After seeing each winners’ work at Quilt Canada 2025, we asked how they take a quilt from good to rosette-worthy. In this case, Sandy Simmelink’s quilt design decisions took her quilt from “good to great.” This piece marks her sixth Quilt Canada win.

The Burlington, Ontario resident won the Dorothy McMurdie Founders Award for outstanding workmanship in an original design. Nest is a Home celebrates her 40th wedding anniversary and memories, joys and life lessons of bringing up a family.

Throughout the quilt design process, an artist must make many decisions. They fall into three main categories, namely colour, design and workmanship. Coincidentally, these match the same categories that judges look for at a quilt show.

I carefully consider each step that I make along the way, to tell the story and create the most impact. Over the years, I’ve learned not to rush the process. I do research, spending time considering a few good options, select the best one, then move onto the next one.

Although I start with some basic parameters (general size, colour and theme), my initial thoughts rarely matches the final design. Most times, it takes on a life of its own. In the end, it morphs and bends to the will of what the quilt needs at any point in the process.

Research provides clear answers

A big key is confidence when faced with something I don’t know how to do. Naturally, I do research to solve the problem. This took a lot of patience and a while to master. For Nest is a Home, hundreds of quilt design decisions and a few years went into the final quilt.

For example, I was inspired to try stuffed work after seeing a fantastic 1800s whole-cloth white quilt in Kentucky. The stuffed work was so incredibly tight and raised that the material was actually wearing away. I’d never seen relief in such a way. Since I hadn’t seen stuffed work like that, it totally inspired me.

I dug into research to how to accomplish stuffed work. Looking through antique needlework books, I could not really find anything on best methods.

I ended up using two battings in the quilt: a high loft under the top and a thicker cotton batting base layer, closest to the backing. Using an upholstery needle (shown here), I created my own quarter-inch strips of stuffing out of cotton batting. This helped me test and experiment how to stuff the birds from the back of the quilt.

Each time, I inserted the needle in one side of the bird, then out the other. The hole allowed me to work the stuffing into the nooks and crannies. I inserted the thin strips between the cotton batting and the backing, leaving as little damage as I could. This meant that the front wouldn’t have small lumps and bumps while the high loft made a smooth surface. However, each bird has two holes on the back!

My careful and time-consuming work took forever, especially to fill all those hearts. As a result, the birds stood out as being 3D and soaring through the sky with words in their mouths.

Something old, something new

After all this trial and error, the decision to stuff them very tight and fully paid off. The judge’s comments reflected their appreciation for this careful attention to detail. I really had learned something new by studying that old white work quilt.

Another antique quilt also inspired Nest is a Nome: a red-work one. My favourite block and one of a bird appear on the label while its swirly work shows up throughout the quilt.   My cousin Jayne Girling, the red-work quilt’s owner, graciously brought it to Quilt Canada to have a picture taken with my creation!  

From far away, great colour choices and a pleasing, balanced design calls the viewer to come closer. Upon inspection, the details, workmanship and more thoughtful decisions are what the judges look for. When the quilt has been beautifully executed to the best of one’s ability, its story really comes to life.

Where is her Nest now?

As Nest is a Home hangs in my house, I know that I’ve done everything in my power to make a quilt that I love. That is really my end goal!

Best wishes with your quilt designs. They give us the opportunity to slow things down and tell great stories. As you enter quilt shows, take pride in your accomplishment! To have a quilt accepted into the National Juried Show gives you a wonderful thrill. To win a rosette feels so rewarding!

Every single quilt in the show celebrates the maker’s efforts! The quality and variety of the entries each year inspires and makes the judges’ jobs tough. I’ve always considered every judge’s comment as a gift. After all, they have seen many quilts and have an experienced perspective. I take them to heart and try to make better quilts in the future.

My greatest joy is to have a quilt that I have spent years making be seen by others around me. Then, I come home to hang it where I can enjoy it each day. Finally, I remember the journey that it took me on, as I created her.