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Local quilter wins Canadian award

Judges from national guild pick Jennifer Rea’s piece at Cranbrook show
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Cranbrook quilter Jennifer Rea shows her award-winning piece “Poppies of Perserverance” at the “Stories in Thread” quilt show.

A young Cranbrook mother has won an award for her quilting artwork.

At the "Stories in Thread" quilt show on May 31 to June 1, Jennifer Rea brought her thread work piece "Poppies of Perserverance".

"It was a neat experience to see how people were so excited about it. It was really cool. Because I just thought, I want to get it done and out of my place. So the feelings they had towards it were somewhat different to my feelings towards the piece," Jennifer said.

Judges from the Canadian Quilters Association came to the Cranbrook Quilters Guild event, and awarded Jennifer for the piece, which will be featured in "The Canadian Quilter" magazine later this year.

The one-of-a-kind piece depicts a collection of poppies. Although she has been quilting for 13 years, Jennifer sewed this quilt using a technique that is new to her, called "free motion".

"You regulate the size of the stitch with how you move the fabric through your sewing machine," she explained. "It's a difficult process so you have a lot of inhibitions."

After taking a course in this style of quilting five years ago, Jennifer was given the pattern for the poppy quilt, but put it away until January this year. She began working on it again, a little each day, adapting the pattern to her own vision.

Now all of the hard work has paid off.

Now in its 27th year, the Cranbrook Quilters Guild has more than 80 members, and always welcomes more.

"We are really trying to make it grow because the membership is getting a little bit older," Jennifer said.

"They are going to do some basics for people who want to start quilting, who have no idea even how to thread a sewing machine."

Jennifer said the guild is a wonderful group to be a part of.

"It's such a creative community, and people are always so positive to see your work. Even if you don't think it's that great, they are always very supportive," she said.

"There is a real fellowship that comes with quilting, especially when you get out and meet a lot of other women and you all share the same interests. There's almost an instant friendship."