The Running Stitch

Christmas 2011 - Birth of a New Tradition

2011-11-24T15:09:00.002-05:00

Christmas 2011 - Birth of a New Tradition

Did you start your Christmas Shopping yet ... I presumed you did ... me too ... but I thought that this year I will buy in small, local and Canadian stores. Buying local will allow our local economy to grow and ensure local stores and restaurants to stay alive.
Everyone gets their hair cut. How about gift certificates from your local Ottawa hair salon or barber?

Gym membership? It's appropriate for all ages who are thinking about some health improvement.

Who wouldn't appreciate getting their car detailed? Small, Canadian owned detail shops and car washes would love to sell you a gift certificate or a book of gift certificates.

There are gazillion owner-run restaurants -- all offering gift certificates. And, if your intended isn't the fancy eatery sort, what about a half dozen breakfasts at the local breakfast joint.

How many people couldn't use an oil change for their car, truck or motorcycle, done at a shop run by local working guy?
Thinking about a heartfelt gift for mom? Mom would LOVE the services of a local cleaning lady for a day.

Plan your holiday outings at local, owner operated restaurants and leave your server a nice tip. And, how about going out to see a play or ballet at your hometown theatre?

Obviously I also want to recommend that you purchase gift cards from local specialty shops, like your local quilt shop, for the quilters in your circle of friends. I’d like to give you the opportunity to make suggestions and to use this space to allow you to make additional suggestions of independent business that you recommend. Make a suggestion by leaving a comment.

Binding Tutorial

2011-10-16T15:21:00.004-04:00

Here is a great way to do binding...

I almost always make continuous cross-grain beinding. There are lots of great informative tutorials available online which are clear to follow.

I do have a few other things to mention that work well for me.

To determine the length of continuous binding needed, measure the quilt top and side, multiple by 2 and add at least 25 inches. This is on the generous side side, but it will ensure that you don't run out!

I cut my binding strips 2.5" wide. I also use cotton batting which does not have a very high loft. Extra width would be required if you are using a high loft batting.

I join the binding strips with a diagonal seam just like this:

By piecing the strips together on the diagonal, you avoid having too much bulk in the one spot along your binding and makes the join less noticeable. Once I have the required length of binding, I fold it in the half along the length, pressing as I go.

I then sew the binding to the top of the quilt by aligning the raw edge of binding with the raw edge of the quilt top, right sides together. I like to leave an approximate 7" tail of quilt biding at the beginning, and then sew with a 1/4" seam allowance. I miter my corners. I use a stitch length of 3.0mm for this and use a walking foot.

I join the ends together with a diagonal seam:

I like to leave quite a large gap between the start and the end of the stitch, say appropromiately a 12" tail.

Overlap the two tail ends smoothly along the quilt edge. Trim back the binding tails so that they overlap by the width of the original binding strip plus 1/4" (in most cases that works out to be a total of 2.75 inches). Be sure to use a ruler and mark the binding for the correct measurement.

Unfold the binding and place the two ends right sides together, perpendicular to each other. Allow the ends to overlap by a generous 1/8". Secure the strips with a pin. Mark the diagnonal line and the stitch along the line (which can be a bit difficult to do with the entire quilt attached).

You can now test to see if the binding fits along the quilt edge.

Trim back the excess fabric, leaving a 1/4" seam allowance. Press open the seam. Finish stitching the rest of the binding on the quilt as before.

Works like a charm every time!

A Quilting Oasis

2011-10-14T21:02:00.001-04:00

by Yvonne Lance-Jodoin, October 2011

It's another world when you go through the door

Away from everyday strife.

The Running Stitch, welcomes and opens its arms

To encourage your "quilting life".

Creativity smiles with a capital "C"

And surrounds you everywhere.

Inspiration floods the mind and soul

Quilt "magic" with a flair.

A colour paradise treats the eye,

An explosion of visual delight

Magnificent fabrics and "fat quarter" haven

Ensure you get it just right.

Laughs and smiles permeate the space

And invite you to proceed,

Where patterns, threads and notions galore

Will meet your every need.

The classroom is a beehive of activity and fun

With instructors extraordinaire.

Come and quilt by machine or hand

With professionals who care.

Embroidery skills can be your own;

Learn by hand or by machine

From simple pattern to intricate design

And everything in between.

The "Batte Cave" is ingenious

A self-contained display

Of batte fillers in different sizes

Shelves burgeoning with their array.

If you want a new sewing machine,

To give your old one a rest,

This is the place to make your choice

The shop that does it best.

To complete you "sandwich" masterpiece

Just to go the room next-door.

Longarm quilting with an artistic flair

Will enhance it even more.

So if you want to sew a fine seam

Or learn to quilt "in the ditch"

Don't wast any time; just make a plan

To visit The Running Stitch.

Addicted to Quilting

2011-08-08T15:10:00.000-04:00

She learned to quilt on MONDAY
Her stitches were all fine
She forgot to make us dinner
So we all went out to dine.

She quilted miniatures on TUESDAY
She says they are a must
They really were quite lovely
But she forgot to dust.

On WEDNESDAY it was a sampler
She says stippling is fun
What highlights what shadows!
But the laundry wasn't done.

Nine Patches were on THURSDAY
Green, Yellow, Blue, and Red
I guess she was really engrossed
She never made the bed.

It was wall hangings on FRIDAY
In colours she adores
It never bothered her at all
That crumbs were on the floor.

I found a maid on SATURDAY
My week is now complete
My wife can quilt the hours away
The house will still be neat.

Well, now its only SUNDAY
I think I'm about to wilt
I cursed, I raved, I ranted
Cuz the Maid has learned to QUILT!

Why Quilting Improves your Health in ways even Exercise can't Manage

2011-06-28T16:51:00.003-04:00

Would you believe that quilting is good for your health? Or maybe you thought so, but never had the proof. Ann-Marie Waddell who is an avid quilter and a customer read the article below (from Mail Online from the UK published June 13, 2011) and wanted to share with all fellow quilters. Thank you very much Ann-Marie for sharing!

"As devotees of a quiet and contemplative pastime, they would be the last to make a fuss about it. But quilters, it seems, have every right to celebrate their craft after researchers found that it is 'uniquely' good for you.

A study found quilting improved well-being in ways that physical and outdoor activities could not, and offered a creativity that had been 'stifled' in the modern world.

The University of Glasgow team concluded that all hobbies - 'from reading to train spotting' - should be looked at for their mental and physical benefits.

They interviewed quilters and found the activity helped their cognitive, creative and emotional well-being, particularly among older people.

The use of bright colours was 'uplifting', the activity distracted from the stress of work, and quilting offered challenges such as maths and geometry. It also increased confidence and had an important social side.

Professor Jacqueline Atkinson, co-author of the study and a quilter herself for for five decades, said: 'Doing something that engages you and that you enjoy is key. As adults, we don't often do enough that includes fun and play. We put a lot into studying the use of green spaces and that's useful to individuals and communities. But maybe we need to say there are other things too.'

Graduate student Emily Burt interviewed 29 members of the group and transcripts were analysed for the study, published in the Journal of Public Health last week. It concluded that: 'Whether it is growing vegetables, kitting a jumper or discovering a new scientific formula creativity may be fundamental for well-being and has received little attention so far within public health.

'Exploring creativity and what people do in their everyday lives, which they deem creative, may be an important avenue for well-being promoters. Additionally, more consideration needs to be given to all hobbies from reading to trainspotting, and their potential for enhancing well-being.'

Craft Scotland said interest in quilting amongst younger Scots was increasing but there was no measure for how people people take up the hobby individually or in clubs.

Emma Walker, chief executive of Craft Scotland, said the research backs up what they are seeing on the ground. She said: 'We've definitely seen an increase in groups doing quilting socially but also individuals. There's an emotive connection as well as financial need to recycle. Historically older groups of women did quilting but women in their early 20s are getting together and children's groups are also taking it up. People are investing in quality pieces of quilting, but also looking to make items themselves and re-use materials they have in their homes. I can only see the popularity increasing.'

The craft industry contributes around £3 billion a year to the UK economy."

On that note, I wish you happy quilting and enjoy the health benefits!

20 Things My Mother Taught Me

2011-05-20T12:02:00.001-04:00

This doesn't have anything do to with fabric, but it's good for a laugh! Brought to us by Author Unknown...

My mother taught me to APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE:
"If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning."
My mother taught me RELIGION:
"You'd better pray that will come out the carpet."
My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL:
"If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!"
My mother taught me LOGIC:
"Because I said so, that's why."
My mother taught me MORE LOGIC:"If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the store with me."
My mother taught me FORESIGHT:
"Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident."
My mother taught me IRONY:
"Keep crying, and I'll give you something to cry about."
My mother taught me about CONTORTIONIST:
"Will you look at the dirt on the back of your neck!"
My mother taught me about STAMINA:
"You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone."
My mother taught me about WEATHER:
"This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it."
My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY:
"If I told you once, I've told you a million times. Don't exaggerate."
My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE:
"I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."
My mother taught me about BEHAVIOUR MODIFICATION:
"Stop acting like your father!"
My mother taught me about ENVY:
"There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have the wonderful parents like you do."
My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION:
"Just wait until we get home."
My mother taught me about RECEIVING:
"You are going to get it when you get home!"
My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE:
"If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to get stuck that way."
My mother taught me HUMOUR:
"When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me."
My mother taught me WISDOM:
"When you get to be my age, you'll understand."
My mother taught me JUSTICE:
"One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you!!"

