2015 New Quilt Bloggers Blog Hop

Hi I'm Adrian. I am so happy to be part of the 2015 New Quilt Bloggers Blog Hop! The hosts of this years Blog Hop are Yvonne at Quilting Jetgirl, Cheryl at Meadow Mist Designs, Terri at Childlike Fascination, and my Hive Leader Stephanie at Late Night Quilter. They have shared some amazing tips so far to get this blog hop started.

A little about me! I have been sewing on a sewing machine since I was 16 years, hand sewing embroidery, cross stitch and such since I was about 8. My aunts always had a hoop or crochet hooks and were always keeping their hands busy.

I tried my first quilting attempt when I was 18 and it did not go well. I chose a Kentucky Chain Pattern and was planning on giving it to my grandparents who are from Kentucky. My cutting wasn't accurate and I didn't have a 1/4 inch foot. I gave up after trying to make those triangles lay flat and have points. I put the fabric back in the bag and tossed it in my closet. When I moved to Canada in 2007 I left it behind at my mom's house and never saw it again. It was for the best. There was no way that quilt was ever going to turn out right!

This is the first quilt I ever finished! It is an original design mixing fosil fern and batiks! Sunset.

The second quilt! Ocean Current! It's still not finished. The binding is only half done! 6 years in the making. We still use it every day! Maybe one day I will finish it.

When I married my first husband in 2005,who has since passed away, it was great because his mom was a quilter too. I was so happy to have some common ground with her in sewing, but I didn't really have the drive to be a quilter after my first failed attempt. I have always had the feeling that if I wasn't instantly good at something it wasn't worth continuing, I am glad I was proved wrong with quilting. After my MIL opened her shop in 2006 we became a Bernina Dealer. One of our first events with Bernina was a 440QE event and one of our customers didn't make it in. A machine was available to try the BSR and after just a few short hours I was hooked. The piecing love came later, but Free Motion Quilting was my first real quilting love.

Over the last few years I have started doing custom quilting for the customers at my mom's quilt shop and have done a few original patterns. Some of the greatest inspirations in the FMQ and Longarm Quilting world for me are Leah Day, Judi Madsen, Angela Walters and so so many other talented quilters. I have a one and done policy for myself because there are so many different ways to make a quilt and I want to try them all. I hate having to remake the same quilt over and over. For me creating the quilt, selecting fabric, construction and quilting and finishing are a unique experience and I love the novelty of that.

Fishes! I loved making the 3D tails on these little Fish. I used an ombre strip blue fabric for the background paying close attention to which fish had which background blue. It took some organization.

I just started this blog over a month ago at the urging of my friend Jean. I was hesitant at first because I didn't think my quilting credentials we solid enough, but when we attended the local traditional quilt guilds show and about half the quilts in it were quilted by me I figured I could do. I hope to share my continuing journey through quilting, running my local MQG and sharing it all with my husband, Chaz (we have been married one year yesterday!) and our son!

Speed Round Like and Loves

Name: Adrian, my mom named me after the Rocky Movies!

Sign: Cancer, climb on board the emotional roller coaster!

Author: Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman, Piers Anthony, Stephanie Laurens, Jim Butcher, Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson

Musician: David Bowie

Comic Book Character: DC Harley Quin

Movie: Serenity, Much Ado About Nothing (Kenneth Branagh and Joss Whedon), Twister

TV Shows: Stargate SG-1, Anything Joss Whedon and Company, Once Upon a Time, Peg + Cat

Dream Vacation Spot: Any where near the Water, ocean, lake, river, pond doesn't matter so long as I
can dip my toes in the water and see the sun rise or set on it!

Favorite Quilt Pattern: Sister Stars designed by my MIL Joy!

This is my favorite customer quilt I have ever done! Moon over Mountain. I rotated 21 different quilting designs in each row in a Suduko style. No design was repeated in each row and column. 

My Tips for Now

Blogging: Give it a try. We all have a unique voice and style. Someone somewhere will listen to yours!

Quilting: It takes at least 60 hours to get comfortable FMQ on a home machine, don't get discouraged before that! DOODLE DOODLE DOODLE! I always draw out a new design before quilting it!

Sewing: Get the right foot for the right job!

Life: Life is too short for small talk, get to the point with the people who matter!

Questions to get the conversation started:

What was your first quilt attempted? Did it turn out the way you thought and would you go back and make that quilt again?

I am so happy to have been included in this Blog Hop. Hope to see you back here soon. Don't forget to check out the other members of my hive posting today!

Erin @ Twin Mom Quilts
Anja @ Anja Quilts
Carrie B @ Chopping Block Quilts

I started this quilt in 2008 and was going to be a gift for my sister, it hasn't made it there yet! I knew how I wanted to quilt it but I didn't feel my quilting at that point was going to be good enough so it is now in my work in progress pile again! Maybe one day she will get it!

Modern Quilting

I was a reluctant quilter in the beginning, feeling like why bother when I had so many women in my life who already quilted. I felt why would I need to learn this when if I wanted a new blanket for my bed one of them would make what ever pattern I wanted. This all changed after my mother-in-law opened her quilt shop.  She is a lover of Bernina and we became the local dealer for Bernina shortly after opening. At one of our first store events, Bernina brought in several of the Bernina 440 QE for a demonstration of the BSR. One of the women who was suppose to attend cancelled at the last minute and a machine was open. After a preliminary explanation of how it works and some basic ins and outs of the machine, I was let loose.

I felt like I was finally home! I had tried many other crafting and sewing hobbies over the years but never felt like it did that day. Since that day I have been finding my quilting style. I love trying new quilt techniques and colour combinations. One of the things I hope to chronicle in my first blogging adventure is my exploration of colour, skills, and styles of quilting.

QuiltCon2015 Charity Quilt Challenge Made by the Essex County Modern Quilt Guild

A friend of mine and I started a chapter of The Modern Quilt Guild last year and I am happy to say we are progressing well. Exploring what modern quilting means and being sewist support for anyone and everyone interested in quilting. We are doing challenges and swaps with other guilds across Canada and the US. We are hoping to continue our growth within the modern quilting world.

I have made several quilts over the last 8 years very few of which were for me. I love the quilting/top stitching because it gives me the chance see many styles of quilt which I would never make for myself. Its the adding of the finishing touches to enhance the piecing, applique and design of a quilt that I really love most.

I hope to share my process, tips and tricks, and fun things I am working on with this blog.