Crazy Creek Creations

Very Traditional "Triple Irish Chain" - Custom Quilting

2012-02-10T12:46:00.000-07:00

This quilt is a "Triple Irish Chain" made by Elizabeth as a gift for her mother in Hungary. For a new quilter Elizabeth is doing some fairly challenging quilts and doing an amazing job with the piecing.

Full custom quilting was requested for this quilt. Because of my love of traditional quilts I decided to go with the very traditional feather wreaths in the light blocks, concecritive circles in the small squares, swirls in the smaller border and feathers all around the quilt in the light brown border. I used a fine thread Invisifil by Wonderfil for the top and bobbin. Warm and Natural batting was used.

Logan's Quilt

2012-02-10T10:17:00.000-07:00

It's all finished including the binding and label - now to get it off in the mail. I have been working on this quilt since before Christmas for one of my nephews little boys - Logan. I had grandious ideas to have 2 others finished quickly to send off to Logan's brothers. Long story short - I am still working on the second one and hopefully sometime within the next couple of months I'll have them finished and they can all have quilts made by Aunt Nancy.

Customer Quilts - all freehand

2012-02-03T08:56:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to show off some of the lovely quilts that have been coming into the studio. Awesome job ladies. These are all quilted freehand using Wonderfil thread.

2011 Adopt a Family Quilt

2012-01-29T09:55:00.001-07:00

Each year I share photos of our "Adopt a Family" quilt. Many of you know that 2 of my friends Betty and Elizabeth and myself started making a quilt as part of an "Adopt a Family" project around 8 years ago. Last year Elizabeth chose the pattern and called it "Ozark Maple Leaf". This is the finished quilt.

Just a refresher for those that don't know. Each year we take turns chosing a pattern and then divide the blocks three ways. In around October we get together, each with our blocks and spend give or take a half day compiling the quilt. I then quilt it and one of the other ladies finishes it up with the binding. Craig the owner of Dynamic Drilling Fluids (where we all worked together at one time and started this project) - Betty and Liz still work there. Anyway back to the story - Craig contributes cash to the project and the ladies with list in hand go out and gather gifts and a food hamper to go along with the quilt.

"Shape Up" - First Custom Quilt of 2012

2012-01-25T16:16:00.001-07:00

First custom quilt of the year just off the frame. This one is called "Shape Up" and will be available as a "Block of the Month" in the near future by http://www.nextstepquiltdesigns.com/.

I did a fair bit of ruler work, curved cross hatching and a pebble here and there in the sashing. I was very pleased with myself when I realized I wouldn't have to turn this quilt to do the side borders.

Awesome Puppy Quilt - Freehand Quilting

2012-01-25T16:06:00.000-07:00

This is an adorable puppy quilt made by customer Catherine. Don't you just love a fun, bright, happy quilt? Awesome job Catherine. I quilted this one with a smile on my face using an allover freehand meander with a bit of attitude (haven't given this freehand design a name yet). W/Natural batting, Tutti variegated thread by Wonderfil.

More Freehand Meandering with Attitude!

2012-01-11T12:42:00.002-07:00

Can you see the attitude I meandered into this quilt from customer Elizabeth? More gorgeous fabrics with an abundance of purple/mauve floral fabric - love it! I did some freehand flowers instead of just leaves and swirls. As usual I used a variegated Mirage thread by Wonderfil as well al W/Natural 80/20 batting.

Mary's Quilt - Freehand Swirl/Leaves

2012-01-05T18:26:00.000-07:00

This is a lovely quilt made by a customer Mary - as a wedding gift for her niece (I think). Mary did an awesome job piecing this beauty. The quilting is freehand swirls/leaves using a variegated thread - Mirage by Wonderfil. The batting was Legacy 70/30 recycled cotton.

"Star Light Star Bright" - Kits and Block of the Month Available

2011-12-30T16:14:00.001-07:00

This is a quilt I did for a customer Kat from here in Calgary. Kat is the owner of Next Step Quilt Designs and is offering this beauty on her web site by kit or Block of the Month - please have a look. The link to Kat's site is: http://www.nextstepquiltdesigns.com/

I did a freehand all over swirl design using variegated thread by Wonderfil.

Elizabeth showcasing more Kaffe Fassett fabric

2011-12-28T11:05:00.000-07:00

Another gorgeous quilt made by Elizabeth. The fabrics are all from the Kaffe Fassett line - aren't they the most gorgeous fabrics. Elizabeth has a good eye for yummy fabric.

The quilting is a pantograph " Curly Q" by Lisa Calle of Intelligent Quilting. The thread is a variegated - Mirage by Wonderfil and the batting was W/N blend.

Gift Quilt by Marjorlein - Pantograph "Dainty"

2011-12-28T10:58:00.000-07:00

A new customer Marjolein brought me this quilt which she is giving to her niece who will be coming from Europe in the new year. She will have it on the bed the niece will be using and then when she returns home Marjolein will give it to her to take home as a gift. Ahhhh! Isn't that the sweetest!

The quilting pattern is a pantograph "Dainty" by Jodi Beamish of Willow Leaf Studio. The batting was W/N blend and the thread was a solid rayon by Marathon.

