Hit And Miss….

February 6, 20191 Comment

It seems like my blog posts have been hit and miss lately. I hope to improve upon

this in the future.

These are quilts that were completed in the summer and I am just getting the

chance to show you them now.

Anne made this quick strip quilt. What great colors!

“Swirl” is the name of the quilting pattern that is stitched all over this

quilt. I used a cream polyester thread on the backing and a light blue on the front.

It is nice to see close ups of the backing and the quilting design.

A very subtle color scheme. Very calming and relaxing.

Flowers were stitched all over the quilt.

A cream polyester thread was used for the front and the backing. Less tension issues this way.

Bright and cheery and very graphic. Stars and loops were quilted all over the

quilt using a blue polyester thread for the top and the backing.

I really love how the blue thread shows up on the black fabric.

The backing ties in nicely with the front of the quilt.

Love the colors and pattern in this quilt.

A swirly design was stitched all over the quilt.

A grey thread was used for the front and the backing. It was the most neutral color

that blended with all the colors on the front of the quilt top.

The backing

Red and White Quilt

One of the perks of my job is being able to see what everyone is working on.

One of the blocks

Red and white quilts are so impressive and bright.

The backing has swirls all over it. White polyester thread was used for the top and

the backing.

A block of the month quilt that has been finished and is now usable.

I love this Muskoka Quilt. It has so many fun animals on the front of the quilt.

Anyone know what this animal is?

The backing shows off the leaves and oaks all over the quilt.

Have a great week and see you next week.

The Big Rubber Ducky

August 8, 20174 Comments

This past summer, The Big Rubber Ducky was on display in an effort

to create tourism within Ontario. Being a supportive Canadian, we went

to see it in Midland,Ontario.

The Big Rubber Ducky

It took 3 hours to inflate it to full size so it was pretty big. I am unsure of the

prize for this baby but it wasn’t cheap. I was thinking that maybe I could

create something for tourism next year. Maybe an inflatable quilt?

What do you think? Would you come to see it?

150th Quilt

Because this year is Canada’s 150th Birthday, I am seeing alot of Canadiana Quilts.

This one is no exception, very simple to create but it looks great.

Of course, Maple Leaves had to be quilted all over it. What a great quilt for the young

recipient. I can’t remember who made this quilt; I feel like I have been on a roller coaster

ride this summer and am just barely hanging on.

Another Canadiana Quilt. I really like the panel with the RCMP officer in the middle.

Again, Maple Leaves were quilted all over it. A light polyester cream thread was used

for the top and the backing.

A close up of the young officer.

Sandy’s Quilt

Sandy made this quilt as an experiment. She was trying a new

technique and branching out on her own. Good for you Sandy!

It is scary to do your own thing but oh so fulfilling. I encourage you to try

it sometime. You may surprise yourself.

A few close ups of the fabrics in the quilt. Sandy said that she was trying to

capture the mood and colors of a summer’s day in the woods.

The backing

Here is what the backing looked like. I used a light blue polyester thread for the

top and the backing.

“Flirtatious” is the name of the overall design on the quilt.

$10 Quilt/Mystery Quilt

This quilt was either a $10 Quilt at a local Quilt Shop, Country Concessions, or

it was a Mystery Quilt. Remember how I told you earlier it has been a busy

summer? Seems like the memory is the first to go.

Here are a few blocks in the quilt. I really like the one in the bottom picture.

A light cream polyester thread was used for the top and the backing.

And “Happy Times” was the design chosen for the quilting.

And who can forget to show the back? We quilters love to see the front and the back.

A really nice variegated blue backing. Co-ordinates perfectly with the front.

And last but not least, here is Connie’s Quilt. I managed to complete it

before the kids got out of school. And it is now home in Florida.

I promise to have the name of the quilt and the designer for you, for

next week.

Have a great week and check out the Canadian site called

The Thread and Needle Network.

Happy belated Valentine’s Day!

February 15, 20172 Comments

I hope that your special someone gave you a card or some

chocolate this week. Mind did-yeah!! If not, at least the

days are beginning to look a little brighter and longer.

