Trend-Tex Challenge 2015

2015 CQA/ACC Trend-Tex Challenge is almost here.  We’re getting excited! 

But do you know what the "Trend-Tex Challenge" is? If you are a new member, you may not know that the people at Trend-Tex Fabrics Inc. donate bolts and bolts of 5 different fabrics (that Linda S gets to choose). A CQA/ACC member purchases 5 fat quarters, and makes a small wall quilt based on the theme for the year.   The quilt is sent to the Vice President who puts them on display at the annual Quilt Canada conference. Bidding through a silent auction allows visitors to purchase a quilt or two for their own.

This year’s theme is “Blowing in the Wind”.   

This year's fabrics, that we’ve chosen have arrived, been quickly unpacked, photographed, and then cut into fat 1/4s. We even had a team of cutters from the Penticton Quilters’ Guild  (thanks gals!) to help with this mammoth task. The fabrics are now in kits and packaged, waiting for your order. 
 
 

The boxes of fabric have arrived.

Folding the fabric

Penticton Quilters cutting the fabric.

 Order your kit online beginning on Oct. 1st if you are a CQA/ACC member and Nov. 1st if you are a non-member.

The fabric all in neat piles ready to be put in packages.

And when your kit arrives, you will need some ideas for what is “Blowing in the Wind”. Thinking of Lethbridge, AB, where Quilt Canada 2015 will be held on June 4-6, 2015, you might include such things as wind, kites, clouds, wind turbines, leaves, grain fields, dust and then let your imagination extend even further - the sky’s the limit.







 


All these works of art will be sent to Linda Schmidt (Vice President) to get ready for the Silent Auction in Lethbridge.
Linda is very excited about this challenge and hopes you are too! She can’t wait to receive your entryies to see how you interpret our theme “Blowing in the Wind”.

A GREAT BIG “THANK YOU” to Trend-Tex Fabrics Inc. for sponsoring this exciting challenge!!  And for 27 years too!!!   
Thank you Trend-Tex Fabrics Inc.!

It’s Time for Colour!

CQA/ACC is hitting the road! 

 We want people all across this country to know who we are and what we do! What better way than to showcase our amazing talent by sending two quilt shows travelling from one end of the country to the other and up to the top. The shows will hit most of the provinces and territories between January 2015 and May 2015 before they end up at Quilt Canada in Lethbridge Alberta June 4 – 6, 2015. (http://www.canadianquilter.com/events/quilt-canada-2015.php). So far, they will be shown in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Prince Edward Island. And maybe a couple more – just not arranged yet!

 
Every quilt will be made by a quilter who has won an award at our prestigious Canadian National Juried Show. See this year’s winners athttp://www.canadianquilter.com/photo-gallery/national-jury-show.php.

 These master quilters are generously donating a 12” by 16” quilt based on the theme ‘It’s Time for Colour!'  Our Regional Representatives will arrange showings of the quilts in their areas of the country. Each show will be displayed at quilt guilds, quilt shops, galleries, community centres, churches, libraries etc. Exact locations are still being worked out.

It gets better!!
All quilts will be for sale for $200 each, plus tax. Beautiful greeting cards featuring the quilts will also be sold wherever the quilts are displayed. All proceeds will be donated to a most worthy organization:  “The Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada” (www.childrenswish.ca).  In November, we will display images of all the quilts along with purchasing information.

We plan to tell you more about these talented Canadian artists and their quilts as they are being made and as they travel across the country. Sign up to follow this blog so you don’t miss anything.

Just as a teaser, you can go and see what Maggie Vanderweit  and Coreen Zerr have done so far.
Laine C.

Meet Another CQA/ACC Board Member

                   “Whatever you do, do with your might.
                 Things done in halves are never done right!”







This rhyming couplet describes Marilyn Michelin’s philosophy of life. Whatever the task, she is able to focus and pour all her energy into it until completed. Sometimes the task was raising a son as a single mom and earning a university degree while teaching full time.  Sometimes the task was organizing food for a school BBQ for 500 people. Sometimes the task was a 3 year project to host Quilt Canada at Brock University.

