Unless otherwise noted, all speakers and workshops will be virtual, on ZOOM.
Queries about our programs/speakers can be addressed to: programs@vancouverquiltersguild.com.
Non-guild members are welcomed for a fee of $10CAD. Registration for a specific program can be made (at least 48hrs in advance) by e-transferring the $10CAD non-member fee to vanquiltguildtreasurer@gmail.com.
IMPORTANT: In order to attend a meeting you must fill in the Comments field with both the lecture you wish to attend and the email address where the Zoom invite is to be sent.
For general information about our meetings, please see the Meetings Page.
Upcoming Programs
Oct 9, 2024 (Wed) Program: Lisa Walton “Leap & the Net Will Appear”
In this one hour presentation, Lisa will take you on her creative journey and you will see how her work has developed over the years and the milestones and ‘leaps’ she has taken.
Bio: Lisa Walton from Sydney, Australia has been awarded many prizes for her quilts including major International and Australian Quilt shows. Lisa teaches Internationally and was awarded the Jewel Pearce Patterson Scholarship for Quilting Teachers by the International Quilt Association Houston, USA. Lisa’s quilts have been exhibited in solo and joint exhibitions and her work is included in collections in the USA, Australia and the UK. Her book, Beautiful Building Block Quilts, was published by C&T Publishing. She has appeared on Quilting Arts TV and The Quilt Show.
Lisa was a Board Member and then President of Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA).
She is now teaching & lecturing virtually online as well as producing a series of Quilt Stories on her YouTube Channel. Her details are:
Website – lisawaltonartist.com
Facebook – facebook.com/lisawaltonart
YouTube – youtube.com/lisawaltonartist
Instagram – Instagram.com/lisawaltonartist
Nov 13, 2024 (Wed) Program: Elaine Quehl “A Design Journey”
Bio: Elaine Quehl is a Canadian quilt artist, teacher, and fabric dyer/designer who is best known for her dramatic and colourful nature-themed art quilts featuring luscious foliage (particularly hosta leaves), flowers and trees. All fabric used in her artwork is hand-dyed by the artist to provide the wide range of values she employs to create depth, drama, and contrast, and to read like nature’s dappled light. Each art quilt is also abundantly textured with free-motion stitching.
A Design Journey:
A design primer that is packed with information, tips, and images about good composition. Elaine shares examples of her earlier work, along with ideas on how they might be improved. The presentation starts with basic principles that you can use right away to give your work more impact and then moves into more complex principles that you can introduce as you grow in your art practice. http://elainequehl.com/index.html
Dec 11, 2024 (Wed): Holiday Program
Our regular virtual meeting with some special show & tell, zoom-friendly games, breakout rooms and prizes. More details closer to the date.
Jan 8, 2025 (Wed) Program: Rachel Derstine “Keep it Simple, But Pack a Punch”
“A PowerPoint lecture presentation demonstrating the idea that quilts do not need to be complex to be compelling. I share my thoughts on how to choose great fabrics and simple designs to create amazing quilts. I show some work from artists who have inspired me and also speak about how my background has informed my work.”
Bio: “I know this is not what you are expecting but I have two degrees in piano. I’ve taught piano, from beginner to college level, for 42 years. I have loved teaching piano although the quilting has almost taken over my life. I also have loved sewing from the time I was around 11.
Fast forward to when my children left home and I found myself wanting to quilt and sew all day right up until my students walked in the door. In 2011 I got the nerve up to submit a quilt to the Pennsylvania National Quilt Competition and I’ve never looked back. I won Judges Choice, then went on to win many more awards at New Jersey, Albuquerque, Paducah, and more. I have also sold my quilts, table runners and bags at fine art and craft shows across the country. I have won awards at those venues, as well. My work hangs in corporate venues such as Epic Corporation in Madison Wisconsin and at Milton Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania.”
Rachel Derstine About
Feb 12, 2025 (Wed) Program: Jennifer Houlden “Creating Contrast in Your Quilts”
Using contrast in the form of fabrics with different textures, patterns and value is one of the first steps to creating contrast in quilts and textile art. Adding embellishments such as thread play, couching, beading, painting, and other mixed media can also create contrast by adding dimension and texture within the piece. Most importantly a design or concept is needed to expand on. Using some or all of these different techniques – the ideas will be never ending. Join Jen as she explores the world of contrast and learn a few tips, tricks and techniques that you can incorporate into your quilt making and art to boost the contrast in your work.
Bio: “Growing up in Saskatchewan, I always had my hands on one type of craft or another. Despite my mother being a skilled seamstress, I was never going to sew. However, never say never as fate had other plans for my creative journey. It wasn’t until I found myself in the Canadian Arctic working as a flight nurse that I stumbled upon the wonderful world of quilting and was hooked. Little did I know that this newfound passion would accompany me across continents. In the remote expanses of the Australian Outback, my sewing machine hummed, I stepped into the world of designing and soaked up all kinds of inspiration from my unique surroundings. Returning to Canada, I developed my label, “Quilts by Jen”. I am a designer, teacher, speaker, pattern writer, blogger and magazine contributor. I draw inspiration from the world around me, infusing my quilts with color, texture, and movement. My art combines traditional and non-traditional techniques, utilizing various textiles and embellishments.