Speaking of Valentine’s Day, here is a pink quilt that Eleanor is in love

with. And who can resist the cats? Eleanor was wondering what

color to use for her binding and her friend came up with this

clever idea. Why not use the left over pink and black fabric as

the binding?

So, she made the binding in two different colors: black

and pink. She sewed the black binding onto the white section of

the quilt but didn’t sew it all down due to the fact that

she wouldn’t be able to guess where the pink binding and

the black would meet. Are you confused yet?

I will try to say it in a different way. She partially sewed the

black binding down onto the white corner. She left about

a 5’6 inch extra, to make joining easier later on.

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Eleanor’s cool binding method

Then, she sewed down the pink binding =partially. She left the ends open

and about 5-6 inches longer so that she could join them at the exact spot

where the black corner and white border met. She marked that spot on

her binding and then sewed them together. Notice that the binding is

sewn straight across and not on an angle, again easier to execute.

It looks so perfect and fantastic. Thought you might want to try that one out.

Susan made this adorable “African Queens” quilt. Pinterest is a source

of inspiration for Susan and I love to see how she tweeks the patterns

she likes, to make it her own.

Lovely batiks were used for the Queens’ dresses and head coverings.

Susan just wanted the Queen’s to be outlined, as it was a shame to

cover them up with stitching. Let their outfits shine through.

The offset border has an African feel to it as well.

I used a clear monofilament thread for the top and a dark

So Fine Brown thread for the back.

Pieced backings are great and what better way to use up all the

blocks left over.

A close up of the backing.

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Linda’s Quilt

Linda made this darling pieced quilt. I can’t imagine the hours spent

making all those blocks.

A close up of the blocks in this quilt.

I used a light cream polyester thread for the top and navy blue

polyester thread for the backing.

The backing is really a navy blue but it looks more grey here than blue.

A panto called “Brocade” was stitched all across the top of the quilt.

I also managed to complete block #2, in the “Baby Animals”

BOM through Quilt Art Designs. Janeen is very talented when it comes to

paper piecing.

The back of the block says it all. Lots of tearing and shredding to be

done later on. I enjoy paper piecing as it feels like a fabric puzzle to me.

Check out the Canadian site Needle and Thread Network.

Have a great week.

My blog has changed and grown

February 7, 2017February 7, 20173 Comments

For those who follow my humble blog, thank you.

You may have noticed that it has grown and changed

recently. Don’t be alarmed, because you are still at my blog

but with a new face lift.

My brother in law helped me to create this new

website, which now contains my blog as well. So, if you

know of anyone needing a website developed, you can

email him, at joshg4wordpress@gmail.com.

Even though the weather is dull outside, these quilts are

anything but dull.

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Anne’s Quilt

Anne created this beauty. It resembles Canadian colors but with a

twist. Great job Anne!

Anne chose a red polyester thread, for the top and the backing. She

also chose a very simple design due to all the print on the top. It was

called “Swirls ” by Norma Sharp.

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The backing

I love the colors of the backing fabric. The stitching does show up

on the backing of the quilt.

Dara made this quilt to celebrate Canada’s upcoming

150 years. What a great play on the Canadian Maple Leaf

emblem.

Dara chose a cream polyester thread for the top and the

backing. And she chose “Maple Syrup” for the panto design.

You can see some of the swirls in the panto. This design also

has maple leaves strewn all across it so it it perfect for this quilt.

The backing shows off the emblems for the Province of Ontario

as well as the map of Canada. What a great idea!!

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Bonnie’s Quilt

Bonnie made this quilt in honor of her daughter.

She also wanted the letter “L” to be stitched all over the quilt top.

I think it looks great and it makes my job easier when a client

knows exactly want they want on the quilt top.

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Bonnie’s Quilt

I used a cream polyester thread for the top and the back of the quilt.

Hope you are getting lots of sewing and quilting in. Great weather for that.

Linking up to the Needle and Thread Network. Have a great week.

Working away…

February 1, 2017February 1, 20171 Comment

I have been working away this past week, both on my

own quilts and on some customers’ quilts.

Eleanor created this cute quilt; there are alot of cute

cats on it.

Eleanor chose a simple floral design all over the quilt top.

She also chose a light pink polyester thread for the top

and the backing.

