Happy Friday! ❤️

As promised I completed the pattern for my "Modern Ombré Quilt".

I just loved making this queen sized bed quilt (or modern wall hanging)

It is easy to construct and it's a great way to examine what colours and shades you have in your stash or your 5 favourite colours!

Another reuse project for me this year.  I am bent on using up my stash while still making nice things! 

To make mine, all the strips came from my stash except 2 in the pink to red section.  I clearly love colour and I think this quilt is so bright and happy it was not only a pleasure to design and construct, but I also enjoyed the simplicity of the quilting.

Check out this my pattern below, available as a PDF download here for only $5.00 Cdn or we are happy to ship it to you for $12.00 Cdn as well if you are interested in a journey to explore colours with ombré placement.
                

The above table runner was designed and constructed here at quiltingintheloft but made as a sample for a free motion quilting class at Hummingbird Sewing in Barrie and then I was asked me to make it into a commercial pattern.  If you take the class at Hummingbird Sewing you will get the pattern FREE!  Who doesn't love that!

The idea is - make a simple table runner (from a 5" charm pack) and try a different free motion design in each block and students in my class are encouraged to do so as practise homework after the class.  I figured if I gave them a pattern they might be inspired to practise. As I always say "practise makes perfect".
 A tip for you if your free motion quilting is rusty or you want to try some new designs.  Make this table runner and give it a go!

The fabric is from Flow by Zen Chick ( for Moda Fabric).  So fresh and pretty!

If you wish to purchase this "5" charm pack friendly", "Charming' Table Runner Pattern, you can get it here or click on the shop tab above a $5.00 download or $10.00 for the actual hard copy pattern and we will ship it to you! 

Need to find some lovely Charm Packs?  Check out some pretty ones here

I was able to complete my Ombre Quilt just before Easter and put it on the bed in my spare room.  I am pleased with the way it turned out and planning on making it into a pattern as it is my own custom design.  See photos of the completed quilt below:

 I'm continuing to find unique ways to use up my stash.

​Stay tuned for a pattern release soon complete with colour your own pages!

Happy Tuesday and Happy Spring!🌷

First of all to my blog followers, I apologize!  I have been so busy with events (trunk shows), samples and teaching that my blog has been hit by a writers block!  

The block consisted of time spent elsewhere (not literal writers block).

 I thought today, I would show you a shameless photo montage of what I have been up to so that you understand my predicament an inability to post!!!

Recently, I have pieced and custom quilted one large quilt (photo not available sorry :(  Top Secret!).  I also custom quilted another, see a picture of one of the custom quilted second quilt below (Carpenters Star) lovingly pieced by my customer Teresa:

Also, I designed, pieced and quilted 2 baby quilts and wrote up the pattern "Featuring Baby".  The pattern is available here.  See pics below:

I just completed custom quilting a "Featuring Baby Quilt" completed by a good friend of mine Joan.  She did a fantastic job of selecting fabrics and sewing up the quilt top. See a photo of the quilt she completed below:

I showed my quilts in a Trunk Show at The Waterloo County Quilters Guild March 15th

I was also recently involved in testing Westalee Rulers for Hummingbird Sewing in Barrie and spent some time understanding and working with them. I made a  sampler quilt with the rulers and combined my own free motion designs. This culminated in a Trunk Show of all my work, a "Free Motion Quilting Extravaganza" and demo of the Westalee Rulers. The staff and customers there are fantastic and an enthusiastic quilting community!

These rulers are great tools for domestic machine quilters!  Available now at Hummingird Sewing in Barrie, Ontario.  Pop into the store and you will see my Westalee sampler quilt.  See Photos of the event below:

I also just recently (last week) completed a new teaching sample for my free motion class.  It is a table runner with different free motion quilting designs in each block. It is currently on display at Hummingbird Sewing.

 See the photos of the front and back of the runner below:

Recent stitching group day in my loft studio!

​We attempted to make woven fabric baskets!  See photos below:

My project will have to be posted at a later date once it is done - It is a WIP, Work in Progress!

And.... in addition to the 10 hot pads I made for a ladies group I belong to - see below:

I had to make 6 more!!! See below:

March is almost done and let me tell you it was an ambitious, crazy, fast paced, hard working March for sure!

Don't get me wrong, I love what I do but..... ​now that I have all this work out of the way, I hope to post more info on my blog and explore some new projects.   

Stay tuned and enjoy your spring days! 😊🌱

Want/need to know what to do with Fat Quarters?  Read all about it and feast your eyes on 5 great,easy and inspiring projects here.

Quilters are crazy about fat quarters! That is a fact!!  There should be a National Fat Quarter Day!  Yes, I am getting carried away!

If  you are reading this and don't know what a "FQ" is, they are 18 x 22" cuts of fabric- a wide 1/4 yard. As apposed to buying a 1/4 yard 9 x 45" piece of fabric. Now when you go to a quilt shop, you will shop "informed".
​
Essentially, if you are piecing, fat quarters provide the perfect size for a variety of quilting and sewing patterns because you are getting a wider piece of gorgeous fabric!
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Quilters sometimes build their stash on fat quarters so that they can have a small and relatively inexpensive sampling of pretty awesome fabrics. 
If you are a FQ collector, you know they multiply like rabbits!

This is the time to put them to good use and bust your stash!!
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 So what to do with FQ's?  Hmmmmm .........

