After seeing each winners’ work at Quilt Canada 2025, we asked how they take a quilt from good to great. In this case, Carol Chenier, of Sarnia, Ontario, won the Viewers’ Choice Award for her tribute to reading, healing and quilting.
In 2000, during a difficult time in my life, I turned to books as an escape by reading 265 books in 18 months. True to my nature, I carefully documented every title in a spreadsheet, with 236 of them captured in this quilt.
In 2003, I discovered quilting as a creative outlet that brought me peace and a renewed sense of purpose. Last year, those book titles inspired me to bring most of them to life in a quilt. Using an embroidery pattern, I created a one-of-a-kind quilted bookcase and incorporated all those treasured book titles into the design for Reading is Healing. It symbolizes resilience and transformation through literature and creativity.
Five Lessons From This Quilt’s Creation
When I first decided to tackle this daunting project with healing and quilting, I had to overcome plenty of obstacles:
- Learning embroidery: Embroidery had not interested me before, since my sewing machine already did fancy stitches. But I bought an embroidery machine (Janome’s Memory Craft 550E) just so I could create the book titles. I learned how to use it and soon realized it opened up a whole new world.
- Drafting the pattern: My background as a draftswoman came in handy when I started drawing the book spines to size. I first listed all the titles randomly, but after many hours, I realized it would be much better alphabetized by author – so I started over.
- Turning mistakes into ideas: On my first block, I accidentally stitched the title too high on the spine. At first I thought I’d have to throw it out since unpicking embroidery stitches is a nightmare! Then, I decided to add the author’s name below. It fit perfectly and I ended up adding author names to several other spines as well.
- Software details: I thought I’d need expensive editing software, but it turned out my Janome program gave me the fonts and details I wanted. Sweet Pea’s ITH (in the hoop) pattern was wonderfully clear and user-friendly.
- Fabric play: I had fun pulling from my stash, cutting different spine sizes and laying them out in rows by color. Once I figured out the process, I went full speed ahead and truly gushed over every completed block.
On average, each block took me about two hours, though I didn’t really keep track.
All in all, this was the most satisfying accomplishment of my quilting journey.
Healing and quilting
What began as a project soon grew into something far more; it became a vessel for my memories and emotions. My most meaningful block appears on the bottom row, third from the right. It symbolizes both my struggles and the strength I discovered in overcoming an addiction.
The final block in the quilt depicts my present “addiction” – quilting itself. Unlike the others, it is one I embrace wholeheartedly. This quilt represents more than fabric and thread. It tells the story of my resilience, my passions and the unexpected ways healing can take shape.
Finally, I also want to add how overwhelmed and deeply touched I was to receive the Viewer’s Choice Award. I couldn’t believe the response. So many people told me they could relate to my story; some even shared their own personal struggles. I found it humbling to know they found inspiration in the way I overcame mine.
About Reading is Healing:
Dimensions: 46” x 60”
Techniques and materials: Machine piecing, embroidery and machine appliqué; cotton, Pellon 80/20 batting
Quilting: Machine quilting framed, computerized quilting and other techniques
Credits: Sweet Pea Bookshelf Quilt embroidery pattern
