Artist in Residence

Learn all kinds of creative techniques using your sewing machine. These skills can be used for a variety of projects - clothing and accessories, home items, quilting, fibre art and more! All materials supplied. Take as many of the workshops as you want. For the final program in the fall we will bind our sample pages together to make a beautiful fabric journal. Pre-registration required - limited space. Machines available for the first 8 registrants. If you are number 9 or 10 on the list please bring your own machine.

These workshops are for those with some machine sewing experience.  Sign up in person at the arts centre, any City recreation centre or on-line at cambridge.ca

Applique Techniques

Crazy Quilting

3D Embellishments

‘Sketching’ with Thread

‘Broderie Perse’ Technique

Free Motion Quilting

More workshops coming up September to November - look for the listing at cambridgecentreforthearts.ca 

A fun-filled day of exploring and playing in the world of fabric arts!

Sewers, fibre artists, stitchers, quilters, creative people and the curious are invited to join us in celebrating the art of textiles. Informative discussions, workshops, show and tell and of course lunch are all provided. No cost, includes all materials but you must pre-register to ensure enough supplies and food.

‘The Grand Challenge’

Are you up for it? We are inviting people who are attending A Grand Day of Stitches to submit an artistic "fibre" arts piece that celebrates our Mighty Grand River. You just have to use thread, fabric, fibres or similar substances. Quilt, sew, paint on fabric, glue or come up with an entirely new way of exploring your artistic vision of the river!

Please make sure the following is permanently attached to the piece: your name, phone number, title of piece, description (techniques, materials etc). And if the work is to be hung for display please make sure it has a sleeve with dowel or other appropriate hanging hardware.

People’s Choice Award given on the 9th with prizes: 1st-$75.00, 2nd-$50, and 3rd-$25.00.

Please drop off your finished piece by June 6th, so we can get them up for display for the event!!

Program Schedule 

Morning Session

10-11:30 a.m. - Multipurpose Room, Floor 1

Please pre-register for the morning session/lunch by June 2 with Barcode:  9379 

10:15 a.m. - Opening Remarks by Artist-in-Residence Suzie Hollihan - How I Sew! 

Find Your Inner Artist: Tammy Trendell

How to Photograph Your Piece: Meghan Wassink

Victoria Quilts for Cancer speaker 

Lunch

11:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m.-Multipurpose Room, Floor 1

Challenge Awards Voting: 12:15-12:30 p.m.

Afternoon Workshops

Please pre-register for workshops by June 2nd.  You must be attending in the morning to participate in any workshop.

Fabric Arts Studio, Floor 2A

Learn the basic techniques of creating fabric postcards that you can put a stamp on and mail! Create mini landscapes, objects or abstracts pieces of art!

Watch and learn what to do with all those stitches and feet that are on your sewing machine. Play, Practice and create a small sampler pillow with all your new knowledge!

Donaldson Room, Floor 1A

Using yarn, fabric or fibres, learn the art of crochet! Brush up on skills or start from scratch.

Summerhayes Studio, Floor 2A

Using a canvas as your base, learn to intuitively create art with paint, textiles and ephemera for a one of kind piece. You will enjoy learning how to use your free spirit for creativity!

(2nd workshop at 2:30 p.m. to be added if there is a waiting list.)

Afternoon On-going activities

(No pre-registration required) 

Multipurpose Room, Floor 1

Creation Stations: Play with fibres, thread, glue and hand stitching

Victoria Quilts Lend a Hand (12:30-3:30 p.m.)

Thank You’s and Closing Award to ‘The Grand Challenge’ People’s Choice Winners

4:45-5:00pm

Background on our speakers and workshop instructors

Suzie Hollihan

Suzie is 2018 Artist-in-Residence for the Cambridge Centre for the Arts. She has been a sewer all her life and is excited about encouraging people to connect with the art of sewing and be creative!

Joanne Jones

Joanne is the owner of Mined reCREATIONS, where she designs and creates one of a kind handbags from reclaimed garments with proceeds supporting the education of young people in developing countries.

Tammy Trendell

Tammy is an award winning abstract artist and philosopher, Tammy is an energetic, enthusiastic speaker who creates art from her heart. She has a teaching studio is Cobden, Ont.

Darcy Franko-Felice

Darcy has a way with hook and yarn creating many wonderful items that she sells on Etsy under the shop name of Dee's Cozy Creations. She creates everything from crocheted jewelry to cup cozies. Her sense of fun is evident in all that she makes!

Meghan Wassink

Megan has been a lover of all things ‘art’ from an early age. She has a Diploma in Visual and Creative Arts from Sheridan College, and has further developed her skills by taking classes at Conestoga College. She sells her photographs through her business Magnolia and Birch.

Victoria's Quilts Canada (VQC)

Provides handmade quilts to people living with cancer in Canada. By providing these quilts, we hope to bring physical comfort to those dealing with cancer as well as spiritual comfort in knowing that they are not alone in their struggle.

No pre-registration required - just drop in to whichever sessions you would like.

What do you love about Cambridge? Share your thoughts through your own creative expression that will become part of a larger community quilt! The blocks for this quilt have a unique twist – an image on top and then a flap that will lift up to reveal your own personal message.

So if you live in Cambridge, work in Cambridge, or have visited Cambridge and love this City you are invited to pick up a free quilt block and create away!

Once the blocks are submitted they will be assembled in different configurations and displayed in many different places throughout Cambridge.

So on the block front get creative! Stitch, applique, collage, embroider, draw, paint, or embellish the square with an image of what you love about Cambridge. Use whatever material or technique you would like. You could reproduce a Cambridge landmark, place or an event, Cambridge people you know, natural features, landmarks, buildings, history – the possibilities are endless. Any style or artistic approach is welcome. Then on the hidden part of the quilt block use any technique you wish to place a written message of love for this great city!

Where to Pick Up Quilt Blocks

Cambridge Centre for the Arts

Galt Paint and Paper

Plato’s Closet

DROP OFF of Quilt Blocks

Completed blocks can be dropped off at the Cambridge Centre for the Arts anytime between now and September 28th.

Preferably the sooner the better so that we can start to assemble the blocks and display throughout the City. Who knows where they will appear, what shape they will make, how large these ever changing quilts will be!

Quilt DISPLAYS

After the blocks have been displayed in various locations and configurations they will be reassembled all together for a final showing at the Artist-in-Residence grand finale event!

Did you know there was once a thriving textile industry in Cambridge? All those beautiful factories being transformed into condos, shops and restaurants used to be alive with a different kind of activity!

It is a fascinating history that Suzie has been busy researching. She would love to share it with you and others. So she has developed a display that you can book out for free. It features photos, stories, documents, objects and more.

Contact Suzie directly at suziehollihan@gmail.com for further information

During her year as Artist-in-Residence Suzie will be working on this large scale piece with an end of year big reveal!  Stay tuned for this exciting masterpiece.