Canadian Designers Blog Hop Winners!

Thank you everyone for entering our blog hop contest.  We are pleased to announce our two winners

Laura Koch from B.C.
Evelene Sterling from California

Wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy 2012!

 Look for my new design coming soon! 

                                                                                         Birds of a Feather!

Canadian Christmas Blog Hop - Snowmen Candle Mat

Christmas Blog Hop with Susan Purney Mark!

I can't believe how close Christmas is and we here at Quilted Escapes would like to introuduce you to Susan Purney Mark.  If you are interested in surface design, but don't know where to start click on Susan Purney Marks' blogspot http://www.susan;m.blogspot.com/ and her Canadian Christmas Blog Hop entry will give you an easy way to start making your own fabric as shown below! Not to mention another great recipe.

Next week is the first week of December and it's my turn and you have a chance to win a kit by leaving a comment on my blog!  So..... enjoy and I hope you drop be next week at http://www.quiltedescapesblogspot.com/ !

Christmas Blog Hop - this week is Maria Hrabovsky

This week it's Maria Hrabovsky's turn, join her at http://www.mariamichaelsdesigns.wordpress.com/ !  Next week it will be Jean Boyd!  Have Fun!

Christmas Blog Hop

Don't forget to check out our next Canadian Christmas Blog Hop designer - Kathy Wylie at www.kathykwylie.com/blog. !  I'm going to make sure I make these for Christmas!

Have fun, look forward to next week with Maria Hrabovsky at http://www.mariamichaelsdesigns.wordpress.com/!

Seymour Quilters' Guild

I had the pleasure of doing a trunk show for the Seymour Quilters' Guild and what a wondeful day I had.  Their talent and sense of humour made my presentation a  truly enjoyable one!  Thank you Ellen Fullerton for inviting me to your guild and thank you Seymour Quilters for making our day a speical one!

Canadian Christmas 2011 Blog Hop

Good monring, It's hard to believe, but Christmas is around the corner, so join our Canadian Christmas 2011 Blog Hop!  With free patterns and great recipes from Canadian Designers, make your Christmas giving a breeze! Check back each week for the link to the next designer, look for mine on December 4!

Our schedule

Dougal Walker -  October 16      www.frecklescollection.com/blog
Daphne Greig  - October 23        www.daphnegreig.blogspot.com/

Benita Skinner  - October 30       www.victorianaquiltdesigns.com/

Kathy Wylie -  Nov 6                   www.kathykwylie.com/blog/

Maria Hrabovsky -  Nov 13        www.mariamichaelsdesigns.wordpress.com
Jean Boyd - Nov 20                      www.jeanboyduppercanadaquiltworks.blogspot.com/

Susan Purney-Mark - Nov 27     www.susanpm.blogspot.com/

Susan J. Jensen - Dec 4               www.quiltededescapes.blogspot.com/ 

Cheryl Wall - Dec 11                    www.cheryl-countryquilts.blogspot.com/

I hope you enjoy this and feed back is appreciated!

Wishing a wonderful season!

Susan

Quilter's Connection Magazine Retreat 2011

We had a lot of fun during the weekend, we had sewing machine valet services, wonderful prepared meals, a bright classroom with lots of room and the best group of women I have had the pleasure to be with!  The location and the weather was breathtaking!  Thank you Karim and Andrea for your wonderful care and attention, we at the magazine can't wait for next year!

You're Invited to a Canadian Christmas Blog Hop!

Crafter's Workshop, Wool, beads and fabric!

I found the most wonderful stencils by Crafter's Workshop.  Thanks Ted, the are beautiful and here is one sample using wool and beads.  It's not finished!  Will make a wonderful pillow!

Floral Chain Table Runner - Northcott's new arrival "Mums the Word" Fabric



Here it is, the newest design from Quilted Escapes using Northcott's new fabric line "Mums the Word"!  Coming to a quilt shop near you!

Watercolour stitchery

a sample of my watercolour stitchery, now back to work! 

Watercolour Stitchery

Okay now that the sky has been added and we now have our watercolour stitchery ready to made into a tea cozy maybe?  I'm not quite sure yet, but keep watching!  It must be quilted first!

Hollyhock garden

With a little bit of paint, inks, water and hand embroidery my hollyhock garden is coming alive.  Should it be a pillow, a wallhanging or maybe a tea cozy! Boy this is too much fun!  Keep watching to see how this evolves!

Beads and French knots are now added! Next, let's try a little organza!

Tsukienko inks, paint brushes, PFD fabric, wool, beads and imagination!

