Valerie Foster

Studio E

Guest Artist

Fibre Art

I have been sewing for over 40 years starting with clothing for myself, my family and eventually grew into a children’s clothing home business for years in Calgary. I was teaching in the Calgary School Board at the time. A move to Saudi Arabia in January of 2000 changed my employment and sewing focus.

While in Saudi, I joined the local quilt guild and became an obsessive machine quilter. I enjoyed the mathematical aspects of quilting and brought a lot of seamstress skills into the precision aspects of piecing quilts. I have grown to love free motion quilting, developing those skills with hours of fun practicing. Throughout my 15 years overseas I was greatly involved in my local guild but also managed the Bedouin Quilt Guild and was their principal instructor for the final 5 years in Kingdom. I have showed my quilts and received several ribbons for skill and Best in Category.

Since 2005 I have spent the bulk of my summers at Chandos Lake in Apsley. That first year brought the early creation of the North Kawartha Quilt Guild. With a group of 9 women, I taught a summer series of classes every Monday from June through September. That group is still strong today with an average of 14 students per class and 3 Quilt Shows under our belt. It has been a joy and highlight of my summers here in Apsley.

I have been married for 36 years to Ted who always supports my obsession, well, almost always. He retired from Saudi at the end of 2015 and shortly thereafter we repatriated to our log home on Chandos Lake.

I travel and teach/speak at guilds in Canada and Phoenix AZ where we have a vacation property.

fitquilt@hotmail.com

705.656.7892

205 Gazelle Trail, Chandos Lake, Apsley

Come by for something cozy! ...

Ready for the studio tour! ...

Making Curvy bias tape. Dreaming of the applications for this technique on full quilts. ...

Had some appliqué fun this week ...

A fun diversion. Appliqué Birds ...

Working, working ...