"Ice Cream" by Kaffe Fassett & Customer Elizabeth

2011-12-02T09:31:00.001-07:00

This gorgeous quilt is hot off the frame. It is a Kaffe Fassett pattern called "Ice Cream". Customer Elizabeth did an awesome job putting this large quilt together (104" x 107"). "Ice Cream" will adorn her daughters bed after she receives it from Mom for Christmas.

Freehand swirl/leaf quilting, W/Natural batting and Mirage variegated thread by Wonderfil. The backing was pieced using more of Kaffe's yummy fabric to add a bit more flavor to the white tone on tone fabric.

Christmas Quilts

2011-11-21T10:40:00.003-07:00

Some beautiful Christmas quilts coming in and going out of the studio. These are a few. Awesome work ladies and always nice to see what the gals are doing with those gorgeous Christmas fabrics.

Can you see the balloons? Freehand Balloons

2011-11-19T08:17:00.001-07:00

This is another quilt from awesome customer Elizabeth. There are so many adorable fabrics out there now and a number of my customers are picking up the assortment packs and making very nice quilts - soooo cute. I don't get to the fabric stores very often anymore so it's nice to see all the yummy fabrics and what the ladies are doing with them. The designers are doing such a wonderful job coordinating their fabric lines don't you think?

This is a freehand design - swirls with balloons (or bubbles if you prefer). The batting is Warm/Natural and the thread is Mirage variegated by Wonderfil.

New Customer - Margie from New Brunswick

2011-11-11T07:58:00.002-07:00

This is a lovely quilt made by a new customer from New Brunswick, Margie. It's a bit of a long story how I ended up quilting a quilt from so far away but it arrived and I quickly went to work. Margie made this beauty as a wedding gift for her niece here in Calgary - how lucky is that gal and her new husband? Most of the time only other quilters can appreciate the work that goes into a large wonderful quilt like this (88" x 98") - there are exceptions to the rule of course.

I did a freehand leaf design using Mirage variegated thread by Wonderfil and W/N 80/20 batting. I also put the binding on using a great gold stripe fabric cut on the bias - I think it pulled everything together well, don't you?

Doris's Cat Quilt

2011-10-31T15:55:00.001-06:00

This is another one of the Tin Can Projects I often mention. In our guild we do a swap of sorts and for those participating we end up with approx. 10 - 13 blocks on completion. Doris my friend and quilt guild member started with this adorable cat fabric and when the project was complete she compiled the blocks ending up with this beauty. Sometimes it takes a bit of creativity to set all these blocks into a eye catching quilt - Doris aced this one don't you think!

I did a freehand swirl with an extra spike thrown in. As usual I used Mirage variegated thread by Wonderfil and the batting was Hobbs 80/20.

More Freehand Swirls

2011-10-22T11:18:00.000-06:00

This adorable quilt was made by a customer who I have never met. I know her daughter and she brings Betty's quilts for me to longarm as Betty does not live in the city. I also know that Betty is a very good quilter and is in her 80s. "An inspiration indeed".

This is just an allover freehand swirl meander using 100% cotton batting and Mirage thread by Wonderfil.

"Lucky Granddaughter" - Freehand Design

2011-10-17T14:50:00.002-06:00

This is from a new customer Elizabeth. She is fairly new to quilting but I spent a bit of time with her and I think she's hooked ladies. Besides she has a granddaughter who absolutely loves grandma's quilting.

This is freehand swirl designs with flowers thrown in for interest. I used 100% cotton variegated thread - Tutti by Wonderfil.

Customer Quilt - Pantograph

2011-10-17T14:46:00.000-06:00

This beauty is a customer quilt. Kathy does an awesome job piecing and wanted a pantograph design called "Dainty". I used black to white variegated thread - Mirage by Wonderfil.

I'm Back!

2011-10-17T14:44:00.001-06:00

Wow what a wonderful trip I just came back from - MQX in Portland. Took some great classes and met a bunch of awesome people from all over the place. Met another longarmer from here in Calgary - Edith, roomed with Elsie, a quilting friend, and spend a lot of time with Michele from Calgary who just purchased a longarm at the show - lucky duck! Thanks everyone for such a great conference!

I took a few minutes this morning to size photo's of a few projects I finished up just before I left.

This one is a retreat block draw that one of my guild members won at our annual retreat last year. Sheila did a great job putting it together and is actually going to keep this one for herself.

I did a freehand tight swirl design as this quilt reminded by of large multicolored lollipops and I used a lovely variegated thread by Wonderfil.

Busy Time in the Studio - All Freehand Quilting

2011-09-23T10:59:00.000-06:00

Well "be careful what you wish for" - this is what my husband always says to me. I have had a number of customers lately just wanting my freehand swirls. Wow, I'm dreaming swirls in my sleep. LOL I'm not complaining - love doing them - fun, fast and an overall nice finish.

These are a few of the beautiful customer quilts that I've finished up these last few weeks. All freehand swirls - some with a bit of attitude, some not. Most of the thread used is Mirage (variegated) by Wonderfil.

Mysterious Ladies - Freehand Quilting

2011-09-13T15:10:00.002-06:00

This wall quilt is another sample of Max's lovely work. The choice of metalic and sparkly fabric added a great element to these mysterious ladies. I quilted an allover freehand swirl meander using a gorgeous black to silver variegated thread - Mirage by Wonderfil. The back fabric is a mottled black showing off the contrast of the variegated thread.

