Smitten with Summer!

Hello Friends and fellow summer enthusiasts! Can you believe it's already the middle of July? Time sure flies when you're trying to squeeze all the fun out of this sunny season! So, here's the plan: I've been attempting to be a responsible adult (emphasis on "attempting") by focusing on work in the morning and early afternoon. But come 2 pm, it's officially outdoor time! I've declared war on my yard with some "interesting" attempts at yard work. Let's just say that weeds and I are in a constant battle for dominance. I had grand plans for getting around to finishing some appliqué projects this summer, but they might just have to wait until next year. It's like my sewing machine is giving me the cold shoulder, and my projects are saying, "Summer? Nah, we're going on vacation."

Speaking of vacation, my reading mojo seems to have taken one too. I've devoured some Kristen Hannah, Kate Morton, and Mary Lawson gems, but now I'm on a quest for the next page-turner that's worthy of my undivided attention. Recommendations, anyone? I promise not to devour the book; I'll just read it, I swear!

As fall approaches, I'm contemplating some project-based classes. In last months’ blog post I mentioned making a duffel bag. Well, there was a group of quilters in the loft a few weeks ago who I taught the bag to. The class went off without a hitch and now I think we should tackle this in the studio in the fall.

I have a Christmas sock ready as a sample. The pattern is by my dear friend Katrina Thomas. She is a master at miniature piecing, so this fine detailed piece is a wonderful example of her fine work. There are three socks in the repertoire and the next one has a Scandinavian feel with a Nordic star on the front. I promise to post a photo when I get the sample made again! I keep making these wonderful socks for classes and they disappear as I give them away as the grandchildren keep coming. 😊 Don’t be frightened by the small pieces, remember with the Studio 180 tools and techniques of squaring up units, this little beauty will go together like a breeze!

Happenings in the studio this month: I've finally long-arm quilted my Piko quilt. It's a thing of beauty, if I do say so myself! Soon, I'll have a proper photo of it for the pattern cover. And hey, check out my new pattern, Criss-Cross! It's now up for grabs on my website and on Etsy. Get it while it's hot! Anne finished her quilt Marquise while in the loft a week or so ago. I just had to take a picture for you all to see. Love it in the various blues. Anne’s favourite colour can’t you tell!

 I was at the makers North show last month and found this ever so cute sticker by my friend Julieanne. I think in the day and age of all this social media one can easily get lost in the time sucking machine. I know I must be very mindful as to when and how long I scroll around. Time to find a special spot for this gem!

Alright, my creative juices are calling, and I must answer! Thanks for hanging out with me. Until next time, stay safe, soak up the summer sun, and let's all go create something fantastic!

And Bang! It's February!

Hello Friends.

And just like that, BANG! It’s February. I’m not even going to mention January – it totally got away from me! But… I really can’t complain too much because as I am writing this, I am beneath an umbrella, pool side, with a cocktail in my hand in Mexico.

There are a few reasons I think it is really important to get away for a “proper” holiday at least once a year. The pandemic has made that impossible for many as of late but maybe now we might be able to plan something for 2023 (a cruise perhaps!?). Whether it be a foot in the sea, toe in a lake, or hand in a tent, one should always allow themselves the opportunity to take a break from life long enough so that at some point in the day, you say: “I don’t know what time it is and I don’t care!”. And, while many of you know me as a real carpe diem kind a gal, I have spent the last few days seizing nothing but margarita after margarita….

