York Heritage Quilters Guild

We had a full night of quilts at our March meeting, with lots of fun things happening.

Donnaleen reminded us to let her know if you are entering the President’s Challenge (fabric from Rosemary Hamelin’s stash, due at our May meeting!) – and the size of your quilt, estimates are OK.  Valerie gave a brief history of Quilts at the Creek, and there will be volunteer sign-ups, quilt applications and workshop sign ups at the Q@C table at our April and May meetings. She also gave examples of what a challenge quilt could look like, if you choose to enter this.

Wendy Dines reminded us that Community Quilts is hoping to get back some of the quilts (and the pins…) that have been taken to be quilted. There are a few more waiting to be quilted too. And of course there was luscious fabric from Hyggeligt Fabrics to drool over!

We had lots of great quilts in our Show-and-Share session:

Our speaker for the evening was Bethanne Nemesh who entertained us with her journey to find her personal quilting style, and amazed us with her artistic and technical abilities. What great quilts! To see better details of her work, check out her website here.

See you next month!

This was a members workshop month, complete with those yummy cookies! The room was abuzz with mini-workshops, hand quilting, and LOTS of socializing, not to mention yummy fabric from Country Clothesline to purchase.

Here are some snapshots from the evening:

PRESIDENT’S CHALLENGE REMINDER:
The May meeting is when your quilts from Rosemary Hamlin’s stash are due.. how is your quilt progressing? Details can be found on our Display and Competition page..

Thanks to all guild members who cotributed Last month:

• a quilted sandwich, on a long arm machine by Erica Ray & Kathy Schofield
• a finished baby quilt by Jean Hiivala and
• two baby quilts and a quilt top left without identification
• top from a CQ kit assembled by Ashley Power.

Last month, CQ was challenged to find meeting space that also included some storage. Charlene suggested we look at the East York Community Centre. Within ten days, a large room with some storage was secured!!! How gratifying that value is placed on the continuing assembly of quilts for those in need and at no cost to the guild.

EYCC is located at 1081 Pape Ave, just south of O’Connor Drive. We will meet on Tuesdays, starting from 11:15am to 4 pm.

The format for the CQ meetings at EYCC continues as previously: CQ projects one Tuesday and one’s own work on alternate weeks. A schedule, of sorts, has begun with weekly emails to participants notifying them of the project for the upcoming Tuesday. All of the fabric, batting and assembled quilt top inventory is, by necessity being stored in various members’ households. However, storage of sewing machines, mats and the day to day paraphernalia necessary to quilting is in a locked storage closet adjacent to the meeting room.

For members who would like to join us, please contact Wendy Dines to register.

A number of people have chosen to continue to meet Mondays at Stan Wadlow alternating between CQ work and their own project. Note that ALL the items necessary to work on your project needs to be brought to the centre every week.

What was initially a trying situation has become a win-win situation because the opportunity to join CQ is now open to the membership and, with a choice of day and place.

It may be cold and snowy outside, but at our January guild meeting it was abuzz. SAQA quilts on display, fabric for sale, stimulating talk by Elaine Theriault- lots to see and do.. For photos from the evening, click here.

To see our latest newsletter (February 2018, click here.

Community Quilting has been fortunate to have the use of the room at Stan Wadlow Community Centre as well as storage for the necessary items such as fabric, batting, sewing machines and many sundry items. The City of Toronto Parks and Recreation is now renovating the building and plans eliminate this storage space.

We will continue to meet at Stan Wadlow. We will be organizing ourselves so that the necessities for quilting will be stored at volunteers’ homes and transported when specific items are required.

At this time, a search has been started to find a new location that has both a workroom and storage facilities. Suggestions from the membership would be much appreciated. Contact Wendy Dines for details of the requirements for a ‘new home’.

Our guild members have been busy completing quilts for  Community Quilting. A big ‘Thank You’ for the time and effort all of you have made in the creation of these beautiful quilts for people facing challenging situations.

Completed from CQ sandwiches or pieced tops:
Kathy and Erika (2), Sandra Barrett, Robert Gutcher (2), Kirsten Johnston, Helgard Koch, Martha Huffman, Cherie Leung  (4), Peter Byrne (own batting & backing),  Sylvia Rochetti, and Sylvia Peace

Completed quilts from their own stash:
Joan Lester, Phoebe Visser (4), Mary Hallam. Anne Coukell

There is a small re-design to our York Heritage Quilters Guild site… this front page will feature news from our guild, as well as articles online that might be of interest. Got a site you’d like to share? Email Valerie Prideaux with your suggestions. For highlights from previous quilt guild meetings, click on the Meeting Highlights in the header at the top of the web page.