Dalmation Panel

2011-09-12T07:21:00.000-06:00

This is a great example of what we can do with some of these adorable panels that we've accumulated over the years. My friend Jane cut the panel apart and added a coordinating fabric to make the panel into a child's quilt instead of a crib quilt. I did an allover swirly meander with a bit of outlining inside the faces of these sweet sweet puppies to show some definition. What a face!

"Sister's at Heart" has a new home

2011-09-04T05:05:00.000-06:00

After my BFF Lynn passed away in 2009 I made this quilt in her memory. It was raffled off at the Rockyview Hospital in Lab Services here in Calgary in July of this year. This lady is now the new owner of "Sister's at Heart". The proceeds from the raffle will stay in Lab Services to financially assist co-worker's Lynn worked with in any struggles they may need help with due to medical problems.

"Day & Night" - Eleanor Burns & Maxine

2011-08-26T08:22:00.003-06:00

This beauty is another one of my friend Max's "Honken Huge" quilts (94" x 104"). Max is spot on with her piecing and it's alway a joy to work on her quilts. I used the juxtaposition of the curvy flower pattern against the straight lines of the design complimenting the pattern "in my opinion". The pantograph was "Demask" by Patricia Ritter and the thread was a rayon by Wonderfil. The batting used was an 80/20 blend by Legacy.

Lisa's Animal Applique Quilt

2011-08-26T07:21:00.004-06:00

My friend/customer Lisa made this adorable baby quilt for her girlfriends baby coming fairly soon. Lisa drew the animal blocks and from there went on to design her own pattern - awesome! Each block is unique and so absolutely adorable. The fabrics in this quilt are also some of the fabrics the babies mom is using to decorate baby's room. Lisa asked for custom quilting with the majority of the blocks having different fill - we both thought the bubbles were appropriate for a few additional blocks. The border has a fairly basic zigzag pattern to it coordinating with the pink and purple stars. The thread I used is Invisifil 100w by Wonderfil for the motifs and a black rayon for the borders.

Max's Coy Fish Sampler

2011-08-15T11:41:00.001-06:00

My girlfriend Max is still trying to wear out her embroidery machine. This is another sample of her wonderful work. I tried to do a different fill in each block but really liked the bubbles so used them and McTavishing a few times. The border is done with a freehand fern design and can only really be seen from the back. I used Invisiful thread by Wonderfil.

Japanese Log Cabin - Freehand Quilting

2011-08-15T11:01:00.001-06:00

A new customer Pauline brought me this lovely quilt which will be traveling across the pond to a lucky couple as a wedding gift. This is a large 97" x 97" quilt and Pauline requested freehand quilting with leaves, ferns and swirls. I used Wonderfil Mirage thread top and bottom and I think the thread color she chose really compliments the quilt and picked up a bit of the rust color in the small border.

Bubbles bubbles bubbles!

2011-08-10T19:10:00.000-06:00

I've been having fun with these freehand bubbles on this lovely bright cheery quilt by a customer Susan. Susan wanted freehand but left the choice of design entirely up to me. Hummm? This is what I came up with and I think it worked well for this quilt - let's hope Susan thinks so as well.

Cats! Cats! Cats! and a few Mice!

2011-08-06T10:24:00.000-06:00

I just had to share this sooooo cute cat quilt that just came off my frame. A new customer Isabelle does a lot of machine embroidery and asked me to quilt this one with an allover freehand - to kind of just fill in the spaces around the embroidered motifs. I did an allover swirl pattern and it definitely made the cats and mice pop! I used Mirage thread by Wonderfil and Isabelle supplied the batting which was Warm/Natural. I think she mentioned this is a gift for her daughter. Adorable isn't it?

Hand Embroidered Blocks/ 3 Dimensional Blocks

2011-08-02T17:23:00.001-06:00

This is an adorable quilt my customer Gloria from High River made. The embroidered blocks are hand embroidered and the others are 3 dimensional. Gloria requested an allover edge to edge freehand which proved to be a bit of a challenge because of the dimensional leaves. An awesome job by Gloria and I think all in all the quilting turned out fairly well.

"William Morris Windows" - Freehand Leaf Meander

2011-07-15T11:10:00.000-06:00

This lovely quilt made by Barb for her husband definitely has a masculine feel to it. She called the pattern "William Morris Windows". We decided on a freehand leaf meander with swirls thrown in which seemed to suit this quilt perfectly. The batting was Warm & Natural and thread was a variegated blend - Mirage by Wonderfil.

Traditional Log Cabin - Freehand Fern Quilting

2011-07-15T06:44:00.001-06:00

I am a very traditional quilter myself and love love love the log cabin quilts. This quilt was made by a customer Rose who did a wonderful job piecing this large quilt. She wasn't sure how she wanted it quilted except that she preferred a freehand design. There wasn't too much agonizing over what to do with this beauty as the border fabric gave me a huge hint and away we went with a freehand fern pattern with some leaves and swirls thrown in for good measure. The batting was Warm & White and the thread was a variegated navy - Mirage by Wonderfil

"Charm & Grace" - Customer Quilt

2011-07-10T08:03:00.000-06:00

This beauty is an example of the wonderful embroidery work some of my customers have been doing in the past while. This quilt made by Barb is a large quilt 91" x 106" with 12 large embroidered motifs and gorgeous floral borders. This was a full custom job that was crying out for lots and lots of feathers. I used 100% wool batting for more definition and Invisifil thread by Wonderfil.

