CQA/ACC Website

Hello!

I want to take you on a little trip and tell you about our website.   If you are like me, you go there when you are looking for specific information such as the Call For Entry (CFE) for the National Juried Show (NJS) or to see who to contact about getting a rosette.   Have you ever taken the time to see all that the CQA/ACC website has to offer?

Please don't tell anyone, but I hadn't, till I sat down to write this post.  Am I ever glad I did! Wow, there is a ton of information on the website.   I am going to highlight some of it, and am hoping this encourages you to go and take a closer look.

'Under the Leaves', by Laine Canivet

This piece was in the Fredericton  NJS in 2003

Under the 'Members' tab there are many free downloadable 'Publications', such as 'CQA/ACC Quilting Standards in French and English, How to Organize a Workshop, Teaching Children' and much more.
There is also a 'Members Only' section where you the member, get entry into a closed off part of the site.  They just finished a mystery quilt and are gearing up for something totally exciting, so stay tuned!  If you still want to do that mystery quilt, all the chapters are posted now.

The next tab is 'Quilt Professionals' and this is a huge list of those related to the quilting industry.  You can sort by Name, Business, Province or Services.  This is a perfect tool when travelling across Canada, you can search the different provinces you are off to see.

'Events' is my favourite place to spend time.   It tells me all the events going on across Canada as well as challenges that CQA/ACC has in place.  Check out the 'How Far Can You Stitch' Challenge starting September 1, 2012.  You will definitely want to take part in that!   For a chance to win prizes and a one-year free membership, check out the 'Sign Up a Friend Contest'.

'Awards' is a good read.  It talks about the three main awards that CQA/ACC gives out and showcases the past winners and has applications available.

My other favourite place to check out is 'Galleries'.   You can see the National Juried Show and Trend-Tex winners from the past five years.  I go here sometimes just to find inspiration.

Sponsors is another tab that I often take a look at.   Here are the wonderful businesses and guilds that make CQA/ACC what it is today.   We are so thankful for their continued support in Canadian quilting.

'Contact' is the last tab at the top.   Here you can see all the people that are ready and willing to help you out, answer your questions or guide you in the right direction.

I encourage you to go and take a look and I hope you enjoy perusing our website.  Leave a comment and tell me which was your favourite part of it!  I would love to know.

'Dedication', by Laine Canivet

This piece was presented in 2011 to His Honour Steven Point, Lieutenant Governor of BC.

QUILT BC 2013 and Mystery Quilt Follow Up

Here is another one of the Quilt BC 2013 team members, she is going to be a very popular woman with the quilters!

Marilyn Govier – Merchant Mall Assistant

 Marilyn’s first experience with fabric was sewing little dolls by hand, and stuffing them with the fluff from the cottonwood trees when it was flying. In school she took all the sewing classes and did a whole wedding party. Marilyn knew she wanted to be a quilter, but also knew it would be time consuming. As a result,  in her last year of work she took a beginner quilting course and that got her started. Inspiration from fellow quilters, and the sheer joy of quilting keep her in her studio for hours.

Mystery Quilt

Our first ever 'Members Only'  mystery quilt was a success!  Our stats show us that 315 different people accessed the mystery quilt page.   Here is a quote from one woman who posted her photo today: 

“I had fun and it will be a birthday gift for my Mom, she's 89 in July. I’m more of an art quilter so doing a pieced quilt is a challenge for me. The instructions were well done and easy to follow. –CP from BC”

We plan to bring you a very beautiful ‘Block of the Month” for the next Members-Only project   and more up to date information on QUILT BC 2013!

Meet One of CQA/ACC's Professional Members

If you go to our website, we have a special tab for you to find our Professional Members.   This is great when you want to find a quilt shop, long arm quilter, lecturer or teacher.    I thought it would be fun to get to know them a little better.

I randomly selected Christina Doucette and asked her if she was willing to be the guinea pig, I mean first interviewee.   She is a spunky gal and agreed.   Without further ado, let's get to know Ms. Doucette.

Tell us a little about yourself.

