May 2023

Hello from Malakoff Road where the sun has been shining this past week and the blossoms are blooming. Oh, and the frogs are back, the best night time serenade.
The last month has been particularly full, no improv quilting unfortunately but lots of ideas percolating for when I DO have the time to sit in my studio and work on a piece. I did take an online zoom class with David Hastings-Owens, 'Mini Mid-Modern Quilts' - a great way to introduce yourself to improvisational quilting on a small scale (approximately 5 inch blocks) which you can use in a variety of ways. Here's the link to the workshop page on David's website: https://davidowenhastings.com/portfolio_category/workshops/

One piece of very exciting news, is that I have had a piece juried into Quilt Canada this year. If you are attending Quilt Canada in Halifax, check out the Abstract Improvisational category for my piece. Heather Le Serve also has a piece juried in which was quilted by me, in the 'Patterns, Wall Hangings and Bed Quilts' category. Want more information on Quilt Canada? Here's a link: https://canadianquilter.com/quilt-canada-2023/ We have been asked not to share images of juried quilts before the show, so watch for the next newsletter where I'll share them.

Enjoy some pictures below, and I hope you find time to soak up the beauty of Spring.

Sarah Jane.

ASK SARAH JANE:

Are all longarm machines computerised?

No. There are 2 kinds of longarm machines.
Computerised machines will stitch by themselves once a stitching pattern is loaded.
Hand-guided machines do not move by themselves. They require a human to move them and create the designs.

Heritage Art has a hand-guided longarm machine.

Customer quilt pictures…..

***A dinosaur quilt for a new baby, by Militza Villarroel. 'Big Leaf' pantograph has been used to quilt the layers together.***

***'Hot Wheels' baby quilt, by Militza Villarroel. Quilting pattern is 'Vertigo'.***

*'Postcards from Sweden' Quilt.*
***A pop of colour sure to brighten any room, pieced by Lorraine Byrne.***

Meet 'Lloyd and Lola'! Quilt pieced by Sally Kelly. Quilting pattern is 'Bauhaus'. NOTE: This is a close-up of the very cute llamas, I forgot to take an 'overall' picture of the quilt due to the llama 'cuteness overload' but I did snap a close-up of the top border, check out the picture below.

***Dresden Plate Quilt, by Cathy Cummings. Custom quilting using rulers and freehand.***

Photo showing back of the Dresden Plate Quilt.

Thanks for reading my newsletter! If you have any questions please let me know. Happy sewing. Sarah Jane.

March 2023

***A Family Day (okay, it took longer than a day!) project at my house - no skating on the canal this year in Ottawa so had to live vicariously.***

Hello from Richmond! Spring is almost here however there is a lot of snow out my window that needs to melt before any kind of flower can poke it’s head out. I do enjoy the winter however all the snow we’ve received so late in the season has been a little trying to me I admit. I guess before long though I’ll be hiding inside with the air conditioning on, to have a break from the humidity! Solution? Focus on the happy things each day, like the birds singing again in the mornings, even the sound of dripping water outside means ‘the melt’ has started. Oh, and any day I can have a cup of coffee outside in a patch of sun - albeit with a jacket on - is a great day. What is your ‘happy focus’?

To those of you who are receiving this newsletter for the first time welcome! Some of you may have signed up a while back however I did not realise my website wasn’t forwarding sign-up requests but all is fixed now (famous last words).

Below is some show and tell from my customers. Unless otherwise stated, quilt makers are credited and quilting is by me, Heritage Art.

Grab a cup of something hot and get ready to enjoy some great quilts!

Sarah.

In February I carried on my improvisation exploration. The picture below shows a table runner that is the result of that effort. The pop of purple fabric is just the ‘pizazz’ it needed to break up the greens. Quilting is ‘matchstick quilting’ - horizontal lines stitched very close together. To break up all the horizontal lines I decided to stitch x3 purple angled lines, they are random and add a pop of colour and movement in the thread. Instead of binding the edges I ‘faced’ them - a great technique if you don’t want the edge to interfere with the actual art piece. This ‘no rules’ technique really is fun and a great way to use up little pieces of fabric - and not knowing what the end piece is going to look like is just so freeing.

Close up of ‘matchstick quilting’ in table runner.

Remember this quilt? This is a laser-cut kit called ‘Tulas True Elephant’ by Madi Hastings that I put together and custom quilted late 2022. I’m happy to say it is now in the mail on its way to a silent auction event in Regina next month, helping to raise funds to bring a family of refugees to Canada. If you want more information on this initiative or how to donate send me an email and I will forward you information.

