Wednesday, February 12th, 2025

For the second year in a row, Cheryl Robertson of the Creemore House of Stitches will take advantage of her location across from Creemore Springs Brewery to showcase the wonderful quilts and hand-arts produced by the ladies of this area, both in the past and in the present, during the Copper Kettle Festival.

Robertson and her team of volunteers will have six tents set up in the vacant lot beside her shop, at the corner of Mill and Edward Streets, from 10 am until 3 pm on Saturday, August 25.
She’s been accepting interesting pieces from the community for the past several weeks, and the fabrics are stacking up.

Among the treasures on display on Saturday will be a quilt made in 1870 by Robertson’s great-aunt, its tiny strips of fabric making up a classic “courthouse steps” pattern. The strips would have come from old pieces of clothing, many of them died with things like beets, blackberries and tea to create their vivid colours.

Gertie Gowan has contributed several smocked nighties that she made for her children in the 1950s and 1960s, and there is a historical quilt from the Creemore Baptist Church that features the names of all the families that made up that congregation in the 1920s.

“It’s amazing what comes out of the woodwork,” said Robertson, sorting through the artifacts that people will be able to see on Saturday.

Robertson’s show will also feature hourly demonstrations by local quiltmakers and artisans, a vintage sewing machine display, and the opportunity to buy patterns from quilt designer Jennifer Houlden and have her sign them too.

Robertson has something special up her sleeve, too, which came about when Christine Boake came into her shop recently and gave her a box full of “quilting bling.” Boake had purchased the box at a rummage sale, but upon further investigation it turned out that the goodies inside had once belonged to a quilter of some renown, who wrote several books on the craft and has since retired to Collingwood.

Robertson got in touch with the woman, and she has agreed to be at the show. While she’s keeping the mystery quilter’s name a secret for now, Robertson said anyone who was quilting in the 1980s and 90s will be aware of her.

And the “bling” that was in the box is something to see: the souvenir pins, handwritten notes and quilted experiments from a life of quilting and travelling the world.
“It’s really quite a treasure trove,” said Robertson.

Saturday’s show will also feature a marketplace, where people can buy “made-in-Creemore” hand-crafted giftware, and a “picker’s paradise” table, where quilters can find all sorts of fabrics at marked-down prices.

“Last year, this show was a small speck of an idea,” said Robertson. “This year, it’s starting to snowball.”

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