Carli The Quilter

Earlier last month, I was deep into the piecing of the night sky that forms the backdrop in the Smithers Centennial Quilt and I quickly realised that I was pretty much out of the light colors of snow! I quickly drove into Smithers and found that both of my local sources for fabric were not able to help. "We don't get much call for white or white backgrounds one person told me" so I came home quite despondent. I really hated the idea of another revision of the design and when you are 1/2 done on the piecing and you had miscalculated how much white my own stash had, I was an unhappy camper. I retreated. I made a cup of Earl Grey tea and settled into my favorite distraction, my computer and reading the blogs I follow! Such as Stitched in Color . Rachael must have ten legs and thirteen helpers, otherwise, I am stumped for how she gets two shops, umpteen projects and has a cazillion sponsors happy on her blog. But darn it if she isn't just the most pleasan...

Yes, you've heard it all before, but really this time its really done!! It was actually a hard feeling and a good feeling today when I dropped off the Smithers Centennial Quilt to Heather Gallagher at our local Smithers Chamber of Commerce. My mind ran over all the little details of how this piece came together, how many revisions I made, how many times I pulled out stitches and I even bled on the quilt ~ last night! Someone asked me how many hours I had put in, well, I just laughed! I started out trying to figure that out, but as deadlines approach, the details of tracking became fuzzy to say the least. The little gold colored threads are not threads, they are metal wire! I learned a thing or two from artists who don't normally work in textiles, their mind went somewhere else completely. These cute little curly cues were a #%*&@ to work with and to machine quilt around. But alas, I mastered the challenges one by one.       And like any good l...

I am so happy to be part of the O Canada exhibit at the upcoming International Quilt Festival  & Market in Chicago and several other cities in the US of A. My wall quilt entitled "Beach House Crazy Quilt" has been selected to attend.   I know pinch me!!   It all started in Feb, when I saw on one of my favorite blogs a link to a Call for Entries. I clicked over to it and found that the call for entries were for Canadian textile/quilt artists who have work they'd like to submit for jury selection into the special exhibit of Canadian quilters!! I sent along my application and three photos of my Beach House Crazy Quilt. Then I put my head down, got back into the Smithers Centennial Quilt and continued the daily work on this special quilt with my deadline of April 25th, just in time for our local trade fair. I continued and continued, slightly lost track of my blog postings and even reading my emails!!   It was a total surprise tha...

I know that many of you have left lovely comments on the progress of the Smithers Centennial Quilt and I'm always warmed by any comment that a reader leaves. But the comments I'm had from the latest stages of this special quilt have left me feeling so warmed that you've  been along this path, walking along with me all these past 12 months! Thank you readers for  hanging in with me with only one focused project. I have so many others that are wailing at me every time I open the drawer. This is what I find are waiting for me in those drawers. Lots of other projects to work on and complete.  But I'm so excited by the fact that the free motion quilting on the centennial quilt is coming out really nice and I'm relieved by that. This project has been 18 months long for me and I'm ready to move on. Here's what all the segments looked like before I started FMQ.

  I'm leaving for work soon, this is just a teaser of what's to come.

As you know, I'm moving along with a deadline in place. April 26th, I have to have this whole quilt done.  I really want to see this quilt hung at the Smithers Trade Show on April 27th, 2013 in our arena! So that is only  few more weeks, but its all good! Its all OK, I'm not stressed or worried about anything now! I had to just tidy up a few details before beginning to Free Motion Quilt is quilt.  Yes, I'm doing the whole quilt in Free Motion Quilting! I really am having a hoot of a good time playing, creating, improvising and experimenting with the progression of Train portion of the Smithers 2013 Centennial Quilt. This one is for Heather Gallagher, our awesome Smithers Chamber of Commerce Manager. She inspired me with her image of what she imagined,  "I see an awesome big old train steaming large and beautiful into the quilt. Can you do that Carli?" Yes, Heather, I can do that! Just for you! Here we go... hold on, its a bunch...

When I proposed the idea of a Smithers Centennial Quilt, I had a dream. I envisioned a group of Bulkley Valley quilters, working together like the descriptions in the book "Hands All Around-Making Cooperative Quilts" by Judy Robbins and Gretchen Thomas .   This book published in 1984 by Prentice & Hall Inc. became my stand by book for when I have a cup of tea in the morning. You know what I mean? I recommend it if you are planning a centennial quilt. This is a post to tribute another one of the collaborators on this special quilt. I'd like to introduce the work of fellow quilt artist Nicole Tessier. I'll miss her as I've recently been told by Nicole that she and hubby are moving to Ontario.  Nicole Tessier of Telkwa, made time for the block Old Church she submitted to be included in the Smithers 2013 Centennial Quilt.  Her choice was to make a scene of the Old Church Building in Smithers, its has been restored and serves as a community gather...

Yes, I know some of you may look at what I've got going on and can't believe that I'll take a respite from the Centennial Quilt. But I just had to, say I felt lucky! Whoo hoo a giveaway is at hand folks, so get on board and  join me? I'm entering the "A Passion for Applique" giveaway and these are the ones that I'll start and I'll finish one of them to enter. I know I'm crazy!!   If I can do this, so can you!! I know we all have something other to do and yes, we have lives to live, but its just a great excuse for me to leave the 'head down, against the wind approach of my deadlines" and just have some fun!!    These are my examples of what I'd like to finish off in my entry into this sweet little giveaway at "A Passion for Applique" Which one I finish is still up for guessing which one, but  here is my challenge to you, finish something and get an entry into this giveaway!