This quilt will totally delight the 11 year old recipient…he has been waiting for it to be completed. It is one of the first bigger quilts made by his Grandma.
The pattern for this quilt can be found on https://www.kellifanninquilts.com/p/minecraft-sew-along.html. It was part of a sew a long and the designer has kept the block patterns up for others to enjoy. She also included the patterns for lettering and the dragon that was used for the backing.
The quilts maker chose the pantograph water-world. Children’s quilts are meant to be used and loved, a quilting design such as this will help the quilt to withstand years of use!
I love Saturday mornings! It’s funny really because all of my mornings begin the same way with a nice it cup of coffee that I savour as I slowly begin my day with some reading, and often an hour or so of piecing. Still weekend mornings seem special!
This week flew by, every day we both commented on how all of a sudden another day was finished. I of course work on my Longarm and this week on a special piecing project that involves some different for me colours and a backing that I absolutely adore and will add piecing to it to make it work.
This is an extra special project for someone who is arriving in April!
Erik has been busy with his own piecing project. He is putting up dry wall in the laundry/utility room. What a transformation already.
Liam has thankfully recovered from his bought with covid. He missed a week of school….the week before March break so 2 weeks off which suits him just fine.
People who know me know that I love piecing, I love the accuracy that I can achieve. I am not about speed sewing to me it has never been about how many quilts I can get done. Years ago I adopted the saying “savour the journey”. Sometimes I come across a blog post that really speaks to me.
This post is from 2018 but still resonates… it is written by Modern Quilt Designer Shannon Fraser from Montreal. The rest of her blog is worth visiting as well.
The sun is shining, the bountiful snow banks and hills are glistening this morning! The time change happens tonight and we are ready for the scenery to change as well…spring will arrive!
While most of my creative endeavours are quilting related and I really don’t see that changing, I do love to be creative in the kitchen.
I am really fortunate to cook for someone who is very appreciative of my kitchen skills and who is not a picky eater. I often will try a new recipe that I find online.
My kitchen adventures became a lot more fun this week due to the latest addition to my tools! This addition was a little premature though some say it’s about time.
You see I live with one of the most handy men I know, this stove was bought in 1989 and while we had plans to replace it we had hoped to wait until we finished updating the house…long awaited retirement plans!
Well a couple of weeks ago while making my tried and true sweet and sour meatball recipes the oven decided not to turn on! After a serious hour or so of diagnosing it was determined that it was time for a new stove.
I have been researching for some time. We had for a long while planned for a gas stove but when introduced to induction and learning more about it we decided that was the way to go.
So while I was out shopping for new cookware…yes you do need certain cookware…I was due for an upgrade there anyways…this was delivered:
So, now I was able to bake the above meatballs with convection and the sauce on induction. The learning curve has been so easy. The first night was stir fry and wow that was fast and easy. The best part is the cleanup!
I suppose it would be wise to always sew up scrap fabrics into useable blocks or as I read recently, to only buy as much fabric that one needs for each project. However, a quilt that I recently wrote about and shared showed of a lifetime of collecting fabrics and scraps!
This quilt is an example of a fun and easy scrap quilt! I used the pantograph Popcorn as I always reminds me of clouds and the backing called for just that!
It may be March, but winter hold its grip here in NW Ontario. We already have more than enough snow and now are forecasted to receive another 20cm over the weekend.
Millie’s latest quilt was a bright addition to my studio. One of the things that I do for my customers with no extra charge is to piece their quilt backs if needed. Sometimes the piecing isn’t just a matter of sewing two or three lengths of fabric.
Millie had two different fabrics and just sewing a seam did not grow the back to the right size. I actually prefer interesting backs.
I used the pantograph Shasta Daisy on this pretty quilt.
I don’t always know where the patterns that my customers use to make their quilts. How fun for me to find out today that Millie used the pattern City Slicker by Highway 10 Designs.
My love of sewing began as a small child, my mother sewed and her machine was never put away as I recall. I loved to play with fabric!
We had a neighbour at one time who made Raggety Ann dolls and Barbie doll clothes and oh did I love that woman’s sewing room. So full of colour and fun! I remember receiving one of her dolls…I also loved that doll until she was threadbare. That revealed the stuffing…pantyhose!
