MELON PATCH QUILTS

AIDS day quilt

2011-11-30T11:49:00.004-05:00

Quilt Block

Here is a link to the virtual quilt to support

the (RED) 2015 quilt. You can make a block

and add it to the others on the quilt.

Not a very good selection for quilters but

fun to do anyway and it helps promote a good cause.

I'm #1525 and tried to make it like a Cheap Trick Quilt

November Stashbusters class

2011-11-12T06:46:00.003-05:00

Well I have less than one week to start cutting my fabric for the next Stashbusters class. Not only do I have to cut out the fabric but I need to sew it together in strips. Wonder if I will get it done in time. Not to worry if I don't as Heather Stewart is used to me and the fact that I never come prepared to her classes. I wonder if when she sees my name on the registration list she just shakes her head in frustration?

I can't wait to make the quilt as it is very dramatic looking and I will finally be able to use up the eBay purchases I made years ago. I bought all kinds of Kaffe fabric and think it will go wonderfully in this quilt.

Cheap Trick concert- Rick's quilt

2011-07-23T09:58:00.004-04:00

OK so the concert was AMAZING and eventually my quilt for Rick made it up on stage and he has it. Thanks to the keyboard player for seeing it and getting it up there for Rick to pick up and take with him. Here are links to the videos if you wanted to see! (the photo is of the quilt in a heap on stage)

http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f20/CTQuilter/?action=view&current=IMG_0049.mp4

http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f20/CTQuilter/?action=view&current=IMG_0050.mp4

Prayer Quilt

2011-06-09T12:49:00.003-04:00

Here is a follow up post about the quilt I machine quilted for the Anglican Bishop's conference. (original post Oct. 2010) This photo show them presenting the quilt.

How much thread do I actually use?

2011-06-02T19:04:00.002-04:00

"How much thread it takes to quilt a quilt?" It depends on the size of the quilt and the type of quilting to be done. Everyone's technique is different so the following are only averages. Of course it is possible to use much more or much less thread. These numbers are for the top thread only.

Light Quilting Medium Quilting Heavy Quilting
Lap/Crib Size 200 yds. . . . . . . 400 yds. . . . . . . 600 yds.
Twin Size 400 yds. . . . . . . 800 yds. . . . . . . 1,200 yds.
Queen Size 600 yds. . . . . 1,000 yds. . . . . . . 1,600 yds.
King Size 800 yds. . . . . . 1,400 yds. . . . . . . 2,000 yds.

I saw this chart which estimated how much thread is actually used to machine quilt different sizes of quilts. I have no way to measure with my machine so I will have to go along with these measurements. No where does it total up how much thread I cut off and throw on the floor, only to be tracked through my house and vacuumed up later on- LOL

Quilt Show week is over

2011-05-29T20:37:00.003-04:00

Did any of you find the time to see any of the wonderful quilt shows in the local area?

I popped by the Ailsa Craig show on Thursday night and was thankful it was open late one night that week. The quilts were amazing and very artistic. Bought some purple fabric from the many vendors so our church can use it for our upcoming prayer quilts.

Friday AM I quickly stopped in the market downtown to see the CMQA show and saw Kelley and Carol who I have not seen in a long time and voted for Kelley's quilt for viewer's choice.

I then went to Perth Hall to see the merchant's mall and the Invitational Quilt Show where Heather Stewart's Snow Goose quilt was hanging and was surprised to see Willi Powell's quilt, that I quilted, there too. Both looked beautiful in the show. Unfortunately I did not get to the juried show as time was running out and it started raining and I did not want to walk across to the other building.

Hope you all found some time to get to at least one of the shows and thanks to all the hard working volunteers at all the shows.

Quilts of the Netherlands

2011-05-05T09:23:00.001-04:00

Just a quick reminder that the Ailsa Craig Community Quilt Festival is just around the corner.

May 23rd to 28th

at the

Ailsa Craig Recreation Centre

155 Annie Ada Shipley Street

Ailsa Craig

Check out our website and blog

ailsacraigquiltfestival.org

We still have some awesome Dutch and Canadian workshops available.

We are very excited to see you again.

The Ailsa Craig Community Quilt Festival Committee

please tell all your friends about the festival

Ham and Strawberry auction quilt

2011-04-24T17:00:00.003-04:00

Over this past year the ladies from church have been making the Fireside Log Cabin blocks in blue and white so that we can assemble them into a queen quilt that we will be including with the auction in June. The top is together and I just need to quilt it in May to have it ready for mid June. Here is a photo of the finished quilt top. The ladies have done a wonderful job and should be so proud!

update from Nicaragua

2011-04-24T16:55:00.002-04:00

Here is an email I received last week. It is from Nancy one of the PAN liaisons who works with the few sewing Co-ops in Nicaragua. They have been busy making school uniforms as well as the quilts. Earlier they had a few quilts complete and were selling them as well!

I'm in Nicaragua right now and have been working with the girls from Pastor Juilo's church. I must say they are doing well and am pleased with their progress. I delivered the serger and bobbin winder and three walking feet.

FYI ---- I have also given Iglesias Hermosa the contract for school uniforms. I was able to see a couple of skirts they made and I must say they have done a wonderful job. You girls should be proud of what your students have achieved.

Feb. Stashbusters quilt top

2011-04-24T16:52:00.003-04:00

I know it has taken a while to post the photo of my Stashbusters quilt from February, but here it is. I have the top done up to the sashing and will now need to work on the pieced border (hopefully on Friday)

Here is a photo so far.

Another Cheap Trick quilt ?

2011-02-26T08:21:00.003-05:00

Just heard a rumour that Cheap Trick may be in London on July 22nd- WOW!

So I will begin yet another quilt for them to give up on stage. This time will be Rick's Uncle Dick guitar. Here is a photo of the guitar, looks like I will be using a lot of fusible on this one!

Hopscotch Stashbusters class

2011-02-18T14:26:00.002-05:00

Well it is the night before my quilting class at Quilts and Calicos. We are making Heather Stewart's Hopscotch pattern. The instructions say there is a lot of cutting so once again I am finding myself just beginning to cut the fabric at the last minute. Not to worry, I will get it done!

Joan and Linda picked me an assortment of Thimbleberries fabric which are just beautiful. I will post a photo of a finished block on Saturday night.

The girls in Nicaragua have been busy!

