Happy Canada Day!

It is Canada's 151st birthday today and my family is celebrating with Pancake Breakfast and then the annual Parade in Sidney, BC.

We'll be wearing our red and white just like we did last year
and I'll be displaying my True North quilt.

Today I'm sharing a beautiful urban garden in the heart of Vancouver.

I visited VanDusen Botanical Garden when on my trip to Quilt Canada in early June. Creation of the garden started in 1966 and today it is a wonderful place to walk and learn about plants. 

Here are a few of the many pictures I took that day:

If you visit Vancouver, be sure to put VanDusen on your activity list!

True North - in a special cabin

I love it when quilters send me photos of quilts they have made from my patterns!  Joy F. sent me this photo of True North, a pattern I designed to use Northcott's Oh Canada fabric.

Joy told me that the quilt is 'proudly displayed in a log cabin that used to belong to my great great great grandfather....so Canadian!'

I wanted to know more about the cabin and Joy sent me pictures of the cabin its history. Here is the information from Joy:

The log cabin is on the Big Rideau Lake (about 1 hour south of Ottawa).  My father researched our family history and found out they came from England to Peachum, Vermont in about 1702.  They became United Empire Loyalists and settled near Morrisburg.  The Chamberlain home is still standing near the St. Lawrence River.  My g.g.g grandfather was a doctor, dentist and MP who lived in the log cabin at Harlem’s Corners, about 5 km from Portland, ON.  The log cabin was built about 1820.  In 1994, we discovered it falling down.  There had been an exterior staircase in the summer kitchen at the back.  We helped my brother number the logs and transport them onto our property, about 20 km away.  He built a basement and a log maker bleached the logs and rebuilt it on the foundation.  We helped with the chinking and my brother added a large porch, screened in porch on the side, back family room with the powder room, and a full bathroom upstairs.

My father bought the property in 1970 and had a dream to build his own log cabin.  Our family helped him realize his dream by chopping down trees on our property, stripping the bark and help build a little log cabin with no electricity.  I remember being on the other end of a saw with my mother!  

Do you have a story to tell with one of my quilt designs? I'd love to hear from you!  Send me your photos and story and I'll be happy to send you a free pattern of your choice.

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I received this picture from Jean B. a while back. Jean made this quilt to celebrate Canada's 150th Birthday. She used my pattern True North to make her quilt. Great job Jean!

This pattern is being updated to include an additional version using an 

upcoming Northcott Oh Canada collection called Our Home & Native Land.

I have also designed Crossroad Squares using this collection.

These new patterns (and several more!) will be available in about a week. 

Sign up for my FREE NEWSLETTER for my
Special Offer Announcement
when you buy these patterns.

You will receive a free pattern as my gift
when you sign up.

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I am so pleased to share these photos from Sheila Hancock.  

This quilt was made and donated the the Stony Plain Fish and Game Club and Wabamun Gun Club, for their dinner and silent auction.

The pattern is True North and the fabrics are Oh Canada from Northcott. Read below the pictures for more about Stony Plain and it's Sister City in Japan.

Here is the story of this quilt sent to me by Sheila:

I live in a town called Stony Plain. In our community there are several murals painted on buildings throughout the town.   This mural was made and painted on the Town Office Building to honour the Friendship between the two communities.  In the mural are both Mayor of Shikaoi and the then Mayor (Donna Cowan) of Stony Plain.

The Town of Shikaoi, Hokkaido, Japan, and the Town of Stony Plain, Alberta, Canada have been sister city's for 30 years. The year 2015 marked the 30 year anniversary of our two towns twinning, and I had the pleasure of traveling to Shikaoi, Hokkaido, Japan, as an adult delegate. February 2015 22 people from our town (Our current mayor William Chow, a couple of Councillors, past mayor Donna Cowan, Representative from the County of Parkland, Town employee's and 11 selected people from our community) travelled to japan, to join in the 30 year anniversary celebration. While over there, our experience was amazing, and the community and all of their people treated us like royalty. They are very hospitable people, loving and kind. Their town is a population of 5,000 and they have a farming community surrounding them.  They have seasons and weather very similar to ours, but I believe they receive more snow. They are in the mountains, but not like our rocky mountains. The views are amazing.  They grow a lot of lavender and a lot of potatoes, the skins are light/thin, amazing flavour. Dairy is also a big industry for them.  I am not fond of dairy, but their dairy is amazing; the yogurt tastes like ice cream. I could go on forever about the experience.  The memories will live a lifetime in my mind and with the thousands of photo's I took. ANYWAY.... That is why I selected that area of our Town to take the photo, to have the beautiful mural in the background.

Thank you so much for sharing the pictures and the wonderful story Sheila.

If you would like to make a True North quilt you can buy the pattern here.

New Pattern - True North - a Celebration of Canada

My latest pattern, True North, celebrates Canada and showcases animals, birds and the diversity of this great land. The fabrics are from Northcott, the latest collection in the Oh Canada series. 

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Northcott proudly supports Quilts of Valour – Canada.

 

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This quilt is a 'horizontal row' quilt and it is designed for Confident Beginners. 

 

The size fits the Quilts of Valour requirements so you can
donate your quilt to support Canada's soldiers and their families.

 

 

Buy the pattern here.

 

The Oh Canada 4 collection of fabrics will arrive in Canadian quilt shops in September. Let your local shop know if you'd like them to stock them so they can place their orders.