Lana Laqua

I started sewing and dabbling in quilting in the mid 90s.  I bought my first sewing machine while working in northern Alberta, in the High Level area. I started off making clothes and only dabbled in the odd quilt or two.  After a move South to Grande Prairie I discovered the best little quilt shop called Patchwork Cottage ran by Marion and Alice which started me on my quilting passion.  I joined my first Guild which had just formed in Grande Prairie and learned so much in that first year.

After a year I moved to Sylvan Lake in 1997.  My Husband and I settled in and had a family, causing a bit of a quilting dry spell. I had two little WIPs (works in progress) that took precedence over my fabric WIPs.  Although I was still able to squeeze in some quilting and sewing.  While my quilt life was on a slow down the guild started up in Sylvan Lake, it was a few years before I was able to become a full time committed member.  And often family matters still took priority over quilting.

I have now been a member of Sylvan Lake Quilters Guild for about 18 years.  And have accumulated a lot of quilts.  While I perfected my piecing skills, I struggled with quilting my quilts. So I had accumulated a backlog of unfinished quilt tops.  In recent years I have learned how to quilt my quilts with rulers, and with the addition of a long arm quilting machine I have been working my way through my UFO’s.  The Guild also began a UFO incentive program with the Guild and that has also been a good motivator for me to complete some projects that have been long delayed.

I love just about every aspect of quilting.  I have a computer design program so I have dabbled in designing, or creating my own patterns.  I have challenged myself with different techniques, such as paper piecing Judy Neimeyer, Jaqueline DeJong, One Block Wonders, etc…  Not sure why but bag making seems to have partnered with quilting and I also have challenged myself with making bags.

When I first heard about ruler quilting on the domestic machine I was excited and got into the first class I could to learn how to ruler quilt.  It has now become one of my favorite methods to quilt my quilts.

During the Covid  lockdowns I discovered the Sew Steady online YouTube and Facebook lives, along with the Sew Steady University ruler classes I could take online. I began to see the possibilities. I have learned how to create beautiful feathers, embellish my quilting with hearts, and so much more.

I was inspired by the Tamarack Jacket pattern to make my own quilted jacket. My next adventure is learning to use embroidery such as quilting in the hoop, and applique in the hoop. ~ Lana LaQuilter

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