The NG Times Newspaper

Late in 2016 the Kemptville Quilters Guild put forth a challenge to its members to create a small quilt that depicted Canada using red, white, and one other colour. At their Holiday celebration, they held a blind vote to decide which quilt would represent their guild in an inter-guild show and travel around the Ottawa area as a celebration of Canada 150. Guild member Elaine McNaughton’s quilt showing a red cardinal was chosen.

“When I think of the Canada I love, I think of the beauty of the country from the Atlantic to the Pacific, each province with its own special scenery,” Elaine wrote in her description of the quilt. “But to choose how to represent our great country in a 24×24 inch quilt in red and white, I went to my own back yard. I enjoy watching the birds that come to our feeders, one of them being the Northern Cardinal.”

The Kemptville Quilters Guild is also participating in a nation-wide challenge put on by the Canadian Quilters Association. From June 14-17, 2017 they will be holding Canada’s largest quilting bee in Toronto, with the goal of donating 1,000 quilts to kids at Ronald McDonald Houses across the country. Every quilt block must include a special piece of fabric created especially for Canada 150 by various Canadian fabric companies. Guild President, Carmen Pincott, says their goal is to donate twelve finished quilts to the cause. A few of the members are also interested in travelling to Toronto to participate in the bee.

“We wanted to get involved [in Canada 150] somehow,” Carmen says. “We already do a lot of outreach in the community, so it just fit.” The Guild has donated quilts to Child Services and Habitat for Humanity, and made place mats for the meals-on-wheels program in the past.

The finished quilts will be on display at their meeting on April 10, at 7:00pm at the Kemptville Pentecostal Church. The inter-guild Canadian quilt show will also be coming to Kemptville at a date to be announced.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here