Category: Blogroll

Blogroll, Family, Life, Quilting, Uncategorized, WEather

Summer Wind and Fall

wendysquilting

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Summer Wind (Miss Rosies Quilt Company) is among my top favorite patterns, I made it about 5 years ago using the Seaside Rose collection. When I saw Nicoles version in Wuthering Heights, I knew I needed to make it again. I’m making it using the Gypsy Rose Collection as a Christmas gift. The extra challenge I’ve given myself is that I’m using precuts to make it, so far so good.

I have several quilts in mind that I want to get working on, but with my day job and quilt jobs my time is limited so I’ll see how far I can get.

Fall is truly here, I took these pictures a couple weeks ago (our Thanksgiving weekend) when we tucked the flower beds in for the winter. (I’m hoping that the spruce boughs will discourage the cat and other critters from their activities)

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I’m including this pic just because I like it
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this is what I learnt how to drive today
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The weather has definitely shifted jackets are out and the summer fun is put away for another year.

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the garden is covered up waiting for spring, hopefully next year will give us a better growing season

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One more picture from Thanksgiving weekend, Katie sure loves to drive!
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Blogroll, Life, Quilting, Uncategorized

Procrastination

wendysquilting

I’ve been watching for a new collection for a while now, patiently waiting for the fat quarter bundle to become available, which it did this week. Did I order it right away, no instead I just kept it in an online shopping cart. For 3 or 4 days. Today was the day I had decided on everything I was adding to the cart and then guess what? yep they sold out of it and apparently Moda is totally sold out.
I searched for awhile and luck was on my side Fabric.com had some and they still had 20 left last time I checked.
This collection is so beautiful and inspiring. I’m planning to redo my bedroom based on the colours in this collection……lesson learnt (I hope) so which collection? Rouenneries by French General

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Blogroll, Life, Summer, Uncategorized

Tori

wendysquilting

We have often visited the Heritage Site in Finland MN and have heard about the festival they hold every August called Tori. This year we decided to make a day trip down and see it.

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There was a market with different crafts for sale, beautiful woven rugs which are a favorite of mine, though I’m not sure why I didn’t get better pictures.

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The food was yummy even though it wasn’t really the Finnish food we’d expected. There was entertainment, but we had hoped for some Finnish flavor, it was enjoyable though.

The booth that caught our attention the most though was the black smith. He and his wife were in costume and so informative.

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Blogroll, Family, hiking, Life, Quilting, Summer

well it finally arrived…..

wendysquilting

Summer that is, even though August wasn’t much better than July we were able to make the most of it anyways.
I left off with fishing…
well August did see some quilting, some piecing this is the quilt in progress for a coworkers sister. Using the Clementine collection from Moda.
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I’ve also been working on my Block of the Months from Fat Quarter Shop, I do have to get busy with August’s block though before Septembers finds it’s way here.
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I’m really loving this quilt, though I have to admit it’s awfully hard for me to work inside during the summer. My day job is at a desk and when I can I much prefer to be outside in the summer.
One night we did a little target practice..a first for me and I somehow managed to hit 2 cans at once, twice!
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One weekend we drove down to the states and finally toured The Split Rock Lighthouse, it was spectacular. This picture is taken of Lake Superior from the Lighthouse.
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"Lighthouse Keeper"
a few shots in the Lighthouse keepers house:
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Blogroll, Family, Fishing, Life, Summer, WEather

Where is Summer?

wendysquilting

We are still waiting for the real summer weather to arrive, and now Environment Canada is telling us that we’ll have to wait until next summer for seasonal temps. I think we might have had 3 or 4 days where the temps have been over 26C. I know to people in the south that sounds great but our summers are so short and winters so long here that we really do treasure a few weeks of toasty weather.
We were really fortunate that during our holidays we were able to get out fishing a couple of times, not alot of fish caught but good times non the less. One of Eriks daughters was home for a visit and joined us
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Sarah had announced their wedding plans a week before my holidays so a visit to Fabric Land was called for for the finishing items needed for her dress. Katie and her friend came along and I couldn’t resist a picture of her buying fabric for a dress she had in mind. I’ll share pics of the dress in a future post.

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The last week of holidays were spent in Wisconsin Dells, thankfully the temps there cooperated and we had a great time, camping and playing. What a very interesting a fun place.
Katie had a little fun the night before we left.
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We had a little visit at Cracker Barrel, I’ve always loved their chairs.
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The boat tour was so interesting, I highly recommend it to anyone visiting the Dells.
Dells rock formations
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I was also able to conker some major fears of mine and can’t wait to go back and do it again!! Funny how you can be so afraid to try some things….myself I’ve asked Erik to make me try these things just in case I might like them. He tells me that if I want to go again I have to go on the:
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I’d better not wait too long on that one.

