Patterned Stairway

Posted by on Oct 9, 2014 in Blog, Helen's Garden | 20 Comments

We had been living with horrible, dingy brown linoleum covered stairs for years in our home, so a few years ago we decided to rip out the lino & sand and sand and sand, and then paint our stairs white… white treads, white risers, white handrail. With already almost-white walls, it was a refreshing change […]

Baby Quilt with a Super Soft Back

A sweet little girl has just been born into my husband’s family. The perfect occasion for a baby quilt, handmade with love, ready to keep this wee one all cuddled up. I was told her room is fuchsia, lavender and pink with butterflies and hearts, so I designed this accordingly. The heart is made of […]

{ Happy Sewing } End-of-Year Teachers’ Gifts

Posted by on Jun 17, 2014 in { Happy Sewing }, Blog, Helen's Garden | No Comments

The end of the school year tends to creep up on me every time, usually without notice, till it whacks me in the head at the last moment. This year I was given a two-week warning. With one week to go, I thought it time to make some thoughtful gifts for those patient soles who […]

Twice in One Week!

Posted by on Apr 11, 2014 in Blog, Helen's Garden, Les Monsieurs | 2 Comments

Just had to take a micro moment of your time to toot my own horn, ’cause this surely doesn’t happen often. While browsing the ever-influential Print & Pattern blog on Wednesday, I came across an image of one of my fabrics, Castle Blocks from Les Monsieurs, in a post about her “faves”. I thought “… […]

Helen’s Garden Parterre Quilt

Posted by on Apr 10, 2014 in Blog, Helen's Garden, Quilts, Tutorials | 2 Comments

Oh my goodness, this post has been a long time coming. I promise you, there is a story & a good reason for its delay, partially of my own doing, partially delivery company gremlins in the works. Long story short, this, my favourite quilt was lost, but now is found. Whew! And so many of […]

{ Happy Sewing } … Thread Catchers

One of the challenges given at our last Quilt Guild meeting was to make a thread catcher. What’s a thread catcher, you ask? (I asked the same thing). It’s a small bowl for holding all those gazillions of cut threads we accumulate on our table (or floor) while sewing. It took me a moment to […]

{ Happy Sewing } … Hand Warmers

Searching for an idea for last minute teachers’ gifts, hostess gifts or stocking stuffers for a loved one? I was doing just that yesterday when I came upon this lovely post for scented sachets. Alas, I had no easy access to a bushel of lavender on a cold snowy day, but I had the idea […]

Helen’s Garden Purses

Posted by on Dec 18, 2013 in { Happy Sewing }, Blog, Helen's Garden | No Comments

Helen’s Garden has started shipping to stores!!! To provide an initial bit of sewing inspiration, I wanted to feature these gorgeous bags that Jennifer Ladd so creatively whipped up for me for my Quilt Market booth. Helen’s Garden offers so many colour and pattern matching possibilities, that with just a few fat quarters of fabric, […]

My Quilt Market Booth

Posted by on Nov 4, 2013 in Blog, Helen's Garden, Quiet Time, Quilt Market | 11 Comments

Welcome to my Quilt Market booth! In comparison to my last booth at Quilt Market, this season’s was simpler, with a greater emphasis on the quilt. I have discovered the wisdom in some of the most rudimentary of quilters’ rules (measure ACCURATELY, press seams, obey the scant 1/4″ seam allowance, etc), and making quilts for this […]