A family trip to visit my Aunty Mary in Kamloops in that same era of my life holds a strong memory of a bag of scrap fabrics that she gave me to play with! (My Aunty Mary is my Dads sister)
I have been fortunate to have so many people who are creative in my life. My Aunty Mary is a weaver and her work is so beautiful, if I wasn’t a quilter…I would want to be a weaver!
One of Aunty Mary’s looms and a towel in progress.
My Aunt also hooks rugs and shared this on her Facebook page in thinking of those in Ukraine.
I read a blog this morning whose writer hadn’t written these last two years…they have been challenging years and the latest development in the world is as she called it such a sucker punch! I know for myself as the horrible news of what is happening in Ukraine began to unfold it was hard to feel safe, hopeful and creative without feeling guilty. I still feel at a loss, my creativity has always been a refuge from life’s storms and I am still so thankful for it.
This quilt was pieced during a weekly block challenge of a block a week by my customer. She used primarily batik fabrics for the top and the backing is batik as well.
There is so much to see when looking at this quilt that I chose a very soft flowing pantograph that just added the right touch.
How fun is this quilt made by a grandma for her grandson who loves superman! Liam totally approved this quilt. (If you haven’t been following my blog Liam is my 10 year old grandson)
You might notice that the binding is attached. I do upon request add the binding for my customers. Many will choose this step and will do the hand stitching themselves.
The pantograph swirls was chosen and added fun movement to this quilt.
Do you remember those large boxes of crayons.. the ones that came with attached sharpeners? Now that was exciting! Maybe more so for some than others. I really don’t remember not creating and enjoying playing with colour.
Growing up, my Mom always had her sewing machine out and often was used mostly for making clothes but sometimes home decor. The visits to the fabric departments… were so much fun!
Seventh grade in Winnipeg meant a sewing class…that meant my very own set of new notions! The beginning of a love for sewing notions that still exists today. Oh and the fabric!
While it is true that styles change and that is very true in the quilting industry as well, and collecting fabric that may or may not get used isn’t the wisest use of money. Having a stash that has been collected over the span of many years has its benefits.
I have been Longarm quilting for others for 18 years, I have noticed that many of my customers who are ahead of me on this life journey have more time and the fabrics to make the most amazing quilts.
Marilyns quilt is one! I asked her if the fabrics in this quilt were all hers and she said yes all accumulated over many years of quilting!
This quilt is one of three queen size quilts that Marilyn has made for her adult granddaughters.
As a small child I was always delighted to be given scraps of fabric! I think they were probably my most favourite plaything, add to that scissors, thread and a needle and I was set.
The quilts on the tv show Little House on the Prairie is where I recall first seeing or maybe noticing scrap quilts! I know that I always questioned the colour rules and just loved the look of all kinds of colours together.
One of the most fun part of the Color Collective I am participating in is receiving a palette of colours that I may not have chosen myself for a quilt.
During the break out portion of our local guild meeting last night we were encouraged to talk about how we store our scraps. Of course there are new quilters who haven’t reached the what do I do with all these scraps, part of the quilting journey. There are probably quilters who make a quilt and have very little left overs…I am not sure that I know those quilters, are you one?
So back to the breakout room… I love scraps and I have a lot of them. I love to use them to try out new techniques and ideas. I love to save them to use in future projects and I sometimes just like to look through them and reminisce or sort through them.
Do I need all of them? Maybe not but then maybe I do…perhaps I will have a season in life where I can really dive in and play and I will be prepared.
My Longtime Gone quilt is a scrappy version, I have had hours of fun playing with scraps. This is a quilt that I am savouring the journey…sone things shouldn’t be rushed.
So many quilts come my way to be quilted…thank you thank you to everyone who allows me to be part of your quilting journey! I am constantly inspired.
This is one of 4 quilts that is made up entirely of 2” finished half square triangles. So many fabrics I recognize but many I don’t because this quilter has been collecting for more years than I have.
The view out the window this morning is a little drab, winter has a strong hold right now with a ton of snow and many chilly and today windy days….. My sewing and quilting rooms will be my bright sunny retreat today!
Wendy’s Quilting and Life 