Magpie Quilts

When I get a request for a custom memory quilt, I am torn between fear of ruining the precious clothes from a loved one and excitement at pulling together diverse pieces of fabric into a cohesive looking quilt.  This quilt started as a collection of baby clothes from a client's son.  Some were pastel baby print, others were bright colored.  Superman to forest creatures to jungle prints.  I added some gray squares to provide a little break between the varying fabrics.  And finished it with a gray border. The quilting was a swirl to just add texture to the overall quilt. And I thought I had a photo of the finished quilt, but I can't find it. The client loved the final product and I was so happy to get it into her hands! Do you have some clothes you are saving for a quilt? Email me at magpiequilts(at)gmail(dot)com to see what we can make together! (***not available outside of Canada!***) --Ann

Like most all quilters, I have lots of fabrics in my closet (and bookshelf, and Rubbermaid tubs) and still I save a lot of my scraps. I save the selvage edge because sometimes they are just too pretty to throw out and I save scraps that are at least 1.5" square.  Straight furrows - FOR SALE This little quilt started as a pile of mini charm squares (2.5"squares) left over from a guild retreat. I paired them up with a cream fabric and made some tiny half square triangles and then arranged them in what quilters call a straight furrows arrangement. Straight furrows - click on photo to zoom in  Then, because the cream fabric looked so plain, I used my decorative stitches on my sewing machine to stitch a lilac purple line of stitching along the middle of the cream line. And the same quilt landscape instead of portrait  Super happy with how this one turned out and used up a few scraps in the process! There will be more scrap quilts coming as my scrap bins a...

I am inspired by a lot of things: a stack of coordinating fabrics (the easiest inspiration to turn into a quilt!) Blue Sky by Edyta Sitar of Laundry Basket Quilts Blue Sky Mini Quilt - FOR SALE HERE the colors of my surroundings Prairie Sunrise east of Calgary a photo taken on a hike Looking up in the trees Beside the creek a flower in the garden Sunflowers and Bees Lilacs Inspired by lilacs What inspires you? --Ann

I made this lovely quilt a while ago and blogged about it here . This past weekend I brought out all my quilts for an in-person market and fell in love with it all over again. The Kate Spain fabrics are amazing and the colors are so bright and cheerful! My friend's quilt from the same pattern was also at the market and even thought the pattern is exactly the same, her quilt has an entirely different look.  Blues and tans also look amazing in this pattern. Click on the photos to catch the quilting details. The pattern is called Jelly Girl from Fig Tree Quilts and I just may find another jelly roll to make another one of these lovely quilts! --Ann

Last fall I purchased a combination sewing/embroidery machine ( Brother NQ3500D ) and I've been discovering ways to use some designs in my quilts. I've shared a Christmas quilt with you a while back that used some beautiful red work designs from Bird Brain Designs .   I love the way this quilt combines some of the elements that I really love. The scrappy little squares that form the criss cross of the Irish chain part of the design.  And the swirling quilting that Marie of Blueberry Hill Quilts did on her long arm quilting machine.  This quilt fits so well into our country acreage lifestyle and one of our barn cats wanted to check it out!  Quilts are not just for beds. I will drape them over chairs, stair railings, stack them folded on chairs and just casually throw them over the back of the sofa. I may make this again in a different colorway - do you think I should do black? or blue? or browns? --Ann