SPOOL TALK March 2011 Edition
President’s Message
Hopefully, by the time you get this newsletter, winter will be almost over! However,
to all of you who escaped to Florida or who have not yet come back, you have
missed a “great old-fashioned Canadian winter!” We will doubly appreciate the spring
when it finally arrives. I, for one, hunkered down and finished several UFOs, ate lots of
comfort food, got some remedial work done in the house and read a lot of books. Now I
want to get out in the garden!
Your Executive are winding down their two years in office. I have really enjoyed
serving as President. It has been a great experience, made easy by a hard working Executive
and Convenors. I hope that should someone from the Nominating Committee call,
those of you who have not yet served on the Executive will say yes. We welcome new
ideas, you will get to know many more members and you will enjoy the experience.
The Quilt Show Convenors are doing a great job getting things rolling. It is just a
little over a year away! Time will fly. Members will be asked to step up and help on the
various committees. Have you started your quilt for the show yet?
Our March meeting is the annual “Silent Auction”. This is a good time to clean up
the sewing room deciding what to keep and what to sell. We all have the “hoarders’
gene” (called a stash). It feels good to clear out stuff from time to time. All monies raised
goes towards the Guild’s coffers.
Please plan on visiting the Advertisers in this newsletter when “spring fever” strikes.
Each shop is unique and contain the latest fabrics, machines and notions. They all offer
classes and there is always something new to learn and see.
Mary Gower
General Meetings
3rd Tuesday of the month at 1 pm
King Street United Church
100 King St., Trenton
New Members Welcome
Executive 2010—2011
President Mary Gower Social Committee
Vice President Jess Chambers Following are the contributors for the refreshment
Secretary Sue Tastula table for the next three meeting:
Treasurer Maureen Brewster
Past President Alison Cirinna March 15 Alison Cirinna
Hattie VanDyk
Committees Georgia Roberts
Library Lee Farmes Shirley Stalford
Alice Lawler Lynn Hamilton
Betty Pounsett Catherine Little
Membership Sandi Repic Marg Worsick
Sharon French April 19 June Humphrey
Lynn Hamilton Kathy Brown
Program Jess Chambers Karen Compton
Marilyn Edmonds Marion Payette
Susan McQuillin Pat Gadsby
Workshops Linda Cowburn Pat Brinklow
Georgia Rogers Liz Mitchell
Barb Scherk May 17 Valerie Campey
Nicky Livingstone Nicky Livingstone
Retreat Alison Cirinna Betty Pounsett
June Humphrey Irene Marre
Judy Elms Mary Hie
Social Barb Scrutton Barb Scherk
Heather McKellar
Brenda Dolha We thank all volunteers for their contributions!
Lorraine Brewer
Publicity Maureen Young
Comfort Quilts Joy Forge Sort Your Stash!!!!
Marion Payette Remember to look over your quilting
Website Alison Cirinna material. March 15th is our Annual
Newsletter Lorrie Barber Silent Auction. All monies raised will
Linda Virtanen be in support of our Guild!
WORKSHOPS
Linda Cowburn reported on the following sessions:
March 11 Amazing Pain-free Hassle-free way to incorporate circles into Quilt
Blocks. Taught by Linda Meyette ($15.00 p.p.)
March 18 UFO Date tentative if enough interest $8.00 p.p.
April 1 Thread Painting Skill Building Workshop
“Crazy Eight” member, Sandra Pettit will guide the group
$20.00 p.p.
May 13 Quilt Carryall Tote—taught by Diana Sansom
May 27 UFO Date tentative if enough interest $8.00 p.p.
All of the above sessions will be held at the Brighton Community Centre
Linda Cowburn reports that requirements for
all workshops— to learn and have fun.
Laughter is also an essential element. Come
out and join other like minded Members for
some instructive sessions, worth the price and
time!
COMFORT QUILTS
Joy Forge reports that as of September 2010, our guild has provided ninety (90) quilts to
deserving individuals. Thanks to all the members who come out to the workdays at
Smithfield and Frankford Churches.
If you would like to take a quilt home to support this most worthwhile effort, please see
Joy or Marion Payette. There are always quilts to be quilted and bound.
PROGRAMS
Marilyn Edmonds reported the programs planned for our monthly meetings are as follows:
March 15 “Silent Auction” - members are asked to bring quilting-related items for
Auction. All monies to be added to Guild coffers.
