Joanna Dermenjian will present some of her findings about the quilts made by Canadian women and children during WWII at our next meeting on Monday, November 14.

As an independent researcher and life-long maker, Joanna is investigating women’s domestic and charitable making in cloth and fibres. She is interested in how women have used stitching, both historically and in the present day, to nurture and restore themselves and to create a community with other women for individual and collective well-being. She also explores how women’s everyday domestic textiles and tools reveal stories about their lives, particularly in the 20th century.

Joanna’s research has led her to rediscover a poorly documented quilt-making operation by Canadian women during the Second World War – hundreds of thousands of quilts made by women and children and donated to the British Women’s Voluntary Service (WVS) and the Canadian Red Cross to distribute to soldiers, civilians and hospitals in Britain and Europe.

Our faithful “Sit and Sewers” have requested more Sit and Sew times! And Saturday, September 17th is “National Sew a Jelly Roll Day!” Now this is a completely made up promotion by Moda, the “inventors of the jelly roll”. But it is a perfect excuse to sew something! Any brand of roll or one you make yourself! Or just work on a UFO, enjoying the conversations with some quilty friends!

Here is a great new compilation of free jelly roll quilts with instructions to make your own roll, if needed. And some (most?) of those patterns can easily be split and you can get 2 smaller lap or baby quilts from one! Do the unexpected and use a different for you background fabric. The idea is to have fun!

We will use our usual Sit and Sew Zoom link and that will be emailed out to you after our kickoff September 12th meeting. And it is the same one as last year, so you may already have it saved somewhere! We will go from 9am to 3 pm! Pop in for a few hours or plan on making a day of it!

Saturday, September 17, 9:00 am to 3 pm!

It’s almost time for The Fair! Have you ever thought of entering a quilt? Now is the time!
Here is the “Rule Book”, just for the Quilts. You can find the whole booklet, with the baking and knitting etc. there.

You need to have your entry in by September 24 and be able to deliver your items on the Sunday or Monday, October 2nd & 3rd. With pickup on Tuesday, the 11th.

It can be hard to know if you are entering in the correct category but feel free to phone one of the 2 chairpersons on the 4th page if you have questions.

The Twilight Quilters’ Guild has prizes for Quilt, Exhibitors Choice and the Norfolk County Quilters’ Guild sponsors Quilt, Pieced. Our sponsor Quilt Junction in Waterford, has the My First Quilt class. And Nancy Racz of Kernal Peanuts sponsors Quilt, Pieced, Long Arm (done by quilter or a professional).

There are some great prizes awards so maybe this is your year!

Here is some news from Karen Johnstone, our librarian.

“The Guild has purchased two new books for the library. The 3-Yard books by Donna Robertson can be seen front and centre in the quilt shops. We have  “Modern Views” and “Quick as a Wink”. Between the two books are 16 patterns for quilts using only 3 one yard cuts of fabric. 

We’ve recently had some great books donated by some generous members.  

“Quilting on the Go” by Jessica Alexandrakis has 10 step-by-step English Paper Piecing projects and covers topics such as sewing kit essentials, colour theory and stash organization.

“The Improv Handbook for Modern Quilters” by Sherri Lynn Good is a beautifully photographed book in which she “provides a sensible approach to quilt making that breaks free of old rules and expectations in a fun, accessible way” .

“Zen Chic Inspired” is a Guide to Modern Quilt Design by Brigitte Heitland. She provides instruction for 12 quilts using unique colours and decor elements in your favourite rooms.

“Quilting Wide Open Spaces” by Judi Madsen gives “down to earth advice about enhancing large open areas with machine quilting”.

“Quilting Back to Front” by Larraine Scouler shows clever methods for using the fabric on the back of your quilt for quilting designs. 

I will be setting up a mini library at the Retreat in October where you’ll be able to sign out books.

You can borrow books anytime. Email me at twilightsimcoelibrary@gmail.com An updated list of our books will be sent in September but you can always find them on our LibraryThing page!”

A Renewal letter went out to all members on Tuesday. Thanks to the 20+ members who e-transferred their $35 right away! Please take the time for this task this weekend! Your email also had the mailing address for cheques. Payment details can also be found under “Fees” above!

We have one new member and we are expecting a few more! Welcome everyone!

Below is a screenshot of our calendar for the year. You can find the printable PDF here! And you can click on the links!

All our monthly meetings, except our June Wrap-up Social, will be on Zoom! Our guild has embraced this virtual format, and we don’t really have a meeting place. The pandemic has demonstrated that we are happy staying home at night! Last year we had members from Newfoundland to British Columbia! And we are planning more in-person events this year, including several workshops and 2-day retreats in both October and January!

We have a loyal group of quilters who come to our weekly Monday afternoon virtual Sit and Sews. And we can add other sessions if we know when you and your friends want to sew together. Just ask! We have found that we like sewing a quilt at the same time as others, so we are planning 3 Quilt Alongs this year!

We are having our June Social meeting at the Port Dover Community Centre. All members and guests are welcome between noon and 9 p.m. Tables and chairs will be set up for socializing. Please bring:

• some cash in small denominations for our fundraising activities
• no-longer-wanted quilting related items to donate to the TQG Fundraiser table 
• quilts for display
• I-Spy squares if you are participating in the swap (https://twilightquiltguild.ca/2022/04/22/fabric-swap-at-june-13-closing/) 
• your stitching and items to sell if you have reserved a table through this linked questionnaire
• your own drinks and snacks
• your name tag

The TQG Fundraiser table of donated stash items will raise funds for our guild. Anyone “shopping” from that table will be expected to donate an appropriate amount for their chosen items.

Items for the TQG Fundraiser table and the I-Spy Swap will be collected at all times but open for shopping and swapping at set times so that a good range of choices can accumulate and everyone gets a chance to take part in the fun!

We’ll also be taking donations. Anyone donating $5 will get a chance for the free edge-to-edge longarm quilting of a twin-size quilt by Spooled Rotten Quilts. Multiple donations will give you multiple chances.

Tables and tent cards will be available for our quilt display. We encourage you to bring a few quilts so others can see them up close and find you to ask about what you’ve made (or tell you how fantastic your quilt is). 

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Noon

• Tables reserved for stitching or selling will be available at noon. 
• We’ll begin accepting donations for the TQG Fundraiser table and fabric squares for the I-Spy swap.

2 to 2:30 p.m. || 4 to 4:30 p.m.  || 6 to 6:30 p.m. || 8 p.m.

• Shopping from the TQG donation table and I-Spy swaps will be open at set times to accumulate an excellent selection of choices.

3:30 to 7:30 p.m.

• K &A Studios from Ingersoll will be ready to sell from their pop-up shop inside our event.

7:30

• TQG President, Jill Jackson, will speak briefly.

8:30 p.m. 

• Stitchers will start packing up machines and materials.

9 p.m.

• See you in September!

We expect everyone coming to our closing to be vaccinated and boosted. Masks are optional. If you have any symptoms, please stay home. A negative test does not mean you are negative, if you have symptoms. Rapid tests might take days to convert to positive. No one has colds these days – it is often COVID-19 with not enough antibodies to register positive.