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve still been dreaming up new colour combinations at night and makings lists in my head while I doze on my sun bed. However, that’s not to say I haven’t had a few nightmares while I’ve been away too. The other night, I dreamt I was trying to take out stiches with my seam ripper and the seam NEVER ENDED! It just went on and on and ON and I kept picking the stiches out but the stiches kept coming! It was like some quilting hell or torturous seam ripping purgatory where I was caught picking out stiches for all eternity. I have no idea what I did so wrong that warranted so much seam ripping. Still, maybe it’s all the fresh salty sea air or all these mojitos, but it got me thinking. Even the best of us will spend some time in the naughty chair taking out stiches now and again but that is precisely when it’s time to fall back on fundamentals, principal quilting techniques, the basics that we all too often take for granted when you just want to get a project done. But, oh yes, that little devil seam ripper is always there staring at me, reminding me of its presence, forcing me to stay humble and always pay attention to detail. Neatly pressed seams and perfect points can make all the difference. It can turn a relatively simple quilt into a real beauty. You wouldn’t just guess how much butter and flower goes into a pie crust. Pastry is notorious for requiring precise measurements and frankly, I love donuts! Quilting is the same – paying attention to the detail and honing skills are what’s necessary to create masterpieces.

Anyways, as exciting as palm trees and sandy toes may be, I am genuinely looking forward to this year’s guild meetings, quilt shows and, most of all, in-person workshops. In light of my seam ripper nightmare, I’ve decided that my classes for 2023 are going to be underpinned with an emphasis on perfecting the basic building blocks and techniques that are essential ingredients in a recipe for beautiful, timeless quilts and projects – helping students become next level quilters. Quilting is as much of an art as it is a skill and it’s important to actively work on those skills to build confidence to take on more complex patterns – or perfect the ones you already have under your belt!

That said, in keeping with tradition, I have committed to embracing a word for the year….”Details”. Now, I’m not about to go off sweating the small stuff – no, not those kinds of details - but I am going to look to reinforce those practices which contribute so much for the overall end product, not to mention their longevity too! Besides, these are heirlooms after all. And if your children are anything like mine, they never let me live it down when my points aren’t matching. The fear that my grandchildren might point out lumpy unpressed seams on their quilts long after I’m dead haunts me! HA ha ha. I simply can’t have that!

Nevertheless, if you are looking to sink you teeth into a fun new project, this year’s Block of the Month starting this fall both at my studio and Cindy Bee’s in Espanola called “Anteli” is the one for you. It was created by Raija Solmaa (a dear friend and fellow Studio 180 Certified Instructor) and is perfect for practicing attention to detail. This quilt features 6” finished blocks and requires you to slow down and be fully present when piecing. A perfect quilt to challenge your quilting abilities and one that will certainly have you stand back and say, “Wow, I made that! What a lovely looking donut!” HA HA HA.

Of course, a full list of where I am and what I am teaching is always available on my Calendar. So, if you are interested in taking any of the workshops coming up at the studio please feel free to drop me a line to schedule your lessons.

And remember, don’t forget to book in that holiday this year! There is still time to join me for a few days on the quilt cruise exploring the islands of Aruba, Curaçao and CoCoQuay for a wonderful creative adventure. I am really excited to share my new pattern with all the cruisers and a load of delicious looking fabric has just arrived in the studio for the pre-cut kits. All of the pieces will be cut in advance so that we spend more time on the cruise sewing and can get happy hour on time! Contact Dawn at (302)530-6187 for more information or to register.

Thanks for dropping by, now, if you’ll excuse me, I am off to find a piece of cake! ….

Until next time, stay safe, stay warm and find a quilt class.

Who Knows Where the Time Goes!

Hello Friends.

It wasn’t that long ago that I was sitting on my dock by the river, feet up, sun shining on my face, and saying to Hubby: “We better enjoy this now because it’s going to be December before we know it...”. Well, here we are…

Some say time goes by more quickly as we get older. This past year, I celebrated the big 6-0 and I even took the liberty of parking in the “Over 55” spot at the drug store the other week but the pace at which these milestones are happening is far too quick for comfort. Hopefully Santa will get me a new anti-wrinkle cream this year.

