By Jackie White, guest blogger
I am so excited to share a little about Canadian Quilters’ Association/Association canadienne de la courtepointe (CQA/ACC), our national quilt organization that exists north of our American neighbours. We span coast-to-coast-to coast-across Canada, and each year we meet at our national conference, Quilt Canada. This year’s conference was held in mid-June at Brock University in St. Catharine’s, Ontario.
This banner event has quilt teachers who lead workshops, our National Juried Show in which the best of Canadian quilts are displayed, concurrent shows, a fundraising quilt show, an opportunity for quilters across Canada to meet and chat, and of course a merchant mall. Thousands from across Canada come each year to participate in this gathering of like-minded quilters for fellowship, inspiration and of course, to buy fabric!
We also honor the skills of those dedicated to expanding quilting in Canada by presenting a Teacher of the Year award to a teacher who has been nominated by quilters and decided by a selection committee. This year, the coveted silver-plated seam ripper representing the Teacher of the Year honors was awarded to Anna Hergert.
Jackie White and Anna Hergert
We also have the Dorothy McMurdie award, which is Canada’s most prestigious quilting award, presented annually by CQA/ACC. The recipient of this award will have made a significant contribution to quilting in Canada. This year, it went to Marsha Cleveland, the recently retired editor of our association’s quarterly magazine.
Now if you want some eye candy, you simply must check out the winners of our National Juried Show. Here are just a few of the winning entries.
Viewers Choice: Ruth McLeod Tranquil Garden
Second Place Bed or Wall Quilt: Deanna Gaudaur New Beauty
First Place Modern Wallquilt or Bed Quilt: Leanne Chahley Sunset
To see all the quilts in the show click here.
Best of Show went to Seven Create, a quilt made by Terry Whyte, Marie Black, Silvia Bos, Jane Hughes, Marnie Mascioli, Kit Ormsby and Karen Pilch.
Seven Create
Quilt Canada also includes the Trend-Tex Challenge, the association’s largest fundraiser where all the quilts are sold by silent auction. This event is sponsored by Trend-Tex Fabrics. Members purchase 5 fat quarters and make a quilt or wearable item using all 5 pieces of fabric.
Trend-Tex Fabrics
Trend-Tex Award Myra Tallman Circles For Jackie
3rd Place-Wearable Dorinda McCully Modern Miss
Check out the full gallery of challenge submissions here.
Keynote guest speaker Luana Rubin of equilter.com gave a wonderful presentation on Quilts Around The World. Quilting luminaries Joe Cunningham and Judy Coates Perez also gave wonderful thought-provoking lectures.
Also at each Quilt Canada conference, we conduct our three-part course for equipping Quilt Judge Certification Programme. To become a certified judge one enrolls in this three part programme. Suitable candidates will have a solid foundation in traditional and innovative quilt making, a good understanding of the elements and principles of design, a commitment to continued learning and keen interest in sharing knowledge through constructive critiques.
Bather in the Moonlight Joyce O'Connell
You can find out more about the CQA/ACC at our website, on our blog or simply follow us on facebook.
Come and take a look, and see what your northern neighbours are quilting!
All photos by Marcy Horswill
COMMENT #1
Really enjoyed this post! Thank you for featuring Canada and some of our amazing artists/quilters.
COMMENT #2
Quilt Canada in St. Catharines was a great conference. It was a time of looking at wonderful quilts, learning new skills, and renewing friendships. This post is a great summary.
COMMENT #3
Thanks for giving us a look at some wonderful quilts from our northern neighbors!