Metro Challenge - Complete!

So at our May meeting, we finally had the presentation of the Metro Challenge quilts! It's been a long time coming, and while some of them were still in the process of being finished up, it was lovely to finally see them all together.

If you want to know more about the challenge itself, you can read the original blog post here. And with no further ado... the quilts!

Marlise tackled Lucien-L'Allier station. She did a beautiful job of capturing the monumental interior spaces of the station and depicted them using material from men's shirts. 

Canadian modern quilting resources

We get a lot of questions about where to shop for fabric or quilting supplies here in Montreal, both from visitors and locals, but sadly, there aren't many local options for us. We have two chain fabric stores, Club Tissus and Fabricville, and a few independent shops like Craft de Ville. We also have some small schools and maker spaces for fiber arts, such as Atelier Espace Fabrik and Fabrique éthique.

Beyond those few though, options for Montreal-area modern quilters are rather sparse and most of us end up shopping online. Luckily, there are a number of online Canadian shops (woohoo, no exorbitant shipping costs, exchange rates or duties!) sprinkled across the country. Below is a list of the Canadian modern quilt (or at least modern-adjacent) shops I have come across online... if you know of one that isn't included, feel free to share it in the comments!

• Craft de Ville (Montreal, QC)
• Phyllis Home Decor (Pincourt, QC)
• Mad About Patchwork (Stittsville, ON)
• Fabric Spark (Toronto, ON)
• My Fabric Spot (Markham, ON) - closed
• Fridays Off Fabrics (Toronto, ON)
• Sew Sisters (Toronto, ON)
• The Workroom (Toronto, ON)
• Canadian National Fabric (Melancthon, ON)
• Meerkat Shweshwe (Elora, ON)
• Flare Fabrics (Perth, ON)
• Fabric Please! (New Dundee, ON)
• Spool & Spindle (Waterloo, ON)
• Modern Bee (Niagra-on-the-Lake, ON)
• Funky Monkey Fabrics (Varna, ON)
• For the Love of Fabric (Kitchener, ON)
• QuiltSource Canada (Georgetown, ON)
• Stache Fabrics (London, ON)
• Distinctive Sewing Supplies (Oakville, ON)
• Fabric Snob (Riverton, MB)
• Stacked Fabric Co (Moose Jaw, SK)
• Clinton Modern Creative (Saskatoon, SK) 
• A Notion to Sew and Quilt (Lashburn, SK)
• L'Oiseau Fabrics (Calgary, AB)
• Dragonfly Fabric (Hinton, AB)
• Sparrow Quilt Co (Edmonton, AB)
• Runaway Quilting (Edson, AB)
• Studio 39 Fabrics (AB)
• Hamels Fabrics (Chilliwack, BC)
• Dinkydoo Fabrics (Pitt Meadows, BC)
• A Great Notion Sewing Supply (Surrey, BC)
• Troll Brothers Quilt Designs (Vancouver Island, BC)
• Pins & Needles Fabrics (Victoria, BC)
• Clothesline Quilts (Hawke's Bay, NL)
• The Big List of Canadian Fabric Shops (various)

Reminder: Metro Challenge walking tour

Just a quick reminder... tomorrow, Saturday November 5th, is our Metro Challenge walking tour.

Joliette station, photo courtesy of Montreal in Pictures

Joanna and I will be hanging out around the escalators in the food court at Centre Eaton (on the metro level below the de Maisonneuve entrance) so meet us there for a bite to eat before we start the tour.

See you tomorrow! :)

- stephanie

Make Your Own Viewfinder (for the Metro Walking Tour!)

Our Metro Challenge Walking Tour is coming up on November 5th when we will be wandering  through a few of the metro stations to discuss their design and history, and hopefully get your creative juices going for the challenge.

McGill metro station, image courtesy of the STM website

Joanna has been kind enough to put together a tutorial to help you make your own viewfinder for use during the tour. Use of a viewfinder is of course optional, but just like the one on your camera, it helps you frame or focus on certain elements in your surroundings. This can be immensely valuable when trying to decide on your quilt's design... and of course this technique can be used elsewhere, not just for this challenge.

Joanna's viewfinder is designed to have a 3:4 proportion specifically to fit the 30" x 40" dimensions of our challenge. If you've decided to do your quilt using the 40" x 40" dimensions, then of course you can adjust the dimensions of the viewfinder to match that. You can find the full tutorial in the Members Only section of the blog... if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask!

Remember we will be meeting at the Food Court at the Eaton Center downtown at noon on Saturday November 5th (please see the original blog post for full details). We will grab some lunch and then start the tour from there... if you can't make it for the start of the tour but still want to join, we will be posting our progress on Instagram, so you are welcome to check there and meet up with us at the next station. See you on the 5th!

2016-17 MTL MQG Metro challenge

2016 is the 50th anniversary of the Montreal Metro system! We use the metro for our commutes, to get to special events, or just passing through to get from A to B… but not many of us give much thought to the stations themselves.

For this challenge, choose one metro station that holds some meaning for you: one that you go through every day on your commute, one that you lived near it when you were little, one that you take to visit a friend, one that has a piece of art or a particular aesthetic that you particularly enjoy, etc. Pick an aspect of that metro station and create a quilt based on it.

While there is a lot of art in the stations themselves that can certainly be a part of the quilt (shapes, colors, etc), the goal of this challenge is not to recreate an existing piece of art in quilt form. Instead, try to focus on the 3 dimensional space of the station itself (such as the shapes and materials used), as well as the character of the neighborhood it inhabits and the feelings the station evokes for you. Spend a bit of time in and around the station observing the space and the people making use of it. Take pictures (without being creepy), pay attention to the shapes, colors and patterns that make up these utilitarian spaces. Look for unusual points of view.

The usual challenge rules apply… 30”x40” in either horizontal or vertical orientation, or 40” square. Include a hanging sleeve and a quilt label on your work. The label should include a title, your name, the date and the name of the metro station you chose, either in the title or in addition to the title.

A sign-up sheet is posted so everyone can choose their station. No more than two people per station, please: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1riPMXXQwVQijAVN3L3bipt50gu-oGOvQS2zKlciQ6bs/edit?usp=sharing

We will also be conducting a walking tour of a few of the metro stations (time, date, etc to be determined, though likely in November) to give you some background on some of the stations and their artworks, as well as offer some ideas and suggestions for translating a 3 dimensional space into a quilt.

I will be posting a tutorial on making your own viewfinder, in case you want to take your own tour, in the mean time.

Also, here are a few links with useful info on the stations and the artworks in them:

Metro de Montreal - http://www.metrodemontreal.com/art/
STM: Art in the Metro - http://www.stm.info/en/about/discover_the_stm_its_history/art-metro
STM: List of artworks - http://www.stm.info/en/about/discover_the_stm_its_history/art-metro/list-artworks
MTL Blog: 14 breathtaking metro stations: http://www.mtlblog.com/2014/12/14-most-breathtaking-montreal-subway-stations-to-go-out-of-your-way-and-see/2/
MTL Blog: Metro art explained: http://www.mtlblog.com/2014/04/montreals-metro-art-explained/
CBC Arts: Instagram artist in the metro: http://www.cbc.ca/beta/arts/this-instagram-artist-is-transforming-how-montreal-sees-its-subway-1.3257169
CBC News: Hétitage Montréal tours: http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/canada/montreal/montreal-metro-heritage-architectours-50th-anniversary-1.3738495
Chris M. Forsyth: The Metro Project - http://www.chrismforsyth.com/montreal/