Category: Wendy’s Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Helping Others

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I usually only post about my quilting on my blog, this post is not about quilting. I will say though that my quilting certainly helped enable me in raising my family.

When I first became a single parent of 4 young children, I needed to get my education and an income to support them. The court ordered child support very rarely transpired.

We had to move weeks before our first Christmas on our own and I was also busy at the time attending College. One of my budget stretching techniques was to stock up on staples the weeks before Christmas during sales, knowing that in January prices would be higher.

I had always made it a point to teach my children to be kind and generous…well that December their school had a food drive all month with the incentive that the class that gave the most would be treated to a pizza lunch.

My heart sank when I realized that my carefully stocked pantry was almost empty! How could I explain to my girls that they had given away what we really needed? Well the lesson was on me as we received hampers that year that more than filled my pantry.

I remember while in one of my college classes being asked to write life goals, one of mine was that I would raise daughters who would make a positive difference in this world. My girls are all grown now and I am so proud of them all as they do make a positive difference.

This link will take you to one of my daughters who is helping others not only to learn how to save money on their food shopping but also with budgeting their money.

http://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2289972803613

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Marlene’s White Chocolate Quilt

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As we move closer to Winter solstice our amount of natural daylight hours become less and less add to that, that it seems that the sun is shy and hiding behind the clouds… making it really challenging to truly capture the true beauty of some quilts. I came close with this quilt.

Marlene’s White Chocolate quilt is absolutely stunning with its subtle soft colours and creamy backgrounds.

After looking at several options for the quilting, Marlene chose the pantograph Gravity. The fun oval design of this pantograph leans toward a modern look and really plays so nicely with this more traditional looking quilt.

The curves in the quilting soften the angular look in the piecing.

The backing fabric has a beautiful sheen to it and as it was brought to me as yardage, it was pieced by me, carefully matching the design. This is a complementary service that I offer.

Both quilt top and backing are always carefully pressed before loading onto my Longarm.

The quilt was trimmed after quilting and ready for binding when Marlene picked her quilt up.

Let me help you bring your quilting projects to completion.

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Suzanne’s Nebula Quilt

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The Nebula Quilt designed by Julie Herman of Jaybird Quilts with fabric designed by Tula Pink is a glorious party of Colour!

Suzanne chose a soft flannel backing and Wool for her batting. A good quality wool batting from companies like Hobbs and Quilters Dream are wonderful to work with and add more loft to a quilt.

Wool is warm in the winter without added weight and also cooler in the summer. It does require a little more care when washing and I personally would not ever put a quilt with wool in the dryer. I actually hang all quilts to dry but that is a personal preference.

After looking through several options for a quilting design Suzanne chose Belly Bop, it is a fun and medium dense design that plays so nicely over these modern prints.

The super soft flannel backing has such a soft flowing design and really showcases the quilting.

The quilt was trimmed and ready for binding when it was picked up.

Let me work with you to bring your quilting projects to completion!

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

November

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I am not entirely sure how December has arrived when I was just getting used to it being November!

The very best part of November in my books is that it’s Liam’s Birthday…he turned 12 last week.

My Dad hosted a family dinner in Liam’s honour, he smoked a turkey that Liam’s Mom provided and the rest of the dinner was made by my daughter Katie and I. Family dinners are so much easier when everyone helps!

I wish that I had taken a picture of his gift and reaction to opening it. You see he had requested money for an upcoming trip in February…this request was made in the summer. So to make it fun, I put 4 $1. USD bills in a peanut butter jar as a liner to look like the label…then filled a third of it with coins and wrapped more bills into the centre of the coins and topped the jar up with our remaining Halloween treats. The gift was a total success.

As his Grandma I have enjoyed his childhood so much, we have spent so much time together and he has truly brought so much joy in my life. These last months I have noticed how much he has grown and is definitely less of a little boy. I am sure by his next birthday he will be taller than I am, his life is busy with soccer and school and friends as it should be…though he has told me he still plans to be here in the summer and our annual trip to the Dells.

When my 3 year old granddaughter Minka let me know that she wanted an all pink quilt, I happily got on that…I am also making one for her sister. Pink is Minka’s favourite colour right now. The quilt is similar to Olivia’s baby quilt that I made last summer.

