Saturday, July 20, 2019

Simply obsessed with Simply Snow

Finishing up the swan pillows seems to have started my creative juices flowing again.  Since I last posted, I have split my time between weeding the flower beds (I may have too many, but that's another post), fighting a summer cold, and sewing obsessively to finally bring the snowflake quilt into existence.  I think I am going to name it Simply Snow.

Simply Snow quilt by Joanne Kerton and Canuck Quilter Designs.
Photo and longarm quilting by Chris Hobbs of Urban Loon Studios
Panto: Carnival 2 by Urban Elementz.

I designed these foundation paper pieced snowflakes over 4 1/2 years ago for my Snowalong Sewalong.  I made a bag, a couple of runners and a pillow.  I always thought a quilt with all 26 designs together would be fabulous, but it took a long time for me to settle on a setting.  I narrowed it down a little, then let it sit, then refined it a bit more, then worked on something else.  I didn't start sewing the blocks until this past February.

Snowflake progress sometime in March.

Halfway into the snow making I was interrupted, and I didn't get back to it until about 3 weeks ago, but at that point I sewed obsessively because I wanted to finally see my vision in actual fabric.


I spent some quality time with my seam ripper to get to this stage.  I have better lighting in my sewing room now than I did when I sewed all the nine patches in February, and it revealed that I sewed one strip of white into a strip set wrong side up.  That wrong-side up white was sprinkled among many nine patches and while I tried to tell myself it didn't matter, it really did and they had to come out.  I didn't have enough blue to just start over with fresh fabric and a new strip set, hence the seam ripper.

I could have stopped with the layout above, as I originally intended, but...just a little extra border would make it into a queen size for my bed. Enter a few more nine-patches.

Simply Snow quilt by Joanne Kerton and Canuck Quilter Designs. 
Photo and longarm quilting by Chris Hobbs of Urban Loon Studios.  
Panto: Carnival 2 by Urban Elementz.

Chris Hobbs at Urban Loon Studios quilted it up for me today using the Carnival 2 panto by Urban Elementz, in baby blue thread that disappears on the blue and treads lightly over the white.  I am just thrilled with how it turned out.

Simply Snow quilt by Joanne Kerton and Canuck Quilter Designs. 
Photo and longarm quilting by Chris Hobbs of Urban Loon Studios.  
Panto: Carnival 2 by Urban Elementz.

I will bind the quilt this week and send it off to the Iowa State Fair.  Then I'll sit down and attempt to finalize the pattern.  Look for it sometime this fall.


UPDATE:  It took longer than anticipated, but the Simply Snow setting pattern is ready. The pattern for the sashing and borders is free when you sign up for my newsletter (click here to sign up).  The snowflake blocks pattern is available for purchase in my Etsy shop.


If you make a purchase in my Etsy shop after clicking through from the links in this post, Etsy will refund me a portion of the fees I pay for that transaction.  There is no additional cost to you.

24 comments:

  1. I would say that your vision of three weeks ago was excellent! You saw and have created one gorgeous quilt! No doubt you are very pleased with the fulfillment of your vision. Hope it wins at the Iowa State Fair! ---"Love"

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  2. Beautiful quilt! Can't wait for the pattern.

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  3. Simply gorgeous! I like the addition of the 9 patch border.

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  4. This is gorgeous! Your time with the seam ripper paid off. I love your attention to detail with the colors - especially the 9-patches within the design. ~Jeanne

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  5. What a beautiful quilt. I like the extra border on it too. It will be great to be able to use it on your bed this winter.

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  6. Gorgeous! I love the graduation of color. The snowflakes are perfect! The quilting looks like a breeze blowing through it. What a fun quilt!

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  7. Wow, that is a gorgeous quilt! Well worth the time it took to get it finished!

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  8. Yes! This really is a fabulous design. Interesting idea to paper piece the snowflakes. Will have to check out the paper. It looks lovely!

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  9. It is truly lovely. Fresh and crisp in the blue and white, and shows off all the love and workmanship that you put into it. Best of luck in the Iowa State Fair !

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  10. Gorgeous!! Bet it gets a blue ribbon (to match the quilt!).

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  11. Love yourquilt. Honestly can’t imagine making that many snowflakes. I made 3 for a tablerunner and did the mountain border-not paperpieced. Good luck at the fair! Looks like a winner to me!

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  12. I LOVE it! I love the lighter backgrounds in the center and darker as you move outward. The nine-patch border is perfect, as though additional snowflakes are falling. If you don't do well at fair, they're crazy! (But good luck anyways!)

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  13. Has it really been that long since you created those snowflakes? wow. I love this quilt. The extra border is really pretty and the blues are great. Congrats! Good luck at the fair.

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  14. What a gorgeous quilt. Do you sell the pattern?

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  15. Oh My! Simply Snow is incredible! I have the perfect blue fabric in my stash that I have been saving for just this pattern!

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  16. This is so beautiful! I love it! In my opinion, she should win Grand Champion quilt of the show. Happy Stitching!

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  17. Simply Snow is gorgeous. I have the perfect blue fabric in my stash that I have been saving for something special. This is it!
    Carol Andrews
    QuiltSchmilt@gmail.com

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  18. Just gorgeous! Nice sashing and cornerstone treatment and those corner blocks are very clever. Love the color fade to the center.

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  19. This is absolutely lovely! I can understand why you revisited the snowflake patterns to make a quilt with them! The layout and color placement really enhances the snowflakes, and the quilting gives them movement!

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  20. Oh my goodness, Joanne! It is stunning! I love the way you arranged the blue backgrounds, and the corner treatment is fabulous. Very classically Scandanavian :)

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  21. Just beautiful!! Perfect for a Christmas quilt, but it can be on the bed all winter! Love it!

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  22. Oh WOW! That came out amazing. I love the added nine patch border. Such a fun quilt. So glad it got the quilting mojo working again.

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