Jo Morton applique quilt

This spring, I had the privilege of quilting Linda's applique quilt - it's a pattern my Jo Morton called Prairie Flowers.  Linda did such a precise job of both the hand applique (hand applique - yes) and the machine piecing - all those tiny half square triangles were perfect.

She wanted to keep the primitive feel of the pattern design, so we chose Quilter's Dream 70/30 for the batting.  It's quilts up wonderfully, but doesn't have a lot of extra loft.  Thread was Superior So Fine - a nice thin thread to keep the quilting "quieter".  Each of the applique elements was outlined and then echoed.  I stitched in the ditch between each of the blocks for just some added definition.  Continuous curves in the HST sashing, and freehand primitive feathers in the border.  Those plain blocks were quilted with feather wreathes, tho you can't see much on the front but the design pops out on the back.  Hope you enjoy the pictures . . .

We've been dealing with terrible wild fires in British Columbia (our provincial neighbor to the west) for the past couple of weeks.  I hope the head and winds settle down soon - praying for rain for BC. (now how often do you hear that??)

Enjoy your summer - Happy Quilting until next time from the Little House

Well, hello again!

Hi again - my blog kind of got sidetracked over the past year.  I have still been quilting, and working, and travelling . . . but the blog sure didn't get updated.  But, I'm back, and hope to keep up with my quilting journey from now on.

Swoon  - if you look back to   here    , I started my Swoon Quilt - a Thimble Blossoms pattern by Camille Roskelly in 2013.  Here's how it looked before quilting . . .

.... I drew a few designs on it, but as always happened, once I actually started quilting, I changed my mind . . .


and then I finally got it on Freeda to get it quilted.  I used two layers of batting to give the quilting some extra definition - Hobbs 80/20 with Hobbs Tuscany Wool on top.  It made it pretty thick, but wow, did it show off the quilting! Superior So Fine Thread

Top Border

Working my way down - feathers, lines and continuous curves

Curved Cross Hatching between the Swoon Blocks

Finally at the bottom border

...... and done

I ended up donating this quilt to a Silent Auction Fundraiser - and it came in at $1300!!!  WOW!!! 

My goal is to update this blog every day until I'm caught up - I've got lots of customer quilts to show you - and lots of custom quilting!

I moved from the farm this spring to the small town of Carstairs - not really very far away.  I've got an awesome studio space that I'll share with you one of these days . . . It's very hot here in Southern Alberta this week - the Stampede starts tomorrow so that means summer is in full swing.

Until next time - "Yahoo" from the Little House.

. . . here's to 2015 (part 3!)

Wow - I didn't know I had so much I hadn't shared with you!

Betty made this wolf quilt for her husband.  They were on a trip to Skagway, Alaska and saw this kit in a quilt store there.  Her husband loved it - so they bought it and Betty made it for him!

This is a unique type of piecing - the sashing isn't straight up and down.  I stitched in the ditch around all the sashing, put a watery meander around the centre wolf, and tried to follow some of the wolf's fur lines - and that almost made the wolf look real!  He appears to be peering right off the quilt!

I tried a new border treatment using a tutorial by Kathy Schwartz of Tamarack Shack Quilting.  If you go to her blog (and once you stop drooling over her amazing quilting!!!) check out the tutorials on the left hand side of the main page - look for Curved Echo Border.   It wasn't too difficult once I got the hang of it, and I was happy with how it looked on the quilt.

Wolf Quilt - Curved Echo Border

Joan made this quilt with the pattern and fabric designed by a local quilt designer Joanie Morrow from Olds, Alberta (http://www.patternworkzdesignstudio.com/patterns.html)  The pattern is called Circle of Life.  I quilted it using three sizes of circle templates - overlapping as I went.  Glide Thread; Hobbs 80/20 batting

Circle of Life - backing

This next one is quite a contrast - colorful +++ I mean.  Gale made this Hunter Star quilt with beautiful bright batiks.  It was a wedding present - so we put Heart Strings panto on it, Glide Thread.

Gale's Hunter Star - close up of backing

I think this next one is one of my favorite colour combinations!  Alice does a lot of quilting and sewing for people  - so her friends gave her these beautiful orange/brown fabrics to let her know how much they appreciate her generosity.  This is the quilt Alice made with that fabric.  Diamonds are Forever panto; Glide thread; Hobbs 80/20 batting.

Alice's quilt - close up backing

Myrla's quilts are always unique - and this one is no exception.  It is made with a selection of Kaffe Fasset fabrics - which are always bright and flowery!  But, check out the backing!!!  Spiral Rings panto, glide thread; Hobbs 80/20 batting

Myrla's quilt - backing!!

So, you'd think I'm caught up now . . . but no . . . there will be at least a part 4!!

Will be posting soon - from the Little House.

..... here's to 2015 (part 2)

I had the pleasure of doing a couple of custom quilts at the end of last year - both beautiful, each unique!


Rose's "Handkerchief Quilt" - made from a pattern called Love Letters by Pineapple Press . Each hankie is folded and pieced to create an envelope.  Rose is giving this quilt to her granddaughter - a very, very special treasure!  I quilted it with freehand flowers and swirls in the sashings; swirls around each hankie, and cross hatching in the body of the hankie.  Rose is going to add antique buttons to hold down the envelope "flap" . . . see the picture at the end!

Love Letters - backing

Here it is all finished - embellished with antique buttons!

If that quilt wasn't beautiful enough . . . then I got to quilt Ruth's Dresden quilt - another gift for a granddaughter!  I put "ghost"' dresdens in that big border, stitched around each Dresden blade - which really made them "pop" - and then freehand swirls and continuous curves in the rest.  This got me hooked on dresdens!

Ruth's Dresden Quilt - close up of backing

Both these quilts were such fun to quilt - and I know the granddaughters will cherish them.

Until next time - cheers from the Little House.

.... and here's to 2015! (part one)

This may take a few posts - I vow to catch my blog pretty much up to date!  The last I posted was quilts from back in September - and here's some more! 

Barb made a couple of quilts before Christmas.  The first one was a nice little quilt made from a selection of "seasonal" (aka Christmas) fabrics.  Arabesque panto; Glide Thread; Hobbs 80/20 batting

cozy Fireside backing!  So nice!!!

 Barb's wall hanging had a definite outdoors feel - forests, rivers, oceans, mountains!  I quilted each square with a different freehand design . . .

This next quilt is Ann's awesome queen quilt - using a variety of blues and creams!  I love it!  Glide Thread; Wrought Iron panto.

Ann's quilt - backing close up

Now this is a different quilt, isn't it??  Jean is originally from Britain - and she put together this flag quilt as a gift for a relative.  I quilted it with Diamonds are Forever panto; Glide thread; Hobbs 80/20 batting

Flag quilt backing close up

 Julie made a cute Christmas quilt for her granddaughter - I stitched around those cute little snowmen and the trees - and did a variety of freehand designs over the rest; Glide thread, W&N Batting

.... and then there's Jill's super cute baby quilts - they were both identical except for the backing.  I loaded them both on the frame together and stitched  them with a swirl panto design; Glide thread - unfortunately the quilting doesn't show up very well in the pictures because Jill used a thinner batting, but they really were cute!

.... and lastly, Tamara's quilt - I just love the warmth and old quilt feel of this one.  I think Tamara said she made this from a kit from Keepsake Quilting . . . Taro panto; Superior So Fine thread; Hobbs 80/20 batting.

Next post - two very special custom jobs!

Thanks for waiting for me - at the Little House!