A night time shot of my design wall.

I have been collecting pink fabric for awhile now, I took advantage of Road17N’s Black Friday sale and ordered backing fabric and a couple more metres of pinks…what a great surprise to find more pink fabrics inside the parcel a few days later!

I really try to allow for an hour of piecing every evening after I finish working on the Longarm. I may have to add an extra hour in the morning in order to finish both quilts.

My presentation of my quilting journey went well at the November Quilt Guild meeting.

Welcome to December…

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Those Trees!

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Last year when some of my customers saw this table runner that I had quilted they were inspired!

The pattern is Those trees by Zen Chic.

Melissa chose Kona Sheen in Arctic Ice for her background fabric, it truly has the sheen of ice with a very subtle sparkle to it.

Backed with a silver grey Fireside fabric and quilted with the pantograph Windswept, trimmed and ready for binding….her quilt that she made for herself will soon be ready to snuggle under.

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Cathy’s Stretched Periwinkle Quilt

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Cathy took part in Joyce Gilmores quilting retreat in Terrace Bay this fall, she had let me know that she was making the quilt and as she already had a quilt in the queue when she told me she was going I had added this Christmas one along with her batik quilt.

If you let me know when you begin a quilt and would like to have me quilt it for you I will add you into my list at that point.

She has named her quilt Baby it’s Cold Outside.

It was a fun and happy quilt to work on and she chose the pantograph Rhapsody and a perfect one in my opinion for this quilt!

Cathy likes to have me attach her bindings for her so that they are ready for hand stitching when she picks them up.

She had this quilt completed finished for Monday and showed both this and her Batik quilt at the Guild meeting this week.

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Disappearing Hourglass Quilt

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Monday…was my presentation of my Quilting Journey at the Thunder Bay Quilters Guild meeting. It is the last in person meeting until the spring.

It was really important to me, to show my quilts in person as I also like people to see and yes feel free to touch my quilts!

One of the quilts that I was asked about after my presentation was my Hourglass quilt. My friend Alva and I challenged each other to make them.

I made mine with Kaffe Fasset fabrics with a solid white background.

Alva’s in Batiks

Hers was quilted shortly after she made hers (using the pantograph Starswirl) this was the last quilt that Alva made, she had attached her binding herself, and it was the only quilt of hers that I hand stitched the binding for her as she was no longer able to.

I had to tuck mine away for a while.…

When I was ready, I quilted mine with the pantograph Rhododendron. it also began my run on Kaffe quilts that I made…which I did show some of on Monday.

We used the tutorial by Jenny Doan of Missouri Star Quilt to make our quilts. It’s a fun, easy quilt to make and one that really showcases beautiful fabrics.

Preparing for my presentation, was a journey for me personally as I decided which quilts to show. I hope that new quilters noticed my progress from beginner to where I am now in my journey and it encouraged them in their own journey.

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Cathy’s Batik Quilt

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Batik fabrics are so beautiful with their colour and pattern variations, this quilt that was completed last week is a carnival of just that!

So much to see and yet so cohesive that they are comfortable placed together, adding a soft flannel backing truly added to how inviting this quilt will be to snuggle under by its recipient.

Cathy chose the pantograph A Little Bit of this, a wonderful design that flows so beautifully along with the designs found in the fabric.

The 40 weight thread in a colour that didn’t quite blend but also didn’t have a stark contrast with the lighter fabrics in the quilt was a perfect choice.

The quilt was trimmed with the binding attached (not pictured) and ready for some lovey hand stitching sessions…

It’s always such a pleasure for me to work with others to help them bring their quilts to completion.

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Monday Morning

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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.

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Getting ready…

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For Christmas that is,

How sweet is this snuggly flannel quilt!

It’s so much fun quilting for and seeing what other quilters are making or have made.

We chose a edge to edge design that would be subtle and not too dense with both top and back being flannel, this kept a nice soft drape.

The backing is a coordinated fabric and so Beary fun!

Trimmed and ready for binding this quilt will be ready for the holidays.

Do you like to make seasonal quilts?

Let me know if you are working on or have a project you might like to have quilted before the holidays. I always try to make a little extra time in my schedule to accommodate a few extra quilts this time of year.