Carli The Quilter

Hi, I'm Carli and I'm a fabriholic.  I've been a quilter for two decades and it was only during our last move that I really began to realize how bad it was. I know this is very important step for me to take. I need to declutter my pallet of fabric. To me its a reawakening and I've got so much it must  be done. The bins contain years of seeking and finding just the right fabric for the kind of quilting art I make. I didn't really have much time to do more until recently. So here is goes, I'm culling my stash and let me know if  you are interested in some awesome dated fabric. Yes, I'm mot going to buy fabric for the first 6 months of 2014! WOW, I'm getting a little nervous and I'm resisting the pressure in my little brain to delete it. But know, once I make a statement I intend to keep it.  So our lovely, talented Jess of The Elven Garden has decided and taken action to cull her stash. So I'm getting on board too

Phew , this has been a stretch for me to complete this and attend to the commission art pieces being requested for Christmas! But luckily I had made up Chevron Braid pieces for the completion of my Summer Dresdens and then didn't use it and when I put these together on my new design sheet I new right away it must be. I think it looks really cute and add's a new twist to this quilt version for anyone else who might want to do something unique into any pattern. As you may have understood about me and Good Earth Quilting; we love to recycle and its not only from our new fabric scraps, its from clothing, vintage mostly and I love the old fashioned 1970's corner background fabric for the 4 corner blocks. I used these pressing bars in all the applique vines on the flower border! I am total fan of these Quilter's Press Bars. Here's why: The perform a great function of using up scraps in 12 inch lengths and so you can make your bias vine on any

Well, you know, I've always wanted to learn how to knit. Its just one of those things that well, I might have not really shared but, what the heck! Yes, I chose to start such an idea with the idea that I could whip off several to add to stockings. That was untill I tried to complete one of them. I have loads to learn and would like to know any ideas or links you may know of to help me get onto the right track. Please? More soon on the Crazy Quilt Along 2014. Carli

Well, I heard a few days ago that my postcard had arrived in France. Lin emailed me and I wondered how come I had nothing in the mail? Then it arrived yesterday and its so cute, I love it! Thanks Lin , now I understand that a fabric postcard really means a postcard! Click on Lin's name for a look at the many postcards that Lin has received, yeh! Of course, I had to do a little crazy stitches in this postcard for Lin. I'm having a nice chillin' day quilting away! It will be a table runner when complete. See you soon... Carli

I had to make it mine so the leaves were not cut and appliqued, I simply used large rick rack for the leaves and machine appliqued those into place. If was fast and easy to do, I encourage quilting out of the box. You can see the hand embroidery I did on some of the Orange Peel blocks, just for texture. Did you notice the cute buttons on the basket vine? I really enjoyed making the baskets from crazy piecing and this looks really cute. I hand embroidered the basket handles with a big primitive stitch. Sorry about all the fussy edges, the wind was blowing and I my hands were getting cold. But I must say these Quilters Press Bars that I won at a quilt retreat many years ago were the perfect thing again. Here's why: to buy them they cost around $7.99 at a quilt shop, you get five sizes You can make the 6 inch sections the patterns calls for in a snap You don't have to buy several colours of bias tape and I find the bias tape is never the colour you want.

I am a really durable quilter. I know this about myself and as I start each project I think of the people who wore the blouse or dress or shirt. I live my life. I do activities with my spouse that are very special, like fishing, we both love it. My hubby has a special view on life and we're just so glad we met! We're coming up on our 29th anniversary. Rick made this ice sculpture in 2010 winter, it was a perfect winter of just enough cold and just the right kind of ice on the river. Check this posting here for more on his ice scultpture. I like sharing with readers what inspires me and I generally think that my environment inspires me. It translates directly into the kind of crazy quilting  I design and make. On the theme of inspiring readers to come along on my Crazy Quilt Along 2014, I have dug out my semi complete Blue Modern Crazy Quilt. This where I ended up after several months of simple hand stitching. Its also where the hand stitchi

When I teach crazy quilting classes, I like to expose quilters to a variety of ways that making a single block can be achieved and there are many ways such as in the posting by SewKatieDid where she used little bits and bites of fabric and used them up to make a unique small zippered purse. There is really no right way or wrong way of piecing. I use my own method and many of you will find your preferred way. All my images of my work are copyright protected and everyone reading this knows it. So the above block is an example of using an orphan block and making it the focus of the block.  While in this example of an organized quilter who decides to use all of a cinnamon bun of Kaffe Fassett fabrics. The quilter who made this quilt below, my friend Yo, started with a whole bedding sheet and just added chucks of fabric appliqued onto the whole sheet as she went. Yo told me it was done over several winters. A modern quilter might sew strips of scraps togethe

Well, wow, what a reaction and I'm so pumped by all the positive comments about Crazy Quilts Made Modern. I'm really a nut when it comes to crazy quilting. I also am a bit of a different duck.  Hence, I may actually be doing stitches that have been around for gazillions of years, but the way I put stitches together is my style. So I just stitch and do lots of it.  For inspiration, check out these stitches? Have fun! Carli

Some one said to me that they thought crazy quilts were just quilts made by 'crazy' quilters. Uhm I must mull on this one.... Modernity brought so much to us, to our homes and communities, but the embroidery stitches here are the same stitches used hundreds of years ago. Have I got your ideas going, melding together into a big soup pot of stitches? I hope so because this is just the start of something fun, something fairly quick to make and without reservations, you must do and be, together.

Soon going into the mail for my first postcard swap. This photo has  been altered in order to keep it a secret until my friend Lin all the way over in France receives it.

I am a very frugal hand stitcher. I recycle as much as possible of new fabric, tools repurposed, clothing that has a texture fitting my CQ fingers. I am in love with hexies too! So this is how I usually start a new Hexie Fit, I start by taking out one of the few of the perfect cut paper cuts from a quilters garage sale and I lightly tack it to cereal board, cut out the exact shape for the future paper pieces.  Then I proceed and fully tack the original perfect paper hexie shape to the final cereal board. This way you end up with two exact hexie shapes, one for the paper piecing you'll hand draw and cut out AND the perfect hexie shape that you have taken your quilting ruler and made the outside lines for a 1/4 inch allowance, see below the finished "Fabric" shape from which you'll hand cut all  your shapes for piecing. By all means, do use cereal  board for all sorts of other shapes for templates. Now, lets get to the best part, the Hexies!