Thanks So Much!

Really appreciate the response I received to my last post.  Several folks responded that they took pictures for me; you can see the first of them here on Bonni's blog:
Thanks so much, Bonni!

This week I am packing workshop kits, and choosing quilts for a trunk show in Paradise, N.S., in May.  I have a lot of quilts to choose from, and I try to take different ones along each time I present.

 There are some favourites, though, that have to come each time.

The trunk show will be May 5th at 6:30 pm at the Paradise Community Hall, 10300 Highway #1 in Paradise, and is open to the public.  Who wouldn't like to spend an evening in Paradise? :)

Spread The Word!

International Quilt Festival opens in Chicago on Thursday.  Are you going?  I'm not...but my Rhythmic quilt is in the "Hands All Around" exhibit, representing modern quilt-making in Canada. 

If you are there, I'd love to have a picture of the quilt in the show. (photos are permitted,)   IQF runs from April 6 to 8, 2017, at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont, Illinois. Please pass this along to any friends who may be going. Thank you!!!

A Kid In A (Canadian) Candy Store!

I've been steadily working away on a commissioned piece and I am almost finished.  I like to reward myself at the end of each big project, so today I tooled off to Mrs Pugsley's Emporium.  I've been watching their Facebook page and knew they had lots of new fabrics in this week...lots of Canadian themed fabrics, as we are celebrating our sesquicentennial this year.

I bought a nice selection because this opportunity to purchase Canadiana doesn't often exist. Naturally I started with hockey fabric:)  It was fun to read the jersey numbers and connect them to the players' names.

 This panel has the coat of arms of Canada, as well as the flag of Nova Scotia.  Had to have that!

 There was a print with the flags of all the provinces and territories. Nova Scotia is right in the middle.

Another panel, looking very flag like, printed on top of the words to O Canada. Beautiful. These are Robert Kaufman fabrics, designed by Harper's, and will coordinate with Kona solids.

This is my favourite; I hope to use some of it this afternoon.

There were also new pins and charms, and a couple of those came home with me too: this Featherweight pin is appropriate (I own 4 Featherweights!).

The little charm is a hand-crank machine (I have one of those, too!)  Not sure if it will go on a chain, or on a bracelet.

Do you reward yourself at the end of each project?  It's my solution to UFO's!

Satin Stitching

Heavier thread weights can sure work to advantage when doing satin stitch!  I've been adding lettering to some quilt blocks, and practicing on scraps using different fonts.  I print out the size I want from WORD and then trace the letters onto fabric.  Putting two layers of tear-away stabilizer underneath my work means I don't need to use a hoop. Originally, I started with 50 weight thread going over the stitching twice.  Then I switched to a 28 weight thread and found it fills in the space between the stitches really nicely with just one pass. This is Aurifil colour 2725, a pretty soft blue. The needle is a size 90/14 metallic, which has an extra large eye.  50 weight thread in a matching colour is used in the bobbin.

Now I will gather my courage and stitch the letters on the top of the actual quilt.  Wish me luck! :)

Quilt Atlantic

If you are looking for a wonderful, quilty get-away this spring in a spectacular setting, take a look at what the Quilt Atlantic Retreat has to offer:

White Point, Nova Scotia - Now entering its 4th year, Quilt Atlantic Retreat is a tradition for fabric artists from all over Atlantic Canada. The 8 workshops offered this year, led by award winning instructors, include everything from quilting to miniatures and hooking. As in the past, but with a Canada 150th twist, participants will sew up as many new friends and memories as they do tips and techniques they’ll use in their future projects as they gather at White Point Beach Resort April 7 – 9, 2017.

Stitching together the perfect balance, the 2 night 3 day retreat combines half day and full day workshops amidst the schedule which also includes a Pop-Up Shop, Meet the Instructors Show and Share, and bonfires of course. Bev Crouse, the Retreat Coordinator and Host says the format continues to foster sharing of knowledge in a relaxed and welcoming setting. “Opening with a Meet & Greet really sets the tone for the weekend, and while the workshops are important, so too is the down time where experienced and beginner fabric artists mix, mingle and share their passion, even collaborate on new works. The energy and synergy is inspiring, it’s such a pleasure to curate” says Crouse.

The Retreat, guided by the Queens Quilt Guild, has stitched together a dynamic program. On opening day, Friday April 7th, participants choose from three half- day sessions. Miniature Landscape with Juliet Nolan, Stained Glass with Brenda Dunsmore and Wool Applique with Sue McEachern make for an all New Brunswick Instructor line-up. On Saturday the program evolves into a more intensive full-day workshop with a choice between Top Stitched Applique with Juliet Nowlan, Traditional Hand-Applique & Hand Quilting with Sue McEachern and Tiny Treasureswith Linda Hubbard (Part 1). Sunday wraps-up with workshops in the morning featuring Part II of Tiny Treasurer with Linda Hubbard as well as half-day sessions with Fabric Jewelry with Brenda Dunsmore Hooking-up Canada with Jane Steele.

