Tuesday, September 4, 2018

Quilter's Meet and Greet

Benita of Victoriana Quilts is hosting a Quilter's Meet and Greet. If you landed here from there, welcome! If you landed here from elsewhere, welcome to you as well.

Canada 150 by Canuck Quilter Designs.  2017

I am Joanne, a Canadian quilter and pattern designer currently living in Iowa. The quilt above was my little celebration of Canada's 150th anniversary last summer, down here in Iowa.

I have been quilting since the turn of this century.  Wait.  That makes me sound ancient!  I started quilting in 2000 when I needed a wedding gift for my brother's wedding in spring 2001.  I used the gift budget to buy quilting tools instead. Don't worry.  I gave the happy couple a quilt.  It was a little late (2002?) but it was my first effort and I underestimated the time required.  I'm sure you're familiar with this sort of thing.  I'm very familiar with this still. You can see my latest example in my previous post.

Eclipse Sky by Canuck Quilter Designs. 2017

I'm still not the speediest quilter, but I manage more than one quilt every two years now.  My kids are in their late teens, the oldest in university and the youngest in her last year of high school, and as they have grown up my sewing time has increased.  My sewing space has grown too.  Pop over here to see how that progressed!

My quilting style has changed over time.  While my earlier quilts were very traditional, I gradually began using traditional elements in more modern settings and colours.  How about some flying geese?

Wandering Geese by Canuck Quilter Designs. 2017
 Asymmetry and negative space snuck in as well.

Sparkling Trail by Canuck Quilter Designs. 2016

Starfall by Canuck Quilter Designs. 2018

Then out of the blue, every now and then I swerve back to more traditional designs.  How about this version of Starlight Wishes in progress? I am re-writing this pattern to include multiple sizes.  Stay tuned!

Starlight Wishes by Canuck Quilter Designs. 2018
Playing with color and fabric is my favourite part of quilting. I enjoy seeing how different fabric and color choices change a design.  Here are two versions of Fundy Skies (pattern coming very soon!).  The small stars pop in the first and are more subtle in the second, all due to how the fabrics play together.  Neither one is right or wrong, just different!


Fundy Skies by Canuck Quilter Designs. 2016
Fundy Skies by Canuck Quilter Designs. 2018

Look at what else color can do:

Lucky Bugger by Joanne Kerton. 2016
The background is entirely composed of a traditional ocean waves block.  Color placement makes the stars appear and marks the boundary between water and sky.

Snowdreams, my bestselling pattern

I started writing patterns for some of my designs in 2013, inspired by frustrating patterns.  My goal has been to write clear, accurate, well-laid out and easy to follow patterns, tested by quilters of various skill levels.  So far the feedback has been very positive on that front!


If you have made or ever make a quilt from any of my patterns, I would love to see pictures!  You can email me (joanne@canuckquilter.com), or tag me in posts on FB (Canuck Quilter Designs) or Instagram (@canuckquilter) or use the hashtag #canuckquilterdesigns in your posts.  And if you thought the pattern was well-written, I would really, really appreciate you spreading the word to your quilting community!  Patterns are available as PDF downloads or your favourite quilt shop can order printed patterns.

I hope you will take some time to browse this site.  You'll find tutorials for techniques as well as a few projects under the tutorial tab.  Let me know if there is a topic you'd like me to address in future tutorials.



Next up at Canuck Quilter, some small prairie point projects and re-imagining older designs.  Longer term, snowflakes will return (and not just because winter comes around every year). and butterflies will get quilted.  I hope you will visit again to see what else I come up with!

Please pop over to Victoriana Quilt Design to meet more quilting bloggers, and to enter their giveaway.

https://benitaskinner.blogspot.com/2018/09/2018-online-quilters-meet-greet.html

https://www.victorianaquiltdesigns.com/fabric/


37 comments:

  1. I forget how many neat quilts you've done! :-)

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  2. Wonderful parade of your quilts!

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  3. Gracious, you've shared an amazing collection of quilts -- I'm so impressed!! :)

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  4. So much fun seeing these quilts and patterns together. I love your use of bright colors.

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  5. You have designed and made so many spectacular quilts! I cannot which one I like best! I love them all. You are one talented lady! ---"Love"

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  6. Joanne, I so enjoyed this post, and revisiting all of your beautiful creations! XO

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  7. I love your wandering geese ! And the éclipse! And... Well congrats on allait these beautiful patterns and your use if colours

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  8. Love your quilts...the color, patterns...sigh!

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  9. Wow! Wandering Geese is terrific. I like Lucky Bugger a lot, too! I've visited your blog before, but am pleased to have gotten some background through the Meet and Greet. Happy quilting!

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  10. I recognize that amazing Eclipse quilt!! Such a great quilt idea! You are very talented! Your use of color and design is top notch!

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  11. How fun to see your past quilts all together like this! :)

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  12. Don't I know you from somewhere? You sure look and sound familiar, Joan :-p Love your designs. The Eclipse Quilt is spectacular while still being subtle - a rare feat. Wandering Geese excites me - nothing subtle about these geese :-D
    Good to see you again.

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  13. Such wonderful designs! We were in Ottawa last fall and got to see some of the 150th celebration. We've also been to the Bay of Fundy (Grand Manan and Nova Scotia) -- we love Atlantic Canada. I will take a look at all your patterns.

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  14. What amazing quilts! the Eclipse one is so cool!

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  15. Its nice to meet you. I really like your quilts a lot.

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  16. Nice to know you better and to discover your amazing quilt gallery!

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  17. Wonderful designs, Joanne - Your Starlight Wishes is delightful!
    Thanks for being part of the Quilters Meet & Greet! <3

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  18. I love the colors you use in your quilts - gorgeous. Welcome to Iowa, my home state.

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  19. Wonderful quilts. It sometimes amazes me that color choices can make such a drastic difference in some quilts. Thanks!

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  20. Your quilts are just gorgeous. I love the eclipse one.

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  21. Nice to meet you on the Quilter's Meet and Greet! Beautiful quilts!!

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  22. Stunning Quilts! I love your Yellow Fundy Skies Quilt.

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  23. So fun to see a lot of your quilts in one place!

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  24. I really like your designs! Visiting from the Meet and Greet! I thought I had commented yesterday, but it isn't showing so maybe I had a glitch.

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  25. Joanne, Thanks for a look at your beautiful quilts. I started following you via Bloglovin'. Thanks for participating in the Meet and Greet.

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  26. I love your use of color in your quilts especially in your Wandering Geese quilt. It looks as though it's glowing! Thank you for inviting us over for a visit.

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  27. You are so inspiring! I've followed you for years! Love that Eclipse quilt.

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  28. Nice to meet you Joanne. I like traditional quilts as well, especially scrappy ones. But in more recent years a more modern look has emerged in my quilting too.

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  29. Canada 150, that is a beauty.And your patterns, I will have to visit again and make a choice or two.

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  30. Your quilts are so pretty, but I especially like the Starfall quilt. Thanks for sharing.

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  31. What a Wonderful bunch of quilts (& patterns) you shared here!! found you thru this Meet & Greet! Heading off to peruse your Blogsome more..looks Awesome!!

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  32. I need to look into your snowflake patterns! My two girls are nicknamed Cupcake and Snowflake and I'd love to make my baby (yet another) personalized quilt!

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Thank you for visiting. I truly appreciate your comments and will try to reply to comments by email if your commenting staus is not set to "no-reply".

If you have a question, emailing me directly at joanne@canuckquilter.com will ensure I have your address to respond. I promise I will not share your email address and I will not use it for any purpose other than replying to your message.