MANITOWANING—Six Manitoulin Island youngsters had their quilting works chosen and displayed among many other talented quilters across Canada.
“Yes, I love quilting,” stated 12-year-old Chloe Moggy who along with five other Island youth quilters had their quilts selected and displayed at the Quilt Canada conference held June 8-10 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. “It was great to have my quilt selected for the national conference.
Ms. Moggy explained, “basically, I entered my name and then we receive a piece of material that we turn into whatever design we want for the quilt. The theme for Quilt Canada was ‘From Coast to Coast to Coast,’ so my design was a map of Canada with feet on the bottom, so it looks like it is going across Canada.” She spent the last three months working on her quilt that was displayed at Quilt Canada and noted she has been in the local sewing program for the past three years.
Ms. Moggy was one of the six local Island youth quilters who had quilts on display at Quilt Canada, along with Allie and Katie Jameson, Violet Bell, Myla Trudeau and Shane Cranston.
Jackie White, who runs a threads club in Manitowaning and is the media contact for the Canada Quilts Association (CQA) told The Expositor, “Our six kids from Manitoulin Island had quilts in Quilt Canada the biggest in Canada quilt show and conference.” The event is hosted by Canadian Quilters Association/association Canadienne de la courtepointe (CQA/ACC).
“They worked so hard on their quilts, and because the kids are brilliant, they were to design their own quilts,” said Ms. White. “I teach sewing and they are part of the Threads Club through Assiginack township. The kids had to submit a design and had to use a specific piece of fabric that was donated by TrendTex Fabric.”
“The TrendTex Youth Challenge is a way to encourage kids to quilt. CQA/ACC is big on promoting quilting to our kids. TrendTex Fabrics feels the same way and sponsor fabrics to the challenge. A piece of fabric that they supply must be visible in the quilt,” said Ms. White.
“Janome Canada also believes in kids quilting as they donated first, second and third place winner received sewing machines,” continued Ms. White. “The winners, Viewers Choice, were done by online voting and in house voting at the conference.”
The age group categories for youth were 5-9, 10-14 and 15-19. “Our kids were all in the 10-14 age group. They did so well,” stated Ms. White. “They worked very hard on their quilts.”
“This year, for the first time in its 40-year history, CQA/ACC hosted youth sewing and quilting classes. I was the lucky instructor that got to teach this class,” said Ms. White.
“Quilt Canada is an annual quilt conference that moves around the country. In 2022 we were in Vancouver and in 2024 we will be in Edmonton, Alberta,” said Ms. White. “It is Canada’s national quilt organization. Quilters from all over the world attend our conference. It is a three- to four-day event that boasts workshops, lectures, demonstrations, many quilt shows and our coveted National Juried Show (NJS).”
“For the NJS you have to be juried in, meaning you send images of your quilts and a jury (trained quilt judges) juries them in,” said Ms. White. “To get into this show as a finalist is a huge win. They are then judged, with cash prizes awarded. The NJS boasts the best of the best in quilting in Canada. These quilts are art. Two of our Island quilters were in the NJS this year. Lauren MacDonald had a juried quilt and Melissa McIntosh (Lakeside Longarmer) quilted it. Lauren and Melissa and two other Island quilters attended the conference as well.”
Ms. White noted that thousands of people and quilters file through the Quilt Canada conference and display. “It is a really neat experience.”
