Canadian Summer QAL Final Week Snowbird Block

Welcome to the 12th and final week of the Canadian Summer Quilt Along! I have seen some amazing nearly-finished quilt tops popping up on social media! So exciting!

This week’s block is designed by Julie Johnston of Owly Patterns. This one is another foundation paper pieced block and was the one that was the most challenging for me to sew.

EDITED TO ADD: If you’re easily offended then do not click through to Owly Patterns as she has designed some patterns that some people find offensive.

Snowbird Jet Quilt Block — Anita’s version of Julie’s Snowbird block. Quilted by Dara of Stitched Quilting Co. I love how Dara put the mountains into the quilting!

Julie’s Snowbird block represents the Snowbird Jets of the Royal Canadian Air Force that we see flying over special events and at air shows around the country in impressive flying formations.

Head to Julie’s Craftsy shop to download your free block pattern for the Snowbird block.

EDITED TO ADD: Julie has donated many hours of her time to create her free block pattern but if you’re easily offended then do not click through to Owly Designs.

This is the final block in our quilt along. To enter the grand prize contest please post a picture of your quilt top in the hashtag #canadiansummerqal by September 3rd, 2018 (Labour Day).

Your quilt top does not need to be quilted or bound (a flimsy is okay) but it does need to include at least 12 of the 16 blocks from the Canadian Summer Quilt Along. They can be set however you like and you can add other blocks/elements if you wish.

To see more information about the grand prize and find links to our prize sponsors and all the blocks in the quilt along please visit the main Canadian Summer Quilt Along page.

Thank you so much for quilting along with us! Thank you to all of our prize sponsors and block designers! I couldn’t have done this without you! I can’t wait to see everyone’s quilt tops!

Thank you to Dara Tomasson of Stitched Quilting Co. for quilting my Canadian Summer Quilt Along quilt.

Canadian Summer Quilt Along Quilt Pieced by Anita LaHay. Quilted by Dara Tomasson. Designed by 12 Canadian Quilters.

Quilt Along Sponsors — Thank you so much to our sponsors and designers! Please visit the Canadian Summer Quilt Along page for links.

Canada Quilt — A truly Canadian Quilt! Designed, pieced and quilted by Canadian quilters. Pieced by Anita LaHay. Quilted by Dara Tomasson. Designed by 12 Canadian Quilt Designers.

August 20, 2018August 19, 2018

Canadian Summer QAL Week 11 Canada Goose Cabin Block

Welcome to week 11 of the Canadian Summer Quilt Along! This week we have a Canada Goose Cabin Block designed by Tish Leupen that combines traditional piecing and appliqué.

Above is my version of the Goose Cabin Block beautifully quilted by Dara Tomasson of Stitched Quilting Co. I love this block so much! And with fall coming soon I will be watching the skies for these birds flying over and I will feel a tinge of sadness as I do every year. But I know they will come back in the spring and that always brings happy excitement.

Tish is here to guest post today about her block. So without further ado here is Tish!

Finally, it is my turn to present my block for the Canadian Summer Quilt Along! I am thrilled to be part of the design team for this beautiful quilt. This week’s block should be pretty easy for everyone to put together. No paper piecing involved! This is the second last block, which means we can start sewing our quilts together and finish them in time to snuggle under this fall.

My inspiration for this block, is the iconic Canada Goose that most Canadians have a love/hate relationship with. We all know they are not the brightest birds in the world. They inundate our parks all summer and leave behind plenty of their waste. They lose their flight feathers for a short time and become earthbound, not the least bit alarmed by the cars and bikes hurtling towards them.

When autumn arrives and the days are shorter and colder though, they answer an ancient ingrained call to head south to warmer climates. Much as the Canada Geese annoy us , we can’t help but look up when we hear their flight call as huge flocks of geese are once again in their V formations flying away.

My block had to have Flying Geese in it. I was inspired by the heavy woolen socks we wear when summer ends for my colour scheme. I used grey for the main part of the block and the top suggests the traditional cream and red strip of cabin socks. It makes me sad to think that summer is coming to an end soon. School will start again in a couple weeks, and we will be have our summer memories to keep us warm in the coming months. Sigh!

I’m looking forward to seeing your colour choices for this block. Be sure to post them on Facebook or Instagram with #canadiansummerqal. There are great prizes to be won for your finished quilt tops. Check Anita’s blog @daydreamsofquilts for the dates to keep in mind.

A huge thank you, Anita, for organizing this great Canadian quilt along. I really appreciate the opportunity to be a part of it!

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Thank you so much Tish for your guest post and for designing this fun block of an iconic Canadian symbol. Click the link below to download the free pattern for Tish’s block.

