Valerie G. Barnes Connell Jordan
Northern Advocate
Quilting is a craft that holds a myriad of places in the lives of women historically and remains important to many today.
The Friendship Quilters in La Ronge have been meeting for many years, first at the Kikinahk Friendship Centre and in more recent years, The La Ronge Senior’s Centre. The membership has fluctuated for varying reasons over the years, with some leaving and others joining consistently.
The members actively developing different and array of colourful creations meet Wednesday evenings and the first Saturday of the month throughout the winter months.
Although many bring their own equipment each time, they also have extra machines and needles to help people get started.
“If they’re missing something, usually one of us has it … then if somebody has questions, somebody will have the answer. So, there’s lots of ways to be a member [with] different options or different benefits to bring,” Bella Todd, a long-time member, said, in an interview with the Northern Advocate.
Bella Todd works at putting her quilt design together.
She also added that many members have come and gone in the intervening years since she has lived in La Ronge and been a members.
Georgette Crispin enjoys creating projects of her grandchildren. Her favourites are t-shirt quilts she’s made for her daughters and grandchildren.
“These are kind of cuddling into your memories,” she said, in an interview with the Northern Advocate.
Crispin estimates she has been a part of the group for around 15 years or so. She says the members are more than just fellow quilters. They are friends, helpers, and good teachers.
“I just love being here with all these fine women,” Crispin said. “Quilting in La Ronge, well, it’s really cool.”
Sharon Feschuk, a more recent member of the group, said, while she does a lot of sewing over the years, but not quilting. She joined about three years ago and enjoys learning about using fabric is different ways, the “good company.”
The exchange of teaching and learning from one another is a strong part of being part of the group, for Peggy Hunt, who has been a member for some time.
Marlene Wolkosky and Jeanine Hill remember members who have shared their knowledge. They said they appreciated what they’ve learned from the women who have moved on to other places.
Another member, Susan Halland, creates many quilts which she offers to organizations such as the La Ronge District Food Bank, to fundraise in support or the organization.
The group also participated in making quilts for families who lost their homes as a result of the wildfires that spread through the area this past spring and summer.
Halland is making a quilt currently incorporating some material that belonged the Late Jennifer Hendry, who was murdered in home in the Northern Village of Air Ronge in January of 2022.
“Her family gave us a lot of her fabric,” she said.
Because of the layering of fabric when making quilts they are also much more efficient than a blanket for warm, Halland said, adding its important how seams are made to ensure the design keeps it’s flow.
Members of the Quilters group have their workstations spread around the room. Here Gill Gracie looks for just the right piece of fabric to add to the makings of a colourful creation.
Gill Gracie is a more recent convert to Quilting and is working with some brightly coloured fabric, to make a larger quilt for a larger bed and exploring how to bring a piece of fabric into the design in a ways and size so it fits in completing the design of the quilt, she said.
Elaine Fafard talked about the value of quilting historically across the Prairies where she is from and over her many years living in La Ronge and being part of the group.
The values of belonging to the group are many and varied for each member and include a wider range of benefits, including support in both the actual quilting and also, the creation of pieces of work. Other areas include friendships created that grow over the years, exchanges of ideas and knowledge that available and shared between the members, and the story of quilting itself.
Those passionately creative colourful works of art on Saturday, Jan. 3 were: Georgette Crispin, Elaine Fafard, Sharon Feschuk, Gill Gracie, Susan Halland, Jeannine Hill, Peggy Hunt, Krista Russell, Bella Todd, and Marlene Wolkosky, who shared the benefits of quilting and belonging to the group in their lives, in an interview with the Northern Advocate.