April 19 Rosalie Tennyson, Quilt Appraiser
May 17 Diane England, Millbrook Quilting
Please plan on attending these most interesting events.
TVQG—QUILT SHOW COMMITTEE
IT’S NOT TO LATE!!!!
IF YOU WANT TO VOLUNTEER
SOME CONVENOR POSITIONS STILL AVAILABLE
SPEAK WITH STELLA DORSMAN FOR DETAILS
GETTING TO KNOW YOU
When Linda asked me to do a short “bio” of myself for this feature, I thought that my story
would be rather ordinary compared to others. However, we do all have our own journey, so
here goes.
We came to Trenton in December 1965 with the military. My husband put me and our two
children, ages 5 and 2 in a rented house and then went to the Middle East for one year!
When he returned, he was posted in Trenton and we never left.
I had learned to sew in high school and over the years made a lot of my own clothes and
items for my daughters. I enjoyed sewing on my Elna open arm machine, purchased by my
husband in Marville, France. It had decorative discs and a new era in sewing machines was
about to begin. We made our clothes mainly out of necessity and dressmaking fabric was
readily available at reasonable prices—compared to buying ready made at the time.
When my children entered high school, I went to work as a Secretary and my sewing
mainly ended for the next twenty years or so. During this time manufacturing went
“offshore” and buying clothes became cheaper. Dress fabric seemed to disappear out of the
shops. Women were going to work and didn’t have time to make the family clothing.
Then, Olga Blasko moved to Trenton and joined our Bridge foursome. She had started
quilting and, though I was still working, thought I would enjoy quilting as a hobby when I
retired in 1997. I joined the Guild soon after, took Ruth Brown’s basic quilting class and
have enjoyed it ever since. I have made many new friends, been on the Executive for most
of these years and have participated in four quilt shows.
I really don’t have a favourite quilt. Each one I make presents its own challenges. I think I
have evolved in my expectations of what I will do in quilting. I like a challenge but don’t
let myself become intimidated by the more complex quilting techniques used by other
quilters. I enjoy making quilt tops, but am so glad of the long arm quilters, as I haven’t the
patience to do the hand quilting, although I have done some. It is gladdening to know that
hand quilting has not disappeared and is still an integral part of quilting history today. The
fabrics, sewing machines, quilt shops—what’s not to love about this hobby!
I have a wonderful sewing space upstairs, looking out of a window. I can really mess up
the room and no one needs to see it! I have always been someone who doesn’t like a lot of
clutter around me and I consider myself quite organized. But I am a different person in my
sewing space! I can really toss things about and have piles of stuff around me. Sometimes
I watch TV and other times I listen to the radio. I bind my quilts at night in front of the TV
with my cat happily making her mark cuddled up on top of them all.
Mary Gower
OUT AND ABOUT
Feeling like a field trip? Here are some events planned over the next few months that may
interest you……
April 15—17 Feelings in Fabrics 2011 Kawartha Quilt makers’ Guild
Peterborough, Ontario - Evinrude Centre
More info: kqg2011 at gmail.com
April 30-May 1 Threads of Time Quinte Quilters Guild
Belleville, Ontario— Quinte Curling Club
More info: quintequiltersguild.ca
April 30-May 1 Silver Threads Quilt Show Region of York Quilters Guild
Newmarket, Ontario— Newmarket Seniors Meeting Place
More info: regionofyorkquiltersguild.ca.
May 6 –8 Festival of Quilts Ottawa Valley Quilters Guild
Ottawa, Ontario—RA Centre
More info: ottawavalleyquiltersguild.org
May 14-15 Quilts in the Garden Halton Quilter’s Guild
Burlington, Ontario - Royal Botanical Garden
More info: quiltsinthegardens.com
May 19-21 Quilts of Niagara...A Symphony of Talents
Niagara Heritage Quilter’s Guild
Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario—Niagara College Campus
Call Nina at 905 562-4859 or website nhqg.ca
May 24-28 Quilt Ontario
Quilt Canada comes to London, Ontario
canadianquilter.com
May 28-29 Quilted Treasures
Lindsay Creative Quilters’ Guild
Lindsay, Ontario—Lindsay Curling Club
Marilyn Edmonds recommends the following site:
graspr.com/videos/Arts-Crafts/Quilting/?gclid=COG6u7Dp6pwCFcZM5QodXSNwsg
