Introducing: The Boreal Forest Quilt

Boreal Forest Cover Quilt
I finally get to introduce you to the Boreal Forest Quilt Pattern, my brand new TBS pattern!
You can find the PDF pattern here and the paper pattern here in my shop!
Something you should know about me is that I LOVE travelling and exploring nature - and Canada has the most beautiful places to do just that. My family and I have gone on adventures all across the country, and we can’t wait to go on more some day! 
Erin And Finley In Field
Erin Family Frozen Lake
BC Van Trip
Kiddos Trees
Chris And Erin
Chris And Erin 2
As you may know by now, all of my previous patterns have been named after parks or towns here in Manitoba. But this time, I really wanted to do something different!
I decided to make a sampler style quilt pattern with each block representing a different region of Canada, inspired by this country’s amazing wilderness! 

Boreal Forest Pattern Cover

Boreal Forest Paper Pattern Cover

To me, this pattern is a little bit different, but A LOT special! Here’s a breakdown of what each block represents: 

West Coast

This block was inspired by the towering forests found on the west coast of Canada. The strips are pieced on an angle to be reminiscent of mountains. I chose greens for the bottom half of the block to represent the trees, and blues for the top half to represent the sky. The singular red strip is for the red cedar trees, and the yellow strip is for the sun in the sky.

Boreal Forest West Coast Block

Rocky Mountains

I used half square triangles to abstractly represent a mountain. The two sides are different colours to represent the leeward and windward side of a mountain that often have different weather and climate. As a little joke (mostly for myself), I placed the deep red colour in the centre of the “mountain” to represent lava - fully knowing that not every mountain is a volcano!

Boreal Forest Rocky Mountains Block

Prairies

This block is inspired by prairie fields and how they look from an aerial shot. Each square looks like it could be a different field or crop divided by mile roads. I know in many farming communities, the crops are much more fluid shapes. However, in the prairies (at least here in Manitoba), it is very common for crops to be very square and grid-like.

Boreal Forest Prairies Block

Arctic

This block was inspired by the bays in northern Canada where thousands of Beluga whales travel each year to give birth and gather together. You will notice the bottom half of the block has blue “water” surrounded by the lightest colour (a soft yellow/white) to represent snow. The top half of the block has a darker blue to represent the Arctic sky, with a brighter yellow to represent the midnight sun.

Boreal Forest Arctic Block

Great Lakes/St. Lawrence

This block was designed to represent the lakes and waterways found in Ontario and Quebec. I placed the colours to look similar to a topographic map, with the darkest colour in the centre for the deepest water. The colours get lighter until you eventually reach “land”, which is why the outside of the block is green. I also used a log cabin block style to represent the large amount of cabin country in the Great Lakes area.

Boreal Forest Great Lakes St Lawrence Block

East Coast

First and foremost, this block was inspired by nautical flags. They are bold and graphic - and very similar to quilt blocks. However, I also wanted to represent land meeting water, which is how I chose the colours for the block. I used the two shades of blue to represent the ocean. Then, I intentionally used the soft yellow to represent sand and red for the red soil that is commonly found in Prince Edward Island.

Boreal Forest East Coast Block

The Boreal Forest Quilt Pattern is an excellent pattern for beginners and a fast finish for seasoned quilters! It includes 4 sizes: 

  • Baby - 37" x 48"
  • Throw - 56" x 72" 
  • Twin - 74" x 96" 
  • Bed - 90" x 96" 

And here are the fabric requirements! 

Boreal Forest Fabric RequirementsNow, let me tell you all about the Boreal Forest cover quilt! 

I used the following Kona Cotton colours:  

The background fabric is Pepper Kona Cotton and I used Essex Linen in Natural for the backing! 

Boreal Forest Cover Quilt 1

Erin Holding Boreal Forest Cover Quilt

Erin Holding Boreal Forest Cover Quilt 2

Boreal Forest Cover Quilt

Boreal Forest Cover Quilt

Boreal Forest Cover Quilt

I also sent this one off to Shelly from Ma Tante Quilting to do this AMAZING wood grain pantograph! 