Happy Friday!!

Better Homes and Gardens® Quilt Sampler Magazine®… Who is in? TRS!!!!

2011-05-13T13:30:00.002-04:00

We have some very exciting news to share with you! After keeping our lips sealed since January and struggling to contain our excitement, we are finally able to tell you that TRS has just accepted a HUGE award at the International Quilt Market in Salt Lake City. TRS is 1 of the 10 quilt shops across North America to be featured in the Fall 2011 issue of Better Homes and Gardens® Quilt Sampler® Magazine!

You can just imagine how difficult it has been to hold onto this secret!! Quilt Sampler® Magazine is published bi-annually and has been profiling North American quilt shops for more than a decade. TRS was chosen from nearly 3,000 quilt shop applicants and is the only Canadian shop chosen for this issue. To say that we are ecstatic, elated and trilled is an understatement!

It is an incredible honour to be considered one of the top quilting shops in the country, especially as a Canadian store and we are absolutely delighted. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to you for helping to make this possible. Your continued and committed support and encouragement has allowed us to become the quilt shop that we are today. Our heartfelt thanks goes to everyone.

We will have a lot to say about this in the comings months. We invite you to stay tuned to be part of the celebration! The Quilt Sampler® Magazine complete with a profile of TRS and photos will go on sale on September 6th. Reserve your copy as well as kits of our original quilt, Urban Row, which will be featured in the Quilt Sampler® Magazine by contacting the store today!

Thank you all, again, for your ongoing support!!

Understanding Cotton Prices

2011-02-10T17:50:00.000-05:00

Article by Jim Salinas, sales associate for Moda Fabrics, edited by Susan Fuquay, originally published in American Quilt Retailer, Vol. 17, Issue 97, January 2011.

Cotton Plant

If you are wondering what is behind the recent increase in the retail prices of your quilting cottons, here is a brief explaination to help you understand the situation.

Cotton is a commodity and like all commodities prices are increasing. Most would attribute this primarily to the weakening dollar. As confidence in the dollar erodes, commodities rise in value. The dollar has weakened, of course, as our national debt has skyrocketed. Premium fabric branks are printed in Japan and Korea. The dollar has weakened by approximately 20 percent to these countries' currencies.

We are also wrestling with a worldwide cotton shortage. This shortage is exacerbated by flooding Pakistan, heavy rains in China and hail damage in west Texas. India has stopped the exportation of cotton altogether, and China has severely restricted its cotton exportation because rising wealth is boosting consumption in their own country. Labor shortages in China have also contributed to the reduction in available cotton. Indeed, the entire globe is competing for a finite about of the product. As is sometimes the case, when commodities spike in price, speculators hold out for better prices, and it appears that is what some greige goods producers may be doing.

Historically, when cotton prices rise dramatically, mills could blend their way to a cheaper product. The quilting culture simply does not support a blended product, not to mention the fact that polyester (a petroleum derivative) prices are also rising.

Truly we are dealing with a "perfect storm" of problems when it comes to fabric costs. The quilting industry is also dealing with a significant decrease in the number of print mills that can print the smaller minimums our industry requires, as well as the 16 to 18 screens so frequently used. There were once approximately 25 printers that could do this type of work; we are down to 10 now! This puts upward pressure on printing costs. We still have six mills left in America, but they produce carpet, upholstery, etc. They may do some high speed rotary printing, but with large minimums and only four to six screens. They do not do low mimimum flat bed press printing using 18 screens.

As if this weren't enough, the industry is also dealing with two other issues. As the cost of greige goods (fabric before it is printed) increases, the duty on these goods also increases. last but not least, UPS shipping costs are increasing 4.9 percent in January 2011! Wow! The perfect storm indeed!

Stephanie Dell'olio, president, retail division of Marcus Bros., recently exclaimed, "We have experienced shortages in the past, but this particular set of conditions is like no other we have ever experienced in our 100-year history."

One reason these price hikes are creating so much consternation is that we have experienced so little inflation in the fabric industry over the last 20 years. My wife, Roxanne, took quilting classes when we lived in Phoenix 20 years ago. She was paying $6.99 per yard for Hoffman of California prints. The industry was mauch smaller then, and Hoffman was considered (as it still is today) a premier brand. Today Hoffman prints are $9.99 per yard in many quilt shops. This is only a 44 percent increase in 20 years!

In 1990 a loaf of bread was $0.70. In 2010 a comparable loaf was $2.69. That's a 284 percent increase. The average cost of a new car in 1990 was $16,900. In 2010 the average price of a few car was $27,000. This is a 65 percent increase. One pound of ground beef was $0.89 in 1990. In 2010 a poud of ground beef was $3.29. This is a 270 percent increase.

You can look at just about anything you purchase and if you compare the price of that item in 1990 to the price today you may just find quilting cotton is still a good value worth the joy it brings you!

Jim Salinas has close to 40 years experience in the fabric industry. He was a store manager and then district manager with Hancock Fabrics for 17 years and later vice president of marketing for Cloth Worth, director of fabric merchandising for Michael's Arts and Crafts and executive vice president of House of Fabrics. He has been a sales associate for Moda Fabrics since 1997.

My Favourite Things

2010-11-13T11:44:00.001-05:00

Bernina 440QE

In The Sound of Music, Julie Andrews might have had "Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens", but with the all the wonderful things in the store, my favourite things are somewhat different! To go with my Bernina, which I love, there isn't a foot I don't like. Collecting Bernina feet is like my shoe collection... always growing and useful! From the Overlock foot to the Invisible Zipper foot and everything in between because I could not do without my Walking foot, there's a Bernina foot for every application I could ever want.

Olfa Frosted Square Ruler

Together with my Bernina feet collection, I have a lot of rulers, but not just any rulers. I discovered the Olfa Frosted rulers about 5 years ago. What a revelation! I could cut without the ruler slipping! Needless to say, I have all the sizes imaginable. The ones that I really like are the 6" x 12" and the 4.5" square.

Add-a-Quarter Ruler

While I'm on the topic of rulers, the June Taylor Shape ruler is easy to use and fantastic since it helps you cut multiple quilting shapes in perfect 1/2" increments quickly and accurately. There is also one that will cut in 1/4" increments. Fantastic! The Add-a-Quarter Ruler is also great... I use it mainly for paper piecing; it really makes paper piecing that much easier. Who knew rulers could be so much fun?

Gypsy Gripper
(small, medium and large)

The Gypsy Gripper Handle is the icing on the cake, when it comes to safety. You just place the gripper on the ruler, and there is no more danger for your fingers. How great is that!!!

Clover Seam Ripper

When I'm quilting, I'll admit that things don't always go my way. For that reason, I have to say the Clover Seam Ripper has come to my aid. It's easy to use, ergonomic, and oh so sharp! Does the job with minimum fuss every time.

Digital Velocity Iron

I also really like my Velocity Iron. Coming from someone who really doesn't like the word "iron" at all, that's saying quite something. The iron is heavy; it steams when I want it to steam, and it just makes ironing easier and faster, which are two words that I do appreciate when talking about ironing.

Martelli Zip Clip

Miriam introduced me to the the Martelli Zip Clip. WOW!!! How come I didn't have that tool before?!? The Zip Clip allows me to do binding without pinning or using anything else. It's the ultimate binding tool; all you have to do is push the lever and the clip does the rest.

I love gadgets. For me, they beat "Brown paper packages tied up with string" any day of the week!

The Warm Company

2010-10-23T17:34:00.000-04:00

Since its inception, The Warm Company has been dedicated to manufacturing innovative products that make sewing and quilting easier and more enjoyable. Some of their well-known products are Warm & Natural, Insul-Bright as well as Steam-a-Seam and Steam-a-Seam 2, just to name a few.

I love innovative produce! Gadgets and tools can save you from untold frustration. Steam-a-Seam adds an extra element of flexibility when you are creating, which allows you to change your mind at any time. Nothing is permanent until pressed with an iron. If you change your mind about the applique fabric you are using, you can simply peel off the Steam-a-Seam and stick it to new fabric!

There are two types of Steam-a-Seam products available: the original and 2, which brings up with question: "sticky back" or "double stick". The bond is the same, but depending on your project, you may prefer one over the other.

The original Steam-a-Steam ("sticky back") has the pressure sensitive adhesive on one side only, which allows for a temporary hold to the applique material. It moves freely on the second material, which allows you to reposition your pieces until pressed with an iron for a permanent bond. Once fused, the bond is the same as Steam-a-Seam 2.

