I will be back at the very beginning of the New Year to set my goals and share my quilting.   To all the wonderful friends who continue to join me in my little corner of the world and read my blog and share my quilting life with me, I appreciate each of you so much... thank you for your support, laughter and friendship.   It means the world to me!

Polka Dot Modern Quilt Is Finished

I finished it!  My first real modern quilt.   Yes, it had to have dots in it.   There is a limit to my restraint from three dimensional and circles.   Even for a modern quilt.  

This one has a few dots, just one in each block and it was quilted in a circle.   I used different colours as well for the thread.  

The blocks were done two at a time, with a new method I invented.   Doesn't that have to happen when you are faced with several blocks to complete?  

I just used my regular foot when quilting it and used the diameter of the foot to determine how far apart each line would be from the one before.

The fabric is from Riley Blake Fabrics, and is their solid and dot collection.   Sigh.   Love that fabric.

I have it hanging in my studio at the moment just enjoying the dots and the fact that it is done.

I am Published Again=)

I was just checking over some deadlines when I decided to do a little surfing and look what I found!   I don't have a copy of the book, as I don't think it is released yet but man am I excited!  

You know why right?  My little quilt is in this book.   I used Madhuri from The Quilted Fish of Riley Blake Fabrics. 

A small sample of this quilt was supposed to go to Spring Market 2013 with Amanda of The Quilted Fish, but at the last minute I got the wonderful acceptance letter and I had to make a substitute instead.  

Without further ado, here is the book I am featured in.

Here is where you can order the book from Annie's Publishing.

Here is my contribution=)  Grinning from ear to ear.


Picture courtesy of Annie's Publishing.

Sometimes I do pinch myself that this is actually happening!

I am quilting in circles....

Okay, I have to confess.  I have never made a perfect quilt.   There is always something that didn't work out, or after it was completed I thought I should have done something different.   There have been times when I have taken a quilt down off the wall and added more quilting to it.

I thought this time, I may just have it licked.   The top had turned out gorgeous.   I laid it out, got my favourite batting, bamboo from Pellon, and pinned everything to my backing.  I decided to try quilting in a circle.   The quilt is blocks and I thought an off centre circle would be perfect.

As I am quilting, I am noticing that fabric is puckering on the top which I have never had happen before, and I am removing pins and having to smooth out as I go around.   Part way through I discover my problem.   When I laid out my batting, I didn't realize it was folded in half, so instead of a single layer, I have a double layer!   Thank goodness it is bamboo batting and is low loft.    It will be quite heavy thought.

I hope this is the only 'oops'.   I am about a third of the way done and am switching thread colours as I go.   You can see it in the pics if you look closely.

I am loving how different it is looking compared to when it was just a top.  The circular quilting gives it a completely different effect.   

My goal is to have it done by next week!   

Dots and a Winner

Our giveaway winner for Blogathon Canada was:

 Michele T said...

Your quilts are gorgeous!!! I quilt because I love the process and creative outlet! Plus I like to make gifts for family and friends... It is that simple!

Thanks Sew Sisters for a fun time.


I have been working steadily away at my coloured dot quilt.   I have 26 of the 30 squares done, and so far am still totally in love with it.  

Li'l Loopy Tree Tutorial

I love Riley Blake Fabrics, and all the people there, they just make me smile with happiness=)
The fabric is totally amazing as well.  Did I mention that I love dots?   Check out all the dots on my fancy tree.

I got the opportunity to do another tutorial for them, right in time for the holiday season.  Notice the pompom and button at the top of the tree?   Must embellish everything I do=)

Go and check out how to make my 'Li'l Loopy Tree'.

Canadian Blogathon... and I am a Host with a Giveaway!

Thank you Sew Sisters for inviting me to the great Canadian Blogathon!

I have a giveaway of 10 Kona Solids fat quarters!  Sew Sisters also has a giveaway sponsored by Robert Kaufman on their blog too!  Keep reading to find out how to enter on my giveaway!

Today I get to tell you a little about myself and show you where to find some other great Canadian blogs!

I am a country girl through and through.   I do love visiting the big city, but my heart belongs on Manitoulin Island in northern Ontario, Canada.  It also belongs to my two little sons and my awesome husband.

My passion is quilting and pretty much everything quilt related.   I call myself an art quilter who loves 3D embellishments.   And by 3D, I mean stick off the quilt alot=)  Take a look at my 3D flowers.

This is 'Whimsical Wonder'

I have started teaching and doing trunk shows on my 3D flowers and embellishments.   

I am different, I admit...for instance, it is not everyday you put bottle caps on a quilt!

This is 'A Walk Through Time'.

I have recently been getting my 3D quilts published into magazines and a few books, so that gets me super excited to see my name in print=)   I love quilting so much that I wanted to promote it in Canada as much as I could so I joined the Board of the Canadian Quilters' Association, which is the national quilting organization in Canada.   I am currently in the role as Vice President and love spreading the word of our organization and the great ways we unite quilters across Canada.

Most days you can find me in my studio dreaming up designs for making 3D quilts or how to add new embellishments onto a quilt.