2011-01-27T21:29:00.002-05:00

Just got an e mail today showing photos of the finished blue quilt that they were hand quilting when we were in Nicaragua. Also a photo of another strip quilt for their order. They have been so busy in the 2 weeks since we left! WAY TO GO!

Finished strip baby quilts

2011-01-21T11:10:00.004-05:00

Look at these proud faces with their finished baby quilts.

Sewing team and students

2011-01-21T11:09:00.002-05:00

Ice Cream social photos

2011-01-21T11:08:00.003-05:00

These kids are so cute and were so happy to get two ice creams on Sunday after church!

Hand quilting and hand piecing photos

2011-01-21T11:06:00.003-05:00

Here are the girls working on hand piecing with Jane and hand quilting on both a large and small frame.

Photos of the quilting students

2011-01-21T11:03:00.003-05:00

These photos are of the quilting group working on their strip baby quilts and their first order for the co-op.

Photos of the sewing students

2011-01-21T11:00:00.003-05:00

Here are some photos of the students working on their baby slings, blouses and school uniforms and some finished blouses being modelled.

Photos of Nicaragua

2011-01-21T10:29:00.002-05:00

Here are some photos of the country, the volcanos, the beach and local homes.

Nicaragua trip recap

2011-01-21T10:20:00.001-05:00

Once again I have been blessed with the opportunity to teach sewing and quilting on another humanitarian trip. Our team would be teaching a group of 25 women who are starting up a sewing co-op in Niquinohomo, Nicaragua.

We would be spending almost 2 weeks teaching various projects such as baby quilts, baby slings, blouses, tote bags and school uniforms. There was a team of 4 quilting teachers and 4 sewing teachers and then 2 very brave women who would be teaching crafts to the many young children from the village who were on their school break.

We arrived in Managua, Nicaragua on a Monday and were taken on a quick tour of the city to have a look around at our home for the next 2 weeks. Nicaragua is the largest country and is the poorest country in South America where 48% of the population lives below the poverty line and 80% of the population lives with less than $2 per day. This country is still trying to rebuild after the massive earthquake in the early 1970’s and the end of their war in the 1980’s. I was not expecting the poverty that was before me as we drove around, not knowing it was only going to be much worse in the village where we were teaching.

Tuesday was our first day of teaching and we spent a little over an hour driving through the country, up the hills to the church where we would be teaching. The road progressively got more bumpy and remote and some times we were worried our van wouldn’t make it up the hill or would tip over. Luckily we had an amazing driver Victor, who kept us safe and straight on the road!

Since most of our bags were delayed we were glad we packed our teaching samples in the carry on luggage. I was one of the 4 quilting teachers and our first project was a strip baby quilt. Pauline set up the cutting station and demonstrated how to rotary cut our needed strips and some colour theory with the fabric we had available. Maggie, Jane and I all worked on piecing the quilt top with our students and most of them caught on quite quickly. I showed them how to tie the quilts, as this was the easiest and quickest way to hold the layers together. By the end of the first day there was one baby quilt completed and so many more that were close to being finished.

Working along side of us was the sewing group where they were teaching how to make blouses, tote bags, baby slings and school uniforms. We based our projects on useful items these women would need and be able to sell to the local community at different markets.

Outside Ann and Diane were teaching the kids and young women various crafts which included pop can tab belts, beaded necklaces and bracelets, photo frames, fabric dying and paper crafts. They also played sports with the kids like beach balls and kites as well as played musical instruments. We were so thankful for sunny weather those weeks.

The week progressed with every student making a blouse; tote bag and baby quilt for themselves. Teaching the baby quilt was a wonderful project as most of the 25 women who were our students were teenage mothers and needed blankets for their children. It can get quite chilly at night during the winter months and most of these quilts were backed with novelty flannel fabric perfect for their children.

Towards the end of the first week we arrived at the Church of Hope to find that there was no electricity. This is quite common in the area so Jane came prepared with a binder of English and Spanish quilt block patterns and set the students up to learn hand piecing. Jane had been waiting all week to teach hand quilting and now was her time in the spotlight! She had beautiful batik fabric all cut out for samples and showed the students how to measure, cut and mark the pieces for hand piecing. They spent hours working on these blocks that would be assembled into a large sampler quilt. I set up a small hand-quilting frame and taught 6 girls how to hand quilt on a preprinted baby panel. Once the students got the hang of hand quilting I stepped back and watched this Nicaraguan quilting bee. The girls were chatting and socializing much like we would do in North America at a quilting bee.

Mid afternoon the electricity came back on and most of the students went back to piecing on the sewing machines or sewing garments and school uniforms. Jane had 3 girls that stayed with her to continue hand piecing and these girls remained for the rest of the week with Jane. They seemed to really enjoy hand piecing as well as the chocolates and candy Jane had at her table. We can always count on Jane for treats.

Both Friday and Saturday the students rotated through all the stations and almost everyone had completed their required projects. Since some of them enjoyed hand quilting on the small frame, Gail set up the large wooden quilt frame outside with a large quilt top to hand quilt. There were a few girls and one teenaged boy that learned hand quilting. At the end of the day this boy was still hand quilting when the other girls had gone home.

On Sunday we went back to the church for their service. This was one of the best days of the trip. All week we had the luxury of having a translator named Henry. He was invaluable as none of our students spoke any English. Every time we wanted to demonstrate something or if someone had a question you would hear someone yell “HENRY” and he would come running over to translate. Henry was a big help during this church service since Pastor Julio only spoke Spanish. They are a very musical and energetic parish and their service consists of hymns where everyone sings and claps. Our group tried to learn a short song in Spanish to sing to the church members and participate in the service. During the service our team members were introduced and everyone shook hands and offered hugs. Then the congregation prayed over us and thanked us for coming to teach us sewing and quilting skills. They were crying and thanking us and it was a very emotional time. They expressed that we had given them hope that they can make an income and support their families and that brought tears to everyone in the church.

Earlier in the week an ice cream man pedaled his bicycle of ice cream down that bumpy road hoping to sell us some ice cream. Ann and Jane had a fantastic idea to have an ice cream social after church and made a deal with the ice cream man to bring back enough ice cream for 200 people. Well he came through for us and brought his ice cream back on Sunday. What a treat on such a hot day for everyone to have ice cream. There was even enough extra for the young kids to have a seconds. It was a wonderful day.