Tammy's Original Design - Awesome Vintage Look

2011-07-08T07:23:00.001-06:00

My friend/customer Tammy is a young quilter that does wonderful work. Her quilts are as much a joy to work on as she is a joy spending time with - chatting about family, quilting and whatever else comes to mind.

This is her latest quilt made as a gift for her husband. Tammy designed this quilt and collected homespun fabric to give it this wonderful vintage look. She called it "Happiness is Homespun" - cute eh! I just did a large loopy meander with 100% cotton thread as being a vintage look we both felt it should be kept simple.

Scrappy Stars - "Love Those Scraps"

2011-06-29T13:26:00.000-06:00

While away this past weekend at our annual guild quilting retreat I had the pleasure of spending most of my time playing with my scraps and finishing up 35 blocks. These blocks will end up being compiled into another one of my infamous scrappy quilts. My goal this year has been to hopefully use up as many of my scraps as possible. Hummm - half the year is over and it doesn't seem that I have made even a small dent in my scrap bin. I used Jodi Barrows "Square n' Square" technique which is absolutely one of my favorite ways to make blocks. Now just to get it put together and try and fit it in for quilting.

Mount Royal University turns 100 Years Old

2011-06-17T06:54:00.001-06:00

My girlfriend Jane made this amazing wall quilt as a gift for Mount Royal University's Centennial. The photos were taken from their archives and reworked - Jane told me the process but it was a while ago and rather than give you the incorrect information I won't give you any. Imagine looking at this quilt and seeing your mother or grandmother in the photo's - how awesome. I did quilt this beauty,only with an allover meander in the borders and a bit of accent quilting around the photo's. Hat's off to Jane for taking on this project as Jane has only been quilting for a few years. "What a wonderful gift"!

I'm attached a link to the Mount Royal University Centennial web site if you would like additional information on their celebrations.

http://www.mtroyal.ca/100/mru_now100.htm

Diamond Chain

2011-06-16T15:56:00.000-06:00

This is another one of Susan's wonderful quilts. It was quilted using "Maple Dance" pantograph by Karen Thompson, Mirage variegated thread by Wonderfil and Warm/White batting. Susan is my customer who makes her backs just as interesting as the front of her quilts. The second picture is of her back.

Suzanne's Baby Quilt

2011-06-15T13:22:00.000-06:00

This is my friend Suzanne's finished baby quilt. I think she did a great job for this being her first year of quilting. I did an all over freehand swirly meander, using Tutti 100% cotton variegated thread by Wonderfil and 100% cotton batting.

Novelty Christmas Quilt

2011-06-09T16:51:00.001-06:00

This is such a cute novelty quilt made by my customer Gloria. I so appreciate quilters that do hand applique as I've never really had the patience to get any further than a meager attempt. Gloria did an amazing job on this quilt.

This was a full custom using mainly Invisifil thread by Wonderfil and wool batting to give is more definition.

Multicolored Customer Quilt

2011-06-08T16:20:00.000-06:00

I thought this was such a lovely quaint traditional quilt. The customer chose the pantograph "orange peel", 100% wool batting and the thread was a great variegated - Mirage by Wonderfil.

Colorful Jacob's Ladder with awesome pieced back!

2011-05-22T08:54:00.002-06:00

This is an adorable multi colored customer quilt - Jacob's Ladder. I quilted it using the pantograph called "Flower Power" by Patricia Ritter and a 100% cotton variegated thread by "Wonderfil". Please note the last photo. This is the back of Susan's quilt - she does an exceptional job with her pieced backs, scattering words throughout for such a unique effect.

T-Shirt Quilt - Combined Effort

2011-04-30T19:04:00.001-06:00

I was asked by a customer to make a t-shirt quilt for a friends special birthday. Because of time constraints I asked by friend Max to help out with the piecing of the top and as the true friend she is, she agreed to help out. Max did an awesome job piecing the t-shirt blocks and was done in record time. "Thanks friend". I did the quilting and Max finished it off with the machine binding. The fabric was the customer's choice as well as was the flannel backing. I did a pantograph called Palm Beach, used W/Natural batting and a variegated 100% cotton thread by Wonderfil.

Max's Rooster Quilt - "How Fun"

2011-04-17T08:13:00.001-06:00

This is another fun creation embroidered and pieced by my friend Max. She loves her embroidery machine - which I might add "she's almost worn out". The embroidered blocks were custom quilted with a number of different fill stitches, the inside of the rooster panels were outlined to give the blocks texture and the border has a freeehand design emulating the rooster cones.

Fan Custom Quilt - "Finished"

2011-04-01T07:46:00.001-06:00

I've now finished this customer fan quilt. It's full custom quilting with a lot of cross hatching, leaf type feathers and swags and beadboard in the borders .

Wool Quilt - Hand Appliqued

2011-03-13T08:35:00.006-06:00

This is a wonderful hand appliqued wool quilt made by a customer Cindy. I think it was a class project held at "Out of Hand", a unique quilt store here in Calgary. This beauty was done all in hand dyed wools and is an absolutely gorgeous piece of art.

I used wool batting to show more definition and Invisifil thread by Wonderfil. The quilting was full custom, all freehand with a bit of ruler work.

