Queen's Bush Quilt Show

The local quilt guild held a big show a couple of weekends ago, so Mrs. F.G. was inevitably involved, and had submitted several quilts for display.  I only got in a quick visit this time, but was really impressed with the work of all these creative local ladies.

This pattern has been popular with quilters this year, with a wide variety of specific fabric choices.  Of course the theme of the show this year is Canada 150, and these make a great display when they're all lined up like this - the work of 11 different quilters.

There were a number of other quilts that picked up on the maple leaf theme in one way or another.

Others made use of Canadian symbols, this one with symbols representing ten provinces and 2 territories.  Can you associate each block with the right province or territory?  My guesses are below.

The quilt show was held in the arena in Markdale, and it was full of quilts!  It's a lot of work to set up these frames, hang the quilts, and afterwards take them all down.  This seems to be the role of a few hard-working volunteer husbands.  I organized this last time, 3 years ago, but I only helped a little this time.  I was partly impressed by the sheer quantity of quilts on display.

As you know, I'm a magpie, so my favourite quilts are always those with bright colours.  This one certainly qualifies.  I suppose I should also look at how carefully the quilting is done!

This is one of Mrs. F.G.'s small wall hangings, with a very strong horizontal quilting pattern.  This sort of quilting makes a big difference to the final appearance of the quilt; some other quilting patterns are much less obvious, such as the one above where you can't even see the quilting pattern.

Mrs. F.G. also organized the Fabric Challenge, a common element of quilt shows.  Quilters are given a kit with selected fabric, and a theme.   The theme this year was 'My Canada'.  Quilters can add other fabrics, but the three fabrics they were given should be used in clearly recognizable amounts on the quilt.   They also have to provide a brief explanation of how their quilt represents the theme.  Mrs. F.G.'s contribution is the one in the lower right.

There were also several of these small dolls, quite striking to me.  Mrs. F.G. first made these several years ago, but other members have picked up on them since.  Overall, it was an impressive and successful Quilt Show for a small community like Markdale.  And I'm sure that this creative outlet makes a big difference to many of the local women.  (Lest you think I'm being sexist, there are male quilters, but none in this guild).

So if you want my answers to the Canadian symbols quilt above, here they are, going clockwise around the outside first, starting with the puffin in the upper right - Newfoundland (puffin), New Brunswick (Hopewell Rocks), Nova Scotia (Peggy's Cove Lighthouse), Prince Edward Island (Confederation Bridge and Lady Slippers), Manitoba (owl), British Columbia (totem pole), the Yukon (dog sled), Nunavut (polar bear and Inukshuk).  The inner four starting with the loon on a northern lake - Ontario (loon), Quebec (making maple syrup), Saskatchewan (wheat farming), Alberta (bison).

***As Shirley pointed out, I had Nova Scotia and New Brunswick reversed when I posted this.  I've correct it now.***