Forest Fire Quilts Project

Hello again to all quilters and welcome to new quilters reading my post for the first time here at Good Earth Quilting. 

Its not winter yet, thankfully, but this photo is one that I'm sharing to show the loss these two folks have suffered at the long handed flames of forest fires in B.C. this summer. This home and barns took a lifetime to build and these two are now grand-parents, but still pioneers.

But the loss to a forest fire is so devastating and must be crushing for our friends.




This summer has been hot and firey, with so many forest fires, the province is still in a declared "State of Emergency" across the whole province. We can help in some small way, maybe a quilt will help to heal the loss.


Sadly, my hubby and I learned just a few days ago of the loss to our friends' home and barns in Telegraph Creek seen behind our friends who live a rugged life in the remote community of Telegraph Creek.

We have know each other for eons it seems and we are so very sad to learn of their loss. My husband was Best Man at their wedding and we've shared food, shelter and fun over 5 decades. Their daughter and family also lost their home too. They have found refuge in the Interior of B.C.

This quilt top is becoming their new quilt.




This quilt is one top with many stories. First made for a project that went unfinished, it was given to another group who later gave it back to me with hopes of finding a good use for it. 


For John and Jenny, I intend to make it larger with borders of hand pieced log cabin blocks as seen. It will be in the process for a few more weeks still.



Perhaps you have a top or two that can be donated to this good cause? 


Contact me if you can participate and pay to ship the finished quilt to the address I'm waiting for as I write this post. 

But with phone lines and broadband internet down as well, it could take some time to confirm this address, as I'm not convinced mail service is getting to this community yet?

email me at carli the quilter at gmail dot com

Changing topics a wee bit. If you are new to my work, the mountain peice below was part of the 2013 Smithers Centennial Quilt which is in the care of Town of Smithers. I was part of a team of talented people who are listed in an additional post.(Links below)



While this summer our province is more like a swirling sun from Susan Carlson's art book than the green gem forest of the Pacific Ocean of Canada. Recently relocated to permanent life on Vancouver Island I look forward to teaching workshops at guilds and groups who love hand stitching and upcycling!




So the first thing about me is that I love to be outdoors, preferably walking in the forest, I love the west coast and the beautiful mountain and shoreline trails.



I fell in love with thread painting in 2016, planning on doing more of this technique!


Camping and fishing is my hobby second ONLY to stitching. I am a prolific hand stitcher and slowly able to spare time for my blog and writing of my experiences of upcycling in all its forms.



 But you know how that goes, you make an error and suddenly you have a new improv quilt. When I first started making my wee baby quilts in 1980's, I had not heard of Improv Quilts. But I happily made quilts and clothing for my two wee babies from all sorts of adult sized clothing.

Hey do you have an instagram account? Follow me: carlithequilter

I raise my defiant hand and say its never too late to learn a new way of doing things. Its my firm belief that longevity is connected to being passionate about something, anything, that and good healthy lifestyle!

The other thing about me as a quilter is I'm constantly striving, learning, evaluating, writing and sewing by hand and machine. I rarely watch TV without a hand project on the go. 365 Circles kept my hands nimble for months. And I enjoy the work of others who share my love of quilting, upcycling, designing and pattern making.


I have a fun project coming with these circles as I have made way too many to use in one quilt.




This year, I returned to my high school days making my own clothing, embroidering classmates jeans for income and writing poetry. Upcycling my own clothing has become a staple in my sewing room and in my handwork basket.



Upcycled Denim from numerous upcycled jeans going into this gifted wedding present for my nephew and is bride.


The top in progress above is one of my Improv Quilts started last year. I may incorporate it into my Map Challenge that I'm also participating with this year over at AHIQ Improvisational Quilts.


And I'm really delighted to introduce a newcomer to blogging, Benita of Victoriana Quilt Designs.

But not a new comer to quilting! Benita hails from Eastern Canada, she lives remotely area off grid. You will be heartily surprised and happy you've visited her full site for sure, so read to the end and leave me a comment, then pop back and visit her new blogging site at: Benita Skinner's Creative Space

Plus, as a blogger participating with Quilters Meet and Greet, I am one who will most certainly visit all the other participating quilter blogs and ENTER to win her most awesome ONE HUGE GRAND PRIZE.

The winner will be chosen October 1st. Follow Benita's Blog to learn all about her pattern business, tips on quilting, great easy quilt backing layouts for beginners.

Happy Labour Day Weekend to those in Canada and U.S.A!

Links below:

Telegraph Creek
2013 Smithers Centennial Quilt

Comments

  1. Thanks for sharing your projects and quilts for families who lost their homes in the fires earlier. So sad. Do post the address for where others can donate to the cause.

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    1. Hi Celia, Thank you for your support.Yes, waiting until I hear from someone up there is a process. Aboriginal offices may not Internet, our friends don't have hydro or Internet. I will post this information as soon as I have it.

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  2. Please let us know more about how we can help your friends or others who have lost so much.