CANADA-GOOSE-CABIN-BLOCK-3-page-final Download

Thank you for visiting the Daydreams of Quilts blog today. Visit the main Canadian Summer Quilt Along page for links to all the previously released blocks and for photos and sponsors of the grand prize package being drawn on Labour Day!

August 6, 2018September 13, 2018

Canadian Summer QAL Week 9 West Point Lighthouse Block

Welcome to week 9 in the Canadian Summer Quilt Along! This week’s block is the West Point Lighthouse Block designed by Anita of Daydreams of Quilts! (That’s me!)

I didn’t really think of this when I made the quilt along schedule but yesterday was our 18th wedding anniversary. We went to Prince Edward Island for our honeymoon and one of the places we visited was the West Point Lighthouse. So it’s a fun coincidence that I am releasing this block the day after our anniversary. PEI is one of my most favourite places on earth! I have been there three times and really hope to get back again soon.

Glad I could help represent the East Coast in this quilt along! Even though I’m an Albertan, I do love PEI and I lived in New Brunswick for four years too. Click here to download the Lighthouse Block pattern – CSQAL West Point Lighthouse Block Pattern I can’t wait to see the lighthouses pop up this week. Post your lighthouse in the hashtag #canadiansummerqal on Instagram for a chance to win a selection of four fat quarters of Flourish from the Daydreams of Quilts shop.

July 30, 2018July 30, 2018

Canadian Summer Quilt Along Coastal Majesty Block

Coastal Majesty quilt block depicting British Columbia's majestic trees.

Hello and welcome to week 8 in the Canadian Summer Quilt Along! This week we have a beautiful foundation pieced block designed by Jean of Sophisticat Fibre Art Studio called “Coastal Majesty.”

Jean’s block is inspired by the beautiful trees around Vancouver in British Columbia. In her pattern she writes, “This block symbolizes the majesty of those trees growing in the mountains.”

I lived in Vancouver for four years as a child while my Mom was doing her master’s degree. The trees in and around Vancouver truly are awe inspiring. Many happy days were spent climbing trees there.

I remember one time my brother, sister and I were up in a tall cedar tree and we saw our Dad who was doing maintenance on the roof of one of the buildings at the Vancouver School of Theology (where my Mom did her masters). We were eye level with him and he was on the fifth floor. We called to him “Hey Dad!” He looked around on the ground for us but couldn’t see us. “Over here! In the tree! We’re waving a branch at you!” The look of shock on his face was funny to us at the time but as a parent I can imagine the feeling he must have had now. He stayed very calm but said sternly “You kids are up too high. You climb back down now.” Ah, good times in Vancouver.

Anyway, I digress. 🙂 Here is my version of Jean’s Coastal Majesty block. Dara of Stitched Quilting Co. did a beautiful job of the quilting on my block.

Normally I find foundation paper piecing so challenging that it’s not fun for me but I really enjoyed this block and it’s very possible to achieve even if you are a beginner at this technique. Jean also suggests using “improv strata” for your trees. This is basically creating fabric pieces by sewing together small strips (or you could slash and insert strips as well). Jean has a photo of this on her Instagram post (second photo).

Trees or Mountains paper pieced quilt block — Coastal Majesty before quilting to get a better representation of the fabric colours in my block.

Jean was having some technical issues with her website so she said she would try to have a tutorial up on her Facebook page if not on her site.

You can download the free Coastal Majesty pattern on Craftsy.

Giveaway: Post your blocks on Instagram using the hashtag #canadiansummerqal for a chance to win my most popular PDF pattern the “Pixel Heart in a Pixel Heart” pattern. Jean also says if you tag her on your post @sew_catstudio by August 15th she will also be offering a prize.

July 23, 2018July 21, 2018

Canadian Summer QAL Blue North Strong and Free Block

Welcome to week 7 of the Canadian Summer Quilt Along! This week we have a block pattern designed by Céleste of Meerkat Shweshwe.

Céleste imports Shweshwe fabrics from South Africa and sells them here in Canada. She is my wholesaler for the Shweshwe fabrics I bring into my shop. She sells to both wholesale and retail customers and gives great service!

Meerkat Shweshwe is sponsoring a giveaway this week. Post your Blue North Strong and Free block in the hashtag #canadiansummerqal on Instagram and tag @meerkatshweshwe for a chance to win a bundle of four fabrics that Céleste used in her block.

Four fat quarters of Shweshwe fabrics are the prize for this week.

You can download the Blue North Strong and Free block pattern for free from either Céleste’s shop or from Craftsy. Céleste tells a bit about the inspiration for her block inside her block pattern.