Monday we were back teaching and since all our students had finished their baby quilts we then started on some new projects. Pauline took a few of the more accomplished quilters and used the skills from piecing the strip quilt and started on a twin-sized quilt. Jane continued with hand piecing and I showed the other girls how to piece a string block. We were now having the girls work on projects that would be put together into a large group item that the co-op would sell. The Inn where we were staying was very interested in the work the girls were doing and after showing them samples they placed an order for 4 twin size quilts to use on the guest beds. Pauline’s strip quilt and my string quilt would be the first two quilts for their first order.

The rest of the week we finished up the quilts, uniforms and blouses. On our last day we lost power again as a gust of wind knocked down a tree and the power lines. We had to show them by hand how to attach the binding on the quilts and thankfully Pauline had brought a sample with the binding in progress so we used that to demonstrate.

That afternoon we had a meeting with the co-op members and told them how hard they had worked, how proud we were of their accomplishments and that we wished them well for the future of their co-op. Some of the students thanked us again for teaching them and there were more tears and hugs as we said our good byes.

The vision Pastor Julio has for these girls and the co-op is a very positive one where he wants to network with other churches and communities and rent booths at local markets so that these girls can sell their products. They have the supplies, skills and ambition to move forward and we are so happy for all the girls that touched our hearts on this trip.

Thank you to everyone for making this trip such a success.

Last night in Nicaragua

2011-01-12T22:25:00.000-05:00

Just packing and getting ready to come home. Will blog and post photos when I get rested.

Had an amazing time teaching some wonderful young women!

- Posted from my iPod

The bags made it through customs

2011-01-03T05:45:00.000-05:00

WOW. All 24 bags of sewing and quilting supplies made it through. The didn't like the serger and made us open that bag. Just waiting to board the first flight. Will keep you posted.

- Posted from my iPod

Nicaragua January 3rd!

2011-01-01T21:11:00.003-05:00

Hola!

I can't believe it is the night before I head to Toronto to meet with our team travelling to Nicaragua. All our planning, fundraising and packing is complete and we are on our way.

Thanks again to everyone who has made this trip possible and so successful. In addition to all 24 bags of sewing, quilting and craft supplies we are taking, we have also purchased a serger and 2 medical packs.

There are 25 sewing supply kits for the students, numerous gifts for the children in the hospital and orphanages we will be visiting as well as care packages with toiletries and nightgowns for the women in the hospital.

I will take as many photos as I can and post a report when we return.

Adios!

Nicaragua is fast approaching!

2010-12-08T21:02:00.002-05:00

Once I get my Christmas orders completed then it will be full steam ahead with the planning and packing for Nicaragua! We have our suitcases packed- Many thanks to everyone that donated supplies. Any thing extra will be boxed up and sent down in a cargo container in the new year.

One of the PAN Missions reps is in Nicaragua now and e mailed us some information.

There are 25 sewers which works out well as I have assembled 25 sewing kit gift bags for the women. Currently they are making bedspreads and pillow cases. 5 women are new sewers. There will be 10 sewing machines for us to use when we are there. The sewing will take place in a newly build church and the congregation is taking pride in keeping this facility neat and tidy and it appears to be in a "very very poor" area.

There will be 120 children who will be coming to learn crafts as it is their Summer/ Christmas break for the time we are there.

Specifically the Co-op has asked us to teach them how to make school uniforms which consist of white blouses and nave blue pleated skirts. They have never attempted this kind of garment before so we are in for a challenge!

Can't wait for January 3rd!

Anglican Prayer Quilt

2010-10-22T11:12:00.003-04:00

Here is a photo of the finished prayer quilt for their Conference this weekend where it will be presented to the Bishop. It was nice to see all the different blocks supplied by various churches and see how they depicted the theme of prayer.

Quilt Show in Nairn this weekend

2010-10-14T12:41:00.003-04:00

There will be a quilt show in Nairn on Friday and Saturday this week. New quilts and antique quilts will be on display and they will have a vendors mall as well.

Here is a link for more information:

http://www.ourquiltingreflections.org/visitors-1

I attended the quilt show this morning-WOW did it look great! It was beautifully displayed and there were so many volunteers to help that it was working like a well oiled clock!

There was a nice assortment of quilts including hand quilted, machine quilted and antique quilts. The vendors had their own rooms to display their products which made it easier for shopping.

Overall a great show- Congratulations Ailsa Craig Community Quilt Festival!

Church Quilting Group- Fireside Log Cabin

2010-10-03T19:27:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow will be our second meeting for the learn to quilt group at church. Here is a photo of the Fireside Log Cabin block we will be making. Last meeting we learned how to cut the strips in desired lengths. Tomorrow we will be piecing the blocks. Eventually we will have enough to make a queen size quilt that we will auction at the Ham and Strawberry supper in June.

Pad Party fundraiser

2010-09-18T13:16:00.002-04:00

Here are some photos from last night's Pad Party. Once again thanks to Jane and Sharon for all their planning and organizing. 185 pads made and $1500 raised for our trip to Nicaragua!

WAY TO GO EVERYONE, THANKS FOR YOUR HELP!

Sew A Thon Tally

2010-09-17T23:57:00.000-04:00

$1500 and 185 pads from tonight's fundraiser ! Way to go everyone. Thanks Jane for all your planning.

- Posted from my iPod

Sew A Thon

2010-09-17T10:06:00.000-04:00

Almost packed and ready to set up for the Sew A Thon today at Jane's. Will post photos and a recap of the day when I am back.

- Posted from my iPod

Sew-A-Thon fundraiser this Friday in NOTL

2010-09-13T10:46:00.002-04:00

On Friday I will be heading to Jane's in Niagara on the Lake for a sew-a-thon fundraiser to raise money for our Humanitarian Mission to NIcaragua in January. Jane has nicknamed it a Pad Party as we will be sewing (assembly line style) sanitary pads for the women in the village where we will be teaching. These women lack the daily necessities that we in Canada take for granted and believe me we take sanitary pads for granted!

Jane hopes to arrive in the village with 3 pads per women so we are going to be sewing all night long! The sewers are collection pledges for the evening either a dollar amount, per hour amount or even per pad completed amount. If you would like to sponsor our evening, just let me know!

