Quilting Queens
Quilter's Guild celebrates March 19 & 20
By Bonnie Krakalovich
I remember my grandmother quilting with
all the neighbourhood ladies. In those
days they did everything by hand. They
would get boxes of wool, sit with two brushes
that had metal tines and "card the wool."
This entailed taking a handful of wool and
brushing it between the two brushes to
clean it. It was then spread evenly between
the layers of fabric to make the quilt. The ladies
would spend days doing the top stitching
which produced the quilted effect.
Today it is a lot easier, but no less time
consuming, as some of the quilts I have
seen have the most intricate designs and the
smallest of pieces, that when put together
create a masterpiece.
Carol Waldorf got into quilting for two reasons. One, because she overheard her mother, at age 60, telling a friend that there were so many things that she had wanted to try in her life and just never made the time. And, two, she wanted a quilt and couldn't find anyone to make one for her. Her friend, Barb McCormack, told her she should really try quilting herself, so she set out to learn the art of quilting. She is now hooked. The quilting (top stitching) can be done is one of several ways. There is the original way of hand quilting every stitch. Today there are machines that make quilting a lot easier.
Quilting can be done on a regular sewing machine or with one of the mid or long-arm machines. Shawn Bailey has a mid-arm machine and hand guides the fabric to make her quilting designs. She has quilted most of Carol's quilts and when you look at the stitching you realize what an artistic eye she has. There are now computerized machines that automatically stitch out designs that are programmed into them. This has made a huge difference in the way quilting shows are adjudicated.
Barb McCormack became a quilter because of her love of sewing. She started by making quilts for her children. She loves fabric and although she has tried other crafts she has always comes back to the sewing machine. Barb joined the Timberlane Quilters Guild, which celebrated its 24th anniversary in February. Barb has made quilts for every member of her family right down to great nieces and nephews. She does her own quilting on her sewing machine or on a friend's quilting machine. "Quilting is part of my life," says Barb.
The Timberlane Quilters Guild "Celebration of Quilts" takes place at the Dwight Hall on March 19 from 10 am to 8 pm and March 20 from 10 am to 4 pm. Admission is $5, children 12 and under free. For more info call Gail at 604 485-2034.
