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You’re here! Yay! I am super excited and honoured to be the first stop on the Canadian Summer Quilt Along. Pull up a lawn chair, grab an iced tea/iced coffee/adult sippy cup of wine (#iwould) and be prepared to get inspired by the incredible line up we have prepared for you!

Our wonderful host Anita (@daydreamsofquilts on IG) organized this QAL to celebrate our love for this beautiful country of ours! And as you can guess, all of the quilters on this QAL schedule are all fellow Canadians. We were each tasked with creating a 12″ finished block that represents something that we love about Canada. Some of the quilters on the schedule created very patriotic and beautiful blocks, but mine is a little more personal. When I think of what I love about Canada I automatically think of summer, and when I think of summer I think of my family.

To make a long story (and massive family tree) short (no trees were harmed in the writing of this blog post), my paternal grandmother is one of 7 children. Back in 1975 the 7 grown children and their expanding families decided to organize an annual summer family reunion. The Grant Family Reunion is going into its 43rd year this summer and has been a highlight of my year since I was born. From catching up with cousins who live far away to seeing my great-grandmother have a few sociables and play pranks on those who went to bed early, some of my fondest family summer memories revolve around these reunions.

Less than a year old me and my great grandmother Annie Grant.

As with most family reunions, there are a few friendly – yet serious – tournaments that we partake in. We have a Euchre tournament and a Horseshoe tournament. I take my game of horseshoes VERY seriously! LOL! And I’ve come thiiiiiis close to winning the trophy a couple of times, but have yet to win (*sniffle*). So in honour of my favourite summer family sport, I created a horseshoe block. I wanted to be able to get a nice curve to the horseshoe so decided that needle-turn appliqué would be the technique of choice.

Have you ever done needle-turn appliqué? If not, don’t worry, I’ve got you covered! Also, I’ll mention that you do NOT need to hand-baste your pieces onto your fabrics – if you’ll find it easier to glue baste or machine baste, please do whichever basting method suits you best.

If you happen to have a Creativebug membership, my favourite needle-turn appliqué class/tutorial video is Carolyn Friedlander’s Hand-Stitched Appliqué Quilts tutorial. Carolyn’s technique is pretty well the exact same as mine when it comes to the needle-turning and stitching. And if you don’t have a membership, you can always sign up for their free trial and use your free credits to take this class! I’m a HUGE fan of Carolyn’s style, slow-stitching mentality and fabric designs, so this would be my #1 recommendation.

Here’s the link to the PDF of the block pieces! You will need:

• a fat quarter for your background, cut to 12.5 x 12.5″
• a 12×12″ scrap for the horseshoe
• smaller scraps for the flower, flower centre and leaves

Cut out your shapes on the solid line – the dashed line is your basting line, which is 1/4″ from the edge. Follow Carolyn’s tutorial or use your own awesome needle turn appliqué skills for the basic technique. Start with the horseshoe, then stitch on your leaves, the flower and then the flower centre. Give it a good press and you’re set!

Now to get this party started on the right foot I am also hosting a giveaway! I’ve got a Sew Fine Thread Gloss prize pack (my awesome side-hustle!) that includes 3 thread gloss scents to help you with your summer sewing projects! All you need to do is comment on this post and tell me what your favourite summer family tradition is. Contest will be open from June 11 at 9am EST to June 15th at 11:59pm EST. I’ll draw a name at random and post the winner here and on Instagram – be sure to include your Instagram handle in your comment so I can tag you! Open to residents of Canada only.

If you haven’t seen the entire quilt, in all its Canadian glory, here’s Anita’s full sized quilt with flag sashing. Isn’t it GORGEOUS?! Now get needle-turning! I hear there might be a super amazing grand prize for someone who completes all of the blocks…

Leave your comment to win! And thanks for stopping by!

Jenn

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Who doesn’t love a QAL?! What about a QAL that uses a simple block that can be arranged in a multitude of ways, to create your own customized quilt? Well if that’s what you’re looking for, then you’ve come to the right place.

My Print Panache quilt is actually the first in a series of foundation paper pieced (FPP) quilt patterns that I’m designing, alternatively known as “1 Block, 10 Quilts”. If you’ve seen my pattern in Issue 57 of Love Patchwork & Quilting, then you’ve seen the block and the ten different quilt layouts that can be created by rotating, alternating or staggering the blocks. If you choose to not follow any of the provided patterns, and improv your layout, the possibilities are endless!