My name is Christina Doucette (Nee Recoskie) and I am 37 years old, living in Cochrane, ON, married to Roy Doucette, and we have one son Lucas, who is turning 7 this summer.  We also have a pet, Indy, which is a cat-breed Munchkin - you gotta look them up. (I did and it turns out they have very short legs and totally adorable)  I had a home photography business before moving back to Cochrane, and do quilting, sewing, and the newest hobby is knitting - which I have learnt through my own store this spring by our knitting/crochet instructor, Mrs. Anne Dyas.

My own overall pattern. Medallion and Celtic Border adapted from book: Celtic Quilts (That Patchwork Place) by Beth Ann Williams, pieced by myself.

Quilted by Long Arm Machine Quilter - Catherine Timm (http://www.catherinetimm.com/)

What got you into quilting?

 Actually, I had no intention on quilting as a hobby - it found me in 2003.  I hadn't sewn since I was 12 years old and that was on an antique Singer treadle machine. I decided to buy my first used electric sewing machine, and headed to the fabric store to buy something to practice sewing on.  During that visit, I entered a draw to win a new sewing machine.   Two days later, I received the call on my 28th birthday no less, that I had won the sewing machine.   I knew that I  had to learn how to use it so I went to my LQS (Algonquin Sewing Center in Pembroke, ON) and signed up for the NEXT sewing class available. Turns out it was a placemat quilting class schedule for the very next day and I leapt at the chance.  Much to my surprise I found out that  I loved quilting and never looked back!  I adore the mathematical and precision of  making a quilt. I needed to know EVERYTHING about it and master it all.

You now own a store , tell us how that impacts your love of quilting?

Upon moving back to my hometown of Cochrane, ON in May 2011, I was disappointed that we still didn't have a fun and creative local quilting store for me to enjoy.  I began thinking about how it would be nice to fulfill my retirement dream of owning my own storefront someday.  Turned out someday was February 7th, 2012!  That was the day I opened my doors to the Northern Ontario market. NeedleWorks Studio Canada was born! A  creative learning center with retail store carrying knitting, crochet, quilting, sewing, and embroidery supplies. We have an online store at http://www.needleworkscanada.ca/

My first ever quilt - from a quilting class. It was on placemats and I made a lap quilt instead!

Does anything frustrate you when it comes to quilting?

Yes, of course!  I get frustrated when I don't have the right tools at hand. That's why my sewing room is as big as it is - I need it all!  I love quilting gadgets to make the process more enjoyable. To be honest, I wouldn't be quilting if it wasn't for the tools available on the market today. 

Please explain why you say your store is  ‘green certified’.

Since I have a background in Environmental Biology, I felt it important to make "green" choices when opening my store.  It became apparent that with all the "green" choices that I was making, a proper certification would be in order to show commitment to our environment. Hence, I completed the required paperwork and earned our "Green Certification" in January 2012 - even before the store was opened.  We are proud to recycle our garbage, use energy efficient lighting and office equipment, offer project ideas on repurposing, and requests for information/class materials are not printed - but rather emailed when possible.   We use donated/recycled plastic bags (never new), carry organic, recycled, eco fabrics/yarns, as well as many many other initiatives that can go a long way to helping reduce operating costs yet benefiting the environment.  It is definitely a win/win situation!

Thanks Christine, it was a pleasure getting to know you!

Meet More of the QUILT BC 2013 Team

I have found a few more talented ladies for you to meet.   These women are already hard at work behind the scenes getting ready for a fabulous conference in Penticton!   I can't wait till more details become available to   tell you as I think you are going to get very excited.

Brandy Maslowski – Blog Advisor

 Brandy began hand sewing at the age of 12, after meeting a woman who made hand sewn doll clothes at the local flea market across the back lane from her childhood home. She sat with her at her table every Sunday for 4 hours that entire season. That experience blossomed into 2 decades of crafting and sewing that included bazaars and craft markets. In 2000 she took her first hand quilting class and fell head over heels in love with the craft. To this day she cherishes that first quilt, proudly displaying it wherever possible.

Brandy is an avid blogger and has the experience to promote Quilt BC 2013.