For those who don't know Jane, she is so full of life and always happy and encouraging. I know she will make this night so much fun and full of laughs. Get ready for a sew-a-thon to remember! Here is a link to her info: JANE'S BLOG

Will post a recap when I get home on Saturday!

Pig Roast fundraiser for Nicaragua

2010-09-08T21:58:00.002-04:00

Tonight we held a pig roast fundraiser to support our group trip to Nicaragua. There were close to 200 people there all enjoying the roast pig, salads, apple stuffing, buns, veggies and cheesecake. Everyone did such a great job with all the jobs and the evening ran smoothly.

Next fundraiser will be a sew-a-thon at Jane's in Niagara on the Lake. Will keep you posted on how that even turns out!

Thanks to everyone who participated and attended the pig roast fundraiser!

today's SOLO meeting

2010-08-28T18:00:00.002-04:00

Just back from a fun SOLO meeting hosted by Helen Mary and Debbie Winn Talullah. We all enjoyed a pot lunch which included delicious salads and many calorie free desserts! Who needs anything other than salads and chocolate?

We all tried to help Helen figure out what to quilt on her bear paw blocks and saw wonderful show and tell. There was some CMQA news about upcoming classes and the plans for a members only juried quilt show to coincide with the CQA show in London in 2011.

Jane and I also let everyone know about our trip to Nicaragua and our fundraising events. THANK YOU to everyone for being so generous with donations of quilting and sewing supplies and monetary donations as well. You are all so supportive of our humanitarian missions!

Thanks again Helen and Debbie for a fun afternoon.

Nicaragua Mission Trip in January

2010-08-10T16:33:00.003-04:00

WOW, once again I am blessed to be able to use my skills to help others. In January, I will be traveling to Nicaragua with a group of women including my friends Pauline and Jane and we will be teaching women how to sew and quilt.

The area we are traveling to is called Niquinohomo and it is a remote village in the hills. This area has many agricultural farms producing limes, oranges, mandarins, bananas and avocados. Nicaragua is the second largest country in Central America and the second poorest as well. It's population is just under 6 million people. 48% of the population lives below the poverty line and 80% of the population lives with less than $2 per day.

These women will be learning how to make some items they need within their community such as diapers, crib bedding for the hospital, hats for children, aprons, slings to carry their children and other household items. We will also be teaching them how to hand quilt on Q-Snaps and a large wooden quilt frame.

This sewing program will need all the support they can get and once again I will be collecting sewing and quilting supplies. If you had anything you wished to donate please contact me and I will come and pick it up.

They will need the following:

Pins and Needles

Scissors

Thread

Elastic, Snaps, Buttons and Velcro

Fabric pieces at least 1 metre

Keep watching for more information and thank you again for your support!

August SOLO meeting

2010-08-06T17:25:00.005-04:00

SOLO meeting

Satuday Aug. 28, 2010

11:30 – 4:30

Grace United Church

174 Caithness St. E., Caledonia, On.

Hosted by Helen Hubert & Debbie Winn

Pot Luck lunch starting at noon.

Theme: bring your brain. Seriously!! We will have flip charts and/or white boards to show & share quilting ideas. Think specifically about weird blocks you have felt really good about quilting. Personally, I hate Bears Paw blocks, so I’d love ideas on that.

Quilters Dream batting

2010-07-12T19:40:00.002-04:00

Just letting everyone know that I am now carrying Quilters Dream Cotton on the 98" roll.

It is a 100% Pure Cotton Batting made with the finest USA natural and environmentally friendly cotton and specially processed Dream Cotton so that you can quilt up to 8" apart. No prewashing necessary!

I have both the select weight and request weight in the natural colour.

HST news

2010-06-16T12:28:00.002-04:00

WOW, is there really good news regarding taxes? For me there is! HST will be implemented on July 1st and when doing my inquiring about how Melon Patch Quilts should get ready for it, I found out that the GST rules are the rules they will use for the new HST.

THE GOOD NEWS IS..... businesses that currently do not collect GST are not required to collect HST. PST is being eliminated by the HST therefore I do not have to collect any tax starting July 1st. (HST, PST or GST)

That will be a welcome change for anyone paying for their quilts! And no additional paperwork for me.

WOO HOO

Church Prayer quilts

2010-06-07T14:09:00.006-04:00

Well we have had 3 learn to quilt meetings at church and the ladies are doing wonderfully! Everyone is so eager to learn how to cut and piece the prayer quilts. We have 1 quilt almost finished (just needs the binding hand sewn), 1 quilt that needs to be quilted and bound and then enough blocks for a 3rd quilt. I think that everyone wants to continue with our meetings in the fall and hopefully they will all be challenged to make a queen size quilt that we can auction at the Ham and Strawberry Auction in June 2011. Here is a photo of the 1st quilt.

Kansas Troubles Block of the Month

2010-06-06T08:32:00.002-04:00

Here are some photos of the Kansas Troubles block of the month that Quilts and Calicos is offering. It is a beautiful quilt with some wool applique flowers and birds.

Vanilla Orchid pattern

2010-05-31T10:16:00.003-04:00

Here is one of my newer patterns that I just love. It is a larger flower with some swirls and leaves and looks beautiful on simple fabric or floral fabric.

Painted Quilt Block Murals- from the LFP

2010-05-26T08:09:00.007-04:00

Lorna Svendsen of Wardsville paints a quilt in the foreground with Josie Easton in the distance as Wardsville gets ready to display the painted quilts on buildings to celebrate their bicentennial.

A painted quilt up on a credit union in Wardsville, is but the first of many that will be mounted on buildings to celebrate the bicentennial of the town.

Denise Corneil and Bob Davis of Wardsville with the painted quilts that are being painted.

WARDSVILLE - A big old-fashioned quilting bee - only with paintbrushes instead of needle-and-thread - is one of this community's 200th birthday gifts to itself.

As Wardsville celebrates its centennial next month, it is also telling the story of its founder, George Ward, in 30 large murals that will be affixed to buildings in and around town.

They're called "barn quilts" because the squares look like traditional quilting blocks.

And this may be the first such collection in Ontario.

"This is really rural, country folk art," said organizer Denise Corneil.

Painting, taping, and sealing the 8 x 8-foot blocks has taken place for months in the basement of Beattie Haven retirement residence.

