Winners of Giveaway and a Modern Pillow

Last week at the end of our post, we offered a giveaway.   Our two winners of the Quilter's Connection magazine are:

1. Eileen17 June 2013 10:52

   TEXTILE SELF PORTRAITS: I am a CQA member. One unique project I have participated in recently is a 'Fabric Arts Self Portraits Project'. Twelve quilters have been working independently since last fall and will be showing their self portraits at the Langham Gallery in Kaslo, BC July 5 - Aug 18th. Mine is finished and you can view it on my blog at eileengidman.blogspot.com . I can't wait to see the rest and will be posting photos after the opening
2. 
   Suse17 June 2013 13:55

   I am a CQA member as well as belonging to the Prairie Piecemakers Quilters' Guild in Regina, Sk. This past year our guild meetings have included a 10 minute trunk show by a PPQG member. This opportunity gives a quilter an opportunity to show her work and perhaps build some confidence in her accomplishments.

   
   

   Suse, I need you to drop me an email at vicepresident@canadianquilter.com.

   
   

   Congratulations ladies!
   
   Upon contacting Eileen Gidman on her win, she had this to say about an article in the last 'The Canadian Quilter':
   
   

   The article, 'The Modern Quilt Movement', inspired me to do a little research into this type of quilting. It has kind of excited me as I thought it might just suit my hand painted fabrics. The attached photo is of a pillow that is my interpretation of Modern Quilting. The pillow is one in a new series titled,'Artisan Pillows'.

   
   

   
   

   

   
   

   
   

   Check out Eileen's blog to see more of her handpainted fabric!

   
   

Making It Modern in the National Juried Show!

 You heard it here first.   We have created a Modern quilt category in our National Juried Show!

'My tribute to B.C. Binning' by Diane Thompson

photo by Holly Broadland

We are so excited to spread the news of this fun new category.   Our Call For Entry comes out September 1st, 2013 on our website.  You will be able to read all the rules for entering.   The National Juried Show is hung in conjunction with Quilt Canada each year.   In 2014 it is going to be in St. Catharines, ON.  You will be able to find out all the details on our conference blog.

'Flowers for Cynthia' by Janet Archibald

photo by Holly Broadland

Modern quilting is gathering followers faster than a fire through a dry summer.   This type of quilting is fun, colourful and very creative.

Vancouver Modern Quilt Guild (VMQG) Logo Colours Group Quilt by VMQG

photo by Terry Aske

If you have never entered the National Juried Show (NJS) this is your chance to try!
Here is the Modern Quilt category description that will be in our Call For Entry form.

Modern Bed or Wall Quilts depict modern design and demonstrate personal expression and originality in the design, colour and/or techniques. Minimalism, asymmetry, expansive negative space, and alternate grid work are often a part of modern quilt compositions, as are improvisational piecing and solid fabrics.

'Improv is Foxy' by Amy Dame

photo by same

Here are a few great links to see some modern quilts from the United State's first QuiltCon, the juried modern show.  First link, second link, and third link.

Ellison Lane blog just hosted a Modern Mini Quilt challenge and you can see the entries here.

 'Cool Blue Kona Modern' by Terry Aske

photo by Holly Broadland

 All the photos are from quilters who belong to the Vancouver Modern Quilt Guild.


Jackie W.

An Amazing Guild and a Giveaway

 It is always so interesting to see what different guilds do, who belongs and the fun things they create.

After seeing the cutest photo (pictured below) posted from our NWT Regional Representative Shona Barbour, it prompted me to ask a few questions that I thought would be fun to share with you.

Here is Shona and her friend Kayla's 9 month old Jacob at their UFO retreat.   Shona mentioned the needle is in the down position!

The Inuvik Quilting Guild began in 2006 when three quilters got together regularly to quilt. In 2007 as interest grew in the community, the guild became a registered non-profit society with bylaws, a Board of Directors, a bank account and the ability to fundraise. They have remained in good standing as a society since that time. Shona Barbour (NWT Regional Rep) has been the Chair of the guild since its inception. Their main activity is the Monday Night Quilting Get Togethers which occur every week from September long weekend to May long weekend, making a weekly gathering a bit unique to a guild.

