International Quilt Day, March 16, 2013
Sharing Our Love of Quilting
A warm welcome from Randi Lenet, Ruth Rosenblum and Roz Agulnik,
a cleverly designed quilter’s survival kit and a pocketful of raffle tickets
are sure signs that it’s International Quilt Day (IQD). This festival, celebrated
annually by Loose Threads Quilt Guild, with any remaining spaces joyfully
filled by members from West End Quilters and Cuilte Montreal, is a highlight of
early spring. Among the special guests was Francine Beauchamp of Courtepointe
Quebec Quilts (CQQ) who urged us to join the newly launched CQQ Facebook page.
With 183 friends already, her goal of 200 by the end of the day should easily
be surpassed.
Guest speaker Karen Desparois treated us to a trunk show
which spanned 21 years, starting when she was pregnant with her first child.
Leaving the world of finance and commodities trading for free Saturday mornings
when she could watch and learn to quilt through TV programs, she started with
traditional scrap quilts using memory fabrics like her great-grandmother’s
nightgown and her husband’s shirts. Soon she began designing quilts where her
minimalist style showcased her quilting patterns and special fabrics could be
featured. Her experience in materials and techniques and willingness to share
her knowledge led to a lively discussion about batting, patterns, flannel,
silk, bamboo, sheets, colour catchers, rust dying and more. We learned about
what’s available both in the quilting and the drapery departments at
Fabricville. Karen’s quilts proudly
sported the signs of use: nail polish, tea and coffee stains, and even a paint
smudge when painters mistook a quilt for a drop cloth.
After Karen’s presentation we visited each other’s tables for
a chance to catch up on life’s adventures and exchange information on our
latest projects, speakers, and workshops. IQD is always very productive. Quilts
in every stage, from the first fabric cuts to the last stitches of the binding,
were on display. People were piecing scraps, doing appliqué, beadwork, Sashiko.
Such fun! So many good ideas!
And nothing goes better with the warmth and camaraderie of a
quilt day than fine food, so IQD organizers host a food drive allowing us to share
our good fortune with others. Luckily this leaves us with empty canvas bags,
ready for prizes, parting gifts and the sale table, another highlight of the
day. Though the organizers expressed some apprehension, we were all invited to
view and choose the items for sale en masse.
It was all very civilized! We made selections and filled those empty
bags with new treasures and gently used magazines.
In addition to bringing food for the drive and homemade lunches
we all contributed to the snack table which, along with tea and coffee, was
available all day long. Tempting and delicious, it’s best to get started early.
After all, who says you can’t have a chocolate chip cookie, a banana muffin and
some chips at 9:15 am? And what better
way to console our self for not winning the grand prize of a lovely cutting mat
and a bag of fabrics than a quick trip to the snack bar?
After an exhilarating day, it was time to pack up and go
home. There was just enough room to cram the parting gifts into the bag of new
found fabrics. These gifts included rulers, pins, thread, quilting tools and gadgets
generously supplied by Fabricville, H.A. Kidd, and Symak Sales. Thank you so
much to all. They’ll be well used.
Once at home, it was time to spread out the new fabrics and
look more carefully through the new magazines. One of the Fons and Porter magazines
has directions for a guild activity: fabric bingo. The cards are made of
fabrics which are grouped into colour columns. The rows have a variety of
design needs –florals, novelty fabrics, stripes, retro. I’m ready to make a few
cards because my new fabrics fit categories. I’ve got some great prizes, too. Anybody
want to play?
Thanks to Anna for this most detailed account of a wonderful day.
I hope everyone enjoyed the recent Spring holidays. Come back for updates next week, as I will report on guild activities and upcoming events.
Happy quilting.
Sharon Gates