1. Make tote bags, 18 x 22" is a great size for one side of a tote bag, use another FQ for the other side and some yardage for handles and lining and you have used up some great fabric! Who doesn't need more bags?

 or ....Check out this "Strip Happy Fat Quarter Tote" from Connecting Threads

2. Make Aprons, they are useful, great gifts for young and old and you can personalize them with fabric that suits your cook! Craftsy.com has a whole bunch of cute and free pattern links here.

3. Make large quilts, yes many FQ's make light work of a large quilt! So if you purchased a variety of Fat Quarters from the same designer or similar colour way, they make beautiful quilts.  See the pretty floral quilt below from www.allpeoplequilt.com and get the free pattern for "Flower Show" here

4. Make place mats, place mats are a great way to dress up your table, make it seasonally beautiful, create a warm atmosphere and use up those FQ's! You can make them reversible like the ones below, The FQ fabric is on the back and featured in the hexies on the front.

The below place mats I  made as  class samples for a free motion quilting class that I taught at Simcoe Sew and Quilt in Barrie, Ontario (2015).  There is a free download for the "Easy Piped Binding" that I sewed on them here or check out my shop page under free PDF patterns :)

5. Make baby quilts, they require smaller pieces of fabric and can "feature" your fat quarters.  I don't know about you but I love cute baby prints, farm animals, zoo animals, baby elephants, dump trucks, cute girly flowers etc.

Drumroll please....... Introducing my Newest Pattern to feature baby FQ's...... It is called "Featuring Baby"

My "Featuring Baby" Quilt Pattern features the use of just one FQ and shows you how to incorporate that one pretty baby FQ you have in your stash  into a cute, modern and easy baby quilt!

The pattern shows you how to make easy 4 patches, pinwheels and square in a square blocks and the measurements to use up all of one FQ!

 I have made the quilt samples up into 2 colour ways to inspire you.  Look at your FQ stash of baby prints, pick out one FQ you love and download my "Featuring Baby" Quilt Pattern here 

I'm thinking you know what to do with FQ's, let your imagination do it's work and use up that fabric in 2017.  Make room for more, there are so many great designers of fabric out there, creating and producing more of that luscious fabric.  Almost as good as a box of chocolate covered caramels!  Less calories that's for sure!

FYI, more great news!
​I am now accepting payments through the below payment options for my customers at check out in the shop at the top on the menu above.

Need a project or decor?  Check out this Canadiana Pattern Here or look in the shop section of this website!

Happy Friday Everyone! 🍁

Ok the mystery is now out of the box and hopefully subscribers are starting to get it in their mailbox!  The primary technique is what I call "Crayon Applique".  Both of the quilts featured in the magazine are playfully appliquéd with crayon work and then satin stitched to appear like more challenging quilt appliqué methods!

and the winners of the My Quilt is a Cover Quilt Giveaway are........

Janet, Carol, Monica, Katy M and Jennifer E, Congratulations Ladies!  You did not get the whole technique down but I totally admire your enthusiasm and therefore I am declaring you winners!!!

This issue is all about summer fresh quilts, lettering, framing small quilts, Victoria's Quilts Canada and much, much more.

What is really great about the magazine is that they also feature Canadian designers and share resources and information about Canadian quilters.

The only place you can get patterns for Hot Summer Fun and Summer is Gardening is by purchasing the magazine!

If you are not already a subscriber, I recommend you look into subscribing to this magazine here

A little while ago on this blog I talked about an upcoming pattern for sewing travel totes which I was working on.  Well is is DONE, Yeah!! It is called "Sew N' Travel Totes" and available for shipping immediately!  

Sorry not a PDF pattern because there is a free embroidery appliqué included which I must ship to you.

 I am so excited because I think it's really an excellent pattern allowing you to pack up all your sewing tools, projects and supplies and take them with you on vacation this summer. 
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There are 5 parts to the pattern itself:

•  large clear vinyl project tote
•  small clear vinyl project tote
•  pencil case
•  hand and machine needle case
•  fun "tomato" pin cushion

It's tool and technique tuesday and totes are essential for sewing tools so it is appropriate to tell you all about my new pattern today!

The pattern with all 4 totes, a pin cushion and a free embroidery appliqué is priced affordably at only $12.00.  

Sharing some close up pictures below of all the great components of this pattern:

Have a great Tuesday!😊

I am so excited to announce that Quilter's Connection Magazine has published one of my newest pattern designs on the cover of their magazine for the "Summer" issue and thats not all!!!!!  Another of my designs is also published and in the magazine. 

I joked with my daughters when I said:

"Does This Make Me A "COVER GIRL" ?  LOL!

 Seriously! The cover quilt is called "Hot Summer Fun", page 10 and the one featured in the magazine on page 36 is called "Summer is Gardening"

I was asked to create a summer quilt with lettering and so I was totally thinking hot sun and fun summer activities with a modern vibe when designing the quilts for the magazine.  I hope you like both of them!

The magazine will be mailed out to subscribers very soon or you can purchase it at your local quilt shop.  Check out www.quiltersconnection.ca to find a store near you.

Also, see  the original story of how this came to be in this blog post here 

So...... the first 5 people who can tell me what the primary "technique" is included in the quilt shown above on the cover, will get a free magazine!!

Please comment below and also give us your email address so we can contact you if you are the winner of this giveaway - we will contact you to mail it out to you.

​Quilter's Connection Magazine is a great magazine for quilters by quilters, I encourage you to read all about it below or check it out for subscription information here

I can't wait to get this magazine in my very hot hands.

​I really hope you enjoy reading it and are inspired!

Have a Great Monday, I hope your long weekend has been fantastic, the weather here was beautiful!☀️😊