Longboats

I'm excited to be able to share three of last year's quilt finishes.  I've had to keep them to myself since June and I finally have permission to share.  Happy dance!  I think each quilt deserves its own post, so stay tuned for more!

Today, it's Longboats' turn.

Longboats by Canuck Quilter Designs
Made with fabric from the collection Joyous from Island Batik

When I had the opportunity to design with Island Batiks' Fall/Winter 2024 collections in last winter, I initially passed over this beautiful collection.  I wasn't expecting the mix of purply pinks and aqua.  Frankly, I think I was in a bit of a colour rut, attracted to the blue purples, royal blues and bright greens.  I submitted this design for different collections then was asked to revisit it in these fabrics instead.  I'm so glad I did.  It was a surprising colour combination for me so I had to stretch a little, but it turned into a striking quilt that I absolutely love.

Longboats has big pieces and stitch-and-flip corners to make things easy.  The stars are my favourite floating stars, the kind that can't accidentally have points chopped off in the seams.  At 60" x 79 it's a nice sized throw.  You could easily add a few rows and wider background side borders to make it into a twin quilt, but I have more use for throws on the couch, so that's what I designed.

As a fun aside, a short video of me binding this quilt got a bazillion views on Facebook and Instagram.  Well, not a bazillion, but 45 thousand feels like a bazillion to me.  I don't share video often, and none of my other attempts have reached even 250 views.  It cracks me up that this short clip that doesn't even show the front of the quilt garnered so much attention.  I don't know how to add it here, but here's a link to it on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/reel/C77RtZbKzgQ/) or Facebook.  I asked my husband to test the links to see if he could view the video without an Instagram or Facebook account, and they worked, so hopefully they will for you as well.

The quilt was quilted by Liz Meimann with some random wavy horizontal lines.  You can make them out a bit in the photo below.  Not a great photo of the whole quilt, but certainly a fun one.  There was no wind until my husband got into position for this shot...  The wind just knows when to interfere!

I think this would be a fun design in primary colors for a kid's quilt, or in Christmas colors.  I'm pretty sure it would look very pretty in florals or reproduction fabrics too.  I'm going to have to go play in EQ and see what I can come up with.

What fabrics would you use? I'd also love to know what color combinations you have used that were out of your comfort level but turned out beautifully.  I'm always up for inspiration!

Happy quilting,

Joanne

Patchwork Wishes in progress

In December I spent some time playing with EQ8.  With Christmas on the way, I was feeling traditional vibes and that led me to a scrappy, traditional design style.  I could have dug into my scraps for a true scrappy quilt, but I treated myself to a stack of 10" squares of Island Batik's Shadow Blooms instead.  Insta-scrappy, 20 different prints with no effort at all!  Aren't they pretty?

I'm hesitant to write patterns using precuts because the precut sizes are not always consistent.  They're all pretty close, but I've had some be off by 1/8" in one direction.  That doesn't seem like much, unless you need a full 10" to get four 2.5" cuts, for example.  

I'm not sure about other manufacturers, but Island Batik is very up-front about the possible variation.  It's right there on the package:

Duly noted!  This pattern just uses the precuts for instant variety.  I designed the cutting so I wouldn't need a garanteed 10" to cut all the pieces I need from the squares.   There's also some yardage involved to pull everything together.

I snuck some sewing in between Christmas and New Year's when my daughter, who was home from college, was out catching up with old friends.

You see where this is going.  I do like simple star blocks!  Throw in a little strip piecing with yardage...

...then throw all the parts up on the design wall.

Yes indeed, very traditional, but I love the homey, cozy vibe that's taking shape, even with these less traditional batik prints.

Here's where I left things on New Year's Eve.

Why am I always surprised how much things shrink on the design wall when I start sewing parts together?  I know the math.  A half inch dispppears into the seam allowance at each seam (1/4" from each piece) and those half inches add up!

I haven't had time to sew since then, but I think I can get a bit done today and tomorrow.  We'll see how that goes.  I'm easily distractable these days.  For example, while I was putting the parts for this quilt on the wall, I suddenly had a picture in my mind for a different sashing, and I'm itching to see what that might lead to.  I made a note to go back to it.  For now, I must stay focused on this quilt. 

Next up on my "to do" list is to sort through several months worth of photos.  I know some quilt finishes I haven't shared yet are patiently waiting in my photo roll.  Stay tuned for those!

Then there's short quiltalong to plan.  It will be a runner featuring prairie points and be just a few weeks long.  I don't have a timeline for it yet, but keep an eye out for an announcemeent.

What are you working on this month?

Happy quilting,

Joanne

First Snow!

Happy New Year!  I hope you've enjoyed a lovely, peaceful holiday season.

I woke up to the first snow of 2025 this morning and was thrilled to realize that I had two quilt holders available, as my daughter is home from university for another few days.

The Simply Snow setting is a free pattern. 
Snowflake block patterns are available separately here.

I've been wanting a picture of Simply Snow in the snow since I made it, but this is the first time a snowfall and willing and available quilt holders coincided.  

We were out there while the snow was falling and it was just so quiet and pretty and peaceful!  I tried to add a short video so you could see the snow drift down around the quilt, but it didn't work.  You can watch it on my Instagram if you like.  It's actual snow, not an instagram effect or filter!

Hoarfrost got in on the fun too!

Hoarfrost

To celebrate the first snow of 2025 and finally getting the snowy quilt photos I've been wanting for years, all my patterns featuring snowflakes are 15% off in my shop until January 6th when you use coupon code SNOW2025.

Wishing you joy and peace and the best that the new year has to offer,

Joanne

The view from the footbridge on the way to the park after the quilt photo shoot