From my off-grid studio in the Canadian Shield, I teach and share my passion for quilting surrounded by the beauty that inspires me. My classes are not just lessons; they are immersive journeys into the heart of quilting, where art meets technique, and passion meets joy. You can find out more about my quilting adventures at quiltsbyjen.ca.”
March 12, 2025 (Wed) Program: Rose Parr “Sew Smart – The Ergonomics of Healthy Quilting”
Learn how to stay pain-free from an expert in sewing ergonomics and health and wellness.
Quilting can be a real pain in the neck, so can cutting, pressing, and handiwork! How high should your cutting table be? How about your ironing board, your sewing chair, or your sewing table? Be ready to learn about: the ergonomics of sewing, pressing, cutting, and handiwork. Her stretches are designed for quilters’ trouble spots including text/quilters neck, tight shoulders, lower backache, carpal tunnel syndrome prevention, and they can all be done right in your sewing room. Plus lots of other tips so we can sew smart to sew long!
Apr 9, 2025 (Wed) Program: Andi Stanfield “Quilting a Little Bit Different”
Bio: Andi Stanfield began quilting when her mother opened a fabric shop. She quickly fell in love with the entire process and took over half the house – installing a long-arm in the loft and converting the spare bedroom to a sewing room. True Blue Quilts launched as an online pattern shop shortly after Andi and her mom published their first book, Monochromatic Quilts: Amazing Variety. Andi loves teaching and shares tutorials for her latest creations on YouTube.
Lecture Description: Andi shares her adventures in Quilting A Little Bit Different, focusing on her exploration of monochromatic quilts and half-rectangle triangles. She describes her interpretation of modern quilt design elements and the inspiration she found in a simple guild block swap event. This lecture is filled with lots of show-and-tell as Andi shares her 20-year journey as a quiltmaker. https://truebluequilts.com/
Past Programs
Sept 11, 2024 (Wed) Program: Terry Rowland’s Diverse Quilting Journey (Trunk Show)
Over the last 40 years I have challenged myself to learn many different techniques on my quilting journey. I have also become known for my use of color and I am excited to share my diverse display of more than 50 plus items with you.
There should be something for every quilter to enjoy. Let me share my love of quilting with each and every one of you.
https://www.facebook.com/p/Terry-Rowland-T-Row-Studios-100057711420871/
June 12, 2024 (Wed): AGM & Regular Meeting
Zoom meeting to include the Annual General Meeting followed by Show & Tell and announcements.
May 8, 2024 (Wed) Program: Brett Lewis “Natural Born Quilter”
Avid Quilter and Fabric Designer, Brett Lewis, aka Natural Born Quilter, is from Edmonton Alberta. He discovered his love of the craft through learning to sew and quilt in the spring of 2016. Fast forward seven years and over 60 quilts later, Brett has attended Spring and Fall International Quilt Markets, with his work and original patterns showcased in Birch Fabric’s, Hobbs Batting, Electric Quilt and his very own Quilt Market booth. He has been featured in the Designer Profile section of the acclaimed magazine Love Patchwork and Quilting, various podcasts, CBC Radio, CTV Edmonton News, and instructs his very own EQ8 designed quilt patterns, with classes focusing on foundation paper piecing, fussy cutting, and curves.
His quilting adventures have taken him to attend an Alaska quilting cruise, becoming a certified Sew Kind of Wonderful Instructor, and a 2022 and 2023 BERNINA Canada Ambassador. And to come full circle, Brett has designed four fabric collections for Northcott Fabrics, showcasing his love for nature’s flora and fauna. Brett describes his quilting style as Contemporary Traditional, using contemporary vibrant and bold fabrics with traditional patterns.
Apr 10, 2024 (Wed) Program: Erin Suliak “Finding my voice: a northern artist’s perspective”
Artist Bio: Erin Suliak is a multidisciplinary artist who works in fibre and performance. Born and raised in Yellowknife, her artwork reflects on temporality, place, and explorations of craft practices, and often incorporates found and reclaimed materials. Her fibre work has been acquired and supported by the Yellowknife Heritage Committee, NWT Arts Council, and the INAC – Contaminants and Remediation Directorate ‘Artists on Site’ program. She has been published in the journal Curated Quilts, and her quilts have been juried into several international quilt shows.
https://www.nwtarts.com/artist-profile/erin-suliak
IG @sulicat_north
Mar. 14, 2024 (Thu) 7pm: Mary Pal “One Wild Ride”
We will be co-sponsoring this special speaker with the Vancouver Guild of Fibre Arts.
https://marypaldesigns.com/
https://www.marypalteaches.com/zoom-classes
What leads a quilter from the traditional path of piecing and appliqué to working with textiles in a whole new way? Such a journey is filled with bumps and unexpected twists and turns. Join Mary Pal to hear about her adventures with cheesecloth and decide for yourself if you would make the same choices. This presentation is filled with images of some very unusual art quilts that will surprise and delight and have you looking afresh at all the possibilities we have with our fabrics.
Mary Pal is a Canadian textile artist best known for her cheesecloth portraits. Her work has been exhibited throughout the world and published in numerous books and magazine articles. She is a feature artist in Art Quilt Portfolio: People & Portraits published by Lark Books and in Art Quilts Unfolding: 50 Years of Innovation, published by Schiffer Publishing.
