Yesterday I sat the quilt. The person who sits the quilt sells tickets to the quilt lottery. It is such a cool job. I meet people from all over Canada and the US… Whitehorse, Washington, Toronto/Ottawa, Courtenay and Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island. The quilt is a beautiful work of art by Hornby Artists. Some of the artists in the community have been contributing blocks to the quilt going back to at least 1980.   The quilt format has moved from traditional patterns to abstract forms and embellishment with embroidery. The quilt is more a piece of fabric art than a quilt.  The theme of the quilt was Activities which is keeping with the Room to Grow building which is the fundraising focus. Each square represents typical Hornby activities.

Each person’s square captures of bit of their life on Hornby. The story of the quilt is so much richer by knowing who has done which parts. 

This square represents the music played by local musicians at the Community Arts Council and the square is done by Louise McMurray who is the Director of the Community Arts Council.

This square represents Room to Grow Building that will receive the funding from the quilt raffle.Room to Grow Marg Bennett

Polar Bear Swim Helen Onorah

One of the most whimsical squares is the Polar Bear Swim at Grassy Point that I attended as a spectator this year. Someone joked that one of the figures in the quilt square must be me.

The landscape on Hornby is one if its principal attractions, whether it is the sandy beach of Big Tribune, the cliffs of Helliwell Park or the sunsets of Grassy Point.  Other popular activities are mountain biking and birdwatching.. not at the same time, sailing, making music and reading.

At least one person has made a square for the 2019 and the 1980 version… 39 years ago. Here is what the 1980 version looked like. I think this is drawings by children that were translated by quilters. The process of quilting has certainly changed in 39 years, becoming more fabric art than blocks of colour and patterns.  

And here is the 2020 interpretation in stained glass by Ted Godden.