web site. We are very grateful for this financial support.
To our guild members, please support our advertisers. You can click/tap on any of the advertisements in this newsletter to access the vendor's web site. These vendors are also listed on the Links page.
-- Janet Brownlee, Communications & Newsletter Editor
THANK YOU to Sharon Huffman for sharing her quilting journey and photos, and to Gwen, Marilyn, Nancy, Martha, Betty, Brigid, and Vickie for their guild updates and other news this month.
-- Janet Brownlee, Communications & Newsletter Editor
-- Janet Brownlee, Communications & Newsletter Editor
Our next meeting is on October 26th