Traditional Sampler Quilt - "Star Daze"

2011-03-05T10:59:00.002-07:00

This is a lovely sampler quilt from a fairly new customer and she called it "Star Daze". I did full custom quilting on this traditional sampler using mainly templates, rulers and free hand quilting. The border was a new treatment I had never tried before and it is using straight lines set at right angels. Please note - if you have any questions about this or any of the quilts I've featured here please do not hesitate to contact me at crazycreekcreations@shaw.ca.

Bear's Paw - Customer Quilt

2011-02-21T17:33:00.001-07:00

Just finished up this lovely Bear's Paw quilt made by my friend and customer Tammy. I used a pantograph called " Come Dance with Me" by Irene Steele, 100% cotton batting and Mirage variegated thread by Wonderfil. This quilt is made as a gift for Tammy's Dad.

Customer Kaliedoscope - Free Hand Quilting

2011-02-17T06:32:00.002-07:00

This beauty was pieced by a lovely lady in my quilting guild, She did a wonderful job and if I remember correctly it is a gift for one of her children - or grandchildren. I did an allover freehand leaf "meandering with attitude". As usual I used Mirage thread by "Wonderfil" top and bobbin. The third photo down is of the pieced back which is the fabric used to make the Kaliedoscope blocks. ( For a closer look please click directly on the photo.)

"Elegance" - now complete!

2011-02-07T18:54:00.000-07:00

"Elegance" is now complete. What a beautiful quilt to work on - hopefully the client will be happy with the outcome. Full custom with a lot of freehand feathers, templates and ruler work. Invisifil thread by Wonderfil. (Click on the photo for a closer look.)

Elegance - Full Custom - (A Peek)

2011-02-03T06:02:00.000-07:00

This is a beautiful customer quilt called "Elegance" - it was a block of the month at "Along Came Quilting" one of our local quilt stores a year or so ago. I am doing a "full custom" on it with mostly each block reading something different with a lot of feathers and ruler work. I hope to have it ready to turn to do the 3 remaining borders this weekend and have it finished within a week or so.

Golden Threads

2011-01-31T20:54:00.000-07:00

Golden Threads is now finished and waiting for the fabric to arrive at the studio so I can go ahead and put the binding on. This quilt was made by my friend Max and will be on display at Heritage Park in May, 2011. It was full custom quilting using Invisifil thread by Wonderfil.

Curly Q Pantograph

2010-12-30T22:53:00.001-07:00

This lovely quilt is from my friend and customer JoAnn and her quilts are always such a joy to work on. Just coming off of a couple of large custom quilts and it has been so refreshing and really enjoyable to do a pantograph. This one is called "Curly Q" by Lisa Calle. I used 100% cotton variegated thread (Tutti) by Wonderfil.

Custom Medalion Quilt

2010-12-27T10:47:00.003-07:00

Well I finished up this custom quilt with a few days in 2010 to spare. Not that I set that as a goal but it gives me a bit of time to, as I call it "play". I mentioned before this is a customer quilt made as a gift for her daughter. It was a full custom quilt using Warm/Natural batting, and Wonderfil Invisifil thread. The design on the half square triangles were created with a template and the center medalion was freehand (Mactavishing). The large border was a freehand allover meander. I've had a few comments about getting a closer look - if you click on the photo itself you can get a bit closer. I struggle with the photography - my apologies.

New Project on the go!

2010-12-17T09:58:00.000-07:00

I have just started a new custom project this morning. I will be at this one for quite a while as it's 88" x 103" - lots of half square triangles. There is also a hand appliqued motif in the center. I'll post more photos as I get to the centre. This is a customer quilt who made it for her daughter.

Ladies in Red

2010-12-12T09:28:00.002-07:00

More photos of the Ladies in Red. This was a full custom - with swags in the outer borders and piano keys in the 2nd border - I used black thread so it doesn't really show. A medium stipple was done in the charcoal blocks with the centre being outlined to make them pop. Each lady was outlined and has a fairly tight fill to try and emphasize the designs. I used Invisifil thread from Wonderfil for most of the work top and bottom.

New Project

2010-12-09T16:55:00.001-07:00

Hi all - I just wanted to share a bit of what's happening in the studio these days. This is a lovely little quilt my friend Max did a while back. Max does beautiful machine embroidery and hands some of her gorgeous work over to me to complete for her. I just started this one, hopefully she'll be happy with the results. This is just one of the blocks I've worked on today and will post more photos when finished.

Lone Star Custom

2010-11-25T13:04:00.001-07:00

Those of you that know me, know I love love love doing freehand feathers. Well I definitely had my chance to do feathers on this quilt. This is a full custom with 3 thread color changes. A wonderful quilt from my customer Lisa which will be a Christmas gift for her mother-in-law. I have a few more quilts to do before I book off for Christmas so I'd better get back at it.

T Shirt Quilt - Custom Quilting

2010-11-20T19:53:00.002-07:00

Wow - All I can say is "man it's a busy time of the year". I just finished custom quilting this T-Shirt quilt for my friend Jane. What an amazing labour of love for her daughter who played volleyball for a number of years. I tried to use a number of different fill stitches and was fairly happy with the results.

"Sister's At Heart" Wins at the Calgary Stampede

2010-11-05T11:20:00.001-06:00

I've been meaning to post a photo of my beautiful blue ribbon but quilting got in the way - go figure. Anyways, yes "Sister's At Heart" did win a blue ribbon at the Calgary Stampede. I think Lynn would be proud. This is the quilt I made in memory of my best friend Lynn who passed away August 2009.

