Spring is just around the corner....

... and with it come Quilt Shows! Yeah! There is a list of upcoming Shows in the Maritimes in our sidebar- it will be updated as we hear of others. In the meantime, would you like to go on an armchair tour? Gail and I both browse through alot of Blogs... One I check in on frequently is True Blue Canadian in Toronto. The last few days she has posted pics from the Etobicoke Quilters' Guild Show last weekend. You can view her posts and see many of the quilts by clicking here, here and here. Enjoy! Leave a comment below and tell us if you enjoy this sort of thing. If so, we'll take you off on free tours of other shows- the next one I have in mind is a huge show in Tokyo.

Meeting Reminder

How fast the weeks fly by! This is meeting week again. Hope to see you this Tuesday night, March 16th. Our program will be a presentation by local artist Alexandrya Eaton. She will be talking to us about color, and sharing slides of her work. I'm sure we'll all pick up some tips for confidence in the use of color. Remember too, to pick up your FQG Retreat application from Jean Street at this meeting. Workshop spaces are still available for our March and April workshops, and don't forget to check out our Library! Do you have something to share with us at Show and Tell? See you there!

Ricky Tims Seminar Update...

By now FQG members have received the first "email blast" from Ricky Tims. If you have not read the previous posts about our wonderful experience at the Seminar in 2008 you can find them here and here. The video attached to the email you got gives you a fairly good idea of what it's all about, but if you have questions, please don't hesitate to leave a comment here at the end of this post or contact Linda Hubbard. We have started a list of interested people and have several names already. It IS a great Seminar, worth every penny, we all agreed. Remember you do not take machines, fabric, sewing supplies - nope - all you take is a pen and your enthusiam! Why not join the fun?

Upcoming Workshop

Our upcoming workshop in March has spaces available. The project is a Stained Glass Christmas Tree Skirt, and will be taught by member Helen Steeves, on March 20th at our usual location, the Senior's Center on Johnson Avenue. Knowing Helen, there will be lots of fun and laughter, plus you'll get an early jump on a Christmas project- lovely for a gift or under your own tree. You know how busy things get in November and December, so why not start early and have fun with a group of quilting friends too!

If you are interested in joining in, please contact Workshop Registrar Priscilla Plourde at 454-1913 or by email at pplourde1913@rogers.com

Blankets for Haiti..THANK YOU!!!

This blog affords us a wonderful opportunity to get to know each other a little better. Dawn Sharpe has joined the Executive this year, heading up our Community Projects, and what a great addition to our team!

Dawn is recently retired from the Emergency department at the DECH (although she still spends many hours there filling in when they are short-staffed) and is enjoying more time at her sewing machine, making quilts, draperies and various other projects. Dawn is one of the kindest, most thoughtful and generous people I know; she is always there when family, friends or neighbours need help, and she has instilled these traits in her family as well. Dawn raised a family of seven- six boys plus daughter Robyn, also a FQG member, and what a fine family they are.

Dawn's son Chris had travelled to Haiti 13 times to help set up, build and maintain an orphanage in Jacmel. Upon hearing of the recent tragic earthquake there, he knew he had to return to help out wherever he could. Within the first few days when things were rather chaotic, Chris was instrumental in helping the Canadian military organize and arrange access to Haiti. After listening to CBC radio, and hearing of the chaos and confusion over how to land and get supplies and equipment in to Port au Prince, he called CBC to tell them there was another way. He was passed on to someone in Toronto, and before long was telling the Canadian military of the airstrip and deep water port in Jacmel. Suffice it to say that they were very grateful for Chris's first hand knowledge and experience in the area. Chris was on his way to Jacmel a few days later, and worked with our Canadian troops while there, serving as a liaison between the Mayor of Jacmel and other "Officials" there and the military.

Upon his return to Fredericton, Dawn asked her son what we here could do to help. He replied that although the days were warm, it became quite cool overnight; the orphans would huddle together in groups on the ground at night to stay warm. He said he slept with his jacket over him and was still cold. So Dawn launched the "Blankets for Haiti " project. She asked staff she knew at the Hospital, Robyn mentioned it to staff at FHS, and our Guild was approached to donate fleece or to actually make fleece blankets. These will be shipped, with other supplies and materials that are being collected at O'Leary Pontiac. Dawn was hoping to receive 100 blankets.

Jerry O'Leary is well known in Fredericton for the work he has done in Jacmel with the present orphange. Now they are planning the construction of a second one. Upon speaking with Chris today, he explained to me that the Haitians are now terrifed to sleep in concrete buildings. They want nothing to do with any concrete structures, so the metal containers that will be shipped will be emptied, and then used to actually form the basic structure of the new orphange.

Dawn, Robyn and Chris are thrilled with the response they received: over 280 blankets! Thank you so much to all our members who were so generous in donating finished blankets, fleece or money for fleece, for this worthwhile project. God bless!!