Kim Hanson

Writing & Quilting

Memories in Fabrics and Threads

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As quilters, part of what we attempt to do is preserve memories. We preserve them in fabric – like a snapshot.

Last week online, I came across this adorable photo of quilt with a little girl nestled underneath it. I mean…just look at that little face! She’s so precious.

The quilt was designed and stitched by Robin from RobinSewCrazy. In 2007, she opened her shop on Etsy.  Here she is with one of her grandchildren.

Memory quilts are her specialty…she uses her client’s old/too small clothing as fabric for the applique hearts on the quilt top. Robin does not use a pattern for her work, creating each quilt individually and custom to her client’s request.

Robin’s quilted creations capture the imagination. Just looking at them makes me happy! I love the menagerie of fabrics and colours, and they way they all mesh together in the end.

Thanks everyone.

Kim

Bow Bench Retreat – A Jewel in the Middle of Alberta

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For some of us, the creative juices begin to flow the minute we leave the City limits. There is something so wonderfully powerful about being surrounded by nature and all its splendour….wide open spaces, fields filled with seasonal crops and unparalleled beauty.

 

Last week, I took a trip to Carseland, a tiny hamlet south east of Calgary. Travelling on Stoney Trail, I headed south as far as I could, then turned east on highway 22x. But rather than taking the left turn into Carseland, I went right heading to the Bow Bench Retreat. I was meeting with Nancy Strath, the lovely, accomplished, entrepreneurial founder of the Retreat. Nancy smiles a lot…but then, she has a lot to smile about!

Outside the Retreat itself, stillness is the first thing that strikes you. Then, you notice how many birds are singing. Next, you open your eyes to the spectacular beauty of the surroundings. Overlooking the Bow River and Wyndham-Carseland Provincial Park, Nancy’s retreat is the visual definition of bliss.

 

 

Nancy began this place from scratch, on family land, taking over the barn-like structure and filling it with “all things quilting”. There are sewing tables and chairs, power outlets everywhere. There is a cozy little kitchen and metal bars in the rafters where her quilts are hung. She wanted the retreat to not only be her sanctuary, but a sanctuary for all quilters who venture out. She says, “This place was created out of love and joy”.

 

 

 

Nancy is a certified Judy Niemeyer quilt instructor and loves to teach the foundation paper piecing style that Judy advocates. “It’s like putting together a giant puzzle, says Nancy, Or like painting by numbers. Although Judy’s patterns initially look daunting, they are detailed and organized, methodical and quite relaxing to work on,” she adds.

Quilters come to Bow Bench not only to stitch and learn from Nancy, but to also experience her gentle and kind manner.  She’s like a quilt counsellor….who offers therapy sessions! Novice quilters are welcomed with open arms at Bow Bench and are free to use all of Nancy’s quilting supplies, such as scissors, rotary cutters and mats as a way  to “try out quilting” before they purchase all the supplies for themselves.

Nancy will be teaching Judy’s newest technique, called Vintage Rose, at Bow Bench for one Saturday per month commencing in September. Since Nancy does not offer overnight accommodations at Bow Bench, she hosts the occasional workshop away from her Carseland location. Upcoming is a foundation paper piecing retreat at the Lazy M Lodge near Caroline, Alberta. Here, participants will be able to stay overnight, eat great food and sew to their hearts’ content for an entire week.

Nancy is amenable to renting out her facilities at Bow Bench Retreat to individuals and groups. You can contact her at 1-403-934-3491 or email bowbenchretreat@gmail.com.

I keep thinking I want to drive back to Carseland just for an opportunity to practise some yoga poses on Nancy’s deck! In the sunshine. Above the Bow River. Amazing!

Kim

 

A Canadian Quilter in Russia

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Have you ever wondered if there are quilters in Russia? Do they embrace the art of quilting with fabrics in the same way that North Americans do? Gail Heller, a Canadian businesswoman and Certified Instructor for Studio 180 Design happens to know the answer and it’s a resounding “yes”!

Gail recently returned to Calgary from a trip to Russia, teaching quilting skills to women in the quaint and charming medieval-style town of Suzdal, located on the banks of the Kamenka River a four hour drive from Moscow. Suzdal’s warm, friendly and welcoming citizens quickly put Gail and her Canadian travelling companion Sharon Thompson, at ease.

As part of the Suzdal second annual International Quilt Festival, Gail was invited to attend as international quilt instructor. She feels privileged to have given a trunk show and taught three classes to 36 willing and eager Russian students.

Each student, working within a three hour time frame, made four quilt blocks using the Petite Hunter Star tool and Studio 180 method of piecing. At the conclusion of the class, the ladies used the floor as their design wall and “pooled” their individual blocks to make one pleasing integrated pattern. Gail quickly discovered that design skills in quilters is universal. The students were thrilled with their efforts. Apparently “thumbs up” means the same in Russia as it does in Canada!

Gail loved and appreciated the enthusiasm of the quilters. She was struck by their wonderful work ethic, their talents and their willingness to learn and embrace the North American style of quilting. Subtle differences in their quilting habits however make their style unique.

  • Although Russian quilters love the unbeatable quality of North American quilting cottons, these fabrics are not readily available to them. Proving their amazing resourcefulness, Russians will tend to use whatever fabrics they have on hand for their quilting.
  • A patchwork style is very popular in Russia, with quilt tops being “backed” only and not quilted.
  • Long arm finishing is just being introduced to the country.
  • Time is of the essence to these ladies – they want to work hard; efficiently and quickly. Gail distilled her usual five hour quilt class down to a mere three hours to better accommodate the needs of her women students.

