Quilting

I'm back and ready to get down to business!

Windsor Castle, London UK

Windsor Castle, London UK

Hello Friends. I wrote an entire blog post on the plane so that when I got home I would add photos and hit send. Well, as life would have it, my draft is gone. The computer goblins ate it and it is just not there. That’s how it goes some days I guess. No worries, I will just think of it like laundry, one minute you’re all up to date and the next you’ve got a full basket. LOL

Why we go to England!

Why we go to England!

I have just returned from our two weeks in London UK visiting our daughter. It is so different from here. I must admit I do love it. The inner city of London not so much, but the country side. We spent our visit in the country side this trip. First, three days in the Cotswolds. Quiet, Quaint and lots of hiking. Pubs, gotta like pubs! Comfort food and interesting folks to talk to. It’s all good. Lauren brought us to Windsor Castle and St George’s Chapel. It is cool to think the Queen lives there and the Chapel is where Harry and Meagan got married. Just like on TV!

Back at home now, with a few days to get adjusted to the time again. I’m getting ready for a few of my US Certified Instructors who will be arriving at the end of the month. Now there’s a group of obsessed quilters. Quilt, eat, Quilt, eat, Quilt, eat, Quilt, sleep, repeat. Oh there may be some Cheesies and bevies enjoyed in there, but it is pretty hard core on the quilting side. We have a blast and I can’t wait to see them all again. As always there will be a head full of new projects and techniques, as we all do different kinds of quilting. Stay tuned for stories and pictures.

Mid October is my workshop (click here for more information). Now there is quite a lot of quilting events happening in and around the area so registrations have been slow. If your sitting on the fence I urge you to sign up soon. I am really hoping that I will not have to cancel. I will keep you all up to date and will know by the end of the month. Here is a picture of River Rocks made by Martha Mosher. Martha made her quilt scrappy and it looks so cool and so different from mine. I just love it! Thanks for the picture Martha. Send along your pictures of your quilts either from my classes or my patterns. I post them on the Gallery page of my website. Go have a look, Its a great place for colour ideas as well.

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That’s about it for now. I can see a tint of red on the trees across the river and the fog rolls over the water in the mornings when we wake up, a sure sign that fall in here and a new season is upon us. That means it Quilting time, so thanks for dropping by. Until next time, stay safe, enjoy our beautiful fall days and check your seam ripper - it may be dull!

Feeling Blessed!

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Hello Friends. Happy November! Today I’m actually at our new river house steeling a few hours to myself. It has been such a busy, exciting and unbelievable year. So today, while I sit here gazing out over the river, I am truly feeling blessed. First off for our new cottage/river house. It is becoming a place where I feel peace and calmness. Things we all search for in our ever so frantic lives. Next, and much to our joy and surprise, our oldest daughter and son-in-law bought a house just outside the city. Now we can visit more often and enjoy all the things that come with having them closer to home.

October had the family flying to England for our youngest daughter’s wedding. I do believe that this is as close to a fairy tale wedding as I could have imagined. The sun even came out for the afternoon when the festivities began. You will all be proud of me for not “blubbering” during the day as I tried to cry with dignity (“dab under your eyes”, the makeup lady said) as the special moments grabbed at my heart strings.

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Most recently, I have felt the generosity and love from my special quilting friends. I do feel blessed to know, and be part of, such a talented group of people. Recently, I had a few of these friends to the River House for some stitching and catching up. I was so touched when Daintry gave me a miniature of our joint collaboration (a pattern coming out this spring) to hang here at the cottage.

A few weekends ago I popped into our local arts and crafts show. I bought a few tickets on a quilt that they were raffling off. It was made by one of my dear and special quilting friends. Guess what, I won it! When something like that happens to someone like me, everyone asks, “What are you going to do with another quilt?” Answer, Put it on my bed and feel the love!

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Walking through the show I spotted a wall-hanging. All of a sudden it was in my arms and coming home with me. It’s great when your friends do techniques that are not your forte, so Thank you, Fran, I love my landscape and it will look great here at the river. So as the year nears its end I will put 2018 down as one of the busiest, exciting and most eventful in recent history.

