WOW! What a Conference

The show is over, but all the wonderful memories of what went on in Lethbridge, AB this year at Quilt Canada 2015 will live on.
 

Beach Sculptures by Judy Leslie

A record number of people went through the National Juried Show to see all the exciting quilts. Of course, everyone just had to see the BEST of Show. This quilt, Beach Sculptures, was made by fibre artist, Judy Leslie.


All the winners of the NJS are available to be seen on the CQA/ACC website. There are some amazing quilts there - absolutely stunning - by some talented quilters.

Elaine Quehl

And talking about talented, CQA/ACC Teacher of the Year (or TOY as we call it) was presented at the AGM to Elaine Quehl. Elaine has been a teacher at our Quilt Canada conferences, a quilt artist, designer and is well-known for her fabric dyeing and hostas. Congratulations Elaine!

Presentation of cheque to Children's Wish Foundation

A cheque was presented to Ginny from Children's Wish Foundation (Western Canada) at the final banquet. From all the quilts and cards sold in the travelling show, It's Time for Colour", we were able to present a cheque for $10,000. Amazing! Thanks to all who helped with this show, and in particular, those who purchased the quilts and cards. Good Job!



A big thank you to all the sponsors and quilt guilds who donated prizes and money to this conference. We really appreciate your commitment to quilting and quilters in Canada. 

A special thank you to the LOC (Local Organizing Committee) from Lethbridge, AB. The LOC and all the volunteers helped to make this year's conference a big success. They've been working hard for the last two years to make sure this year was a wonderful show.

A huge thank you to the University of Lethbridge. There were many positive comments about the staff and the facilities.

And finally to all of you who attended, in being a part of bringing quilters together from all across Canada and beyond, and also for supporting quilting in Canada!

Top Ten Reasons to Attend Quilt Canada 2015 in Lethbridge

Windswept Snow - Tracey Lawko
NJS 2014

1.   An all-star line-up of teachers and their workshops are filling up fast.





2.    Great chance to meet up with “old” quilting friends and to also make some new ones.

Pillars of Strength - Veronica Puskas
NJS 2014

 3.    See the latest gadgets and fabrics in our wonderful Merchant Mall.






 4.    See the “cream of the crop” quilts in the National Juried Show.

Earthscapes - Janet Rhind
NJS 2014

  

5.    Enjoy a phenomenal speaker/lecturer Weeks Ringle (Transforming Traditions: Modernism and Quilts)

Alaska Nasturtium - Catherine Sloan
NJS 2014

 

 6.    Get inspired by all the wondrous works and you might be invigorated to start a new project or finish a UFO.

 



 7.    The opportunity to learn some interesting machine quilting skills.


 8.    Stay in an up-to-date residence with microwaves, fridges and TVs.

Tours

9.    Visit another distinct part of Canada that you may not visit on your own.




10.    Attend the closing banquet of the conference with a celebration of quilting, friends, a delicious meal, gifts and entertainment.

Delft - Jim Wilford
NJS 2014

Kathy Tidswell - Wearable Art

Have you ever wanted to create a jacket or vest that was uniquely yours - a one-of-a-kind? In a recent conversation with Kathy Tidswell regarding her upcoming classes at Quilt Canada 2015: Blown Away, she passed along some pictures of the amazing wearable art that she has created -  Art that you can learn how to create if you sign up for her class on Wearable Art at Quilt Canada 2015.

Everyone likes to have their own personal style with regards to the clothing that they wear, and what better way to exude your own style than wearing one of your own creations? Rest assured that no one would have a jacket or vest that matched yours.

You will learn many skills in the class on Wearable Art. Kathy, winner of the Teacher of the Year award in 2005, will also give tips on the type of pattern that can be adapted to wearable art, as well as numerous embellishment techniques that can no doubt be used in other areas of your quilting life as well. Skills like lace cutwork, bobbin work, trapunto, arranging appliqués , and new methods for attaching appliqués . You'll be able to look at samples and even get started on your own creation under Kathy's watchful eye. 

Kathy also graciously passed along some photos of her work, many of it shown at previous Quilt Canada conferences. The trapunto jacket was the winner of the CQA/ACC National Juried Show Wearable Art award in 1999. The silk cape featuring a 3-D thread appliqué Great Horned Owl was juried into CQA/ACC in 2012. The silk hand painted cape features three free motion thread owls. The jacket with the lake sunset scene received Honourable Mention in 2005. The fireworks jacket was accepted into 2001 National Juried Show.  
       
 

 













Check out Kathy’s classes being offered at Quilt Canada 2015 in Lethbridge, AB on the CQA/ACC’s website.
Shena Boes
LOC

Lethbridge Awaits You

Registration will be open on Jan. 14th to ALL quilters for Quilt Canada 2015 in Lethbridge AB!

