Carlyle's quilt

   The quilt is done...
       and the quilt is delivered.

The colours are bright...and the detail is a bit hidden in the colours.  There are little paw prints in the borders - you can see them in this post.

I loved putting the label together for our little granddaughter.

Finally another place for inspiration.

In Oshawa - right off the 401

 Over the past few weeks I found a quilt shop on line that I have been able to explore in Oshawa.  In fact the web presence of this store is very impressive!  So I was anxious to see if what they said on their web site was true in our experience.

I am happy to report that this is a most delightful store and if our early experience is any indication this will be a quilt store I visit often.  The sales staff were friendly and though the store was busy they were relaxed and took time to answer questions or find items.

Here's a smart idea - the foot and an example of its use

A nice selection of fabrics

It hasn't been easy finding a new "favourite quilt store" and few of the ones we've visited since moving would not entice me to return - but the Ultimate Sewing Centre is one I'll be returning to.  You can see their web site here.

Shirley looked after us and answered our questions - even welcomed our (Fred's) thoughts on the web site.

I have signed up for one of their classes that will start later in February. I'm sure I will want to tell you about my progress.

A quilter's helper

Rachel loves to visit me in my sewing room.  She loves the room for many reasons.   I have a small blue stool in there that she can sit on...or carry off to another room to climb up on furniture!  She loves that there are many colourful things in the room.  I always enjoy her finding me in there, but sometimes I think it's all about the blue stool.  When I have the door closed while working on a project I often hear her knocking on the door to see if I will let her in with me.  In the photos you can see that one night I let her in when it was safe.

Whatever the reason I usually love her to be around.  I loved being around my Grandmother and I learned many things that stand me in good stead today from her.

Maybe one day I will be able to teach Rachel to quilt. For the time being I'll be glad to see her in my sewing room even if it is to get the blue stool.

It's in the hoop

It's in the hoop

This is a sneak preview of a very special quilt I've been working on for the next grand baby due very soon!  Amanda loves Winnie the Pooh and his friends so the quilt and the nursery will have a Pooh and friends theme.

The binding is on and the quilt label will be prepared once the little one has arrived and her name is announced.

I'll have another post with the label in a few weeks ...

The threads

The quilt is pinned

Embroidered with little paws

The Quilting Gnome

I've discovered another nice, but small, quilt shop in our area.  While the city seems to have disappointed me in customer service, quality and selection, outside the city has provided some good surprises.  The small town of Jackson's Point is home to the Quilting Gnome.  Once again it seems quilters and quilt shop owners are very aware of the great quilt shops in Alberta.

We had a good chat with the owner of The Quilting Gnome.  Just mention Canmore and her eyes light up!  Which makes you wonder if people start these businesses to feed their own quilting addiction?  Just a thought.

They had good displays and many quilting notions - that is quilt puzzles, quilting licence plates and a good display of quilts.

On the edge of Lake Simcoe, this is a great spot to visit and take in some beach time too!

Made with love

The love of a grandmother!

Every quilt needs a label and this one I found at the Embroidery Library.  I inserted into the design the special little girl's name that the quilt was created for, my granddaughter Rachel Emma.

I am enjoying trying out my new skills I learned in classes at the Red Deer Sewing Centre.

The software that is used on the computer is the Digi Jr by Janome.  You can insert a file that is downloaded from an on-line store or from purchased CD software.  It then allows you to customize the message or edit the file.
The file is then saved and transferred to the embroidery machine and stitched out.

I find the software to be similar  (but a little more complex) to Microsoft's Publisher.

I hope every time Rachel sees this label she'll remember how much she is loved!

Rachel's Quilt

Circles form part of the top stitching

We've been thrilled to become Grandparents for the first time in 2011!  We're enjoying this rich experience as much as possible.  Of course being a grandmother means making my little granddaughter her own quilt.  Susan was looking for an underwater theme for the bedroom, and now that Rachel is sleeping in her own crib, I thought I had better finish off this quilt.
Some of you have been watching the blocks take shape over the past year.

Rachel's quilt has turned out really well. For top stitching I stiched in the ditch for the vertical and horizontal seams, but it needed something else.  Since the theme has to do with water, I decided to create a sense of ripples ringing out from a small pebble being dropped on the water's surface.

The circles reminded me of a pebble being dropped in a still pond

I finally have the finished product.  This isn't a huge quilt - 16 - 6 1/2  inch blocks with sashings and a border.

As I continue to explore new skills on my machines, you will see in the next post, the quilt label for this special quilt.

So Rachel gets her first quilt from Grandma.  I say first because I'm certain there will be others over the coming years!

I love the colours

My embroidery machine did a great job

The final product of the quilt top