Annually the sessions are selected based on feedback and trends. Juliet Nolan is a veteran fabric artist whose work in miniatures drew accolades from students at last year’s Retreat. Nolan says she’s honoured to be invited back. “I had a wonderful time teaching at Quilt Atlantic last year. The students were enthusiastic and their creations spectacular. It’s rewarding to see the craft so alive and celebrated” says Nowlan. Always a student, she too enjoyed taking in workshops by fellow instructors within the setting created by White Point.

It was following the completion of “Stitching White Pointers Together” that Quilt Atlantic was birthed. Donna Hatt, Marketing Manager for White Point Beach Resort, says it was the journey of creating, stitching and revealing the quilt that now hangs in the new Main Lodge that impressed upon her how meaningful handmade quilts really are. “We’d lost a 30 year old quilt made by a local quilt guild in the fire that took our Main Lodge. In an effort to replace it, we embarked on a Quilt Project with our good friend and fabric artist, Bev Crouse. Over 12 months we stitched our Story Quilt together with the help of more than 500 people.” Hatt says she and Crouse had been invited to show the quilt in progress at Quilt Canada in 2012 and it was there they’d gained inspiration for the Retreat.

With a goal to celebrate fabric artists, their craftsmanship and encourage its continuation within Atlantic Canada, annually the Retreat has kept to its promise to bring experienced and beginners together once a year to gain tips, techniques and create shared memories.

The ‘Pop Up Shop’ hosted Saturday April 8, is open to Retreaters and the public from 10am – 4pm. Participants this year include Lynns Quilting Studio, River House Rug Hooking, Brother Sewing Machines, A Needle Pulling Thread, Briar Wood Farms and Atlantic Fabrics.

With a few spots still available, there are two options for quilters and fabric artists wanting to attend the Retreat. For those living in the area, the Day Guest Package for three workshops and events is $125, while overnight packages are also available.

Quilt Atlantic promises to wrap Retreaters in the timeless warmth and love that has been synonymous with quilts for generations. For more information and to register for the Retreat, visit whitepoint.com.

Thanks For Noticing :)

Oh my...where has the time gone?  I confess I have been AWOL from blogging...but I'm back :) Thank you for all the emails, phone calls, and notes in the mail asking if all is well.  It is. I've been busily and happily quilting away, and getting ready for spring and fall workshops.  I do appreciate that my absence was noted. Thank you.
So...for a quick catch up, here's a few things which have been on my machine.  This queen sized scrap quilt was finished up a couple of weeks ago.  We found a perfect fence in Five Islands to photograph it.

It's a big quilt, and I did have concerns about doing it on my domestic Bernina, but honestly it was no problem at all.  I used Legacy wool batting, which scrunches up nicely on the machine bed.

Much of the quilting was simply stitch-in-the-ditch with the walking foot, as I wanted it "puffy", but I did work in a free motion feather in the inner border.

I used my favourite Aurifil 50 weight tan thread both top and bottom, and it showed up nicely on the backing.

I've also been playing with geese - both in structured blocks, and free form.  The blocks below are for a secret project, but I'll show you soon.  It's rather exciting :) Since these blocks are small with lots of pieces, I switched to a finer 60 weight Aurifil so there was as little bulk as possible in the seams.

The free form geese are a blast to sew .  I made several "swooshes" before deciding where they would work in a project.

This red, glittery one made me think of Santa blazing across the night sky, with a trail of exhaust billowing behind him!

It ended up as this wallhanging, which I will teach at a workshop during our Fibre Arts Festival this fall.  

I can't wait to get the red one finished up;  I've been looking for the perfect background fabric, and think I've found it.  These "goosey" inserts add a nice bit of pizzazz to a project, and are surprisingly simple to stitch.

Since there was a waiting list for the free-form curved seaming class at last year's festival, I will be re-offering that as well.  You can find more information on both classes here: http://www.karenneary.ca/workshops_2017.htm

(Just know that these workshops are filling quickly, so if you want to join us, please contact me soon to get your name on the list.)

Now I am piddling away at 16 patch blocks to use up some batik from my stash.

Thanks for reading, and for your patience.  Don't forget, you can always catch me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sewkarenlycreated/

Ribbon Winner

Marilyn Eparvier continues to wow judges with her version of "Florentine".  First, it was juried as a semi-finalist at the prestigious AQS show, and now she has won a coveted first place blue ribbon at the West Michigan Quilt Guild 2016 show.  With over 500 members in this guild, it had lots of competition. 

The judges were very impressed with Marilyn's work.

Thank you Marilyn for sharing your good news.  It's a proud moment for sure when that blue ribbon gets pinned on your quilt!

Tickets!

Wouldn't you love to win your Christmas baking supplies?!  Each year, La Guilde Acadienne de Clare puts together a fabulous (practical) basket of goodies, worth well over $300.00.  The tickets are $2. each, or 3 for $5., and it is drawn for at the Christmas tea on November 20.The winner does not need to be present to win, and the guild will deliver the basket up to Amherst if the winner is from here.  Perfect!