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The cat border.

I really like the cat border print.

Dale created this beauty. I have seen strip quilts

before and I really like how Dale created her own version

by adding a strip of white fabric with the diamonds.

“Autumn Oaks” are the name of the panto stitched on

the top of the quilt.

The backing was a beautiful golden color.

This quilt was created by Wendy; I think the fabrics

are from Northcott, Stonehenge, to be exact.

“Modern Curves” was the name of the panto design

used. It looks like a gentle way all over the top of the

quilt.

A light blue polyester thread was used for the top and

the backing.

The backing also has a label on it. Well, done,

Wendy, you already have the label on the quilt.

A close up of the backing fabric.

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A baby quilt

This is a fun baby panel I bought for a new baby, but now

it is going to another new baby that is due soon.

I thought that the alphabet was cute and suitable

for a little boy.

I stitched around all the blocks and the letters. I left the

border unstitched because it wasn’t very wide at all.

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The backing fabric.

The backing is blue and it has lots of fun things on

it, like teddy bears, ice cream cones, lolli pops etc.

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A finished project

I also managed to quilt this wallhanging for

myself. It has been waiting for about a year and

a half so it felt good to get it done.

I have lots of embellishments to add to the top yet

so it isn’t completely finished.

It was alot of fun to work on this quilt. It did

take me 4 hours to complete; That kind of

surprised me because I thought it wouldn’t

take so long.

The background of the skies was the hardest

to stitch out. I followed the designs that were

printed on the fabrics itself.

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The backing

I found some umbrella fabric at a local

Quilt Show, in September. I didn’t have

enough for the whole backing so I added

a strip of white to make it big enough.

Can’t wait to see what I can complete this

week.

What are you working on this week and

hoping to complete?

I am linking up to

The Canadian Thread and Needle Network.

The Countdown is on…

December 8, 2016December 8, 2016Leave a comment

December is here and the count down to the big day is on. It seems

that when the month of December rolls around, feeling overwhelmed

by all that needs to be done is normal. This year, I have decided not

to stress because when December 25th rolls around, everything is

done.

Here are some quilts that were done well before December came along.

Bernice made this quilt for her niece’s wedding. As you can tell, she loves

the color purple.

The blocks are very interesting. Bernice even managed to have the quilt

done for the wedding.

As I have mentioned before, I love pieced backings but sometimes,

if there are alot of seams, it can cause the longarm machine to jump

around a bit, due to all the seams.

I used a purple polyester thread for the top and the backing. “Quirky”

was the name of the panto Bernice chose. It is quite fun and swirly.

Lynn made another colorful quilt. I love the colors in this quilt and the

piecing looks fun as well. Whenever a quilt comes in, I play a game with

myself in that I try to figure out how the blocks were pieced and put

together to make the whole quilt.

The blocks are simple enough, on their own but put together, they

create quite a striking and complex design.

The backing causes your eyes to cross but it is so much fun. Lynn chose

a green polyester thread for the top and the backing.

“Flirtatious” is the name of the panto and it is a really popular design.

Once again, the piecing makes me take a second look at how

it was all pieced together. Stunning.

A white polyester thread was used for the top and the backing.

“Swirls” is the name of the design or panto used on the quilt.

The backing is quite stunning as well.

Joan works for a drapery store in town, Huronia Drapes.

She wanted a few samples for her customers. “Modern designs”

were her exact words. Even though this is a sample, it looks

great on its own, almost like a wholecloth quilt.

I stitched some wavy lines, about 1″ apart.

Then, some straight line stitching: have I mentioned

before how much I love straight lines?

Here, I did wonky triangles, on the top section. These are

designs by Jodi Robinson.

In the lower section, I did elongated triangles. By the way,

the last 2 pictures are of the back of the sample. The beige

pictures are of the front of the samples.

Hope you enjoyed your week; we are expecting a snowstorm

tomorrow. Yeah!! PA DAy and time for sewing, I hope.

Have a great week and check out a Canadian site called

The Needle and Thread Network.

Ruth

Seasonal Fall Quilts

November 16, 2016November 16, 2016Leave a comment

Here are several seasonal fall quilts that I completed a few

weeks ago.

