I need a new camera!!!!

I don't think I need to write anything more.  Just look at the following images!  I think I'm decided on getting myself a Canon DSLR , but I'm going to have to quilt a few more customer quilts before I have enough pennies saved.

I am using my old camera, a simple point and click Canon that I've had for years.  The flash doesn't work, so a lot of the time the pictures are not as clear as they should be.

I also like to take close-ups of my stitching and will need to get a macro lens.  Sometimes I can get a good shot, other times.....not so good.

  

 Can you see the bear?   It's that little black dot on the right hand side.  Couldn't get a closer shot,

I have the most beautiful grand daughter!  I want a camera that will allow me to take great shots.... not a few seconds after she has turned her head away!

 I want to be able to take photos that are bright, clean and clear.

 And get nicely composed shots.

There, its out in the open and now I have to work hard to get a new camera.  I would appreciate any pointers or suggestions for a new camera.  What would you recommend?

Foothills Sampler

I started this quilt back in the mid 1990s.  I was part of a Ladies Midweek ministry at Foothills Alliance Church in North West Calgary.  I taught a simple quilt pattern at the Mum's Morning Out and then was asked to teach more.  So, I came up with this sampler quilt.  The top was finished eons ago, but I just recently quilted it.

 I tried to quilt something similar in the alternate blocks, so used this feather design.  

Each of the blocks used a different piecing or applique technique, so i quilted each of them a bit differently.

 

All the dark brown sections were stitched with  the "heavy metal" design.

 

 Every time I quilt a quilt I try to a new element or technique that I have recently learned.  The border idea came from Adam Chenevert's Beautiful Borders DVD.

The quilt was quilted and the extra batting and backing were trimmed.  The quilt was folded and put aside until I found fabric for binding.  I went to the store last month to look for something that would look OK.  I opened up the folded quilt and low and behold the binding was there, ready to go.  I guess at some point I had found fabric, cut the strips, trimmed and pressed and folded it neatly till it got sewn on the quilt!

Now, it's officially finished (except for a label).

Fabric & Thread Lace Scarf

I've been spending some relaxing time just stitching lately.  I've been stitching thread lace scarves. Here are a few pictures of some of the scarves I've stitched.  They are an easy 2 hours of stitching.  Most recently I've spent a couple of hours happily stitching while watching episodes of NCIS....

The first one is strictly thread couched over heavy thread.

The second one is Fabric and thread.

This third one is a fabric and thread lace scarf that I've just finished stitching.  I just need to rinse out the water soluble stabilizer.

I'll be teaching both these scarves as classes at the WonderFil Threaducation Centre in August.

Handi Quilter Academy 2015

I didn't register this year for the Handi Quilter Academy in Salt Lake City....but I did get to go.  I went with WonderFil Specialty Threads and had such fun!  

Our booth under construction

The only downside of the trip was that I stepped off a speed bump (don't ask) and turned my ankle as I was leaving Calgary.  I then "dragged" my suitcase through two airports and a hotel with a very sore ankle.  I was quite worried about how I was going to function during the week.  My suitcase was filled with all our display quilts and was quite heavy.  It wasn't until I was setting up the booth that I realized why it hurt so much to walk and "drag" my suitcase along!  Guess I need to get a new suitcase before my next trip.

One of these wheels is not like the other!

I had some great times chatting with quilters from all over North America as well as putting some faces to names that I see in the groups I am in on Facebook. We talked about where we're from, what machine(s) we have and what classes we were registered for..and I helped to educated them about WonderFil threads.

One day at lunch every registrant received a lovely box of thread from WonderFil.  Andrew had an opportunity to share a little bit about the spools of thread in their boxes.

Aren't these the cutest boxes?

  

I slipped into a ProStitcher class the first afternoon and in 10 minutes got my biggest stumbling block cleared up!  I've already practiced and feeling so much more confident.  I learned that you have to do something 21 times before it becomes a habit...I have a lot of sewing to do!

I was able to slip into more classes during the week and sit at the back and observe and learn!  

Applique and Couching on a longarm.

Got hugs with a few old and newer friends

Debby Brown showing off her new thread FabuLux

We went on a tour of the new Handi Quilter headquarters and were allowed to walk around the offices and go into any office and look at the quilts on the walls. I saw a lot of inspirational quilts.  My favourite was the Lone Star that hung just at the front door.

