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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - A diverse collection of textile art sewed by eight quilters decorates the walls of the Northern Life Museum this month. The pieces represent a year's worth of quilt work by members of the Boreal Piecemakers Quilting Guild.

"It's an absolutely stunning exhibit and it's one of our favourite exhibits we have here every year," said museum manager Laurie Young after hanging the guild's 25 quilts.

Margo Nightingale is one of six divorce mediators in the Northwest Territories. The Department of Justice announced the start of its free divorce mediation program April 23. - Tim Edwards/NNSL photo

This is the sixth year the guild has showcased members' work at the museum. The show features traditional bed quilts, modern wall hangings, landscape and portrait quilts crafted from everything from felted wool to fine, silky fibres in a diverse rainbow of shades, colours and textures.

Guild founder Barb Mercredi contributed several quilts to this year's show, including a log cabin quilt and a wall hanging she assembled from imaginative Northern patterns designed by Yellowknife graphic artist and quilter Janet Pacey.

Mercredi enjoys making her quilts from leftover scraps of material plucked from her large collection of cloth. She usually completes more work than she did over the past year, but she had other special priorities in recent months.

"Eight grandchildren and two more on the way keeps a quilter really busy," she said.

Fibre artist Marie-Christine Aubrey hung several artworks at the museum this month, as well. Two of her hangings were the result of an intensive workshop series she attended last year with support from the NWT Arts Council. The courses focused on using light and shade to add texture and complexity to textile art.

Aubrey shares her skill and experience with other members by leading workshops a few times each year. This year she has already presented workshops on fabric painting and landscape applique.

Guild history

The guild formed about a dozen years ago. Today, around 45 members participate in the guild's activities at various times during the year. The members meet to sew together, exchange ideas and share skills on the first Wednesday of each month from September to May.

The youngest member is 15 and the quilters range in experience from beginners to established artists like Aubrey. "It's a lot of fun and camaraderie between the ladies," said Collette Labine. "I think quilters are some of the most creative people out there."

Labine has three pieces on display at the museum. One of them is her first quilt portrait - a moose head.

The women challenge one another with artistic games, such as the UFO challenge. The members gather together all their unfinished objects, or UFOs, each December and add the finishing touches. Another game is What Was I Thinking? "Sometimes you'll go into a fabric store and pick up a length of fabric that looks great in the store and three months later you look at it and wonder 'what was I thinking,'" Labine said.

Each sewer brings in one metre of cloth, allowing everyone to leave with a square from every other woman's fabric. The women show off their creations when the guild reconvenes in September.

"It is a laugh," Labine said.

Each year the members collaborate on a quilt to give away. Last year they donated a queen-sized log cabin quilt to Circle of Friends, helping the humanitarian organization raise $4,600 for their local initiatives. Other years they have gifted quilts to families affected by cancer, the Women's Shelter, the hospital and the Northern Lights Special Care Home.

"People or families experiencing distress can be comforted by a quilt," Labine said. "People love the texture. It's warm and colourful and quilts recall memories of grandmas and family. When we band together on a Saturday to make a quilt for a child with cancer it brings us all together and creates special bonds in the community."

The exhibit continues at the museum in both lower galleries until May 29.