When finished, the blocks will go up outside select barns, sheds, stores in a 60-kilometre radius, with a map that will direct drivers to the various sites and explain their meanings.

Volunteers have also stitched a fabric quilt that includes the same blocks.

IPM Quilt Show this weekend

2010-05-25T13:51:00.001-04:00

IPM Quilt Show Entry

2010-05-13T20:39:00.004-04:00

Well it is the night before I hand in my entry for the IPM Quilt show later this month. I bought the quilt top from Quilts and Calicos and then it was up to me to do the machine quilting! I have clipped threads, picked lint and pressed and starched until I think it is ready to go. Now I have cold feet about the whole entry idea. Each colour of fabric in the star has a different design and the cream corners were the perfect area to do some freehand feathers. I spent about 2 weeks drawing and redrawing the feather areas and then marked them so that I could then quilt. It took me 6 days to quilt the top during the March Break and then a few hours here and there to do the binding, sleeve and finishing touches. Wish me luck and I will keep you posted on the show later in May.

An e-mail from Africa

2010-05-13T11:57:00.003-04:00

Just recieved an e-mail today with news from Africa so I wanted to post it and let everyone know how well the program is doing. (I have posted a few photos from a craft fair where the Mzansi Quilt Centre had a booth a few months ago.)

"The quilting program is still on track and it seems as if we are selling more that ever before. Last month was a banner month with sales over 30,000 rand. We have some responses from the web site, and more of the local quilters are bringing their tops in for quilting. The Midlands Meander has attracted many tourists that come here to buy, and since the prices are so reasonable many buy quilts for presents. The local missionary outfits have found that the centre will make table clothes, so we are turning out literally dozens for the price of the fabric plus a small charge for binding. Added to this we have been selling wall hangers that we placed at several of the hotels for décor."

"We were visited by sheep ranchers from the Karoo that are interested in starting a quilting outreach program among the staff on their ranches. They wanted a long arm machine and Linda Taylor helped us become Gammill agents here in Africa. We ordered the machine and after much back and fourth paperwork and questions the new Vision was on the way. The machine and shipping charges came to about 140,000 rand, but customs and vat added another 23,000 rand. OUCH! We will have an interesting time transporting the crates to the Free State, and then Elisabeth has to set the machine up and train the crew."

Double Wedding Ring note pad

2010-05-06T10:18:00.002-04:00

My longarm machine quilting friend Jane send me this note pad since I just quilted the Double Wedding Ring quilt a few weeks ago. Isn't that thoughtful? Now I can write notes on fancy paper!

Thanks Jane.

Double Wedding Ring Quilt

2010-04-14T18:33:00.005-04:00

I just love quilting feathers and the double wedding ring quilt is the perfect design to showcase MANY, MANY feathers. In the rings I quilted a continuous curve design and then in the white background you can see the feathers. My eyes are going a little buggy as this is the 3rd day of working on this quilt. I think I will be dreaming about feathers tonight again!

Just finished it and posted the photo of the back of the quilt so you can see all of the quilting. LOVE IT!

Daisy quilt pattern

2010-04-09T17:42:00.003-04:00

Here are some photos of a Daisy quilt pattern that I just quilted as a shop sample for Quilts and Calicos. It is a really cute children's quilt with bunnies and ducks and daisies of course. It sure makes me think of spring today even if there is a bit of snow coming down.

Learn to Quilt class- April 12th at 7:30PM

2010-04-06T12:42:00.008-04:00

Thought I would update everyone on our learn to quilt group after tonight's meeting. There were a bunch of us that brought all our purple fabric so that we could learn to cut tonight. Everyone cut the strips in random widths and then we all divided it among the group so that our blocks would be made of the same fabrics. Everyone will try to do 4 blocks for next month's meeting where we will then square up the blocks and sew those blocks into rows. The ladies all learned so well and enjoy the night out! Keep up the great work and see everyone next month on May 3rd at 7:30PM

On Monday April 12th, I will be helping some ladies from Grace and St. George's Anglican churches learn to quilt. We will be starting at the very beginning by learning how to cut with a rotary cutter and ruler. This night we will be cutting purple fabric strips that will be used to make some sting blocks and then sewn into prayer quilts that we use at church to give to members that are ill.

Anyone can come out and join the group whether you are a member of the churches or not.
St. George's Anglican church: 12656 13 Mile Road just off of the Denfield Road.
April 12th at 7:30PM

Please remember to bring your purple fabric, quilting supplies and sewing machine. Supplies and fabric will be supplied if you do not have them.

Feed Your Passion Sale at Quilts and Calicos

2010-03-30T11:37:00.003-04:00

This Saturday, Linda at Quilts and Calicos is having a THREAD AND FABRIC sale. Here is one day where you don't want to sleep in as you miss out on extra savings!

If you arrive between 7:00 am - 9:00 am you will receive a ticket to get 35% off your purchase.

If you arrive any time after 9:00 am until 5:00 pm you will receive 30% off your purchase!

I wonder if we are allowed to shop in our PJs? Hope to see everyone on Saturday bright and early!

Spring Cleaning

2010-03-28T20:14:00.002-04:00

Here is a cute cartoon that we can all relate to when we start our SPRING cleaning.

Pathways Stashbusters quilt finally finished

2010-03-27T08:13:00.002-04:00

Yesterday at HITC I finished my February Stashbusters quilt. I think I will quilt it tomorrow because it is really pretty and I can't wait to see it finished. Also it is for a friend's birthday back in February so I have to get cracking!

Here is a photo of the top.

Jane at Kindred Spirits Quilt Co.

2010-03-27T08:10:00.005-04:00

Today is the Grand Opening at Kindred Spirits Quilt Co. where my best friend Jane has set up shop with her longarm quilting machine. I will be leaving in a few minutes to spend the day in Jane's new home away from home. Congratulations Jane!

OK I am home from Niagara on the Lake and visiting Jane at Kindred Spirits Quilt Co. It was a very busy Grand Opening as everyone wanted to come out and see what the new shop was like.

Here is a photo of Jane in her new quilting room at the shop where she will be on Wednesdays. The rest of the days during the week she will still be quilting from her home studio.