Here I go again, playing in the studio!  Have you collected items through the years and thought, hmmm... I should use these.  Well here I am in the same position and decided to take a day of playing before going out for our family Easter get together.  So far I'm using inks,  a paint brush and water on PFD (prepard for dying fabric).  I painted my coneflowers, heat set them and starting to add wool and beads! 

Keepsake Quilting will be carrying my newest design - Garden Whimsy

Garden Whimsy!

I'm pleased to announce that Keepsake Quilting in New Hampshire will be carrying my Garden Whimsy Pattern!  This pattern features a new line of fabric by Northcott called "Butterfly Kisses"  by turning your blocks you can have a different look as seen in Garden Whimsy Variation! 



Garden Whimsy Variation



Now I have added the border

I have now added a border and a 3 dimensional wool delphenium, though I might change the shape.  The border is painted as well and then I'll add the binding!

Playtime in the Studio

What's fun with Playtime in the Studio, it gives me time to play with all the items I have collected over the years such as paint, inks, wool, beads to name a few.  Here I have painted the fabric, using a spray bottle filled with water and a wide brush to get the fabric background. 

I then took my fabric and sharpy markers to mark grass lines from the bottom of the fabric.  Now I'm adding embroidery stitches to give it another dimension. 

Here is another one, this time I added beads, embroidery, fabric and wool circles.

I have had a few oops! moments but, the more I do the more fun I'm having.  So get together with some of your friends and have a "Playtime in your Studio"!

Until next time!

Please don't use a hand held devise while driving

I haven't posted for the last week as we have been in the hospital with our nephew while he fights for his life.  On Monday he was hit by a driver who was texting.  My nephew was on his motorcycle going through a green light when the other driver went through the red light and hit him.    These new rules of not talking on your cell phone while driving was bad enough, but texting is even worse as it takes your eyes of the road completely.  Please remind people that nothing, I mean nothing is more important on your cell that can't wait till you pull over safely then, answer your text. 

Please spread the word and just put yourself in our shoes as we sit by his bedside, praying he will pull through!

Northcott Fabrics helps Canadians Quilters Send quilts to Japan

Thank you Northocott - if you have a quilt ready to send here is an exciting announcement from Northcott Fabrics for Canadian quilters.


http://www.northcott.net/

Northcott has been contacted by several interested and concerned quilters asking if we would be able to assist in getting quilts to the earthquake/tsunami victims in Japan. The answer is YES. At this point, we have agreed to collect quilts until end April. We will then ship them to Japan, to the editor of Patchwork Quilt Tsushin Magazine.

The quilts should be NEW, and anything from crib to twin/double is acceptable, though twin is preferred. Due to the difficulty in shipping quilts across the US border, we are asking that only quilts from Canadian addresses be shipped to Northcott. Kindly ship the quilts to:

Northcott – Quilts for Japan
101 Courtland Ave.
Vaughan, ON
L4K 3T5

Any quilters in the USA can contact equilter.com, as they are collecting quilts from US addresses.

Please help spread the word

More on Quilts for Japan

Hello everyone, please find an note from Japanese Quilt Magizine with more information on quilt requirements.

Massive earthquakes occurred in Tohoku and Kanto areas in Japan on March 11.
We’ve been deeply troubled by the overwhelming damage in these areas.

We’d like to do something for the disaster victims and concluded that the best thing we, quilters can do is to make quilts for them because quilts comfort people by their softness and colors as well as being useful for warming.　In such devastated situations, it would be wonderful to have a soft, cuddly quilt.

We’d appreciate your help to support the sufferers who lost their family, home or everything.

Here is the guideline to make quilts for them

• size: 1m x 1.2m
• There are no rules about the design, techniques and material for the top.
• For the backing, please use soft flannel or double gauze. You may find these as material for babies.
• If you tie your quilt, please use only thread, without buttons nor beads, etc. to avoid babies’ accidentally swallow.
• Please avoid plastic basting fasteners for basting and invisible thread for quilting
• If you include your message, please write it on a 15cm x 10cm piece of white fabric and sew it on the back side of your quilt.

Quilts don’t have to be new. Quilts you made before are welcome if they are clean, without torn, blot, etc. When you send your quilt at hand, you don’t need to follow the above guideline.

We’d appreciate your sharing this project with your quilting friends.

By the end of July, please send quilts to:
Yasutoshi Kishimoto
c/o Brother Sales Ltd.
4th floor, 3-3-8 Kyobashi,
Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-0031, Japan (phone:+81-3-3273-0231)

We’d appreciate your covering the shipping and understandingwe can’t send the receipt to each.
We’ll deliver your quilts to the sufferers responsibly.