So here are the details, schedule, and all the goodies! Please bear with me as this is the FIRST quilt-along I’ve organized and I’m going to do my best to sew along with everyone who participates!

The QAL will follow an 8 week schedule and is outlined below. But before we get into the fine details, I’ve got some PRIZES!!!

The prizes

The following companies have graciously donated prizes for this QAL! Be sure to check them out and show them some social media LOVE as they’re helping to make this event a success!

Love Patchwork & Quilting has offered a year’s digital subscription to one lucky participant! They have also offered us a special subscription promotion (which I am TOTALLY signing up for!) Details will be forwarded upon registration. Thank you SOO MUCH to the team at Love Patchwork & Quilting – they have been an absolute pleasure to work with and I’m so happy they’re on board for this QAL!

Mad About Patchwork (my LQS) has generously donated a $50 (CAN) Gift Card as a prize to one lucky participant! They have also offered a 10% off discount code for participants to order fabric for their quilts! Discount code will be forwarded upon registration.

Hobbs Bonded Fibers has donated a queen sized batt of their Tuscany Wool batting to one winning participant! I’ve been dying to try wool batting in a quilt and will be getting one of these for myself!

      

Sew Fine Thread Gloss & Bytowne Threads are teaming up and have 3 awesome prize packs! 2 lucky participants will take home a hand-quilting set (1 thread gloss, 1 pair of embroidery scissors and 1 spool of 12wt white mako Aurifil thread), and 1 lucky participant will take home a deluxe hand-quilting set (1 thread gloss, 1 pair of embroidery scissors, 1 package of leather stick-on thimble pads [the kind I use ALL THE TIME!] and an Aurifil thread sample pack)!

The details

First things first – to quilt along with us you’ll need a copy of the pattern in Issue 57 of Love Patchwork & Quilting. Its currently on newsstands in the US and Canada, but if you can’t find a printed copy locally, you can purchase a digital copy of the magazine and download the pattern template through the app. Fabric requirements are included in the pattern.

The template is either 2 pieces of 8.5×11″ taped together, or there’s an enlargeable version – I would suggest taking that to a print shop and having them print your 36 blocks on the size of paper needed (11×11″) at the proper size (10.5×10.5″ with seam allowances).

You might also want to grab a big glue stick! The instructions mention pin basting, but I’ll be doing a blog post towards the start of the QAL demonstrating glue basting, which will be super handy for these big blocks! Make sure they’re the washable white craft kind!

Participants must post either their inspiration colours, or fabric pull and which layout they’re planning to follow (or improv) between April 30 – May 6. I also would LOVE for you to introduce yourself, tell us where you’re from, etc.

Participants can work at their own pace, week by week, and post updates as they complete their blocks (6 blocks per week average) using the #printpanacheQAL hashtag. There are 36 blocks in total to make the 60×60″ throw sized quilt. Should participants wish to make their quilt bigger, go for it! Just add more blocks onto the ends of the rows, and/or add additional rows of blocks and continue the block arrangement pattern.

During the week of June 18 – 24, to be eligible for the prizes, participants must post their final layout (either the blocks finished and arranged in their chosen layout, or quilt top sewn together). Final check in must be posted on Instagram by June 24 at 11:59pm EST.

Winners will be chosen at random from participants who have posted their finished layout or finished quilt top, and will be announced by June 28th. This event is not affiliated with Instagram, Facebook, or any other platform used for promotion. To be eligible to win, you must have an open Instagram account that I can check to ensure that you’ve met the required check ins.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!

Thank you so much for following along and I hope you join us for this super easy, and quick quilt-along!

Jenn

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I’ve been meaning to share photos of this quilt for a few weeks but hadn’t gotten around to it until now, so what a great reason to share than to be part of the Blogger’s Quilt Festival! Some would call it serendipity, some might call it fate, but it all started when I was planning the room colours for my youngest’s bedroom (she’s now 2). As a graphic designer I work with a myriad of colour combinations and palettes on a regular basis, and I happened across a palette that wasn’t overly girly, but unique, and (I think) was just gorgeous together – white, navy, light aqua/teal, and a pinky coral. I LOVED it! So I mixed a batch of custom chalk paint for the furniture, painted the walls and got to work. I also made a twin quilt for her “big girl” bed, but that will be another post for another time.