Mar. 13, 2024 (Wed): Regular Meeting
A short meeting on Zoom for guild business and show and tell.
Feb 14, 2024 (Wed) Program: Linda & Carl Sullivan Trunk Show
It’s no surprise that Linda and Carl love color and love creating colorful contemporary fabric designs and patterns!
With over 22 years experience as a professional designers and quiltmakers, Linda and Carl are intensely passionate about bold bright colors, midcentury modern art and contemporary pattern design. Always searching for a twist on the traditional, their fabric designs and quilt patterns are well known for their modern look, spontaneous movement and fearless use of color.
Through the years, they have designed three fabric collections, authored two books and have been featured in several national quilting publications. Today, they reside in Palm Springs, California and enjoy collaborating together in their design company, Colourwerx, designing fabric, quilt patterns and traveling across the country to share their love of color, quilting and contemporary design.
Trunk Show: In this one hour lecture Linda, along with her partner Carl, will take you on their colourful, crazy, quilty journey that started some 22 years ago with the very first Linderella quilt designs to their current obsession for pure colour with their new company, Colourwerx. Lots of show & tell and lots of quilts!
Jan 10, 2024 (Wed) Program: Joanne Kerton ”Make It Your Own”
Our speaker will be Joanne Kerton of Canuck Quilter Designs.
“A proud Canadian, I currently reside in Iowa. We followed my astronomer husband’s job here. Happily, quilting is portable so I can follow my dreams while he explores the stars.
I enjoy playing with shapes, colours and layouts, and figuring out the math that goes with them. While I have been dabbling in quilt design for at least 15 years, I started sharing them as patterns in 2013 and have published over 55 stand alone patterns. I have had designs published in American Patchwork and Quilting magazine, have patterns in quilting catalogs and enjoy speaking and teaching about quilting.”
Make it Your Own
“How do you take a pattern and create a quilt that is uniquely yours? Using my own quilt designs, we will explore how different choices alter the look and feel of a quilt. Backgrounds, borders, bindings and backs are often considered secondary to the block designs, but they have a significant impact on the finished quilt. I’ll share tips on fabric selection as well as ways to tweak a pattern and even mix and match elements from different patterns. Let’s learn to look at those patterns with new eyes!”
Dec 13, 2023 (Wed): Holiday Program
We are planning to hold our regular virtual meeting with some special show & tell, zoom-friendly games, breakout rooms and prizes.
Dec. 9, 2023 (Sat): Lunch in the Park (12:30pm)
An opportunity to meet in-person at the Shaughnessy Restaurant, Van Dusen Gardens, Vancouver, BC.
Nov 8, 2023 (Wed) Program: Susan Madu Trunk Show
Susan is a retired chartered accountant and a passionate creator and quilter. She will have just finished teaching at Quilt Canada 2023 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She is never without a sketchbook or some project in her hands. Susan designs and teaches under the “Modern Blended Quilts” banner. A central theme of her patterns is blending together elements of traditional and modern quilting. Take your traditional stash and blend it up modern with modern textures, solids and styles for stunning results. Susan Madu
Oct 11,2023 (Wed) Program: Vicki Conley “Inspired by the Parks”
Vicki Conley is a Juried Artist Member of Studio Art Quilt Associates and serves on the Global Education Committee and the New Mexico regional exhibition committee.
“I am moved by the wonders of the natural world. I create both abstract and representational work. Having a background in the natural sciences has always caused me to look at things from that angle. Why do the birds act as a group? How is the mountain formed? What causes the orange crusty stuff? I am constantly imagining how I would reflect their beauty in my art.”
“I use machine piecing, both from designs drawn on stabilizer as well as improvisational piecing to capture the feeling of a place or event. The tactile nature of fabric and thread serves both spirit and concept.”
“I will share my inspiring journey through the national parks and how I combine photo inspiration and imagination to make graphic style art quilts. I will share funny stories and touch a little about the various techniques I use. Turned edge machine piecing, fussy piecing and silk screening.”
https://www.vicki-conley.com/inspired-by-the-parks-lecture
Sep 13, 2023 (Wed) Program: Bridget O’Flaherty “The Sustainable Quilter”
Bridget O’Flaherty is a renowned Canadian free-motion embroiderer, quilter and textile artist, teacher, speaker and podcaster. Known as The Sustainable Quilter, she shares her passion for sustainability and invites the quilting and textile art community to bring sustainability into their practice.
“I love the tactile nature of anything fibre and expressing a connection to the land. As a textile artist focusing primarily on free-motion thread painting in natural landscape designs, I “draw” with my sewing machine, building up layers of thread to create art that blends quilting, felting and stitching. I use combinations of local, up-cycled, recycled and organic materials and include botanical and natural dyes in my original works.”
Jun 21, 2023 (Wed) Social Event
An in-person get-together to be held in Riley Park at 5pm. It will include real time Show & Tell and bring-your-own food & beverage. More details to follow.
Jun 14, 2023 (Wed) AGM
Zoom meeting to include the Annual General Meeting followed by Show & Tell and announcements.