Blocks made at the UFO retreat

 The guild averages about 30-40 members and requires people to purchase a $25 annual membership if they register for courses and activities. They have some members who pay their membership only to be on the email list and others who purchase a membership and participate in all the activities! The guild is made up of a VERY young group with many members starting to quilt in their late 20's and now keeping up with things into their 30's. It is not unusual to have a row of baby car seats in the room during weekend activities as there has been a baby boom in the guild over the past two years.

By Candace Morgan

They have tried hard to maintain a very regular schedule of annual activities; beginner classes are held in the fall, members teach a couple classes throughout the long winter, the New Year Creative Challenge is launched at the annual Christmas party, out of town instructors come in the new year and the summer quilt show begins July 1 of each year. They have maintained this schedule for about four years. In the summer they do many partnerships with the Inuvik Community Greenhouse such as; natural dyeing, flower pounding, Dyer's Garden and some kids activities.

By Lynda Smith

They have a wide range of quilters in the guild but many of the younger crowd have been drawn to the simple lines and geometry of modern quilting. But at any given Monday Night Get Together you will see a wide variety of projects; big and small.

Every couple of months the guild hosts a UFO weekend and these have been incredibly popular as it gives members classroom space and dedicated time to finish projects. They are fortunate to have  classroom space and a storage cupboard available to them at the local Aurora College campus.

This means irons, ironing boards, mats, rulers, extensions, cutters are all available to members to use. As guild members are working mothers, grandmothers, professionals in the community, small business owners, etc there is no set time commitments for the UFO weekends and people can come and go as they need to. Many times kids and partners come to share a paper bag lunch with their moms!

Life in the North is great and pretty much the same, quilting wise, as being in southern Canada. They have an amazing quilting/textile community with some members being graduates of university design programs and even the Capilano College Textile Arts program in Vancouver. They get  fabric through internet shopping or trips away and the guild brings in a supply of batting for sale. The Yellowknife Quilters bring  great instructors to Yellowknife and some Inuvik members make trips down for those classes (Pippa Moore, Susan Carlson, Karen Stone, Gloria Loughman, Elaine Quehl, Carol Soderlund and others have been there recently). The biggest difference Shona has seen is just the 'young' age of the members and the commitment members have with the guild. Every activity is filled with participants, and Board members have been easy to work with and enjoy volunteering. People always have great things to say about their group; openness, warmth, energized, eager, and so committed to quilting.

by Anick Jenks

Thanks Shona!   What a fantastic guild.  Do you have a guild or quilt group you would like to share with other Canadian quilters?  If so, email me at vicepresident@canadianquilter.com.  I would love to hear from you!

And to celebrate guilds across the country, we have a giveaway!  The latest edition of the Quilter's Connection magazine.  If you want to enter, leave a comment below telling me that you are a CQA/ACC member and something unique your guild or quilt group does.   If you don't belong to a guild, tell me something fun you do while quilting.  I will randomly pick a winner on June 24th, 2013.

Only CQA/ACC members can win.

Just The Facts

Sometimes we get so caught up in highlighting different events that we forget to go back to the basics, so to speak.   This post today is to let you know of the great things CQA/ACC has to offer on an ongoing basis.

Grab a cup of your favourite beverage and sit back and scroll through some interesting tidbits.

First off, is this blog. If you glance to the right of this post, in the 'side bar' you will see a title called "CQA/ACC bloggers".  This is your fellow quilters that have blogs thatshowcase their quilting activities.   Directly below that is the CQA/ACC member guilds who have websites.  What a great way to connect with fellow guilds across the country.  They have so much information on their websites.  Go and look at a few!

I would be remiss if I didn't tell you about the Agnes Boal Bursary that CQA/ACC awards each year to a member guild.   With almost 300 guilds in our organization, many are not applying for the $750 bursary to bring a teacher (CQA member) to come and instruct at your guild.   It takes literally less than a minute to apply.

We have introduced quarterly challenges that fall in conjunction with 'The Canadian Quilter'.  Our latest one is 'Through the Eyes of a Bug', and you can win fantastic fabric, and it is a very very small quilt you have to make and take a picture of.  Deadline is June 20th, grab a few hours and enter!

If you want a bit of inspiration, then go and look at our past National Juried Show and Trend-Tex Challenge winners.

Lastly, what are you working on?   What neat things is your guild doing?   Canadian quilters would love to see their fellow quilters featured here, drop me a line at vicepresident@canadianquilter.com