You’ve guessed it. Marilyn is a detailed organizer. 

My Jinny Beyer Quilt - Around the World

Her quilting room is organized with bins of fabric according to colour or season. Her threads, rulers, templates, batting all have their place. She generously shares these resources with others who are learning to quilt or are in need of material. Her completed quilts are stashed high in a closet or out on display for all to enjoy.
 

Loyalty is an attribute that Marilyn possesses as well. Her loyalty is evident in the care of her family or organizations for which she has volunteered to serve using her computer and organizing skills.
 

She loves living by policies and bylaws which keep an organization running smoothly. This organization could be the flying club, the teachers’ union or the local quilting guild. Yes, Marilyn had a pilot’s licence, is a retired teacher and a past president of Niagara Heritage Quilters’ Guild.

 

  As a quilter, this is
    M - many quilts          
    A - affirming others    
    R - resources             

     I - independent          

     L - loyalty                   
    Y - yards and yards   
    N - neat stacks.          

 

Some of my quilts

 

A new challenge energizes Marilyn. Her newest challenge is serving on the board of directors for CQA/ACC as Director at Large. Her many talents and years of experience will be an asset to the board where she will give generously of her time and resources.

Evelyn Lawrence
Friend of Marilyn

Rug Class with Al Cote, displayed in my garden

My First Landscape

Lollygagging Along the Way to Lethbridge

From Brock University to

Calling all guilds! We had so much interest and fun in past years that we want to repeat the challenge. For this year’s “walk”, we would like to journey from Brock University in St. Catharines, ON to University of Lethbridge, AB where Quilt Canada 2015 is being held.

We have measured the track from QC2014 (St. Catharines ON) to QC 2015 (Lethbridge, AB), with a slight detour to Penticton (QC 2013). It is an amazing 5015.01km or 197,441,338.6 inches. That’s a lot of inches to collect, but I know that working together we can do it.

To avoid getting tired, we will  “lollygag” along the way - visit some member guilds and quilt shops as we travel from point to point. I have access to a fair number of these, but if you are along the way, let me know so that you can be included. (email to diratlarge@canadianquilter.com)

to the University of Lethbridge

Here’s how it works. What you need to do is collect inches by measuring the perimeter (around the outside) of the quilts in your Show and Tell/Share, starting Sept. 1. 2014 until June 1, 2015. Send this total to Marilyn Michelin, Director At Large at diratlarge@canadianquilter.com each month.

Using the inches you send me, I will plot how far we go and will report our progress in a blog report at the end of each month, including, of course, all those interesting places where we’ve “lollygagged” along the way.

Please get your guild involved. Everyone loves finishing those UFO’s. See you in September!
Marilyn

Dog Days of Summer - Member Challenge

Dog Days is the name for the hottest and muggiest period of summer, from about July 3 to Aug. 11, around the time when Sirius (the dog star) is the brightest in the summer sky. Along with the heat, we get sunshine, thunderstorms, sometimes hail, and lots of humidity!

Many things are associated with the Dog Days of Summer. On the web we found: Dog Days of Summer Cocktail Shake-Off, a Fashion Show, 5K run, Adoption of Dogs (SPCA), Fairs, Cruises, Scavenger Hunt, Canine Festival & Contest, Photo contest, Pool Party, and so much more.

Most images have dogs in them, but what we are looking for is “how YOU survive the dog days of summer” as our current member challenge. (You may include your canine friend, but it’s not mandatory!)

Make your quilt - any size or shape; take a digital picture (high resolution approx 1MB) of it and email it to Marilyn Michelin at diratlarge@canadianquilter.com by September 20, 2014.
Don’t forget to include the following information: your name, your CQA/ACC member number, email address, a brief description of your quilt and any copyright information.




A judge will select first, second and third place winners who will get prizes generously donated by Kindred Spirits Quilt Co. of  St. Catharines, ON and you will be published in our next The Canadian Quilter magazine. All other entries will be featured on our blog.




PS. Make sure to take a good photograph. Take the photo in a well-lit area with no background distractions and, of course, ALL of your quilt in the picture with no parts cut off.

Marilyn