Metro Quilt Challenge redux

For the new members (or those who would like a refresher) here are the links on our Metro Quilt Challenge from 2016-17:

*NB: Admittedly, a number of these are out of date, but there are some cool images anyway...

1. Challenge issued! This includes the original signup sheet, so you can see what stations people chose from the beginning. 
• http://mtlmqg.blogspot.com/2016/09/2016-17-mtl-mqg-metro-challenge_25.html
2. Tours postponed
• https://mtlmqg.blogspot.com/2016/09/metro-tour-postponed.html
3. Making a viewfinder
• https://mtlmqg.blogspot.com/2016/10/make-your-own-viewfinder-for-metro.html
4. Walking tour
• https://mtlmqg.blogspot.com/2016/10/metro-challenge-walking-tour.html
5. Tour reminder
• https://mtlmqg.blogspot.com/2016/11/reminder-metro-challenge-walking-tour.html
6. Final post, with photos of completed quilts
• https://mtlmqg.blogspot.com/2017/05/metro-challenge-complete.html

This is a possible topic if you would like to submit a quilt you have yet to finish for the Deux-Montagnes and/or Quilt Canada exhibitions. I hope this (re)inspires people! And the tour was a lot of fun!


Joanna L.

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. 

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!

Metro Challenge Walking Tour

After the announcement of this year's Metro Challenge, we thought it would be a good opportunity to get together for lunch and spend an afternoon discussing art, architecture and quilt design!

We will be meeting for lunch at the Centre Eaton food court (705 Rue St. Catherine Ouest, Montreal, Quebec H3B 4G5, metro station McGill) at 12:00pm on Saturday November 5th. From there we will explore a handful of Montreal's metro stations along the Green and Orange line, discuss a little of their history explore their architecture and art works, as well as a bit of their surrounding neighborhoods.

Please wear comfortable shoes and dress in layers as we will be both inside and outside during our tour. We recommend you bring a notebook and pen as well as a camera. Joanna will be posting instructions on how to make a simple viewfinder so you can make one to bring along as well.

If you do not already have a monthly pass for the STM, you can purchase a 1 Day Pass for $10 (http://www.stm.info/en/info/fares/transit-fares/1-day) that will allow you unlimited access for 24 hours. Since we will be going in and out of some of the stations on our route, this will save you some time and money.

If you will be joining us for the tour, please indicate your presence in the comments below, or on the Facebook event so that we have an idea of how many we will be. If you cannot make it on Saturday, we will be posting a summary of the tour to the blog afterwards, and you can also find some great information and photos on the STM site: Art in the metro.

Hope to see you there!

Already know which station you want to sign up for? Don't forget to add your name to the challenge sign-up sheet!

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/

Metro tour - postponed

Just a quick reminder, the walking tour of the metro has been postponed until after our October meeting! We will be discussing it at the October 11th meeting to decide on a better date, so if you're interested in going make sure you join us at the meeting. Once we've got a date chosen we will repost the details on the blog and on Facebook :)