Darlene Chapman – Trend-Tex Challenge and Invitational Shows

For the past 25 years Darlene has been involved with quilting.  During that time she has tried many, many techniques and strategies to discover “her” style.  Darlene’s quest continues, but she has fun with whatever she is doing. Presently, she is a member of the Double O Quilters’ Guild in Oliver and the Fabricators group.  When she heard that CQA/ACC was planning a conference in Penticton she immediately decided to volunteer her services.  Darlene will be responsible for hanging both the Trend Tex Challenge and the Invitational Show.  She is very excited because she will be working with a group of people who are also very thrilled about this event. 

Joan Swan – NJS Coordinator Assistant

Joan Swan  lives in Oliver BC, the wine capital of Canada. She joined the Double O Quilters’ Guild in 2002 after taking a beginner course in quilting from Marianne Parsons. Now in addition to quilting she enjoys golfing and travel with her husband. Joan has been on the Program Committee  and on the Design and Layout Committee for her local guild.

She brings experience and enthusiasm and is looking forward to working with Quilt BC 2013.

Rita Macdonnell - Volunteer Coordinator

Knowing that she would need a new interest when she retired from teaching, Rita joined a Block-of-the-Month Club in Creston, BC – and that was the start of her interest in quilting.  After retirement, Rita moved to Peachland, BC and joined the Pincushion Quilt Guild, a wonderful source of education and stimulation.  She has learned so much over ten years of quilting – free motion, curved pieces, paper piecing, fabric painting, and pictorial, etc. Rita has experimented with lots of different ideas, but gets the most satisfaction from quilts of her own design.  Rita’s other great passion is singing and is fortunate to be able to sing with some the Okanagan’s finest choirs.

It is going to be great over the next few months hearing what these ladies are up to!

Meet the BC Team

As some of you may be aware, QUILT BC 2013 is well underway in its planning.    To pull off an event that includes the Trend Tex Challenge, workshops, the National Juried Show, various other shows, a Merchant's Mall, banquet and many other opportunities, takes an incredible amount of work to say the least.   


I thought you may like to meet some of the leaders behind this fantastic event.   

 Johanna Alford – Conference Coordinator

Johanna is very excited to be involved in planning and organizing Quilt BC 2013. After five years on the CQA/ACC Board of Directors she continues to volunteer her time to support quilting across Canada. Having been directly involved in the previous five conferences for CQA/ACC she hopes to make Quilt BC 2013 a wonderful experience for all who attend.

Come to Penticton and enjoy some wine.  See you all soon. 

Linda Schmidt – NJS Coordinator

Linda is a dedicated, enthusiastic quilt maker, teacher, long-arm quilter and supporter of her local guild.  She is moving into the President’s chair of the Penticton Quilters’ Guild in September, chaired a very successful  guild show in 2009 and is chairing the October 19 & 20 guild show in 2012.  Besides improving her long arm skills, Linda is most interested in learning to make art quilts.   She is excited to be part of the Quilt BC 2013 committee and will be coordinating the NJS show.  

Ellen Sangster – Publications

Ellen has been quilting since she retired in 2001. In the beginning she taught herself, but after moving to Penticton she joined the Penticton Quilters’ Guild in 2006. At the guild she expanded her quilting horizons and was introduced to new techniques and inspiration. Ellen has produced the Penticton Guild newsletter since 2007 and helped set up the guild website. Her quilting interests include free motion quilting, fusing and colourful scrappy quilts. In addition she enjoys knitting, golf and travel.

 Marg Jacques – Banquet Décor/Volunteer Assistant

Marg has been retired for 15 years and moved to the Okanagan Valley in 1997.  She belonged to two guilds in Peachland where she  lived for 9 years and has belonged to the Penticton Quilters' Guild since moving there in 2006.  Marg has held various positions in the Guild since joining. 

Marg and her husband have recently started spending the winters in Southern Arizona and California,  but she continues to enjoy quilting while staying in their RV.  Marg enjoys attending quilt shows and seeing the wonderful projects on display.  She also enjoys browsing through patterns, selecting one and searching out fabrics to make that project "her own"!   Marg is very excited about the upcoming Quilt BC 2013 event.

