Juanita Sauvé at the MVTM, Almonte ON

Down the Garden Path: Friendship is a Garden

Tears of Africa

Blueberry Magic

On Thursday I visited the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum in Almonte, Ontario. Juanita Sauvé has a solo show there until August 18. Titled "Pathways", the exhibit includes about two dozen art quilts. All hand-stitched, many of them feature raw edge appliqué and painted detail. The human figure in the landscape is one of the artist's favourite subjects.

The museum also has a wonderful permanent display that tells the story of the town and its manufacturing history.












Though I have visited the MVTM before, I haven't ever taken the time to explore the town of Almonte. In the 1800's it was one of the major wool milling centres in Canada, with several mills powered by the Mississippi River that runs through the middle of town. A Riverwalk allows visitors to see the falls up close.









The main street has several good restaurants, including the Mill Street Crepe Company, which was very busy at lunch. The old-fashioned street is lined with antique shops, a vintage clothing store, a bookstore, a yarn shop, a quilting store, and several cute gift shops.

The old town hall is one of many interesting buildings in this charming little town. Look for a mix of stone and red brick, and for patterned tiles on the roofs.

Though not the bustling industrial centre of its glory days, it is apparent that efforts have been made to make Almonte attractive to day-trippers. A visit to the textile museum and a browse along Mill Street would make for a delightful experience of small-town Ontario.