There many talented artists at this year's One of A Kind Christmas show (running till December 2) and some truly gorgeous and beautifully hand crafted treasures. My best advice is to start at one end of the floor, and zig-zag to the other before going back to the artists booth's that most resonate with you. Just mark down the Row letter and their number so you don't forget a jem!

TTC Detours. Okay, Feet St. where the Streetcars normally run adjacent to Lake Shore blvd. is under construction, so you'll have to wait for a shuttle bus at the foot of Bathurst St. that will take you to the Direct Energy Center. Or, take the King St. West Streetcar to Strachan Ave. and walk South about two blocks. This route is much quicker, less windy, and the most direct path from TTC to the One of a Kind showfloor. Here's your map, and there's a Second Cup right where the streetcar stops.

As you window shop through the rows of One of a Kind, do yourself a favour and stop and talk to the artists. Some of the stories behind why they do what they do, where they get their inspiration and how long they have been making their art are fascinating. The art, clothing and decorations hanging for sale in each booth are more than just objects, there's a personal story behind each item. That kind of connection just isn't there with commercially mass produced stuff, shipped by the freighter-full from Guangdong China.

Instead of a picture frame just being a picture frame, you might be surprised to learn the artist sourced the vintage wood from a 1900's era farm house in the middle of the Gatineau valley. Or that the picture warmly embraced by that antique wood was taken with an old Leica camera passed down from the artist's father.

There is one booth this year with incredible hand made sculptures that marry cast aluminum and exotic African woods. Two artists got together and collaborated to create these beautiful sculptures after a chance meeting.

Fascinating stories make what you'll discover at this show genuinely special and unique.

Consider Valerie's pillows. The spiral square patterned pillows are actually inspired by a mathematical formula known as a Fibonacci number. A study of naturally repeating patterns in nature during her time at OCAD, is what led her to find ways of expressing this in fabric with different shades of colour. Make no mistake, it's a very labour intensive process that takes hours to create just one small Fibonacci square. That kind of devotion to one's artistic vision is what you can only get from artists, and the result is a visually satisfying treat that you'll savour for years!

That's my take on things, what's been your favourite highlight from the show so far?

One Of A Kind Christmas Show: On Now!!

Stop by and Say Hello to Valerie at the PAGEQUILTS booth, row X, number 22 - X22. Your last chance to see quilts is happening right now, and goes until the 2nd of December at the Direct Energy Center, Exhibition Place. The One of a Kind Show runs 11AM - 9PM every day, and don't miss out on the Pagequilts mailing list either.

Highlights and Beauties from Valerie
• The Great Pillow Wall - over 50 fresh pillows to put the accent in your beige monster and lonely lounger.
• Wall Hangings that bring warmth to drafty dens and make your neighbour envious.
• Fresh Baby Quilts - Test drive one in your stroller right then and there.
• Learn about the NEW Beginners Quilting Workshops and weekend quilt classes. (beat the rush, spaces will go quickly).

If you're in Toronto next week, you must visit One of a Kind and stop by and say hello. Here's a sneak peek at a handful of pillows fresh from my studio - what do you think?
- Valerie

PS. In January I'll be displaying some custom nanoQuilts at Mercury Espresso bar in the heart of Leslieville. Just think The Clash meets Louis Riel...

UNDER THE COVERS
Chilly toes, cocoa and a DVD of a roaring fireplace... Quilt Season has begun.

Blankets of snow, pillows of white stuff piled up by the road side, wisps of ice flying through grey streets; save yourself from the bland blahs of winter by stocking up on one of Valerie's fantastically colourful quilts before it's too late.

Hang the Purple Magic Garden Quilt on your favourite living room wall and bring warmth into your home in the middle of January. Slip under the summery cover of the Sunshine and Shadow quilt with your loved one. Enjoy the surprise nine months later. Strategically place one of Valerie's Fibonacci Pillows in the crook of a barren sofa, curl up, daydream the slush away with a stack of pulp fiction and your BFF.