Steam-a-Seam 2 ("double stick") has the pressure sensitive adhesive on both sides which allows for a temporary hold on both the applique material and the background material. This gives you the ability to hold your project vertically and have the pieces stay in place, which still being repositionable, until fused with an iron. Before fusing, tack your project to a wall or, if it is a garment, try it on. You'll be able to make sure the pieces are exactly where you want them to be... or make any adjustments you want.

There's nothing like it!

Canadian Thanksgiving

2010-10-08T12:50:00.001-04:00

Did you know?

The history of Thanksgiving in Canada goes back to Martin Frobisher, the explorer, who had been searching for the northern passage to the Pacific Ocean. Frobisher had safely returned from an expedition and in 1578, to commemorate this safe homecoming, he held a formal ceremony in Newfoundland to give thanks for surviving the long journey. This feast was one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations by Europeans in North America.

At the same time, French settlers, having crossed the Atlantic and arrived in Canada with Samuel de Champlain in 1604, also held feasts of thanks. They formed The Order of Good Cheer.

After the Seven Years' War ended in 1763 and New France became part of British North America, the citizens of Halifax held a special day of Thanksgiving. In 1799, Thanksgiving was observed, but it was still not yet held annually. After the American Revolution, American Loyalists came to Canada and brought the customs and practices of the American Thanksgiving with them. The first Thanksgiving observed after the Canadian Confederation was established was on April 5, 1872 to celebrate the recovery of the Princes of Wales (later King Edward VII) from a serious illness.

Starting in 1879, Thanksgiving Day was observed yearly, but the date was flexible. The theme of Thanksgiving also changed annually to reflect an important event to be thankful for. In its early years, Thanksgiving was often celebrated for an abundant harvest, which is the tradition that we are familiar with today.

After World War I, both Armistice Day and Thanksgiving were celebrated on the Monday in the week of November 11th. In 1931, the two days were separated as holidays and Armistice Day was formally renamed Remembrance Day.

There you have it! The quick Canadian version of how Thanksgiving came to be.

Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving weekend!!

Getting Hooked!

2010-09-30T17:19:00.000-04:00

Antique Primitive Red Rug

Rug hooking has a very long history. In North America, rug hooking has its roots as original folk art. Once a craft utilized to cover the drafty floors of primitive settlers' homes, it is now a fine art practiced by talented and skilled artists. In its earliest years, rug hooking was a craft of poverty, using strips of used material, among the first examples of recycling. In the past few decades, rug hooking has reached new heights as a fine art form, and modern rug hooking is often described as painting with wool.


Three Churches of Mahone Bay with Gazebo Hooked by Janice Daniels Design by Encompassing Designs

The mother of modern rug hooking is Pearl McGown. In the 1930s, she popularized guidelines for rug hooking, formalized its study and established the modern preference for using only cut wool strips in hooked rugs. Her vision of rug hooking and teaching grew into a family business and then beyond as she was determined that rug hooking not become a lost art.

I Have My Eye on You
Designed and Hooked by Christine Gibson

Recently, hookers have followed quilters in exploring new materials and developing techniques. This experimentation, combined with knowledge of the past, has allowed rug hooking to evolve and grow. Rug hooking today falls into two genres, primarily based upon the width of the wool strips used to create a rug: fine and primitive hooking. Generally speaking, fine hooking uses very small strips of wool. Designs of the fine-hooking genre use more fine shading, accomplished by over dyeing wool in gradated colour swatches. On the other end of the spectrum, primitive (or wide-cut) hooking uses wider strips of wool (up to a 1/2 inch wide). The wide-cut hooking accomplishes shading and highlights using textures in wool, such as plaids, checks and herringbones. Wide-cut designs are generally less detailed and tend to mimic rugs of the past (pre-McGown designs).


Patrick & Logan Summer 2009 Hooked by Trish Johnson

A big Canadian connection to hooking is Loretta Bluher-Moore who stumbled upon rug hooking by chance. On impulse, Lorette purchased a rug hooking kit, which got her started down on a path to artistic fulfillment. She attended rug hooking class in Montreal, where she credits her teacher with instructing her how to dye wool. Loretta loves creating exactly the right hues to execute her original designs. Of colour, she says "when you can control the colours, it opens up so many possibilities!"


Robertson Glacier Designed & Hooked by Betty Calvert

Within a few years of taking up hooking, Loretta was invited to exhibit and demonstrate traditional rug hooking at a show in Roxham, Quebec. She sold dyed wool and was inundated by people asking for lessons and kits, so Loretta created her first rug hooking kit.

Irises

In addition to creating unique pieces to sell and for herself, Loretta has developed a number of kits for hooked wall hangings, seat covers, runners, rugs and purses. She also enjoys the artistic challenge of designing specialty items on commission as well as teaching. Loretta was featured in a fall issue of A Needle Pulling Thread, a Canadian fibre arts magazine, along with one of her traditional hooked patterns.

Celtic Flow

The Running Stitch is excited that it will start retailing wool and rug hooking kits in the near future!

Velocity Iron

2010-09-18T17:18:00.001-04:00

No one likes ironing. Let's be honest. It's not exactly fun, but more something that has to be endured. But... let me tell you: with the Velocity iron, it's actually a piece of cake! Surprising, I know, but the result means you can get on to better parts of life, like quilting! No spit, no drip, no muss, no fuss! And it is an eco-intelligent product to boot, saving on water and energy. I can't believe that I'm saying this about an iron, but it's a wonderful tool, completely unlike the traditional iron.

Its list of fantastic features makes ironing less painful. The Velocity iron has few holes, which mean better steam, and the bottom line is that ironing goes faster. When it comes to ironing, I like fast. It's ergonomic, so it even works with you.

You know it's a fantastic product when The Oprah Magazine selects the new Velocity V50 iron to be part of the esteemed O List - Makeover Edition. The Velocity is featured on page 92 of the September 201 issue as one of the several select items that Oprah and her team thinks are better than ever!

When you add Mary Ellen's Best Press to your ironing regime, combined with the Velocity, life gets even better and you almost don't realize that you're ironing!

Fibrefest 2010 in Almonte

2010-09-14T18:52:00.002-04:00


Post Office designed by Thomas Fuller

Almonte is notable for being the boyhood home of Dr. James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, but the village's history reaches further back than that.

In a region where the early settlers' Irish, English, and Scottish origins are prominent in the names of the communities they founded -- Lanark, Corkery, Glen Isle, and Scotch Corners to name a few -- it is interesting that Almonte's namesake is Mexican.

Burnside House

The combination of Canadian Loyalists and American Revolutionaries led to tensions between the two countries. The War of 1812 did nothing to help the situation, nor did US military incursions into Mexico during the 1840s. The border skirmishes between Mexico and the US during this time were seen by Mexicans as a land-grab, and this worried Canadians that the American Republic was ready and willing to use force against its neighbours to achieve its territorial goals.

Mill Street (c. 1910)

At this time, Mexican General Almonte was primarily a diplomat as well as the ambassador to the US. He was recalled to Mexico, and served in the field against the invading US forces. He was taken prisoner, later released, and died in 1869, lauded by the English press at the time as "a kindly and accomplished gentleman". In the political climate of the day, this lead the British citizens agreeing to rename the village to its present-day name.

Rosamond Woolen Co.

In 1819, David Shepherd obtained a Crown grant of land, and he began construction of a grist mill and sawmill in the area that would later be named Almonte. Sadly, fire destroyed the sawmill the following year, and he gave up the entire project. The Crown re-granted the land to Daniel Shipman, who successfully developed the grist and sawmills, among numerous other ventures. By 1870, Almonte boasted 30 stores and nearly 40 other businesses. Chief among these were the textile mills that gave Almonte its reputations as the "Manchester of North America".

North Lanark Agriculture Hall
(c. 1910)

The rapid expansion of the nation rail system, combined with the emergence of an industrialized middle-class spurred the growth of Almonte's textile industry. By the turn of the century, there were seven woolen mills in operation. However, by the 1950s, competition from foreign producers had shut the flow of textiles from Almonte down to a trickle, and the mills closed or were converted to other uses. The massive mansions (formerly belonging to mill owners and business men) lends to Almonte's historical past and demonstrates how lucrative and important the textiles industry was. The village has incredible 19th century architecture.

The Running Stitch Kiosk

Almonte was the perfect location for Fibrefest 2010 which was held at the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum (MVTM) and the North Lanark Agriculture Hall. MVTM is located in the annex of the former Rosamond Woolen Company. Constructed in 1867, this National Historic Site of Canada now houses static and working displays of textile equipment, focusing on the region's heritage, culture, and the role of the textile industry in the development of Canada.

The Running Stitch Kiosk

Fibrefest itself was quite the event. There were demonstrations and textile art exhibitions of spinning, weaving, lacemaking, and smocking just to name a few. William Hodge was the featured artist. There were also a wide range of vendors (including The Running Stitch!) in attendance, and it made for a great weekend.

Mary Lajoie

2010-09-04T11:13:00.001-04:00

Strippy Quilt

Mary was raised in the small town of Wallaceburg, Ontario. In high school, she taught herself to sew in order to expand her wardrobe. Her Aunt Marie taught her some of the finer details, and from there, her addiction to fabric was born.