Boreal Forest Ma Tante Quilting Woodgrain

Boreal Forest Ma Tante Quilting Closeup

Boreal Forest Ma Tante Quilting And Backing

Right from the initial design stages of the Boreal Forest Quilt, I imagined making it in 100% Essex Linen. And let me tell you...it did not disappoint!

I used the following Yarn-Dyed Essex Linen colours: 

The background is Yarn-Dyed Essex Linen in Charcoal, the binding is Essex Linen in Natural and the backing is from Cotton & Steel’s Dear Isla Collection in Wilderly Early Sunset.

Boreal Forest Linen Hanging

Boreal Forest Linen

Boreal Forest Linen

Erin Holding Boreal Forest Linen

Boreal Forest Linen In Trees

Erin Holding Boreal Forest Linen

Next up… you guessed it! I made a TBS green version! I really enjoy making my patterns in a monochromatic colourway to give a different look than the more colourful quilts. I used the following Kona Cotton greens: 

The binding is Spruce, the background is Natural and the backing is from Cotton & Steel’s Dear Isla Collection in Hilltop Forest.

I machine quilted this one with a diamond grid pattern to add some nice texture!

Boreal Forest Green Floor

Boreal Forest Green 1

 Erin Holding Green Boreal Forest

Erin Holding Green Boreal

Green Boreal Forest

Boreal Forest Green

I also hand quilted this cute baby size quilt!

This is one of my all-time favourite colour combos. I actually used the same blues, peaches and purples for the cover quilt of my Birch Point pattern AND for one of the versions of my Pine Falls pattern! 

The Kona Cotton colours I used are: 

The background is Snow and the backing is Over the Rainbow - Flowers by Ampersand Design Studio!

Boreal Forest Baby Hand Quilting

Boreal Forest Baby Quilt And Backing

But wait, there’s more!

Because of my excitement for the Boreal Forest Quilt Pattern, I decided to do some extra special things for its release!

First, I created Boreal Forest fabric bundles using the cover quilt colours, available to grab in my shop right now! You can either choose a bundle that includes the dark grey background, or one that just includes the block colours!

Boreal Forest Fabric Bundle

Boreal Forest Fabric Bundle With Background Fabric

Second, I created these curated hand sewing kits that include all of my favourite hand quilting tools packaged in the most adorable zipper pouch that I ever did see!

Boreal Forest Hand Quilting Kit

I had so much fun collaborating with Heather from Heather Design Co. (Instagram: @heatherdesignco) to create the zipper pouches! We designed the fabric for the zipper pouch exclusively for the Boreal Forest pattern release!  

Boreal Forest Zipper Pouch

Heather is a VERY talented lady! You can check out all of the other lovely things she creates at @thecozyprairiequilt.

Last but not least, I teamed up with Sew Fine Thread Gloss to create three exclusive Sew Fine X TBS Thread Gloss nature scents - Eventide, Conifer and Cedar Grove

Each hand quilting kit will include one of the scents, or you can buy them individually! You can even buy all three as a set - but grab one quickly because there are only a few sets available! 

Sew Fine Thread Gloss Set of 3

Soon, I'll be telling you all about the fabulous pattern testers I got to work with for this launch, including pictures of their AMAZING versions of the Boreal Forest Quilt! 

I can’t wait to see YOUR versions, so don’t forget to use the hashtags #borealforestquilt and #blanketstatementpatterns if you decide to share on social media!

As a settler, living and working on Treaty 1 Indigenous Land, a portion of all sales from the Boreal Forest Quilt Pattern will be donated to the IRSSS (Indian Residential School Survivors Society). 

Have questions about this pattern or any other ones in the shop? Please reach out to hello@theblanketstatement.ca and we’ll help you out! 

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HAVE FUN. DANCE IN THE RAIN.