Judy created this strippy quilt for the fall. I love the colors

in this quilt.

She also added some leaves on the outside border.

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Fall leaves

Can you see the brown thread on the leaves? Judy wanted a panto

in the center of the quilt but wanted to quilt the leaves herself. No

problem. I basted the outer border and quilted in the panto as I

rolled the quilt along.

What a beautiful color on the back. You can also see the design

of the panto as well.

Pieced backings are a favorite of mine but sometimes, if there are alot

of pieced blocks, it can cause the hopping foot to jump and move to

another area. For the thread, I used a polyester orangey brown for the

top and the backing.

Jeanette made this fun quilt. I love the fabric in this as well; it

resembles a town or city and all that happens there.

I used a light brown SoFine thread on the top and the

backing.

“Splat” was the name of the panto that was used.

The backing shows off the quilting nicely.

I am in love with fabric postcards and this is one I received from

Judy Stupak. Isn’t it adorable?

I have also been making some for the upcoming Christmas season.

The school bus represents September and back to school. The snowman

represents November, although we haven’t seen any of the white stuff

yet. And the ornaments are for Christmas.

I fused the ornaments onto the postcard; it was some fabric I picked up

at Lens Mills and thought it would work. The snowman is cut from a

panel I also bought at Fabricland a few years ago.

The school bus is actually inked onto a white piece of fabric and then

I cut it out after I had colored in the school bus.

It is alot of fun making these postcards and you can try out new

techniques without committing to a long time period.

If you want to join a fabric postcard exchange, check out Brandy at this

link and you can get signed up to make and receive one, or two, or three.

Make sure that you email her first and mention that you would like to

take part in the fabric postcard exchange. She will then email you and

confirm that you are registered. Have fun and enjoy!

Have a great week.

Some of my projects & ufo’s…

July 27, 20166 Comments

At the beginning of the year, I made a resolution to take time to

create some quilts for myself. So, this summer, I am still trying

to follow my own advice. Here are some of my projects and

ufo’s that I am trying to complete so that I can actually quilt

and finish them up – this year.

This top was actually created by one of my customers. She was

wanting to quilt it and sell it, so I bought it from her, un-quilted.

I do have some plans for this one but am waiting for the time to

quilt it.

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A CrabApple Hill design

I love snowmen and what better way to show them off than

with a hand embroidered quilt.

It has only taken me 2 years to complete but at least it is

done now. As usual, I do have plans of how I will quilt this

one as well. Hoping that the pictures in my head look as good

on the quilt top.

Nancy Halverson designed this quilt. The blue turquoise color

is what drew me to it; that color is currently my favorite. Last

year, it was orange. Can you believe that? I wonder what next

year will bring?

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From Deauville to Cape Cod

Sharon, over at Scrap,Quilt, Sew, designed this top. I fell in

love with it and it has only taken me several years to make as

well. Seems to be a trend with me. At least I am getting

some done and ready for the quilting stage. Hopefully, it

won’t take me 2 years to quilt.

Even though it is hot and the kids are home from school, I

am still trying to quilt for some customers. Expectant babies

always give you a push (I know, it’s a bad pun) to make sure

that their arrival is met with a quilt.

Evelyn did a beautiful job making these 2 quilts for an

upcoming baby. She is a new quilter too, so hats off to her

for completing 2 baby quilts and having them done before

the baby even arrives.

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2nd baby quilt

We used a light yellow polyester thread for the top and the

backing. “Flirtatous” is the name of the quilting design. It

is a popular design, as it is very versatile and fun.

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The backing

The backing is really a brown color but it shows up as

a light purple color on my monitor.

The swirls are easy to see and so much fun.

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Evelyn’s 2nd quilt

Evelyn created this second quilt, in preparation for

the baby and whether it is a boy or a girl.

This time we used a light brown polyester thread for the

top and the backing; the same quilting design was used as well.

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The backing

The backing shows off the quilting nicely.

A close up of the back of the quilt and the stitching.

I wanted to send out an official congratulations to Kerry

Burke, over at Simple Bird Applique. She is now an

official teacher at the Applique Academy.

