York Heritage Quilters Guild

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.

Only 4 weeks until A Celebration of Quilts… getting excited yet?

SHOP AT THE GUILD:
A great place to buy gifts for yourself or friends and family (Christmas is fast approaching!) is our very own Shop At the Guild. Guild members can sell hand crafted  or quilt-related items in this area.. check it out! Shop at the Guild is located in the back of the Studio area, and there will be some really cool stuff there. I personally have an addiction to pin cushions made by Shirley Dawson, so I need to get there early to find that new addition to my collection. Oh yes, I also need more Xmas tree decorations, maybe some cards by Judy Messenger, a new crafted bag. Oh my!

If YOU have an idea for something you would like to sell, contact Shirley ASAP and get busy making them. Your quilt for the show IS finished, isn’t it?

VENDORS:

As most of you know, there are fewer and fewer places to shop locally for fabric and other quilt-related items. The good news is the upcoming YHQG quilt show will have a great selection of vendors. Here is the list of vendors (in random order), and links to their websites:
Grantham Books
Sew Little Time
The Cotton Harvest Quilt Shop
Fabric Please!
Meerkat Trading
X’s and Oh’s
Kalidoscope of Quilts
Kawartha Quilting Systems
Border Creek Station Pattern Co.
Kallisti Quilts 
Country Clothesline
Fabric Spark 
Hyggeligt 
Appleseed Quiltworks
Canadian National Fabric
Ruby Pearl Quilts 
Bead FX
Eweknit / Fabric Works
The Quilt Store

While you have been busy getting your quilting finished, sewing on the binding and adding the hanging sleeve to your quilt for our Celebration of Quilts, the organizers have been busy planning an event packed with all things quilty. Over the next few weeks we will be highlighting some of these events, so sign up for email updates.. go to YHQG.org and click on the button that says “follow” on the right hand side of the blog.

What can you do to make the show a success? Buy tickets for your friends and family- show them what we quilters have been up to lately! Who knows, you may turn one or two of them on to becoming quilters. Tickets will be available at our next guild meeting, so don’t forget your wallets.   And while you are there, sign up for a two-hour shift. One thing we KNOW is that a show can never have enough volunteers, and it is a great way to give back to your guild. See France to add your name to the volunteer list.

For more information on our upcoming show… click here!

There is still room in Ana Buzzalino’s October workshops. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to learn from this amazing artist! Details on our speakers and workshops page.. Email now to sign up!

And check out our November speaker- sign up for Libs Elliott’s workshops before they sell out! Details on our speakers and workshops page.

We recently received a thank you for quilts that were donated to a family.. sweet!

Four of York Heritage members had the privilege of a full day of fun and learning while we played on Sandy Lindal’s long arm and proudly completed 6 quilts by the end of day for Community Quilts.  Thanks to Sandy’s talent and generosity these beautiful quilts will find their way to people who need and we hope love them.

What an exciting evening we had!  Our meeting was abuzz- friends to re-connect with, workshops to sign up for, fabric and books for sale, tons of community quilting to work on.

Here are the photos from the Show and Tell portion of our meeting:

Celeste Compion of Meerkat Trading gave a talk on the history of Shweshwe fabrics, unique to South Africa. They make wonderful clothes as well as quilts, check out the outfit!

Our first meeting of the year is Tuesday September 19th at 7 pm.. see you there! Remember your application in for the YHQG Celebration of Quilts is due by the end of September. More info is on the Quilt show page.

Excited to try something new? Check out the speakers we have lined up for the 2017-2018 guild year. AND start planning which classes you want to take. Sign up early to be sure to get the classes you want! Check it out here.

We are also offering a Saturday Workshop  Saturday, October 28, 2017:
Appliqué – getting started on the right foot! taught by Katie Pidgeon
Armour Heights Presbyterian Church  105 Wilson Ave. (close to the 401 and Avenue Road) 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.   Fee: $45

Workshop description:
Have you ever been attracted to a quilt design, bought a pattern or kit and it hasn’t gone anywhere? Katie will help you dust it off and get started!

This workshop is suitable for all levels, from beginner to advanced. You will learn how to draw out a template, determine the best appliqué method to use, and refresh your skills for making perfect circles, curvy lines and even pointy points.

If you already have a pattern or kit, please bring the supplies required to start. If you don’t have any special block in mind, no worries, Katie will supply a simple one to get you on your way. She will also provide a piece of plastic for your template and some freezer paper.

To register:
Please sign up at the workshop table at the September or October meeting. Don’t hesitate … there are only 20 spaces available for this workshop. Your spot is secured when we receive your payment (cash, cheque or credit card). You’ll receive the supply list when you register.

Note: Coffee and tea will be supplied, so please bring your lunch and a coffee mug. Don’t forget your name tag!

Our May meeting means the end of another guild year. Our new executive has been selected, and are busy planning next year’s events. Get to know your executive board here.
There were lots of tables for guild members to check out.. community quilting had lots of quilts that need quilting over the summer, tables overflowing with fabric for sale for our annual sewing room sale, and info tables for information about Quilts at the Creek and YHQG’s November quilt show, Celebration of Quilts.

This was also the month for the big reveal for all those UFOs people have been working on. Here is a list of all the winners:

Large quilt category:
1st place Valerie Prideaux #2
2nd place Maria Stevenson #11

Small quilt category :
1st place Joy Takahashi #7 “Mirror Landscape”
2nd place Martha Huffman #14 “Fall Meadow”

Other winners:
Best hand quilting Shirley Dawson #9
Best embroidery Maria Stevenson #11
Best machine quilting Martha Huffman #14
Speed Sewer award (most to do from picture submitted) Valerie Prideaux #2
Biggest increase in size Wendy Angelo #18
Funniest reason for becoming a UFO Judy Ellen #22
Most legitimate reason for becoming a UFO Lana Peck #3

Here are the 1st and 2nd place winners in the Large Quilt category:

Valerie Prideaux

Maria Steventon

And here are the other entries in this category:

Rosemary Marchant

Bev Sturgeon

Kim Workman

Rae Murphy

Daryl Workman

Janice Kawka

Wendy Angelo

Susan Oren

Lana Peck

Irena Hopper

Here are the 1st and 2nd place winners in the Small Quilt category:

Joy Takahashi

Martha Huffman

And here are the other entries in this category:

Janet Patterson

Shirley Dawson

Judy Ellen

Donnaleen Vlossak

Judy Beca

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Brochures were handed out with next year’s schedule, and it looks like an exciting lineup of speakers. And don’t forget our guild show in November.. how is YOUR quilt coming along?