Summer Quilt Shows...

It's been a while since we've had an "armchair tour" to a Quilt Show. So sit back and get comfy... click here for a tour of the recent AQS Quilt Show and Contest in Knoxville TN. You will be able to view all the Award winners, plus there is a video at the bottom if you scroll down. (You'll even see one Canadian Winner! Congrats to Joyce O'Connell of Ontario.)

Speaking of Shows, remember there is a listing of summer Shows in our vicinity on the sidebar at right. The next ones coming up are the Maine State Show in Augusta, and the following weekend, much closer to home a nice little Show and Tea in Cambridge Narrows. "Stories Behind the Quilts", held in the Cambridge Narrows United Church, is just one event during the Life at the Lakes weekend. A full schedule of events offers something for everyone: Art Show and Sale, Wine-tastings, Herb Garden walk, Lavender and Hops Farm tour, Antique car show, Garden Tours, Corn Boil, Horseshoes and Games, and more!!

If you would like a little weekend getaway, why not head down to "the Narrows"? If you enjoy camping, the MicMac Tent and Trailer Park is the most accessible (488-2511), and the Cambridge Narrows Campgrounds and Bed and Breakfast is also nearby (488-2000).

For a complete listing of all the "Life and the Lakes" events, click here to download this PDF complete with times, locations, descriptive details and a map.  

In the Gleaner today!

Remember this picture?.  Seems so long ago. You may have seen it in the Daily Gleaner this past Saturday. 

The original picture was taken in the month of February as we were getting close to putting the final quilting stitches on the Raffle Quilt for the Stan Cassidy Foundation.  The quilt will be at the DECH cafeteria  this week at lunchtime.  July 11-13 and 15th.  I hope you don't have to visit the hospital this week, but if you do, why not drop by to see it.    

This Weekend

What a beautiful summer day we're having. The warm weather has FINALLY arrived. Just a few bits of info for you. Firstly there is a Quilt Show happening this weekend - I have added the dates to the list on the sidebar. It is the bi-annual show of the Quoddy QG in St. Andrews. It is being held in the Anglican Church sanctuary (rather than the usual Church hall location). You can get a sneak peek of some of the winners by clicking here on Gail Fearon's blog. The Show continues tomorrow and Saturday. I believe the show times are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. on Saturday.

For those of you who were familiar with Jeanne Huntley, "The Bernina Lady" from Berwick NS, you will be saddened to hear of her passing on Sunday July 3. There will be no visitation or funeral but a celebration of her life will be held this Sunday July 10 at the Fire Hall in Berwick NS from 2-4pm. Donations in Jeanne's memory may be made to the Canadian Cancer Society or to a charity of one's choice. Condolences may be sent to the family C/O Serenity Lindsay Funeral Home, 192 Commercial Street, Berwick, NS B0P 1E0 or by visiting online at www.serenitylindsayfuneralhome.ca

Summer Updates...

Just a few bits of info Ladies... I will pass on info through the summer, as I hear of things, so please do check here once in a while. There is an up to date listing of Quilt Shows and events happening over the summer on the sidebar at right. If you know of any other quilting related Shows or Events please let me know and I will add them. I hope you all will have the opportunity to get out and attend some of these shows- they are always great inspiration and it's fun to support other Guilds and groups.

You are all aware, I'm sure, of the edVentures program which operates in Fredericton through the summer. There are many excellent courses offered between July 5 and August 20. Click here for a complete listing of offerings and more info.

Sunbury Shores in St. Andrews also offers a variety of summer arts courses and nature programs. For a full listing click here. One which might interest you is a Quilted Fabric Landscapes class with Heather Lair. The dates for it are August 22-26, and no machine is required - it's all handwork. Design, composition, construction and quilting techniques will be covered. Click here for more details.

If you are getting new eyeglasses over the summer, and have no further need of your old ones, please hang onto them and bring to our September meeting. They are being collected for Grandmothers Helping Grandmothers. Thank you!!

Lastly if you have any ideas for Gail and I for a summer Blog post here - please let us know. And if you have good clear photos of a quilting project you have completed and will be giving away before our next meeting, send me the digital photo and I'll do a "Summer Show and Tell"...
Happy Summer....

NJS Winners!

