About

I am Lucy Anne Holliday, a quilting teacher and artist based in the east end (Beach) neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. Lucyanne.org is a site for keeping students (past, present and future) and friends in the loop about what’s happening at the studio.

I am pleased and proud to report that some of my students have won awards at both local and international levels. In addition to Quilting courses, I also teach Smocking and Embroidery. Over the years, I have also restored and repaired many Heritage Quilts, and Family Heirlooms, however with time limits now I don’t seem able to fit in any more repairs except to repair my Grandchildren’s quilts when the Dog gets at them!!!

Teaching: I have taught in many places and at many different levels:

* Quilting Conferences
International Quilt Festival, Houston, Texas
- Simple Accuracy for a Better Quilt
Ontario Quilting Connections, Geneva Park, Ontario
- Quilter’s Carry All Tote

Festival of Quilts, Birmingham, Uk

-Uneven Nine Patch

-Simple Accuracy for a Better Quilt

-Finer Points of Applique

-Strippy (Hug) Quilts

-Hexagonal Illusions

* TV Programs
SUE WARDEN’S CRAFTSCAPES
- Guest teacher on Curved Seams.
This program was aired on LIFE Network as well as HGTV network,
to very favorable reviews.

* Guilds
Quilters Guild of Great Britain, Teacher’s Conference
- Lecture on ‘Course Content for Beginner Quilters’

* Schools & Institutions

Judging
Since 1981, I have judged numerous quilting shows in England (e.g. Local Women’s Institutes) and Canada (e.g. York Heritage Quilt Guild, Challenge event; Prince Edward County Quilters Guild, Picton Show; York Region Quilters Guild, Newmarket, Ontario). This includes writing a detailed critique for each competitor, regarding appearance, use of colour, workmanship, etc.

Book Collaborations:

“Selina and the Bear Paw Quilt” (1995)

Working with the author (Barbara Smucker) and the publisher (Stoddart-Canada), I was a member of the planning team responsible for the appearance of the books. I hand-pieced, appliquéd and quilted the borders for each of the oil-painting illustrations in the books.

Working with the artist/illustrator (Janet Wilson), I chose the design and fabrics which would eventually complement and “frame” each of her paintings.

These “framed” paintings were then photographed for inclusion in the books, as full page illustrations to the story.

There was also a second book called “Selina and the Shoo-Fly Pie” in which I again made the Borders (this time circular and all in Applique).

Both books were used for a few years in the school system as readers for Children in Grade 3.

“Classic Quilts”, by Ruth McKendry (Key Porter Publishing — 1996)

I was responsible for the “HOW TO” section
of the book. This entailed choosing the
patterns from the photographs used in the
book, and then creating the detailed instructions,
accurate templates, and fabric requirements
for each of ten projects in the book.

The women in my family used their hands, minds and hearts to create beautiful things. From my grandmother I received her love of quilts and quilt making. As a young girl, I was introduced into this artistic collective and noticed that I felt best when I was making things with my hands.

I slept under a quilt every night, and often spent my evening time not reading but instead checking out quilts, and trying to see how they were made. It was exciting to trace the patterns in my mind from beginning to end! The colour and textures of the fabrics became just as interesting as the patterns themselves.

In the early 1980’s, my husband’s work took us to the North of England. Apparently in that corner of England quilting was a novelty, and I soon started to teach from our home. The local newspaper took an interest, and published a feature article profiling my work. This initiated many calls and letters from Womens’ Institutes to visit, lecture and judge their competitions.

In no time I was teaching several classes a week, and found great joy and satisfaction in “infecting” my students with the same excitement I felt. At this time, I wrote my first “Notebook on Beginners Quilting” as a student aid. The growing interest in this art form prompted me to start a guild, the White Rose Quilters, in York; and then I organized a quilt show for charity, and our guild became very well-known for its workmanship and enthusiasm.

After three years, we returned to Canada. I started my own business, teaching as many as thirteen classes a week, to very eclectic groups. In addition, I was teaching for the Board of Education. Again, because of the interest of my students, I formed a guild, The Yorkshire Rose Quilters’ Guild of Toronto. I was the Chairperson for the first three years of the guild’s history.

Now at the age of 77, I have cut not back on my teaching but still instruct Beginners in the Joy of Hand Piecing and Applique on an ongoing basis. I do this in my Studio but also at two local Quilting Shops, Country Clothesline and Fabric Spark both in the east end of Toronto.

Please get in touch if you have any questions or need any advice on your Quiltmaking Projects, I am happy to help if I can.