The number of items that are given in at the Community Quilting table continues to astound. Despite the guild show in November, a total of 30-32 tops, quilted sandwiches and completed quilts were received. A huge THANK YOU to the following:

Completed quilts from their own stash:
Bev Newton (3) ; Phoebe Visser (5); Helen Fujiki (2); Joan Lester (2)

Completed quilt or quilted sandwich from CQ Kits:
Ana Gandolfi; Heather Black; Chris Trottier; Nancy Kee; Sheila Bieman; Helgard Koch; Val Wilson (2); Mary Ramsay; Janice McBride; Joy Takahashi; Erica Rao & Kathy Schofield together

Pieced tops from own stash:
Ann Hawkins (2)

Pieced tops from CQ kits:
Bev Moffett; Linda Hales; Margaret Whitehead; Helgard Koch; Linda Robitaille

Comfort Quilt Distribution:
HQG continues to support newcomers to Canada

A family of 5 children (age 12 to 19) from the Philippines joined their mother here in Toronto. Smiles & hugs all around when they were presented with a quilt for each family member, including Mom.

A Syrian family that is being sponsored by Fairlawn United Church arrives in Toronto in the third week of December and will find their beds adorned with 5 beautiful quilts (see photos).

Ten comfort quilts were given to the Hazel Burns Hospice – this organization was brought to my attention by Kathy Campbell, a CQ volunteer at Stan Wadlow.

Twenty quilts were delivered by Anne McLaughlin to Sojourn House whose mission statement is “To provide a safe place and create an inclusive environment where refugees are supported and empowered to pursue a life in Canada.

And, for the fourth year in a row, CQ gave two sets of three quilts (an adult, a child’s & a baby) to Sistering, a wonderful organization that offers support, care, meals and a safe haven for women & children in downtown Toronto. Each year they host two Holiday Parties at which donated items including quilts from YH are given out in a “free raffle”. Their executive director has told us that the quilts are highly prized by the recipients.

Thanks to Judy Messenger, Jane Cramer and Jacinta Bennell (who made two of the six) who gave generously of their time, talent and materials to make these quilts.

Any member interested in making a quilt for this project is asked to contact Wendy Dines, CQ facilitator.

Auction Quilt Distribution:

The following charities and not-for-profit organizations received a quilt to assist in their fundraising:

Assaulted Women’s Helpline, Breast Cancer Support Fund, Mom to Mom Africa, Macroglobulinemia Foundation of Canada, Humewood House, St Clare Inn, Toronto Intergenerational Partnership (TIGP) and the Catholic Women’s League.

Some of these organizations reached out to us to secure a donation. However, most recipient organizations came to our attention because a guild member approached the committee asking for a quilt donation. If you are a member of a not for profit organization which works in the area of supporting women, children and families, please contact Wendy Dines, CQ facilitator to see if your organization meets the Guild’s parameters for just such a donation.

We recently received a letter from Jaime Spitzer of the Assaulted Women’s Helpline, who had received a quilt from Community Quilts:

“Our 14th annual helpline gala was held on Friday November 17th, we are still tallying up the final numbers for everything, but we are very happy about the turnout.

We decided in order to maximize the proceeds from your beautiful quilt, we used it in a raffle in which we ended up raising $458.00!!

We are thrilled that the quilt brought in that much money, and we cannot thank the York Heritage Quilt Guild for their generous donation!”

Fabric is something all quilters hold dear to their hearts. Stitched in Color has an article that compares the various brands of solid fabrics out there. The author also talks about where the fabrics are manufactured, how they handle, and more. Interesting stuff!

Quilting by Prisoners? Why not? ? Tracey Chevalier has written a book called The Sleep Quilt. The quilt is made from blocks made by prisoners, on the theme of sleep.  “It sounds crazy to say that sewing can help people, but it is actually very therapeutic and calming,” says Chevalier. “And it’s an opportunity for these guys to make something beautiful and be praised for it and paid for it. She worked with Fine Cell Work, a group that teaches needlework to prisoners and pays them for the work they do. She ran a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds to publish the book.