May 10, 2023 (Wed) Program: Timna Tarr “Flying Colours Trunk Show”
Timna Tarr comes from a long line of quilters but did not begin quilting until after studying art history in college. She bought her first longarm in 2001 and began quilting clients’ quilts shortly thereafter. Timna’s own nationally award-winning quilts are in private and corporate collections and have been seen in exhibits, publications, and on The Quilt Show and Quilting Arts TV. Timna is a designer for Studio e Fabrics, the author of Stitched Photo Mosaic Quilting, and is an in-demand teacher and speaker. She lives in South Hadley, Massachusetts.
Flying Colours Trunk Show
Timna is known for making fun, colourful, award-winning quilts. Join her for a trunk show of her quilting journey. She talks about her design and colour choices, as well as the personal stories behind the quilts.
https://www.timnatarr.com/online-workshop
Apr 12, 2023 (Wed) Program: Cindy Grisdela
“I’m Cindy Grisdela – an Artist, Teacher and Author from Reston, Virginia.
Color and texture are the driving forces behind my contemporary art quilts. Browse my site to see how I combine line and shape, then add stitching lines to create texture and dimension – a process I like to think of as painting with fabric and thread.”
Cindy Grisdela from Virginia, USA
cindygrisdela.com IG @cindygrisdelaquilts
Mar 8, 2023 (Wed) Program: Bill Stearman’s “Backpack Show”
I Will be Silent No More
Bill struggled with storytelling as a way to make sense of his life for many years. And then discovered his voice in quilt making.
Fabrics and carefully placed stitches express joy, anguish, hope, gratitude, and love, providing glimpses into deep and important stories; stories that matter on personal and social levels.
His quilts make bold statements and provoke thoughtful consideration of a variety of issues.
“With the help of about 20 of my quilts, I’ll tell their stories… my stories. I doubt that these quilts, and their stories, will remind you of your Grandmother’s quilts.”
Feb 8, 2023 (Wed) Program: Carolina Oneto “Playing with Colour Values”
Carolina’s talk will be about how colour value can be a key design element.
“During this lecture we will talk about many different topics related to colour, especially about what value is and why it is so important when is time to choose and pick your fabrics for a new project. I will show you, through different examples, how you can create movement and sequences using colour value to design your quilts, creating interest, contrast and fluidity.”
carolinaoneto.com IG @carolina_oneto
Jan 11, 2023 (Wed) Program: Chris Jurd
Chris is a quilter from the Blue Mountain region of New South Wales, near Sydney, in Australia. She has been quilting for over 30 years, and teaches internationally. She has been designing quilts from the start with an emphasis on strong colours and a preference for foundation paper piecing using freezer paper.
A few of her patterns are shown below. She will be giving us a trunk show of her work.
chrisquilts.blogspot.com IG @patchworkfun
Dec 14, 2022 (Wed) Program: In-person meeting
Our first in-person meeting in ages will be our holiday celebration on December 14th at the Unitarian Church, 949 West 49th Avenue. Doors open at 6:30pm and meeting starts at 7pm.
Games, Show & Tell, Treats! We’re looking forward to seeing everyone!
Nov 9, 2022 (Wed) Program: Irene Blanck
Irene Blanck
https://focusonquilts.com.au
“I live in Melbourne, Australia. I have been quilting for the last 30 years and enjoyed and learned all techniques, from Machine Piecing, English Paper Piecing, Foundation Piecing and Needleturn Appliqué. I started designing my own applique quilts in 2007 and was asked to teach my first quilt. I haven’t looked back since then.
I enjoy teaching all aspects of needleturn applique and instilling in quilters the love for needleturn applique. I try and run my classes as sit and sew sessions where we have a fun and relaxing day, chatting to friends as well as learning new techniques or perfecting on learned techniques. I am now expanding into prepared edge applique as well as my version of “template” applique. I teach all the shortcuts that I’ve learnt over the years.
Lecture: My journey in quilting – including choosing fabric for quilts, prepping your complete quilt before sewing – and I share a Powerpoint of my quilts. Includes Q & A.”
Oct 12, 2022 (Wed) Program: Five Inch is a Cinch
Pat Speth
patspeth.com
Pat started working with 5 inch squares as a basis for her quiltmaking in 1993 after attending her first retreat. She was asked to do a program for her guild in 1997 using the 5″ squares, which gave her the push to explore new uses and techniques for working with the squares. Pat, while working a full time job, started on the book, “Nickel Quilts” in 1998 and was able to have it ready for the publishers in June 2001.
FIVE INCH IS A CINCH
“How Nickel Quilts Are Created –This trunk show is sure to get quilters fired up about using 5″ squares of fabric and many of the ideas can also be adapted for using other precuts, such as 2 1/2″ strips and layer cakes. I’ll show a great assortment of quilts from my collection and we focus on the blocks in the quilts and the simple components they are made from.”
Sep 14, 2022 (Wed) Program: Spontaneous Creation and Inspiration
Shiela Frampton Cooper
zoombaby.com
When award-winning artist Sheila Frampton Cooper creates, she revels in the spontaneous. Her free-form process with its surprising twists and turns inevitably delivers her to a place of unfiltered originality where her bold work unapologetically commands attention.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Sheila showed a strong-willed, artistic temperament from an early age and has been creating art since her earliest memories. When she was 19 she lived in Italy, France and Belgium, and upon her return, embarked with a vengeance down her creative path.
