One of my friends recently commented that it must be a good feeling when I unwind the quilt on the frame. It is! I always like to see how the back as well as the front turned out.
Susan M’s quilt
Instead of taking the risk of the backing being too short …I added. Ten inch leader to the top . I very rarely need to do this but it’s a good trick to keep in mind when there is just enough backing.
It was my Grandson who decided the name of this quilt because it reminded him of lakes and water. He is presently doing his schooling virtually so is spending his days with me while his parents work.
I chose the pantograph bubbles as not only are their circles in some of the squares but the background is full of circles.
Our days are getting brighter…so they feel longer which is very welcome. February seems to have flown by. I was busy with customer quilts, family and a little of my own projects. Our area began another lockdown today due to rising covid cases which feels discouraging. I will have my grandson with me as the schools are back to virtual learning. I plan to start planting some seeds with him this week.
So many of my friends and customers have told me how thankful that they are for their quilting as many of us get lost in our work which makes the days pass more easily.
Laura’s Care-bears. Care-bear quilt back
Laura’s Care-bear quilt was a pleasant surprise as most quilts arrive to the door these days and the quilting decisions are left to me. I raised my daughters during the Care-bear era and I couldn’t help but think how much the world could use those bears these days 😊
It was a fun cheerful quilt and it was quilted using a tried an true pantograph called popcorn which gives a cloud like appearance.
This tulip quilt is also a reminder that spring will arrive.
I have been quilting for Susan for several years now and her quilts never cease to amaze me. Her piecing is spectacular and this quilt was no exception! I think the best part of quilting for customers are the friendships that begin with our love of quilting.
When she first saw Edita Sitar’s pattern Alaska, she knew that she wanted to make it! She had begun piecing it pre covid lock downs and delivered it to my deck and left the quilting decisions to me.
Susan’s Version of Edita Sitar’s Alaska Quilt
I used Bethanne Nemesh’s pantograph grande feather.
Have you ever come across someone’s quilt that not only the top caught your eye but the back as well?
Early this winter my brain really needed a break from all of the world happenings and so I started reading new to me blogs. There were some that I ended up reading from their start to their most recent posts…oh the inspiration out there!
Louisas design wall when I found her held two scrap quilts that looked like a lot of fun to piece. One was her gaggle of geese, she has a tutorial on her blog to make these geese one at a time which is very helpful when using scraps.
I really love the top and those who know me know that I love piecing flying geese and have a wonderful collection of scraps…so this style quilt is on my to do list. I also couldn’t help myself but to source the backing that she used.
I started by checking with my friend Donna who owns and runs a Quilt Bus that she named Fuelled by Fabric.
Donna normally travels with her bus/quilt shop all over North Western Ontario with her wonderful bus full of fabric and goodies! She found the fabric and ordered a bolt which led to a trip to her shop in Pass Lake…
While ordering backings, Donnas husband wanted to choose one and below is the result…it is interesting I can’t wait to see the quilts it ends up on!
One morning while sitting quietly having my coffee something caught my eye out the window…a wolf sauntered out of the bush and for a short time stood in the yard before me…all I could do was sit and look, it didn’t occur to me to take a picture. I was just in awe.
I recently finished this customer quilt. I loved the colours in the panel along with the piecing. It called for northern light type of quilting which is why I chose the pantograph, Kindling.
This quilt that I pieced and quilted in 2013 was a gift for one of Eriks daughters who loves wolves. It was a kit that I found online from a shop in Alaska. I remember that it was fun to make and that I entered it into our guilds quilt show that year.
For those who know me well, they know that I love precision piecing! I often tell people it’s one of the few things in life that have total control over, not really true but in some ways yes.
This block called luck penny had some challenges which were met by pressing directionally. It ended up being fun little block.
I have always loved Betty’s quilts, her piecing is amazing! Her quilts are usually challenging projects sent to her from her family and she always proves that she is more than up to the task.
When she started piecing her North Star Quilt by Elizabeth Hartman she also reminded me of her integrity that I also really respect about her. She understands the hard work that designers put into their work and encourages others to purchase their own copies of patterns.
This quilt was such a joy to quilt and I chose the pantograph Star Swirl as it added movement and reminds me of the night sky.
Betty chose a soft solid grey for her backing which really shows the quilting. I pieced the back from her yardage as I do for many of my customers.
This winter some of my customers who normally head south for the winter have made the choice to stay put. Jeanette also decided to get some of her projects from the past completed.
Jeanettes Stars. I chose the pantograph called Here and There, the hearts on the backing played a part in that decision. I love the perfect density in the quilting.
Another Block of the Month quilt of Jeanettes from years ago. She commented how much nicer today’s cottons are for quilting. Still this quilted up beautifully and will be used instead of just blocks in a box.
Jeanettes Block of the MonthRhapsody is one of my most popular pantographs
I always offer to trim my customers quilts at no extra charge. Using my 12’ table on my Longarm makes this task a quick and efficient task.
Today is a provincial holiday, it is meant to encourage families to spend time together. Of course this year we are in a lock down due to Covid and discouraged from spending time with anyone who doesn’t live in your household.
We are still living in the deep freeze, however hope is on the horizon and we will be in the minus teens tomorrow and next weekend is looking like minus single digits! That is exciting especially since the forecast looks kinder for the rest of the month.
I have continued to work on my blockhead blocks, I don’t want it to become an unfinished project so will work away until it tells me it’s finished. I am itching to start something new.
Moda Blockheads (Block 56)
Isn’t block 56 pretty. In a previous post I shared my used of Deb Tuckers Wing Clipper ruler to make my Flying Geese blocks. I own both sizes and use them often.
I love the accuracyBlock 17, the flying geese units finish at 3/4” x 1 1/2” so accuracy was essential with little room to play with.
I have mentioned previously that the year my Longarm arrived I also joined a quilt kit club put out by Moda called Moda University. It was fun to receive a different quilt kit each month…for a while anyways.
I liked having piecing projects at the time that just allowed me to practice both piecing and Longarm quilting. When I first joined, I had no idea how busy my customers would keep me.
My friend Florence started offering to piece some of my kits for me and the Valentines Quilt was one of them.
Wendy’s Quilting and Life 