SOLO meeting at Jane's

2010-03-24T11:13:00.004-04:00

The last Saturday in February many of the local longarm machine quilters had a SOLO social at Jane's house. I was there for days getting ready for the event and to visit with Jane too of course. We Mari Lyn from Bytowne Threads displaying her threads and we all had to buy a few spools of Aurifil threads. The pot luck lunch was delicious and we even had a cake to celebrate Helen's birthday. Jane was showing us her newly expanded longarm studio and taking registrations for the longarm classes she will be teaching. April is booked up but there are still some spots available for May! Here are some photos from the event.

Quilts of Valor quilts

2010-03-24T10:31:00.005-04:00

I will be dropping off 2 of the Quilts of Valor quilts I machine quilted for Quilts and Calicos. Linda has had a few sewing days to make the tops and I will be quilting them so expect to see a few more photos in the future! This organization donates quilts to injured Canadian Forces soldiers. Thanks to everyone who participated.

Here are some photos of the first QOV quilts.

February Stashbusters Class

2010-02-09T09:22:00.003-05:00

Well my fabric is all washed- yes I said washed, and cut out ready to go to Quilts and Calicos this week for Heather Stewart's next Stashbusters class called Pathways. I am still trying to use up my stash of fabric so that I can have the excuse to buy more. Hopefully this class will make a bit of a dent. Here is a photo of the sample quilt.

Back from the class today and had a great time. Will continue to piece this quilt next Friday and post a photo when finished.

Cheap Trick concert in Toronto

2010-02-06T20:49:00.003-05:00

Some of you may know that I am a HUGE fan of the rock band Cheap Trick. I have made a few quilts for the band and usually try to give the quilts to them at their concert. This past week they were in Toronto again and of course I was there. After standing in line for 5 hours I was guaranteed a front row centre spot to stand for the show. Here is a photo of the Sgt. Pepper quilt I made for them as they were doing some shows in Vegas this past fall. This quilt is like the bass drum that Bun E. used at the Vegas shows. I also have a link to an article that reviewed the concert. Here is the link or if you just want to read the exciting part this is a quote from the article.

Someone in the crowd even tossed a beautiful, hand-made Cheap Trick Sgt. Pepper’s quilt onto the stage. Rick wrapped it around himself like a shawl ......

I had an amazing time as always and can't wait until the next show.

Here is the photo of Rick holding my quilt on stage!

Quick Handle Bags

2010-01-28T20:15:00.003-05:00

Here is a link to a cute and easy grab bag that I will be making this weekend at Memories Manor. They have other fast and easy patterns too so have a look around their web site for more projects.

GRAB BAGS

Will post photos when I get the bag done.

(I'm back and here is the photo of the cute bags I made. I am donating a couple of them to the Ilderton Skating Club so they can raise money at their silent auction this weekend)

I Believe BOM at Quilts and Calicos

2010-01-22T10:46:00.003-05:00

I am just quilting this adorable BOM from Quilts and Calicos. They will be offering it soon so that we can all get a jump start on our Christmas projects and get them done in time! Here is a picture to tempt you add just one more project to your list.

New Patterns

2010-01-21T10:44:00.003-05:00

Well I am back shopping on line again. Here are the first patterns to arrive. I am sure the others will be here next week and I will post them too. I must have been in a tree/ leaf mood when I bought these 3.

One Year ago today, US airplane in the Hudson River

2010-01-15T07:50:00.003-05:00

I watched a TV show earlier this week where the pilot of the US airplane explained how he had to decide where to land his plane that had lost power. There were only moments to communicate with the air traffic controllers and attempt to land at any closest airport or runway. I think we have all seen the news coverage of the plane land in the river and float there as the passengers were rescued. Last May while I was at MQS one of the entries in the quilt show was that exact photo turned into a quilt. Here is the news photo and the quilt photo. The hands that were quilted truly tell the story of the landing.

Anglican Fellowship of Prayer Quilt

2010-01-11T20:40:00.002-05:00

Grace Church and St. George's Church are participating in creating a quilt block for the Anglican Fellowship of Prayer quilt. Lynn Trute embroidered the praying angel and I pieced the block. Here is photo of the finished block. Once it has been pieced I have offered to do the machine quilting. It will be interesting to see all the blocks from all the different churches.

Jane's In Stitches is Expanding!!

2010-01-10T19:40:00.002-05:00

WOW, What a busy weekend. On Friday I went to visit my friend Jane in Niagara on the Lake. She is expanding her long arm quilting business and has purchased 2 additional quilting machines. Jane will be offering classes at her studio and bringing in long arm teachers from the United States as well. In February she will also host a SOLO meeting as it has been forever since all of us long arm machine quilters have gotten together.

We spent all weekend organizing her quilting studio, moving everything around and then bringing in the 2 machines and setting them up. We also found time to quilt on the new machines and decided that I should visit more often so that we can quilt together.

Here is a photo of her studio and then of the 2 new machines. Can't wait to go back!

News about The Quilt Project

2009-12-19T08:17:00.003-05:00

THE QUILT PROJECT TO WIND UP OPERATIONS

After 11 years of service and raising over $1.8 for Support for People Living with Cancer, the Board of Directors of The Quilt Project has made the difficult decision to discontinue the project. The organization has begun winding up operations, in accordance with the registered charity requirements of Canada Revenue Agency.

WHY?

Discontinuing an organization dedicated to raising funds to support people living with cancer was not an easy decision. We have been challenged by the current economic situation and the budget shortfall arising from organizations and individuals reducing overall donation dollars to The Quilt Project. The Board was encouraged to make this difficult decision at this time because a number of organizations raising money for Cancer now provide funds for support programs.

We are justifiably proud to note that the early groundbreaking work done by The Quilt Project has translated into support being provided by many mainstream fundraisers.

WHAT ABOUT THE QUILTS THAT HAVE BEEN DONATED AND NOT YET SOLD?

The uniqueness of The Quilt has been the source of the funds – wonderful works of art lovingly made by so many contributing their time and talent to support this worthy cause.

Before the Board made the difficult decision to wind-down the project, The Quilt made a commitment to work with “Willow Breast Cancer Support Canada” on a fundraising initiative and auction, to be held in the summer of 2010. Willow is a unique breast cancer support organization that provides free information and emotional support for those impacted by breast cancer. We will use donated quilts for this committed initiative and others that are aligned to providing support for people living with cancer.