SPONTANEOUS CREATION AND INSPIRATION
“This talk goes deep into my process. I discuss color, inspiration and the various approaches I engage when doing this type of work. I’ll share a variety of student work as well as a few other artists and discuss what I feel makes a piece successful. This is a fun talk full of eye candy!
Whether I’m painting, drawing or using textiles, moving head first into the unknown fuels my creativity”.
June 8, 2022(Wed) – Program: “Diamonds are a Quilter’s Best Friend” (AGM to follow)
Krista Moser
www.kristamoser.com IG @krista_moser
Krista Moser is the creative force and inspiration behind The Quilted Life. A quilting and fiber arts enthusiast, she started sewing at 8 years old, sneaking off to the sewing machine during her Mom’s nap time. Since she couldn’t read patterns, everything was made from her imagination, propelling the creativity and the innovative design she is known for today. She began her professional sewing and machine quilting career at the spunky age of fourteen, adding the texture and dimension machine quilting brings to every project.
She has been teaching sewing and quilting lessons for more than twenty years. Her work has been featured in quilting magazines, published by Martingale Press, and hung in prominent quilt shops around the country.
“It’s probably genetic 😉 and the Grandma’s would be proud. What a life, this Quilted Life is, and what a joy to share the journey!”
Krista tells her story, how she started very young and went on to design her own quilts and patterns. She typically works in design concepts and color theory while showing different quilts.
May 11, 2022(Wed) Program: Pagtinabangay, The Quilts and Quiltmakers of Caohagan Island
Dana E. Jones will be our presenter for this meeting. https://www.danajonesquilts.com/
Bio:
“After too many years of dreaming about making quilts, I decided it was time to live into that dream. While many folks gradually drift into quilting, I claim a specific date when I declared I was a quilter: September 14, 2003. That was the final day of a three-day Martha Pullen quilt event in Huntsville, Alabama, at which I encountered today’s quilt world for the first time. I spent the next three days driving home — I lived in White Plains, New York, at the time — stopping at more than a dozen quilt shops en route. I was hooked.”
Pagtinabangay: The Quilts and Quiltmakers of Caohagan Island
“You’ll be transported to a tiny island — just 13 acres — in the central Philippines as you enjoy images and stories of the colorful quilts and the more than 100 quiltmakers of Caohagan Island. You’ll see photos of more than 50 of these handmade, one-of-a-kind quilts plus be introduced to the unique techniques developed by these quiltmakers whose tools are simply fabric and scissors, needle and thread. I spent more than a month on the island, quilted with the residents, went fabric shopping with them on nearby Cebu Island, and snorkeled the reef that surrounds Caohagan. Those who view the quilts come away smiling, inspired by the creativity of these women and men.”
Apr. 13, 2022(Wed) Program: Organic Appliqué
Kathy Doughty from Australia.
www.materialobsession.com.au
@materialobsession @matobsgirl
Bio:
“I started as a self taught quilter frustrated by appliqué failures and became a competent enthusiast.
Along the way I gathered lots of methods to making it easy and happily share the secrets to taking control of your creative process with appliqué and an open mind to possibilities.”
This lecture is great preparation for Kathy’s Making Confident Choices Workshop and usually gets people enthusiastic about the workshop.
Mar. 9, 2022(Wed) Program: Quilting in Paradise
Phyllis Cullen: Fibre Artist Painter http://phylliscullenartstudio.com/
Bio: “It’s all about the color! My goal is to recreate the color and light and bring out the story, and the soul, of my subject, whether I am painting ON fabric , canvas or paper, or WITH fabric or paper, in mixed media and collages. Photography, drawing, painting, mixed media, fabric, beads, clay. It’s all good.
I have shown, sold, and taught all over the world. I now get to live and work on the beautiful Hamakua coast of Hawaii’s Big Island. I enjoy sharing my studio and my knowledge with others.”
QUILTING IN PARADISE: “A personal story (and slide show) of how living in the land of aloha has influenced my art. Lots of scenes of Hawaii with insights from the island, and lots of quilts with their stories from a long career – and an invitation to the islands, when we can have our friends come over and play once more.”
Feb. 9, 2022(Wed) Program: Pojagi – from ancient Korea to modern Canada
Our presenter will be Elizabeth DeCroos from Ontario. She is the designer and teacher at Epida Studio. She loves to work in quilting, pojagi and embroidery and teach these.
Bio:
“Part lecture and part trunk show, this fun talk tells my journey from Canada to Korea and back again. While in Korea, I studied the ancient art of Pojagi, Korean patchwork. Back in Canada, however, the Korean materials are more difficult to find, so I adapted pojagi techniques to readily-available western materials with some great results.”
www.epidastudio.com Instagram @elizabeth.epidastudio
Jan. 12, 2022(Wed) Program: Julie Faulkner
In 2004 Julie immigrated to Canada from the UK and now lives in New Westminster BC. Over the last few years Julie discovered Judy Niemeyer and fell in love with all of Quiltworx designs. Julie’s first Quiltworx quilt was the seasonal table runner and since then Julie has attended several retreats and classes with Judy and other Certified Instructors. Julie has made over 75 Quiltworx designed quilts and is now addicted to foundation paper piecing and the process Judy has developed. Having a scientific but also creative brain, Julie loves the precision and complexity of the designs combined with the organization process and the ease and simplicity with which they come together – it’s her favourite way to make quilts!
http://www.quiltworx.com/instructors/julie-faulkner/
Instagram @newwestjules
Dec. 8, 2021(Wed) – Holly Jolly Holiday Party
Come and join our Holly Jolly Holiday Party, by Zoom, on Wednesday, December 8th, 2021.