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    1. Peg, Thank you. It means alot to me to know people care and I'm working on forest fire quilt for our friends. All affected are in a struggle before snow flies.

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  3. Thread painting, upcycling, and circles? You are speaking my language!! Sorry to hear about the loss of your friend's home. Those fires are terrible!

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    1. Yes, really good to know we have stuff in common and for sure upcycling, thread painting and circles yeah. I just got my huge box of finished circles out to play with.

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  4. Beautiful quilts! So sorry about those fires and damages they do...

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    1. Hi Frederique, Thank you for your kind comment on my quilts and yes, this summer has been a bad summer for forest fires.

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  5. Waving to you from Nova Scotia, Caroline...
    Thanks for being part of the Quilters Meet & Greet! <3

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    1. Benita, thank you for including me in this epic journey of meeting so many new quilters!

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  6. there is no link on your blog for the grand prize. loved reading about your quilt adventures though.

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    1. Oh, dear I will have to check that, thanks for alerting me to this no link! Thank you for popping over to my corner of the quilting world!

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  7. Beautiful quilts and a wonderful cause.

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    1. Thank Your Cheryl for this awesome comment, we all love it when people like what we are doing!

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  8. Wonderful of you to do a quilt for your friends. There have been devastating fires in more than one community. With help from readers, I sent three to the fire victims in California. Nice to meet you, visiting from the Meet and Greet.

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    1. Hi Carole, yes, fires have been bad in your part of the country too. Thank you for helping with some quilting! Nice to meet you too!

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  9. I am way behind in reading posts Caroline, but what a pleasure to read yours, so many lovely photos and stories behind them. Thanks for sharing these with us, I'll be watching out for a post on your circles!

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    1. Hey Maureen, you are not the only one behind in reading blog posts! This quilt is nearing assembly stage in QAYG method.

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  10. I do hope you have great success in receiving quilts to help your friends. Such a tragic time for them and their family. Quilters are great friends...

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    1. HI Jo, yes, quilts are a special thing to give away. So much goes into them and then they keep on giving love forever. Thank you for commenting on my post about BC Forest Fires 2018.

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  11. It saddens me that your friends and their daughter each lost their homes. So far, I think that it one devastation that I think our family has escaped and I know me are not immune. My love of circles is tied to dots in fabric. I have plans to make a quilt with small shirting fabrics or solids for the background and then I would like for all the fabrics in the flowers which are appliqued to have dots in them. I started to make a quilt with polka dots and it was way too boring for me. I want there to be dots in the fabrics and there can be other designs, too, such as strips or flowers or a print of some kind. The polka dots were just becoming too over powering when it was just polka dots and solids for my taste. You have done some marvelous work and I hope that you continue. Thanks for participating in the Meet and Greet.

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    1. Hi there, thank you for popping into visit! Cheers to winter quilting!

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  12. Bless you for helping with quilts for those who have faced such devastation. Of course I love that landscape quilt - and I don't think I've seen the upcycled denim quilt before.

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    1. Thak you Mary Anne, I love helping in any way and more quilts for those in need are in the planning stage! Do check out this denim quilt https://goodearthquilting.blogspot.com/2015/05/denim-hourglass-finish.html

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  13. You are a wonderful person to emulate as recycling/upcycling is such a note-worthy effort. The wild fires have been so devastating to so many here in the US as they have been in Canada. I wonder if the 365 Circles quilt you did was the same 365 Day Challenge that I joined. It started nearly a year earlier than the 9.1.16 date that was my beginning. I, too, love hand-stitching so the 'circle quilt' was perfect.

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    1. Thank You for visiting my humble blog. I am totally smitten with any kind of hand work, I think it dates back a few decades. I used to be a closet hand stitcher as many of my quilter friends were busy making up a gazillion quilt each year. I was hand stitching and watching and learning about life. Follow my blog! I have 390 6 inch cirlces ready to go. stay tuned is the best way to learn what I'm up to>

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  14. Wow, you make such FUN quilts. Thanks for sharing.

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  15. Thank you for sharing about you, your dear friend's that lost everything to the terrible fires... They will love the quilt you are making for them...& they will feel your love.

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    1. Hi there, its my hope that it provides some sort of communal hug from miles away! I know they are SUPER busy building something to live in this winter. Cheers!

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  16. Oh, my -- such a wonderful collection of designs! The upcycled clothing is appealing . . . I first came across Susan Carlson's work at the Maine state quilt show in July. Then a friend told me she had a week-long workshop with Susan on Madeline Island this month. Thanks for joining the M&G!

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    1. I have Susan Carlson's book, its a dreamy book for any quilter. Thanks for popping into visit! Cheers!

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  17. I love your motto-never to old to try something new. Right on! I share your sorrow about the destruction from fires. Flooding sadness here on the east coast after Hurricane Florence.

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    1. I am sorry to hear of the hurricane damage to so many. Its a nasty one for sure. Thank you for popping into my world and yes, I'm always up to try something new!

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