Last month we were able to visit my youngest daughter in the UK for the arrival of her second daughter and our third grandchild. Now that we are back, it’s time to haul out the holly and I’ve been pedal to the metal with “to do” lists. So far, I am proud to report that I have the decorations up, outside lights done and most of the shopping sorted. It is so satisfying striking out pre-holiday jobs and errands and ticking boxes across all the sticky notes I leave for myself. I just LOVE fun stationary because it makes all these seasonal chores slightly less daunting. But, I am genuinely worried that I am going to need a bit more than a glittery notepad to get me through January. Before the new year, I’ve got to tackle year-end stuff and spring workshop prep so I am taking advantage of any free time and making the most of these valuable few weeks before it’s out with the ho, ho, ho’s and in the with GO, GO, GO’s!

Mini Bag class at Cindy Bee’s Quilt Shoppe.

Thankfully, we are beginning to be more comfortable being out and about in this unchartered post-pandemic phase. In the quilting world, guilds have been able to get back to in-person meetings and shops have started to host classes again. I was so happy to be able to welcome students back to my classes and attend a few guild lectures. My first outing was close to home with the French River Quilters. It was so wonderful to meet such a lovely group, see what everyone is working on and connect with my quilting community.

Tree Skirt Class.

Despite being away for a month, I have had several classes here in the studio throughout the fall. It has been nice to get back in touch with my regular students along with welcoming a few new quilters too! November had me back at Cindy Bee’s Quilt Shoppe for a few days where I taught a fun little bag (a great gift for Christmas or for packing in for holiday season travels) and a tree skirt. Cindy and I are working on some class ideas for 2023 so stay tuned…you wont want to miss out!

The Loft saw a few groups staying with us. A special seasons greetings to all our Lofter groups who returned for another creative get-away and a great big winter welcome to those who have come from far away.

Deanna’s rendition of PIKO.

Besides banking baby cuddles and visiting with quilters, I’ve been busy working on a new design. I am pleased to announce the release of my latest quilt pattern, PIKO, is now officially here – just in time for Christmas! I simply can’t tell you how excited I am to finally launch this pattern. I have been working on it for almost a year and I have to admit this is one of my favourite patterns so far. It is simple but stunning and doable in so many fabric colour combinations. I am so blessed to have such great quilter friends and thank you to all those special people who have taken time out to help with samples and pattern edits. Here is Deanna’s rendition of PIKO that she constructed while working through the pattern, checking my maths and construction methods. Well done my friend and thank you for your help – I owe you my weight in gold (post-turkey dinner!).

Either as a present under the tree or a new year project for yourself, you can order the pattern (and all my other patterns too) through my Etsy store or as a PDF download off my website.

Among all the deliveries from my Black Friday sale shopping and Christmas presents bought off Amazon, the fabric for the quilt projects I am teaching on the cruise are starting to come in. Cruise? What Cruise?

Yes quilters, it is official… I am teaching on a Caribbean Cruise this upcoming summer. Not only is the prospect of guaranteed sun getting me through the thought of four months of sub-zero temperatures, but I am also super excited to be teaching on a boat! Not to mention, no long Johns and no cooking. That said, if you are in need of a Christmas gift for that special quilter in your life or perhaps something for yourself, why not join me on a week touring around the Caribbean and quilting! For more information visit QuiltandCruise.com or give our cruise co-ordination Dawn Olmstead a call at: (302)630-6187

Important: The date has changed from a month ago. The cruise is now scheduled for the 21st to 29th July 2023. With everyone keen to finally be able to travel again, this cruise will fill up fast so don’t delay.

Now that the winter quilting season is well and truly upon us, I’m sure, like me, you have seriously ramped up sewing to tackle those special home-made Christmas presents and taking on the challenge of finishing all of your 2022 projects before the new year. Each year, I have marked in my calendar at the start of December to take time to do some much-needed machine maintenance. There’s nothing like a broken machine, mid-stitch, that will get you screaming indecencies that will certainly land you on Santa’s naughty list. So, be sure to clean the bobbin area where all the fuzz hides and change your needle. Also, maybe it’s time for a new seam ripper. They get dull as well and it’s frustrating enough having to take out stitches – you should at least do yourself the favour of doing it with a sharp seam ripper!

As always, thank you so much for dropping by. Until next time, stay safe, get outside, and start thinking about your next quilting project. I know I am!