Marianne Parsons – Concurrent Shows

For 25 years, Marianne Parsons has been active in the local quilting and art scene. Her design for the Quilt BC logo features the vineyards and orchards, brilliant sun and sparkling waters of the Penticton area.  She’ll be coordinating the concurrent exhibits from several prominent Canadian fibre groups.  Marianne has been involved with CQA/ACC for many years. She was the Regional Representative for all of BC. She is familiar to many quilters and hopes to meet them all at Quilt BC. 

Stay tuned, we will definitely be hearing from these fabulous ladies in the future!

Summer Quilt Fun

Can you believe summer is almost upon us?   I can hardly wait.  Swimming, strawberries and chocolate sauce, gardening, ice cream cones, bonfires, roasting marshmallows, sunsets, s'mores and the list goes on.   If you noticed that food cropped up a lot, you are right.  I love eating 'junk' food in the summer.  Almost as much as I love doing handwork on my deck while enjoying the weather.  Luckily I can usually manage to do both at the same time!   


Do you work on different quilt projects in the summer compared to the fall or winter?   It would be an interesting topic to look at to see if quilters do bigger projects in the cooler months or if they do more handwork in the summer months.   I think we can agree that we don't do handwork outside in December.  At least not in Northern Ontario we don't!  Although I have taken many a picture of a quilt outside in the winter as the white background and lighting do make gorgeous photos.  


I thought as you pondered your seasonal quilting practices, you may want to hop to some fun sites.

First off is Vivian's blog.  She served as Secretary for three years on the CQA/ACC Board.  


Our wonderful friends at Trend-Tex Fabrics Inc. who so generously donate all the fabric for our Trend-Tex Challenge fundraiser we do each year, say this on their website:


Trend-Tex Fabrics Inc is the leading Wholesale Distributor in Canada for quilt shops and manufactures. We are proud to represent some of the best fabric companies in the world such as Alexander Henry, Benartex, Hoffman, Michael Miller, Moda, RJR Fabrics, Stof.


One of the fantastic fabric companies they bring into Canada is Moda.  Did you know that Moda has a website that offers tutorials using their pre-cuts.  They have a new one every two days!   If you look under their 'Recipes', all their tutorials are broken down by categories.  If you want to find a fun quilt to make, just click 'Quilts' and there is a picture of all their quilts along with the pattern  all for free!   

Our 2012 NJS winners are up on our website.  Laine Canivet was the photographer.  Go and take a look to see the best in Canada!  Next year it could be you, so get designing.


Lastly, I am probably not supposed to mention this, but I have just seen a sneak peek of the item that members and guilds are going to be asked to make for QUILT BC 2013..... and it is stinkin' cute!   You are going to definitely want to give this a go.   Sshhh......more on that later.

Welcome Quilters

Hi there!

My name is Jackie White and as of July 1st, 2012 I will be joining the CQA/ACC Board of Directors.   When the opportunity came up to help out with the CQA/ACC blog, I jumped at the chance!   I have my own blog  and absolutely love doing it.   I have 'met' some of the greatest people in the world and can honestly call them dear friends.  It has been a wonderful experience and I hope to have as much fun on this blog with all of you!

Until I really get my feet wet as to exactly how I am to run this blog, I thought I would showcase a few Canadian blogs for you to peruse through.

The Needle and Thread Network is a Canadian blog run by my dear friend Monika.  Her 'Prairie Dress' was just in the NJS in Halifax.  She has opportunities for you to see what many other Canadians are working on every Wednesday.   I look after the Call for Entry page, to let you know what shows are out there for you to enter.

Judy Martin, just won an award at the recent National Juried Show in Halifax.   She is a very well known art quilter who excels in hand work and putting a modern twist on traditional work.

Anna Hergert who has had her work accepted into many many shows is a lovely lady who does fabulous workshops and lectures, and currently co-runs the judging program for CQA/ACC.

Elaine Quehl is a wonderful Canadian teacher and lecturer.   Her work has been published, won awards and is loved by all.  How she can make the hosta plant look life like with fabric is beyond words.  She also just won an award at the NJS.

Go and check out these wonderful Canadian blogs, and if you like them, be sure to 'follow' so you don't miss any of their wonderful work.  Please check back here often as there will be constant updates on Quilt BC and lots of fun quilting tips and tidbits to keep you motivated and inspired.