Canada Kate

I’ve been lurking here for a while, and decided to come out of hiding. This board is great! I live in Ottawa, Ontario and work for the Canadian government. I have two kids, one is away at university and one is in grade 12. I have an awesome Shetland Sheepdog named Jack who is the only man who is happy to see me when I come home from work. :-)

I learned how to sew when I was 8 and have done cross-stitch, needlepoint and basic sewing since then. I’ve wanted to learn to quilt my whole life (seriously – I’ve been saving fabric scraps since I was about 14 – I’m 44 now) but only got around to taking an intro course two years ago. I’ve made several since then – attached are a few examples. I absolutely love it but I’m not very competent yet. I want to learn to appliqué and FMQ. Someday I’d like to learn how to long arm quilt too. I think the stitching on top is what makes the overall look – it really adds a lot of dimension and beauty. I’ve been practicing FMQ but it looks like crap. I tried to get into a class at a local quilt store but it was full, so hopefully they will have room in January. I think I may have finally mastered stitching on the seam lines without wandering off too much.

In the meantime, I practice by making baby quilts and giving them to anyone at my office who is having a baby. People can’t believe it, and I always feel bad because I don’t think they are all that great. I’ll try and attach some pictures of a few that I have made. I’m looking forward to learning more from this group!