Bloggers Quilt Festival Second Entry

My second entry in the Quilters Blogger Festival is another BOM that I just finished designing for my quild. I am entering it in the applique quilt category. I am especially proud of this quilt and what it represents. You can read the full blog post here along with a little Canadian history.

Canada birthday quilt

When I was designing and making the blocks I kept thinking of the various symbols that are Canadian. I think I succeeded in representing those symbols.

Bloggers Quilt Festival

Amy  of Amy's Creative Side is running the Quilters Bloggers Festival. My entry of a quilt in the large quilt category is Pinky you can read more about it here.

Pinky

I made this quilt as a result of making extra blocks when I ran my guild's BOM last year. You can read about my medallion quilt here and here. I didn't want to make two of the same quilt even in different colour ways. 

Medallion BOM quilt

Pinky now graces one of my granddaughters bed.

Guild BOM for 2016

I  designed my guild's BOM last year and am at it again this year. I wrestled with a few ideas and wasn't sure what I was going to design. Last year I designed the Medallion Quilt you can read about that here and here and some examples made by my guild members here.

 Inspiration finally struck! In 2017 Canada celebrates her 150th Birthday, I thought it would be nice to design something celebrating her birthday. I thought something that depicted Canada would be nice.

Maple leaf

The maple leaf is recognizable as a Canadian symbol and flies proudly on the Canadian Flag since 1965.

Hockey

Ice hockey is the official national winter sport of Canada. It defines Canada like nothing else does. It started on a frozen lake as early as 1825.

mountains and moose

The Canadian Rockies are a system of multiple ranges of mountains which run from the Canadian Prairies to the Pacific Coast. Much of the range is protected by national and provincial parks.

Another Canadian symbol is the moose which represents the country's native wildlife. A bronze statue can be found in the Canadian Paliament's House of Commons. It is also featured on the coat of arms of the provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador, and Ontario.

 Lake Erie and a lighthouse in Port Dover

Canada has about seven per cent of the world's renewable freshwater. The Great Lakes basin, is the world's largest freshwater lake system. The five great lakes are Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario. I have been to all 5 of them and live near Lake Erie.

CN Tower in Toronto and the Beaver

The CN Tower is a 553.33 m-high concrete communications and observation tower in downtown Toronto, Ontario near the northern shore of Lake Ontario . Constructed in 1973 and completed in 1976 it was the tallest building in the world until 2010 and is now the third tallest building in the world. 

Rogers Centre, originally named SkyDome, is a multi-purpose stadium situated just southwest of the CN Tower and is home to the Blue Jays. It opened in 1989.

The national animal of Canada is the beaver. It became an official symbol in 1975 but was used as early as 1678 on the Hudson Bay Company's coat of arms.

Parliament Buildings in Canada's Capital Ottawa

Canada’s Parliament Buildings are home to the federal government in Ottawa. Designed in a gothic revival style, the buildings officially opened on 6 June 1866, about a year before Canada's Confederation.

The Parliament Buildings in Ottawa are a visually striking complex of buildings located on a promontory overlooking the Ottawa River.

Following Confederation in 1867, the newly opened Parliament Buildings became the heart of the Canadian government and a national symbol. 

They are composed of three blocks, the Centre Block and the East and West Blocks are to each side of the Centre Block and create a public plaza facing the city's urban core. The surrounding open grounds are interspersed with monuments of important political figures who helped shape Canada.

All the parts as one 'Canada'

I didn't mean for this post to turn into a history lesson, but there you have it a few facts about this great country I proudly call home.

the back

A couple pictures showing the stitching on the back.

close up of the stitching on the back

The finished quilt is actually a wall hanging measuring 36'' by 36''. I used the 'Crafted Appliqued' method for all the applique you can read more about Lara's of BuzzinBumble method here.

Thank you Sandra of mmm!quilts for testing the blocks. 

Mod Bear Paw Finished

I finally got my Mod Bear Paw Quilted I tested the pattern for Lorna of Sew Fresh Quilts. You can read more about the it here. Lorna is hosting a QAL of the pattern just pop over to her blog to start in on the fun.

It sat by my sewing machine for at least a week basted and waiting for me to decide how to quilt it. Lorna did wavy line quilting and I at first thought I'd do the same, I didn't want to over quilt it as it's a baby quilt. But when I actually started quilting it I just went right into loop-de-loops problem solved. I used Quilters Dream batting a 70/30 combination and really like how it stitched. I usually use  Hobb's Premium 80/20. But I do have to say I love the way the Quilter's Dream quilted.

early morning shot

My sewing machine is a thread snob and seems to have a real likeness for Aurifil when FMQing. I used Aurifil 2600 for the all over loops.

one colour of Aurifil thread

The backing was pieced from the leftover pieces, little to nothing added to my scrap stash and that makes me happy.

an easy pieced backing

Craftsy is having a Farewell Summer Sale. It's your last chance to save on some of Craftsy's most popular supplies. Sale starts Friday the 16th and runs til Sunday the 18th at 11:59pm MT.