Show and Tell…..

***This quilt made by Billie Sheffield showcases Gustav Klimt’s painting ‘The Birch Wood in Autumn’. Lots of fun was had custom quilting the different motifs / textures in this piece.***

Looking for an ultra quick stash buster quilt? This quilt is a single piece of wideback flannel, split in half, with batting. It is quilted with an all-over pattern called ‘Soho’ and is soft, cuddly and warm. Other than quiliting it yourself or sending it out to get quilted, the only real effort for you is the binding! Great idea Carol Milstone, I’m sure the recipient is going to love it.

Anne Rankin decided to learn hand applique and completed this quilt. You have my admiration Anne for tackling a large project with a new technique, awesome! Quilt pattern is called ‘Vanishing Act’ by Lucy Engels.

Close-up of some custom quilting highlighting applique and piecing.

This pattern is called ‘Square Peg - Round Hole’ by Paul Leger. Militza Villarroel made this version, what a beauty Militza and the quilting pattern ‘Bauhaus’ really fits the piecing well.

This is a bit late but I recently found out that the above quilt by Joy Forbes was Champion at the Carp Fair last Fall and then placed 3rd in the District Competition (see photo below). Congratulations Joy. (Custom quilting by Heritage Art.)

January 2023

January 2023

It's halfway through January already and I can tell by my email inbox that quilters have recovered from the busyness of the Christmas season and are turning their minds back to sewing! If you have a project with a definite finish date in mind that you are wanting my help with, you may want to let me know so I can schedule you on my calendar.
This year I'm giving myself permission to explore new quilting techniques, which means actually scheduling time for this in my work week. The first technigue on my list is 'Improv' quilting - considering how fun it is, it may take all year to explore it! Each month I'll show a picture of something pieced in this style, check out the picture below of the first Improv attempt from December.

Following on from my podcast links last month, thanks to Alison Tranter for this suggestion:

'Haptic and Hue'
Haptic & Hue explores the creation of fabrics and the stories that lie behind them.

https://hapticandhue.com/tales-of-textiles-series-1/

Happy sewing,
Sarah Jane.

Have you tried Improv quilting? Despite thinking about it for a long time I only started exploring this quilt method last month in December 2022 and LOVED it. This year I'm setting aside time each month to explore this technique, and I'll share my progress each month.
Because I love curves, I jumped straight into piecing curves. The picture above shows the first test squares I pieced and have partially quilted. NO rulers involved in piecing the blocks, just roll the rotary cutter wherever you want. A ruler can be used to square them up when joining them together. Do the pieces have to be symmetrical? No. Do the curves need to be smooth? No.
I did discover an important step to ensuring you get nice curves though:

The different sides of the curve have to 'mate' - overlap the pieces of fabric you want to join then cut through both layers at the same time.

Switch the layers in one pile around so you are sewing together the fabrics you want to join (in this case a grey piece and a white piece). Sew and then press the seam to the side. Keen to have a go? I'd love to see what you make, or if you have any questions let me know.

After cutting a curve free-hand, switch the layers of fabric on one side and join together.

Purple Beauty

This quilt was made by Sue Gardner. Sue chose gorgeous purples for this quilt to be gifted to her granddaughter once the room was painted to match! The pillow shams are the perfect finishing touch. Wool batting provides great depth / dimension to showcase the custom quilting.

Quilt made by Sue Gardner.
Custom hand-guided longarm quilting by Heritage Art.

Quilt pattern is ‘Wensleydale’ by Jen Kingwell.
Quilt made by Anne Rankin.
Hand-guided longarm quilting by Heritage Art, pattern is ‘Bubbles’.

I'm happy to say that this quilt was gifted at Christmas to my son. Thanks to Helena for the pattern and Wendy for noticing that some wings were upside down (thankfully BEFORE quilting). I'm not going to say how many times it took me to sew them on correctly, let's just say 'more than it should have'!

Quilt Pattern is ‘Mythical Weiners’ by Art East Quilting Co.
Pieced and hand-guided quilted by Heritage Art. Quilting pattern is ‘Cindy’s Water’.

International Plowing Match Quilt Show

Second Place, Modern Category at the 2022 International Plowing Match, Kemptville. Quilt made and owned by Anne Rankin, custom quilted by Heritage Art. So happy for you Anne!

August 2021

Project Undercover quilt donated by Heritage Art, pattern is ‘Interlock’ by Amy Friend. Custom quilted with medium density meandering in the background.

Donation for Project Undercover by Heritage Art, pattern is ‘Interlock’ by Amy Friend. Custom quilted using a medium density meander in the background.

