Head Over Heels!©

It's almost a year to the day that Island Batik was in touch to request design submissions for their new Summer 2025 fabric scans. When I saw this "Colorburst" collection, I knew immediately it needed to become a fun, happy, stress free quilt. The design selections were made within a few weeks by Island Batik, and the fabric arrived here in Amherst in November (2024).  In addition to the fabrics in the collection, I also requested a solid black for the heels (! :)) and a multicoloured batik named Sunset for the backing.

Since the collection is also available in precut strips, this made for a super-quick quilt. I love all of these bright batiks together! 

Keeping to the simple theme, the machine quilting is also pretty basic:  stitched in the ditch between all sections, and then serpentine stitched down the centre of each strip.  Because of all the colour changes, I used a neutral grey (#2600) 40 weight Aurifil thread for the quilting.

The wool batting makes it soft and puffy and oh-so-cuddly!

The one problem I had was that this is a summer collection, and Nova Scotia doesn't look very summery in early December when it was time to take the pictures.

I did try a few inside (top picture) and came back several days in a row to catch some sunshine to show off these glorious colours.

Not only is the pattern easy to sew (especially using a pre-cut strip pack) it's also easy to vary the size of the finished project up or down. Instructions are given for a 50" x 60" lap quilt, but you could stop at crib size for a cheery baby quilt, stitched in no time.

The pattern and quilt appeared in the Island Batik (now a division of Lumin Fabrics) Spring/Summer 2025 Look Book and the fabrics are shipping to stores now.  Canadian shops can order both fabric and patterns through Montreal based J.N. Harper, the Canadian distributor for Lumin Fabrics.  Quilt shops can also contact me directly to purchase the pattern wholesale.

If you are shopping locally, both fabrics and patterns are available at Quilts By The Bay in Digby, and at the Sunrise Trail Quiltery just outside of Amherst.  If you are in the area and would like to see the quilt in person, Head Over Heels is part of a mini-trunk show of my quilts on display at Sunrise Trail Quiltery.

Lumin Fabrics is hosting a blog hop of their 2025 Summer collections, and you can see more quilts made with Colourburst starting tomorrow Sept 10.  The links for the blog hop participants are listed at the bottom of this post. 

Maybe you will be as head-over-heels as I was for this collection. ;)

Deadline for Quilt The North is Sunday!

This has been a year of upset in Canada, around the world, and even here in my sewing room. To paraphrase a well-known saying, "we can't change the wind but we can adjust our sails". Along with many others, I am deciding the way forward...reading labels and making choices based on country of origin. I can't do a lot but I can do a little, and all the littles add up to a BIG. To that end, I was thrilled to be invited to design a project for a CANADIAN monthly quilt subscription box. This new venture is the brainchild of Monika from @pennyspoolquilts

and I applaud her initiative and hard work to make this happen. Before you decide this means all maple syrup, moose, and maple leaves, it doesn't. It is a program that will showcase the work of Canadian quilt designers, showing off the individual style of each. (Clearly mine needs to be round yet pointy, right!? :)) The box contains fabric for the project along with other goodies sourced from Canadian suppliers. I look forward to sharing tidbits on Amherst, Cumberland County, and Nova Scotia in general so that you can enjoy a virtual visit to our area without leaving your sewing room. The deadline to sign up to receive the first box is Sunday, August 10 and you can do so by clicking my affiliate link:

https://www.pennyspoolquilts.com/pages/quilt-the-north...

I am really looking forward to this; my design is all ready for Box #2, and I will start sewing as soon as my chosen fabrics arrive!

"Enough drops of water can carve a channel in a stone."

Quilt The North

 

Is there a better time than Canada Day to launch a new Canadian quilt subscription box?!   This program is the brainchild of Monika of Penny Spool Quilts who decided a Canadian based project such as this was long overdue.  The details are pretty straightforward:  each box will contain a quilt pattern from a Canadian designer, fabrics and accessories for the project sourced in Canada, an exclusive quilt block from the designer's area (which can be made into a Canadian sampler quilt), information on the locale, AND some goodies from the area.  It will come to you via (who else?) Canada Post, and the price for the box will include shipping if you live in Canada.  Sounds good, eh?

