Carli The Quilter

I am not sure about this jumble of colors in my recent County Clair handpiecing project, something inside me is  conflicting with this project  that I must figure out soon.   I started this Kawandi quilt last Saturday. I took the whole day off and stitched to my heart's content. I have been following @margaretfabrizio and her work in the Kwandi style is stunning! Simply put, her art pieces are beautiful and the are all made in this Kawandi style. From the Fidi people of Africa who have Indian roots apparantly?  This is all consuming and fun to take a total break from all you are dealing with right now in self isolation and avoiding going anywhere unnecessarily. What are you up to in your quilting projects? I see people already working on Christmas projects? I can't even think that far ahead. I've been very happy with my gardening this year. And making a cold frame for winter fesh veggies. Happy Quilting everyone! Thanks so much for continuing to follow my progress. W...

I made this quilt back in 2002. Made from men's pant material harvested lovingly. And some plain men's work style shirts. I tied and it would still be around if someone hadn't taken in on  date and spilled coke all over it. It was thrown into a lake to 'clean'it and no one thought to ask about wool pant materials or the best way to wash it. Sour faces brought it home and with heavy hearts they handed it to me without too much crying. Shit happens and I learned a fair thing. Don't make and then call quilts Camper Quilts then others think they are hardy and can be washed like another other cotton material. I'm sure you've got some stories like that, if it hadn't been for my inexperienced upcycler habits that I included teh red/black tartan, it would still be in use. Instead the wool tartan shrunk and everthing around it came too. Rumples, canyons and wired twisting occured after the lake experience. I was ahead of the MODERN quilting curve back in 2002...

I love making quilts with two sides of interest. There, I've said it and its a fact. I've made several of them. I like to be able to turn the quilt over and have a different look. This is not a new thing and many of us make two sided quilts. My start on this large Modern Crazy Quilt-Reversible was designed with out any over seam embellishment. Each of the center blocks started with 1 (12.5 inch square) for the back, 1 (12.5 in batting) and then forming the crazy free form topping of each square. I invisioned a center of darker colored fabrics surrounded by less crazy pieced modern design around it in a minimalist kinda way. Borders will come next, pre-quilted before assembly.  They will be measured to fit each side with a corner stone block in each cormer. Then I will have a look at that and decide if its going to be bigger. This throw quilt is going to be a house warming gift in December. I had decided to put one border around measuring 12.5 b...

Last summer was one of the busiest on record, buying, moving and two weddings! While the summer was very busy, I started on some more autumnal colored circles for the first table runner for Monique. You know I've recently had to put them aside as its all way tooooo addictive. Who knew I'd love hand applique of simple circles, as much as I do? And her husband to be wanted something in red and blue.  And as I look back on it, its a total wonder how I managed to make anything with my sewing womb a total uproar. I'm culling and giving away to local good charities and still I have too much stuff! But this Denim Wedding quilt was a 2017 finish and it completely went right by me!  Again, between moving and then buying, it was a hectic summer and I envy of you quilters who are so organized. But slowly I've gained ground with all this culling, its actually quite freeing and is allowing me to focus on what's important to me. Getting out into the na...

Phuef!  Easter is over and it was lovely to visit, eat and share our backyard with family and friends!  But I must admit, the gardening to be done has taken over my life, a wee bit. Its always a push in the spring time to get ready for planting. I had sort of forgotten about how fast weeds invade as soon as the spring warmth returned to the soil.  Without much in the way of freezing temperatures over the winter, I dreamed of the brocolli , kale, and tomatoes to  be grown in my new garden space, but its been kinda soggy here this spring I'd say! Our days have mostly been cloudy with just a rare glimpse or two of sunny skies. And its not so very different from the spring time in the Bulkley Valley of Northern B.C. minus snowy days of rough driving conditions and shoveling snow for sometimes 4-5 months.  And its quite lovely to be able to experience walking without ice. But quite frankly, we've lost the access to the backroads and wild parts o...

Hi everyone! I woke up this morning in the Cowichian Valley to a chilly -5 C. I know to my northern friends this is "no big deal" of any real kind of chilly. But to me who craves less cold, its a chill! I was up this Monday morning to the visit my new quilting friends, women of a wide age category, wide experience in all forms of quilting and many that are Canadian Snow Birds. But none the less, they are now my support for conversations, questions, idea exchange and sharing of our mutual love of quilting! But alas, time is getting away from me again. Up first is my finished on my dining table from last week. My African Violet Craz Quilt table runner. My husband now affectionately calls it the Black Hole table runner. Over the weekend, I did get some time to actually get started on the finishing of this Mexacali Heat Quilt. I have begun making the Nine Patch Blocks for the broders. As you can see, its coming along. I found that as I cut, se...

My attention taken with unpacking and culling, I find the moments of sorting and culling from my art supply stash brings me joy. But soon this whole box of brand new Organic Cotton Yardage is going to be sold. If you live anywhere near Duncan, yardage at $10/meter.  I remember sorting and doing our first cull in advance of our move and have since done this three other times until this recent sort and cull. So many others are on the move as well as well. Travellers relocating to my local area are posted everyday on our local Used.com classifieds . Many are looking for both, jobs and housing.  We now live in a real Earthquake zone called Pacific Ring of Fire.  The small town I live in is right overtop of this massive fault line that covers the population of hundreds of thousands other people, so I am not alone. The Ring encircles the whole Pacific Ocean. and the western part of Canada is on the Pacific Ocean.  But am I prepared to live for at least...