Saanich Fair 2017

This past weekend was the 149th year for the Saanich Fair. It is a tradition to attend this agricultural fair each year.

This year I spend Labour Day Monday with quilters from the Victoria Quilters' Guild and the Westshore Quilters' Guild. Luckily we were in a large tent since it was blistering HOT!  Some of us brought our sewing machines and others did handwork.  What a great way to spend the day....some quilting and lots of visiting and chatting!

Here is a picture of the organizer, Jill, and me behind my sewing machine. I'm holding up my Guild Badge with it's new addition............the Quilting Queen pin I received from Deb on my Alaska Quilt Cruise!

Convergence Quilts - Westshore Quilters' Guild

Last Saturday I spent the day with members of the Westshore Quilters' Guild and they created Convergence Quilts.

Here are the results of their day. GREAT JOB everyone!

And here's our class picture.

What's on My Table, Tuesday?

Happy New Year!  And it's a very special year for Canada - our 150th Birthday!

My table was not 'silent' for the few weeks before Christmas but I was in 'gift production' mode and couldn't share what I was making. I promise to share pictures later this week.

My first project for 2017 is a new Convergence Quilt. I'm teaching this workshop at the Westshore Quilters' Guild later this month and thought it was time to have another sample to share with my students. 

I spent a few days re-acquainting myself with my stash (i.e. tidying up the MESS from my holiday creating) and found 4 pieces of fabric that I wanted to use for the new design.  Each one spoke to me in a different way.

First was this tropical fabric - I had just a small amount of this one. Perhaps I chose it because we had snow over the holidays and I was dreaming of a warm tropical garden!

I gathered these additional fabrics:

Color Flash I by Heide Stoll-Weber for Free Spirit
The PERFECT colours and amazing texture.

Artisan Spirit Shimmer by Northcott
Another perfect colour and the gold in this print goes with my tropical print.

and finally this one.....

Rhapsodie Coloree for Red Rooster Fabrics

How amazing is it that this is one of Ricky Tims' commercial fabrics,
since we ARE using Ricky's Convergence patterns for the workshop!

Here is my 'in progress' quilt. I added an improvisational border with triangles. The quilt is a bit 'yin and yang' - precision piecing for the centre 'convergence' and then improv for the borders.  But I think it still is 'in balance'.

I think this quilt suits me perfectly. I need to be precise, accurate, perfect when I write my patterns. But I use improvisation and creativity when I develop the designs.

Have you started a new project for 2017?  I'd love to see it.

Want to know more about 'yin and yang'? Here's the description from Wikepedia.

Westshore Quilters' Guild Show

 

 

I attended this quilt show last weekend. What a wonderful display of quilts. The quilt pictured above is the Mini Blocks Sampler by Youngmi Kim. She just started quilting in 2012! All the blocks are hand pieced and the quilt is hand quilted. She says: "This sampler quilt means to me a confidence that I can do any patchwork to come." 

Here are a couple of close-up views of the quilt too - my friend Peggy put her hand next to the hexagons block so you can see just how small these blocks are!! 

 

Westshore Guild Workshop

An enthusiastic group from the Westshore Quilters' Guild joined me on Saturday to learn about Give & Take Applique. Here are a few pictures of the blocks students made using my Stonehenge Maze design.

It is always fun to see the different colours and designs that are created in workshops!

This Week's Workshops

I am teaching on of the projects from my upcoming book at Calico Cupboard on Friday. The New York Beauty Table Runner uses my Give & Take Applique technique - no curve piecing, no paper piecing. You'll still have perfect curves and points with this method. Want to join me in class?  Drop in to the shop or call them (250-652-2722) to register.

I will also be teaching Give & Take Applique for the Westshore Quilters' Guild this week. My one-day workshop is on Saturday. Students will be working on my pattern, Stonehenge Maze. I'm looking forward to seeing all the different variations the students will make.