Bill Stearman, Quilt Maker

On December 21, I was invited by our local Member of Parliament to bring my apology quilt to his office so that he could see it. My husband, Larry Tayler came along to take pictures, Here's what Mr Ellis had to say on his Facebook Page ... " Today, I was honoured to meet with  Bill Stearman  to see his amazing piece of art. Bill hand-made this quilt showcasing Prime Minister  Justin Trudeau   apology to the LGBTQ community. I was so moved to see the quilt and to hear the impact that this speech made on our community, country and around the globe. Thank you Bill, I am so glad I got to see this, it has truly left me speechless." When my quilt is home from QuiltCon, and when we are home from Australia in early April, I want to show this quilt to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau , in Ottawa.

Heather Grant <heather@themodernquiltguild.com> Mon 2018-12-17, 7:08 AM You  Dear Bill, Congratulations ! Your entry, For the Oppression of LGBTG2 Communities, We Apologize (#1048), has been selected by our panel of jurors to be displayed at QuiltCon 2019! Additionally, your quilt (unless you selected "for exhibit only") will be eligible to win prizes and awards from our many sponsors. On November 28, 2017, Prime Minister Trudeau delivered a public apology to LGBTQ2 Canadians. He struggled to hold back tears as he spoke that day. I wept openly.  That text is embedded in this quilt. I can't read it without tears. This quilt is a celebration of that speech. And a thank you. It represents a defining moment for Canada.  And for me. After a lifetime of feeling less than, of living in fear, of feeling out of place, I finally knew that I was valued, that I was safe and that I had a respected p...

These are the eight quilts in the show at the Parrott Gallery in Belleville, Ontario .The show is a collaboration with my husband, Larry Tayler, photographer.  Artist Statements' are included, as are links to brief YouTube videos for each quilt.Photos by Larry Tayler ( larytayler.com )  For the Oppression of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Two-Spirit Communities, We Apologize Not For Sale          77” x 82” ·   Based on a variation of a traditional double disappearing nine patch block. ·   Fabric design assistance by Hri Neil, Carbon Art and Design ( www.carbonartdesign.com ) ·   Hand guided, free motion quilting by Deanna Gaudaur – ( www.quintestudios.com ) Artist’s Statement On November 28, 2017, in the House of Commons, Prime Minister Justin  Trudeau delivered an apology to LGBTQ2 Canadians. I wept as I listened to his words that day and I wept again as I r...

To start with I sort my fabric.  In this case I sorted by medium, light and dark ranges. Then I construct the first nine patches.  I usually make more than I'll need. When I have all of the nine patches made, I cut them into quarters.   For each of them, i use the original blocks in the corners and then add five more blocks to make new nine patch blocks. I will often mix up the original quarters in order to get colour/tone proportions that I think I'll want in the final piece. Next I cut the second nine patches into quarters.  These are the 'blocks' that I'll use in my quilt. I arrange the quarter blocks on my design wall until I'm happy with the arrangement. I will often add solid blocks to emphasize aspects of the quilt. Sometimes I make more blocks.  For this one, I wanted to ground the composition using white fabric, so I made some blocks I could use to soften the edges where colour and white meet. This quilt...

'For the Oppression of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Two-Spirit Communities, We Apologize.'  77” x 82” Based on a variation of a traditional double disappearing nine patch block. Text of the PM's speech is printed on most of the fabric. Printed by Spoonflower. Fabric design assistance by Hri Neil, Carbon Art and Design ( www.carbonartdesign.com ) Hand guided, free motion quilting by Deanna Gaudaur – ( www.quintestudios.com ) Artist’s Statement On November 28, 2017, in the House of Commons, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau delivered an apology to LGBTQ2 Canadians. It was an amazing speech. I wept as I listened to his words that day and I wept again as I reread them repeatedly in the making of this quilt. This speech is a defining moment for Canada, and a defining moment for me. After decades of feeling less than, of living in fear, of believing that I mattered less than … I knew that I was valued, accepted and OK in the e...

This is my bio from the Quilt Canada Website - List of Teachers  page. I kind of like it!  I think that it reflects ME pretty well! Bill Stearman In his lifetime, Bill has been … a poor student, a badly-behaved son, a teacher, a high school vice principal, a husband, a father, a grandpa, a landscaper, a farmer, a shepherd, a community living home-care provider, a hospice volunteer, a zoo volunteer, a spinner, a weaver, straight, gay, a husband again, and now he tells his stories with quilts. His quilts have been juried into national and international shows across North America. Bill’s energetic, optimistic, positive, and passionate approach shines through in his work, his Back Pack Shows and workshops. Email:   b.stearman@hotmail.com    

This quilt replaces one that we wore out on our bed.  We share our bed with an active Dachshund, a Basset Hound who likes to dig, and a black cat with claws to exercise. Together, the five of us have worn out one bedspread in four years.  It was the second quilt that I ever made. But, we've worn it out with the love that comes with a family bed! When it was time for a new one, I turned to my favourite fabric in the world.  It is a Tanzanian batik, made by a woman who supports her family through her work, which is fair traded and ends up with my friend Michelle, at Kallisti Quilts .  Michelle has become a friend and I love to buy from her.  She always makes me smile. And when I work with this fabric, I can hear the woman who made the fabric humming as she works. And I sing as well. The fabric ... this quilt ... and where it is ...  Love has everything to do with it! Quilted by Deanna Gaudaur, quintestudios.com Photographed...

This quilt is one, large, double disappearing nine patch block. It's purpose is to show the power that we each have if we speak our truth, call out inappropriate behaviour, question what we don't think is right, and generally loose our fear to speak.  Each of our voices will inspire another, and another, and another ... until it is a chorus, and change happens. Quilted by Deanna Gaudaur, who added her power through quilting to the message.

One of myTrent Valley Quilt Guild friends found this wonderful sink for me in a Swap Shop and of course, I bought it! After two quilt shows, a retreat, a trip to New York City to look after Victoria Findlay Wolfe's dogs, and guests from B.C. ... life has slowed down enough that I have it hooked up in the back yard. Today, I played around with bleach on black fabric. The test pieces are in the wash to be sure that the process stops.  When they are dried, I'll add a picture of the finished pieces here. Next, I think I'll dye, since I just bought 30 metres (118" wide) of the fabric that I love to dye. In the Autumn, once we have our 'Heart and Soul' show up and running, the sink will be installed in a 'playroom' in the basement so that I can manipulate fabric whenever I want! Life is good!