A Canvas for Quilting

These photos from Donna James of Nelson, BC deserve an entry of their own. She took my African Sunshine class, and chose a limited palate of dark red, black, pink and sky blue. I honestly wondered how it would work out, but when I saw these photos, I knew she had succeeded. Like Amish quilts of old, her piece became the canvas on which she exhibited her quilting skills. All of it, right out to the feathers in the border, proclaim her skill with a long arm quilting machine. As someone who has limited herself to stitching in the ditch on this piece, this quilt was truly humbling to see. As Donna said, "Can you see now that I make quilts so that I can quilt them?" I see, and am full of admiration. She calls her version of African Sunshine "Kootenay Splash".

African Sunshine

Here is another version of my African Sunshine wallhanging. I've just taught this to the Fraser Valley Quilt Guild, and before that, to my home Guild - the Comox Valley Schoolhouse Quilters' Guild. How's that for a mouthful! I am always intrigued and surprised by how well blocks made by different quilters work together into a whole. The sixteen blocks pictured here were all made by the Comox Valley Guild members. Seeing these should take away any trepidation individuals might have as far as mixing colours. Truly, just about anything goes. The last photo is of the same group after they'd reclaimed their blocks. And already I've had a report from one person in the class, to say that she has made all 16 blocks. As for me? I can't seem to stop making them! They're quite addictive.

Africa-Inspired Quilts, This Year's Grandmothers' Quilt

Many of you have made quilts which have incorporated small pieces of textile art in them, in combination with a variety of African fabrics. This first quilt photo comes from Langa Lapu in South Africa, and contains many lino prints and block prints. We've been importing them from Lembu prints and Langa Lapu for some time, and they have been so successful that we are hoping to teach this skill to the Bitengye ladies, so they can make something similar.











This next "African Collage" was made by Joanne Colleaux, from Armstrong, BC. She and a group of friends got together to work on their own individual pieces, in this case incorporating batiks as well as lino prints and African fabrics.















And how's this for a colourful rendition Africa-inspired quilt? It's a variation of a Rail Fence quilt, and was made by Trudy, Joyanne, Judy, Noelle and Lindsay, a quilt group based in Victoria, BC. And most exciting for us, it's this year's Grandmothers' quilt. This weekend I delivered it to Marilyn Wickes, who has once again graciously agreed to quilt it for us. As soon as this has been done and the binding has been added, we will begin selling "opportunities to own" this quilt. The tickets will be $5 each, and will be sold right up until the time of the Whistler Quilters' Guild show in June of next year, when one lucky person who has made a donation will become the owner of the quilt.