Check out these super Canadian blogs, and Krista, a fellow Ontario blogger is also a host blogger so be sure to check her out too:

Sew Fresh Quilts

QuiltBee

Quilts by Joanne

Suddenly Sandra

Claire's Cellar Creations

Faeries and Fibres

Pin Pricked Fingers

Quilters Workshop

Lakeview Stitching

Quilting & Learning - What a Combo!

Stitching Impressions

Crafts and Stuff

... 33 Stitches ...

The Saturday Quilter

Itch'n2stitch

If you want to enter the giveaway, (international entries welcome too=) please leave a comment telling me why you quilt.  If you want a second chance, let me know if you are a new or old follower of my blog.

Thank you Sew Sisters for inviting me to this fun event, and thanks to all of you for stopping by!

Blogathon Canada has started!

Check it out now!

Blogathon Canada is a week-long celebration of Canadian Quilting Bloggers brought to you by Sew Sisters Quilt Shop.  In its second year, Blogathon Canada celebrates the tremendous craft, talent, and passion of the online quilting community in Canada.

The host bloggers (me and others) will also host a giveaway of some of their favorite goodies from Sew Sisters so you have a chance to win every day of the week! This year Sew Sisters has teamed up with Aurifil, Northcott and Robert Kaufman to bring you even more fantastic giveaways! Check out their blog for more info and see how you can join the party! Go to Sew Sisters Quilt Shop blog post.

Monday, November 18	BC	Holly	Holly's Red Bike
Monday, November 18	BC	Heather	Winding Bobbins
Tuesday, November 19	Maritimes	Adrienne	Chezzetcook Modern Quilts
Tuesday, November 19	Maritimes	Marjorie	Marjorie's Busy Corner
Wednesday, November 20	AB	Katherine	Sew Me Something Good
Wednesday, November 20	AB	Andrea	Urban Quilt Works
Thursday, November 21	SK	Flo	Butterfly Quilting
Thursday, November 21	MB	Kathy	Tamarack Shack
Friday, November 22	QC	Izzy	Dizzy Quilts
Friday, November 22	Territories	Danielle	A Geeky Crafty Life
Saturday, November 23	ON	Jackie	Jackie's Art Quilts
Saturday, November 23	ON	Krista	Krista Quilts

Don't forget to come back on Saturday and see me=)

For The Boys Blog Hop

I love participating in Madame Samm's blog hops!  I am back in the 'For The Boys' blog hop.  How could I pass it up?  I have two adorable little men in my life that are my greatest source of joy.

I wanted to create something quilted that I know they would not only like visually but would be practical.   Using Amanda Herring's newest fabric line  of Riley Blake Fabrics called 'Twice As Nice', I created two sweet placemats for my little munchkins.

Now I may have mentioned once or a hundred times that I love embellishing and in my top 5 embellishment list is ric rac!   So you will see some of that popping into these placemats, just to give a personal mom touch=)

Go and check out the other awesome bloggers to see what they have up!

Dachsies with Moxie

Patchouli Moon Studio

It Seems to Be Sew....

Scrappy n Happy

Loves to Quilt 

Michelle's Romantic Tangle

Factotum of Arts 

Jackie's Art Quilts  (you are here=)

Living with purpose

What is on my design wall

Guess what I did this week?   I went and did a trunk show to some elementary students!  They were so much fun.   They asked really good questions, sat perfect through my presentation and then did some amazing things with some HST's that I had cut up for them.   A dream audience for sure.

My trunk show only had finished quilts and I wanted them to see a work in progress.   This is what I whipped up to show them.   Don't worry, there are some wild 3D flowers that are going on after it is stitched together.

Next up is my ongoing polka dot project. Have I mentioned how happy polka dots make me?   Circles, dots and polkas... all are so lovely=)

I have 10 more blocks to go.    It is kind of cool as I think I have figured out a way to do 3 blocks at the same time.   I say think, because I haven't finished all the blocks and have to make sure I don't run out of fabric, or my new technique will be a flop=)

 Hope to get at least one of the tops done this week.  What are you working on?

My Quilt Hung at Market and Festival In Houston!

I hired peeps for photography.   Good peeps, the quilting kind of peeps.  And by hired I mean I asked a favour, both of whom I had only met once in real life.   But you know quilters, you meet them once, or you virtually meet them online... you have friends.  For life.

These are good peeps.  I heard one was going to Quilt Market in Houston, the other to Quilt Festival there.   I sent one email saying that my quilt was selected to represent Canada in an exhibit being shown at both venues, if they saw it could they please take a picture.  That is one big dream on the bucket list - to get to Houston Quilt Festival.  

Get this, both delivered the goods or should I say jpeg.  On the same day they got home!   And no doubt they were tired from travelling, from walking the show floor, from taking workshops, but they took the time to email me a pic of my quilt hanging at that elusive Houston Quilt Festival and Quilt Market.  

Those are good peeps.   Thank  you C and C!   You made my day.  

