The Rouge Valley Quilt was inspired by the beauty of the Rouge River Valley and the flowers and birds that are found there. Initiated by Kay Sayer, it was produced by the members of the Rouge Valley Quilters' Guild in the years from 1982-84. The design was created by Barbara Cooper and Judy D'Hondt. Barbara, Judy and Kay then chose the fabrics and distributed the 27 blocks in kits to members. Once the completed blocks were collected and assembled, the quilt was sandwiched and put in a frame for hand quilting. Sixteen members devoted 150 hours over two months to the quilting of the piece.
The quilt was first displayed publicly at the Whitby Festival of Crafts in 1984. It went on to win 3rd place at the Hamilton Quilt Symposium in the mixed techniques category in June 1984. The quilt remains the property of the guild, and can still be seen on display at our Quilt Shows.
A complete description of each block and it's maker can be found in the image below. Please click the image to see it full size.
