The 14th Quilter's Retreat - September 25 - 29, 2013

Here we go again! Planning is well underway for the 14th bi-annual Mayflower QG Quilter's Retreat at Pictou Lodge, NS. For those of you who have been before you know what a wonderful place Pictou Lodge is and what a wondeful Quilter's Retreat we have. I can't believe we have been at this for 30 years! It has gone by all too fast!

Once again we have a wonderful line-up of teachers and workshops. I will introduce them to you over the next few posts.

First up is Karen Neary from Amherst, Nova Scotia.

Karen Neary has worked as a professional quilt designer since 1989. A prolific designer, her quilts have been featured in numerous magazines including Quilter’s Newsletter, McCall’s Quilting, AQS Magazine, Quilter’s Connection and The Canadian Quilter. For12 years, Karen wrote a regular column in Quick & Easy QuiltingMagazine. Sew Karen-ly Created…patterns are available at selected stores as well as from the website. Karen has contributed to 14 books (C&T Publishing, House of White Birches, Leisure Arts, DRG). She has designed projects forBenartex Fabrics, Robert Kaufman Fine Fabrics,YLI Thread, Freudenberg-Pellon, Sew-Fit Templates, Michael Miller Fabrics, Northcott, Hobbs Batting and P&B Textiles. Several of Karen’s quilts have been exhibited at the International Quilt Festival in Houston, Texas and toured North America with YLI Thread.

Karen’s New York Roundabout is featured in the current Keepsake Quilting, Clotilde, and Mary Maxim catalogues. In 2008, A Portrait of Anne took first place at the Kindred Spaces Textile Show in P.E.I. and travelled to Japan to be exhibited at the Yokohama International Quilt Show and International Quilt Week Fukuoka in Yahoo Dome.

Canadian Heritage Quilting (Formac-Lorimer Publishing) is co-authored with AQS Quilt Appraiser Diane Shink. Log Canada, one of Karen’s quilts featured in this book, was chosen as part of the “O Canada” 2009 special exhibit by International Quilt Festival of Houston. The show opened in Chicago and spent the year travelling across the U.S. In 2011 and 2012 two more of Karen’s quilts were chosen to be part of the same travelling exhibit. Farrago was a semifinalist at the prestigious 2011 Paducah, KY Quilt Show; Tempus Fugit was selected to be part of the National Juried Show at Quilt Canada in London, May 2011. In September 2012, Log Canada will be one of 23 Canadian quilts featured in a show in Franceat Carrefour Europeen du Patchwork.

In July 2009, Karen Neary’s quilt To Be Where You Belong was presented to Sir Paul McCartney to commemorate his visit to Nova Scotia.

Farrago

Fruitsmoothie

Karen Neary is a graduate of the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education programs at Mount Allison University. She is a member of the Mayflower Quilt Guild of Nova Scotia and the Canadian Quilter’s Association. Karen hails from Five Islands and currently resides in Amherst, Nova Scotia, Canada. To visit Karen's website click here.

Easter Antependium, one of a series of 7 commissioned by the Baptist Church.

We are looking forward to having Karen with us at the Quilter's Retreat next year!