Amelie's Table Runner

Mary went on to become a teacher, and by the end of her career, she was a Coordinator and a Principal. Throughout her career, not only did Mary's interest in sewing hold fast, but it blossomed into a love of quilting. It started with collecting antique quilts; Mary found them in flea markets, antique stores, and auctions. She loved their uniqueness and wondered about the history of the maker and the designer. Mary was especially intrigued by the variety of colours and shapes could all come together to make a masterpiece.

Le Jardin d'Amelie

Mary's professional career in quilting began to thrive in her retirement. As an owner of a quilt shop in Brighton, Ontario, she became even more passionate about fabric and quilting. After moving to Ottawa, she spent time teaching at Dragonfly Fabrics and working at The Running Stitch. Her quilts have won awards at the Picton Quilt Show and the Ottawa Valley Quilt Show.

Blue Tulips

Now specializing in quilt patters, to date, Mary has created 5 which have been published under her company name of "Country Angel Designs". Two of her patterns were named after her granddaughter Amelie (Le Jardine d'Amelie and Amelie's Table Runner), who has a special place in her heart. Her other patterns to date are Strippy Quilt, Blue Tulips and Booty-ful. She sees her future as being filled with more quilting, pattern designing and getting into computer software to expand her designing horizons. The Running Stitch hopes to see more of Mary's patterns in store soon!

Booty-ful

Mary plans to grow her pattern business to other locals through a greater network of distributors. Her own website will be up and running soon, so do keep an eye out for it!

Judge Allan A. Fradsham's Quilt Canada 2010 Conference Speech

2010-09-02T11:19:00.004-04:00

Judge Allan A. Fradsham is a Provincial Court Judge in Calgary, Alberta. He delivered the following speech to a standing ovation on Saturday, May 1, 2010 as part of the final evening celebrations at Quilt Canada 2010 held in Calgary. A friend of mine, Sherida, shared this speech with me and I thought it was interesting and funny. I hope you get a kick out of it as well!

When, some years ago, Gloria told me that she was going to build upon her years of sewing experience, and take up "quilting", I thought she was telling me that she was going to take up a new hobby or a new craft. I was completely oblivious to the fact that what she was really announcing was that she was taking up membership in a tightly knit (if you'll pardon the expression) group of individuals whose loyalty to one another makes motorcycle gang members seem uncommitted, and whose passion for their quilting activities makes members of cults look positively disinterested. As is the case with many husbands, I was completely unaware that there existed this parallel universe called quilting.

Now, I will readily admit that we husbands are, most often than not, oblivious to what occurs around us. I suspect it is the product of some sort of genetic or evolutionary process designed to keep us from interfering with and impeding the running of our lives by our betters, or, as they are more commonly know, our wives.

However, to be completely unaware of a world-wide sub-culture operating right under our noses and in our homes is a bit obtuse even for husbands. But there it is, and here you are. And, most oddly, here I am. You might wonder how all this came to pass; I know I certainly do.

I cannot now identify what was the first clue I detected indicating that Gloria had entered the fabric world equivalent of Harry Potter's Hogwarts. It might have been the appearance of the fabric. Bundles of fabric, mounds of fabric, piles of fabric, towering stacks of fabric. Fabric on bolts, and stacks of small squares of fabric tied up in pretty ribbons (I later learned these were "fat quarters" which to this day sounds to me like a term out of Robin Hood). The stuff just kept coming into the house as thought it were endless waves crashing onto a beach. And then, just like the waves, the most amazing thing happened: it would simply disappear. It was as though the walls of the house simply absorbed it. Metres and metres (or as men of my generation would say, yards and yards) of fabric would come into the house. It would arrive in Gloria's arms when she returned from a shopping excursion. It would arrive in the post stuffed in postal packs so full that they were only kept together by packing tape (these overstuffed Priority Packs are the equivalent of me trying to fit into pants I wore in law school). These packages would arrive having been shipped from unheard of towns and villages in far away provinces or states or overseas countries (I am convinced the internet's primary activity is not to be found in pornography; that is just a ruse, the internet's real function is to facilitate the trafficking and distribution of fabric). Wherever we went, be it in Canada, the U.S., Europe, wherever there was a collection of more than three houses, Gloria would find a quilt shop from which she would pluck some prize from some bin with the enthusiasm and unerring eye of an archaeologist finding a new species of dinosaur.

And of course, the reason that there are quilt shops everywhere is because there are quilters everywhere, and I mean EVERYWHERE. A few years ago, Gloria had been visiting her sister-in-law in Kelowna. While there, she found and purchased a Featherweight sewing machine. I understand that making such a find is a matter of such joy that it may eventually attract government taxation. When it came time to fly back to Calgary, Gloria worried about what the people at airport security would have to say when she tried to take the machine onto the plane. She need not have been concerned. Now, airport security takes pride in preventing me from carrying onto a plane a small squirt of toothpaste left in a rolled up toothpaste tube if the tube in which it is lodged did at some point in the distant past, contain a prohibited amount of toothpaste. My spot of toothpaste is a national security threat. However, when it came time for Gloria to go through security with the Featherweight, which is made of metal and has needles in secret compartments, airport security came to a standstill. Why? Were they about to confiscate the machine, and detain the person who dated to try to board with it? Of course not. They gathered around it in awe and admiration, asking Gloria questions about where she had found it, and expressing admiration for her good fortune in finding it. And why did Gloria get such warm treatment when I am shunned for trying to maintain some degree of oral hygiene? Well, the answer is obvious; the assembled airport security staff were all quilters, complete with the secret handshake.

Maybe I should have twigged to what was happening when the washing of all this fabric led to having to replace our washing machine, which was clearly not designed for such industrial use. Now, let me pause here. I understand that there is an intense debate within your world about whether or not fabrics should be washed upon purchase. I do not wish to be caught in any cross-fire between the two camps, for all I know, as an outsider, I may not be authorized to even know of the controversy. I do suspect that if men were making the decision, quilting would involve lot less fabric washing and a lot more beer drinking.

I did eventually discover where all the fabric went. It went into drawers, cupboards, shelves, and, eventually it completely filled up a closet, which took up one full wall in Gloria's newly built "sewing room". What we now call Gloria's "sewing room", we use to call "the basement".

I have discovered that one of the art forms mastered by quilters is the ability to purchase container loads of fabric, conceal it in the house, and camouflage the purchase so that it slips right under the nose of the unsuspecting spouse. As a loving and obedient spouse, I have on many occasions found myself in quilt stores where I serve two useful functions: I can reach bolts of fabric stored on top shelves; and I can carry numerous bolts of fabric to a cutting table. However, I have also started to listen to what is said in quilting stores, and one day, in a little quilting shot in the heart of Alberta farming country, I heard something that made it clear to me that quilters are so clever and, dare I say, devious, that there is really no sport for them in fooling we naive husbands. Gloria had decided to buy some fabric (which is similar to saying that Gloria ha decided to breathe), and had gone to the till to pay for it. Upon running through Gloria's charge card, the clerk quietly said, "Now, when you get your credit card statement, don't be alarmed when you see an entry for our local feed store. We run our charges under that name so that if a husband looks at the credit card statements, he will think that the entry is just something he bought at the feed store for the farm". That sort of financial shell game would make Goldman Sachs proud. I knew at that moment that there had been a major and probably irrevocable shift in the world's power structure. I concede it is basically over for the non-quilting husband.

As you have been told, I sit as a criminal law judge, and as such I often find myself sitting on drug trials, or issuing search warrants in relation to drug investigations. I must say that the more I learned about the quilting world, the more I started to see similarities between that world and the drug world. It has caused me some concern.

We all interpret events from our own perspectives using the lessons we have learned through life. When I saw the extent to which Gloria's collection of fabric was growing, I began to worry. In the law relating to drugs, the amount of a drug one has in one's possession is an important factor in determining the purpose for which the person has the drug. For example, if a person is in possession of crack cocaine (to use a drug with an addictive power equivalent to fabric), one look at the amount of crack the person possessed. If the amount exceeds the amount one would realistically possess for personal use, then one may reasonably draw the inference that the purpose of the possession is not personal use, but, rather, it is for the purpose of trafficking the drug. So, you can imagine what I thought when I saw Gloria's collection of fabric grow to a point where she readily admitted that she could never use all that fabric in several lifetimes. I reluctantly concluded that I was married to a very high-level fabric trafficker. Mind you, in order to qualify as a trafficker, one does have to part with fabric, and I see very little evidence of that happening.

In fact, the more I thought about the parallels between the quilting culture and the drug culture, the clearer the similarities became. Consider the jargon. I have learned that this vast collection of fabric, which is stored in our house, is a "stash". Well, drug dealers speak of their "stash" of drugs. Gloria speaks of doing "piece" work. In the drug world there are often people who bring together the crack cocaine dealer and the buyer; think of a real estate agent, but not as well dressed, through perhaps somewhat less annoying. Those people speak of breaking off a "piece" of crack as payment for bringing the parties together. Sounds to me like a type of "piece work". Those who transport drugs are often called "mules"; I have frequently heard Gloria refer to me as her mule when I am in a quilt store carrying stacks of fabric bolts (or did she says I was stubborn as a mule?). Well, it was something about mules. And I should think that this whole conference is a testimony to the addictive qualities of quilting.