Have fun sewing this block! I thought of it as like a Farmer’s Wife block as I was working on it.

July 9, 2018July 9, 2018

Canadian Summer Quilt Along Beaver Block

Welcome to Week 5 of the Canadian Summer Quilt along! Time is flying! Do you know what this means? This means next week we are halfway and we are having a halfway check-in with prizes from our sponsors. So keep sewing and I will have more information on that in next week’s post!

This week’s block is designed by Lesley Chaisson of Berry Birdie Designs. Lesley has designed a block of one of Canada’s iconic animals – the beaver.

We have quite a few beavers around here (Wainwright, Alberta) in ponds nearby. A couple of years ago we were in an animal look-out tower on the Battle River and we (my husband, kids and I) watched a beaver swimming and dragging branches along the shore for about half an hour. It was quite fascinating as you don’t often see them up close in the wild. I love their leathery tails!

Here is my version of the Beaver Block:

Dara of Stitched Quilting Co. is a longarm quilter in Nanaimo, BC and she quilted by Canadian Summer Quilt Along quilt for me. This is the amazing detail she put into my Beaver block.

Head to Berry Birdy to download Lesley’s fantastic Beaver Quilt Block Pattern.

Check out the main Canadian Summer Quilt Along page for the schedule and links to blocks that have come out so far. Photos of prizes for the grand prize package have been added now too!

July 5, 2018September 13, 2018

Canadian Summer QAL Wind Power Quilt Block

Welcome to today’s bonus block in the Canadian Summer Quilt Along! Today’s block is the Wind Power Quilt Block which is inspired by the many wind turbines that Canada has to create eco-friendly wind power.

Pinwheel Quilt Block — The wind power block is inspired by wind turbines that create electric power from the wind.

I hope that Canada will create more and more eco-friendly solutions for all aspects of our lives and commodities we consume and that Canada will be a world leader in environmental change. Because of this I chose the colours of red and white for my block.

The Wind Power Block is a free pattern here CSQAL Wind Power Block

This is the last bonus block of our quilt along. Keep checking for the weekly blocks on Mondays. We are loving all the posts in the Instagram hashtag #canadiansummerqal.

Visit the main Quilt Along post for links to all the blocks that have been released so far and all the prizes in the Grand Prize.

July 2, 2018June 26, 2018

Canadian Summer QAL Improv Curve Pieced Inukshuk Block

Welcome to week 4 of the Canadian Summer Quilt Along!

This week’s block is called “True North” and is designed by Katy who is known as @lethargiclass on Instagram.

Katy’s block is an improv pieced block using improv curves and an appliqued Inukshuk. I was really pushing to get my quilt top finished before the quilt along started so I took a short cut and improv pieced mine with straight lines and used “slash and insert” strips for the Northern Lights. I encourage you to take a little more time and try the improv curves though because they add to the effect.

I love the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) and consider it very special when I get to see them. We do sometimes see them here in Wainwright, Alberta and I also saw them vividly in Cold Lake, Alberta (just north of here) when we were there one weekend for a hockey tournament.

Anita’s interpretation of the improv pieced Inukshuk quilt block with “slash and insert” strips and fusible appliqued stones. The applique was finished with blanket stitches.

Katy is here today to guest post and tell you about her block. Take it away Katy!

Hi everyone! Happy post Canada Day 😊

I spent Canada Day at a family BBQ and it was really nice to just be together. I hope you had fun yesterday whatever your activities were.

I have a confession for this block. This was the first time I had done improv curves! So, if I can do it, you can do it. Don’t stress too much about it and start with larger pieces if you think that will help.

I designed this block with my nieces and nephews in mind. They are Inuit, hence the Inukshuk and they live in Inuvik now and so I wanted the northern lights. I have never seen the lights in person as I have only gone up in the summertime and there is no night. I love artwork with the lights and so used some of those as inspiration. I used to go in the northern lights display at the Canada Science and Tech Museum and you can sit there surrounded by videos of the lights and it is spectacular!

I hope you all enjoy making this block and all the rest on our trip across Canada 😊

Katy

Click here to download True North , Katy’s block pattern.

Thank you so much to Katy for this block pattern and guest post!

Giveaway:

Post your True North blocks in the Instagram hashtag #canadiansummerqal for a chance to win four fat quarters of Heather Ross’ “Kinder” line from Daydreams of Quilts.

Visit the main Canadian Summer Quilt Along post for the schedule and to see a list of prizes in the Grand Prize. The grand prize will be drawn on Labour Day from all the quilt tops posted in the Instagram hashtag #canadiansummerqal.