And last but not least, Pantone has announced their colour of the year: Ultra Violet (ie, purple!)

Happy quilting, see you January 16th 2018!

Now that you are in recovery mode, think about trying something new! Libs Elliott will be teaching at YHQG next week, and there is still time to sign up- email today. Your email will be directed to the right place! Libs classes are:

Rebel Quilt (Tuesday Nov 21)

Controlled Randomness (1/2 day: morning Wednesday Nov 22)
and The Wicked Hex Mini (1/2 day, afternoon Wednesday Nov 22)

I’m sure you were all as impressed as I was with the organization of our Celebration of Quilts, the great choice of vendors, and THE QUILTS!

To see photos from the show click on the link below. Sorry in advance for the quality of some, the show layout made it impossible to get some “straight on” photos, especially the larger quilts.

Celebration of Quilts XIII
Once there, you can view this as a slide show.

If there is a photo you want to download, click on that image, and go to bottom right. Click on the arrow (2nd to last) to choose the size of file you would like to download.

Winners of raffle quilts and Loonie Sale coming soon!

The quilts have arrived, and so it begins!

Here is Jane at her command post, patiently answering all questions and directing volunteers.

Meanwhile, the hanging has begun in the main hall:

And some areas are already done:

And here is one VERY important place to check out- Marche 59.

See you soon!

This will be busy week ahead for all those volunteering at A Celebration of Quilts XIII. Quilts will be dropped off between 9 am and noon on Thursday November 9th. Meanwhile quilt racks are being set up and placed throughout the facility, and then the hanging of quilts begins.  No one goes home until we are all happy with the layout!

When you arrive to see the show, you will find the sales ticket table and volunteer sign in desk, as well as a display of our Raffle Quilts. A special shout out to Bev Sturgeon for navigating the system to get our raffle license! Buy your raffle tickets when you arrive, then proceed to the Loonie Sale area, also in the front lobby. There will be a wide selection of items so buy lots of tickets and drop them into the bags for the items you want to take home with you. More tickets = more chances to win!

When you have spent time studying the quilts at this year’s show, take a break! Marche 59 is located on the second floor, and will be enticing you with a selection of food and drink. Then remember to visit Shop at the Guild, located in the Studio Space on the second floor. There will be a wide range of items for sale, all made by YHQG members. Come see what they have been up to! To make your shopping easier, we now accept cash, debit and credit cards on all purchases.

And a special thanks to Quincy’s Quilting from Leduc Alberta for a very generous donation of fabric. Their booth was directly behind us at CreativFestival last week, and some of their fabric fell off the back of the table into our booth- so that is how we met! This fabric will be part of the Loonie Sale in the Front Lobby.

Remember to tell all your friends about this show.. it only happens every three years, and is always filled with quilts that will amaze and inspire.

OK, so I can feel the excitement in the air for A Celebration of Quilts XIII. Only two weeks left!! Of course the main show is the gorgeous crop of quilts from YHQG members at large. Because you can never see enough quilts, however, we will be hosting four shows within our show. These include:

Kiyomi Sakamoto sadly passed away earlier this year.  We will display a sampling of her quilting, fibre art and a few pieces of clothing which her family and friend have generously loaned to us.

Past Presidents Present … we have gathered a selection of quilts from our guild’s Past Presidents to display their talents and to honour and thank them for the countless hours they have spent working for the good of the guild.  Our guild began in 1980, and you will find entries from each decade. You will find quilts by:
Kay Phillips (1984 – 1986), Mary Lou Watson (1987 – 1989), Phyllis Purves (1991 – 1992), Mary Hallam (1992 – 1994), Fran Dunn (1999 – 2001), Sandy Smith (2001 – 2002), Kirsten Johnson (2004 – 2006), Janet Heise (2007 – 2009), Katie Pigeon (2009 – 2011), Bev Sturgeon (2011 – 2013),Jane Cramer (2013 – 2015), Laurissa Werhun (2015 – 2017)

Thanks everyone!

“The Betweens”  – This small quilt group was formed out of the Community Quilts around 10 years ago.  All 12 members belonged to YHQG and enjoyed working together on Community Quilts. Two members have moved away (Jill and Ann), but still attend when they are able.  Another two original members have passed on (Meg Gordon and Willie Smee) and are greatly missed.
This group is a lasting tribute to the value of friendship and a mutual love of quilting.

