St. Andrew’s United Church, located at 60 Athabasca St. E. will be having its “Looks like Spring” quilt show on Tuesday, April 23 from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the church sanctuary. The sanctuary entrance is located on the west of the large front doors.
Usually held in February, the congregation has been putting on their quilting show bi-annually right up until the pandemic. So, they are shaking winter dust off their boots and bringing in some beautiful artistry to an already beautiful sanctuary.
“It (St. Andrew’s) has beautiful stained glass windows. It's a beautiful place. We just lay the quilts out over the pews and people who are quilters come and look at them. It's a fairly simple thing, but it's actually, I think, quite impressive,” said the event organizer, Karen Mundt.
Originally, quilts were made out of necessity for warmth. Over time, the patterns used became intricate works of art with deep meaning and purpose. For example, the underground railroad hung quilts in windows and outside the home to let people know where to go and when it was safe to approach. A simple quilt saved lives.
“That's just a little bit of sharing of some beauty with the community. I look at quilts as being beautiful. Women's art. It's an opportunity to share that with the community. Quilting used to be a utilitarian thing that people did, a necessity. And now it's really become a kind of an art form. People create beautiful works of art that are quilts and it's just a way to display them,” Mundt explained.
The quilt show began in the basement quilt room at St. Andrew’s Church. Each week, the quilters would get together and quilt projects as a social and informative activity. As they were quilting together, they talked about displaying the quilts they made. The idea was well received.
“And then people from the congregation said, “Well, I have one of my grandma's quilts. Could I bring that?” And so it's just a collection of quilts. It's just a little show. The sanctuary is very beautiful. If you've never been there, you'll be impressed.”
Tuesday, April 23 from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Snacks and coffee will be available. Please use the door west of the large wood door. If interested, donations are accepted for the Silver Collection for the United Church Mission and Service Fund. Hope to see you there!