Early registration has been open for a few weeks but there is still space in most workshops and all other events. Did you get a long-arm for Christmas (I really wish I did) or are you thinking about buying one? Sign up for Joanne Flamand's class, Introduction to Long-Arm Quilting. This is a lecture class - well actually it’s two class topics combined into one class. The great thing about a lecture is you don’t have to operate a machine you have never used before. The teacher sketches designs from basic to complex and you sketch along with her. This builds muscle memory so when you try it at home it’s much easier. You'd be hard-pressed to find a better instructor.

Are you a quilter who likes to paint? Combine the two in Margie Davidson's class, Paint and Piece. Margie is well known for the individual attention that she gives to each student in her class. She was awarded the Teacher of the Year Award in 2013!

These are just two of the exciting workshops available for registration.

And don't forget to get a ticket for Weeks Ringle's lecture, Transforming Traditions: Modernism and Quilts. 

Book your spot before it’s too late. It may be cold out now but it will be sunny and warm on June 4 – 6. Register for a class, attend a lecture, tour the amazing Waterton Park by bus. 

Waterton Park is one of my favourite places. The flowers in springtime are spectacular. Just think of the quilting inspiration you can find! The list of activities is endless and you will be ‘Blown Away’ by the beautiful and immense Alberta sky.  

Shena Boes

Is this job for you?

CQA/ACC is seeking a Conference Coordinator for the 2016 Quilt Canada. This job is a paid position.

What do you need to do this job?

Are you a proactive, logical, efficient person?  Do you have effective time management skills?  Your excellent communication abilities could be used in organizing our 2016 Quilt Canada Conference!

Please contact  president@canadianquilter.com for the job description and to express your interest.

Posting for CQA/ACC Conference Coordinator

The Canadian Quilters Association/Association canadienne de la courtepointe is seeking an individual to plan and coordinate the Quilt Canada 2016 conference in a major centre in Ontario.  This will be a part time position beginning on the date of signing the contract and ending on the date of submitting final reports after the 2016 conference, no later than 30 days post conference.  The contract will be renewable annually on approval of both parties.  Compensation to be negotiated.

Skills Needed:

·                 Experience organizing events of this type or similar events

·                 working knowledge of computer software - esp. Word and Excel

·                 demonstrate oral and written communication skills

·                 demonstrated marketing skills

·                 demonstrated negotiating skills

·                 demonstrated leadership skills and ablility to work as part of a team

To perform this role successfully, an individual:

·       Must be proactive, logical, efficient and be able to multi-task.

·       Must be well organized, have effective time management skills and able to work within established timelines.

To inquire about this position contact the President at president@canadianquilter.com

Registration - it's here!

Registration for all the fun and educational activities at Quilt Canada 2015 is officially open now! Well actually it was open several days ago. But there's still room for you in all of our classes/workshops. Don't miss this opportunity to take a workshop with our wonderful teachers! Register now!

At this point, registration is only open to CQA/ACC members (as of Nov 26th). However it is worth it to become a member if you want to register for more than 2 one-day classes or one 2-day class. As a member, you'll save $25 per day. It is well worth the price and you get a subscription to The Canadian Quilter quarterly magazine, which is a great all-Canadian resource for local quilting news along with your membership. What a great incentive to join! Plus great workshops too!

Schedules and descriptions for all the workshop classes are available on the CQA/ACC website. You can register online to purchase tickets to Weeks Ringle's lecture "Transforming Traditions: Modernism and Quilts", the Closing Banquet and Ceremonies, a logo pin and more.

If you are not a member, registration opens Jan. 14, 2015.

So don't waste any time -  Register today and prepare to be blown away at Quilt Canada 2015 in Lethbridge, AB June 4-6!

Lethbridge - Meet the Teachers - 2

So there are three more teachers to meet for Quilt Canada 2015 in Lethbridge, AB June 4-6, 2014, and I will waste no time in getting right into it.  Good things come to those who wait, and you’ve waited long enough.
 

Karen Henry is first on our list for today.  She learned to quilt in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan in the early nineties, and now makes her home in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, where she has lived since 2000.  Wasting no time in her new home, she started a guild, became a regional representative for CQA/AAC and began teaching classes as well.  As many of us do as well, she considers herself a self-taught quilt artist.  Her heart lies with making pictorial quilts.  She was selected as the Teacher of the Year in 2008.  

Now on to Cindy Needham.  Cindy lives in California and wears many different quilting hats.  She has been a quilting instructor since 1997 and is also a national educator for Superior Threads.  She has taught at many major shows: Sisters Quilt Show, Houston International Festival, Machine Quilting Expo in Providence, Portland Australia Machine Quilting Festival; and Superior Threads School of Threadology.  She has also written a book, Wholecloth Linen Quilts, which was published by AQS in June 2007.  Her writing skills don’t end there!  She has had many articles and features in Quilters Newsletter Magazine, American Quilter, and Machine Quilting Unlimited.  We are very fortunate to have Cindy on the teachers’ list for Quilt Canada 2015.

