Updates on Celebrate - Fêtons 150

It's been a while since I wrote about Celebrating Canada's 150th. I wasn't planning on more posts but I really wanted to share a couple of tid bits - and besides, we are still celebrating here in Ottawa!

I'm not sure if you're familiar with Northcott's Trans Canada Block Party.

Quilt shops across Canada were invited to create an original pattern of a block to celebrate Canada's 150th using Northcott's fabrics. There are some really amazing blocks out there.

All Around Canada block

The patterns are free to people who visit the shops. These patterns and blocks were only available in the shops but after September 1st, they are available to order online. Many of the shops have prepared kits for sale. In one of the Celebrate - Fêtons 150! posts, I featured one of my favourite blocks, All Around Canada, from Along Came Quilting in Calgary Alberta.

It also looks like I will be going to Calgary at the end of October. The shop is definitely on my list of places to visit!

On social media, Northcott invited Mrs. Button to visit all of the shops that participated in the Trans-Canada Block Party. Here is a picture from Facebook.

The images are of Mrs. Bobbin visiting The Cottage Quilter shop in Corbeil, Ontario. Isn't that a cute beaver block?

A map of the participating shops is available on Northcott's Resources page.

I hope to get a chance to pick up a couple of these blocks. Here is the one I made this summer. It's Sergeant Sesquicentennial block from Quilting Pleasure.

Sergeant Sesquicentennial block
from Quilting Pleasure

Northcott is now hosting the Canadian Quilt Challenge based on quilts that were made of at least 6 blocks. I suggest that you go visit the page and vote for your favourite. Votes are open until October 1st, 2017. Check them out and vote! See the Related Links below.

If you're in the area, the 13 finalist quilts will be on display at the Creativ Festival this weekend in Calgary and in Toronto at the end of October.




Grace Noel, Designer of With Glowing Hearts fabric by Moda 

Two weeks ago at the Common Thread Quilt Guild meeting, the guest speaker was Ottawa's Grace Noel. Grace studied design at Algonquin College and for her work term applied for and got her placement with Moda. Wow! How cool is that?

Grace is a gifted artist who has been selling her designs on Spoonflower for years. It was really great to hear how this very young designer created the With Glowing Hearts fabrics. It sounds like it was a great experience - it will sure look good on her resume and portfolio!

With Glowing Hearts by Grace Noel

Here is the quilt that Grace showed us during the presentation. It was made from her fabrics by a friend.

Quilt made using With Glowing Hearts fabrics

Trend-Tex-Fabrics, the Moda distributors in Canada, sponsored a contest with their Glowing Hearts fabrics. The winning quilts will be displayed at the International Fall Quilt Market 2017.

What I learned

• I don't follow social media much so I wasn't aware of Mrs. Button's visits to the quilt shops. It's great to see the blocks made by the various shops.
• It's really too bad that I didn't know earlier about Grace and the With Glowing Hearts fabric line. I really like the quilt that Grace brought with her at the presentation. The fabrics looked great.
• Last week I went to Kingston, Ontario and found a few of the fabrics in the With Glowing Hearts line. I bought a meter of the grey with maple leaves. It's a great souvenir of this year and of Grace's presentation.

Related Links

• Northcott's Canadian Quilt Challenge Vote, open until October 1st, 2017.
• Information on the Trans-Canada Block Party, including the map, at Northcott
• Northcott's Facebook Page 
• Along Came Quilting's All Around Canada block
• Sergeant Sesquicentennial, June 4, 2017
• Creatively Graceful, Grace Noel's blog
• Grace's designs on Spoonflower
• Stitch by Stitch shop in Kingston

Linking parties: I will be linking this post to a few linking parties. Check out what's happening. Can I get a Whoop Whoop?, Finished or Not Friday, Monday Making, Design Wall Monday, Moving it Forward, Linky Tuesday,