Adaire Chown Schlatter
St. Lambert, Quebec
Adaire Schlatter is a gifted quilt teacher, lecturer, award winning quilter, judge, writer, researcher, collector, organizer, and historian. She is a long-time supporter and active member of the Canadian Quilters’ Association/Association canadienne de la courtepointe.
Adaire’s approach to teaching has encouraged her students to go beyond their comfort zone, and try new things. Her patience and imagination is limitless. She is resourceful and intuitive when it comes to finding solutions and design ideas to overcome those blips in the road to the perfect quilt. She has been instrumental in raising the standards of quilting in her province, and beyond, through her own works, and encouragements to those around her.
She has exhibited quilts across Canada, including in CQA/ACC’s National Juried shows, and won many awards. Her commissioned works have been sent as far away as the US and Europe. Many of her liturgical pieces were chosen to be part of a traveling exhibit across Canada. She was involved in the “touching quilt” at Expo ’86 in Vancouver, BC.
She has been one of the driving forces promoting quilting in Quebec, and unity in Canada through quilting. Following the defeat of the provincial referendum on Quebec sovereignty in 1996, Adaire conceived an idea to promote reconciliation and reassurance across the country. “Tour Canada” was born. It was a progressive quilt that traveled across our country, along with its diary. Many of the quilters involved, were members of CQA/ACC, and all who were part of it in any way, developed an understanding of each others’ province or territory.
In Gail Hunt’s book “Quilt Works Across Canada - Eleven Contemporary Workshops”, she chose Adaire as the quilter to represent Quebec. Her work with garden quilts is featured. One of the many things she is well known for, are her three dimensional flowers.
Adaire has been an integral part of local guilds, and a major player in a variety of projects, shows, and community events. She has taught for over 18 years at a local seniors’ centre. In 1985-86 she was the Regional Representative for Quebec, then the Chairperson for Quilt Canada’87 in Montreal, and was again on the local committee for the alternate year event there, in 1997. Her efforts with the Provincial Association, Courtepointe Quebec Quilts have helped it flourish since its inception in 1987. Quilt history and appreciation of it, have been a love of hers for many years. Her tireless efforts to hold bilingual quilt registry days throughout Quebec have helped to document over 2000 quilts to date, under the umbrella of CQC.
The list of Adaire’s accomplishments is long, but the list of accolades from supporters is even longer. She is a warm and generous person who brings people together to appreciate the works of one another. She is an inspiration, a facilitator, and a mentor.
We are proud to honour Adaire Chown Schlatter with the Dorothy McMurdie Award for her outstanding contribution to quilting in Canada.