Although she was taught to knit, embroider, and sew since the age of 5, Kay Hannah has been quilting only since 1990. She grew up in Toronto and showed us her first “sewing machine”. Her grandmother moved in with them when she was young and can remember her grandmother working at the quilting frame in her room. Her grandmother was of the type that you used whatever you had on hand to make a quilt, old shirts, dresses, ties, etc, and you used them, you didn’t hang them on the wall. Consequently, they became well worn fast. None of her grandmother’s quilts survived to this day, all Kay has left is one beautiful piece of crochet work.
The spirit of her grandmother lives on in Kay’s many scrap quilts. While making one quilt she is already preparing for the next 2 quilts, she can make out of those fabrics. She will make many versions of a similar theme, all gifts destined for members of her family. Here are 5 different versions of the “No Guilt Quilt” or “Curved Log Cabin”.
After attending many workshops, and working in a quilt store, she felt ready to offer quilt retreats to others. The retreats would be 3 days and offer many choices.
She likes the quick and easy patterns that when completed make stunning tops. Here she shows what you can do with some “stack ‘n whack”; they make great centre for stars, one side of tumbling blocks and gift boxes.
Here are 3 versions of “Nifty Nine Patches”:
Her green version of “Shakespeare in the park” drew many ah’s from the audience. She altered the pattern slightly and renamed it “Capture the Stars”. (Coincidentally, guild member Nancy, brought her completed “Shakespeare Rocks the Park” for show and tell that same evening!)
Another audience pleaser was her award winning “Trip around the Garden”, combining Trip around the World, Colourwash, and Bargello quilting techniques, or as she says: colour wash, done the easy way”. It won Viewers’ Choice in the Halton Hills Guild Show in 2004.
Kay is an amazing and prolific quilter. She asked everyone to stand up and then to sit down if you had less than 5 UFO’s, then if you had less than 10, 20, and 5o UFO’s, until there was only Kay and Jacqui V-S left standing. Jacqui confessed that her husband counted 65 UFO’s in her house! “Well” Kay says, “I got you beat, I stopped counting at 100! I am always the last woman standing in this contest”. It is true many of the quilts she showed us were in various stages of completion, she definitely knows how to use up her stash effectively, but I am afraid there is no hope of ever having no UFO’s!
The LFQG would like to thank Kay for her wonderful trunk show and staying to do a workshop on Friday!
Other Guild business:
Thanks ladies for bringing in your 6″ WOF (width of fabric) to be used as quilter’s candy for the upcoming quilt show! Also, now available are the registration forms for your quilt submissions for the show. If you need more or didn’t get one please contact Karen W or Maria DeS. If you would like to volunteer for the show and if you have more 6″ strips to contribute, please contact June P.
Rose presented the slate of candidates for next year’s executive:
President: Cynthia M-R (returning)
Vice-President: Rose B. (returning)
Secretary: Christine R (former Newsletter)
Treasurer: Phyllis G (final year)
Community Outreach: Penny H. (returning) and Elaine T (new)
Newsletter: Jill B (new)
Website/Blog: Carol V (returning)
Membership: Deb J (returning)
Library: Beth Y (new) and Julia C. (new)
May’s AGM Meeting:
Guild Challenge due and library books due.
A heart-felt thank you to Mary-Lou V. for hand making our thank you cards!
