Arnprior & District Quilters' Guild Newsletter - September 2026
President's Message
Welcome to the 2026–2027 guild season!
Where has the summer gone?! It feels like it just started, and somehow here we are in September already getting ready for another year of quilting, learning, and fun. I hope everyone had a great summer and, more importantly, managed to get plenty of quilting done!
Unfortunately, my summer didn’t quite go according to plan. We were affected by the Canada Day floods, which means I’ve been without a sewing space (or much of a usable house) ever since. So, needless to say, my quilting has been a little more limited than I would have liked. Thankfully, I was able to get away for an (almost) week-long quilting retreat with friends earlier this month. It was exactly what I needed, and I managed to get some good sewing time in. There’s nothing quite like being surrounded by quilting friends, sewing machines, and beautiful fabric to remind you why you love quilting!
I’m really excited about what we have planned for the guild this year. We have some great speakers, workshops, retreats, and plenty of opportunities to sew, learn, share, and have fun together.
Of course, what makes our guild so special isn’t just the programs and events - it’s our members! Our guild is great because our members are great. I encourage everyone to get involved this year, whether that means joining a workshop or challenge, coming out to a retreat, sharing a project, volunteering, or simply making an effort to come out and enjoy the meetings. You never know what new idea, friendship, or quilting rabbit hole you might discover!
I’m looking forward to seeing all of you - returning members and new faces alike - at our upcoming meetings and events!
Happy quilting, everyone, and welcome to a new guild year!
Amanda, President
Where has the summer gone?! It feels like it just started, and somehow here we are in September already getting ready for another year of quilting, learning, and fun. I hope everyone had a great summer and, more importantly, managed to get plenty of quilting done!
Unfortunately, my summer didn’t quite go according to plan. We were affected by the Canada Day floods, which means I’ve been without a sewing space (or much of a usable house) ever since. So, needless to say, my quilting has been a little more limited than I would have liked. Thankfully, I was able to get away for an (almost) week-long quilting retreat with friends earlier this month. It was exactly what I needed, and I managed to get some good sewing time in. There’s nothing quite like being surrounded by quilting friends, sewing machines, and beautiful fabric to remind you why you love quilting!
I’m really excited about what we have planned for the guild this year. We have some great speakers, workshops, retreats, and plenty of opportunities to sew, learn, share, and have fun together.
Of course, what makes our guild so special isn’t just the programs and events - it’s our members! Our guild is great because our members are great. I encourage everyone to get involved this year, whether that means joining a workshop or challenge, coming out to a retreat, sharing a project, volunteering, or simply making an effort to come out and enjoy the meetings. You never know what new idea, friendship, or quilting rabbit hole you might discover!
I’m looking forward to seeing all of you - returning members and new faces alike - at our upcoming meetings and events!
Happy quilting, everyone, and welcome to a new guild year!
Amanda, President
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September Guild Meeting
When? We hope you'll join us on Wednesday September 23. The meeting begins at 7 pm with doors opening at 6:30 PM. Where? 257 John Street, Arnprior Ontario (Christian Education Centre) Parking is available on the nearby streets. New! There are a limited number of handicap spots in the adjacent church parking lot that can be used by individuals holding a valid accessible parking permit. Otherwise, please do not park in the church parking lot. Win! The meeting will feature draws for door prizes, and a Guess-the-Number of Pages book sponsored by our Library. Tickets will be sold for draws of a basket of quilting goodies, and 50-50. And you can win fat quarters if you participate in the optional Fat Quarter Club. Bring
Visitors We welcome visitors to our meetings for a $5 fee payable in cash at the door. Program
We'll be welcoming guest speaker Carol Fitz-Gibbon at our September meeting. Carol has been exposed to quilting since she was a child having grown up in a house were there was always a quilt set up in the living room during the winter. The ladies from the local church and her mother would gather around the quilt each week to hand quilt and socialize. Although she began with hand quilting in her younger years, she is now a seasoned machine quilter using various methods on her mid arm quilting machine. She will show us the journey she made from hand quilting to machine quilting and how she moved from meandering to custom quilting and her introduction to ruler quilting. After our summer break, we look forward to see your quilts at Show and Tell so do bring your latest projects along - we'd love to see them and hear their stories from their makers. Retreats
It is time to start planning your next quilting vacation, what better way to relax than by spending 5 days with your quilt friends.
