QUILT CANADA 2015 HELD IN LETHBRIDGE, ALBERTA

Five Janome staff recently attended Quilt Canada 2015 – Blown Away – in Lethbridge Alberta. We had our usual booth in the Merchant Mall together with Lethbridge Sewing Center this time. In addition, as one of the major sponsors of Quilt Canada, we supplied 80 sewing machines for use in the 4 classrooms. This is much appreciated by the folk attending classes as it means they do not have to drag their sewing machines with them, in & out of cars or on & off aeroplanes!

Lethbridge University to the west of the city of Lethbridge was the venue for Quilt Canada 2015. It has very picturesque surroundings with its buildings perched seemingly on the edge of the famous coulees in Lethbridge

I was honoured to present the Janome & Elna awards at the Awards ceremony. Here Joyce O”Connell and I were waiting for the announcement of the winner of her Judges choice award.  A photo gallery has been posted at www.canadianquilter.com if you would like to see all the prize winning quilts.

Here Best of Show winner, Judy Leslie (not present) was announced. The Janome & International Textiles reps were 2 of the larger sponsors of this award – here the 2 of us hand over Judy’s award to a friend who was present at the ceremony – on behalf of Judy.

I was pretty much “gob smacked” by the array of samples in Cindy Needham’s classroom. What a lovely person she is and how popular were her classes. Cindy taught classes on her unique work using heirloom and old linens and laces to re-create exquisitely beautiful quilts. She graciously allowed me to take photographs to share with you. If you missed out on attending her classes in Lethbridge, honest, I would not hesitate to jump at the opportunity if it ever comes your way again! She is a superb teacher and kudo’s to the Local Organizing Committee who managed to bring Cindy from California to teach for Quilt Canada.

Cinderella – what an apt name for a quilt which started out as a neglected Cinderella and became a magnificent princess!

a close up of Cinderella

Isn’t the trapunto quilting on this one just unbelievable?

Many of us have probably owned linens like this one started life as ….I know I have – but I have never seen this sort of  transformation into such a  beautiful heirloom quilt.

a close up…..note the micro free motion work!

More jaw dropping samples!