Blogroll, Family, Life, Summer

I have a son! (in law that is)

wendysquilting

I have been on holidays for the last 2 weeks, I took a total break and I’ll post about our adventures abit later.
First though the big news.
My eldest daughter Sarah and her Texan sweetheart were married on Saturday. It was a nice family and close friends wedding and will be followed next fall (once the immigration process is complete) by a larger wedding in Texas.
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The kids! Emily,Sarah, Jeremy, Katie and Mary
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Jeremys mom (who also quilts!) and I
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Erik and I and family
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Blogroll, Life, Quilting

My First Quilt

wendysquilting

Carrie over at La Vie en Rosie and Camille at Simplify have challenged us to share our first quilts.
I still remember buying the pattern and fabric and floss for my first quilt about 24 years ago, I was expecting Sarah and I wanted to make a blanket 🙂 I didn’t realize what I was making. I was so excited, I was 23 and I was going to be a mom! I bought the supplies from Zellers (Canadian Readers might remember when they used to have a fabric department) The fabric was all poly cotton and I bought enough to make bumper pads as well.
I couldn’t figure out how to sew the corners down on the binding and I always meant to finish the binding but Sarah came along and then I thought I’d finish it but before I knew it I had all 4 girls. They all used and loved my unbound quilt.
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When I was a teenager I wanted to make “blankets” like the ones on Little House on the Prairie. When I told my mom that she replied oh you don’t want to make those they are called quilts and only poor people make quilts. But she was wrong (she’s now a quilter too by the way), I wanted to make them and eventually I found Eleanor Burns on PBS and watched her show and took notes. After watching her show the first time and taking notes I quickly went to work and my first deliberate quilt project was made.
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I was so proud of my little quilt, its hand quilted and I still love it. Money was very tight when I was a young mom and I treasured every little piece of quilt fabric I could find.
My first bigger quilt was made before I really knew what I was doing you can read it’s story here

and my most recent quilt
this little schnibble its quilted and bound.
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and my latest top

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birthday, Blogroll, Family, flowers, Life, Quilting, Summer, WEather

June 29

wendysquilting

The end of June has always been a favorite time for me as a child it wasn’t only my Birthday but also the end of the school year. Somehow I managed for the first 44 years of my life to have no school or work. Today I had to work but it was a lovely day anyways. I work with some great people.
All of my girls called me and my Parents had me over for a very yummy lunch and when I got home look what was waiting for me from Erik

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Sarah brought supper home for me and after dinner I indulged in a little nap.
and for a treat to myself I worked on a personal project instead of customer work
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and I did some blog surfing, one blog made me ponder my parenting a little. I have a little quilt that hangs in my upstairs hall way I made it several years ago, I removed the dad from the pattern and added my girls instead of just a boy and girl. At the time I was very content for my life to have only my girls and myself but now I’m so thankful that I have Erik in my life and his girls too.
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the weather over the weekend and the next coming days is for rain, my hair looks great but I sure am missing the sunshine. I took a few pictures out at Erik’s on the weekend, I was trying to capture the feel in the air but it didn’t really work. The gardens are coming along though.
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next sunny day there will be some serious weeding happening!
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Blueberry Bushes that we are hoping the bears will leave alone, we might need to build a fortress.
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I also finished a customer quilt this weekend, this quilt belongs to a good friend of mine and I just love it!

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Blogroll, Life, Quilting, WEather

Perfectionism

wendysquilting

For a lot of my life I never really thought of myself as a perfectionist. I think for the most part I’m very easy going, but when it comes to my quilting I strive for perfect. When I’m quilting for customers I see any imperfection in my work, and it can make me a little crazy if you know what I mean. It can get a little stressful for me when I’ve been instructed to quilt how I think is best. For the most part I love freehand quilting and I have a lot of fun when I work on a quilt, and when I’m finished I will agonize abit about whether the piecer will love their quilt.

When I’m piecing I strive for that same perfection, though I have learnt over the years that sometimes a little fudging is called for and as long as it doesn’t affect the integrity of a quilt I’m ok with that, I won’t allow my seam allowances to be so narrow that a little fraying will cause seam to open. Nicole at Sisters Choice asked her readers about their piecing habits this week, thats what got me thinking about my feelings on the subject.

Today I pieced the first block for the designers BOM from Fatquartershop.com and 2 of my half square triangles just are not right, and there isn’t enough fabric to fix them. I used a very scant 1/4″ when I was sewing along the diagonal line so there really shouldn’t have been an issue but who knows, regardless they are a little wonky but not so wonky that in the end they won’t work. So for today anyways I’m calling my block done.

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While doing the laundry and other catch up Saturday jobs I managed to load a customer quilt that is so gorgeous. It was a local shops BOM and now that I’m seeing it on my longarm I’m wishing I had made it too. But I seem to recall that when it came out I had too many projects on the go to justify another.

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Its been a rainy Saturday, which has been ok with me. The weather forecast is calling for about 4 days in a row of rain. Thankfully my holidays aren’t for another few weeks and I’m really hoping for some great weather while I’m off my day job and I’m striving to be somewhat caught up on my quilting so that if I decide to spend some time in the studio it can be on my own projects.

Have a great weekend!
Wendy

birthday, Blogroll, Family, flowers, Life

A Needed Reminder

wendysquilting

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4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you

Life sure is a journey and at times the journey sure does get bumpy. At times life has felt like a never ending roller coaster ride. But God is in Control and I know that He has a plan and a purpose in all thing. He has a plan for all of my daughters and even for me. Childhood sure does pass quickly and then you have to allow your children to spread their wings and fly…..

Happy 18th Birthday Mary!

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