Quilt Canada

 I happened upon the SAQA Regional Exhibition Renewal at Quilt Canada in late June 2025.

I was happy to see our Atlantic Region pieces exhibited there!

Threads and Needles

                      

Kathy Tidswell shared some thread and needle tips she has discovered over time!

• the higher the number the finer the thread
• different machines have preferences for different thread - what works for one machine may not work for another. Use trial and error

Favorite thread

• for decorative work- Sulky rayon 40 wt.
• use a machine embroidery needle which has an oval eye and prevents shredding while making a smaller hole. Start off with 75/11 and, if shredding, switch to 90/14
• rayon threads are not good for quilts which will be washed because the colour can fade.
• Sulky metallics actually have metallic fibres. They can be used also with an embroidery needle and a drop of sewers aid on the spool. Run your finger along the thread to disperse it.
• you can use metallica needles but these can be costly and Kathy has had good luck with the sewers aid.

• Guttermann makes a polyester metallic. It does not require a special needle and doesn't feel rough.

• Aurifil 50 wt is good for piecing, quilting and free motion embroidery. If you want the thread to be more visible use 40 wt. Use an 80/12 needle in microtex, sharp, quilting or denim.

• DecoBob 80 - Wonderfil (TM) - is a cottonized polyester thread that Kathy uses for thread painting. It can also be used as bobbin thread for quilting, piecing, and a top and bottom thread for quilting.

• Invisifil (TM) is a 100wt cottonized soft polyester thread that makes the quilting disappear. Use DecoBob or Invisafil in the bobbin.
• it can also be used in the top and bottom for couching and for lace designs.
• it is recommended to turn off the stitch regulator as it may fail to detect ultra fine thread. You may have to adjust top tension. Low bobbin sensors won't be accurate and avoid using automatic thread cutters.
• use 60/8, 70/10 or 80/12 mictotex needles.

• Razzle (TM) and Dazzle (TM) are very heavy weight threads intended for bobbin work, hand work, serging or couching. They are comparable in weight to No. 8 perle cotton.

Happy Sewing!!

Kathy Tidswell - Shades of Spring II

SAQA Atlantic artist Kathy Tidswell (www.kathytidswell.com) generously donated this piece to SAQA's annual Benefit Auction. This is SAQA's premier fundraising event! All proceeds help support SAQA's exhibition programs, publications, and education outreach.

 

Shades of Spring II.

Section 2 #419.

Each year after the prolonged winter of white and black , I yearn for the renewal of spring. When it finally arrives, the hills are transformed with the full range of greens. Armed only with my camera, I venture out to capture some of the highlights of nature’s wonder. Join me on my hills as spring performs its magic.

Navigating

SAQA Atlantic Region exhibit - Navigating officially opened on July 5th at the Museum of Industry. Several of the Artists, as well as other members and the public attended the opening ceremony at the Museum of Industry in Stellarton.

 

The exhibit is being held in conjunction with quilts from the Nova Scotia Museum.

Darcy Hunter, SAQA Regional Co-Representative

SAQA Atlantic Region - Navigating

This juried quilt exhibition features 14 art quilts created by 12 members of the Studio Art Quilt Associates, Atlantic Canada. This showcase offers a unique perspective on how we explore our paths through life – whether it’s in nature, through travel, or in personal journeys.

The quilts invite viewers to embark on their own visual voyage, led by the intricate stitches and vibrant colours. Each piece becomes a compass, guiding us as the North Star guides sailors across vast oceans. These textile masterpieces celebrate the artistry of their creators, while also reminding us to navigate with intention and curiosity.

Navigating was juried by Brigette Clavette, Head of Jewellery/Metal Arts and instructor at the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design from 1985-2017. Brigette Clavette currently teaches part-time and devotes herself to her artistic practice.

The exhibit premiered on July 1, 2024, at the Samson Gallery at the Museum of Industry, Nova Scotia and will travel through June 2026.

 

Trying Something New

Naturally the first step is to get everything ready and then do everything except start!

During the pandemic I started doodling. Its a great way to start the day. Life gets in the way sometimes, changes happen, my focus gets pulled in too many directions.

A couple of weeks ago I woke up on a Saturday morning and it was the only thing I could think about. Coffee was made, CBC morning with Bill Roache was on my mind and my journal called.

I always start with a micon PN black fine tip pen to draw the outline of what I'm going to colour in. Then I use my Staedtler fine tip markers to colour. Just to challenge myself I decided to put the markers on a table beside me and I made a rule. I wasn't allowed to choose the next colour. I couldn't look when I went to pick it up. I wanted to see how my doodle would turn out. Especially with colours that might not match being used beside each other.

When I looked at the end piece and considered what I set out to achieve, it made me think of quilts (I know)!

Sometimes the parts that can make up the whole when viewed only on their own, can look ugly, not appeal to us, and we wouldn't normally think to add them into whatever we're working on.

Here's what I saw though. Even the colours I wouldn't normally use, when included in the whole piece, enhanced the overall impact.

Here comes the metaphor ...

When looking at certain events, memories of things that happen in life, maybe not wanting to include them, we might be robbing ourselves of the very things that helped create the beautiful beings we became.

Anyhow, its Sunday now, the sun is shining, windows are opening and my curiosity is calling. I have no idea how this is going to turn out. I want to take my doodle and use fabric to reproduce something I love, just because of how it makes me feel.

Beth Mckay is a fibre artist currently residing in Dartmouth, NS. She can be found at bethmckay.com or on IG @thecraftedpath

Invasive

Passionate About a Topic Results in Curation

SAQA Atlantic member, Steph Kincade, is curating an exhibit titled "Invasive" that will run May 1-25, 2024 at ARTSPLACE in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia. Following up to learn more about what inspired the theme for the exhibit, they explained:

"This past summer there was a surge in the Japanese Beetle population in Nova Scotia and while examining leaves for future embroidery inspiration, I noticed that there seemed to be an abundance of Japanese Beetles on some very specific plants. One such plant was, interestingly, Japanese knotweed (Reynoutria japonica), another invasive organism. This sparked the idea of exploring both invasive species and the larger themes around what it is to be invasive, and what different things or experiences are thought of as invasive. I became curious about how other artists would approach these ideas, and thus the concept for the show was born."

Steph is a Halifax NS based fibre and embroidery artist. The call for entry is available at https://www.arcac.ca/invasive-deadline.html.