In my role as a Sherpa, I have accompanied Gloria on various quilting expeditions, and I have been impressed by many things. One is, as I have mentioned, that no matter where one goes, there will be a quilt store. The proliferation of quilt shops makes Starbucks outlets seem scarce. One day Gloria led me into a hardware store, which seemed odd to me, that is until I discovered that, as I walked towards the back of the store, the store had become a quilt shop. The metamorphosis was extraordinary, and very crafty (if you will pardon the pun). At that moment, I knew how Alice felt as she followed that rabbit down the rabbit hole. Suddenly, one was in a different universe.

Another thing I have learned is that the operators of quilt shops have great business acumen. In one of Gloria's favourite shop, upon entry I am greeted by name and offered a cup of coffee. If the grandson is with us, he is allowed to choose a book to take home. It is all so friendly that I don't even notice that I cannot see over the growing pile of fabric bolts which fill my arms. I wish that my doctor did such a good job of distracting me when it is time to do a prostate exam.

I have learned that quilting is both international in scope and generous in spirit. I have learned that quilters are quick to assist those in need, and that they have always been prepared to stand up for what is right. For example, I think of Civil War quilts, which often conveyed messages about the Underground railway for salves escaping to Canada. I think of the One Million Pillowcase Challenge, and the Quilts of Valour project. At one point, I thought of suggesting the creation of an organization akin to "Doctors Without Borders", but decided that an organization called "Quilts Without Borders" would be illogical.

And of course, there are the resultant quilts. We have quilts throughout the house. They adorn beds, chesterfields, the backs of chairs. They are stacked on shelves, they are stored in drawers, they are shoved under beds, they are hung on walls. There is even one on the ceiling of the sunroom. They complete for any space not taken up with the fabric, which will eventually result in more quilts. I live in a cornucopia, which disgorges quilts instead of produce. I have decided that quilts are the zucchini of crafts. But who can complain? Quilt seriously, each one is a work of art, and an instant family treasure. While family members and friends are delighted to receive them, I churlishly begrudge seeing them go out the door.

Though I tease Gloria about the all-consuming nature of her obsession, I am constantly amazed at the skill necessary to create those works of art. I stand in awe as I water her do the mathematics necessary to give effect to (or correct) a pattern. When she quilts, she combines the skill of an engineer, a draughtsman, a seamstress, and an artist. Her sewing machines require her to have, as she does, advanced computer and mechanical skills. She knows her sewing machines as well as any Hell's Angel knows his Harley. She uses measuring and cutting tools and grids, which would challenge the talents of the best land surveyors.

In short, I am very proud of what Gloria does, as each of you should be proud of your own skills and creations. They are impressive and very evident at this Conference. On behalf of those of us who wouldn't know a binding from a batting, I simply ask that when you finally and formally announce that have already taken over the world that you find some simple tasks for us to do to justify our existence. You might call those tasks... the QUILT PRO QUO.

Gloria and I very much appreciate your warm hospitality this evening.

In closing, the hotel management has asked me to remind you that those found cutting up the table clothes for quilting fabric will have their rotary cutters confiscated and forfeited to the Crown.

FBC Special Event

2010-08-31T14:40:00.000-04:00

This Sunday (August 29th), we had an in-store special event for the ladies who purchased a Frequent Buyer Card (for those of you who don't know, the Frequent Buyer Card entitles the holder to 15% off their purchases, except Bernina products, classes and magazines). It was a lot of fun and quite the afternoon. I enjoyed myself a lot.

I had good intentions to take some pictures of the ladies enjoying the demos and the refreshments. My intentions were so good that I'd even put new batteries in the camera so that there wouldn't be any technical glitches. But... all my good intentions went out the window because we didn't stop hopping until all the ladies had left! What can I say?

The turnout was fantastic and very much appreciated. We had a bunch of demos prepared for the event. There are so many tools of the trade out there and demos are a great way to see what tools can do for you. There were special discounts, and because I like surprises, there were also additional bonus discounts in the form of coupons hidden around in bolts of fabric and in books.

There were a lot of happy people - me included! Thank you to all who attended to make for a great afternoon! Also a big thank you to Gabriele and Miriam who helped make this event as great as it was. I look forward to doing another event like this one in the future.

ps: I apologize that not everyone got their mailed invitation. Please make sure that the address that we have in our system is correct for future mailings!

Nancy Crow

2010-08-26T11:27:00.000-04:00

Construction #83

Undoubtedly, Nancy is among the most widely known of all art quilters, and she is considered the vanguard of modern art quilting. Her influence is far reaching, and she has been pivotal in advocating for a definition of the art quilt. Her work is creative, prolific, and constantly evolving.

Structures #90

The Ohio artist, credited with being one of the early revolutionaries of the art quilt movement, became disillusioned with the restraints of the form's traditional heritage. Her early work were very much grounded in traditional quilt making techniques, using templates which then fit together. Nancy made big works at the beginning of her career, and she worked that way until the mid-to-late 80s. Feeling that she couldn't really create with templates, Nancy realized that she had to go a different route to truly make art with fabric that pleased her.

Linear Studies #7

Anna Williams, an African-American quilter from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, played a very influential role in helping Nancy free herself creatively. Anna's spontaneous approach to design, achieved without using rulers or templates, showed Nancy the power of letting go. Some of her quilts are reminiscent of work from the heralded African-American quilting community of Gee's Bend in Alabama. Inspiration for Nancy comes from everywhere as she is influenced by diverse sources: her travels, nature, social issues, politics...

Structures #5

For Nancy, creating a quilt is an entire process that beings with the dying of all her fabrics to achieve the intense colour that she is looking for. She cuts and machine pieces that fabric and hires someone to hand quilt the patters that she's marked on the quilt. Nancy includes the name of the quilter along with her own on the back of each quilt. Nancy takes a holistic approach to creating a quilt. That is to say that when she works on a quilt, all other thoughts are put aside and her energy is channeled toward her creation. She sees shapes in her head and decides how to cut them out of her hand-dyed fabrics. Her time in her studio creating is also a time of self-discovery for Nancy. She enjoys pushing herself to think and come up with more complex ideas because she knows those ideas are out there. Her focus is second to none.

Construction #65

Nancy has been given solo exhibitions at such prestigious venues as the Smithsonian's Renwich Gallery in Washington, D.C., The Snyderman Gallery in Philadelphia, and most recently, at the Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center in Auburn, New York, just to name a few. Additionally, she has published numerous well-received books and won several awards. Nancy has taught extensively and internationally and her workshops range in skill from beginner/intermediate to advanced and master composition.

Chinese Souls #3

Nancy says of herself "I identify who I am with my art work... in other words, I love the work, the experience of making each quilt. It's my life, my life's work! I feel lost not doing art, unsatisfied, anxious, bored. Everything else in comparison seems not terribly important. The purpose of my quilts is to make something beautiful for me but at the same time they are a means of expression representing my deepest feelings and my life experiences. In addition, my quilts are all about how I see color and color relationships; how I see shapes; and how I see line and linear movements. They are also about complexity, sadness, and hope."

Edyta Sitar

2010-08-19T17:23:00.000-04:00

Location, Location, Location

Eldon

Edyta Sitar is the successful designer and co-owner of Laundry Basket Quilts line of patterns and one of my favourite designers. Her love for fabric began at a very young age, when she used her mother's newly hung drapes to create her first fabric project. Edyta's journey with sewing and fabric started with clothing, but evolved into creative textile designs. From there, the first person to inspire her to quilt was Anna Sitar, her husband's grandmother. With more than six decades of quilting experience to share, Anna taught Edyta the basics for hand quilting and scrap piecing. Her first sewing machine was a wedding gift from her mother-in-law, Carol, which Edyta still has and her daughters, Anna and Delphina, love to use.

Elegant Garden Album

Midnight Bloom

Edyta says "Every time I begin a new quilt, it is normally because of a person or event that has inspired me. Sometimes it can be for a loved one in need, birth of a child, a thank you or simply a tribute to a natural beauty that I have experienced, such as a lovely sunset". Quilting has enabled Edyta to express herself artistically, especially through creating her own designs. The combination of inspiration from nature, a love for fabric, and a keen eye for colour has blended into a fantastic talent for both designing quilts and quilting patterns. This has further extended into Edyta's creation of fabric lines with MODA which range from batiks to more traditional fabrics. Edyta's patters range from more traditional pieced quilts to appliqueed quilts (including raw edge applique).

Sunset

Edyta has been published in magazines world-wide and her quilts have received numerous awards. She has also published books including Hop To It and Friendship Triangles as well as numerous beautiful patters such as Bon Voyage, Winter Lily and Maryam ... just to name a few.

Visit Edyta's website Laundry Basket Quilts at www.laundrybasketquilts.com.

Aloha

There's all kinds of good stuff there, including a free patter for a quilt called Treasure Box, which can be found under the icon Free Stuff. Take a look and come to the store to pick out batiks to make one of your own!

