Year: 2016

As you surf Pinterest, you come across these absolutely wonderful modern versions of a double wedding ring pattern.  Most of them have been created by Victoria Findlay Wolfe.  I just listened to two great videos with Victoria and Nancy Zieman on the thought process Victoria uses to create her modern quilts.  Very inspirational.  Victoria really breaks the process down so it is not overwhelming at all.  AND throws in a few hints as well.  Victoria uses techniques from the past (to honour her Grandmother) and from the present (making fabric) to blend life into her quilts.  The more you look, the more details you see.

Here is the link to the videos with Nancy Zieman:

Part 1    http://wpt.org/SewingWithNancy/Video/double-wedding-ring-quilts-part-1

Part 2    http://wpt.org/SewingWithNancy/Video/double-wedding-ring-quilts-part-2

I have seen this quilt numerous times as I surf Pinterest.  It is something I say  I would like to do, but never investigate any further.  This time I did.

The quilt above was made by Lorrie Cranor and a tutorial can be found by clicking the link to her name. The vivid colours are quite striking, but I wonder what muted tones of brown streaked with the orange and yellow would be like.  An autumn forest perhaps?

Her tutorial looks very detailed which is always great.  It gives options for the design….easy for beginners and more graphic for the quilters who like a challenge…..that’s me for sure.

Once I get a few projects out of the way, I’ll try this one.  Now really, who am I kidding, I will just add it to  my list of quilts I want to do….Time alone will tell if I make it.  Shall we get together and do it as a sew along?

HAPPY CANADA DAY everyone… to keep this quilty, I have shown a picture of a pattern by a Canadian designer name Cheryl Arkison from Calgary, AB.   This pattern is available on her website.  I purchased the pattern 3 years ago and have been working on the improve piecing part ever since.  I always make it more complicated than needed.  My goal is a completed quilt for January 1st, 2017.  I think it is still do-able.  I love the patchwork of both fabric and colours.  It sure does represent the “melting pot” that I am very proud to say makes us Canadian.  I am also very proud of my Swedish and English (via South Africa) ancestry.  Life was very hard for them as immigrants in 1900, but their perseverance and dedication to family and country gives us what we have today….Thank you. What a difference 100 years has made.

Another thing I would like to share is a wonderful song delivered by our famous Canadian astronaut and his brother……Chris and Dave Hadfield.   It really shows how  “down to earth” Canadians can be.

Enjoy this day with family and friends……………….and get ready for the BIG party next year.  150 years you say?  I heard the all National Parks will have free admission during 2017.  Be sure to enjoy those beautiful parks with your family.

The heat here in southern Ontario has been welcome, but now it is very, very hot.  Too hot to keep windows open so I can hear the birds chirping, just the fan going to move the air around.  No air conditioning.   I’m using my time sewing up a storm, but I do yearn for another’s voice.   Along came the link to Sit and Sew Radio.  I’ve tried a few episodes and it does improve my “mindless” sewing time. Just having background chatter is good. Every so often some technique they are talking about catches my attention and I pay more attention.   Maybe I will try and find some ebooks.

“Breathe” – 3rd place ribbon at Quilt Canada 2016, 1st place ribbon at QuiltCon 2015.  This quilt really spoke to me.  I like the minimalistic design.  I like the effect of the dense quilting.  I like the subtle effect of the thread colour changes against the various background colours.  Lots of things to think about in this quilt by Leanne Chahley of She Can Quilt.

Leanne’s website offers great tips and tutorials for anyone interested in Modern quilting.

I’m just back from 2 days at Quilt Canada.  I didn’t take any classes, but the demo quilts at the vendors booths and the actual Quilt show were amazing.  Styles to suit everyone.  Isn’t  that the wonderful thing about the quilting community.  So many techniques and so many styles.  Even if you don’t create in all the styles, you can still admire the quality and effort involved.

I think the highlight of both days was lunch with a group of friends from the guilds I belong to, then on to the viewing of the show.  Listening to all the various comments from everyone helped me view some of the quilts entirely differently than if I was viewing on my own. They took me out of my comfort zone and that is definitely good.

Juried shows still confuse me.  How do they decide who gets the ribbons?   Must be a mystery formula.  I saw many quilts that had technique and quality galore yet didn’t receive a ribbon.   The other thing that I found sad was the piecer received all the acclaim and the quilter received a little small footnote.  Why is this?  The beauty is created by both, yet only one gets the prize.

My journey through the vendors mall increased my stash by a few meters.  Needless to say there were many ideas planted in my mind as well.  That “quilts to create” list is growing larger.

What a huge task this was.  I am so grateful to my daughter and her friend.  We spent all of yesterday and half of today taking pictures of my quilts. Some of these quilts I haven’t see in many years. Pictures were taken of 35 bed size quilts and 8 lap quilts.  We staged quilts (trying to be as professional as we could), we hung them from racks (I got my days worth of exercise going up and down step stools) and of course there was lots of food and lots of laughter.  Now the editing begins.  When my daughter returns to Alberta she will go through the 400 pictures and pick out the good shots and upload them into my website.  I will continue to measure, price, make labels and write descriptions of each of these beauties.  I truly have been amazed at the work I have created over the last 20 years of quilting.  I must say they are pretty darn good.  They also bring back 20 years of memories.  Remembering the different workshops and techniques you have learned, all the new friends you have made, thinking about the new and varied paths your quilting has taken, and most of all the laughter that seems to be present at all quilt related functions.  I have been truly blessed………thank you everyone.  I’ll let you all now when the additions have been uploaded.

Isn’t Pinterest wonderful.  I just keep clicking and I get into some of the most interesting sites.  This time I found myself at a blog originating in Poland.  The site needed translation, but that was easily solved by pushing the “Translate”  button.  The site is called Quilts My Way.  This site is hosting  the Hello Sunshine Quilting Challenge that is open from June 1 to August 31.  It is open to International Entries.  For those of you who like to enter challenges this may be the summer challenge you need…….check it out.  The rules seem very easy.

I’ve come to realize that  not only am I a perfectly imperfect quilter, I am an impatient quilter.  I want a good end result of my quilting on the quilt NOW.  And of course that doesn’t happen.  There is this little thing called practice makes perfect.  Some people suggest that every spare moment I should be doodling in my sketch book.  The fact that I have a sketch book at all is a step forward for me. I used to be a doodler, but I can’t seem to find the time (or make the time) to doodle.  I just came across Lori Kennedy‘s blog and she has created “doodle tutorials”… Now,  I believe that when the student is ready, the teacher will appear, so…………I guess I’m going to try some doodling everyday. Get those movements etched into my muscle memory.

I’ve finished quilting the Houndstooth quilt.  I wasn’t sure at the beginning,  but I really am pleased with how it turned out.  More densely quilted than any other of my quilts, but didn’t seem to take that much longer in time….it did take a lot more thread.