Carli The Quilter

I really love autumn colors, but when its summer, I love summer colors and about the only time I give in to the seasonal colors is winter and Christmas. Do you have favorite colors? These Dresden Plates are coming along and you can read this post if you like by clicking on this link.  I love to make a quilt 'pop', you know?  I lean toward the color most bright against the project I'm working on. I don't care a hoot for matchy matchy! In the quilt "Oranga Finished Yet?" I leave the rush of orange to take it to more calmer colors so the orange stands out and makes a statement of some sort. For example, this "Oranga Finished Yet?" is a freeform improvisational style of quilt. In my mind, improvisational work is just that, without a plan. I use all colors in my work, this is part of what makes my upcoming book so different from other Crazy Quilting artists in the world. I don't live my life by the book or craft my art ...

I know there is some fast and furious debate going on about Facebook and whether it makes sense. I keep up with most of my family this way as we're all over the globe. Plus, I love to see what other quilters are doing that don't have a blog. But its also~learning about new ways of doing things. If you weren't an embroidery nut like me, you'd see this innocent container of threads and such, as a wild leap to the unknown maybe? But if you are like me, its old hat to have gazillions of threads all over the home. I do have a really great husband, now I'm thinking about how much I have "MY" around the house. He's also not on Facebook. And if you weren't a Crazy Quilter, then you'd see this little piece as really scary and click away. But if you just take some small steps, you can do it. You too, can become one of these addicted to crazy quilting quilters and sigh and move on without the fear of the unknown. I work at it to m...

Well, I thought most people already knew about QAYG, but apparantly not! When I posted that brief and not at all totally finessed tutorial  at this link. I've used this method for piecing crazy quilts since I made the first one, it seemed to work really good and so then I adapted it to my T-Shirt quilts and many others. I'd been really encouraged by the comments I recieved and so I went looking for others who block there quilts for machine quilting and then using QAYG for joining. So first up is the popular British quilter Little Island Quilts.  If you start using this method, you'll be joining at least quite a few quilters out there who don't really care if the whole quilt is perfectly machine quilted with all the little feathery things lining up. That's just the whole enchalada isn't it, it about 'crazy' as you go rather. Everyone it seams has a different way entirely! This quilter even has a class on Craftsy, go here if you'd like...

When I started this a few years ago, I didn't really fully understand the new ideas around "Modern Quilts." I did know I liked it. Something around the randomness and solitude in solid colors can be mystical. I set off to learn about modern quilting like many of you did also. So I just started where I was, with my own vision of what Modern Quilts were and went forward. To me going forward was like making 'crazy quilts' in solid colors or random squares and rectangles. I didn't really try to align my thinking with others or practice with any modern patterns. I've named this quilt "Oranga Finished Yet?" because its been hanging around in various stages since 2010 or so, I started with random solid green, lime green and various orange prints, but soon its took on a real Halloween kind of feel. I quickly diverted on another path and out came the rotary cutter! I rely on my instincts in quilting. I rarely allow myself to see the end...

I love to find new people doing some extensive work in embroidery. This next guest is very special indeed, let me introduce Penny Berens of Tanglewoodthreads blog. What age were you when you began hand embroidery stitching? I picked up needle and thread many, many moons ago before the age of seven.  I used to have to embroider tray cloths and tablecloths and napkins as birthday and Christmas presents for the women in our family. What teaching did you have when you started?    It was my two grandmothers and my mother who were my first teachers.  My paternal grandmother was a home economics teacher, though it was probably not called that in her day.  I still have and treasure some of her linens and darned sheets.  My maternal grandmother used to make my dolls dresses beautifully embellished with shadow embroidery.  By the age of seven my mother had instilled in me a love of crewel work which was the type of embroidery we used to ...

Welcome! I'm so glad you are joining me! Its "Mug Rug Blog Hop" week With Diane Gilliard and this is my day to share what I've been up to in preparing to participate with fun EPP blog hop! I have read this whole book now. I am drawn to the style of it actually, Diane has written this self help book in an interesting way. I laughed when I read that Diane is not a fan of patterns and prefers to make her own design, me too! *******My 1/4 HST Square Hexie Block Tutorial******** These blocks are sewn together before hand and then pieced together to form this "Steam Punk" kind of look. I liked the idea of a mug rug and have someone special in mind for them as a gift. I chose to learn how to reconstruct my own EPP shape and put it all together. I was a wee bit weak at the knees a couple of times just stressing about all my UFO's and patterns on the go that my mind went back to some good advice on what to do about your UFO's...

Today, I want to tell you all a little story. I suggest that you make a cuppa tea and get ready to read something special. Yes, go ahead and make a cup of tea and return to this blog post.  I'm not going anywhere, so go ahead, you'll be glad you did. Twenty years ago, I was an emerging textile artist with two kids at home, I had more ambition than money and I was on my way to one of my first quilt teacher engagements in Colville, WA. I was 36 years old and living in Grand Forks, B.C. at the time and we struggled financially because teaching our children at home meant no second income. I knew that I had some sort of quilting talent, but I didn't really know then, what it was or how to make it into a business. I had left my Hubby at home being 'Home School Teacher' for day with our sons and I had his blessing. So I set off to cross the border into the U.S. I was right on time, but slightly excited as I pulled into the U.S./Canada Border crossing. I...