- Pour yourself a special beverage, dress in your finery, and decorate your zoom space.
- Bring your Christmas themed show and tell – either new this year or from past years.
- Do you have a special Christmas ornament or holiday treasure? We’d love to see that too!
- We will have a fun activity or two and the conclusion of the WIPs.
- A small sign with YES on one side and NO on the other would be helpful.
Looking forward to seeing everyone on the 8th!
Nov. 10, 2021(Wed.) – Program: “Design Tips” (Pat Archibald)
Bio (excerpted from Pat’s About Me webpage)
Pat Archibald lives in Scotland. She has been fascinated with fabric from an early age – playing with her grandmother’s scrap bag of 1920s and 30s satins and laces, growing up in a house of colourful cottons from her mother’s dressmaking and making her first piece of patchwork at age 11. For a short time she ran a small business designing and making children’s appliquéd garments and later took part in the first City and Guilds Patchwork and Quilting course in Scotland.
With a friend she established Scotland’s first dedicated patchwork and quilting shop – Purely Patchwork in Linlithgow, Scotland. The shop soon became a leader in terms of the variety of fabrics available and the standard and quality of the classes taught. It attracted customers from all over the UK and further afield and tutors visited from around the globe to impart their knowledge and skills to enthusiastic students.
After ten years of running the business Pat changed direction and started to spend more time developing her own work and teaching specialist classes. She has been awarded commissions for public buildings and private and public collections. She teaches “Creative Journey” courses in Central Scotland, which encourage students to step out of their comfort zone in order to explore the design elements to produce unique and individual pieces of work. She and her students exhibit annually on the Fringe of The Edinburgh International Festival.
Pat’s work is now widely exhibited both in the UK, Europe and in the USA and has won some wonderful awards. www.patarchibald.com
Oct. 13, 2021(Wed.) – Program: Quilting with Liberty Fabrics (Jenni Smith)
Jenni is the first person ever to have produced a quilting book in collaboration with Liberty London – the iconic British Brand renowned for their beautiful fabrics including Tana Lawn.
She is offering our Guild the unique experience of a lecture about the making of this book – which is newly released in 2021 and now selling worldwide. It comes with a cloth bound spine and beautiful slipcase and is a little bit special – here is why…
Liberty, as a company, is 145 years old and Jenni is an Art Historian by trade so each quilt in the book represents a decade in the history of one of the world’s most famous fabric manufacturers.
The lecture is a visual feast from Victorian England to the current day, celebrating art and craftsmanship via Arthur Liberty, William Morris and pioneering members of the Liberty Design Studio.
How did the son of a draper build such an incredible empire which draws people back year after year? Hear the fascinating story of the store’s construction and how this sparked some of the practical quilt patterns featured in the book.
Professional photography is used to highlight crucial developments in print technology, luxury base cloths and hear all about Jenni’s access to the Liberty archive with over 50,000 prints.
The book took over two years to produce and in this live lecture Jenni will share some of the dramas, laughter and tears along the way. Her passion for Liberty is infectious and you will gain new insights into this global brand.
www.jenni-smith.co.uk Instagram @jennismithsews
Sept. 8, 2021(Wed.) – Program: Rachel Daisy Trunk Show and Quilting Journey
“Rachaeldaisy” has become synonymous with bold, colourful, eye popping quilts. and it’s no wonder after 20 years of being a florist experimenting and mastering colour and form.
Whilst honouring the tradition of quilting she continues to find fresh ways and new techniques to interpret conventional designs. Her use of 3D elements such as folded and gathered fabric techniques, yoyo puffs, prairie points, wool felt, appliqued and piece denim create beautifully unique textured work.
Her fresh interpretation of the art of quilting has seen her quilts awarded many prizes including Best in Show at both the 2015 and 2016 Australian Modern Quilt Show, Best in Show & Best in NSW at the 2016 Sydney Quilt Show. Most Innovative at 2017 Dare to Differ Contemporary Textiles Exhibition, 2017 Best Use of Colour Sydney Quilt Show. In 2018 her work was shown on the catwalks of Paris in collaboration with dynamic duo Romance Was Born. Rachaeldaisy’s quilts have been exhibited in quilt shows and galleries and featured in many publications both nationally and internationally.
www.rachaeldaisy.com Instagram @bluemountaindaisy
June 3, 2021 – AGM & Regular Meeting
Virtual doors open at 6.30 pm, and the meeting will start at 7 pm.
Do you have a special “treasure” that you use for sewing? Perhaps a pin cushion handed down from a family member, or an heiroom quilt? Anything sewing related that is special to you? Bring it along for show and tell on June 3, 2021,which is the final Quilt Guild meeting until after the summer. You are welcome to show your regular quilt finishes as well. It will be fun to see everyone’s treasures!
The June 3rd meeting will also include the Annual General Meeting and a couple of other activities. See you there!