Soon it will be too late, you'll have missed out.
No quilt for you.
Unless...

Your last chance to feel the fabrics, scrutinize the stitching, fluff the pillow, test wrap a baby Quilt, or see a handmade right-in-the-Leslieville-area-of-Toronto quilt in person at the One of a Kind Christmas Show.

Over 600 fantastic artists and designers will be under one roof from Thursday Nov. 22 till Sunday Dec. 2. Visit PageQuilts exhibition Booth #X22 from 11AM till 9PM every day, and see what makes Toronto's artistic Leslieville neighborhood a legitimate designation. (sneak preview here) Valerie has lived, created and worked in the heart of Leslieville for more than 20 years. Her quilted works of art will live with you and your family for many times that.

Directions to the One of Kind Christmas Show, ticket information and show details available here. We hope to see you there!

LESLIEVILLE ARTISTICA

In the studio right now, in the midst of a Toronto heat wave, the colours have sub-consciously shifted towards cool blues, maroons, and turquoise. One can only hope the mercury takes the hint...

When complete, this Fibonacci inspired quilt will be about four foot square, and just one part of a series of three wall hangings. When each piece is finally ready to be hung on the wall, you will see a palate shift from dark blues and maroon, to greens and yellows, and then oranges and light blues. It should be quite fantastic!

Leslieville is enjoying the last few weeks of summer, as Fall and its wonderful orchestra of bright colours are fast approaching this creative corner of Toronto. Somehow the ephemeral call back to school always compels me to put my nose to the grindstone, get back to work, try out new ideas, sew, and create.

You might think it out of place to nominate "green" for a fall colour, but I think it works wondrously with the horizon of reds, yellows, and wispy greys that are set to blossom. Fall is all about transition, change and new colours replacing familiar shades. Green epitomizes all of this, and more! In the mean time, here is a quick glimpse of some quilts on my Leslieville workbench this very moment.
- Valerie

Fall is also the time when PageQuilts will be cutting the final threads on our new Baby Quilt sister site.

Soon to be parents, BFF's of new parents, and stealthy creative souls will soon be able to find all of PageQuilt's wonderful baby quilts in one place. If plans unfold true to the pencil sketches, there will be helpful pointers on how to pick out just the right quilt for that special kiddo, a broader colour selection of greens and yellows, and a few special treats I can't mention yet!

For the moment, all of Valerie's Baby Quilts can be found right here. Perfect little squares of fabric to keep baby warm in the stroller.

Summer Quilting at Haliburton School of the Arts - Grade A+

Many thanks to the wonderful women that traveled to Haliburton to participate in my Quilt Design class this summer. The whole experience at the Haliburton School of the Arts was a huge success!

"Change" was the challenge, and so many rose to the occasion; congratulations to each and every one of the students.

I can only hope that the learning experience was as satisfying as the teaching experience. I was happy to see eyes opened to new ways of choosing colour and to see sensibilities tweaked. Working together in a hum of activity and creativity was easily one of the best weeks I've shared in a while.

-Valerie

Leonardo Fibonacci was an Italian mathematician from the Middle Ages. The legacy he left was a very peculiar number sequence where each value is the sum of its two preceding numbers.

Valerie uses a geometric representation of this as the basis for her gorgeous Fibonacci Pillows - in this case, each piece of fabric in her pattern is based on the Fibonacci dictum. Cool n'est pas? If you think this pillow looks amazing here, just imagine how fantastic it will look on your couch!?

Banish the Winter Blues Away with Colour, Patterns and Quilts

As the Mercury dips below 0° during the winter months, a quilt always makes a warm statement. Colourful patterns and fabric offer comfortable respite from the chill, the colourless days, and the winter blah's. Valerie's quilts do this like no other.

