Due to popular demand for a new pattern, Emily Hunsberger went to her drawing board and came up with a versatile design that is quilted and assembled block by block. Traditional quilts are made by layering a whole quilt top with full-sized batting and backing. With the “quilt-as-you-go” method, small units are individually quilted, then joined together. Once joined, the only remaining step is to attach the binding. It is a very liberating experience.
The central blocks in this pattern are “crazy-patch, log-cabin” style flowers. An irregular-shaped centre piece is surrounded by irregular strips which are added one at a time in a clockwise pattern. “Sew and flip” is another term for this method.
The flower blocks are surrounded by a calmer section of appliquéd vines, leaves, and a splash of yo-yo flowers. The vines are separately made corner blocks.
Next comes a border of log cabin blocks made using strips of varying widths, and are not the usual half-light, half-dark log cabins. An outer border of sew and flip “piano keys” finishes off the quilt.
Emily loves scrap quilts, and encourages quilters to get serious about whittling down their ever-expanding “stashes” – that is, hoarded fabric. Every quilt is guaranteed to be one-of-a-kind!
Emily has created a step-by-step pattern to share with you. Patterns are $12.00, with proceeds going to Mennonite Central Committee.
2009 Feature Quilt
"Postcard Quilt" (postcards of this quilt are available for $1.00)
The Postcard Quilt, the 2009 feature quilt, is extraordinary in design, colour, and ingenuity. Renske Helmuth of Moorefield, Ontario, again galvanized the quilters of the Waterloo County Quilters Guild to help realize her vision for an MCC-themed quilt, the work of many hands. Members made 4x6 fabric postcards which portrayed some aspect of MCC's mission work. 80 of these creations were sent by MCC, enclosed in envelopes, to their workers around the world. The MCC workers who received them wrote short notes on the fabric and returned them by regular post to MCC in Kitchener. Each of the 50 returned postcards had an intriguing return address and a colourful postage stamp from the country of origin. Renske had a plan to incorporate these postcards into a quilt or large wall-hanging, where both the fronts and backs of the postcards could be viewed and the messages read. The central part of the quilt, created in shades of blue, is the traditional "Trip Around the World" pattern with an appliqued map of the world. The names of the international cities from which the postcards were mailed are embroidered on the map. Mariner's compasses, some with the MCC dove logo at their centre, outline the border. Hand-quilting completes this incredibly inventive and imaginative masterpiece.
2008 Featured Quilt
"Bed of Roses"
Cross-stitched by Myrtle Horst Quilted by the women of St. Jacobs Mennonite Church
This exquisitely cross-stitched quilt was created by Myrtle Horst while she was recuperating from surgery. Myrtle said, “It took about a year to complete and was a good pastime.” This complicated pattern has six different shades of pink and six different shades of green. The overall effect is truly stunning.
Since 1995, this 86 year old woman has donated 15 quilts to the New Hamburg Mennonite Relief Sale raising $39,325.00 so far. She said, “I had no idea the quilts would raise that amount of money. I am thankful to the Lord for good eyesight, and that I can help other people by making quilts.” Myrtle already has two more quilts cross-stitched ready to be quilted for the 2009 relief sale.
2007 Featured Quilt
"Birds in the Air"
Pieced by Blossom Bowman Zink Quilted by the women of First Mennonite Church - Kitchener
Blossom Bowman Zink adapted a traditional pattern to create this artistic masterpiece. All triangles were cut individually and sewn together with painstaking accuracy.
Blossom Bowman Zink, who learned the quilting craft from her mother, Vernice Bowman, has been piecing quilts for 35 years. Since there are so many patterns Blossom would like to try, she makes a lot of miniature quilts. Most of the full-size quilts Blossom makes are donated to charity auctions. This quilting pass-time is in addition to her fulltime job outside her home.
2006 Featured Quilt
"A Bird's Eye View"
Designed by Renske Helmult
Pieced by Waterloo Guild Members Hand Quilted by Listowel Mennonite Women
From earliest times, humans have gazed into the sky, watching birds swoop and circle, and have envied their gift of flight. How exhilarating to soar through the kingdom of the clouds! What a different view of earth a bird must have, gazing down on us from the heavens!
Photographer Carl Hiebert has explored the freedom and majesty of the skies in his ultralight plane, and his camera has captured the bird’s perspective of our lives: a view unique to those who are airborne.
A tree’s bark, or even its height, is irrelevant from above. The bird sees the tree’s crown as a splash of colour, highlighted and shadowed by the sun; in winter, empty gnarled branches splay against the snow like spider legs. Airborne observers see not the grain, but undulating fields of gold and green; not waves, but the river snaking through the valley; not asphalt, but the criss-crossing of our roadways. And what do birds think when they see humans in the sky, in hot-air balloons and gliders?
Our quilt interprets 27 of Carl Hiebert’s aerial photographs, celebrating the bird’s eye view of life along - and in the sky above - the Grand River.
2005 Featured Quilt
"Feathered Star"
Designed by Marsha McCloskey
Pieced by Carol Heuhn Hand Quilted by Relief Sale Volunteers
2004 Featured Quilt
"Flowers for Lois"
Created by Gail Hunter
Story of the quilt written by the creator:
I was watching the news on TV one night, wishing I could do something to help some of the sick and starving children in Africa. Then I remembered Lois Weber, the wonderful Mennonite friend that I had made when I had lived in Elmira for eight years. Lois, a kind and unselfish neighbour who influenced me in many ways, has a great love of gardening. Since my quilt has many flowers I thought to name it after her and donate it to the Ontario Mennonite Relief Sale and Quilt Auction, her very worthy cause.
2003 Featured Quilt
"Kaleidoscope of Nations"
Appliqued & pieced by members Waterloo County Quilters Guild & Listowel Mennonite Church, Co-Ordinated by Renske Helmuth
This quilt was auctioned for $44,000 year
The 2003 featured quilt was designed to celebrate friendship and understanding. It is truly a miracle when our humanity is revealed in respect for the many different people of this worlkd. We need images of a world drawn together to insipre our commitment to peace.
Many hands created Kaleidoscope of Nations, a work of art and beauty which represents the unity of all nations. At the request of Renske Helmuth, the creator of the design, fabrics from 40 countries were collected from MCC relief workers: bark cloth from Uganda, silk from Bangladesh, damask from Ireland and aribou hide from Labrador. Members of the Waterloo County Quilters' Guild fashioned the dolls in traditional costume and travelled to Listowel to help the women of Listowel Mennonite church with the quilting. Altogether, 70 women were involved. The quilt was voted Best Group Quilt and received a Viewers Choice award at the Ontario Juried Quilt show in May 2002.