She recently won 1st place at Quilt Canada, 2016, for

her “Friends of Baltimore” applique quilt.

Can I brag a little here?

I actually quilted her quilt last summer for her.

She is a very talented lady. Congrats again, Kerry!! It is

great to see Canadian quilters leaving their mark (or

stitch) on the world. Ok, another bad pun.

Have a great week!

Fast piecing

January 21, 20164 Comments

Here are a some of the quilts that I worked on before Christmas

arrived.

It always amazes me how fast some people are in getting quilt

tops completed. Dorothy is such a person.

The fabric looks like cotton but is actually flannel. It should be

really warm and cuddly for whoever is getting it.

The blocks seem fairly simple and the fabric is really nice. Lots of

trees, boughs, pinecones, and pine needles. Perfect for this time of the

year. If I remember correctly, Dorothy chose a rusty brown polyester

thread for the top and the backing. My apologies for not having

pictures of the backing.

How can you not love the bright colors in this quilt? It is for one

of her grandsons. I think that he will absolutely love it.

It has so much great fabrics in it: Thor, Iron Man, and other

comic heroes.

I had lots of fun just looking at the fabric and picking out

all the superheroes.

Dorothy chose blue polyester thread for the top and the backing. The

stitching pattern is called “Swirls” and adds lots of movement to the

straight piecing in the blocks.

A great “I Spy” quilt. Once again, the prints and fabrics are fabulous.

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I Spy Quilt

Dorothy mentioned trading scraps and fabrics with some of her friends.

That”s a great way to get some new fabric at a great price.

The backing is pretty cool too. A blue polyester thread was used on the

top and the backing. And a “Circus” panto was stitched onto the top.

Lots of swirls and curls to help add some movement to the quilt top.

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A modern Quilt

I really like this quilt. Dorothy wanted square boxes all over the

quilt top. I felt really brave that day so I decided to freehand squares

all over the quilt. It was quite liberating and fun! I didn’t have to mark

any lines at all and could just focus on stitching. Quite a feat in and of

itself. Sometimes, I am a bit of a perfectionist and slight wiggles bug me.

The different sizes and shapes of the squares were fun to stitch in. The only

concern I had was to make sure that I didn’t stitch over any boxes in

previously stitched areas. A grey polyester thread was used for the top and

a cream for the backing. The backing fabric was comprised of the a solid light

cream color.

What a great design! I love the little squares running through all the blocks.

Dorothy chose a white polyester thread for the top and the backing.

“Happy Times” was the panto used for the quilting design and it adds

movement to the straight blocks too.

A great border for this particular quilt.

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The backing

The backing is pretty funky and definitely gives a different look when the

quilt is turned over.

As for my resolution to work on my own stuff, I have added anther project

to the list. This year I want to complete several of the BOM’s that I have

hanging around from last year.

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My design wall

This is what my design wall looks like right now. Quilt ARt Designs had an

“Oceans” BOM last year. It was comprised of 9 paper pieced blocks in total.

I am missing 2 in this picture but they are on the bottom of the design wall.

I have an idea in my head of what I would like the finished quilt to look like but

I wonder if the finished quilt will look that good. You will have to stay tuned

for that one. It might be a while.

Have a great week and find some time for yourself.

One busy lady…

November 18, 20153 Comments

Barb has been one busy lady.

This is the first of several that Barb brought me. She is planning

on giving this one to her dad. What a sweet daughter.

Don’t you just love the batik fabrics? I certainly do.

Barb decided that she wanted the “Flirtatous” panto for the

quilting design. A great choice with all those swirls in it.

I really love this border. What a great way to add interest to a quilt. If I

remember correctly, we used a light grey polyester thread for the top

and the backing.

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Back of Barb’s Quilt

The backing shows off the quilting beautifully too.

A close up of the backing.

This is Barb’s second quilt, there are several more but

my computer is not co-operating right now. Again, Batiks,

how can you not love these fabrics? We used a variegated

thead for the top and a solid green for the backing.

The block is very interesting and seems somewhat modern

to me. I am guessing that this quilt is put together in strips.

What a great design for a strip quilt. Again my computer is

acting up and not uploading pictures so I will work on that

for you for next week.

Have a great week.