30,000!

2010-08-06T15:26:00.000-04:00

Or, to be more precise at this very moment… 30,414. What you ask? That’s how many visitors there have been to The Running Stitch website! Quite the milestone! I have to say a very big thank you to all who visit the online world of The Running Stitch, and of course, to everyone who visits in person to the store. There’s nothing like being appreciated! I am glad that in the time that I’ve owned The Running Stitch that the evolution of the store has been positive and moving forward. There’s a lot of satisfaction in the translation of effort to success. As with any change, there’s always the possibility of things not working out according to plan, and I’m thrilled that is not the case with the store! As always, I’m interested in any feedback that you have. The only constant is change. That being said, visit often! Online and in person. I look forward to celebrating other milestones with you down the road.

ps: in the time that it took me to write this (which really wasn’t very long), the visitor count has jumped to 30,417 :)

Beat the Heat

2010-07-17T16:58:00.000-04:00

Summer is back with a record-breaking vengeance, and you want to keep your cool without breaking the bank -- or causing a blackout. Don't worry: air-conditioning isn't the only answer! Whether you do or don’t have A/C or are trying to save energy and money, these 15 tips help keep you from overheating.

15. Drink lots of water

14. Avoid caffeine and alcohol (they promote dehydration)

13. Keep the lights off

12. Keep the curtains shut during the day

11. Go swimming

10. Eat popsicles and other cool foods like fruit

9. Have late night BBQ

8. Wear light colour and light weight clothing

7. Use the clothesline instead of the dryer

6. Exercise before the sun rises or after it sets

5. Spend more time in your basement (hot air rises!)

4. Put a bucket of ice in front of your fan

3. Splash your face with cold water

2. Put a cool pack on your neck

1. Go on a field trip to The Running Stitch …the A/C is on!!!

Food for Thought...

2010-07-10T12:03:00.000-04:00

Obituary printed in the London Times: Interesting and sadly rather true.

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.

He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:

Knowing when to come in out of the rain;
Why the early bird gets the worm;
Life isn't always fair;
and maybe it was my fault.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children. It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims. Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement. Common Sense was preceded in death, by his parents, Truth and Trust, by his wife, Discretion, by his daughter, Responsibility, and by his son, Reason.

He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers; I Know My Rights, I Want It Now, Someone Else Is To Blame, and I'm A Victim

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.

Gee's Bend

2010-05-12T19:46:00.000-04:00

Gee’s Bend was founded before the American Civil War, and it is a small, rural community southwest of Selma, Alabama. The home of cotton plantations, Gee’s Bend was primarily owned by Joseph Gee and his relative, Mark Pettway, who bought the Gee estate in 1850.

Post-Civil War, the freed slaves took the name Pettway, became tenant farmers for the Pettway family, and founded an all-black community nearly isolated from the surrounding world. During the Great Depression, the federal government stepped in to purchase land and homes for the community, bringing strange recognition — as an "Alabama Africa" — to this remote hamlet.

Over two centuries, the women of Gee's Bend have developed a distinctively bold and sophisticated quilting style based on traditional patchwork quilts. While each quiltmaker brings her unique personality to the community tradition, many Gee's Bend quilts are remarkable for their distinctive geometric simplicity mixed with a bold sense of flair, an innovative approach to a quintessentially American art made possible by a mix of heritages: African, Native American and European.

The women of Gee's Bend have passed their skills and style down through at least six generations, from the 19th century to the present.

Throughout much of the twentieth century, making quilts was considered a domestic responsibility for women in Gee's Bend. As young girls, many of the women trained or apprenticed in their craft with their mothers, female relatives, or friends; other quilters, however, have been virtually self-taught.

The women consider the process of piecing the quilt top to be highly personal. In Gee’s Bend, the top is always pieced by a quilter working alone and reflects a singular artistic vision. The subsequent process of quilting the quilt is sometimes then performed communally, among small groups of women. Women with large families often made dozens upon dozens of quilts over the course of their lives.

During the civil rights movement in the 1960s, Gee's Bend enjoyed several years of national visibility. A quilting bee was formed just up the road from Gee's Bend, in Rehoboth, Alabama, that made standardized quilt patterns for department stores and later undertook piecework sewing projects for Sears and Roebuck and Co. That cooperative effort was the first opportunity for many women in the area to hold jobs and bring income into their households bringing about both economic freedom and a community transformation.

By the 1990s, quiltmaking in Gee's Bend had diminished significantly as younger residents moved away and most of the remaining quilters entered old age. In the late 1990s, William Arnett and his son Matt, as a part of their research of African-American quilts, visited Gee's Bend and embarked on a multiyear effort to document its quilts, history, families and stories. These efforts gradually expanded, and in 2002, the Houston Museum of Fine Arts, in partnership with the Arnetts, presented an exhibition of 70 quilt masterpieces from the Bend entitled The Quilts of Gee’s Bend.

In 2003, with assistance from the Arnetts, the living quilters of Gee's Bend founded the Gee's Bend Quilters Collective to serve as the exclusive means of selling and marketing the contemporary quilts being produced by the women of the Bend. The Quilts of Gee's Bend exhibition was later followed by a second major exhibition, "Gee's Bend: The Architecture of the Quilt," which debuted in 2006.

Art critics worldwide have compared the quilts to the works of important artists such as Henri Matisse and Paul Klee. The New York Times called the quilts "some of the most miraculous works of modern art America has produced."

Today, the quilter’s of Gee’s Bend continue their time-honoured tradition with their quilts having a historical, cultural as well as lasting artistic value for the Bend as well as for fellow quilters.

Chicago!

2010-04-24T14:27:00.000-04:00

Friday, April 16^th at last! Raymond and I left for Chicago. Chicago is known for a lot of things… deep dish pizza, Al Capone, the mob and prohibition, site of the World’s Fair … and so much more…But this trip, Chicago is all about International Quilt Show.

One the way down, we made a few stops. I’ve heard from lots of people that I should get to Newmarket to see Evelyn’s Sewing Centre, so we took the opportunity to go. Evelyn’s was something to see with tons of fabric and quilts and notions and embroidery stuff etc, etc... From there, we headed Birch Run in Michigan. Why you ask? One word: Outlets! On Saturday, we stopped at the Lighthouse in Michigan City for some more shopping.

Finally, to Chicago! Getting to our hotel was the first step – driving in Chicago isn’t at all like Ottawa, but we made it! And who did we meet as we were about to check in? Johanne Batchelor with the news that we crossed time zones and gained an hour with our travels, so off we went to the Show!

We had big plans to make sure that we saw everything. There were about 150 merchants in the exhibition hall so we had lots to see in addition to the quilts. Time was short on Saturday; there was so much fabric, notions… my goodness, just tons of stuff! Good news was that we had all day Sunday to look at everything and have the time to take it all in.

On Sunday, we got to the show early, before opening – I was eager to get there and see it all! The exhibited quilts were so fantastic and varied in techniques and styles that I took a ton of photos and bought a book of the quilts we were not allowed to photograph. Pictures are worth a thousand words, so I’m sharing lots from this trip (primarily of the Show). Then we went back to revisit the merchants. There was so much to see! From a section of Canadian themed quilts to still life subjects (that did not look still at all!) to traditional heirloom quilts to more sublime works of abstract art there was a lot to appreciate.

Monday, we visited Chicago. We took the train to downtown and then started walking. One of the attractions of Chicago is the Magnificent Mile. It is basically a mile of stores with famous names – a must see (but you can’t buy… way out of my league)! Chicago is a huge and vibrant city with loads to see and do. It was fun! We like to visit a city by taking some kind of tour, and Chicago has a get-on, get-off tour on a Double Decker or trolley bus. We got on the Double Decker and decided to enjoy the sun – oh boy! Hold on to your hat! Here I thought Chicago was the Windy City in the metaphorical sense to insinuate that Chicagoans were braggarts because of all the boasting Chicago politicians had done to best their rivals in Cincinnati in the 1960s, but it turns out that the wind off Lake Michigan has got some zip of its own.

We stopped at The Art Institute of Chicago to visit the incredible Impressionist collection. I have never seen so many Impressionist paintings in one room. There was an extraordinary Matisse exposition. Check out George Seurat’s «Un dimanche après-midi à l'Ile de la Grande Jatte». The website for the museum is: http://www.artic.edu/aic/.

It’s nice to be back in Ottawa, and I sure am inspired by the phenomenal quilts that we saw in Chicago hopefully this will be reflected in the store in the months to come.

Fat Quarter Frenzy FUN!

2010-04-03T17:01:00.000-04:00

What a fantastic day it was! Celebrating the beginning of Spring (even thought it feels much more like summer right now... no complaints!) always makes me think of Easter and the Easter parade in New York.

And that got me thinking: we should have our own parade here in the store. So, if you wore an Easter Bonnet to the Fat Quarter Frenzy, there were in-store coupons up for grabs.

Even thought I have a personal no-hats policy, it was great fun to see other people's creativity and how they got into the spirit of it!

