The Binder Twine Quilt Square Contest originated in 1982, as a result of the news from the original Binder Twine Quilt makers. Hilda Irwin, Quilt Co-ordinator of the Binder Twine Festival (referred to in early programs as the Women’s Activities) informed the Binder Twine Festival Committee that her group of ladies would no longer be able to make and provide the Festival’s quilt for the yearly raffle.
To continue the tradition of the annual Binder Twine Raffle Quilt, the Kleinburg quilting group the Kleinburg Piecemakers suggested and organized the festival’s first Quilt Square Contest. The contest was such a success that it has continued to this day.
In 2007, the Binder Twine Quilt Square Contest celebrated 25 years.
The contest is announced each year in the community newsletter, the Kleinburg Spirit. Newsletter editions can also be found on Kleinburg’s webpage www.kleinburgvillage.com.
Fabric for the contest are provided by the Binder Twine Festival Committee and individual fabric bundles and information sheets are available at the main desk of the Kleinburg Public Library, around May 1st each year.
Completed quilt squares are due mid August.
Fabric is provided to keep the colours of the quilt coordinated. Contest regulations can be found on the Information Sheet provided with each fabric bundle.
The contest is open to anyone who likes to sew. Entries have been as close as Kleinburg and as far as California.
The majority of entries have come from current or former Kleinburg and area residents. Several participants of the Quilt Square Contest are members of the local quilting group the Kleinburg Piecemakers. This group meets on Wednesday mornings (10:00-12:00) at the Kleinburg Public Library and welcome sewers and quilters.
The Quilting Demonstration &/or the Quilting Representative at the Quilt Booth has volunteers from the Kleinburg Piecemakers and can answer many of your quilting questions.
On Festival Day, the Quilt Squares that have won a prize in the current year’s contest have a ribbon attached.
Community merchants have donated prizes for the winners of the Quilt Square Contest.
Participants can choose any quilt square pattern or technique.
Quilt Square Categories for each year’s contest are; Pieced, Appliqué and Pieced & Appliqué.
Some years have seen the addition of a separate category. These categories have included; Beginner (no more than 3 years entered), Special Class (extra work on the square), Embellished (ribbons, embroidery, buttons and/or charms), Scrappy (6 or more of 14 fabrics), Pioneer Square (squares are those that have a pioneer name (log cabin, rail fence, mill wheel) or squares that evoke pioneer times (school house, ducks on the pond, country roads)), Redwork (use of red embroidery thread), Folded Fabric (3 dimensional sewing technique), Ode to Grandma (squares with Grandma in the name or something to remind you of Grandma) or Christmas. For 2010 the additional category is Springtime (a pattern with ‘spring’ in the name).
As an additional category for the 2004 Quilt Square Contest the Viewer’s Choice Award was suggested. Visitors to the Quilt Booth were encouraged to vote for their favourite quilt square. The top four quilt squares were awarded prizes and announced from the main stage. The category was well received by both the quilt square makers and by the Quilt Booth visitors as it provided a unique activity. It continues to this day.
The entries for each year’s Quilt Square Contest are displayed on the large folding screen at the Quilt Booth.
Each Quilt Square Label identifies each quilt square with the following information; the quilt square maker’s name, the prize placement when applicable (1st, 2nd, 3rd and Honourable Mention), the quilt square category (Pieced, Appliqué, Pieced & Appliqué or any additional class) and the quilt square pattern name.
The quilt squares are officially judged by Isabelle Bottoms of Bolton.
Quilt Squares are judged on the following; measure size, stretching, edges, squareness, pressing, points, matching, stitch size and colour combination.
A Quilt Square Contest Information Sheet can be obtained from a Quilt Booth Volunteer on Festival day.
The quilt squares will be sewn into a queen size Sampler Quilt to be raffled at the following year’s Binder Twine Festival (held the first Saturday after Labour Day).
When the current year’s quilt squares become the following year’s Binder Twine Quilt, it is necessary to think ahead regarding milestones. In 2006 we will celebrate the 40th Kleinburg Binder Twine Festival. The 2005 Quilt Square Contest began the celebration two ways. The first is the fabric chosen for the contest. Blue and yellow fabrics were chosen that have the famous Binder Twine motifs; a mouse, a sprig if wheat and a swirl pattern that resembles twine, bindertwine. The second is the creation of a Pioneer Square for the quilt square contest. The 2006 Quilt Square Contest had red and white fabrics and a Redwork (red embroidery) category to celebrate Canada’s 140th Birthday.
