Carli The Quilter

So I'm really happy to announce that my hubbies random method of picking a winner, "eenie minie, moe" came up with Sherry from a northern blogger, no less. Visit her exciting work in free motion quilting. http://adventuresinnorthernhealth.blogspot.ca/ So I'll be emailing Sherry right away for details on shipping out her bundle of organic fabric. Thanks so much for participating in this little fun giveaway. All the best, Carli

  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,...

Sometimes, when a call comes related to friends with health issues, its like a 'call to arms'. That call came last year and the members of the Quick Women's Institute, gathered for a one day marathon of quilting! A former member needed the comfort of our love and respect wrapped and stitched into a quilt! Below member Bonnie is pinning the next set of sashing to the sewn row of blocks in preparation for sewing it down and proceeding onto the next row. Our fearless quilting related leader, mainly me, organized a fast quilt as  you go block by block quilt! This entails simply starting with any size of blocks, I prefer 12.5 in squares. Add a 13 in. square of batting and backing. I like to have the backing and batting slightly bigger to offset changes once machine quilting is done. This process is NOT your mama's hand made quilt! Its a fast version that is the one I turn to when time is of the essence.  You start with precut blocks, battin...

Easy Dresden Acrylic Tool: EZ Quilting : Sewing and Quilting Tools at Simplicity.com This little tool is so applicable to me, someone who loves making Dresden Plate Fans. I am so looking forward to how the Salt Lake Modern QG's EZ Dresden Challenge turns out, its wonderful idea for a new modern guild to partner and host this challenge.  What are you waiting for? http://www.slmqg.com/ez-dresden-challenge/ All the best, Carli

Dresden Plate fan blocks are one of my favorites! As you can see I have several in progress. I have grown though as a quilter and artist in the last year or two, more so than at any time of my life and blogging responses have fueled my fire. What I love about blogging is the instant responses you get as the world of readers scroll through interesting blogs. If your stuff is interesting to them, then they say so. Readers of blogs are "why" many of us keep working towards dreams, ideas and projects. Then sharing and engaging with our readers and the world. The Salt Lake Modern Quilt Guild started back in June with this Challenge and have partnered with EZ Quilting/Simplicity and a host of other manufacturers to celebrate Darlene Zimmerman’s 20th Anniversary designing quilting tools for EZ Quilting. To help them celebrate they are hosting a challenge — Use the EZ Dresden Ruler to create a project, then enter it to win amazing priz...

My start was all 'high hat' style of course and then my life changed dramatically with one phone call. I got a new job! So as the days that I'd scheduled for work on this little project blog tour participation dwindled with chaotic new work schedules, the drama increased!  My plan was to create a new piece with Carol's Bowls With Borders paper piecing. Where I live is a constant influence in my art, my life and my choices for recreation. In the photo above, I actually hand sewed the paper piecing. I bet that is a first! They turned out really well, but the hand stitching wouldn't let me tear away the paper. I imagined a modern piece, the graph paper told me so and I continued. I free hand drew my version of a sockeye on the back side of iron on stabilizer on red linen.  I am a fisher as you all know by now! I've been out to the lake on my days off work harvesting sockeye salmon and enjoying the hot summer sun as we baked in the boat on...

Time is flying by and the t-shirt quilt orders are coming in. You knew that I made all sorts of quilted items and making T-shirt quilts are so personal. This one was made for a  young woman who loves to ski! Her Mom commissioned me to make this in crisp winter colors for her daughter's home in Whistler. When I make t-shirt quilts its like I get to know the person a little bit. Simply by the choices in t-shirts they buy. And the varied backings I use to finish my t-shirt quilts. Here is a recent starting place for another t-shirt quilt. I am  not a production line type artist, I take the time each quilt needs to speak of the full spirit of the person the quilt is intended for, such as this next one is for a young lady who is environmentally focused and I'm so pleased that she picked me to make this special going to university quilt for her. This photo is just the starting point of where I've stabilized the t's and starting to make decision...