Scrappy Flannel Quilt

2010-11-05T11:05:00.012-06:00

Well as some of you know I do try and still get a bit of piecing done in between longarm quilting for others. This is a scrappy flannel birthday quilt for one of my grandson's. I quilted it with a pantograph called "Sea Weed" by Lorien Quilting. But the one thing I still don't understand - is how come my scrap bin is still as full as it was?????? The pattern started out being out of Judy Marin's book but ended up being my own design - those that know me shouldn't be surprised.

Glamorgan Care Centre

2010-10-02T09:51:00.001-06:00

My friend Max (the charity coordinator for our quilt guild) and I delivered over 20 quilts to the Glamorgan Care Centre here in Calgary yesterday to be given to the residence to help keep them warm this winter. Hopefully the quilts will put a smile on their faces and that they will enjoy them as much as we enjoyed making them.

This was the 2009/2010 charity chosen by our quilt guild. Each of the 19 members made at least one quilt - but I know for sure there were some that made more. All the ladies in our guild are so talented and so very very generous - hats off to all of them for such a job well done!

Le Jardin Won 2nd Place Ribbon - Calgary

2010-09-25T11:37:00.000-06:00

My customer Kerry took 2nd place at the Creative Sewing Festive here in Calgary in the large wall quilt division. Kerry did such an awesome job on this gorgeous applique quilt and yes I'm going to take a wee bit of credit for the quilting. If you're a quilter, do scrapbooking, sewing, knitting, etc. etc. and live in Calgary this show is a must to see.

Snowman Applique Quilt

2010-09-23T12:40:00.000-06:00

Another adorable applique quilt from my customer Kerry. This one I used 100% wool batting and Wonderfil Invisifil thread. I did light custom quilting in the appliqued blocks, some ruler work in the pinwheel and log cabin blocks and freehand quilting in the borders.

Nosegay Floral Customer Quilt

2010-08-26T15:18:00.002-06:00

This is a lovely quilt I just finished up for a great lady, friend and customer - Joan. I used a floral pantograph called "Flowering Pond" by Nancy Johnston. Legacy 80/20 batting and a beige polyester thread. This one was a bit of a challenge as the prairie points were already on the quilt so I had to be careful not to catch them when quilting. Fairly happy with the outcome.

Turning Twenty - Customer Quilt

2010-08-20T07:27:00.002-06:00

Wow this was another huge quilt from a dear customer Lisa (98"x112"). I think she mentioned it's for a wedding gift for, if I remember correctly, a cousin. This gal is a fairly new quilter and doing an amazing job. I am so pleased when I see young people taking up the art of quilting. I quilted it freehand "Meandering with Attitude" swirls, using Warm & Natural batting and Wonderfil Mirage variegated thread (lots and lots of it). :0)

Watermelon Quilt

2010-08-14T10:20:00.000-06:00

Hi Everyone - Yes I'm still here and slowly getting back to normal. Hubby is now home from the hospital and doing well - thank you everyone for your kind messages. I have been working in the studio and believe it or not I am a bit ahead of schedule. We were hoping to get away to BC for a few days but hubby wasn't feeling up to it so I just kept on quilting.

This is the latest project finished. Isn't it the cutes quilt ever. No it's not mine - a customer left it for me to do a freehand on - so "Meandering with Attitude" it was. I think it is sooooo cute!

Le Jardin by Bunny Hill Designs

2010-07-19T17:26:00.001-06:00

Lovely customer quilt just finished and picked up. This lady did such an amazing job on the applique work in the quilt. All the 3 dimensional work made it so much fun to quilt. It was a challenge to try and decide what fill to do in which block. The outside dark border has swags on it as well as bead board. All in all I think she was happy with the results.

Art Quilts by Carol Schmold

2010-07-11T11:18:00.001-06:00

A few months back I was asked by a very talented art quilter out of Saskatchewan - Carol Schmold, to custom quilt 2 of her pieces. Although I was a bit nervous because she was doing them for an exhibit she was having, I took on the challenge. She has now sent me photos of these two beautiful art quilts to share with all of you. Carol has been having trouble with her website and as soon as I get word that it's up and running I'll post her site so you can all enjoy her other pieces of art.

The first one is called "Broken Ladders" and the second one is "Prairie Landscape Tapestry".

Beautiful Applique Quilt - Traditional Custom Quilting - More Photos

2010-06-08T06:53:00.003-06:00

I have now completed this adorable customer applique quilt. This quilt was perfect for some nice traditional custom quilting - so that's what's happened in the studio.

Custom Irish Chain

2010-05-03T19:07:00.001-06:00

I finished up this custom Irish Chain this past weekend. Can't get any good photos of the whole quilt or of the back. Too bad because I'm quite pleased with how it turned out. The feathers go all around the border with the feather wreaths in the center and cross hatching around the wreaths. I really enjoyed doing this, sure hope the customer likes it.

Custom Quilt in Progress - Traditional Irish Chain

2010-04-25T08:03:00.001-06:00

This is a lovely customer quilt which I am doing some traditional custom quilting on. It took me 3 tries to get the thread color right for the feathered block. Yep - I had to pick out the feather twice. Now I think I'm happy with the color. Hopefully it won't take me more than 1 week to get finished but just wanted to share what's been happening in the studio. I also have done a bunch of quilts with freehand designs but they've been picked up before I could get any good photos. It's been a very busy month and I'm HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY!

