The
Dorothy McMurdie Award 2006PAULETTE ECCLESTON
Paulette Eccleston has been described as being a “tireless Crusader” for the art of quilting. In addition she is a Quilter, Teacher, Writer and Collector, a woman who is passionate about everything she does.
She has been a vigorous promoter of quilting at all levels from the grassroots up. The contributions to her local area and the CQA/ACC are substantial and respected.
Paulette served in several executive positions of the Sagebrush Quilters’ Guild in Kamloops, including president for several years. In addition to administrative duties she conducted design challenges, gave demonstrations, organized international block exchanges, co-chaired quilt shows and participated in round robin projects and block challenges. During these years she shared the experiences and pictures from her personal trips to CQA/ACC events, with her guild.
She has worked with the Kamloops Museum and Archives and her local guild to promote historical quilts, and has a special interest in collecting Dresden Plate patterns, blocks and quilts. The personal quilts Paulette sews are usually based on traditional patterns, but she appreciates and purchases art quilts.
She has participated in international Round Robin Exchanges between Japanese and Canadian quilters, and as a member of the Association of Pacific Northwest Quilters, was invited to submit a quilt for their first traveling show in 1996 titled “The Elements: Earth, Wind, Fire and Chocolate”. She has several successful logo designs to her credit. These include Quilt BC 2001, Quilt ON 2005, the current Trend - Tex Challenge participation pin and the logo competition for Sagebrush Quilters’ Guild.
She has contributed to the Trend-Tex Challenge since 2001, has been a part of charity quilt projects both locally and internationally, and has worked on commissioned quilts.
As a teacher of the art, she regularly teaches quilting classes at her local quilt shop, and has taught/lectured at the invitation of guilds in BC and beyond. She has taught quilting to young girls both at the unit level as well as at a large International Girl Guide Camp. She has given trunk shows and workshops to high school students and at provincial conferences to Home Economics Teachers. She taught for the CQA/ACC in Waterloo in 2005.
She is a regular columnist in The Canadian Quilter, writing the “Canadian Designers and Pattern Page”, recognizing and promoting the work of Canadian designers. She contributes regularly to “Connections for Quilters”, a BC provincial quilting newsletter, with a column titled “CQA Corner”. Here she continues to spread the word about what is happening in the national world of quilting.
Paulette made a considerable contribution to the Canadian Quilter’s Association/ACC, serving on the Board of Directors from 1999 to 2004. She followed her term by taking on the role as the Association’s first Archivist, and is the coordinator of the CQA/ACC event Quilt BC 2007.
The CQA/ACC is indeed very pleased to present this prestigious award to this extremely deserving recipient. Our very sincere congratulations are extended to Paulette Eccleston as the winner of the 2006 DMM Award.