Here she is 'A Ripple In Time'.   It has been gone for six months.  It went to the CQA/ACC National Juried Show in Canada directly to AQS Paducah, and from there to Houston.   How amazing is that all those organizations were willing to send the quilt to it's next destination without rerouting it home.   Otherwise I wouldn't have been able to enter it into all those shows as the timelines were too tight to make it home and ship it back out again.   Quilters rock!

It will be on its way home this week.   I can't wait, I love having the opportunity to display my work.  But I like my quilts to come home, it is like a part of me is back.

Blogathon Canada!

I am pretty excited here. I got invited to participate in a really fun Canadian Blogathon as a host blogger!

Blogathon Canada is a week-long celebration of Canadian Quilting Bloggers brought to you by Sew Sisters Quilt Shop.  In its second year, Blogathon Canada celebrates the tremendous craft, talent, and passion of the online quilting community in Canada.

Each day host bloggers will introduce themselves and their work on their blogs. They will include links to more blogs from their province so you can visit those blogs as well. The host bloggers (me and others) will also host a giveaway of some of their favorite goodies from Sew Sisters so you have a chance to win every day of the week! This year Sew Sisters has teamed up with Aurifil, Northcott and Robert Kaufman to bring you even more fantastic giveaways! Check out their blog for more info and see how you can join the party! Go to Sew Sisters Quilt Shop blog post.

Monday, November 18	BC	Holly	Holly's Red Bike
Monday, November 18	BC	Heather	Winding Bobbins
Tuesday, November 19	Maritimes	Adrienne	Chezzetcook Modern Quilts
Tuesday, November 19	Maritimes	Marjorie	Marjorie's Busy Corner
Wednesday, November 20	AB	Katherine	Sew Me Something Good
Wednesday, November 20	AB	Andrea	Urban Quilt Works
Thursday, November 21	SK	Flo	Butterfly Quilting
Thursday, November 21	MB	Kathy	Tamarack Shack
Friday, November 22	QC	Izzy	Dizzy Quilts
Friday, November 22	Territories	Danielle	A Geeky Crafty Life
Saturday, November 23	ON	Jackie	Jackie's Art Quilts
Saturday, November 23	ON	Krista	Krista Quilts

I Am On A Roll

I am finally back in my studio creating.   I have about 3 projects on the go, but currently on my design wall is a multitude of colour!  And I am just loving it.
It started with this fantastic medley of colour.... can I just point out again how much I love circles and dots?

I could stare at this picture all day.  Seriously, it is that perfect.  Now I am only showing you a little,  tiny bit of the blocks I am working on... but you get the picture right?

I also am playing with hexies... in dots!   

I couldn't go to market this fall, so the wonderful people at Martingale Publishing sent me my author badge anyway!  How darling are they?   I may just wear it to the grocery store, I am so darn thrilled to be in one of their books!   

The book should be arriving on my doorstep very soon... and i will have some giveaways!

The winners from Houston Festival are up.  Check it out.

Life Got Busy

I am not really sure what happened, but I ran out of time each day for the last month.   I think things are slowing down a bit as I am actually entering my studio and making a bigger mess than was already there=)

I have made a little table runner using The Quilted Fish's 'Madhuri' fabric line.  I should mention for the 99th time how much I love the diamond fabric, and I am pretty much out of it now.   Boohoo.

 

Do you see the ricrac border I did around it?   I just had to give it a little embellishing.

I do love that fabric line!

I had to take a picture of this ribbon.  It is so beautiful and there are 91 metres on each spool!   It was only a dollar each.   I actually wanted to buy all 80 packages of it, but was with a friend and she was already looking at me a bit weird for purchasing as many as I did.  
I have no idea what I am going to do with it, so if any of you have some great quilt/craft ideas, please let me know!  I would really appreciate it.

Now that things are settling down, I will be posting more regularily.  My next post is almost done and it had dots, lots and lots of dots!

Published!

There are days when surprises come and make me happy!   This is one of them.

I picked up my mail and inside was the Martingale Publishing flyer that showcases the new books coming out in the next six months.

I was especially interested in this.   I did a quick look in the Table of Contents and zoomed to p. 11.   There was the book I was looking for 'Kitchen Stitches'.  

You know where this is leading right?   I have 2 projects in this book!   Imagine my surprise when I looked at their description and photos and on the bottom left is one of my projects.  See those little coasters?  Those are mine!  

I am so excited to actually have the book in my hand in January 2014, I can barely wait!   I can't show you the second project until the book arrives.

I am quilting too.   Up on my design wall I have one quilt that I have pinned tight and have lightly sprayed with water.  I am hoping that will straighten it out so I don't have to try and find somewhere to lay it out on the floor.  With 2 boys and a dog, that is tricky=)

While in Utah, I raided Amanda's studio, she is the ultimate fabric designer for Riley Blake Fabrics and goes under the name 'The Quilted Fish'.  She has a new line coming out called 'Twice as Nice' and it is super adorable.  I grabbed a bunch of the fabric and  made a fun placemat with it.   No quilt of mine can go unembellished.   Notice the giant red ricrac?

I am off to look at the Martingale flyer again...ok, mostly stare at p. 11 in awe=)