Monday, August 05, 2013

All You Need Is Love


The community of Lac-Mégantic continues to try and heal from the recent devastating train derailment that destroyed the centre of the town and killed so many. At times like this we always wonder what we can do to help - just in some small way, something that might bring comfort and support.














Not surprisingly, the quilting community is coming together to offer a helping hand. Courtepoint Claire in Montreal has been inspired by the flag project that Berene Campbell created for the residents of Boston earlier this year, To Boston With Love - a public exhibition of flags strung into banners that will be displayed in Lac-Mégantic, hopefully in September. Details are yet to come, and given the chaos, it may take a few weeks to finalize the venue and exact date so, in the meantime, they are moving forward in the creation of flags.

 
 
 
 
 
Think it's too small to make an impact? Check out images from the To Boston with Love flickr group and be inspired.

This is a small project that can easily be made in an afternoon; make one or as many flags as you like. The more flags, the bigger the impact. The idea is to provide Lac-Mégantic with an uplifting experience from quilters and sewists around the globe. I thought I'd make one and ended up having so much fun that between yesterday and today I've finished six. Who knows, maybe there will be more before they are shipped.







All the flags are 6 x 8" finished and here's a great tutorial to get you started. And if you’re looking for even more inspiration, there are tons of tutorials out there to chose from; the Vancouver Modern Quilt Guild has compiled a great list - just scroll down past the links to the first two tutorials. Keep in mind that, unlike Berene’s patterns, these tutorials aren’t specifically for the flags, so you might need to resize them. PLEASE NOTE : they have asked that we avoid flame colours and use soothing blues and greens instead.





I made 2 using the String Heart tutorial and then branched out into other styles. It was total play and the perfect excuse to try out new patterns/styles with quick results.
 












The deadline is August 24, 2013; please send your flags to:

Claire Haillot
Courtepointe Claire
Re : Lac-Mégantic Flags
3143 Boul. Dagenais ouest
Laval, Québec
H7P 1T8
Canada


Tell your friends....M


4 comments:

Michele T said...

I love the fabrics you chose for your flags - gorgeous!! I have sent 4 flags last month and today will mail 5 more!

Rachaeldaisy said...

It's wonderful how the quilting community moves quickly to show support in time of need. Your flags are beautiful!!

Kindred Quilts said...

Marie, I'm so happy you left a comment on my blog... it lead me to yours. I was inspired to show my support to the citizens of Lac Megantic in a simple way. I will mail 2 flags to the Quebec shop tomorrow... I hope they arrive before the deadline. I would have made more if time would have allowed. Thanks for the inspiration!

Linda C said...


Hi Marie,
What a beautiful idea this is. I only wish l had seen it earlier to have been able to take part. But the mail from Australia would just take too long. l hope you are able to share photos of the flags flying once they are all hung.