Polka Dot Block - Project 'Undercover'

Here’s the block pattern for the polka dot quilt block - if you’re not sure what this project is about, check out my previous post!

Fabric to make one block:

Neutral (solid or lightly patterned) for background:

3in x 3in (1)
2.5in x 7in (1)
5in x 7in (1)

Polka Dot Fabric:

3in x 2.5in (2)
7in x 2.5in (2)

DIRECTIONS:

Add a 3in x 2.5in polka dot strip to opposite sides of 3in x 3in background square. Press seams away from central square.
Add 7in x 2.5in polka dot strips to top and bottom of unit pieced in previous step. Press seams away from central square.
Add a 2.5in x 7in rectangle to one side and 5in x 7in to opposite side of pieced polka dot unit.

This is one block.

Two of these blocks can be sewn together, check out the next photo to get the correct orientation. – be sure to rotate one upside down so the polka dot squares are off-set!

Thanks for participating! I’ll be sure to update this website regularly with pictures of blocks and quilts that are coming in. Happy Sewing!

Project 'Undercover'

"Through our refugee services, we welcome people from every corner of the globe. We provide a bed, food and essential support in a family-style atmosphere for up to 30 people at a time. Until they find employment and a place to live, we walk with our residents every step of the way as they begin their journey to independence." (www.matthewhouseottawa.org )

I am very excited to launch Project 'Undercover' this month - some of you may be familiar with Matthew House which provides housing to refugees. I've committed to provide a quilt for every bed in the Ottawa locations: that's 19 twin and 3 queen quilts. Delivery will (hopefully!) be on or before the end of November. Quilts will all be delivered at the same time to ensure every current resident receives one. Residents will be able to take them to their new homes when they move out. Of course if we get more, that will be fantastic. The extras will be gifted to future residents or to Matthew House Ottawa's partner: the Furniture Bank.

So, how can you help?

Donate a quilt - have a quilt laying around in a cupboard that doesn't get used? It would be of great use to keep someone warm at Matthew House. (The photo above is the first quilt to be donated, by Diana Baird.)
Donate a top - have a quilt top that has been in your project box for ages and you don't have a need for? Donate it for Matthew House and Heritage Art will quilt it at no charge.

Want to make a block or several? Group quilts can be fun, so check out my next post for a polka dot group quilt! Any polka dot fabric will do, and then a neutral background to contrast. The pattern will be in my next post here, this weekend.

The goal is to have all the quilts ready for delivery at the end of November - if not before.

If you have something to donate, you can drop it off to my home, my studio at 'The Country Quilter' or contact me and I will happily pick up.

________________________________

Smaller quilts (lap size or crib) would be very useful for the Furniture Bank. Did you know the Furniture Bank currently helps 15 families a week furnish their homes? These are refugees and families who have been referred by government agencies or church groups.

Lots of time....

With the recent Stay-at-Home order in Ontario I waded through the last of customer quilts and found time to make and piece one of my own! Below is the Lo and Behold Pattern ‘Church Window’ - a great way to show off some custom quilting possibilities; high density and low density fills, straight lines, curvy lines, cross-hatch, feathers……so much fun! This was quilted using two layers of batting, firstly a layer of Hobbs Cotton and then Hobbs wool for the great loft. Kona solids were used for the fabrics. Biggest challenge in the whole project? Maintaining the strict 1/4 inch seam allowance throughout to ensure all the frames look even……with pieces so small slight deviations can be glaring. I think it’s totally worth the effort though!

Happy sewing! Sarah Jane.

Embroidery quilt

I just love this quilt, what a delight to work on. Hand embroidery and colouring by my customer Heather have created a visual feast that moves your eye around the quilt, continually discovering new details. My job as a quilter was to not overshadow this work, just to fill in the background.

Alphabet hand embroidery by Heather, custom quilting by Heritage Art.

I decided trellis would look fun popping in and out of the background….

And those swirls, can't get enough!

Hang-it-dang-it! hangers

Check out the Hang-it-dang-it! hangers I have have for sale. I think they’re amazing because they are essentially invisible when the quilt is hung and only require a single nail or screw in the wall (on smaller quilts a regular picture hanging hook suffices).

Another quilt winner from the Richmond Fair

This beauty won the pantograph division at the local fair last month - look at all the matching points!! Well done to my customer 👍

Fall Fair

Our local fair just celebrated it's 175th birthday! Part of the celebrations included a quilt show with just over 175 quilts ranging in style from antique through to modern. I think the quilt block that appeared the most was the Dresden plate - lots of quilts with the whole Dresden block and then quite a few with variations of the Dresden. I found some of the old Dresden variations to appear quite contemporary due to their asymmetry. There was a quilt made from cross stitch work and a couple from old suits. A fabulous way to spend an hour and glean ideas.