Although we won’t be meeting formally in the summer, we will still be having Zoom Sew Days. They will be held on June 12, July 17, and August 14, 2021. Drop in any time between 10:00 am and 4:00pm to work on your projects and chat with other guild members. They are lots of fun and a chance to get to know other quilters and share tips and tricks for quilting.
May 20, 2021 – Sandy Simmelink Trunk Show
Virtual doors open at 6.45 pm, and the meeting will start at 7 pm.
Sandy and her husband, Peter, live in Burlington, Ontario, and she has been quilting for approximately 35 years. She has 2 sides to her quilting. One side is that she enjoys very intricate needle turn applique and wall hangings that are made entirely by hand. These take years to make and Sandy restores and uses antique lace in her creations. The other side is wild and funky where the quilts use inking, paint, free motion quilting, 3D embellishments and take months to make. She is a four time National Juried Show winner. The quilt shown here won an award at the World Quilt Competition for best Hand Workmanship. She was a judge at the NJS in Saskatoon, and has shown her pieces in many countries. Her passion is to share stories and her journey with others.
DESIGN AND CREATE YOUR JOURNEY
We all are on a quilting journey through our lives and that’s what brings us together – to share and celebrate that journey through time. Sandy explores what paths we take, what stops us and what energizes us in different directions, and showcases quilts and stories of how she has done these things by documenting family memories, travels, history, the love of a certain fabric, pattern, colour or technique, or challenges to learn new skills. What shapes your journey and what are you missing? This zoom trunk show Includes many of Sandy’s award-winning quilts, and a wonderful set of pictures from her travels to the Folk-Art Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC, where she did research on antique chintz and hexagon quilts at the Antonio Ratti Textile Centre and Reference Library at the Metropolitan! Museum of Art A feast for the eyes – almost 100 slides, only a handful containing words!
April 8, 2021 – The Bolt and the Beautiful: The Shweshwe Saga
We are pleased to host a ZOOM talk with Céleste Compion from Meerkat Shweshwe Fabrics on Thursday April 8th. Virtual doors open at 6.45 pm, and the meeting will start at 7 pm.
Céleste’s Bio
Born and raised in Cape Town, South Africa, I come from a family of sewing and knitting enthusiasts. I started learning needlecrafts from the age of 5 and was introduced to quilting in 1985, when I joined a small weekly quilting group and by 1999 I started a quilting group of my own. I taught quilting and patchwork in my home and in a sewing store in Cape Town.
In 2001, we moved to Canada. Since our arrival, we have lived in beautiful Elora, on the edge of Mennonite country, and my first Canadian friends were quilters from local guilds in our region. For several years, all needlecraft took a back seat to the demands of settling and making a new life as an immigrant, but now I am immersing myself in the world of textiles and creativity as never before.
Driven by my passion for the beautiful creativity of South Africa, I aim to teach more people about it, by importing and distributing Shweshwe to North America. Shweshwe, often called the tartan of South Africa, is a heritage fabric with a fascinating story. My presentation, “The Bolt and the Beautiful: The Shweshwe Saga” is all about that story.
March 3, 2021 – Talk with Lorena Uriarte
We are pleased to be able to Host a ZOOM talk with Lorena Uriarte on March 3rd, Wednesday, from 7-9pm.
Virtual doors open at 6.45 pm, and the meeting will start at 7 pm.
Lorena Uriarte makes quilts that span across the traditional and modern aesthetic.
She has been quilting for over 20 years and appreciates the history that informs her quilt practice today. Her quilt designs range from simple and playful to complex and deeply technical. Playing with different styles and techniques keeps her creative and always trying new things.
Lorena’s quilts have been exhibited in national and international shows, winning the occasional ribbon – though that is definitely not the aim. Bed quilts, pragmatic and beautiful are her focus.
Lorena lives in Maroubra, a seaside suburb of Sydney, Australia. When she’s not quilting she is swimming in ocean pools and growing her own veggies. She also loves to bake!
You can follow Lorena’s creative journey on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/lorena_in_syd/ and her website is https://lorenauriarte.com.
February 18, 2021 – Kim Caskey ‘World Wide Whispers’
Virtual doors open at 6.45 pm, and the meeting will start at 7 pm.
World Wide Whispers – Team Canada
Do you remember that child’s birthday party game where the leader starts by whispering a sentence in the ear of the next participant and then continues around the room, evolving and changing from the original sentence? The World Wide Whispers (Team Canada) project uses the premise of this game, with a team of 13 quilters to create a collection of 13 wall quilts of which each piece evolved and changed from the previous one. The result is outstanding.
There are five World Wide Whispers teams – Team Scotland, Team Ireland, Team Netherlands, Team USA, and Team Canada. Kim is the leader for WWW Team Canada, and she invited a quilter or fibre artist from each province and territory across Canada to participate. Kim will introduce you to each of the carefully chosen teammates and unveil their unique and spectacular pieces of this magnificent collection.
Bio: Kim Caskey – Longarm Quilter, Instructor, Lecturer, Designer, Tour Host
I have been sewing and creating my whole life! My mother introduced me to sewing at age 5; I learned patience and techniques from my her in those early years, which allowed me to sail through the fiber and fashion parts of Home Economics classes in Junior and Senior High (the cooking segments were not so successful!).
