Carli The Quilter

When I started the four central blocks of this Christmas Crazy it was around 2014. I was looking for another crazy quilt to provide me a winter of hand stitching, hand embroidery and embellishment. That winter was almost 7 years ago. The four blocks were complete and ready to incorporated into the new design by end of 2016 when we moved to Vancouver Island. But then they sat in a storage unit without me for another year. I make all these goal posts because, so often I hear things like, "Wow, that must have taken years? or Did you do all this stuff by hand?" and it makes me think that many times, the task is soooo daunting to a person, that they become stuck and don't ever let themselves fall in love with the freedom of crazy quilting. Early in crazy 2020, the year that we'll all universally remember forever. I leaned back on my busy life with building a business and trying to stay safe all at the same time, I decided to get busy finishing a few things and I've got...

Embroidery has always been a great love of mine. I see sometimes embroidery in shops but its not well done or meaninful. Embroidery falls into the category of embellishment and the variety of different floss, threads and yarns that can be incorporated into any piece are what I'm all about. This is my start onto a Doll Quilt Swap that has be done by end of March 2022. Its a blaza day with clouds and nippy wind so I'm playing on the computer and stitching. Happy Saturday!  

I am experimenting and not just with one thing, but many in my pursuit of the continued love of stitching. This is based on a photo sent by my friends Todd and Charrine Lace of @charrinelace and upon deciding on how to go forward with creating my first ever stitched art like this became a new adventure and more is coming along on that vein. His portrait went into the Town of Smithers Centennial Quilt 2013, which has now come back to me for safe keeping. What are you trying out? I've found a lovely and simple, thank goodness for me knitted and then felted slipper pattern. I found it online, but can't find it again to share it, but its out there.

Hi and welcome to my blog! If you want to start right now making a crazy quilt block use my tutorial link below. Crazy Quilt Piecing Tutorial No planning or real decisions should go into making a crazy quilt block. This is of course my opinion and each one of us makes different choices along the way, I just plunk down prints or plain fabric scraps that appeal to me, onto any sized foundation fabric and I get busy. Its important to have less bulk when machine embroiderying or using a regular sewing machine to do some fancy stitches along the seams. Once your original crazy pieced block is finished to your liking, then I pull fabrics to place around the block to proceed with finishing. At this point its just like you are finishing a regular quilt block or top. I usually try to make the border big enough that the center block is nicely framed. This alternate color print is too much for this block, it loses its loveliness in the busy print as seen be...

I upcycled all sorts of fabric into my "Beach House Crazy Quilt" and it was selected for the 2013 Quilt Market "Oh, Canada" exhibition in Houston and LA. When I began this blog back in 2007, I wanted to educate about reusing cloth, now called "Upcycling" of all types of fabrics that we didn't normally see in quilts. I love the to play with color, texture and style. But believe it or not, but in 2007, I struggled to have anyone see anything I wrote about upcycling and I did have to make the concession to including more new fabric. This gorgeous table runner sports Dresden Plates handmade from scraps of all ages of printing, some as far back as 1980. These scrappy Dresden Plates sit on a light blue background which is new organic 100% cotton while the backing is upcycled curtain material. Myrtle and I made matching bags from a pattern she purchased and it was so much fun! And so as you read this most auspicious post, start think...

As the last bit of a chill is hovering over the Cowichian Valley, the ground, plants, trees and birds are just bursting at the warmth of spring to come. Its just not planting weather yet. I have been enjoying my altered clothing experience! I highly recommend it for anyone who knows how to sew! The purple/blue plaid shirt purchased from Hudson's Bay store in Victoria shrunk badly after the first wash. I love these colors and wanted to get more use from brand new shirt. The shirt after washing and hanging to dry was too short. I didn't want to lose the cowboy shirt rounded front style but I think most of us would prefer a little more belly coverage than this length offered me? This upcycling adventure was not the first altered clothing I had done since in my late teens. I learned upcycling from a German trained tailor while living part time on Long Beach before it was a National Park. I was quite dissapointed when I took this shirt out of the washer. I ...

I am super charged like a wee bunnie! And I wanted to reassure my readers that I'm NOT going anywhere. You can be content that I will still be posting the projects I'm working on and give you all a progress report for my new adventures! I am back to working on the new details of Blooming Crazy which I started last year. And its given me a new perspective on what is actually crazy quilting. Stitching happy little trails and new pathways is about me finding the bliss I've wished for quite some time. New pathways and happy little trails are just where my steps will take me. I have begun to find my bliss and I'm determined to get back to fun! Fun stitching, fun sewing and fun life. This a long time crazy that is getting finished and will soon have a complete version for you. Do you find yourself singing while you stitch? I have a new friend who is helping me with gratitude. While she is working on my feet and I'm relaxing, I listen to he...