Quilting – Wendy’s Quilting and Life

After arriving home, and settling back in, it was time to get back to work!

I had a Tula Pink Butterfly quilt waiting for me it arrived just before we left on our holiday and needed to be finished in time to bind so that it could hang in this weekends quilt show.

Before starting the Butterfly I allowed myself to quilt a fun lap quilt to warm up. I used the pantograph chosen for the background of the butterfly quilt, Nocturne Feathers by Bethanne Nemish. One of several new Pantographs recently added to my studio.

It was one of two quilts…the one in the front was quilted with another new Pantograph called Lovely.

The Butterfly was custom quilted with many thread colour changes, while the background was quilted using the pantograph.

The quilt was trimmed and ready for binding at pick up and proudly displayed at the show.

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Monday Morning

November 20, 2023 wendysquilting

Erik and I both took yesterday off! We enjoyed an afternoon visiting friends and their new home. Friends that I share a history with as I was their daycare provider when our children were babies and who were truly there for me as I journeyed through some very challenging times as I began life as a single Mom.

We have enjoyed some beautiful weather this month and yesterday was no exception, this bay on Lake Superior where they live is a reminder of how amazing this world we live in truly is!

The lake was calm yesterday and the air along the lakeshore felt so clean and crisp to breathe.

Afterwards we visited friends who have downsized from their beautiful country home that they built together many years ago. It was a lovely sanctuary and so hard to say goodbye bye to.

There comes a time though and they made the decision to move to town, buy a core floor home that is easily managed. They told us that when they moved that they wondered how they would fill their days. They have adjusted well and turned their home and yard into their new sanctuary and enjoy daily walks as well.

My Longarm is loaded and ready to start the week!

Tonight at Quilt Guild I will share some of my quilts and share some of my story. My Quilting Journey.

Quilting, Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Welcome to March

March 1, 2021March 2, 2021 wendysquilting

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-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.

The reason that we no longer grow tulips

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Susan’s Alaska Quilt

February 26, 2021March 13, 2021 wendysquilting

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.

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Wolves and Quilts

February 24, 2021March 2, 2021 wendysquilting

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.

Customer Quilts, Quilting, Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Winter 2021

February 17, 2021 wendysquilting

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.

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.

Rhapsody 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.

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Joan’s Kaffe Quilt

January 31, 2021January 31, 2021 wendysquilting

Joan’s quilt was the first customer quilt of the year. I quilted it during a very grey cloudy week. The brightness of the Kaffe Fassett fabrics with the white background and oh the backing was just the ticket to light things up a bit.

I chose the pantograph by Bethanne Nemesh, called Nemesh Feather Grande which to me really suited the quilt. I also love stitching this out and that particular week I needed some relaxing stitching which it provided.

Unfortunately, the sunlight did not reappear before the quilt was picked up and the only picture of the finished quilt was before it was trimmed. Joan will bind it with the solid green that is in the top.

Oh and check out the backing!

Quilting, Wendy's Quilting

New Years Eve

December 31, 2020 wendysquilting

Last December 31st I spent the day working on my Winter Village quilt adding the Silhouettes. With the plan to quilt the top New Year’s Day. I actually met that goal. 2020 was off to a great quilting start!

Like most years I had some ideas of what I wanted to work on over the coming year and was looking forward to a couple of retreats I had planned to attend.

Retreat meals are the best, it’s like being a child called to dinner! No decisions of what to make, food is ready and no dishes afterwards. Just yummy food and good conversations.

The morning view from the retreat house looking over Lake Superior.

do hope 2021 will once again allow for retreats!

The best part of course is spending time with other quilters and hours upon hours of sewing and being inspired and encouraged by like minded friends!

If some one had told me that the spring and early summer would involve making hundreds of masks!!!

Due to heavy duty mask making, a machine a friend had mentioned she wanted to sell was added to my collection

I love having a truly heavy duty machine that sews through many heavy layers without pause!

As a treat this machine also joined in!

I have been wanting a Juki for years and this one just happened to find her way here!

Most of my 2020 sewing/quilting was spent on baby quilts and masks some Moda blockheads 3 which I will continue to putter on and see where that takes me.

My Longarm has been busy this year. As always I have been so thankful for the ability to help others finish their quilts!

Customer Quilts, Quilting, Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Heather’s Quilt

November 23, 2019November 27, 2019 wendysquilting

Heather’s quilt really showcased her fabric choices which are bright and fun to look at. I chose to quilt it using the Hearts and Bloom Pantograph.

My customers will often ask me to choose the quilting design which is fun for me and maybe a little overwhelming for newer quilters. I carry many different designs and am always more than happy to add to my collection when a customer would like something that isn’t in my collection.