And our final teacher for next year’s show is Kathy Tidswell.  Kathy lives in New Brunswick, and since she lives in such a beautiful place, it is no surprise that she makes it her goal to realistically recreate the beauty that she finds in nature in her work.  In order to hone her skills, she has taken drawing, water colour and oil painting lessons, as well as other courses from a large range of Canadian and American quilt teachers and embroidery specialists.  Using the best information and techniques she learned, she developed her own method of using both painting on fabric and free motion embroidery to create her own unique style of quilted wall hangings and wearable art.  As with many of our other teachers, Kathy was selected Teacher of the Year by CQA/ACC in 2005. 

And that brings to an end the list of our very experienced and sought after teachers for Quilt Canada 2015.  I’m sure we will be Blown Away by their work and that their classes will fill up quickly.  Only 8 more months until we can learn from them and the show!
Shena Boes, LOC

Meet the Teachers 1

I have elementary school aged children at home, and I know every fall, when school begins again, they are anxious about who their teacher will be.  Meeting the teachers is something they are eager to do.  We are in October now, so they are past that stage for this year.
But we haven’t met our Quilt Canada teachers for the June show yet!  There are 6 highly skilled teachers on the line-up this year.  I’ll start with the first three today.

Weeks Ringle

Our first teacher for this week is Weeks Ringle.  Many of you will probably already know who she is, but I’ll give you a brief bio.  Weeks Ringle, along with her husband Bill Kerr, have been on the quilting scene for quite some time.  She and her husband founded the Modern Quilt Studio in Oak Park, Illinois.  Their studio launched the first ever magazine dedicated exclusively to modern quilting, Modern Quilts Illustrated, in 2011.  They have written numerous books together and lecture and teach throughout the USA, Canada, and internationally. Weeks blogs at Craft Nectar.  She will be teaching two one-day classes and will also be lecturing on Friday evening.  

Joanne Flamand

Up next is Joanne Flamand, a long-arm quilter.  Like many of us, she started sewing clothes and curtains before she made the transition to the wonderful world of quilting.  Her friends and family were the first recipients of her new found craft.  She made the upgrade from her trusty Pfaff to an APQS Millennium and hasn’t looked back!  We can all be extremely envious of the fact that she has studied with some amazing quilting instructors, namely Deloa Jones, Claudia Pfiell, Karen McTavish, Sue Patton, Matt Sparrow, and Kim Caskey.  I’m sure anyone who takes her class will benefit from the expertise she has learned from them.  Joanne has a studio, Sparrow Studioz, in Edmonton, Alberta.

Margie Davidson

Last for today, but certainly not least, Margie Davidson, also based in Edmonton, is a quilt artist and surface designer.  She has a Bachelor of Education and many art courses under her belt and quilters are some of her favourite students.  She loves to encourage individual creativity in her classes and uses colour theory and design principles to help that along.  Margie is a certified CQA/ACC Quilt Judge and in 2013, she had the distinction of receiving the Teacher of the Year award from CQA/ACC. 
Shena Boes
LOC

Quilt Canada 2015 – Blown Away

Next spring, quilters from all over Canada will be coming to Lethbridge, Alberta, home to Quilt Canada 2015!  Lethbridge is a thriving community in Southern Alberta, about a 2 hour drive south from Calgary.  It is well known for its magnificent coulees (deep, naturally occurring ravines) and chinook winds (warm, dry winds that flow east from the Rockies).  





 

The theme for the event is, fittingly, Blown Away.  The planning committee hopes that you will be blown away by the amazing works of art in the National Juried Show, the wonderful natural beauty of Lethbridge in the springtime, the smooth organization of the event, and also by the outstanding hospitality of the people of Southern Alberta.


 

University of Lethbridge

The University of Lethbridge, home to the event, is a wonderful state-of-the-art facility.  Built to take advantage of the natural landscape of the coulee, it offers wonderful views of the Oldman River.  There is a recreation facility, art gallery, and a bookstore full of treasures and gifts.  The brand new Residence with guest rooms features kitchens, ensuite bathrooms, and free Wi-fi.  And, for those who love the outdoors, there are numerous coulee trails for strolling or hiking along. 


Lethbridge and its quilters are eager to share their wonderful city with quilters traveling from all over Canada, the US and overseas.  Mark it on your calendar, and be Blown Away, June 4-6 2015!




Local Organizing Committee (LOC) with their colourful pinwheels:

Back row (l-r):  Pjam Swen, Janet Thompson, Judy Barnett

Middle row (l-r): Effie Brandt, Kathy Oliver (Chair), Connie Chaplin, Diane Briscoe

Front row (l-r): Val Beasley, Teresa Petriw, Wendy Bushell

Shena Boes