Shortly after she was born I was browsing around my local Chapters store and did I not find four Wonderland prints from Rifle Paper Co. on SALE! I have total admiration for Anna Bond and her paintings/illustrations, so when I found these prints, and they matched the colours for Addy’s room, I just HAD to have them. Fast forward to late last year when the Rifle Wonderland collection for Cotton & Steel came out, I just knew I had to incorporate the fabric somehow into her room, because it was meant to be! As her big quilt was already finished, I started planning an oversized crib quilt, that would work for both the crib, and then as a throw when she outgrew the crib (which is fast approaching!).

I created this quilt as an oversized Crystal Star block, using a solid Kona, a couple of Cotton and Steel basics, and the teacups print from Wonderland. The final size is 56″ x 56″ and was created with HSTs and four solid corner blocks – a quick and easy project! I had just enough of a super soft Robert Kaufman chambray to use for the backing and then used a white with silver glitter dot fabric that I got from our local guild stash sale for the binding. I quilted the blocks using a coral and teal Glide thread in simple angled lines so it wouldn’t be dense, but soft and cuddly.

One of the things I love about making quilts for my girls is that they’ll (hopefully) have them for a very long time, will comfort them, and keep them warm, and so far they love them, which makes me happy. And the little lady herself wanted to be part of the photoshoot, so just because she so darn cute and was sooo good while I tidied her room and set her hoard of stuffies aside for these pictures, here she is, sticky face, boogers and all!

For those of you stopping by via the Blogger’s Quilt Festival, thanks for checking out my quilt and be sure to check out the rest of the amazing quilts on the tour!

I love Essex linen but I don’t love it in this quilt. And that’s okay.

This is the first quilt that I’ve made that combined small piecing and Essex, and I’m not a fan. Lindsay Neill’s Pen and Paper patterns are some of my favourite quilt patterns of all time. I love her style and I love everything that comes out of that crazy creative brain of hers. I had made a few snail blocks from her Garden Snails Quilt pattern before I decided to make an entire quilt for my oldest daughter, so I knew how it went together and was happy with my finished snails. Then I thought that using Essex would make for a nice background. This is where my issues started. Essex and small piecing don’t mix. At least I couldn’t get them to play nicely together. It stretched and shifted and distorted until my poor little snail antennae got cut off because I couldn’t square my blocks properly (Lindsay if you read this, I’m sorry for butchering your adorable snails!). Le sigh. I knew I was in for a treat when a friend from my guild regaled her tales and tribulations of quilting Essex that was cut on the bias. And my snail blocks were already 3/4 done – at least I knew I wasn’t alone.

Thankfully I didn’t have any issues quilting the quilt, other than a bit of warping/stretching along the edges, but okay because I had wide borders. I spent the morning with Julie from the Longarm Workroom and we did a simple all-over pattern. I’m thinking though that a few of the snails need a bit of embellishments; maybe a moustache or hipster glasses!

I’m glad that the quilt is finished, because it was the first time I’ve ever been frustrated with how a project was coming together. In the end it looks great, Ava loves it, I love the colours and prints that I’ve chosen, and, ONLY I will see the little janky antennae on those poor snails. So now is the time to let that shit go. Lesson learned from this quilt: I still love Essex linen, but now I know not to try using it on the bias, or for small piecing. Unless I want to make myself crazy… again.

I’ve had this idea written down in a notebook and in the back of my mind for a long time and I’m so stoked about how it turned out! It was a simple mini to go along with my “Larger than Life” project. A paper clip. Just a basic paper clip. I have a thing for office stationery; ask my co-workers. I’ve got a massive collection of post-it notes, “special” pens (I’m a leftie so the struggle is real to find a decent non-smudging pen), and my favourite notebooks. But I’ve always felt that the paper clip was under appreciated.

I was lucky enough to be gifted a massive collection of vintage and just plain old bias tape and I never use it. I had also been working on a commissioned quilt for a few hours, and wasn’t the slightest big tired (this was at midnight last Friday night) and wanted to just make SOMETHING that didn’t have a deadline, or needed to be made. Something fun and frivolous. And it all came together so perfectly!

I grabbed this piece of Libs Elliott‘s Gem Stripe in Teal fabric from her Tattooed collection (which I’ve been hoarding) and it was actually pretty fantastic because I used the stripes on the fabric to guide the placement of the bias tape. I used a double sided fusible hem tape to position it, then ironed it all down. I quilted the background randomly following the lines using a nice shiny Glide thread and then stitched down the edges of the bias tape to secure it.

I still have my scrap bag from the #100days100blocks2017 quilt-along sitting beside my sewing table, so I snuck in a few bright scraps to liven up the black binding. The finished piece measures 16″ square. And thanks to my little helper for holding it up during our little photoshoot!