Quilt Shop Hopping...

So yesterday I promised to tell you a little more about my trip... The photos you will see throughout this post are of quilts that have been made and donated to THE QUILT Auction. These quilts are made and donated by quilters across Canada, and the funds raised from their sale by auction goes to the Canadian Cancer Society office nearest the donor of each quilt, and is designated for Society funded support programs. These programs help women achieve a better quality of life while travelling the long journey of healing, after hearing the words "You have breast cancer". THE QUILT was begun by Carol Miller after her breast cancer diagnosis. Carol had run a wonderful quilt shop (Millers Country Store) for 20 years in St. Agatha, just a few miles east of New Hamburg; she knew the companionship of the quilting bee, the laughter, sharing and support that women gave each other as they pieced together beautiful quilts from treasured scraps. She knew this was exactly the sort of thing that women with breast cancer needed to survive. And so the idea was born, during her recovery, for an exhibit and auction to support survivors and to support the research that helps them survive. Carol and her friends created the first quilt for this project and solicited donations from across the country, hoping for at least one quilt from each province. 134 were received that first year, and it has grown steadily each year since. From one auction held in Stratford, it has grown to a number of auctions held across Canada - Stratford, Toronto (at Casa Loma), Calgary, Kamloops and possibly several other locations this year. You can get further info here - the 2009 Galleries of quilts should be available for viewing by mid-May. The quilts tour across Canada for several months before the auctions are held, often displayed at La-Z-Boy Galleries. So these photos are of one of the travelling exhibits of this years' quilts, and were hung in a mall in Stratford. More were to be hung the next day. Because they were so high overhead, it was impossible to get a good "straight on" photo, so they look a little wonky here, but believe me, they were beautiful and very straight and square. I urge you to check out the website and try to see one of the travelling exhibits if there is one near you this summer...

There are a number of lovely quilt shops within a 30 mile radius of New Hamburg. I managed to get to four of them, so did well for the short time I had. Heart 'N' Home Creations is right on the main street of New Hamburg at 115 Peel Street. Esther, the owner, runs a lovely little shop and is going to expand soon. She combines decorator and giftware items with a complete quilt shop in a small space. Everything you could want is here- fabric, thread, notions, patterns and books. Well worth a visit, I can't wait to go back and see her expanded space.

My next stop was at The Quilt Place in Shakespeare, between New Hamburg and Stratford. This little shop really packs alot into a small space, and the "plum" was a display of Henny Bremer's Miniatures. My Guild here in Fredericton had an exhibit of Henny's Mini's a year ago and they are something to see!! Her work is exceptional and exquisite - what a treat!

A visit to Stratford must include seeing the Stratford Festival Theatre and a walk along the river to enjoy the beautiful swans. Unfortunately it was half raining when I was there, so my walk was very short, but the swans were as beautiful as ever... The quilt shop in Stratford is sort of tucked away on a side street but my "shop radar" was working well and I managed to locate it easily... Ye Olde Fabric Shoppe is on the corner of Erie St. and West Gore St. A bright and roomy shop with lovely displays....

Reichards, a well established and widely known shop has moved from Elmira to a new location in popular St. Jacobs. I bought all the fabric for my very first quilt at Reichards in 1985 - a blue Log Cabin.... back in the days of cutting each individual piece with shears.... (God bless the person who invented the rotary cutter!) Their new location is beautiful - large, well laid out, and they have everything you could ever want!! Lots of tempatations there..... a lovely bright classroom as well.... There is another quilt shop in St. Jacobs and a third one opening soon..yes, this truly is Quilt Country... I can't wait to go back again.....

Tomorrow I'll show you the beautiful hand-dyed Merino wool yarns I found at a great little yarn shop in New Hamburg...

Piece,

Linda

Some people make the world more special just by being in it...