Carli The Quilter

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 just love working with the personalized history in t-shirts of my commissioned clients. Recently, Victoria contacted me about making a t-shirt quilt for her....she's off to university! I started by stabilizing each t-shirt with an iron on fusible webbing on the back of each logo to be used. This is where it starts! I spend time thinking about the events that may have contributed to the events portrayed in the logo. I use organic cotton and decided that a 'modern' approach to this quilt was needed. I began with piecing varied backgrounds onto the logos in the colors of hot pink, black, light blue and lime green. As you can see in this photo, the blocks sort of take on a life of their own into sections. This part progressed quite fast. Once all the blocks appropriately start working together, then the sections are created waiting for the backings to be created to sandwiching with the front sections! The backing sections grow in a modern way,...

I stand with my hands on my hips, the garden is in and organized, the sun shone all around me, as I listened to the sweet sound of songbirds.  1. I'm hand quilting a king size quilt, with a deadline of June 30 to add it into the local quilt show! As of today, I've still got three borders and two corners to go. I started in late December 2011. 2. As the leader of the pack of artists who have rallied around making a once in a lifetime quilt, the deadline for all the artists to have their block handed in to me is June 30th also!  I'm not showing the blocks yet, just the one I'm making and this is it. Its a bust of Sir Alfred Smithers who our  main town of Smithers is named after. He was in the employ of Grand Trunk Railway and assisted in the completion of the railroad which helped promote the growth and development of Smithers in the Northwest BC region. For more information, you can visit our local http://bvmuseum.com/  I'm not a 100% happy wit...

A special hello to all my followers! Thank you so much for reading my  blog and being interested in learning more about how to be a green quilter! I'll be posting all the finishes I'm currently working on as they are done. This little quilt is actually my own quilt. Yep after the dozens of quilts I've made over the years, even before this blog, I didn't make any quilts for myself. You know how it went back then, I didn't think about taking photos, that was before I became a blogger! I started this quilt in the 1990's, hand sewing the various log cabin blocks from random scraps. I took this scraps along in a special back pack when I went bar fishing with my hubby.  Then we moved three times since starting this. Then the inner off white muslin border became stained, then I had to wash the unfinished quilt. Again, absent mindedly, I didn't think of the mess of snags from the fabric on the back side. So then I had to hand snip all those ...

I made the suggestion of an "Upcycle Quilt Category" to the board of directors of Canadian Quilters Assn in 2005. It was rejected. Thank goodness to all of those quilters and crafters out there that have embraced reusing and made lovely new things from reuse items. Society today needs more events to celebrate how we can individually deliver a smaller footprint on the world.  We have many of these types of ways going on, such as with the " Bicycle to Work " Being green never was easier! Being green today for quilters has never been easier either. Thousands of mature quilters are hanging up their massive stash and moving to less taxing activities. Not to say that some handwork or hand quilting might still be going on with our elders who remember what it was like before we had fabric stores in every town and city. http://www.csnf.com/designerstyle.html Would you like to enter a competition for "Upcycled?" Tell me you will enter so...

1. Start with 3 Fat Quarters, 1 focus fabric, 1 complimentary and 1 sparkle fabrics, lay each on top of each other in a stack.  2. Make two slightly off kilter cuts across and through the whole stack. 3.  Take the first one from the bottom of stack #1 from the left side, place it on top of same stack. 4. Take the bottom two from the center stack and place on top of center stack. 5. Leave the last stack alone. 6. Sew each layer as the fabrics are laid out and make into slightly off kilter blocks.   7. Trim the blocks to whatever size the layered stack is, making sure to use as much of the fabric as possible. You may have to peak into the layers to be sure you've got all three layers.  Once the blocks are sewn together, they form a nifty, fast table runner! Yeh for fast when you're called upon to make a fast donation product or as a last minute gift!    I used about 1.5 m. of one of the same fabrics for the backing. W...

Victoria of Bumble Beans Inc. from New York City lists this lovely tutorial of a star block paper piecing called Triangles Galore! on her blog. I fell in love at first site! I was inspired to paper piece again, just like that, I was busy photocopying again. Victoria is a very generous person, as she inspires quilters new and experienced to embrace our inner voice to find peace and calm. She teaches others to quilt that need a comfort hobby to sooth their tangled nerves.  I can relate to this philosophy, stitching after all was my literal salvation as a child. My mother was often away at hospital. I grew up for many years thinking hospital was a holiday place for "Mommies"! My mother was always happy again after a visit to the hospital. She taught me to sew by hand. I grew into embroidery and started with making doll dresses. I was intrigued from the beginning of sewing and have never left it. Playing with fabric was and remains to be an important c...

I love to make crazy quilts as some of you  know already, so this special blog is part of my contribution to all the fun. Yes, I'm giving away a hand picked kit of fabrics, lace etc. for a 16 inch crazy square pillow. Deadline to enter ends March 31, 2012 Yep, its too much fun to hang around in my studio for long without learning that I love improvisational quilting and crazy quilting often fits the bill for me. This little green number is called "My Secret Garden" made in 2009.  My Purple Crazy 2008, in a private collection now. So as you are drooling over these lovely crazy quilts and thinking about if you are brave enough to play with fabric improvisational, then you must read further and decide. This is the size of crazy quilted pillow that you can make too! Your kit will include all the fine lace, embroidery threads, ribbon and fabrics to make a 16 inch. Just for fun, make an Oh, Canada Flag quilt! Like mine, soon you'll be throwi...

Now, you may be aware that I use organic fabrics in my quilts. I don't make a big deal about it, I'm a designer and have to stock some bolts or I wouldn't have anything to use in the amounts I need. But I just love the quality of Cloud9Fabric, the print designers are really awesome, fresh and new. I'm really happy to tell you that a Fat Quarter Bundle  Give Away is happening at Cloud9 Fabrics.   You can enter this contest by simply visiting their blog and leaving a comment. Do read the post, follow their blog too! http://cloud9fabrics.blogspot.com/ What I'd do with this Fat Quarter bundle if I won is make a new quilt pattern using this fabric! Yeh, I love contests!