Thunder Bay – Wendy’s Quilting and Life

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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.

Moda Blockheads 3, Thunder Bay, Wendy's Quilting

Family Day Weekend and Blockheads Update

February 15, 2021 wendysquilting

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.

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.

Block 17, the flying geese units finish at 3/4” x 1 1/2” so accuracy was essential with little room to play with.

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

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!

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

Quilting with Friends

November 15, 2019November 25, 2019 wendysquilting

I just returned from my second quilting retreat. It is so much fun to quilt with friends and to not only see what they are making but also to share ideas and new notions and techniques there that others have found.

These retreats also allow for hours and hours of sewing uninterrupted by things like errands, cooking, cleaning etc… this particular retreat includes meals that eliminate the need to even decide what to eat! The major bonus is that every meal there was fantastic! So fantastic that I really need to take walking breaks next time.

I chose to work on my Winter Village quilt that I hope to have ready to hang up in January.

Do you sew with friends? I also quilt with friends almost every Thursday evening if you live in Thunder Bay and would like a group to quilt with even if you are a beginner and would like to learn more let me know and I will share more information about a new group!

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

Change

April 7, 2019November 25, 2019 wendysquilting

Life gets busy and before I knew it I hadn’t pieced anything in ages. My casual, part time job took front stage over my quilting time and add a few other commitments and life became way out of balance. Suddenly something happened that truly forced me to stop and catch my breath and to re-evaluate my priorities.

A little over a month ago I was invited to an amazing quilting retreat. Three days of uninterrupted sewing, all meals were were amazing and best of all spending the weekend with kind nurturing and supportive quilting friends helped to spark my joy in quilting all over again!

It’s not that I had lost interest it was just that life had taken over.

I started the weekend putting my kaleidoscope blocks together

I spent a few hours working on my scrappy 16 patches

And finally began working on my Fatquartershop designer mystery block of the month from 2012! It had been patiently waiting!

I had seven blocks completed when I got home and it didn’t take long before I had all 12 finished and moved on to the finishing kit!

My Mojo has returned! More to come!

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

Courtney’s Quilts

June 11, 2017November 25, 2019 wendysquilting

It it was a pleasure to meet and quilt these two quilts for Courtney. For the first quilt she chose Hobbs wool batting and the Bubble Pantograph. This was her first Machine pieced quilt. I love the backing that she chose. The Bubble pantograph has been so popular and has been chosen by several of my customers in the last year!

Courteny hand pieced her star quilt, it was beautifully sewn together. She chose the star swirl pantograph for it and Hobbs 80/20 batting.

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

Disappearing Blocks

May 5, 2017November 25, 2019 wendysquilting

After watching tutorials from Missouri Star Quilt Company over the winter I decided it was time to play a little. Using some Kaffe Facett layer cake fabrics and white yardage I gave these blocks a go. It was really different with the bias edges but I found that as long as I pressed carefully and didn’t stretch the fabric piecing went smoothly.

I still have borders to add and am planning to use white.

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

Cecilia’s Quilts

October 21, 2014November 25, 2019 wendysquilting

Let’s start with the mile a minute quilts.

Then her sweet sun bonnet sue

And her beautiful fall quilt

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Two Very Different Quilts one thing in common

February 26, 2014March 17, 2014 wendysquilting

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.