Thirtieth Anniversary
Hello, my name is Darlene Stewart and along with Ellen Basler and Nettie Saul, I am one of the charter members of this Guild. This means we were members when the Guild was incorporated as a Non- profit in the Province of Saskatchewan in December of 1992.
Much has changed in the past thirty years and the most obvious is that the Guild is much larger and so are many of us. Many things also remain the same. Speaking in general terms and from my personal recollection I will try to make a comparsion.
Thirty years ago we had a few members who had some experience but most of us were novices having taken lessons at the guild meetings the previous year. Our tools consisted of a newly acquired cutting mat, ruler and rotary cutter. Our sewing machines in most cases were "portables" actually "luggables" would be a better term, as many were made of metal and they were heavy. Fabric selection was limited as quilt shops were few and far between and most of their offerings were floral prints and pastels. Quilts usually consisted of a floral and two or three coordinating colors, were hand quilted and had polyester batting. The patterns were frequently traditonal ones and almost everyone made a sampler quilt to learn all the various techniques.
Ellen, Nettie and I were elected to the executive in March 1993 which was when we held our Annual meeting and we served for a number of years in various positions. We had 39 members that year and membership fees were $20.00. There were no other sources of income. It wasn't that difficult to prepare a budget as the majority of our funds went to the City for rent at the Cathedral Neighbourhood Centre but we did buy a subscription to the Canadian Quilter magazine. To save money executive meetings were held at the homes of the executives and as Ellen said cleaning your house before the meeting took away time from quilting so that was a sacrifice. At most meetings someone in the Guild with knowledge of some particular skill would give a demonstration. We certainly couldn't afford to hire anyone.
Books were in short supply so we started a 50/50 draw at each meeting and the money was used to buy books. The "pot" was usually $12 to $14 so we bought a book most months; the librarian stored the books at home and carried them back and forth for each meeting.
Privacy issues were not a priority in 1992 so a list of members, their phone numbers and addresses was made and distributed to the members who found it helpful in many ways.
A survey was created in the early days and one of the questions asked was whether or not a member was interested in making charity quilts. The majority voted "no" and considering what we do today this might seem surprising. It wasn't that we were selfish but many of us were excited about our new craft and wanted to give quilts to children, grandchildren and other family members first. Also most of us worked full time jobs and didn't feel we had the extra time to give.
So here we are in 2022. We now have more than 100 members and many are prize winning quilters locally and nationally. Membership fees are $35. Like the early days some members agree to serve on the executive and to share their skills with demonstrations at meetings. They also organize and volunteer at quilt shows, plan workshops and retreats and find guest speakers for our meetings.
The selection of fabric today would have been hard to imagine years ago. I recall when one of the quilt stores opened in Regina and quilters were excited to learn the store would carry 800 bolts of fabric. Today many stores carry from 3000 to 5000 bolts and sometimes we still can't find exactly what we are looking for. In that case we can go online to another store and have it shipped to arrive at our doorstep in a couple of days. Many patterns are available for free on line and there are several videos giving instructions on many quilting techniques.
This brings us to probably the most significant thing to happen to quilting and our lives in 30 years - that is technology beginning with our sewing machines. We have mostly retired the metal luggables and have machines designed especially for quilters. These machines have large harps, a variety of stitches and many other features such as memory, automatic thread cutters and so on. Some members have long arm sewing machines and frames and are able to quilt a large quilt in less than a day. The stitching can be simple or very complex as seen in some of the modern quilts.
Although we no longer share personal information freely, we are able to communicate with one another easily by email and are kept up to date on activities at a moments notice. The establishment of a website gave us access to the newsletter, photos of quilts donated, advertising and other pertinent information. As this site is available to everyone, it has attracted new members to the Guild and sparked several donations of fabric to Connecting Threads.
Our ability to stay in touch during Covid was really important and I think quilters in general fared better than many because we had a good social network of other quilters and had a stash that needed to be whittled down. Although we couldn't meet in person we were able to have Zoom meetings and tune in guests from all over the country. Doing Zoom in the Winter months will be a real service to those who don't like to go out in the cold and dark especially on icy roads.
The 50/50 draw continues and we now have a substantial library with a permanent home.
Charity work has now become a big part of our guild with many people meeting at Connecting Threads each Thursday and others who work at home. Many of us are now retired and have sewn all the quilts our family members and friends could possibly want. Speaking personally, if I couldn't make charity quilts, I probably wouldn't quilt. What would I do with more quilts?
Thirty years ago no one would have thought we could donate more than 600 quilts each year plus pillowcases and placemats. These donations have given our Guild a good reputation in the city and I think we can be very proud of ourselves.
Like the women in our group in 1992, we welcome new members and are supportive of one another. We enjoy a few laughs and willing share our craft and friendship as we continue to learn and stretch ourselves beyond our comfort zones. Who knows, some day I might get up the courage to do a scrappy quilt without organizing the pieces first.
Thirty years ago the favorite part of each meeting was Show and Share and this continues to be the case today. We have been treated to some beautiful quilts and some wonderful stories - children, grandchildren, weddings, quilts that were quick to make and some that took years.
I would like to share a couple of things I have learned through the years. Firstly, there is more than one way to do most things whether that is making half square triangles, flying geese or putting on binding and the one that works for you is the right way.
Secondly, like ourselves, quilts are not perfect, but can still provide warmth and comfort to others. So can we.
It has been my pleasure to be part of this guild for the past thirty years. I am truly grateful for the many friendships I have made. Thank you.
Darlene Stewart
December 6, 2022