Kim Hanson

Writing & Quilting

Quick & Easy Quilts

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Good day everyone. I hope both you and your families are well. Prayers for a very speedy dissemination of the vaccine.

Quick & Easy Quilts is a new publication from Fons & Porter. It’s a unique publication; a bit different from other quilting magazines. A few words from their website:

Telling a Story – Yours and Ours

Launching June 30, 2020, this magazine features quick and easy projects combined with storytelling elements that make this publication unique. Quick + Easy Quilts is meant to be approachable and the quilts achievable—something welcoming to beginners and still fun for those with more experience. Mixed in with the quilt patterns are personal stories, tips and tools we love, photos from our designers, and maybe even a recipe or two.

Here is the cover of the latest issue.

Quick & Easy Quilts magazine February/March 2021

My Valentine’s Day fabric wreath is featured in the magazine on pages 25 through 29.

Page 29 Quick & Easy Quilts February/March 2021

I love that the editor has included my story behind the wreath, a pattern on how to make the wreath and photos of the wreath in different settings. It was a privilege to work with Tracy Mooney (editor), Lori Baker (acquisitions editor) and Melina Piotrowski (administrative assistant) for Quick & Easy magazine. They each contribute to making the process “quick and easy!”

Here is my fabric wreath in Christmas fabrics.

Christmas Wreath

And one that hangs in my living room.

Puff pillow wreath

If you are interested in making my wreath you can purchase the magazine here. If you don’t fancy the wreath, there are many other quick & easy projects in the magazines’ pages that you can make in practically no time at all!

Thank you everyone. Talk again soon.

Kim

Oak Bay

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The hazy, grey clouds hung low over Oak Bay, temporarily obscuring any glimpse of either the Chatham Islands or Mount Baker. Listening to the waves crash against the shore and watching the sea gulls fight against the strong breeze brought me an overwhelmingly sense of peace and well-being. The heavy, wet air clung like static to the hotel blanket covering my lap.

Sitting outside at the patio table, my steaming cup of earl grey tea had rapidly cooled off. It was February, after all.

My husband, wrapped tight in his white, fleecy robe pushes open the sliding glass doors and steps out onto the concrete deck. Seconds later, he asks me, “How can you sit out here? It’s freezing!” His intolerance makes me smile. Usually I’m the impatient one.

“I just can’t get enough of this place…I want to stay here forever,” I said.

My husband heads back inside our suite, telling me it’s time for his shower. I’m content to stay put and snuggle further under my damp blanket and finish drinking my cold cup of tea. I know that soon it will be time to fly home, but not before one last, long walk along the sea wall….along the TransCanada trail.

The End

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of a crazy year is now only hours away. Thank goodness and good riddance to the year 2020.

Who doesn’t love the start of something new? As usual, I’ve got all my calendars and agendas and notebooks ready to go for 2021; just waiting for me to pencil in new events and ideas and doodles. The start of a brand new year is exciting. . . a chance to leave everything unpleasant in the rear view.

First of all, I’d like to announce that Jennifer Higby won our December contest. Congratulations Jennifer! She is the winner of the Frozen fabrics. Jennifer of Oliver’s Cottage is a fellow machine embroidery enthusiast and has promised me that she will send me a photo of the project she makes with her winnings. I promise to share it with all of you. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with!

I’ve been working very hard on my book proposal which I plan to present to a publisher in 2021. I’ll be submitting it in January and hope you’ll all think good thoughts for me. In my research for the book, I spent hours and hours searching to find comparables for the book I’m proposing – a daunting task as there are so very many quilt-related books on the market. I came across a lovely, hardcover book called “The Quilt Block Cookbook” by Amy Gibson, published in 2016. Once I scanned the book online, I knew I just had to have it. It’s not necessarily a comparable to the book I’m proposing but I just loved it!

Amy’s dedication reads, “To my mother, who took me to the library”. Isn’t that just the sweetest?

As the title suggests, the book is chock-full of beautiful, pleasing, unusual block combinations and brilliant original quilt patterns. It’s very visual, which I am planning for my book. Like Amy, my vision is to portray vivid and vibrant colours in fabrics, depict unusual quilt backdrops and include stunning, one-of-a-kind photographs. Amy’s book is an inspiration and now resides on my ever-expanding quilt book shelves.

I’ve written down my simple goals for 2021. There are far less now than when I was younger; I’ve come to realize that more is not necessarily better. I wish for all of you a joyful 2021. Happy New Year everyone.

Love Kim

December Fabric Contest

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Good day everyone. I sincerely hope you are all doing well.

We are announcing a new contest today. As usual, the rules are very simple and easy. Here’s what you stand to win.

Three yards of Frozen II, 100% quilt shop quality fabrics. Plus, there will be two surprises “slipped” into the package that you win.

So, here’s how to enter:

  1. Click here. This takes you to my home page. Scroll down halfway and subscribe to my email blogs. This is your contest entry
  2. Click here and join our lovely Facebook Group Quilting for Kids.
  3. If you already subscribe to my blog and are a member of Quilting for Kids, post a photo on the Facebook Group of a Christmas quilt you have made in the past.

That’s it! Pretty easy, eh? This contest will close December 21.

Thanks everyone.

Kim

With Glowing Hearts – My Poppy Quilt

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It’s Remembrance Day everyone. It’s the day we stop, take a moment and remember all our War veterans.. . . those young souls – men and women – who fought for us and the freedom of our country. I hope you all have a peaceful Remembrance Day.

Awhile back, I made a quilt from fabric designed by a young Canadian designer, Grace Noel. The fabric collection was called With Glowing Hearts and it was created to commemorate Canada’s 150th birthday in 2017. I loved the name of the collection, loved Grace’s story and was drawn, as usual, to the “teals” of the collection.

Since the fabric has been on the market for several years now, it would be hard to find any to purchase. You could do an etsy.com search or contact me. I have some of the collection left.

My quilt was not necessarily made for Remembrance Day. But the poppy row of the quilt was.

Freedom, democracy and our way of life is sacrosanct. It only takes a few minutes to remember.

Thanks so much.

Kim