Carli The Quilter

This is a new project and its still in the process of coming together. I know most quilters start with a plan, perhaps even a sketch or two on graph paper on your IPhone. But I prefer to begin where I am, still desiring the perfect improv quilt. This is the first one hand appliqued onto a lime green okshot cotton, I believe. Its not linen, but feels strong but softer some how. I'm guessing on the origin of this fabric as it was thrifted from a set of luxury curtains. More later, have a happy day!

At our home, the Bleeding Heart is in bloom. We have two gardens, one in the lower garden which shows you the garden development and most of this went in the ground on May 18th Canadian Long Weekend. This photo shows the garden early into the growing season of the fabulous Northern valley. In our area, we can get an overnight rare frost so, we keep cloches and veggie covers handy.  Our front garden has another little growing climate all its own, dryer soil and has had lots of previous years composted chicken manure. This year not any other than a slight covering of compost on the strawberries patch in the heavy green leafed area to the right of this photo is our strawberries patch. My husband is notoriously camera shy, shows only his moccasin-ed feet and blue pants at the top of the screen below. We are very happy to be back gardening, even though you need to have bug dope on most days until around the beginning of July, then its almost a rare occurrence, s...

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! ...