quilt photo

Hello everyone. It’s wonderful to have such a warm, welcoming and receptive group as we do in Quilting Grands on Facebook. I love our group!

We’re about to embark on our very first quilting/photo contest and I’m hopeful all of our talented members will enter. This is the prize that is up for grabs – a bundle of ten fat quarters, in rich blues, cool greens and perky purples. The fabric bundle was purchased from my favourite online quilting shop – Fort Worth Fabric Studio.

Ten – fat quarter fabric bundle.

Okay, let’s get this show on the road. What we are looking for is great photos of your quilts, photographed OUTSIDE during the month of June, 2016. Since we have almost 2,000 members, each member can submit just two (2) entries. We are looking for interesting photos of your quilts in the great outdoors; in nature, at the playground, at the park, on a backyard fence…. wherever you choose. It won’t be your quilt that is judged for this contest but the photography of it – how you display your work in nature.

Here are a few photos of some examples for you to check out:

Tips for taking a great photograph –

Early morning sun or later afternoon sun is best. At these times of the day, there are less shadows and the light is not as intense as it is between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Some photographers only take their photos on overcast days; many turn off their flash when taking photos outside. Avoid direct sunlight streaming onto your quilt as it will wash out the colours and diminish the quality of your finished product.
Instead of having someone hold up your quilt, with their fingers in your photo, perhaps try using small, colourful, see-through clothespins like these.
Look around your neighbourhood for interesting places to use as a backdrop.
Treat your quilt as you would treat beautiful artwork, with respect and handle carefully.

Of the two (2) entries allowed per member, it can be two different shots of the same quilt or two photos of different quilts – your choice.

On July 1, 2016, we will choose three finalists from all photos received. Those three quilt photos will be singled out and posted on our group Facebook page and all members will be allowed to vote just once. The quilt photo with the most votes wins! The fabric bundle will be sent her way.

So let’s have some fun with this. We are eager to see all your brilliant and beautiful ways of photographing your quilt outdoors. Bring on the entries!

Thanks so much.

A child’s bucket list, a quilt and a golden opportunity to make a difference.

Good day everyone. I’m so very happy to introduce you all to my brand new website. Crafted again by the genius of Shelly Caldwell, the wizard of all things WordPress and the goddess of creativity. I love my new site and all that it offers; and look forward to being able to share so many more wonderful things with all of you in the near future.

For now, though, it’s all about Hadlie and her family.

Hadlie….a little girl living in central Alberta, Canada who was diagnosed with DIPG in her precious third year of life. Her parents started a Facebook page for her by posting her bucklet list online and following up with photos and stories of their daily lives and how they checked items off the list. A three year old child having to compose a bucket list? Unimaginable. It’s hard enough for old people to face their mortality, but a child? Unimaginable. While I was writing this post, I scrolled back through Hadlie’s Facebook page – back to the beginning in 2014. It’s impossible for tears not to flow as I journeyed again with the family through all their ups and downs.

Hadlie’s family faced their challenges with amazing grace, love and support for their wonderful little girl. She captured many hearts, including mine. I never met Hadlie or any members of her family but I loved her right away.

She was so spunky; an individual with energy and love inside her. I mean, just look at that face! The illumination of pure joy.

I made Hadlie a quilt and Quilter’s Connection (a Canadian quilt magazine) published it on their cover.

Hadlie passed away one day after her 4th birthday on March 28, 2015. Her family, one year later, is so sad not to have their baby girl in their lives any longer and want so desperately to help others in the same situation. They have launched Hadlie’s Bucket List Foundation for research into the monster that is DIPG.

For this post, my inaugural post on my new blog, I wrote the pattern for my Hadlie Quilt and it is listed for sale here for the sum of $5.00 Canadian (which today translates into $3.81 US). All the proceeds from the pattern sale will go to Hadlie’s Foundation. Since my pattern incorporates three separate machine applique embroidery designs, you may download two of the three designs for free! Thanks so very much to Julie Hesketh of Designs by JuJu and to Cherry of Cherry Stitch Designs (on etsy) for their amazing kindness and support for Hadlie’s Foundation.

So, you can purchase a pattern for a very reasonable price, download two free embroidery designs and help to support a resilient and brave family all at the same time. Help me support Hadlie’s Bucket List Foundation. Help Hadlie’s family eradicate DIPG and do it all in the name of their sweet and special little girl, Hadlie.

Thank you so much everyone.

Quilting Grands first quilting/photo contest

Free machine embroidery designs, a quilt pattern and a little girl named Hadlie