Members from this wonderful guilde have supported our Fibre Arts Festival from the beginning. There are a couple of carloads of quilters coming again this year for the week.  I have tickets available on this basket, just let me know how many you'd like! :).

A Piece of Home

On a recent trip to Five Islands, we went for a walk on the beach and I picked up a small piece of driftwood.  It made me think of all the times my friend Betty and I spent scouring the beach there for treasures when we were young. We couldn't wait for the snow to leave in the spring so that we could see what the harsh winter tides had washed up. Often there was amethyst;  I still have this rather sizeable chunk we found!

 The driftwood made a perfect hanger for this little beach scene.

All kinds of weights and types of thread were used in the quilting, including a silver holographic which added the sparkle of sun dancing on the waves.  Rather than binding the edges, I "faced" them for a clean edge finish. (You can find directions for this in my book, Quilting Beauties.)

This will go with me as a sample for my curved strips class at Fibre Arts Festival, and then hang here in my work room as a reminder of home.

Counting Our Blessings

Our garden has provided us with much delicious produce this season.  Even today, we harvested pole beans, peas, tomatoes and zucchini for our supper.  It was fun to pull out some scraps in fall colours for a new table runner.  I decided to use my Felicity pattern, as even though it was designed in the spring, the base of the fan always reminded me of a cornucopia.  I fussy words for the centres:  Hope, Family, Peace, Friends, Give Thanks, and Counting Our Blessings.

 I quilted swirls and scrolly leafy shapes using Aurifil 50 weight thread in green, gold, and natural.

My Grandmother made the little pumpkin in a senior's ceramics class many, many years ago and it's always part of our fall decor.

You can download the pattern here.

Festival Prep

There's lots of excitement here this morning, as orders have started to arrive for Fibre Arts Festival. W hat fun to open the boxes!

Included is a new shipment of my book, Quilting Beauties.  I love the line, "Live, breathe, quilt", that AQS has on the box. Words to live by :)

 Polly was particularly taken with the Aurifil box.

Perhaps an Italian cat helped pack it...? 

Inside were lots of goodies, including a few new items - cases, and thread collections. 

The thread cones have turned out to be a popular item, both with stand-up and sit-down quilters. These large spools hold 6,452 yards (5900 m) of 50 weight and offer great saving if you use a lot of thread.  They are in stock now in basic colours.

 There is also a "Basics" collection of 12, 50 weight 1300 m spools in a reusable case.

The 12 weight cotton has been replenished and several new colours added, including light blue and a really pretty rose.  Polly and I will be playing with thread all day!

"Home Sweet Home" For Ghoulies and Ghosties

With its Gothic arched windows and a clock tower reaching high into the night sky, it's not a big stretch to associate the building housing Mrs Pugsley's Emporium in Amherst with Hallow e'en. Owner Beth found the perfect fabrics to use in a special limited edition kit of her "Home Sweet Home" for this year's Row By Row experience. 

I had the fun of quilting this piece, and added some funky spiderwebs in the sky.  For the hands on the clock, set to a few minutes after the midnight witching hour, I stitched with a glow-in-the-dark thread from YLI.

The background of the building was quilted first in black 50 weight Aurifil thread, and then over-quilted using a bright red 28 weight Aurifil, to look like blood dripping down the building.  I do confess I was nervous about going over-board on this part in case it looked a little too gruesome, but it was all in fun. Beth added a broderie perse spider to her front door. (He's the busy fellow who spun all those webs in the sky!)

I'm not sure of the fabric line used in this piece, but it is perfect fit.  It contains snippets of Poe's "The Raven" as well as the old Cornish prayer, "From ghoulies and ghosties, and long-leggedy beasties, and things that go bump in the night, Good Lord deliver us!"

Kits go on sale tomorrow (August 30) at 1 pm at Mrs Pugsley's Emporium. Quantities are limited.

Maritime Beauty Redux

Nancie Wiseman Attwater of CA needed something eye-popping for her new table, and this Maritime Beauty she created certainly fit the bill.  Using Kaffe Fasset brights along with Moda solids, her beauties look like big, beautiful blossoms. Over-the-top gorgeous, Nancie!

You can see she has changed the inside of the centre blocks,adding smaller spikes in the quarter circle. She writes, "I love the way the colors all went together This is a great first time pattern for New York Beauties."  Nancie was so pleased with her results, she made another, smaller piece, which turned out equally gorgeous. Thanks so much for sharing the pictures, Nancie.

You can download the pattern for Maritime Beauty here.

AQS Quilt Week - Grand Rapids

AQS Quilt Week at Grand Rapids, MI, is now a sweet memory for Marilyn Eparvier, who was honoured to see her Florentine hang at the show. (You can see the complete list of semi-finalists here.) I just love how her quilt looks against the black curtains - it almost glows!

And speaking of glowing...here's a shot of Marilyn with her quilt - tired, but happy, after her long week of volunteering.

Sincerest congratulations, Marilyn!