Professional Longarm Quilting Services
Leslie is a local Arist who brought me her queen sized hand pieced landscape quilt depicting a scene of the Rockies. This quilt lived with me and on my design wall for some time until one day it had spoken with me enough to start. This quilt and I went on a journey so to speak, an adventure. It was for the most part fun to work on though also challenging as I wanted to be sure to capture Leslie’s vision and also bring movement and capture the light of her work.
I have often said that life is full of twists and turns which has been true of mine. I have still been busy quilting for my wonderful customers and I am so thankful for them ESP for their patience when I have needed it.
I have been busy working as a respite worker which I love. I have been working in a respite home where we give 24/7 care for adults giving caregiver much needed rest (shift work). It is a joy to be able to make such a positive difference in people’s lives. I don’t think that people really know how illnesses such as dementia impact the life of the caregiver unless they have experienced it or know someone who is.
I also relocated a couple of years ago and recently my longarm has joined me. My new studio offers a large window and the daylight is very welcome. Living with my machine means that my turn around on jobs is much much faster!
I have been busy these last two years quilting, I just have been negligent about blogging. I hope to get a better routine about that too.
Some recent customer quilts insclude Susan’s stunning tumbling block quilt
Let’s start with the mile a minute quilts.
Then her sweet sun bonnet sue
And her beautiful fall quilt
Carol’s quilt was a lot of fun to quilt using different freehand designs that I have picked up along my quilting journey.
Alva never fails to amaze me with her use of colour and the different patterns she finds and makes as in finishes too! I quilted this for her using the Pantograph Leaf Pile.
Lorraine is another prolific quilter, I love the colours that she used in this quilt. It was quilted using the pantograph Waterworld.
I have been friends with Betty for many years, she is a wonderful and giving person with a heart full of love and compassion for others. She blesses many people with the gift of her quilting skills. This quilt that she recently made and had me quilt for her was extra special.
(taken from Betty’s post with permission: “For my friend and neighbour Jackie. Her 2 grandaughters Serenity,Kiralyn and their mom were tragically taken from her Feb 13/14. I hope that this quilt helps you heal.”
In discussing how Betty envisioned this quilt, quilted she said that she wanted me to do my thing but to incorporate butterflies as the girls really loved them. I once again used Judi Madsens inspiring book with her butterflies, dragonflies and flowers and freehand quilted for the most part. There is also some ruler work.
Thank you Betty for allowing me to add my touches to your special gift.
Alva has been both my friend and quilting mentor for over twenty years now. She has also been a major cheerleader in my Longarm Quilting career, entrusting me with the quilting of many many of her incredible quilts over the years.
This latest quilt was inspired by a pattern in one of Ricky Tim’s magazines Quilt Life, the pattern itself by Wendy Hill. Alva had the templates made and then played with ideas for awhile before allowing this project to be what she’s referred to as her latest insanity! Notice all of the Y seams!
We chose a Pantograph called Helix by Patricia Ritter, to give even more movement to this piece. I chose Superiors Bottom Line thread as I did not want the thread to take front stage just the spiral affect.
I am really hopeful that yesterday was our last snow day, but I must admit that I love photographing quilts against a snowy background.
Thank you again Alva for allowing me to work with you to make your vision come to be!
Two customer quilts one by my friend Betty, this quilt I will admit stretched me a little… The quilt is comprised of European shaped coffins and the fabric used has skulls and roses etc. she explained to me that it has to do with the Mexican Day of the Dead…
Next is Joan’s Mile a Minute quilt that is Jelly Roll pattern and made with the Little Black Dress Line from Basic Grey for Moda.
I ended up using the Rhapsody Pantograph which I fell looks perfect on both of these very different quilts!
On another note, this has been a very long and cold winter! With working full time at a job that I love (though the shift work is a bit tiring) and being busy with customer quilts, I realized last week that I couldn’t remember the last time I let myself piece something that was for my own personal pleasure. So I pulled out one of my many treasure boxes of works in progress and pieced the eleventh block of one of my BOM’s from the Fat Quarter shop. (I like to think that I am savouring these projects instead of racing through them) …well it works for me.
Ok the days are getting longer…it’s good to see more daylight everyday and although it’s been a longer and colder than usual winter I continue to try to be optimistic that spring is still determined to show up within the next couple of months!
This quilt of Margs was here for some time, it was in the cue and almost to the time to quilt stage when Marg brought me here Thimbleberries block of the month and asked to do that one first.
Right about the time this quilt came up again this book also arrived
And I knew that I had to play, I love it when my customers let me play with their quilts! And thank you to Judi Madsen of greenfairyquilts.com for so much inspiration!
Ok time really is getting away from me, ESP when it comes to blogging!
Just a quick recap from the last few months, I have been very busy with customer quilts as well as working as a respite worker for Wesway. Christmas as always seems to show up before we are ready though as always it was a wonderful time with family, oh and for those who don’t know…Erik and I became engaged!!!!
My oldest was home from with her family (I guess I should acknowledge that Texas is her home) Jerry really enjoyed his visit! At 3 1/2 he sees snow as fun and didn’t care that it was cold out either. His Dad really had fun fort building as well, his Mom while being a great sport has really grown used to the Texas weather.
Jerry and Liam had fun getting reacquainted, and Jerry informed his Mama that Liam isn’t Baby Liam anymore cause he is big now!
On the quilting front I have really enjoyed a new book by Judi Madsen of Green Fairy Quilts called Quilting Wide Open Spaces, such an inspiring to me book. She and her husband also run an online fabric store that I have ordered from numerous times with great satisfaction. So I am always happy to recommend them to others, their prices are awesome to as is there integrity!
Speaking of quilt shops I heard that there is a new shop in town! Super exciting news!!
I attended our Possibilities club tonight, I have missed too many of these meetings due to work this year. (I haven’t even made it out to a guild meeting this year though it looks good for next month!) anyways tonight’s meeting was fun, casual and full of fun and exciting ideas!
And yes I am and have been busy quilting customer quilts for the most part. I will share a glimpse of one as the customer hasn’t seen it yet…lots of fun with freehand and inspired by Judi’s book.
Wendy’s Quilting and Life 