Did I mention I happen to be one of the designers for this program?! (But I can't show you what I am making yet - it's a secret!)  If you click this link, it will take you to the site with more information, and a sign up form.  The cost is a modest $108. and if you register before July 13th you will get 10% off the first payment (i.e., off the first box for the pay-as-you-go plan, or off the first year if you sign up for a yearly subscription), plus a Maple Leaf quilt block pattern (pdf download) to kickstart your Canada sampler. The discount will be automatically applied, no coupon needed.

Please note that the link I am sharing is an "affiliate" link which means I get a small commission if you sign up using this link, so thank you for doing so.  

https://www.pennyspoolquilts.com/pages/quilt-the-north?sca_ref=9107679.qglEzuQ75P

It really does sound like a fun program and I am excited to be part of this program.  Happy Canada Day!

Il Borgo: 2025 Aurifil Advent Calendar Pre-Order

 Last year, Aurifil introduced their very first Advent calendar.  It was an overwhelming success and customers were so delighted that Aurifil has decided to continue the tradition. Il Borgo, Aurifil’s 2025 advent calendar is designed to capture the magic of the season through a maker’s lens. It invites quilters to rediscover the joy of anticipation — one colorful surprise at a time. Behind each door awaits a perfectly curated spool of Aurifil’s premium 100% cotton thread, ready to spark inspiration, creativity, and a few joyful moments just for you. It’s a celebration of craftsmanship, nostalgia, and the simple pleasure of a holiday tradition reimagined for the creative spirit of today. Pre-orders are being taken now, with delivery of the calendars in November 2025, in time to begin counting down the December days.

This palette of 24 hues includes five brand-new, limited-edition colors exclusive to this advent calendar in addition to a medley of Aurifil’s cotton thread weights, including the new Cotton 8wt/2ply and Aurifloss 6-strand divisible floss. You will also have access to a secure online portal - exclusive to calendar holders - filled with a trove of digital delights, courtesy of Aurifil.  This portal contains festive surprises, creative content, and added value each day.

As an extra touch of magic, five sets worldwide will include a rare golden spool. If you find one, you’ll win an exclusive prize from Aurifil valued at over $300!

This will be a limited production run, and orders need to be in to me by May 27th/2025 to guarantee on time delivery. I am offering these sets at a terrific price of $179.50 Cdn, plus $6. shipping anywhere in Canada. A $100. deposit is required at this time, with the remainder to be paid in November when the calendars ship.  To place your order, please email  karen at karenneary.ca

 

New Pattern: Well Anchored

 Well Anchored ©

When you hail from a seaside province, it's hard not to love all things nautical.  There is something so appealing about a crisp blue and white.

This pattern is for a table set - a centrepiece and placemats.  Alternately, the design could be used on a cushion top, or as a wallhanging. It features a very simple foundation pieced border, and raw-edge fused anchor appliqués.

My version is free motion quilted, but it could just as easily be done with a walking foot. This sweet anchor print made a perfect backing.

A square version is easily made by adding corners (pattern is included).

This shows the quilting on the back, which is kept purposely simple.

For fun, the placemats are quilted with wavy lines.

You can see little waves quilted around the anchors in the round version.

Here's the back:

Of course we took the set to beautiful Five Islands for pictures.

Pattern is available in print version on my website here, and can be downloaded at this link.  If you prefer etransfer, please email for an invoice.  Sew Karen-ly Created patterns are widely available at quilt shops, so please ask your local shop first;  we want to support our quilt shops! 

 

En Garde!

 

En Garde!

En Garde! With wings (and elbows) lifted, and sporting a Canadian jersey, this Canada Goose embodies the spirit of patriotism sweeping our country. The simple design shows a protective goose glancing upward at the gaggle of his compatriots who are at the ready to help. They've got his back. The sample shown is pieced from an ombre fabric and appropriately quilted with feathers. The name En Garde! is a double entendre, and a perfect one for a bilingual nation; not only is it a line from our anthem where we vow to stand “on guard” for our country, it is also a familiar term fencers use to warn their opponent to be on their guard.

I did audition several different backgrounds before settling on the azure blue ombré (a Radiant Gradient) from Hoffman.

It's always fun to match my Aurifil thread colours to the appliqué fabrics.

Basting the goose is my least favourite part of the process.  It's a necessary evil....