We have two out of town retreats planned for this quilting year, both will be held at Spruceholme Inn, Fort Colounge, Quebec. Our first one will be held on November 16 - 20, 2026. The second one will be on February 1 - 5, 2027. The sign up sheet for the November one is full, however we can start working on the February retreat sign up. I will bring the November sign up sheet to the meeting, so you can check to make sure your name is on it. This year we are asking for a deposit of $130 to secure your spot and this must be paid by November 2nd. $100 will be applied to the payment for the bedroom, $30 will be given to the staff as a tip. Once again we are asking you to bring your own placemat. See this Retreat Blog post for photos and info about the February 2026 retreat at Spruceholme, and the Retreats page. -- Sue Hodgins, Retreat Co-ordinator Have you renewed your membership for our 2026-2027 guild year? Register now
Charity Volunteer(s) Needed
Charity Coordinator
We are looking for a volunteer - or perhaps two friends who would like to share the role - to help coordinate our guild's charitable activities. This rewarding role involves organizing donations and fundraising efforts, managing and storing charity-related items such as fabric, batting, and quilts, and helping maintain our connections with community organizations. The Charity Coordinator(s) are also members of the Executive and are asked to attend the monthly Executive meeting, held via Zoom on the Wednesday prior to each guild meeting. If you enjoy working with others and would like to help our guild continue its tradition of giving back to the community, we'd love to hear from you. Please speak with a member of the Executive for more information. |
2026-2027 Activity Schedule
Here's what's coming up!
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Activity |
Date |
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Guild meeting |
September 23, 2026 |
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Retreat |
November 16 to 20 |
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Guild meeting |
October 28 |
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Guild meeting |
November 25 |
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Guild meeting |
December 9 |
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Guild meeting via Zoom |
January 27 2027 |
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Retreat |
February 2 to 6 |
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Guild meeting via Zoom |
February 24 |
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Guild meeting |
March 24 |
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Guild meeting |
April 28 |
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Guild meeting |
May 26 |
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Guild meeting |
June 16 |
For up to date information on all of our events, refer to the online Schedule which is regularly updated as new information becomes available.
Charity
Marilyn (and her husband Don) delivered quilts to a Cooperative Housing project in Ottawa, called, Salus.
Quilts donated to Salus
Marilyn subsequently received this note from the manager of Community Engagement at Salus.
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Thank you again to you and Don for bringing by the absolutely beautiful quilts yesterday. Jesse and I had such a lovely time looking through them all. There was so much care and work put into each one.
I also wanted to share a little more information about the home where the quilts will be going. The majority of the quilts are going to our Fisher location. Fisher is Salus’ 15-bed Transitional Rehabilitation Housing Program. It supports people living with severe and persistent mental illness as they transition from hospital back into the community. Residents take part in groups and classes that help build daily living skills, confidence and independence. The program is completed over three modules, with residents graduating after they finish all three. Also, I wanted to follow up about additional donations. While Salus isn’t able to accept donations of furniture, appliances or clothing because of our storage capacity, we do often provide new tenants with welcome kits when they move in. I’ve attached our welcome kit list in case it is helpful or of interest to the Guild. I’ve also attached a short information flyer about Salus so you can learn a little more about our work and the people we support. Our team was also talking after your visit and we had another thought we wanted to put out there. Would you and members of the Guild be interested in personally presenting quilts to the clients after they move into Fisher, likely in Spring 2027? There may also be an opportunity to invite you back for their graduation the following spring in 2028. There is absolutely no pressure at all. We simply thought it could be a meaningful opportunity for the Guild to meet some of the people receiving the quilts and see firsthand the impact of your generosity. And if or when the Guild has more quilts for Salus in the future, I’d also be very happy to pick them up in Arnprior when I’m on my way to the Valley, so please don’t feel that you always need to make the trip into Ottawa. Thank you again, Marilyn. We are so grateful to you, Don and the Guild for thinking of Salus and for creating something so special for our clients. Kind regards, Sarah |
And Carolyn, our Quiltie co-ordinator received this.
Happy recipients of our quilties!
Sewing Activities
Our guild will soon have a lot going on! Here are a few sewing opportunities for you:
Our guild will soon have a lot going on! Here are a few sewing opportunities for you:
- Retreats
- Fat Quarter Club
- Charity Projects
- Workshops - more info coming soon
Thank you to the financial support of the businesses who advertise in our newsletters.
You can click/tap on any of the advertisements in this newsletter to access the vendor's website. Please support our advertisers!
You can click/tap on any of the advertisements in this newsletter to access the vendor's website. Please support our advertisers!
June Show and Tell
A sample of quilts shown at our June meeting.
A sample of quilts shown at our June meeting.
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Canadian Quilts and Their Makers
Thank you Vickie for sharing this information about an upcoming lecture that will be presented in-person and online (Zoom).
Canadian Quilts and Their Makers, presented by Professor Lisa Binkley of Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia, will take place on Saturday, September 26, at 11:00 a.m. ET at the Arts and Letters Club, 11 Elm Street, Toronto, with a live online option available as well.
Professor Binkley will explore nineteenth-century Canadian quilts—from homespun and patchwork to appliqué and whole-cloth examples—to reveal what they tell us about the social, cultural, and economic lives of their makers and users. She will also examine how the period’s dramatic technological changes transformed quilting practices. Prof. Binkley is a quilter herself and owned a quilting store early in her career.