Each year the Canadian Quilters' Association holds it's annual National Juried Show (NJS) in conjunction with the spring conference. No photography is allowed in the NJS gallery, but photos of the winners are now posted on the CQA website and members will receive the NJS catalogue, showing all entries, with their Fall issue of The Canadian Quilter.
You can view the NJS 2011 Winners by clicking here.
Of course now that Quilt Ontario 2011 is over, planning for the next conference is "full steam ahead". If you aren't already aware- the next one is right in our backyard!! "Seams Like Home 2012" will take place at Dalhousie University in Halifax, NS. I hope many of you are planning to attend. Start saving now and write it on your calendar. It's too good an opportunity to miss, when it's this close!! Info will be posted on the CQA website here throughout the coming year as plans continue and take shape. Check in often to see what Karen Henry and her "crew" have in store for us! You won't want to miss it!

Trend Tex Challenge Winners!

This year's CQA conference, Quilt Ontario, in London, is now over. One of the most interesting shows during each conference is the Trend Tex Challenge. Four of this year's winners are Maritimers! Wow!! Kim Larracy of Moncton won an Honourable Mention, as did Karen Neary of Amherst whose quilt you see pictured above. Kate Madeloso won second place and Carolyn Hudson won a Judge's Choice, both also from Nova Scotia. You can view all the Trend Tex Challenge quilts and the winners by clicking here.
London is known as "Forest City" and the theme for the Challenge was "Quilting in the Forest".

And the Winners are...

Tonight at our AGM and Potluck dinner, the winners of the Viewer's Choice awards were announced.
The Large Quilt category winner was Irises by Alice Kirkpatrick. This quilt has a bit of a story behind it. The top was cross-stitched by Alice's sister Connie O'Leary before she passed away. Alice decided to complete the quilt to give to Connie's daughter. It was hand-quilted by Alice, with help from her daughter Joyce Humble and friend Betty Nicholson (See photo below. L to R. Betty, Joyce and Alice). So although Alice entered it in the Show, it was a collaborative effort on the part of all three FQG members. It is a beauty, and obviously our Show visitors thought so too! Congratulations Alice!




















The Small Quilt category winner was
I See My Sea by Barb Cross. Congratulations!! This quilt hangs in Fredericton's Stan Cassidy Rehabilitation Centre on the paediatric floor. It brings much delight to all the residents and visitors there with it's many sea creatures.









The Miniature Quilt category winner was F8 by Linda Hubbard.
The CQA ribbon, given for the quilt receiving the greatest number of votes, was also awarded to Linda Hubbard for the miniature F8.
Congratulations!




Congratulations to all the winners!

Also it was announced that Donna Young recently won the New Brunswick Contemporary Quilt Award at the Marco Polo Guild Show in Saint John. This new award, initiated by Marco Polo member Kathy Coffin, was designed to add contemporary quilts to the New Brunswick Museum collection and comes with an award of $1000.00 to purchase the winner for the Museum collection. Donna's winning quilt is titled Railways in a Northern Land. The selection criteria stipulated that the quilt must have been made since 1960, by a New Brunswick resident who is a NB Quilters Guild member. The design was to be original or a "new spin" on a traditional pattern and the quilt was to be totally executed by the entrant. Of course workmanship was an important factor as well.

Railways in a Northern Land was designed and made for a national competition entitled "Constructions of Canada" in 2004. It won the Curator's Award and later, in 2005, it was juried into a show of 32 Canadian quilts that went to the Museum of the American Quilter's Society in Paducah KY. It was featured on the cover of the Show Catalogue and the promotional card for that show. Photos here show Donna accepting her award from Kathy Coffin of the Marco Polo QG and Peter LaRoque of the New Brunswick Museum. The other two quilts in the upper photo are the Honorable Mentions, New Brunswick Coat of Arms by Judy LeClue (in the middle) and My Fundy Shores by Sandra Betts (on the right).

Congratulations Donna!!

May AGM and Potluck - are you ready?

Our final meeting of this quilting year is coming right up. Bring your Potluck dish - please bring hot dishes hot and chilled dishes cold as there is little space or time for re-heating or chilling. Also please bring your own plate and cutlery. Note the earlier start time of 6:30p.m.
Following what always proves to be one of the best meals of the year (quilters are good cooks too!), we will elect our new Executive. Then we'll learn who won the Viewers' Choice awards from our recent Show and ribbons will be presented. Also you will hear about another exciting Award won by one of our members recently. And we'll top it all off with Show and Tell. What a great evening!! See you there!

Show pics!

Ladies, the photos from our Show "Thoughts of Spring" are now available for viewing. Click on the photo on the sidebar and you will be taken to the Album. Enjoy! Our Viewer's Choice winners will be announced at our meeting next week, and photos and announcement will follow here thereafter. Again, thanks to ALL who helped make our Show such a success!