AMHERST - Another quilt by Amherst artist Karen Neary is about to receive some interenational exposure.
Neary's quilt, Log Canada, has been chosen to be part of the O Canada travelling exhibit by the International Quilt Festival in Houston, Tex. The exhibit will feature stops in Chicago, Long Beach, Cal. and Houston between April 17 and Oct. 18.
"It's a huge thrill," she said. "I have had quilts in Houston before, but this one is different because it will travelling to other locations."
The quilt is featured in the recently released book Canadian Heritage Quilting: Quick, Creative Designs that was co-authored by Neary and Diane Shink and published by Formac Lorimer Books of Halifax.
"It's based on a traditional log cabin pattern. It's usually done in scraps and colours. I did one black just for fun out of reds and whites that I had and it sort of looked like the Canadian flag. I put the maple leaf in the centre and it sort of grew from there," Neary said.
The log cabin style is an old pattern that was devised several generations ago. It allowed her to use her creativity to develop a quilt that's very colourful as well as patriotic. The red and white quilt uses a log cabin courthouse steps block with a maple leaf applied in each centre.
"It's really quite patriotic, I'm very proud of it," she said.
Neary applied to the exhibit after receiving information about it from the International Quilt Festival in Houston. It's one of 44 that were selected from across Canada for the first year of this exhibit that will travel throughout the United States.
Last year, one of Neary's quilts was featured for an exhibit in Japan. Simply Stated: A Protrait of Anne as a Young Girl took top honours in the 100 Years of Anne category at the Kindred Spaces Textile Show in Charlottetown and travelled to Japan to be featured at International Quilt Week exhibits in Yokohama and Fukuoka.
Neary's work can also be viewed on her website www3.ns.sympatica.ca/sewkaren.
dcole@amherstdaily.com
