LYNN HADDRALL I EDITOR’S NOTE
Grand is a bit like quilt-making.
GRAND IS PUT TOGETHER like a quilt. We search for the best pieces, choose a theme and carefully stitch it all together.
I made this connection as I read our story on quilter Judy GaschoJutzi. Writer Sandra Walneck talks to Judy about her recent work and the deep quilt-making tradition in Waterloo Region (page 118). Judy and other quilters have taken the craft to new levels. I saw that firsthand a few years ago when we moved our offices to downtown Kitchener.
We decorated our new space with historic photographs and past front pages of major events. We had more space to fill and I was looking for a creative way to do that. Storytelling has been at the heart of my career so I was keen to reflect on the history and importance of journalism in community life.
A program called Blanket Waterloo County in Quilts led me to Judy. It matched businesses with quilters who would design something unique for them. Goals included seeing quilts as art and getting them in more public spaces.
I told Judy that I hoped to capture more than a century of local journalism in one quilt. That’s when I learned of Judy’s “stash,” pieces of fabric she collects and stores for just the right project. She thought she might have something to fit the theme.
“I think the most significant thing is discovering that some of these projects are meant to be,” Judy told me in 2006. “Finding that newspaper fabric in my stash was monumental.”
As we worked through the creative process, I saw the level of passion and dedication that quilters bring to a project. Judy visited the office several times to see our artifacts and review historic photos. She sought to narrow the content to vignettes that would tell a story without confusing the eye. She wanted a three-dimensional feel, which grew out of her love of gardening and background in interior design.
When Judy unveiled the quilt several months later, I was astonished at the level of detail and the way she had incorporated so many pieces into one beautiful story. Elements from this quilt are shown with this column. Reading about her recent work got me thinking about how we sew together each issue of Grand.
Winter still had us in its icy grip when we turned our attention to this Outdoors issue. It was a welcome chance to photograph colourful, warm-weather fashions (page 85), edit stories about outdoor activities such as cricket (page 54), collect recipes for fresh produce (page 164), and catch up with talented designers at their summer getaway on Long Island (page 104).
We hope you enjoy all these offerings and more, carefully and lovingly stitched together for you.