The regular quilt show was also running. Quite a few customers had quilts in - congratulations to everyone who got their binding on in time! Below is a customer quilt that won the modern category and received a judges choice ribbon.

First place in 'Modern' category at local fair - customer quilt, quilted by HeritageArt.

Sun Bonnet Sue

This beauty headed home to New Brunswick last week, it received many compliments while in the store. A lot of time went into creating this fabulous quilt which I hope will be a treasure loved by generations to come. Well done Reinelde!

Thoughts on prepping your quilt top for quilting

When you take your quilt to your Long Arm quilter there are the usual items to tick off your check list: the backing and batting need to be larger than the quilt top by 3 or 4 inches on EACH side; quilt top has been ironed; threads on quilt top have been clipped.

One step which is often overlooked is securing seams which extend to the edge of the quilt. These seams often haven't been back stitched which means any slight tension causes them to begin splaying during loading.

A few stitches across the seam will stop it from unraveling or splaying (see photo below). If you have pieced borders you may like to sew around the whole perimeter of the quilt top using a small stitch, close to the quilt edge. Just be sure your tension isn't tight enough to cause gathering along the edge.

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There is no doubt that your long arm quilter will be grateful and you will be happy with the result.

Vintage Dresden

After marvelling on the sidelines for years at the ability of quilters to continuously buy fabric for their stash, I have to confess that I finally 'get it'. My weak spot has been discovered and it is all fabrics vintage.

Before Christmas while searching for Dresden Plate blocks I found a group of 20 gorgeous vintage fabric, hand-pieced dresden plates on Etsy which stole my heart. They even had their seam allowances basted! During the long winter evenings in February I appliqued them onto a cream background and now they are ready to be sewn together in March before the REALLY fun part of quilting begins!

The Dresden units had been hand-pieced by a Mennonite community in Ontario. Below is a picture of some of my beauties, look out for another post in coming months with them sewn together.

Upcycling Linens

Who doesn’t love receiving mail? A couple of weeks ago 2 new pantographs arrived in my letterbox, one of which has already been put to use on a great vintage linen quilt. I never know what quilts are going to arrive in my studio and this one was a wonderful surprise in its uniqueness - a happy mix of tea towels, table toppers and linens collected over many years.

‘Daisy Chain’ pantograph in progress on Lucy’s quilt.

Not all the pieces are square, but in this quilt that fits right in with the vintage feel of the fabrics.

A light colored thread with a simple, open (not dense) pattern, puts the finishing touches on this special quilt. Well done Lucy, you have a fabulous functional art piece that has upcycled many orphan fabric pieces. Time to check out my closet and thrift stores for my own vintage upcycling project.

Fair time!

It’s the time of year when the trees are beginning to show-off their Fall colours, Chrysanthemums (or ‘Mums’) are at every grocery store and nursery waiting to adorn front porches, and ‘Country Fair season’ is in full swing.

My husband and I took a trip to our local fair in Richmond this past weekend. Along with giant vegetables, animals and rides was a great quilt display. Local creativity was out in full force: hand stitching; machine stitching; computerised stitching; modern and traditional - all were represented and provided a great variety of art for the visitor to enjoy.

I loved seeing ribbons on customer quilts - congratulations to all winners and to everyone who entered. While it can feel like an effort to complete the entry paperwork and then drop off your quilt, the enjoyment one receives (and gives!) from seeing their own artwork on display makes the effort worthwhile. The submission deadline also acts as an incentive to get the project finished.

Some people think their quilt isn’t ‘good enough’ to put in a local fair - but I’m pretty sure that if you are happy to have it hanging in your home then other people are happy to view it. Maybe we all need to start planning for NEXT years fair season now!

Hoffman Think Big panel thread

Austen and I have had fun hours together creating wall art with the Hoffman Think Big panels.

A big shout-out to Anita Zobens of Cotton Mill Threadworks, my Superior Thread supplier, who suggested I try some Magnifico thread. Magnifico is glossier than most of the thread I use, but I'm so happy I tried something out of my comfort zone - the range of oranges look fabulous on the orange panel.

Thanks Anita! Check out her website at https://www.cottonmillthreadworks.com

2018-08-31 13.07.31_cropped.jpg — Trying something new...

Austen

This is my new longarm quilting machine; a Gammill Vision. I’m calling it Austen after my favourite author, Jane Austen.