Summer Dreams

Right now it feels like we’re trapped in eternal winter, so working on a quilt called “Summer Dreams” seems appropriate.

This is a level 4 BeColourful quilt and when finished will measure 62”x62”.

I decided to use white as my background and I’m loving how it’s going together so far.

With any luck, I’ll finish this beauty next weekend.

Aurora Quilted and Bound

My Aurora is quilted and bound. I love her! She turned out gorgeous.

Aurora is a level 5 BeColourful pattern and I started it in June during a class with Jacqueline de Jonge at Nancy’s Calico Patch in Newport News, VA. What a great experience that was!

My friend and quilter, Jacqueline Gaudreau, quilted it using the Marmalade pantograph in light grey coloured thread. The grey was the right choice to use given the all the colours in the top. It blends beautifully. I love it! She did a wonderful job and really brought “life” to it.

I think this is the seventh quilt I’ve had quilted using the Marmalade panto. On one hand I feel I should mix it up and try something different, but on the other, I love everything about this panto. It just suits the quilts I’ve made so far.

Hopefully, I’ll have another finish to share later in the week.

Happy Quilting,
Melanie

Old Hockey Game Quilt

These days I devote almost all of my sewing time to making BeColourful quilts, but when I saw this one at a recent retreat I knew I had to drop everything and make it for my partner’s birthday.

The pattern is the Good Old Hockey Game by Kristieocd on Etsy.

I quilted it using a loose meander and backed it with Moda Fireside to keep it soft and cuddly. The colours are for the Montreal Canadiens. The best part is that he LOVES IT!

Now An Authorized BeColourful Teacher!

I am so pleased and proud to announce that I am now a fully Authorized Teacher for BeColourful quilts.

Here is my bio: 

After admiring quilt magazines in grocery stores for years, Melanie finally worked up the  courage to make her first one in 1998. She had a borrowed sewing machine and absolutely no  knowledge of quilting, whatsoever. The results were predictably disastrous, yet she was  completely and immediately hooked. In the twenty years since she has become an extremely  adept and ambitious quilter, always willing and excited to try new techniques and tools. What started as a hobby has turned into a lifelong passion. Melanie is always making quilts,  talking about quilts, admiring quilts, looking at patterns, petting fabric, going to quilt shows, or  packing to go on retreats with friends who are equally obsessed passionate about quilting. There is only one thing Melanie enjoys as much as quilting and that is encouraging others in  their pursuit of the art. As a former corporate workshop facilitator, Melanie strives to create a learning atmosphere  that is welcoming, fun, and encouraging. She wants all students to leave her courses feeling  empowered and proud of their efforts.

While she enjoys teaching all forms of quilting, her favourite by far is paper piecing the BeColourful way. She saw her first BeColourful quilt online in 2011 and became determined to one day make them all! She has attended several of Jacqueline’s courses and is extremely proud and honoured to be an Authorized BeColourful Teacher.

Melanie lives in beautiful Ottawa, Ontario and is available to teach in Central and Eastern Canada.

Follow her on Instagram at melaniemmacdonald or on her blog at lazylabquiltcompany.blogspot.com.

I am already scheduled to teach the Picnic and Lemonade patterns in Kingston, ON on December 15, 2018 and January 19, 2019! 

I am thrilled about this new adventure! 

Wish me luck.

Aurora Is A Completed Quilt Top

Aurora is now a completed top! Hooray!

This is a level 5 BeColourful pattern.

I started this top at a class with Jacqueline de Jonge in June at Nancy’s Calico Patch.

This is my 5th BeColourful quilt (I made Brilliant Beauties of Joy twice, so maybe this could be considered my 6th?).

I’m focused now on completing Enchanting Stars, a level 6 pattern. I’m keen to get that one finished so I can start making the 2018 BC patterns, which are STUNNING! Wish me luck!

Circle of Life Quilted and Bound

I am so pleased to show you my completed Circle of Life quilt.

This is the very first Be Colourful/Jacqueline de Jonge quilt I ever saw. I marveled at it. Looked at it obsessively online and thought “I could never do that”. But, here it is and I could not be more pleased with it. 

It’s special on its own, but even more special to me as it was mostly constructed during my class with Jacqueline at Nancy’s Calico Patch in Newport News, Virginia. What an incredible experience to spend a week with my favourite designer! Everything about the experience well exceeded my hopes and expectations. 

Jacqueline has just released her 2018 designs. Each one is spectacular and on my “must do”. I have to hurry up and finish my Aurora so I can get to the new patterns! 

Aurora Update #6

I had a couple of weeks without much desire to sew. I guess I needed the break.

 But now I’m back at it and loving it again!

My centre square is now sewn to the outer square. I’m not 100% happy with my Y-seams, so I’ll go back and redo those once I’m finished with the spiked border pieces.

Once the Y-seams are fixed and the spiked borders complete there are just two small borders to attach  and my Aurora will be complete. My goal is to have it done by September 8th.