In our country, mothers leave their children at home when attending quilt class. Not so for Russian mothers. Gail had several women arrive to class with their daughters in tow. In the case of one mother, she brought along her adorable daughter dressed in Russian costume, who did all Mom’s pressing and ironing as the blocks were pieced together.

Gail, Hunter Star quilt, mom and daughter

There is a greater desire in Russia that children are to be included in sewing instruction…..in fact, there is a wonderful feeling of community and support in passing down sewing and quilting skills from one generation to the next.

Teaching a quilt class in English to a group of Russian-speaking students presented its own set of challenges. But Gail was armed and ready. As part of her pre-class preparation, she learned a few Russian sentences to help her students feel at ease. Я рад быть здесь means, “I am pleased to be here” and Я надеюсь, вам понравится мой класс translates to “I hope you enjoy my class”. Rimma Bybina, Russian quilt festival organizer is fluent in both English and Russian and helped Gail effectively communicate with her keen students. A useful translation app, the pattern book itself and “charades” kept the ladies learning and moving forward.

Language barrier aside, another teaching obstacle for Gail came in the form of measurements. Quilting in Russia is taught using the metric system. Even though Canada is a metric country, quilting here is taught using yards, feet and inches – the imperial system of measurement. Gail had to convert the quilt patterns to metric and assisted her students with their fabric cuts in order to avoid any confusion.

Gail is home, back working at her company in Calgary. She is grateful for her wonderful experiences abroad and would encourage Canadians to visit Russia and the annual International Quilt Festival without trepidation. Her visit has left her with many new Russian Facebook friends….her translation app is working overtime!

Gail and quilt festival organizer Rimma at the Applefest in Suzdal. Applefest ran concurrent with the quilt festival.

Quilts hanging from the balcony at Applefest

 

 

 

 

 

At the Field of Quilts – Marina (Moscow host), Gail, Nina (St Petersburg host) Sharon

Note:

Gail Heller is a transplant to Calgary, Alberta from Port Stanley, Ontario. She runs Erie Quilt Art, a Calgary based distribution company selling quilting products to quilt shops across Canada. She is one of only four fully accredited Studio 180 Design Certified Instructors in Canada. Gail is also the exclusive Canadian distributor for Studio 180 Design (Deb Tucker) patterns and tools.

 

This article previously appeared in Quilter’s Connection magazine.

 

Thank you everyone.

Kim

Quilts of Nancy Basserman and beautiful Baker Park in Calgary, Alberta

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I originally published this blog post on October 21, 2016. I wanted to republish the post – as Nancy Basserman has recently passed away. I only came to know Nancy several months before she passed….she was a lovely lady, very kind and very sweet and a wonderful quilter. May she rest in peace.

 

Earlier this week, I took to Baker Park to photograph some of Nancy Basserman’s lovely, scrappy quilts. When I arrived, the sun was shining and the birds were singing. Not fifteen minutes later, the skies clouded over and it was threatening to snow. With or without sunshine, Nancy’s quilts sparkle especially in the beauty that is Baker Park. Across the Bow River from Bowness Park, it is a little known gem of nature, walking paths and greenery.

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In the background, Canada Olympic Park and our ancient ski jump built for the 1988 Olympic Games.

Even though the cold had started to blow in, there were some people in the park, riding their bikes or walking their dogs but it was mainly deserted. Just right for me to snap my photos!

Nancy’s amazingly striking scrappy pineapple quilt drew me in right away. It is so pretty and so scrappy and so attractive.

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Nancy has a penchant for making flying geese – and she does it very well. This beauty demonstrates both Nancy’s piecing and quilting skills.

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Baker Park is home to a pair of bronze twin bears Leo and Mol. The statue stands near the center of the park; an interesting twist to the beauty of nature that surrounds it.

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A sweet little Christmas quilt is one of Nancy’s favourites.christmas

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I call this quilt “In the Shadows” – probably not what Nancy calls it but I love it for the shadowy effects each block portrays.

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Next time you’re out and about in Calgary looking for a wonderful place to walk or sit and think check out Baker Park. Nancy’s quilts will not be there but you will love the nature that surrounds you.

Kim

Too much quilting?

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C.A.T. – A Different Kind of “Animal”

I was feeling oh-so desperate when I went online seeking a therapeutic yoga instructor. Lower back pain and stiff shoulders were the by-product of daily work slouching in front of either my computer or my sewing machine. My sitting posture was less than perfect, and began to exact a nasty toll on my body. I often found myself scrunching and hunching up my poor overworked shoulders, for no reason at all. It was like I needed my shoulders in order to breathe!

Luck and some good karma is how I found Sherryn Rault – a yoga instructor with a web presence. As someone who already loved and practised yoga, I knew yoga and not a chiropractor was the key for me to being pain-free. So armed with that belief, I registered in Sherryn’s C.A.T. – critical alignment therapy yoga class. I admit that I love heart-pumping, vigorous exercise – nothing beats a “power hour” of Ashtanga yoga! Sherryn’s classes were vastly different. It took time to gear down and grasp Sherryn’s techniques and the messages in her instruction. Laying on my mat with a yoga strap at my bra line and a rolled-up pad stuck in my lumbar curve was not my idea of “strengthening my core”. Yee-ouch!

Surprisingly, my body felt better immediately. C.A.T. is purposeful – constructive yoga therapy that eases the pain in my body and is now an integral part of my healthy body maintenance routine. Discovering Sherryn’s form of yoga therapy was like finding money in the pocket of an old jacket – a delightful surprise.