The Leading Light Award

Not many people have heard of the "Leading Light Award" and I am not surprised! Let me go back a bit. In the late 1970's our provincial craft organization, NSDCC, began to plan a national juried exhibition of fine Nova Scotia crafts that would be called "Profile '81". The committee organizing this exhibition was made up of mainly women from quite a few different craft mediums from the fibre arts (weaving, quilting, needlework) to metal arts to pottery etc. We had such a great time at our meetings that they also became social events which would usually involve a pot luck lunch or dinner. Soon after that one of the committee members moved to her own apartment after her marriage ended so we had a surprise shower for her to stock her kitchen with a few necessities.

Most of the "Brunch Bunch".

Next thing we knew we were making plans for another get-together for someone else's birthday, as if we needed an 'excuse"! Next thing we knew we had a name "The Brunch Bunch" and now 30+ years later we are still gathering for birthdays, Christmas, Valentine's Day and just whenever we feel a need to see one another. Over the years we have lost Marian (our matriarch) and Sandra and we miss them both terribly. But hardly a gathering will go by without their names coming up. They both had a great influence on all of us.

"The Leading Light Award" was Marian's wonderful idea, though some hold it in higher regard than others! It is the epitome of tacky! We have accomplished a lot, we have been recognized by our peers for our craft, for our volunteer efforts, for our dedication to our provincial and national organizations. We have had solo exhibitions, group exhibitions, invitational exhibitions and we had a Brunch Bunch Exhibition at the Lunenburg Art Gallery. Many of us have had our work published and many of us have written about our craft for publication. A few have written or are writing books abut their craft.

I received "The Leading Light Award" when my quilt, Waternish Star was awarded an Honourable Mention for Bed Quilts at the Canadian Quilters Association annual juried exhibition. This quilt was hand pieced (the 2 outside broders were machined sewn on to the quilt), hand quilted and it has over 4,000 pieces. I was thrilled with both awards!

"The Leading Light Award" comes with one criteria - it must be displayed! It is awarded when one of our bunch accomplishes something, does something extraordinary. The person who has it can decide who gets it next, there is no time restraint. I have had it for some time. It was displayed in my sewing room, on a shelf in full view! I really did cherish having it, to be so honoured by such a gifted, creative and supportive group. I recently passed it on to Jamie for her dedication and determination to provide students and artists with the best paper available from the Japanese Paper Place and for her amazing handmade books (and quilts). Jamie will get to enjoy this award for a while then it will be her turn to decide who gets it next. Can't wait to see who it is!

UFO's

I don't think I know a quilter who doesn't have a few ufo's (for the non-quilting readers, a ufo is an un-finished object) just waiting to be finished, given away or thrown out. At our Quilter's Retreat we have a fund raising auction every year and we all take stuff to donate - fabric, books, patterns and ufo's. As I was making a pile of stuff to take I found a bag with about 30 pineapple blocks, lots of cut fabric and some flannel squares. As much as I loved this project I knew it was way down my priority list to finiah. So into the auction it went.

I was thrilled that my good quilt friend Anne Morrell Robinson "won" my ufo. Anne is one of the most dedicated and disciplined quilters I know. I knew she would finish it and she has!

I just love the touches of turquoise and how they add some "spark" to the quilt. I hope Anne will bring it to this year's Retreat so I can see it in person.

This has inspired me to dig out another ufo and really put my mind to getting it done. Several years ago Anne came to the Mahone Bay Quilter's Guild to teach a workshop on her "Antique Flower Vase" pattern. I loved the applique and decided that this had to be a full queen sized quilt. I finished the centre, added a couple of highlight borders then a hand pieced border. The next border would be an applique vine. I have one finished, one almost and then 2 more to go.

The triangle border is hand pieced and had to be "fudged" in to fit! 

I used this ruler, Terry Thompson's The Vine Line to draw the vine and it is wonderful, makes the drawing of the vine for the placement so much easier.

The applique border is hand appliquéd, the flowers etc on each side will be slightly different I will add another pieced border but I am not sure yet what that will be. I just want to really at least get the top finished to take to the Retreat in September.

The beige background fabric is a Jinny Beyer print. When I started this project I had no idea it was going to be a full sized quilt. The centre piece was pretty much all I had. Once the vase and flowers were appliquéd I soon realized it wasn't quite big enough so I took out the stitches around the bottom of the vase and added the border print for the vase to sit on, a tablecloth perhaps? I had just barely enough of the beige for the triangles. I looked on Jinny's website to see if they still had the fabric, there it was but there were 2 or 3 that were similar. In the meantime we had decided to go on a raod trip to the Virginia and Washington DC area to meet up with our friends from England. Cheryl, who is also a quilter, was keen to go to Jinny Beyer's studio so I took my quilt top with me in hopes of matching the fabric. Long story short, I was able to get another 4 yards, lots to finish the quilt! Now to get back to work. Thanks Anne!

Collections

I have just read a post written by fellow Canadian quilter Gail Hunt about her collection of miniature/toy/small sewing machines. It reminded me that I too have a "collection" though small of miniature/toy/small sewing machines. Just three, but it is a start!

My daughter was given this one by her Grandmother. I seem to recall it sort of worked but it hasn't seen thread for well over 30 years. It is a Kay an El Sew Master. I am not sure where it came from but probably a yard sale or flea market knowing my Mother-in-Law!

Then I found this one at an antique store in Berwick, NS. The paint is in rough shape, it must have been really quite pretty when it was new. It is a Gold Medal Sewing Machine probably made in the late 1800's. The company was in Orange, Massachusetts, it was established in 1860 by Johnson, Clark & Co. to manufacture sewing machines. The company introduced it's Home Shuttle machine in 1870 which was subsequently redesigned and improved. In 1882 the firm was reorganised and became the New Home Sewing Machine Co. In 1927 the company was taken over by the Free Sewing Machine Co. who continued to use the New Home brand name but Free itself was taken over by the National Sewing Machine Co. in 1953.

The third one came from the estate of a quilt friend, it is a Casige brand which was made in Berlin, Germany probably soon after WWll.

I found this "dreamy" picture ages ago while browsing on Google. I have no idea who the woman in the picture is or where I found the picture (my apologies to whoever originally posted it) but she sure looks like my Mother-in-Law and I just had to save it. From the looks of it that is a Singer Sewing Machine, maybe a Featherweight? I must go and look at the back of mine and see if it is.

It has been interesting to Google these sewing machines and learn more about them but also I am amazed by the huge number of miniature/toy/small sewing machines there are out there. Now, I need to stop in to a few antique stores and see what I can find to add to my collection, 3 just doesn't seem like enough! Thanks Gail!