I learned to knit and embroider from my Grannie, learned advanced garment construction from my mom, and picked up cross-stitching, crochet, tatting, and rug hooking along the way. Following high school, I received professional training in dressmaking and tailoring, completing the NAIT diploma program of tailoring.
I began my quilting study with Earthly Goods Quilting (Premiere Quilt Shop, Edmonton, Alberta), in February 1992 – quite accidentally. My mother was unable to attend the Rotary Cutting class she was registered in, so I stepped in to fill her spot. I was immediately drawn to the wonderful samples and beautiful cotton and it wasn’t long before I was hooked.
I began teaching for local quilt shops and guilds in 1994 – and haven’t looked back! I am passionate about quilting and am grateful to have the opportunity to inspire others. My intent is to educate and enthuse in an atmosphere of fun and support. Students enjoy my relaxed way of teaching and appreciate my encouragement of confidence. I have taught classes at basic, intermediate, and advanced levels to enthusiastic students all over the world. Students describe me as entertaining, positive, knowledgeable and organized. (www.kimcaskey.ca)
January 14th, 2021 – Melissa Marginet ‘Get your motor running’ at 7 pm via Zoom
January 14, 2021, 7:00 PM (Pacific) on Zoom
Get Your Motor Running
Learn how to spark creativity in yourself or in your guild with challenges that will have everyone thinking outside the box. This miniature trunk show has more ideas than you will know what to do with to get everyone not only learning new techniques but building their quilting and creative confidence.
Bio
Melissa grew up in Manitoba where she started her creative life thanks to her grandmother who lived next door. After making a couple of quilts she caught the quilting bug in 2001when she took a Log Cabin class to get rid of some fabric. This did not result in less fabric, but did result in a career in quilting. With the onset of COVID, she has developed online programs and classes and is busier than ever. She has written two books, Walking Foot Quilting Designs and Edge to Edge Walking Foot Quilting Designs. http://melissamarginet.ca/
November 19th, 2020 – Valerie Wilson Presentation via Zoom
This meeting starts at 6 pm, via Zoom
A love of fabric and quilts began the moment Valerie Wilson curled up beneath one of her grandmother’s quilts as a child. Wilson has worked with fabrics from childhood, learning embroidery from her grandmother and garment sewing from her mother. She started out with traditional quilting, but soon decided that what she really yearned to do was create pictures from fabric. In 2002, Wilson started quilting and in 2014, fibre art became her full-time occupation. Having once been the owner of an architectural antique business, Valerie maintains a keen interest in old houses, and the people who lived in them. This is evident in Valerie’s current series; vintage portraits based on those brilliant old photos depicting the way we once were. Valerie combines a love of history and a curiosity about people from the past, to capture character in fabric.Valerie’s award-winning work has been exhibited from British Columbia to St. John’s, Newfoundland in Canada, and internationally from New Zealand to Houston, Texas. Valerie became the Fibre Art Network (FAN) Membership Co-ordinator in 2004, when she joined this co-operative of professional, Western Canadian fibre artists. And in 2016 became a Juried Artist Member of Studio Art Quilts Associates (SAQA). Valerie was born in Carberry, Manitoba, amongst the rolling sand hills. Craving change, she sampled life in the university town of Kitchener-Waterloo for a few years, but then decided that she could no longer resist the pull of the sunny climes of Manitoba, and now resides in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. https://valeriewilsonartist.com/
October 8th, 2020 – Peter Byrne “Behind the seams” at 6 pm – Virtual
This meeting starts at 6 pm, via Zoom.
Hello folks, my name is Peter Byrne.
I am an international award-winning, published modern quilter and teacher with a deep passion for innovation and design. My strength is maintaining a fresh approach to quilting, with original designs and technical mastery.
My goal is innovation, my passion is creativity and I am thrilled to have opportunities to share new techniques within the quilting community. While attending QuiltCon 2020, my quilt titled ‘Starring You’ won Best in Show and my quilt titled ‘Cityscape” won Best Machine Quilting Frameless.
After 30 years working as a stylist and salon owner I retired, and then had the time to explore new creative outlets. I started making quilts in 2009 and to further my quilting experience, in 2017 I joined the Toronto Modern Quilting Guild and when I walked into that first guild meeting, I had never quilted a quilt.
It was at this time, I became a full time student of the craft and 2 years later, I designed and made Starring You. I’m very excited to share my quilts, dreams and ambitions with you and look forward to meeting you at my Trunk Show!
Sincerely, Peter Byrne. https://peterbquilts.com/
September 17, 2020 – Brandy Maslowski Virtual Trunk Show
We will have a Guild Zoom meeting on September 17, 2020, @ 7 pm. Our speaker will be Brandy Maslowski telling us about her quilting journey with a trunk show. You will get further information from Janet H. prior to the meeting about signing into the Zoom meeting.
Bio
Brandy Maslowski is a Quilt teacher, speaker, judge and the author of children’s picture book Kristy’s Quilt. She has been a light-hearted stitcher for 30 years. From clumsy beginner quilter all the way to showing her fibre art in galleries, Brandy has a passion for fabric, stitch, colour, texture and everything quilting. She loves to travel the world with quilters to ignite their creativity with the tag line “More JOY, less OVERWHELM.” You can find her as the Quilter on Fire on Youtube, Facebook and Instagram or visit her website at www.quilteronfire.com.