RVQG: OUR BEGINNINGS

The Rouge Valley Quilters’ Guild is a not-for-profit organization established in 1980 to bring together people interested in quilts and quilting.

As of 2009, there were dozens of quilt guilds all across Ontario. With meetings and quilt shows, the world of quilts is more accessible than ever. Magazines, books and videos instruct and delight, while specialty shops cater to our every need. It was not always so easy.

In 1980, when the RVQG was formed, it became the third quilt guild in Ontario, following Etobicoke Quilters’ Guild in 1977 and York Heritage Quilters’ Guild in 1979. The distance to meetings in Etobicoke and North York was prohibitive for many women in our area. We needed a quilt guild to serve Scarborough, Pickering and points east.

Kay Sayer, a local quilting teacher and founding member of YHQG, along with some students and quilting friends, formed RVQG in 1980. It attracted 70 members initially and has grown to over 200.

Guild members love quilts. We love to talk about quilts, look at quilts, make quilts and expand our knowledge of quilts. Regular meetings give us the opportunity to share in the wonderful world of quilting.