Freehand Floral - Sample of "Meandering with Attitude"

2010-04-11T09:52:00.007-06:00

This is a customer quilt which I am doing Freehand Floral on, or "Meandering with Attitude", as I have named it. Just another sample of some of my freehand work. I used Warm and Natural blend batting and Wonderfil 100% Polyester peach colored thread.

Very Cute Quilt - Sample of my Freehand Quilting - "Meandering with Attitude"

2010-04-05T14:17:00.002-06:00

This is a quilt I just finished quilting for a new customer. She just wanted freehand and "what the customer wants, the customer gets". For new clients - this is a good example of what I offer as "Freehand Quilting - Meandering with Attitude".

"Splashed" - Project in Process

2010-03-30T15:15:00.002-06:00

This is the quilt I'm working on at present - a large queen size. My client did a great job putting this quilt together and appliqueing the designs and now it's my turn. I'm getting a template made of the "Splash" and then will trace the same design in the solid blocks. I'm hoping to have this one done within a week or so, as this beauty is going to Australia as a gift for her daughter. Wish me luck! Hopefully I'll be able to get some good photos of it when it's complete.

Braid Runner by GE Designs (Quilt as you Go!)

2010-03-26T11:10:00.001-06:00

I had fun this morning putting together this "quilt as you go" tablerunner by GE Designs. It took me less than 2 hours and was easy easy easy! I just wanted to share as I thought it would be such a great project for a retreat or just to give as a quick and easy gift.

Martha Washington or Grandmother's Flower Garden (not sure why it has 2 names)?

2010-03-24T07:45:00.002-06:00

This is a quilt I did for a friend/client. I used " Dancing Flowers" pantograph by Golden Threads, Hobbs 80/20 batting and a white rayon thread. I love the vintage feel of this quilt and I think Max did a great job. I also think she mentioned that she is going to do a scalloped border on it. Hopefully I'll get a couple of good pictures when it's totally complete to share. Max is recovering from eye surgery and should be back to quilting up a storm real soon. Speedy recovery Max.

God's Promise

2010-03-05T12:54:00.002-07:00

I just finished quilting this for my friend Max. The large blocks are all machine embroidered and I can't image how many hours it could have taken to stitch these all out.

It was nice to get back to some ruler work and a bit of custom quilting. The stitching in the cross is McTavishing and the Swags are done with the swag template from Constantine Quilts out of Australia. I used my favorite thread Invisifil from Wonderfil (top and bobbin).

Custom Quilt in Progress (a little peek)

2010-03-04T10:52:00.000-07:00

I am in the process of custom quilting this beautiful wall quilt for my dear friend. It is going fairly well and I am hoping to have it done this weekend but thought I'd share a little peek.

Purple Pansies (Charming Flowers) by Konda Luckau - Moose on the Porch Quilts

2010-02-26T13:27:00.003-07:00

This lovely quilt was brought to me by a new customer from Highriver. She did an awesome job piecing it and chose the pantograph "Fire Flowers" by Lorien Quilting, 100% Warm & Natural cotton batting and Wonderfil Mirage variegated thread. She mentioned it was a birthday gift for her Mom - Lucky Mom!

"Come Dance With Me"

2010-02-19T20:17:00.000-07:00

I just finished up this quilt for a friend/client. I used Wonderful Mirage variegated thread and a fun pantograph by Timeless Quilting Designs called "Come Dance with Me". It was fun and fairly fast.

Master Bedroom Quilt

2010-02-12T09:46:00.003-07:00

I haven't named this one yet but it is for our master bedroom. I've been quilting a long time and have never made a quilt for our bed because our dogs have always slept with us. This guy is the culprit now - his name is Buddy and he's our 3 year old lab/cocker cross.

I finally decided that if I use fairly dark fabrics it won't bother me so much to see all the dog hair on it - so this is what I came up with. It's from one of the Square in Square books (just the block), I always like to add my own touch and decided to put it on point for some additional interest. I must admit I'm tired of making these blocks so it looks like it may be one that I work on when I'm in the mood.

Little Christmas Quilt

2010-01-23T15:11:00.001-07:00

For those of you who laugh at the abundance of my scrap bin here is a little something I threw together all out of scraps except of course for the border and backing. I used Square in Square technique (my favorite) and must admit I did start it a while back, so it was nice to start 2010 off on a positive foot with a completed UFO.

Colton Wins Gold

2010-01-20T18:22:00.002-07:00

Our 13 year old grandson Colton is on the Calgary Luge Team. He had a competition last weekend and the first time Grandma and Grandpa went to see him race ( not for the faint at heart). Colton won gold - isn't he a handsome young fellow. We're really proud of him!

Adopt A Family

2009-12-29T10:10:00.000-07:00

Each year my 2 friends Liz and Betty and I work on a scrappy quilt throughout the year. Every year we take turns chosing a pattern and dividing the number of blocks needed into thirds. We then get together after we have each completed our third and construct the quilt - usually in 1 evening. I think this is our 6th or 7th quilt and hopefully we can continue for a long time. We really enjoy the comradery and someone down on their luck receives what I consider a lovely quilt.

