Bill Stearman, Quilt Maker

Quilt Canada 2024 was held in Edmonton Alberta last June. I didn’t go because of Alberta’s policies around Trans Rights. But I had five (5) quilts juried into the show!!  And … I won two major awards. 1. First Place - Modern Quilt Category 2. Award of Excellence in Sustainability in Quilt Making In June of 2025, Quilt Canada is in Toronto and I am one of the featured lecturers.  

I am DETERMINED to update this blog now that it is attached to billstearman.ca!! In February, 2024 I went to QuiltCon 2024 in Raleigh North Carolina. I had the BEST time!  And I had two quilts in the show which was very cool! QuiltCon 2025 is in Phoenix Arizona this February and once again, I will be there! I figure at my age, I don’t want to miss going while I am still able!  lol Here are pictures of the quilts that were in the show last year.  

In the Autumn of 2023, I made this quilt to be used as a backdrop for a  Photo Booth at the 2023 Firelight Lantern Festival. The design is not my own. It is inspired by the logo for the organization. I am so proud to be on the Board of Directors for this organization.  They do so much good within our community!  

Our 2024 button order arrived yesterday and we are pretty happy with it! We order our buttons from Six Cent Press in Vancouver, BC and have always been happy with the quality of their work … and with the promptness of delivery! We placed the order on April 29, and one week later, the box of 1500 buttons arrived at our door via Canada Post. This week and next, we’ll get them out to interested shops on the Main Street of Picton. We’ll also have them at the Wellington Farmers’ Market at the Eddie Farm and Hotel (on Loyalist Parkway between Bloomfield and Wellington). And of course, I’ll have them available in my studio in The Armoury, Main Street, Picton. We ask for a minimum donation of $1 per button, to defray costs.  Once the costs are covered, money will be donated to groups supporting Queer Folk in the area.  

  I have finished 25 quilts that I’ll be selling at the Wellington Farmers’ Market this season. Most are listed here. These quilts are made specifically to sell as fund-raising quilts and not the quilts that I enter in shows. There IS a lot of love in them. The Wellington Farmers’ Market is held each Saturday starting May 11 (Mothers’ Day weekend) through to the last Saturday in October.  We’ll be there every Saturday, except for June 13, when we’ll be at Gather In the County , which will be held at the Crystal Palace in Picton. We’ll also stay home on rainy Saturdays since quilts and rain really don’t mix all that well. The Wellington Farmers’ Market is held at The Eddie Farm and Hotel, on Loyalist Parkway, between Bloomfield and Wellington, is a fun place to bring the family. There are lots of unique vendors and cool things to see and do, all in a truly beautiful and spacious country setting. Watch for the big red barn and all of the tents!  There will be a few mor...

Folks are asking if I ship buttons.  My response is that I CAN ship quantities of 20 to 50 within Canada for the per button donation plus postage. But I’d rather not. #sorrybutnotsorry  #alternatively … find someone with a ‘button making machine’ and make your own. This project isn’t about me or me making money. It’s about getting the buttons out there!  #usemyimage #itsnotcopywrited  #useit #igivepermission  #forbigorders … contact me and I’ll authorize @sixcentpress to print buttons for YOU at your expense. #nomatterwhatyoudo  #donatetheprofit  #itsnotaboutmakingmoney  #andletmeknow #whatyoudo All I ask is that ANY profit be donated to support queer folks in your community. #safewithme  #maybeitsamovement  #makeadifference

 LGBTQ2S+ folks often find themselves in uncomfortable situations. A designated ‘Safe Space’ helps a great deal, but moving into one is not always possible. This made me wonder … what if everywhere we went, we saw Safe People; people wearing ‘Safe With Me’ buttons? What if we always knew that we were safe because someone nearby would step in to walk with us, or sit with us, or just be with us if necessary? With that thought, my husband and I ordered 1000 buttons and I started this website! safewithme.info is the website for this venture. @safe.with.me2023 is my instagram handle for this project. safe.with.me@hotmail.com is the email address.

Here's an interview that I had February 19th, 2023 on   CBC with Nicole Martin on Fresh Air  . It was great fun! CBC Fresh Air

 ‘1971 … When we couldn’t ask.’ 52” x 64” (irregular) Recycled denim, pieced with recycled polyester thread, organic cotton batting, Oeko-tex100 and GOTS certified cotton backing. Quilted by @quintequilter  Artist’s Statement It was a different time. I was 21. Same sex relationships were newly legal in the bedroom. But to approach someone anywhere else, was not. The Hanky Code was invented so that we could recognize each other and know interests. It was a way to avoid police harassment, job loss, and public shame from names being published in newspapers. We can’t go back. Stay proud! Keep moving forward! #gayhistory  #mygaylife  #wevecomealongway #werenotdoneyet  #neverforget  #historymatters  #gayhistorymatters  #muchofmylifeishistory  #theresnogoingback  #keepmovingforward  #gayquilter