Congratulations to the winner of the best bonnet designer... Paulette Sanderson! Also, a big thank you to everyone who came by in their bonnets. Hats off to you!

The Tiffany Exhibition: A Passion for Colour

2010-04-03T14:33:00.000-04:00

Quilters know how we can get when we are entrenched in a project. My husband felt that I should get out of the house, so he offered to go to Montréal and see the Tiffany exhibition at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.

First, let’s differentiate between America's famous jeweler Tiffany & Co., in New York, founded by Louis's father, Charles L. Tiffany, and the glass and decorating companies of his son, Louis C. Tiffany.

Tiffany set out to become a painter, training in New York and Paris. Tiffany exhibited his paintings and watercolours in international exhibitions, where he gained great acclaim.

Eventually, Tiffany’s interests evolved, and he established his own decorating company and began receiving commissions from prominent Americans. His company offered everything the imagination could desire …and then Tiffany discovered glass.

Tiffany began to integrate glass in many forms in these interiors, including leaded-glass windows and lamps. With glass, Tiffany was curious to experiment with the colours and brilliance as they changed under natural or artificial light, and he was captivated by the effects that could be captured by craftsmen. New techniques were honed, using a combination of traditional glass techniques and an original, free approach.

Tiffany developed the making of stained-glass windows into an enormous business, using different types of glasses (2 which he patented himself), techniques and embellishments to create never-seen before works of art.

The Montréal exhibition is breathtaking, and it is both varied and interesting. Tiffany’s most famous designs are being displayed and they are nothing short of awe-inspiring. Also a part of the exhibition is Tiffany stained glass windows originally made more than a century ago for the American Presbyterian Church. That Church and its windows were acquired by the Montreal Museum in 2008.

Some of Tiffany’s windows on display would make tremendous quilts, and I am surprised that we have not yet seen an adaptation of his work from glass to fabric. The colors and richness of subject would make for very challenging and beautiful quilts.

If you get a chance to see this exhibition, I encourage you to do it. Tiffany’s work is fantastic and revolutionary. The show is on in Montreal until May 2^nd, 2010, and it’s sure to inspire you.

Aurifil

2010-04-03T13:32:00.000-04:00

If you’ve ever been in the store and asked my opinion about thread, you’ve probably been treated to a rave review of Aurifil thread. It is fantastic, absolutely second to none in my opinion. I thought that I would do a little digging to see if I could validate my opinion. Low and behold… there are very real reasons why Aurifil is great.

Established in 1983 by an Italian based company, Aurifil was born with the goal of quality thread always looking to become more refined and advanced. The base reason for Aurifil’s success is the origin of the raw materials. Egyptian cotton called Makò is used – taking into account staple length, fiber thickness and maturity. While this might not sound terribly exciting, it’s critical for the final product. Aurifil’s unique process continues through the Twist: the force that consolidates the fibers and flies of thread after the spinning process to create a balance of tension. Too tightly twisted creates lively snarling thread and too lightly twisted creates fraying and breaking. There are different weights of Aurifil thread available to suit your specific purpose – machine piecing, hand piecing, appliquéing, top stitching… Finally, in the dying process the thread undergoes a special process to be mercerized in addition to being dyed to give the thread the lustrous look associated with Aurifil.

All of this means that Aurifil is strong, smooth and leaves little lint in your sewing machine which keeps it clean and running smoothly. There are currently 216 colours on the market (and growing!). All to say that I love how it sews and it gives me great pleasure to see the rack of Aurifil in the store. We have the polyester Aurifil specifically for embroidery as well as the variegated in addition to the cotton (36 and 50 weight) in small and big sizes. Come check it out – you’re sure to love it.

Pamela Allen: Artist & Creator

2010-03-27T16:12:00.000-04:00

The Running Stitch is excited to be hosting renowned artist Pamela Allen for a two-day quilt show, workshop and trunk show on May 7th and 8th, 2010. It promises to be an exciting two days!

Pamela calls Kingston home, where she spends many of her days in her studio painting, decoupaging, collaging, assembling, carving and… making art from fabric. Pamela is inspired by Lucky Shie, her hero, who gave Pamela her first introduction to fabric art.

Pamela has participated in a number of solo exhibitions in addition to group exhibitions. Pamela enjoys a wide variety of subjects from still life (with her own quirky twists) through to a wide variety of historical styles, including medieval (while staying historically true).

Pamela’s work tends to the free form. She enjoys creating art within the confines of her own boundaries – that is to say conventional methods may be ignored to create a more open-ended (and open-minded) piece of art.

Pamela enjoys teaching. She encourages and assists her students to create an original piece born from their own vision and personal expression. She enjoys fundamentally challenging her students to express and create beyond their normal boundaries. Creativity and spontaneity are hallmarks of Pamela’s work.

Her work is celebrated in various publications and she has an instructional DVD called Think Like An Artist which debuted at the 2008 International Quilt Festival in Houston, Texas.

Dena Crain: Artist/Teacher in Kenya

2010-02-06T18:00:00.000-05:00

Dena will be at The Running Stitch on April 12^th, to give a workshop entitled Reflections.

In 1990, Dena moved to Kenya to take a teaching position at Egerton University. Since then, Dena has spent the majority of her time at Lake Baringo, north of Nairobi, Kenya's capital, where she lives with her life partner Jonathan Leakey.

Early on in her time spent in Baringo, Dena saw an opportunity to use patchwork quilting as a way to employ local women, taught herself the basics and began a small production quilting business in her home. With advanced degrees in design, anthropology and textiles, Dena was uniquely position to share her knowledge with the local woman and to produce quilts. Over time, she began producing unique, "one-off" works of art. Since then, she has expanded her horizons further.

Dena's quilts have been featured in several solo art exhibitions. In 2004, Dena joined the faculty of Quilt University, an online educational facility for quilters. Teaching in Cape Town, South Africa, for the Good Hope Quilters Guild National Quilt Festival in July 2002 moved Dena into the ranks of international renowned quilting teachers. Dena's impressive list of credentials also includes teaching at the Chicago International Quilt market as well as at Quilt Canada, Be Creative by the Sea in Coff's Harbour,

Australia and the 15^th European Patchwork Festival in Ste. Marie-aux-Mines, France. Dena was part of the East African exhibit and workshops run by Cotton-by-Post as well. She co-founded the Kenya Quilt Guild, together with Canadian quilter Anne Mains, in the mid 1990s. Dena acts as the Africa regional representative for Studio Art Quilt Associates.

Dena has written magazine articles and lectured at non-quilting functions. She has quilts displayed in various public places including commissioned works in the Rockefeller Foundation in Nairobi.

Of her work, Dena says "From simultaneous design and sewing processes, my pieces seem to grow of their own accord. I do not control their development, but they dictate to me what should come next. The nature of the materials, in conjunction with an artist's passion, produces unique results. I am never so happy as when my creative spirit takes control and the work flows."

For more information about Dena or her workshop, contact The Running Stitch.

Information Highway Brings Us…

2010-01-30T13:49:00.001-05:00

… lots and lots of ideas. It's a huge forum with all the things you could ever think about wanting to know …and then some. Surfing around, I came across Cinda Baxter's brainchild: the 3/50 project. I don't want to preach, but I do want to share. I think Cinda is brilliant. Her concept, in a nutshell is to save local economies, three stores at a time. Cinda points out that shopping local has the impact of keeping that money local which in turn benefits the local economy. Cinda's principals are built around our neighbours to the South and their economy, but I believe that her concept can be applied just as easily in Canada. Obviously the Canadian figures would be different than the American ones, to approximately the tune of 1/10^th. That still brings us to the impressive figure of $4 billion in revenue a year. The idea of saving the brick and mortars that any nation is built on is an important one. I would encourage you to go look at Cinda's website www.the350project.net.

Fabric

2010-01-30T13:45:00.001-05:00

Many quilters wonder if the type and quality of fabric they purchase makes a difference. There are no two ways about it: not all fabric is created equal. Quilting is a form of artistic expression, and there is a wide range of fabrics available for your perusal and consideration before you start any project.

There are a few central reasons that you may want to purchase quality fabric. Of course, the flip side of the coin has its own attractions as well. With quality comes increased price. The alternative to more expensive fabrics leaves you outside the traditional quilt shops, like The Running Stitch, and brings you to discount stores or sitting at home and doing on-line purchasing. This type of buying can be more miss than hit. Often the range of possibilities is narrowed and can be out-dated when compared to what quilt shops have to offer. Buying online might be fast and easy. However, it may leave you feeling far from satisfied when the delivery isn't what you had in mind when you compare what you're holding in your hand to what you saw on your computer screen (never mind the physical delivery issues). It's also harder to audition fabrics via computer screen. You might also be faced with the constriction that many fabric distributors only sell their collections to major customers (like quilt shops).