 

The flights home were wonderful.  I had plenty of room and got a short nap on both flights.  I couldn't resist taking pictures of flying above and through the clouds!

 

Sunny Lanes quilt

Sunny Lanes Quilt from Quilter's Cache is my Mum's most favourite quilt pattern.  She has buckets and tubs of fabrics that she keeps cutting into 2" squares and sewing together.  She has done a number of these quilts and just swaps out the background (large beige) and focus fabrics for a different look.  I'm the lucky one who gets to quilt them for her.

 

 

I had made some scrappy nine-patch quilts for some little guys in our church last year.  I still had lots of these 3" cut squares left over, so I enlarged the blocks and sewed half square triangles instead of connector corners and made my own version.  This quilt went together much faster (because it used bigger blocks).

I added a simple single border to use up some of the remaining fabric and to give the quilt a visual finish.  I find adding borders to many quilts acts as a frame and helps to keep the quilt flatter and protect all those seams from opening.

I'll often take a few minutes and lay out some scraps of fabric to "audition" quilting designs that I want to use.  I can then trim these pieces up and they are great to use as samples in classes.

I stitched a simple swirl in the 4 x 4 patch blocks and then stitched Heavy Metal Quilt Design in the red and blue Half Square Triangle Units.

  

  

I needed to use my Clover White Marking Pen to sketch the direction of the swirls....I did make a few mistakes, but oh, well.  The Clover White Marking Pen is one of my favourite tools.  The marks remove easily with heat.  So a quick press, or time spent in the dryer removes all the markings.  I have yet to see them come back.

I quilted the border of this quilt with a ribbon swirl.  I am finding that I like to repeat the same element throughout a quilt.  I had an all over swirl in the 4 x 4 blocks, Heavy Metal Swirls in the red and blue blocks and the Ribbon Swirl in the border.  All are versions of the swirl shape.

I'm partial to solid quilt backs.  Often a new and interesting pattern is seen on the back of the quilt.  In this case, I didn't have enough backing fabric, so I stitched together some remaining 3" cut units and added some blue strips to the end.  

I used to be quite particular about binding.  I considered myself a "purist" and would only hand stitch the binding to the back of the quilt.  I have become a more "practical" quilter.  I want to get the quilts done!!!!!  So, now I'm machine stitching the binding to the back of the quilt, folding it to the front and machine stitching it to the front of the quilt!  

   

Lately, in my mind, DONE is more important then PERFECT!

Classes at WonderFil Threaducation Centre and Handi Quilter Studio

Here is the latest list of classes I'm teaching in the next few months at the Handi Quilter Studio.  For more information or to register:  call 403-250-8262 or 403-819-8126. 

Free Motion Quilting - Basics. Thursday, June 11; 6:30-9:30pm. $40

This class is for those who haven't tried Free Motion Quilting before, or want a refresher.  In this class, students will learn how to set up their machine for Free Motion Quilting and how to get their quilt layers ready for quilting. Students will learn 5 basic shapes that make up all Free Motion Quilting designs and have lots of opportunity to practice stitching.

Free Motion Quilting - Next Steps.  Thursday, June 25; 6:30-9:30pm. $40

If you know the basics, we'll take the time to learn how to combine these stitch patterns into some creative quilting designs.  We'll look at some quilt samples and make some suggestions for creative custom quilting.

Free Motion Quilting - Tear Drop Feathers. Thursday, July 9; 6:30-9:30pm $40.

This is the simplest method of stitching feathers. Learn how to stitch tear drop feathers using spine variations.  Students will learn how to stitch borders and circles and create an all over fill design.

Thread Lace Scarf (Domestic machines).  Thursday, August 6; 1-4pm. $60 supplies included.

Stitch a beautiful lace scarf using only your sewing machine and thread!

Fabric and Thread Lace Scarf (Longarm and MidArm machines). Thursday, August 20, 1-4pm. $70 supplies included.

Use a longarm or mid arm quilting machine to stitch together scraps of fabric and thread into a lovely wardrobe accessory.

Kids Quilt Camp. Monday-Friday July 13-17 or August 10-14; $195 (fabric kits optional $65)

This is a great class for our younger sewers (grade 2 and older).  Quilters will cut and sew strips of fabric into the quilt top.  They will quilt on the longarm machines and machine stitch the binding.  They will also stitch a messenger bag.