Sister's At Heart

2009-12-21T17:37:00.002-07:00

Well I'm back to work tomorrow and yes I did get the custom quilting done on "Sister's at Heart".

"The Quilt" - Calgary Cancer Auction

2009-11-30T06:20:00.005-07:00

This was my 2009 submission to "The Quilt". My quilt called "Mama Said" was sold prior to the auction Nov. 28th with my permission. There were 30 quilts auctioned off on Saturday with all the proceeds going to Wellspring - Carma House here in Calgary. There was also $6,500 raised by the sale of another 15 quilts sold at Banker's Hall this month. For more information about Wellspring and Carma House and the wonderful work they do please click on the Title heading right above the photo of me with "Mama Said".

T-Shirt Quilt

2009-11-01T08:37:00.001-07:00

A while back my girlfriend Lynn and I were commissioned to make a T-Shirt quilt for a friend she worked with. Lynn became very ill and passed away in August, so for the past 2 months I've been working on this quilt and must admit it was "Bitter Sweet", not having my best friend beside me. Although I must admit I did talk to her a few times while working on it.

I think it turned out well and I will pass it on to the owner on Tuesday.

Wildlife Wall Quilt -- A bit of custom.

2009-11-01T08:30:00.000-07:00

A friend asked me to quilt this wall quilt for her. It was fun to do something smaller and something that needed some thought. She loved it and I had fun doing it.

Fun way to use up scrap batting

2009-10-23T15:55:00.004-06:00

I had a lovely day today just working in my studio using up scrap batting to make these fun placemats. I found these easy peasy instructions how to do miter corners and I was off and running.

I've attached the link for the instructions to do the miter corners: Just click on the banner over the picture and it will take you directly to the instructions. They're a lot of fun - but let me warn you, they are also very addictive. Hope you give them a try - enjoy!

Fairy Quilt

2009-10-11T20:15:00.001-06:00

This is a customer quilt I just finished up, she brought me two which I think she said were for her granddaughters for Christmas. I used "Dusty Miller" panto by Patricia Ritter, Hobbs 80/20 batting and Wonderfil Mirage variegated thread. I have a feeling she'll be very happy with it.

Alphabuddies

2009-09-18T14:19:00.000-06:00

I love love love making baby/kids quilts - they make me smile and that is a good thing! I pieced this at our June retreat and finally got it on my frame to get it quilted. I used Patricia Ritters "Double Bubble" panto, Hobbs 80/20 batting and Wonderfil variegated 30wt Mirage thread. The backing was flannel which I found in my stash and thought it perfect for this quilt.

Custom/Panto Combination

2009-08-16T16:26:00.007-06:00

I just finished this lovely quilt for a client - Catherine. She did such a great job piecing this quilt and I know it's for a gift for her friend Kim in Edmonton. I did a panto in the center and custom swags on the borders.

Gorgeous Wilderness Quilt

2009-08-03T19:04:00.007-06:00

This quilt was made by my friend Jane for her husband as a gift. I quilted it with an allover meander except for the three solid type blocks where I used a different fill in each block. I used Hobbs 80/20 batting, Wonderfil Mirage 30wt blue variegated thread and Wonderfil Deco-Bob thread in the fill blocks.

Comfort Quilt

2009-07-29T21:14:00.004-06:00

This quilt was made and designed by two very dear friends of mine. Lynn my dear friend helped Doris, another friend design this quilt for a friend of Doris's battling breast cancer. I quilted it using Dusty Miller pantograph by Patricia Ritter, Warm and Natural batting and Wonderfil Tutti 50w variegated purple thread.

Star Quilt

2009-07-23T19:30:00.006-06:00

This is one of the first custom jobs I did and the gal from our quilt guild was soo very happy with it. I know I have a lot to learn but all in all I was fairly content with the results.

The Quilt

2009-07-08T13:44:00.003-06:00

Each year there are a number of quilts made to be auctioned off with proceeds going to cancer. The organization started out collecting for breast cancer but I think now it is for all kinds of cancer. My mother was a breast cancer survivor for 27 years and my father passed away from Pancreatic cancer, so needless to say I've been involved with this great organization for a number of years. Hope you can take a minute to have a peek at all the beautiful quilts and maybe even bid on one. Just click on "The Quilt" header at the top of this post.

For the Dance Teacher

2009-06-17T08:30:00.006-06:00

My grandaughter Mackenzi has been in dance since she was probably 3 or 4 and she's almost 8 now. She seems to really enjoy it and does a great job. Her dance teacher is having a baby girl in July and this was made for them. I found the panel on E-bay and added the small border and pinwheels. I used Hobbs 100% cotton batting, Wonderfil variegated thread and a sunflower panto.

Dusty Miller Pantograph by Patricia Ritter

2009-06-10T21:01:00.008-06:00

This is my latest customer quilt. It was done with a panto called "Dusty Miller", Wonderfil variegated baby blue thread and Warm & Natural batting.

The Monster - aka "Buddy"

2009-06-08T12:53:00.004-06:00

This is our wonderful almost 3 year old lab/cocker cross Buddy. He is our joy even though the house is always full of dog hair, (he's not allowed in my studio, however). He is so loveable and fairly well behaved - except that is, when someone comes in the door. He then gets very excited and of course wants to jump up and say "Hi!" We're working on him just shaking hands and not jumping up.