There’s quilting—and then there’s quilting with a gorgeous view of the St. Lawrence River. That’s why cottager Linda Pollon and seven friends—they became acquainted through an Ottawa-neighbourhood book club—convene in Ganonoque, Ont., for a once-a-year quilt fest on the water. And they really are on the water: Linda’s “cottage” is actually a renovated boathouse. The quilters, who range in age from 65 to 93, began to gather there after Linda and her husband bought the place in 2000. The ladies fell in love with the structure’s floor-to-ceiling windows the moment they arrived. “They said they felt like they were floating on a ship,” says Linda.
That was almost 25 years ago. What was initially a weekend of quilting morphed into an annual Monday to Sunday event. The gang moves furniture out of the way, and sets up folding tables, cutting and ironing boards, and sewing machines. There are piles of fabric everywhere, says Linda. “You should see it in production. It’s actually hilarious.” There’s always a show-and-tell session. “We hold the quilts up, we photograph them,” she says. “It’s so inspiring.” At 4 p.m., they stop for cocktails or wine. On Thursday, they make the trip to a fabric shop. (“As if we need any more fabric,” says Linda.)
Cosy up next to the fire with this perfect cottage quilt
The most experienced quilter is 93-year-old Suzanne Elder, “our mentor,” says Linda—while admitting that she herself is not the speediest of the bunch. It took her nine years to complete one project: a giraffe design. It’s become the group’s mascot, she says. “It was supposed to be a gift for someone. But everyone said, ‘What are we going to do if you don’t drag it out every year?’ ’’
Quilts aside, the showstoppers are the sunrises, says Linda. “Never a morning goes by without all of us waking up and running out to the balconies to snap photos.”
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The cottage—er, boathouse—visit is the highlight of the year for the group. “It’s a week that we wouldn’t dream of missing,” says Linda. “We laugh, we gossip, we create amazing meals and drink lots of wine…and we even manage to get some quilting done.”
This article was originally published in the May 2025 issue of Cottage Life.
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