The pattern is printed on large format pages with the pieces all presented full-sized and mirror image, ready for tracing. The goose itself is raw edge appliqué and the border flying geese are foundation pieced. It's really a very straightforward design.

Because of the large format pages, this pattern will not be offered via download; it is print only, and only sold in Canada. You can order directly from my website, (karenneary.ca/patterns) or email me to arrange etransfer. En Garde! is also available widely in quilt shops including The Sunrise Trail Quiltery, The Quilting Shed The Quilting B & More, Edge Squared Quilting, and Sew Blessed Quilters to name a few. Please ask at your LQS!

PROUDLY:

New Pattern Release: At The Cove

This year as part of the 2024 Nova Scotia Fibre Arts Feestival, I have an exhibit entited “Quilts And Their Stories” at Mrs Pugsley’s Emporium. One of the stores I will be sharing is about a runner, “At The Cove.” Last fall I was contacted by author Barbara Emodi who was engaged in writing her latest novel when she was struck by a rather unique notion. This book, the 4th in the Gasper’s Cove mystery series, was to include her characters attending a series of workshops on a retreat weekend, where she has them make, among other things, a quilted table runner. She considered it might be fun if there was an actual pattern available in real life that could reference what the (imaginary) quilters were making, and wondered if I might have such a pattern. I didn’t…but I do now!

Barbara lives in Nova Scotia, and is a sewer with a great many books under her belt. The Gasper’s Cove Mystery books are published by C&T Publishing and have a wide readership. To say they are a fun read is an understatement; who doesn’t like a good “who dunnit”, especially when the main character is a sewer, and a Maritimer.

Having read the previous books in the series, I was happy to take on this delightful project. The parameters were that it be a simple runner, suitable for a beginner with not too much quilting or fuss, and one that might be finished up in a day. “At The Cove” features tiny appliquéd sailboats bobbing on the gentle whitecaps, and whales playfully waving their tails above the water. And of course, I photographed the runner on a beach, in a cove, in beautiful Five Islands, N.S.

The pattern is not included in the book, it is sold separately. The book Crafting A Getaway will be released on October 25, and the pattern will début at this year’s

Nova Scotia Fibre Arts Festival in Amherst. The runner will be on display during my exhibit Oct. 17 & 18 from 10-4, in the Clock Tower Building at 50 ictoria St E., Amherst, N.S. and the patterns will be available at my booth Saturday Oct 19 at the Zonta Fibre Arts Bazaar. You can ask for the book at your local quilt shop, or order it directly from my website.

Aurifil Advent Calendar L'Alpi

An advent calendar for thread lovers - how fun! Better than chocolate, each of these 24 compartments holds a small spool of Aurifil thread . The palette of 24 hues includes five brand-new, limited-edition 50wt colors exclusive to this advent calendar as well as the introduction of five new shades of 8wt and a medley of Aurifil’s cotton thread weights.

We are taking pre-orders for Canadian customers now until June 28. That's only 8 days away! These calendars are limited production and need to be pre-ordered. We are happy to ship across Canada for a very reasonable rate. Please email for more information.

Catch of the Day Lobster Tote

Drum roll please!  I am happy to announce the release of the 4th pattern in the Tidewater Totes series.  There's nothing that says "east coast" more than lobsters.   

I sewed the red, white and blue bag first and then saw this picture online, which suggested a totally different palette for my crustacean.  

I had the perfect mottled orange-red batik in my stash.

All the stitching on the bags is done completely by machine.

The colours are off in this shot, it's actually prettier in person, but you can't order up sunny days at will.  (Or at least I can't...)

The totes feature two inside pockets, one of which spans the width of the bag, and has a simple loop and button closure.  I actually used a wooden toggle on the green bag. The features are added with thread, but you could use a permanent marker (like a Sharpie) for the feelers and eyes if you prefer.

As before, we took the totes to the lighthouse park in Five Islands for the photo shoot.

If you have ever been near the Bay of Fundy when the tide is coming in, you will understand that it's no small feat to take good pictures.  These bags are all weighted down with bricks inside to prevent them blowing off the bench.  Even so, it's snap, snap, snap quick-as-you-can!

The totes for all 4 of these designs are available in print and download version on my website, and are shipping out to stores as I write so please check at your local quilt shop.