Craftsy Summer Sail

Disclosure: This email contains affiliate links, and by clicking on some of the links and purchasing products, I will be paid a commission on the sales.

Mini Round Robin Reveal # 3

The final round is to Sandra of mmm!quilts block. You can read about the Round Robin here and here and here.

With Julie and Tish's additions

The more I looked at the block I knew I wanted to play with the square in a square that Sandra had started with, but how to. That was what I was having trouble with. I drew up a design in my graphics program and just played. Once I started the design just seemed to come together. The square in a square was done in blue pulling the blue from what Sandra had started with. The star points were a play on Tish's friendship stars that she had added and the purple points in the corners pulled out the purple that Julie added.

design drawn in my graphics program

Now I was ready for a fabric pull. I didn't have any background fabric in my stash that I liked so I was forced to go to my LQS, well okay maybe not forced. I found the perfect background fabric and I may or may not have gotten a few other things while there.

fabric pull

The background fabric is Rustic Weave by Moda, the purple is a Northcott, the blue is a batik and the green no idea it was a fat quarter with no selvedge.

Next step how in the world was I going to make the border, I knew the measurements as I can set a grid in my graphics program. Okay measurements are all well and good the green was easy a 4'' x 4'' cut on the diagonal. It was the blue that was a problem, it wasn't quite a triangle. Lightbulb moment here, I could make a template. The background was another easy one 6 1/2'' square cut on both diagonals. Time to start constructing.

background pieces added to the blue sorta triangle shape with the green added next

The purple points up next I knew how I was going to handle them, yup another template. The sides were a stitch and flip to the corner of a background piece.

stitch and flip corner and points

Oh yes I liked what I was seeing. I only needed my stitch ripper a few times but it wouldn't be sewing without using it. 

borders complete

An outdoor shot shows the colours better.

natural light shows the colours better

One of Sandra's favourite photo shoots is in a tree, I like tree shots too. The sun and with the piece being a mini getting that shot was hard.

tree shot

I hope Sandra likes what I added. 

I have enjoyed being a part of this round robin. It has pushed my creativity and challenged me. From time to time as quilters we need to step out of our comfort zones. Would I do it again? Yes!! I believe all four of us did an outstanding job on each round we added. We learnt more about each other and we all took into consideration the likes and dislikes of each other. 

I will add the direct links to the posts with the rest of the reveals as they become live.

Sandra of mmm!quilts

Tish of Tish's Adventures in Wonderland

Julie of Pink Doxies

One Lovely Blog Award

Thanks to Tish of Tish's Adventures in Wonderland for nominating me for the One Lovely Blog Award. When I first started blogging I had no idea that it would lead to making new friends all over blogland not just in my own little corner, but all over. Quilty bloggers are the best! Ask for help and no one hesitates to ask how, they just do.

Apparently there are some rules to follow.

- Thank the person that nominated you and give a link to their blog.
- List the rules
- Display the award on your post of The Award
- List 7 facts about yourself
- Nominate (up to) 15 bloggers for this award and comment on one of their posts to let them know you have nominated them

Seven facts about me hmmmm here goes.

1. I don't like to put a lot of personal information about myself out there, I am more of  a private person.

2. I am not a cat person, I don't dislike them just not crazy about them. We have had a cat. We had a stray that adopted us. My hubby found him in our barn, he had ear mites and was so skinny. We took him to the vet and ended up having to put drops in his ears, man did he hate that and I had enough scratches to prove it. We had him for quite a few years.

3. I do like dogs! Big dogs! With German Shepards being my dog of choice, since we now live in town we don't have a dog currently. I said currently as I miss not having a dog near by.

4. I have lived in three different provinces in Canada. Prince Edward Island, Quebec and Ontario.

5. When I started school in PEI I went to a one room school house. And I am not as old as you are thinking right about now...So stop it.

6. I am now a two time cancer survivor. It is not an easy fight and having done it twice was extremely hard. I don't have the coveted all clear yet, but with having it twice I know it can strike when we least expect it to.

7. I don't like to follow rules, but I think I did okay this time.


Nominees are

Lara of BuzzinBumble
Sandra of mmm!quilts
Karen of Tu-na Quilts
Anja of Anja Quilts

A Glimpse of a Pattern

Notes aplenty some legible and some have left me scratching my head. My process involves drawing up a pattern and the basic measurements. I then write the steps as I go trying to snap a photo of each step as I go.

notes and bits and pieces

It is always good when the pieces line up and fit the way I envisioned them. 

fitting correctly

perfection

Back to more writing and testing.  I also need to get working on my addition to Sandra's of mmm!quilts block done for the Mini Round Robin. You can read more about the Mini Round Robin here, here and here.

Craftsy is having a Black Friday Sale this weekend. Go take a look around you never know what you'll find. 

Craftsy Black Friday Sale