Thank you very much for your help !

You Can Quilt That Out

Quilts for Japan

As I watch the news, I'm horrified with what has and is happening in Japan and feel helpless.  I received an email from EQ who asked if we could share this information with our quilting community to see if we can help in some small way.  Naomi Naomi Ichikawa, is the Editor of Patchwork Quilt tsushin Patchwork Tsushin Co.,Ltd has asked if we could send quilts, which she in turn will hand out to those in need.  I know what a quilt can do, not only keep you warm, but reminds me of these people who made it, cared for me in my time of turmoil and the comfort it gave me!   So here is Naomi's request:


It is still bad situation now in Japan.

We are still nervous about shaking and radiation,but no way to escape.

I start to announce to the quilters to send us comfort quilts for the
people who are suffered.I would like to do it to the world quilters.
We will deliver the comfort quilts to the people who are very difficult
situation.

Could you please help to announce it to the quilters?

We accept any size of quilts(baby to adult).new or unused.
The deadline would be the end of May or later.

Send the quilts to:
until the middle of April;

Naomi Ichikawa,Editor of Patchwork Quilt tsushin Patchwork Tsushin Co.,Ltd
5-28-3,Hongo,Bunkyo-ku,Tokyo,Japan zip:113-0033

after the middle of April
Naomi Ichikawa
Patchwork Tsushin Co.,Ltd
2-21-2,Yushima,Bunkyo-ku,Tokyo,Japan zip:113-0034

I will appreciate if you help me.


Naomi

The Quilted Corners of Wyalusing

Quilt Trail of Western NC - wouldn't this be great to do this in your own town!

My quilt Guards!

As I work away in the studio, my forever quilt guards are there!  Scooter on the right and Herbie on the left work very hard.......as you can see they make sure I'm behaving myself and working hard to meet my deadlines!

3D Dimensional Thread Tree - Sunset

Although it's small, this is a fun technique using only thread and a hand embroidery hoop in your machine! 

Driving home from work in the last few months, there were evenings that the sunset was stunning and with the maple trees in the fore ground, it was just a quilt waiting to be made!  So here it is!  I found the perfect thread for the tree and routing through my stash I found the sunset fabric!  It's amazing what you will find in your stash!

I'm sure you are asking what happened to Sue's PHD's, well, they are still waiting for me, but I'm designing with 5 of Northcott's newest lines that will be released later this year, so if you want a sneak peek, check out their site at www.northcott.net and see what's up and coming! 

Until next time,

Sue

PHD now a PDF (Project done finally)!

Well, here is #1 PHD (now a PDF) - I call it "Winter Whimsey"!  This is a fun technique and depending on your fabric choice you can use any animal on your background.  When I saw this fabric it reminded me of a cold winter night!  The polar bears just seemed to fit naturally!

Ahh...January 2nd, 2011 and it's time to clean my studio!

Well, I can't believe it's 2011!   One of my goals this year is to have all my Christmas gifts done by Sept. 2011!   If you are like me, we start projects and well let's say we don't quite get them completed. Of course we do finish projects, but there are some that, well, I don't know, just seems to be pushed aside, maybe because of class the we needed to get ready for, or a deadline that took priority!  So when people ask what I'm working on, I tell them that I'm working on my PHD (projects half done).  Sounds impressive doesn't it!

As I organize my studio for the coming year, I'm  finding  projects that I've started, but for some reason never finished them, good ideas that came and went.     I have projects that are cut out,  partially sewn, some that need to be quilted and ideas for new blocks that came to me at 2:00 am etc. Those that are partially pinned to the design wall......!

So look out  2011, this is the year not only to create new patterns but complete those unfinished projects. As for those orphan blocks you ask......... I will  incorporate them into a quilt, (it will definitely be scrappy) but who knows it might be a pattern one day or a class! 

If  you are interested in joining  me in this journey, let me know and let's see if we can reach our goal!

Now to get organized.
Step 1 - sort through your projects.

Step 2 - put all the items needed for your project into a clear bag or plastic box

Step 3 - put a label on the container on what the project is.

Step 4 - Keep a list handy, I'm going to post it on my bulletin board as a daily reminder.

Step 5 - If you would like to join me, just e-mail me at suequilts1@shaw.ca and let me know        
              your progress and we can keep each other on track!

I will post each project I've complete on my blog to you can see what I'm doing!  This will also keep me accountable. 

So as you see - I'm going to go through my pile and putting them into kits (it sounds more exciting when I call the kits....!)

Boy what a mess!  Wish me luck and I will talk to you all soon!

Happy PHD's.....Sue