June 28, 2018June 28, 2018

Canadian Summer QAL Week 3 Bonus Impressions Block

Welcome to the Week 3 Bonus Block in the Canadian Summer Quilt Along!

This week’s Bonus Block is the Impressions Block by Christine from Sew Coole.

Christine has some time saving techniques in her free pattern for this block. You can choose to use them or piece the block as you prefer. I ended up piecing the block traditionally without using the time savers. I also flipped the bottom row of my block around because I wanted it to look like mountains surrounding a lake or a river in a valley based on the fabrics I was using.

Impressions Quilt Block — Anita’s interpretation of the Impressions Block using Northcott Naturescapes Fabrics and Kona solids.

Here’s another note from Christine:

Hi again, friends! I’m back with another block that’s subtly inspired by the beautiful Canadian Rockies. I love spending time near the water in the mountains, seeing the mountains reflected in surfaces that are so calm, it’s almost glass-like. For me, this block is about the ever-present impression left by the mountains and those beautiful glacial-fed lakes and rivers.

The pattern is available on Craftsy and will remain a free pattern; it actually makes a cool quilt if you were to use this block on repeat (I might need to do that one day!). And the you can actually switch up the direction of your flying geese (pointing up or down), and it still looks awesome.

Like my previous block, I am giving away a beautiful bundle of @uppercasemag fabrics to one lucky maker. All you have to do is make this block and post a pic of your creation by July 7, being sure to use the hashtags #CooleImpressions and #CanadianSummerQuiltAlong. A winner will be chosen at random on July 8.

Happy sewing, my friends! Can’t wait to see what you all create.

– Christine

Visit the main Canadian Summer Quilt Along post for links to all the blocks that have been released so far and a list of prizes in the Grand Prize package.

June 25, 2018June 25, 2018

Canadian Summer QAL Week 3 Peaks Block

Welcome to Week Three of the Canadian Summer Quilt Along!

This week’s block is the Peaks block brought to you by Christine from Sew Coole and Christine is guest posting on my blog this week.

This is my version of the Peaks block made with Kona Cotton Solids. I love the mountains and try to get away to them as often as possible so this block is near and dear to my heart.

Without further ado, here is Christine!

Hello Quilters! I am really so delighted to be a part of the 2018 Canadian Summer Quilt Along. I have long been a fan of Anita’s beautiful quilts and her blog, so I jumped at the opportunity to be a part of this quilt along she was creating.

I am so proud to be Canadian, and love to share that fact, so things like this all-Canadian quilt along are right up my alley. Canada Day is my very favourite holiday (well, OK, second favourite, because Christmas really is the most wonderful time of the year), so I’m super-duper excited to have my two blocks coming out in this week leading up to Canada Day. (Full disclosure: probably part of the reason I was initially so drawn to Anita’s work is how she makes such beautifully patriotic pieces. How could you not love it?)

As a girl who grew up on the Prairies, we were only about a 4.5 hour drive from the Rocky Mountains, so it still amazes me that it took until my late teens to actually make it there to see them in person. And I fell in love, hard and fast, as soon as I saw the majestic beauty of those mountains from a distance, and then even more so as I saw them closer up.

Photo of Canadian Rocky Mountains by Christine McCourt Reid.

I still marvel at the mountains every time we visit (and am delighted to be celebrating Canada Day in the mountains this year). So because of this, both my blocks are mountain-inspired.

Canadian Rocky Mountians — Photo of Canadian Rocky Mountains by Christine McCourt Reid.

My first block pattern, released today on Craftsy is Peaks, and it’s a simple block with some half-square triangles and flying geese… nothing too intimidating!

Peaks Quilt Block by Christine of Sew Coole.

I’m looking forward to seeing your interpretations of this block pattern!

Giveaway:

For everyone who makes the block by July 7 and posts it on Instagram with the hashtags #CanadianSummerQAL and #CoolePeaks, I will be doing a random drawing for a 5 fat-quarter bundle of Uppercase fabrics.

In keeping with our Canadian theme, these fabrics are designed by Janine Vangool – creator of Uppercase Magazine, and super-cool Canadian (the magazine is a really great resource for all you creative types out there, you should check it out if you’re not already familiar with it).

Be sure to check back on Thursday when my bonus block will be released (hello, flying geese and QSTs!). Thanks for sewing along with us!

Christine

—> Visit the main Canadian Summer Quilt Along post for links to the blocks that have come out so far and for the list of prizes in the grand prize. The Grand Prize will be drawn on Labour Day from quilt tops posted in the hashtag #canadiansummerqal on Instagram.