I'm still here....

It has been over two months since there has been any activity here.  I have busy quilting for my clients and enjoying my summer filled with fishing and camping and my oldest daughter's wedding!  Sitting down to edit photos and post them never seemed to make it to the top of the priority list.  Now that September has arrived I decided that I better make an attempt to get caught up in sharing some of the wonderful quilts that have visited my studio in the last few months!  Starting the catch up phase with four beauties today...

First up is Glen's Woodland Daybreak quilt.  The colour palette is beachy and serene and just so soothing.  Glen and Angela decided on the the Fascination pantograph and it was just what this elegant quilt needed.

Next is this cozy quilt that Mary made for her adult son.  The rich colours and matching minkee backing are very inviting.  

Mary chose the London Fog pantograph, and asked if I could add in a little personalization as well.  I love an opportunity to add a little something extra to one of my client's quilts.  I added some handwriting in one of the sashing rows that reads " Made with extra love, Mum 2021"  Mary shared that her son always asked her if the cookies that she baked were "made with extra love?"  I loved the story and was happy to make the request a reality.

Gay sent over this lovely nautical wall-hanging for a simple all over finish with the Breath of the gods pantograph.  The hardest part was choosing a thread color that looked good both the navy and light sections.  I ended up with a caramel colour that was similar to the highlights in the fabrics. 

And last but not least was this lovely applique quilt from Lenore.  Lenore said this quilt was about 30 years in the making, so she was happy to finally have it ready to be quilted.  

Lenore requested custom quilting for her project.  The applique was a mix of needle turn and machine styles.  I sent Lenore some doodles of a variety of different background fills, and she loved the look of a simple stipple.  I did not not stitch in the ditch around the applique, I just went close to it with the  background fill.  This was a less time consuming and therefore  more cost effective option that still provided a lovely finish.  There is always more that one way to quilt a quilt, and sometimes less is the right decision.

Lenore's choice of the solid purple border fabric was the perfect place for a feather border that added a little something extra.   

The quilting shows up so well on the solid light backing fabric.  The dark purple thread in the border and the white bobbin thread behaved really well too!

Pixelated Heart 2

Reneta sent this sweet Pixelated Heart Baby quilt for the same treatment that the last one got.  Reneta is a very generous quilter and is always giving things away so if she loves a project she oftern makes it more than once.

The Heartstrings panto is a nice simple finish. I always love to personalize quilts when the opportunity arises, and since Bria had already made her appearance I decided to include her name in the quilting.

This pink flannel backing is the perfect cozy touch!

Gail's Circle Dance

This beauty was made by Gail for her granddaughter.  Gail used the Crazy Curve 7" and Small Path 3.5" templates from Elisa's Back Porch to create the quilt.  The quilt is based on the Circle Dance pattern that it is included with the templates, but Gail put her own "Peacful" twist on it.

Instead of just joining 4 quarters together for the small circles, Gail tweaked the piecing to create Peace Symbols.  Love it!

Gail provided her favourite Hobbs 1000% cotton batting. She selected the "Yo-Yo" panto and asked that I select a thread that blended in as much as possible.  After a number of tries it was a very dark purple  - So Fine! #439 Amethyst  that didn't call too much attention it itself.

Gail creatively pieced he back with extra blocks and some fabric from her stash.

Because I knew this quilt was intended for a special individual I asked Gail if she would like me to add her granddaughter's name to the quilt. I loved how it turned out.

CIty Slicker for the Dorm Room

 I made this quilt for daughter #1 as a grad present for her new dorm room at the University of Manitoba.  This quilt has been in the making for a while, but residence move in day of September 3rd was my deadline. 

 

I asked for Kyla's input on this quilt along the way.  She had suggested that she could just take the original City Slicker quilt that I made when we were designing the pattern for Highway 10 Designs.  I wasn't quite ready to part with that one, and I wanted to make something just for her, I selected a jelly roll in some of her favorite colors and paired it with the icy blue background.

Kyla chose the Zephyr panto.  I used Quilter's Dream Puff batting so that washing and drying in the dorm would be nice and easy.  I used a variegated Fantastico thread called Misty Morn on top and Bottom Line blue in the bobbin.

I love to personalize quilts for my clients when given the opportunity, and I wanted to do the same for Kyla.  I wrote her name in one row of the panto.  Subtle, but present.

I wanted to make a couple of matching throw pillows to send along and I was lucky to have an extra bit of my Stonehenge backing once the quilt was finished, so I found some small batting pieces and loaded the pillow fronts and just kept on quilting the panto over them.

It was a close call but they fit!

This pillow was made from the little pieces of jelly roll strip that are left over from cutting out the quilt.

The second one was made from bits and pieces from the quilt and my stash.

And here you see it where it will be living for the next 8 months.  City Slicker is the perfect sized quilt for a standard dorm room bed.  This one is a twin XL.