Fresh Look

 Here's a fresh look at an old quilt. This schoolhouse quilt was featured in Popular Patchwork magazine way back in 2003. Last week Marina and Daryl from Quilt Inspiration, emailed me asking permission to use the magazine photo in a blog post featuring house quilts. I said no! I wasn't trying to be mean, I just hated the photo. I'd sent the quilt to the magazine to be photographed for the article and it was just awful - the colours were all wrong!  So I offered to take some new photos and pass them on.

 I'd pieced the Schoolhouse top with remnants from a Jewel Box quilt that I'd made for my daughter, Emily. The Jewel Box was my first free-motion quilt and I was pleased with how it turned out.  I'd quilted it sitting down at the sewing machine. It took every spare minute for 6 weeks and just about killed me. I was so discouraged about machine quilting. Then my dear mom gave me a SuperQuilter frame for Christmas! Once I started playing around with machine quilting on a table top frame, I was never the same.

The second photo shows the Schoolhouse quilt, loaded on the SuperQuilter frame. I was using a 30 year old school's Bernina at the time and kicking the foot pedal across the floor. I decided to quilt smoke coming out of the chimneys using black thread. That gave the quilt a nice texture and black on black hid my mistakes. Then I used a clear mono-filament thread to quilt features on each house, roof tiles and curtains and details on the doors. I was going for a whimsical style like a child's drawing. You can get a better view of the quilting detail by clicking on the images. I'd only had my frame for 3 months when I did this quilt. It just shows what can be accomplished with a bit of imagination and the right tools. I've gone on to create many other quilts but his one holds a special place in my heart.

 I've really enjoyed looking at the Quintinspiration blog. It's fun to see collections of quilts grouped around common themes. I'm very honoured to be included. Thank you Marina and Daryl!

Back to School

There are so many ways to measure time. New Year's day heralds the calendar year, my accountant is keen on the tax year but my personal year really begins in September with the school year. Perhaps it's because my husband is a teacher. Or that I used to teach. But for whatever reason, I love the last minute rush for school supplies and uniforms. Then it's off to school dressed and pressed for the first day back. Four of my five kids still at home are in the same High School this year. So yesterday was an exciting day getting everyone out the door and then hearing all the news when they got back. I love savouring the feel of the new routines and the familiarity of old rhythms as the new school year swings to life.


Red Schoolhouse Block machine quilting detail
from Little Houses in the Big Woods August 07