If we have your quilt from the 2009 collection with us, or you or your group have sent in a “call for entry” commitment or quilt for the 2010 fund raising season, and if you no longer wish to commit this quilt for our June 2010 initiatives, please contact us. Otherwise, we are thrilled you will be continuing to support people living with cancer. We have been quite heartened by the enthusiasm that has been expressed to continue our work in this way!

THANKS TO ALL

We want to thank all the quilt donors, sponsors, volunteers and staff who have been a part of our 11 year journey. Carol Miller - as founder and visionary - has been the single most significant contributor to the success of The Quilt. Her dedication and determination are an inspiration to many. We thank her on behalf of The Quilt Project for her years of service.

Again, we thank you for your support over the past 11 years. Should you have any questions or concerns, we invite you to contact our office at 519-272-2588 or via email to quiltinfo@thequilt.com.

Mark Wiltshire and Gail Johnson Morris, Co-chairs on Behalf of the Board of Directors

More Fabric Bowls

2009-12-13T16:19:00.002-05:00

Here is a photo of the bowls I made on Friday. I still need to embellish them with beads so that I can give them as Christmas gifts. Now that they are made I need to get back to piecing more of the Stashbusters String Quilt so I can use up my stash! That will be January's project!

Hot Apple Cider recipe

2009-12-13T15:57:00.004-05:00

Had a great time at Hole in the Closet class all day Friday at Quilts and Calicos. For all of those who would like my secret recipe for hot apple cider, here it is. I also thought of after the fact, that if I put all the spices into cheesecloth and tied that up with cotton string that would be a great way to keep all the "debris" together and out of our mugs. (right Nancy?)

1 jug of PC apple cider

2-3 cinnamon sticks

2 nutmeg balls

a pinch of ground nutmeg

a pinch of cloves

Heat it up and serve.

Jim Shore quilting figurines

2009-12-07T15:53:00.004-05:00

I love the Santa figurines that Jim Shore makes. He has many different figurines such as snowmen, cats and angels or different themes like Hallowe'en, Easter and Christmas and they all have some sort of quilt block design on them. I try to get a new Santa each year to decorate my house. I have found a cute little sewing machine that I think will be my next purchase!

Here is a link to all his products- Jim Shore

And here is a link to many cute desk top images for your computer, all of them for free to download- images. I think I will use the snowman for winter!

Underground Railroad Quilts

2009-12-02T11:20:00.002-05:00

A while back I stopped by the Lucan Museum to have a look at their quilt display. Only a few were quite old and many were made over the past 50 years. Here are some photos of the ones they had as part of their Underground Railroad quilts.

Batik fabric from Mexico

2009-12-01T13:58:00.002-05:00

I have been really busy catching up after getting back from Mexico on a family vacation. Haven't been away like that since our honeymoon. Yikes that makes me feel old! One of our day trips while on vacation was to a Mayan ruin. I was too chicken to climb up to the top- I only made it a few steps. Dan went all the way to the top and back down again. His legs were like jello he said. Moments after climbing the Coba ruin our tour bus was about to leave. I spotted a vendor selling hand dyed batik panels so Dan offered to RUN down the street and get me one. Poor guy, after climbing all those steps I then made him run. What a sweetie.

Make a Wish Fund Raiser

2009-08-25T14:31:00.004-04:00

MAKE A WISH-Blue Night Reception and Golf Classic

4th Annual Blue Night Reception took place the evening of July 22nd at Sunningdale Golf and Country Club. They had an auction that evening to raise money for Make a Wish and Mary Anne P. pieced a quilt to donate and kindly asked me to do the machine quilting. She just heard back from the coordinator and the quilt raised $285 which is fantastic!

Elisabeth is teaching kids in Africa to quilt

2009-08-25T12:38:00.003-04:00

Had another e mail today letting me know that Elisabeth from the Mzansi Zulu Quilt Centre is teaching children a learn to quilt class. Their ages range from 8-13. Here is one of the students and her name is Khetthwe Shezi. I love the photo of Khetthwe kneeling on a chair while long arm quilting!

Funny Machine Quilting Comic

2009-08-23T19:03:00.003-04:00

Helen, a fellow longarm quilter sent me this cartoon today. Made me laugh!

FABRIC BOWLS

2009-08-21T20:49:00.004-04:00

Today I took a fantastic class taught by Heather Stewart at Quilts and Calicos.

We all made fabric bowls of different sizes, colours and fabrics. They work up so quickly and are so much fun, not to mention beautiful. EVERYONE will be getting these as gifts for the next few years, or until I use up my stash. Here are some photos.

Heather even suggested we embellish them with trims and beads so I came right home after class to embellish my brown and green bowl. I just love it.

Vacation in NY State Parks and Vermont

2009-08-19T18:26:00.003-04:00

Last week we had a family vacation camping in the Fingerlakes Region and Adirondack Region of New York State and then on to Lake Champlain in Vermont. Tried to find a quilt shop but did not see one.

In Vermont on Grand Isle we visited Hyde Log Cabin which is believed to be the oldest log cabin in the US- built in 1783. Inside we saw some amazing antiques and they had a quilt on one of the beds. Many of the antiques were donated so I can't say it belonged to the Hyde family but it sure was interesting to see the fabrics used.

Also while driving in NY we decided to stop at Almanzo Wilder's homestead. Alex is a HUGE Little House on the Prairie fan so this was the hi-light of her trip (and seeing Jimmie Johnson at the NASCAR race) They would not let me take photos in the house so no quilt pictures but we could take photos in the barn and this is a needlepoint sample made with some wool that they would have had from their sheep. I thought it looked like a quilt too.

Despite the rain and bugs we had a great time away!

More ribbons won at the Royal Show in South Africa

2009-08-08T07:47:00.002-04:00

Once again the quilts entered by the Mzansi Zulu Quilt Centre won ribbons at the Royal Show. It is the biggest show in the State and it lasts 10 days.

In the Outreach class Lungile won 1st place. Rose Ndelela won 2nd place. and N Ncobese won 3rd place. Other winners include Lungile again for 2 more quilts, S Nene, B Skakhane, M Mbanjwa for 2 quilts and Rose Ndelela. In the Junior class, Lungile's daughter Nosipho won 1st place. Nosipho sold that winning quilt and has orders for a few more. Nosipho's 12 year old cousin (not sure of his name) also sold his first quilt. Elisabeth who runs the Mzansi Centre also won 1st place in the Traditional Class, 3rd place in traditional Small Class and 1st place in Innovative Class.