More information
Canadian Quilts and Their Makers, presented by Professor Lisa Binkley of Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia, will take place on Saturday, September 26, at 11:00 a.m. ET at the Arts and Letters Club, 11 Elm Street, Toronto, with a live online option available as well.
Professor Binkley will explore nineteenth-century Canadian quilts—from homespun and patchwork to appliqué and whole-cloth examples—to reveal what they tell us about the social, cultural, and economic lives of their makers and users. She will also examine how the period’s dramatic technological changes transformed quilting practices. Prof. Binkley is a quilter herself and owned a quilting store early in her career.
More information
Upcoming Quilt Shows
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Location |
Dates |
Presented By |
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Brantford ON |
Sept 25-26 |
Brant Heritage Quilters |
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Delaware ON |
October 3-4 |
London Friendship Quilters Guild |
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Mono ON (Orangeville) |
October 16-17 |
Dufferin Piecemakers |
CQA Activities
Quilt Canada 2026
Photos of the award winning projects can be found here. Click/tap on a photo for details about the maker and the project.
National Juried Show :: Youth Challenge :: TrendTex Challenge
Quilt Canada 2027
Photos of the award winning projects can be found here. Click/tap on a photo for details about the maker and the project.
National Juried Show :: Youth Challenge :: TrendTex Challenge
Quilt Canada 2027
You can monitor the evolving plans for Quilt Canada 2027 here.
Dates: June 16-19 2027
Location: Calgary, Alberta, BMO Centre at Stampede Park
The Canadian Quilters' Association is very active on social media and you can follow along on Facebook or Instagram.
You can monitor the evolving plans for Quilt Canada 2027 here.
Dates: June 16-19 2027
Location: Calgary, Alberta, BMO Centre at Stampede Park
The Canadian Quilters' Association is very active on social media and you can follow along on Facebook or Instagram.
Browse the CQA Events Calendar for information about quilting events across Canada by province, territory, or date.
ADQG Leadership Team
President: Amanda Vajda Contact
Charity: Vacant
Treasurer: Sandy Beach Contact
Secretary: Pamela Friedrich
Programs: Martha Palmer Contact
Membership: Johanne Vajda Contact
Library: Jacquie Lavictoire
Communications: Janet Brownlee Contact
President: Amanda Vajda Contact
Charity: Vacant
Treasurer: Sandy Beach Contact
Secretary: Pamela Friedrich
Programs: Martha Palmer Contact
Membership: Johanne Vajda Contact
Library: Jacquie Lavictoire
Communications: Janet Brownlee Contact
Key Volunteers
Photographer: Emma Russell
Quiltie Coordinator: Carolyn Prince
Programs: Nicky Chambers, Renee Venne
Raffle Ticket Sales: Debbie Riddell, Karen Gilvary
Retreats: Sue Hodgins
Kitchen: Sandy Findlay
Photographer: Emma Russell
Quiltie Coordinator: Carolyn Prince
Programs: Nicky Chambers, Renee Venne
Raffle Ticket Sales: Debbie Riddell, Karen Gilvary
Retreats: Sue Hodgins
Kitchen: Sandy Findlay
Communications
Our primary means of communication with you, our members, and amongst our leadership team is by email.
If you have a question or concern, you can direct it to a specific member of our leadership team using the respective Contact link above. If you're unsure of who to contact, please send it to the general guild email address, arnpriorquilters@gmail.com
If you have a question or concern, you can direct it to a specific member of our leadership team using the respective Contact link above. If you're unsure of who to contact, please send it to the general guild email address, arnpriorquilters@gmail.com
Social Media
Have you followed us on Facebook yet? It’s a great way to stay up to date with our upcoming events and guild news.
To follow us on Facebook click/tap here.
Have you followed us on Facebook yet? It’s a great way to stay up to date with our upcoming events and guild news.
To follow us on Facebook click/tap here.
Want even more? Join our Members-Only Facebook Group! It's a special space where you can share your creations, ask for advice, and connect with fellow members for support, inspiration, and friendship.
To join the Members-Only Group click/tap here.
We have a ton of information for you on our this website. You can always find the latest. most up-to-date information on our activities, and there are many, many photos of quilts made by our guild members. I urge you to take a few minutes to tour around and see what is truly "at your fingertips"!
To join the Members-Only Group click/tap here.
We have a ton of information for you on our this website. You can always find the latest. most up-to-date information on our activities, and there are many, many photos of quilts made by our guild members. I urge you to take a few minutes to tour around and see what is truly "at your fingertips"!
THANK YOU to Amanda, Martha, Sue, Marilyn, Carolyn, and Vickie for their guild updates, photos, and other news this month.
-- Janet Brownlee, Communications & Newsletter Editor
-- Janet Brownlee, Communications & Newsletter Editor
Our next meeting is on October 28