Front row from left:  Cora Westgate, Val Taylor, Anne-Louise Lanteigne, Helen Crooke, Willie Smee, Noreen Deeley.  Back row from left:  Janet Heise, Erica Ribiero, Jill Leslie, Meg Gordon, Marion Boucher, and Ann Sutherland.

Quilts of Valour – we are very pleased to welcome this group to our show to thank them for the work they do for our veterans and to help promote their organization.  It is especially fitting as we will be celebrating Remembrance Day at 11:00 am on Saturday, November 11 with taps followed by two minutes of silence.

Will you be at CreativFestival? Drop by and see us. And get your tickets for Celebration of Quilts there:
Ticket price: $8- in advance, $10- at the door.

Only three weeks left until A Celebration of Quilts! Please remember to encourage your friends to attend, and if you use Facebook, share this event on your page. Who knows, you might turn some non-quilters on to this fun / addictive craft. We are thrilled to present scheduled presentations by featured artists (who are also are members of our guild!) in the library space during A Celebration of Quilts XIII on both Friday and Saturday. Take a break from the show and celebrate some of our own!
 Tracey Lawko: Creativity in Fibre       11:30 am
Tracey creates realistic landscapes and sculpted still-life in thread. In her inspiring slide lecture, Tracey will take us through her journey from hand embroidery to quilting to fibre art with a particular focus on her recent installation of large works entitled “Change Enables Growth”. An embroiderer, quilter, longarmer and textile artist, Tracey’s artwork has been juried into many North American exhibitions and has been recognized with numerous awards. Her work is held in the permanent collection of the US National Quilt Museum and in private collections in North America and Europe.

Jeannie Jenkins: A Stress-Free Journey to Original Design      1:30 pm
An award-winning quilt maker, longarm quilter, author, designer, and teacher, Jeannie’s work has been published in magazines and has been displayed worldwide. She is the third generation in her family to graduate from OCAD, and while growing up was surrounded by art.
She began sewing as a child and took a dressmaking class at age 10. That was the beginning of her love of sewing, making most of her own clothes as a teenager. She has taught both beginner and more advanced quilt making for more that 25 years. After all these years she is just as passionate about quilting as when she started. Her first book will be available March 20 2018.

Daniela Tiger: Quilt School 101      3:30 pm
Daniela Tiger is a graduate of the Ontario College of Design University as well as a graduate of Art Mastery program in San Antonio Texas with Jane Dunnewold. From a previous life she also has a Master’s Degree of Social Work from the University of Toronto. In other words, she loves to learn! She will share through slide presentation, as well as “Show and Share” her thoughts on the pros and cons of academia.

Note: at 11:00 am we will recognize and celebrate Remembrance Day with “The Last Post” (in the Floral Hall), followed by 2 minutes of silence throughout the entire Toronto Botanical Garden facility.

Kathy K. Wylie: The Time of Our Lives     11:30 am
Kathy is a multiple international-award winning quilter specializing in appliqué techniques in a “contemporary traditional” style. She lectures and teaches all over the country at guilds, shops and quilt shows and is a CQA/ACC Certified Quilt Judge. Her work has been featured in magazines, and her designs are available as individual patterns as well as in her book “Sewflakes: Papercut Appliqué Quilts”.

B. J. Reid: The Stories Behind the Art     1:30 pm
Total freedom is what drives B.J. to express her art, limited only by her vivid imagination. Hear some amazing and entertaining stories during her presentation. They’re the truth, honest!

Mary Elizabeth Kinch: What I Learned From My 12 Favourite Antique Quilts       3:30 pm
Mary Elizabeth is a professional quiltmaker and co-author of two best-selling books: “Small Pieces, Spectacular Quilts” and “Small Blocks, Stunning Quilts”. She is also passionate about studying antique quilts, and her work is deeply influenced by a respect for the quilting tradition, the lessons those quilts can teach us, and a keen sense of design and colour. Small pieced quilts make her weak at the knees. She likes to break the rules by stretching the traditional boundaries to create exciting modern quilts and captivating antique inspired quilts. Her work has been featured in numerous international quilting publications, and she has been a featured guest on The Quilt Show with Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims. Her first fabric line “Modern Country” was released in the summer of 2015.