Colour, Patterns and Quilts - Artist Valerie Page Teaches at Sir Stanford Fleming College in Summer 2007
From July 16-20 2007, Valerie will be teaching a week long course on the application of colour theory in quilting at the Stanford Fleming College Haliburton School of the Arts. The 5-day course is open to everyone, the school will commence registration on March 1 2007. This is a wonderful opportunity to learn from an artist with 30+ years experience, and we look forward to seeing you there!

Course: Quilts - Colour, Pattern & Perception
Date: July 16 - 20, 2007
Time: 9 - 4:30 each day
Location: Haliburton School of the Arts (map)
Cost: Course Fees TBA

Explore the interplay of colours, and the arrangement of shapes and patterns within the art of quilting. Gain fundamental instruction on the use colour and form, aesthetically juxtapose old and new fabrics, and alter the surface of cloth to add shadow and shape. Quilting is; "Not so much the destination as the journey." This course will sharpen and challenge your perceptions, encourage your sense of play, and liberate you from the urge to create symmetry in all you see! Basic machine and hand sewing skills are necessary for participation in this course. Course material requirements will be available at time of registration.

Changes in Leslieville
The vibrant area of Leslieville is growing and changing, and unfortunately the much loved Piccoli store at 798 Queen St. East is soon to be reborn into another sparkling addition to the neighbourhood. Piccoli had a great run, and we will miss it. For the time being, you can see the fabulous Fibonacci pillows online, or book an appointment to stop by Valerie's studio (also in Leslieville).

After, be sure to walk a block East, past the Starbucks, and grab yourself a killer latté at Mercury Espresso Bar. Sophisticated design needs high grade Fair Trade coffee!

Trendy Baby in a Trendy Quilt

The select family of Baby Quilts by Valerie Page can be viewed by appointment at her studio in the Riverside District.

These cotton baby quilts are perfectly sized for laps, strollers, car seats, cribs, and anywhere baby travels.

Bright colours and delicate patterns blend into one another to create subtle, yet classic arrangements.

Made by hand, each Baby Quilt in the nursery collection is unique.

The limited edition collection of pillows by Valerie, is now on display right here. The last green leaf has changed its hue to a golden yellow, and that means it is officially pillow season.

Soft, cushy, warm and colourful pillows with unique patterns await you. The 2006 Pillow Collection can be viewed here.

This years' Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition was a fantastic event, set on the lawns and around the reflecting pool of Nathan Phillips Square. Over three days, a field of creative individuals showcased some truly breathtaking art works. Now as the summer winds down, Valerie is back in the Studio working on several new pieces, a taste of which you'll find below.

Whether it's a quilt hanging in a recording studio to breath life and vibrancy into a blank wood lined room, or a condo 12 floors up, it's remarkable the effect brightly coloured landscapes of fabric can have on the feel and tone of a space. Valerie's Quilts bring a kind of warmth into these places, quieting down the hum of the city while refreshing the senses at the same time.

We invite you to look through this portfolio of selected quilts. Should you wish to purchase a piece, please contact Valerie.

Contemporary Quilts | Traditional Quilts | Baby Quilts | Pillows

Valerie Page is an accomplished textile artist, who in 1973 first began creating quilts in Montreal, Canada.

After enrolling at the Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD) in Toronto, Valerie began experimenting with hand made silk screened fabrics in vivid colour patterns, and resist-dyed silks that she created in the basement of the renown McCaul St. catalyst.

The fine quilted art works that would later result from a fusion of vintage fabrics, original silk screens and ethnic textiles capture Valeries' own wonderful mix of lively, vivid colours, and bend the boundaries of what many people think a quilt can be. It is this moment when we first see Valerie's art, that an unexpected pleasure is discovered which perfectly exemplifies her creative forces.

Valerie's quilts are both an artistic expression of her vision, and a subtle commentary on the changes which have occurred since many of the vintage cotton fabrics she incorporates were first spun.

Each piece is unique - from Japanese Kimono fabrics to lavish floral prints from the heyday of counter-culture, the choice of cloth and colour is as carefully considered as the hand quilting which adorns each fine quilted artwork.