Here is a photo of their vendor booth at the Royal Show.

Congratulations to all the winners!

Update from Africa

2009-08-05T20:33:00.005-04:00

Had a quick e mail today as our phone call yesterday was so short and hard to hear because of the poor connection. Here is what Elisabeth wrote:

"The Mzansi Centre is going well and we have two booths booked for the Provincial Garden show and the Hilton Art show next month. The finished quilts are coming in and we sell about one a day at the centre."

Frequently Elisabeth and the quilters rent a booth at local craft shows to sell their quilts. They do quite well at these venues! It's great to hear that they are selling about one quilt per day at the centre which is great income for the many quilters!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LUNGILE !!

2009-08-04T14:36:00.003-04:00

Just got off the phone with Lungile in Africa. Today is her birthday. I wished her well and to have a good day. She said she had a birthday party on Saturday last week and Elisabeth cooked her "good German food"

She said that they were still busy quilting at the centre. I also congratulated her for winning a quilting ribbon at the Winter Fair.

It was a quick phone call as the connection was terrible, but it was so nice to hear her voice.

Memories Manor Quilt Retreat Weekend

2009-07-20T22:01:00.004-04:00

What a fantastic weekend. Rosemary, Cathryn, Nancy and I all relaxed in St. Clair, MI. We were pampered at Memories Manor which is a scrapbooking bed and breakfast. Rosemary has been there before scrapbooking and inquired if quilters were permitted and Jan and Deanna welcomed us with open arms. In my opinion the best service they offer is taking your luggage and quilting supplies in from your car upon arrival. I think we all know what kind of a klutz I was carrying my supplies last retreat!

We ate, relaxed, had massages, overlooked the river, laughed uncontrollably, ate some more and even got some quilting accomplished. We were even treated to a tour of the Manor complete with historical references. This home is amazing!

Everyone had a fantastic time! Thanks again to all the sisters at Memories Manor!

Church Fundraiser Quilt

2009-07-15T16:33:00.002-04:00

WOW, it's been a while since I posted as I have been so busy quilting, quilting, quilting.

Just to update you on the scrap quilt I pieced on Earth Day. I finished it and donated it to our church for their annual Strawberry Supper auction. It raised $100 for St. George's and it even had a small strip of strawberry fabric.

MQS Best of Show Quilt

2009-05-28T19:53:00.003-04:00

Here is a photo of the quilt that won best of show at MQS. It is a beautiful quilt depicting the grape harvest. Machine quilted by Gina Perkes and pieced by Lynn Drennen & Marilyn J. Smith.

Lungile wins a ribbon at SA Quilt Show

2009-05-26T12:12:00.005-04:00

I just received an e mail today with the wonderful news that Lungile won a ribbon at the local quilt show in South Africa. Her daughter Nosipho also entered a quilt and won a ribbon too. The small photo shows the newspaper clipping about the quilt show and ribbons. If you click on the photo you can read the article.

WAY TO GO!

Back from Kansas/ MQS

2009-05-19T14:46:00.002-04:00

I am home from my trip to Machine Quilter's Showcase. Have tons of new thread, and so many new quilting patterns. Will be posting them over the next few weeks for you to see. Here are some of the patterns I bought while at MQS. I can't wait to start quilting them!

SHOP HOP

2009-05-10T15:11:00.004-04:00

Hope everyone had a chance to get out to all the stores for the Spring Quilter's Shop Tour this past weekend. I wanted to show you a photo of the really adorable dinosaur quilt at Quilts and Calicos in Exeter. I machine quilted it with a stegosaurus pattern and it would be so cute for a little boy in your family!

Call Linda and pick one up before they are all sold out.............

One week and then I am off to Kansas

2009-05-03T08:49:00.002-04:00

I have already started packing, making my shopping list and am trying to get everything organized for my trip to Kansas. Jane and I will be going to MQS- the biggest machine quilting show/ conference in the US. We will both be taking classes, seeing the new quilting techniques, buying tons of thread and patterns and having a great time away!

Let the countdown begin...........

After we return I will post photos and a recap of our trip.

ONE WEEK TO GO...............

Welcome Home Dave!

2009-04-26T21:08:00.007-04:00

On Friday our family welcomed Dave home from Afghanistan. He had been there since the Fall and we are all so happy to have him safely back home. His oldest son Cameron piped him into the airport as we all waited to give him hugs.

(he is the one with his arms in the air)

I thought he needed a quilt to cozy up with at home so here is a photo of my last Stashbusters quilt I gave to Dave. It's great to have him home and we are all so proud of everything he did!

Welcome Home Dave!

EARTH DAY

2009-04-22T06:50:00.005-04:00

Today is Earth Day ! Please take the time to think of new ways to protect the EARTH. I know we can all be a little greener.

One great way is to make scrap quilts by using all the little pieces of fabric you would normally throw away.

I love Heather Stewart's Stashbusters classes because they are helping me obtain my goal of using up all my stash so that I can buy more fabric. And who wouldn't love that? I am still working though my bin of strips from the String Quilt class (it's taking a while) and here is a photo of my blocks.

Take some time on Earth Day to quilt.........

Country Haven Quilt

2009-04-21T15:59:00.006-04:00

Kim Diehl's Country Haven quilt features her informal "scrap basket" approach to quiltmaking, taking the guesswork out of choosing prints and colours for your own scrappy-style quilt designs. Here are some photos of the fabrics the quilt and machine quilting. I just love quilting feathers!

This workshop and quilt kit can be purchased at Quilts and Calicos in Exeter, ON.

Time To Tidy Up

2009-04-21T14:45:00.003-04:00

While waiting for the bus today, my daughter Alexandra wondered if my customers thought my quilting room was messy. I tried not to comment on the mess in her bedroom and grabbed the vacuum. I can find the floor now but still need to tidy my desk.

Don't all sewing rooms look like organized chaos?

First Ever Blog Post

2009-04-21T13:15:00.002-04:00

Shall I keep up with the times and become a blogger? I'll try my best......

I thought I would start a blog to keep everyone up to date in the ever changing, fast paced world of machine quilting! Here you will find news from the Mzansi Zulu Quilt Centre in South Africa as well as keep updated on new patterns, threads and everything related to Melon Patch Quilts.

Enjoy.......