Submitted by:
Wade Dale


What a wonderful day the Lord provided for the Bowsman United Church Prayer Quilt Group’s
Tea & Quilt Show called
“Golden”.



Click any picture for a larger version.

The show displayed 61 quilts made by the talented group of quilters. The quilters gather once a week on Saturdays and join not only fabric but their spirits to create beautiful works of art. Together this group has 270 years of quilting experience to draw from. This year the quilt group has 16 quilters, and produced over 70 prayer quilts. Plus, also their own quilts for their families and friends to enjoy.

These two Quilts were made by Deborah Burnside. She has only been quilting for two years
“Dennis Farms” 35” x 29”. Made for her father.	“From the Heart with Love” 57’x 57”. Made for her mother.

Left—”Night & Day” 93 “ x 69”. Made by Joan Halliday Right- “Card Trick”. Made by Donna Harriss	Left—”I Have a Dream” 60” x 77.5”. Made by Lorraine Steen Right—”Arbela” 65” x 93”. Made by Sue Belange

Why and who gets the quilts? Why… Because we can, and we care. Who…The group gifts quilts to celebrate people’s joys, share in people’s sorrows and to help with life transitions. The first year they gifted 19 quilts. The second year they gifted 25 quilts. This year they will have gifted over 60 quilts. Names of people that they feel need a quilt are given to the group . When they gift a quilt it is done with the words “We are wrapping you in God’s Love!”

They also have quilts on hand that Rev. Kathy Highmoor can gift to those in need, and feels they would be better service by getting the quilt right away instead of waiting till the end of May for the Gifting Service.

The group takes on special projects such as making 20 touch quilts for the Alzheimer’s Group. These touch quilts were gifted to the Personal Care Home in Swan River. They also made and donated 9 Christmas tree skirts to other United Church, the Hospital, the Lodge and the Personal Care Home.

As you can imagine it takes a lot of fabric and batting to create so many works of art. So the group also does fundraising. Things like their own cook book. Using pictures of their quilts as the dividers and the covers of the cookbook, they shared their favorite recipes.

“Marvin’s Midnight Garden” 84” x 94” Made by Wade Dale Wade dyed all the fabric for this quilt. It was made for Lorraine Steen’s family. Lorraine’s late husband used to love to garden at night. It is in the Steen Family Quilt Collection.	“Colorful Braid” 67” x 75” Made by Denie Quon Denie has been quilting for 25 years.

They have also used the pictures of their quilts for the front of blank notes cards and sold them. The big fundraiser is the “Tea and Quilt Show. The upstairs of the Bowsman Untied Church is turned into a quilt gallery.

Each person who enters is given a catalogue of the show. Each quilt is numbered making it easier for the viewers to find them and find out who the artist is and information about the quilt. Downstairs the quilters served tea and dainties.

This year is no exception. Once again they put on a beautiful show. Inside Gordon Lincoln played his trumpet, (kind of like the pied piper drawing people to the show).


As you enter people could buy tickets on the quilt “Corners in the Cabin”. This quilt was made by the group, each one making one or two blocks and then the borders were added. Dixie Thue used her long arm quilting machine and did the quilting. The tickets were only sold at the show so the odds of winning were very good.


Each viewer was given a catalogue with a book mark in it. The book marks listed one of 70 different reasons to Buy Fabric. The viewers were then directed into the galley where the quilts were displayed on the walls and the pews of the church.

Lots of oows and ahhs. “Look at that pattern”. “I love the colors in this quilt”. “Who made that one?” Viewers to the show had many compliments on the display of quilts.

Once they were finished viewing the gallery they went downstairs to the tea. Downstairs many of the dainties were from the quilter’s cookbook.

The quilt group made beautiful flowers out of buttons and they graced the center of each table.

Some of the viewers downstairs, enjoying the tea.	Even the gentlemen got into the mood to visit the show. These two are quilt spouses.

Downstairs visitors could also help support the quilters by buying tote bags that the group had made – with 60 bags and no two were the same. People got a chance to try their luck by buying tickets on the silent auction.

The group was also taking orders on a 2013 Quilt Calendar. Using their quilts again for the pictures. People who purchased a calendar also were able to have important dates listed on the calendar. The calendar also lists important civic and religious holidays. It also features a funny quilting saying on each month.

All in all, it was a great day to be at the Bowsman Untied church. The group thanks all the quilters, spouses and children for helping to set up and take down the show. A very big thank you to all the viewers who took the time to visit the show. A very special thank you to the Bowsman United Church Board and congregation who are a consent supports of the group.

This year’s Tea & Quilt show raised $2,166.00 to help carry on their work.

All the proceeds go into making new quilts. The show will be moving out of the church and into the curling rink next year to accommodate the growing number of quilts. Part of the money will be spent to make “H” frames to display the quilts. Each H Frame will allow them to display 10 quilts.

Winners of the two gift card/certificate trees were:
Andrea Adams & Monica Black.

Winner of the quilt “Corners in the Cabin” was Marj Hart.
Winner of the silent auction for the Garden Tote Bag was Monica Black.
Winner of the silent auction for the Quilting Tote Bag was Lorne Halliday.
Winner of the silent auction for the Cooking Tote Bag was Bev Cook.
Winner of the silent auction for the Picnic Basket was Melanie Harriss.