Back to basics: why you want to buy quality fabric. Quilt shops, and certainly The Running Stitch, pride themselves on meeting with distributors to ensure quality of fabric, availability, variety and competitive pricing. Fabric selection is at the heart of any quilt shop and becomes a defining trademark. The satisfaction of being able to pull beautiful quality fabric off the shelf and line it up in different permutations and combinations in the company of those who understand the need to have it "just so" isn't something to be taken lightly.
After all, quality fabric is like your favourite restaurant. You go out for the promise of an all-round first-rate experience, and that includes the chef using quality ingredients. You would never expect the ingredients or the final product at the restaurant to be inferior. So why go for less than high quality in a lasting product like your quilt?

The importance of quality fabric carries through after you get home from the store. High quality fabric is easier (and more enjoyable) to work with from beginning to end of your project. It stands up to the test of time in the way that lesser quality can't hope to compete with. It also leaves you with a second-to-none quality final product that best reflects your happy dedicated hours spent in production. Besides, when all is said and done, the satisfaction of having a lasting work of art that reflects you is priceless.

Moving and Shaking

2009-11-21T14:50:00.000-05:00

There certainly has been a lot going on lately, both in and out of the store. Never a dull moment! Not so long ago, we were sitting at our dining room table, and we were talking about the fact that we love our house in Gatineau, but we thought… wouldn’t it be nice to be closer to work, meaning the store? Instead of spending a couple of hours a day commuting, that time could be better spent doing something productive or better yet, just having fun (more time to quilt!)!

Next step: the all important house hunting adventure. Because of Barb, I’m happy to say, it was pretty short! While driving in Kanata, she saw what she considered to be the perfect house for us. She rushed into the store to tell me “Michèle, I found your house!” Sure enough! Barb was right on, and it was just the house we were looking for! So in less than two days, the deal was done and the house was ours. Hello!!! We had our Gatineau house to sell and lots of other arrangements to make. The whole moving process takes some doing. What were we thinking?

Our home in Gatineau is on the bigger side. It has been a busy place, hopping with activities and it was also the place for family and friends to come by, visit and sleepover. For a few years, our house was transformed into a Bed & Breakfast. It certainly is a big change to be moving away after 19 years there, but we are making a good deal: closer to the store and less to maintain is an excellent plan.

It certainly has been quite the journey cleaning up stuff to get ready to move. As I’m sure you can imagine, lots of stuff in nooks and crannies that we have not even touched in a while. Friends and charities are the lucky recipients (no garage sale for me!).

Moving Day is coming up quickly, and we are looking forward to settling into our new home and enjoy all that Kanata has to offer. That makes two big moves this year: the store and my house. When this move is all said and done, I think we’ll stay put for a while!

2009-10-31T16:45:00.000-04:00

I am thrilled to tell you that this week was a pretty exciting week. We received so much fabric, it was Christmas every day. The store is bursting at the seams. There is so much to see that one visit to the store might not do it. We received a new line of Princess Mirah batiks (34 bolts of it)! That’s just the tip of the iceberg! There are tables full of new treasures which certainly won’t last long such as French General, Rouenneries Collection from Moda, Floral Melody, Stonehenge and Natures Palette from Northcott, Collection for a Cause (Alliance) by Moda, Bali Pops, Lovely as a Tree by Cyntia Coulter, etc… We still have a little bit of Christmas fabric to complete your projects...
Of course, there are books (loads of new books), patterns, notions and accessories and pre-cut fat quarters to add to your enjoyment. I’ve added some pictures but the best way of taking it all in is to come to the store.
If you need help choosing (or would just like an extra opinion), we are always happy to help you coordinate your new quilt or any other project that you have on the go or would like to dive into. There is no shortage of fresh new ideas and with all the new fabrics, it’s sure to get your creativity flowing and urge you to get your sewing machine running. If you’ve been waiting for a piece of “something special fabric” the time could be now. Possibly, there are no words to describe the new additions to the store.

Charity work

2009-10-24T12:49:00.000-04:00

Working at The Running Stitch is a pleasure for me for several reasons. Among those reasons is the ability to be part of important causes. Recently, The Running Stitch had the opportunity to contribute to the Tour For Kids Quilt Day, which was an event held by the Coast to Coast Against Cancer Foundation. This Foundation supports camps in Ontario for children living with cancer. The photos are of the group who attended the event and some of the hard work they did. It was a pleasure to be able to contribute to this event, and I hope to be part of events like this in the future.

Batting

2009-01-27T13:37:00.000-05:00

There is so much buzz about batting, environment and organics that you may wonder what is best for your quilt why what you have been buying does not seem good enough. There are many batting products available and include lightweight, heavyweight, puffy, thermal, green, bamboo, silk, wool, cotton, polyester blends and others. Each material has a specific purpose and it is important that you know what kind of quilt the batting will be used for.

Hand quilting is best served by wool batting because of the lanolin (basically a soap) in the wool helps the needle slide more easily. Silk batting is also an alternative for hand quilters. You may wish to use synthetic batting for large quilt and ones that will be washed fairly regularly since the batting will be more lightweight and will not bunch. A wall hanging may use cotton batting but be careful when using natural cotton because of cotton seed oil present in the cotton.

Bamboo does not seem better than cotton and is not more environmental friendly. Because bamboo is a hard wood it requires a considerable amount of chemicals to break the wood into fibers which are short so require bonding with another material usually cotton because of its long fiber. Bamboo is not as easily renewable as wool which is sheared from sheep’s or cotton which is grown yearly.

Organics are difficult to control outside of industrialized countries which have very strict regulations for the label. In many other countries the word may not mean the same and may have as organic only the ink used to print it.

When you are looking for batting make sure to tell the story of your quilt so we, the employees of The Running Stitch, can help you choose the most suitable batting for your project.

This article is a synopsis of a piece in FabShop News.

The Bernina 830

2008-11-12T15:01:00.000-05:00

Hello everybody:

The Bernina 830 is in. Come and see this machine. It's the ultimate sewing experience. It offers the kind of high-performance features that'll allow you: " to create more, create bigger and create longer than ever before". Gabriele will do demo on this machine on Tuesdays and Wedenesdays. It will be a pleasure for her because she's pretty excited about it.

day off

2008-11-11T10:46:00.000-05:00

Saturday, I took a day off to meet with fellow quilters at a retreat in Buckingham. It was a fun day. The setting was great. We were sewing facing a lake in a huge veranda. What a view. I was so excited to be able to work on a few projects; but the best part was to be with a bunch of women and chit chat and laugh … and laugh I did. What a wonderful day I had. It was inspirational and fun.
That’s why I would love to organize retreats for the store. When we did the survey last March you showed some interest and I’d like to pursue this. Your suggestions of venues are welcomed. I know a few places but I’d like to explore more. Also If you wish to participate do not hesitate to call the store and leave your name and phone number.

trip to houston

2008-11-06T13:15:00.001-05:00

Hello fellow quilters!
This is week one after Houston. The Quilt Market is certainly the experience of a lifetime. As with most things American, it is huge, well organized and very diverse. Store owners visit the Market to develop network, look for new trends and establish relationships with vendors and BUY. So yours truly visited hundreds of stands, met with many store owners, exchange information with designers and purchased new fabrics for the coming year.

The best news is that I was able to bring back many new patterns, some books and a lot of ideas that I wish to share with you. Many of you are aware that quilting is evolving constantly. The more adventurous artists are creating a totally different approach to quilting more along the lines of free creation in a fiber environment. This direction has opened the door to the use of different fabrics (silk, wool, threads, beads, etc.) being integrated in quilts. We have moved a long ways from our grandmothers using pieces of clothing or other available fabrics to put together a warm quilt. Today we find thousands of patterns to entice us to more and more creativity. The quality and diversity of fabrics ensures that quilts will be unique even if a standard pattern is used. Is it not great that our creativity can be so enhanced?

Was it a great trip? Without doubt because of the incredible variety that was proposed to buyers, because the weather was great, because the quilt show is incredible with quits that blow you away. (It is possible to see the Quilt Show in advance when we attend Quilt Market). There are many great quilters, many designers and fiber artists that are showing their latest creations that makes the show so wonderful. It was outstanding. Did anything go wrong? We could not get out of Houston on time so we missed our connection in Philadelphia and ended staying the night in the Airport with the cleaners, the waxers and even a ghost. That is most unpleasant and to make the experience worse, it was 0 degree in Ottawa under snow. Very difficult when you leave Houston at 85 degree Fahrenheit.

And what was the highlight of the trip? Would you believe the new sewing machine, Bernina 830. Barb and I were bowled over. It was incredible. It is hard to describe how wonderful that machine is. WOW! We will soon have it in the store and we will have special presentations. Brace yourself! You won’t believe your eyes. This machine does everything a quilter could dream of. Sorry, it does not talk, but otherwise it’s a perfect tool for the avid quilter and not so avid. You can see more information at the Bernina site (www.bernina.ca)

Come to the store to see the new purchases as we have received many new collections during the month of October. Many new patterns are available and so are lots of new books. We have some new quilts that should inspire you.

Remember we have longer hours: Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday we are opened till 6 and Thursday we are opened till 8 or 20hr. All classes are full for the fall but there will be a new set of classes starting in January. We are still accepting registration in our clubs with more to come in January. Please inquire at the store.

Remember also that winter may be coming early so get your winter projects ready with the fabric that you want.