Welcome, I’m Jennifer Houlden.

Quilting keeps me sane, my hands busy and my husband penniless (well not quite but it sounds good).

I started quilting in 2002 as a remedy to Yellowknife’s long, cold and dark winters in the Canadian Arctic and found I couldn’t stop. Not even when it got warm. Really warm. In the heat of the Australian Outback my love of quilting, textiles and colour grew. Not -45℃ nor +45℃ can stop the action – although it is a bit warm sitting with a quilt on one’s lap at +45.

I now live with my husband and dog in beautiful Muskoka, Ontario, Canada where the temperatures aren’t quite as extreme. I am a textile artist by passion and was a nurse by profession. Working in my cottage studio surrounded by the beautiful landscape of the Canadian Shield, I create one-of-a-kind art quilts, modern & traditional quilts, memory quilts as well as design patterns and custom quilts.

As a child growing up in Saskatchewan, I was into every craft I could put my hands on. My mother was a seamstress but I was never going to sew. I guess one should never say never as now I sew pretty much everyday or at least every other day.

Upon my return to Canada in 2011, I developed my own label, Quilts by Jen and began teaching, lecturing, designing and creating for myself and others. Over the past years I have been sharing my passion for quilting with guilds and shops in Southern Ontario and further afield thanks to virtual learning. 

My love of colour, texture and movement are elements that make my art come alive. I strive for the illusion of movement within my work along with a careful balance of lines, hue and value. This is achieved by using both traditional and non-traditional techniques as well as a variety of textiles, fibres and other embellishments. 

Who knew that taking a quilting class in 2002 would turn into something more – quilting has provided me with wonderful opportunities to travel, meet people, see the world and share my passion of colour, fabric and art with others.

Quilts by Jen

″Quilts to last a lifetime,

Art to treasure forever″

Jen is available to present trunk shows, seminars and workshops from an evening to multiple days for your group, club, guild, shop or festival wherever you may be.

For a list of Jen’s current engagements and workshops check out her workshop schedule.

Call Jen now at +1-705-835-3064 (or use the form below) to discuss your needs and book her in for your next get-together.