Three years ago, when I retired from teaching senior kindergarten, I was excited to be able to spend more time exploring the fibre arts. I have always enjoyed creating and making things, be it through knitting, weaving, spinning, sewing, card making or quilting. I knew I would never be bored in my retirement. A master at none, but always learning and improving. I have  just heard a quote from Jeri Bellini, “Aging creatively and gratefully”. I am hoping that we can all do that, no matter what age we are and what we are involved in.

The Niagara Heritage Quilters’ Guild is a community that I became involved in a few years ago. I would always leave a meeting being inspired and in awe of the creativity that was displayed by the guild members and the guest lecturers. So many people offer their time and skills to make this guild a safe place to create and learn new skills. After two years of being involved in the program and workshop committee, as a member and then a co-chair, I am now entering the role of being president.

I am excited to be part of this creative and inspiring guild of quilters.

Many of you know me from my 15 or so years at the guild, that I love
quilting, but did you know that I was born and raised in St. Catharines, and spent my childhood in the rural city, close to St. Davids. Being a country girl, I was introduced to the 4H program and received my Provincial Honors, learning how to be a housewife and digging in with great enthusiasm to the sewing units. Did I get introduced to quilting – NO.
I always loved sewing but never saw quilts in my home, grandparents or aunts homes, or even in my friends homes. I have one memory of a quilt in a neighbours older daughters bedroom. I think it was very old, but nobody ever mentioned it. It is the only quilt I remember ever seeing.
Weird isn’t it?
I moved to Port Colborne when I married and there raised my family and ran a photo business. I was always involved with the community, in business I was President of the Chamber of Commerce. In the community I sat on the Port Colborne Hospital Foundation for eight years, and I was a Lioness for 20 years, serving as President for two terms. I am not shy. Through this period of my life I always sewed. I got my Fashion Arts degree at Niagara College night
school in the 80’s. And I sewed and loved tailoring coats and jackets. I signed up for every sewing academy I could find, and learned everything about every aspect of sewing except
QUILTING.
When I retired, twenty years ago, I spent 5 years giving my kids free babysitting services. I loved spending those five years with my grand babies, but when they went to school and grandma had time on her hands, I talked my husband into down sizing, due to health issues he was having, and we ended up in Welland. In Welland I started spending time at Bernards
Sewing Shop where I saw QUILTS. So I signed up for a beginners course- and I was off. I knew about QUILTING!
I took every course I could find the time for. My dear husband took me to Paducah that first April and I had my first experience of the quilting culture. I loved QUILTING!
At Bernards I heard them talking about the Quilt Guild in St. Catharines and they invited to take me to a meeting. I wasn’t quite ready, but in September I showed up at a meeting all by myself, and to my utter shock, there you all were. There was Margaret Glassford on the stage making it
look like so much fun. I was fascinated with the guild and started to get involved. That’s me. Involved as usual. And now, President, in the time of Covid.

My focus at the present is to keep us together until we are together, I can’t do it alone, so please stay in touch with the guild and lets share our thoughts on how we are going to share our quilting experienced in this unprecedented time.

I have been quilting for about 20 years now.  I am more of a traditional quilter although I have been known to put my own spin on things from time to time.

I have been working in the accounting field for a very long time and I had short stint in the banking world where I retired from in the Spring of this year.

This is my third session as treasurer for our guild.  I look forward to another successful term.

Sub Committees                       Committee Members

50/50 Draw                                   Donna Murray, Karen Augerman

Loonie Draw                                  Stephanie McBride, Kelli Steele

Sub Committees                              Committee Members

Community Quilts                                Gloria Meyer

Meals On Wheels                                  Sharree Eidt

Neonatal                                                 Donna Murray

Raft                                                          Julie Bayza

Committee Member 

Sharon Watson

Committee Members

Luci Ronald, Judy Yovanovich

Sub Committees                        Committee Members 

Publicity                                      Carol McRae

Newsletter                                   Pat Andres, Lynn McDonald

Website                                        Sue Moskal

Social Media                                Jean Christie

Committee Members 

Anne Converset, Marlene Paulak, Carolann Danch

Committee Members

Committee Members

Kelli Steele, Liudmila Charles, Stephanie McBride