Author: wendysquilting

Professional Longarm Machine Quilter in Thunder Bay Ontario.
Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Sunny Days!!!

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Well we have had some sunshiny days in January, of course those are usually our coldest days of winter!

My Sunny quilt has made for many hours of fun piecing with a new to me paper piecing technique along with the fun of a palette put together by Tara Faughnan of the Color collective. It’s been a welcome adventure.

While making it an old and favourite song from my childhood kept coming to mind…Sunny Days by Lighthouse. It actually came on the radio yesterday!

This weekend after finishing up a customer quilt, I gifted myself time on the Longarm for Sunny. The backing reminds me of tie dye a bit and also carried many of the tops colours. I love finding just the right backs for my quilts!

Sunny is ready for binding…I am leaning towards the orange! What would you choose?

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

January and Florence’s Quilt

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January has always felt like a long slow month to me, the weather is usually the coldest we get and it’s typically the quietest month.

It’s been a fun month of quilting both for customers as well as relaxed piecing for myself. I have the backing for my Sunny quilt and a quilting plan…

This quilt that Florence made is so pretty and called for more blossoms.

The backing is a solid Kona in black. I chose to use a silver thread which really popped against the back, however I was unable to capture a good picture of it. So unless you happen to see the quilt live, you will have to take my word for it. The stitches were so pretty!

We spent yesterday, the last Friday of this January with three of our grandchildren. It was a fun filled and very busy day! Snow play and snowmobiling, fort building.

My personal favourite was when Grayson (5yrs) asked what my sewing machine and serger were for so I let him try them…later he said he wished that he lived here…I asked why and he said it was because I have sewing machines!!! He was so excited to show his Dad his new skills when he picked him up!

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Flock Block

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Over the last week or so I have been making the units for the Flock Block quilt when I have a little time to play.

Yesterday was one of those days that I felt like playing and made a few of the blocks, which turned into a few more….

Flock is the second block from Season 4 of the Color Collective. From Sewtopia aka Amy Newbold and Tara Faughnan . This program has added so much fun during these chilly winter months.

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Double Sided Quilts

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The digitally printed panels available lately are so beautiful and this quilt features them on both the top and the backing.

Actually Pat pieced two tops however one was for the backing. This is not the first time I have had this request and although it can be challenging to keep both centred it can be done.

The front

The back

Pat chose the pantograph star swirl, this design fits perfectly!

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Joan’s Scrap Quilt….

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I have been quilting for Joan for several years now and am always delighted when I see her latest creation. Her colour and pattern choices are not only fun to see but also to quilt!

As most quilters, she has found that the scraps are taking over so she has begun the scrap piecing journey. This quilt is one and was a fun walk down memory lane!

It was loaded and quilted on a gray snowy day! I share this picture to give a glimpse of how I load most quilts. I like to load the top as I find it gives me more control and enables me to keep the quilts square and flat. It’s an extra step but one that I find worthwhile.

I used the Pantograph Flying Paisley, with just enough flowers and leaves to compliment this very pretty quilt.

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Friend-enemies and Colour

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Ok so I looked this up as I heard Tara say it regarding colours in one of the Palettes of the Color Collective. Friend-enemies was what she said.

I think I like the sound of friend-enemy in the context that it was used. It came to mind as I was trimming the half square triangles for the flock block that I am currently working on.

Taras reference was regarding fabrics that can work together in a quilt but perhaps not side by side…at least that was my interpretation.

Sometimes the trimmings are just too pretty to throw away!!!

Some of my favourite colours are in this palette, some of my not so favourites as well but I am enjoying them together.

My main purpose in joining the Color Collective this year was to step outside of the box so to speak and use colours that I may otherwise not use and or to use them differently.

I am still working on capturing true colours with my camera. This one came the closest yesterday.

The next bundle is on its way, so my goal this week is to complete the flock top before it arrives.

Of course the Longarm calls and it’s loaded and waiting for the week to begin…just one more cup of coffee! Have I ever mentioned how much I love working from home and working on quilts?

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Shasta Daisy

wendysquilting

The pantograph Shasta Daisy has always made me smile. I remember ordering it only because I liked it, that’s how my collection of pantographs has grown for the most part.

I remember one day my friend Alva came by with her latest creation and as I was showing her my latest addition to my collection she saw Shasta Daisy and stopped and said that one! Added note: this quilt was a block of the month program from a shop called Quilters Stash that was here in town for a number of years.

My photography skills and camera have vastly improved since 2012 when this was taken.

Many of my customers leave the quilting choice up to me, that used to cause me stress in the early years of my quilting for customer days however most quilts speak to me as soon as we meet these days.

This star quilt of Joan’s called for Shasta Daisy.

When looking at this quilt, the prints suggested a floral pantograph, then a closer look revealed some Daisy like petals. The star blocks are very angular and adding the flow of a more curvy design softens those angles.

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

January Blossoms

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Well it’s official Christmas is over in our household! We really do enjoy the extra weeks in January when we keep the tree up. Though, now that the days seem longer with a little more daylight with every passing day the boost of the tree lights to our world don’t seem quite as necessary. Also the needles were just starting to fall.

I have a few quilts to share from the last weeks Longarm quilting.

This is one of Joan’s and was such a delight to work on, so bright and well floral! Look at this backing!

The top is so pretty and beautifully pieced.

I have a new phone and have been playing with its camera, the portrait mode is a lot of fun.

This next one really shows the affect of the portrait mode.

Liam is back to in class learning this week, so it will be a little quieter around here this week.

I made and trimmed my flying geese units for flock over the weekend…well I trimmed most of them last night. I find it interesting how much fun I am having piecing with solid fabrics, the collective has been such a great addition to my quilting life!

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

A Fresh Start and Life

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To the day that is, I am so glad that I can stay home today…I will wait until we hit the warmest part of the day to walk bundled up to get the mail and only because there will be a pkg for me.

Liam will be here soon, today is the last virtual day as the kids return to their classrooms on Monday. Hopefully that will work out. It will be much quieter here but he has already booked March break with us!

Yesterday I read a blog post at Sisterschoice where Nicole shared that she had collected all of the blocks for the Fatquarter Shop 2011 Designer Mystery Block of the Month. She has decided it’s it to make the quilt. Well…. Guess what I have?

The difference is that I have all of my blocks completed and began the finishing kit and then life took a different direction. Years ago my friend Florence used to piece tops for me when I would get too busy and I would quilt for her.

She came by with quilts yesterday and left with the treasure box. So perhaps this year Strawberry Fields will again see the light of day! Thank you for the nudge Nicole!

We had visitors last weekend. Liam had built a special fort knowing who was coming. Jaxson was initially leary of entering the fort so his mom crawled inside and I handed him to her. It didn’t take long before he was inside on his own and climbing the walls.

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Sunny

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Sunny is the name of the first block of Season 4 of the Color Collective that I have been working on. This Season began November 1st and this block introduced a new to me paper piecing technique.

I don’t usually enjoy paper piecing, it seems so tedious and wasteful however Taras technique was fun and no ripping papers and very little fabric waste. Not only that but as our days become shorter as we get closer to December 21st it was a fantastic palette and block to play with in the moments that I had time to play.

Curved piecing has really been popular these last few years and I was glad to have the glue technique for these blocks!

Fall and winter are especially busy with customer quilts and Christmas coming so my personal piecing time becomes very precious and needed. I decided to focus on Sunny but also accept that the November block most likely wouldn’t be a top until January.

So yesterday with little wind and not too terribly cold weather I laid Sunny over the snow to show you. I am somewhat pondering how I will quilt this top so it might be awhile before I get to that stage.