Not much action in the studio these past few weeks, but right before I left for England I had just enough time to put my “Mini Citrus” together.

When I decide to play with a new technique and begin construction I’m full of excitement and motivation, driven by the promise of a new creation. But, as soon as the project goes up on my design wall and the daunting task of finishing looms before me I lose interest all my motivation fades and procrastination sets in. The fun part for me is over. What part of quilt construction tries your patience and motivation?

Stitching at the River House with Friends.

Stitching at the River House with Friends.

Next weekend is my Quarry Workshop. I know the quilters are just itching to get into this new technique that we are going to work on. The Shaded 9-patch unit is so versatile and fun to make. Along with the workshop they will be the first to get my new pattern Quarry. It will be available for purchase right after my workshop so check out the store section of my website or ask for it at your local quilt shop. There will be lots to do in the next few weeks as the Christmas season begins to loom in the horizon. AG! Time to start another list.

Thanks for dropping by. Until next time, stay safe, quilt lots and check out this year’s Christmas fabric.

Here comes the Fall

My new Happy Place and favourite tree!

My new Happy Place and favourite tree!

Hello Friends. Happy September! I hope you all had a terrific summer.

I am finally getting some much needed time in the studio to catch up on a few projects.

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The weather this summer has been sunny, hot and dry. Some may say to hot, but give it a bit and we can start to complain about the cold and snow. Summer has some of us enjoying the camp/cottage and we were no exception. Our big news this year is we sold our rustic camp and bought a cottage/retirement house on the French River.

Hubby will keep working for a few years yet but opportunity knocked and well down time is now spent with running water and electricity. You know what that means. That’s right, I have a studio in the lower level with a beautiful view. The sewing machine is already set up there and I am looking forward to those rainy cold November days when I can piece away while Hubby watches sports on TV.

The new “River House” comes with an added bonus, a 3 bedroom apartment style loft above the garage. A perfect retreat space! Hmmm Stay tuned for more exciting news as it develops. Send me a comment if this is something you and your quilty friends would be interested in.

Our little family keeps on growing, and like my mother used to say, “The girls will bring the boys home!” Our youngest (who lives in the UK) is getting married in a few weeks. That has this family scrambling about with last minute details and wedding prep. I will be gone for 2 weeks in and about the middle of October. Which means that when I get back it will be pretty close to workshop time.

If your thinking about joining me for the workshop, give me a shout and I can register you in a jiffy. “Quarry” is fast, fun and there are three project sizes to choose from. So call your girlfriend and lets get together in November. Click here for more information.

Now that summer is winding down, my brain goes into quilting mode. What’s happening in the studio these days you ask! Well, I am trying to get through a Jelly Roll Rug. Man, there’s a lot of sewing involved to make one of these. One of my regular students, Anne, started hers and I am so glad, because now it’s like a contest and I have to have mine done first to tell her what to do next. I really hope she has to pickle or can something this week. LOL If all goes well I would like to offer it as a class so stay tuned.


I am very interested in the “Sew Kind of Wonderful®” curve piecing tool and techniques. You all know how much I love making units bigger and squaring them up, well Sew Kind of Wonderful does just that. It is a tool that does a curved piecing/ drunkard path kind of unit. Her patterns are unique and I am anxious to get my first sample done so that I can teach it to all of you.

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My pieces are all cut out and ready to sew but there’s this wedding thing… Wink Wink


I will have to miss “Quilts on the Rocks” this year (I will be at the wedding) but if you are in Sudbury, take some time to see all the beautiful quilts. Yes, I will have one hanging in the show with the pattern to come in a few months. There are venders, a boutique to purchase hand made goodies and a silent auction section.

Quilts on the Rocks

October 13 & 14 2018

Parkside Centre
140 Durham Street
Sudbury ON, P3E 3M9


I had one of my quilters finish her Tuffet this week. Well done Suzanne!

Tuffet made by Suzanne Gagnon

Tuffet made by Suzanne Gagnon

I may just need one for the River House! Presently on the Longarm is Quarry sample #2 so I had better get to it. Last time I checked the machine does not run itself. :(

Thanks for dropping by. Until next time, stay safe, clean your sewing machine and find a new quilt project, it’s that time of year.