Viola Canady

Viola Canady worked as a tailor/fitter for the Department of the Army for 19 years before retiring in 1979. At that time, she turned to quilting and teaching. In 1980, she founded the Daughters of Dorcas and Sons Quilting Guild, a Washington, DC, quilting guild intended to teach quilting techniques and pass on traditions. A division of the National Quilting Association, the guild brought a love of quilting to local schools, hospitals, and civic centers. The guild met at the Calvary Episcopal Church at 6th and I streets, NE, creating coverlets to bring warmth to sick children and their families, babies with AIDS at Grandma's House in the District, and people experiencing homelessness. Canady specialized in quilting in a stained glass style featuring vivid jewel tones.