Not a quilter! - 51° 05' 00" N 115° 21' 29" W

By Kate and Sean -

You may recall, back in the deepest, darkest days of COVID, I made a quilt! A perfect project for the time and you can read all about it here!

Fast forward a few months and we ordered our boat.  Still in the throws of lockdowns, limited travel, not gathering and all the other fun pandemic restrictions, I decided to make quilts for each of the cabins of our new boat.  And along with quilts for each cabin, I convinced myself we needed the matching pillow cases too. So trolling the internet for ideas and out comes the graph paper to work on designs.  Now, as an 'experienced' quilter, no tricky patterns for me.  Straight lines it is! 

It was off to Fabricland once more for fabric, batting, thread and other such supplies. 


Just how many shades of blue could I possibly need?

Fabric, fabric and more fabric!



Cabin 1 quilt and matching pillow cases - complete!


Cabin 2 quilt - done! 


There was definitely a theme to my quilts - they are, afterall, for a boat.  Now while I was busy with the stitching and ironing and unpicking and resewing that seems to be part of my quilting process, my nephew Sam announced his engagement. I wondered out loud whether he would like a quilt as an engagement present and low and behold, the answer came back yes please!

Rather than come up with a whole new design, I made a smaller version of the one I had just finished, with a few minor variations. And I was madly stitching to get it finished so I could send it home with my nephew Tom who was over for a visit with his girlfriend Bec.

Sam and Emily's Engagement quilt.


And wouldn't you know it, while in Jasper exploring at Emerald Lake Lodge, Tom popped the question and Bec said yes.  He took me to Emerald Lake and gave me a diamond! - Bec Bray.  As I had just finished Sam and Em K's quilt, I had to ask if Tom and Bec would like one for their engagement too.  The answer was once again, yes please!  The theme of this one had to be a mountain lake.  Tom requested a canoe, in orange, because Bec wouldn't allow him to paint their house his favourite colour!

Tom and Bec's Engagement quilt

By now we are getting close to Christmas.  Tom and Bec have left, Mum is with us for months and Wendy, Graeme, Emily and Jack come for Christmas.  And yes, another quilt.  Whilst Em and Jack did not get engaged, we decided it would be a sensible preemptive move to make them one while I had the time.  Once on the boat, quilting would not be as practical.  So, a beach themed quilt was produced for them!


Emily (and Jack's) quilt

Now ready to hang up my quilting shears and Eyvan came to visit.  They were most impressed by my quilting prowess, something they know as Saiorse is a quilter.  Of course Saiorse has made them a quilt? Well no, it's a bit like the shoemaker's children and I found myself yet again stitching and unpicking and ironing.  The theme this time reflects the mountains and ocean where they live in the Gulf Islands in BC.  The cool thing about this quilt is it is made from scraps and bits and pieces.  I did not even buy thread to finish it.  It did help that Sean managed to tear two shirts in the right shade of green that ensured I had enough fabric!


Eyvan and Saoirse's quilt

Declaring myself done, we started the crazy task of purging, packing up our house and getting it rented in preparation for boat life.  In the interim, we are house sitting Adrienne's place while she and Ray are at the cottage in Ontario.  She once, half-jokingly, asked when I was making her a quilt.  Sitting here in her beautiful home wondering how we could ever thank her enough, and I realised that there was one more quilt in me.   

And the theme for this one is the view from her cottage overlooking the dock and Kawagama Lake.

Adrienne and Ray's quilt

We have visitors almost until we leave for Australia on 27 September.  My sewing machine will be packed up and stored at Rachael's, my fabric distributed amongst those who sew and my threads and pins and scissors packed for use on the boat.  This is definitely my last quilt.  It has been fun but I now let it go and will look back on my quilting phase as a very productive use for all that time COVID forced on us!

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