Professional Longarm Quilting Services
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.
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.
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.
It’s not officially winter, I don’t mind the snow, it’s actually pretty but who said we needed to be plunged into the deep freeze? Hopefully we will be spared the unbearable cold windchill weather over the holidays!
Life as usual is hectic, full and busy. One of my quilt job finishes includes this police patch quilt using 82 different patches and the state colours of West Virginia. It now resides in Florida.
Speaking of southern states, my daughter, Son in Law and 3 1/2 yr old grandsons will be here for Christmas!!
My grandson Liam celebrated turning two by adding at least 50 vehicles to his fleet!
Every now and then a quilt comes in with something I haven’t quilted before. (Not very often, after 9 years I’ve quilted a lot of quilts!)
I just finished this one this morning, cotton and chenille top and flannel back. My Millennium came through as always, no problems with thicker intersections and the tension is perfect! I can’t wait for my customer to see it!
I’ve had several people ask me for this pattern. My friend Alva has demonstrated the block at Thunder Bay Quilters Guild.
One note about her quilt is that the fabrics came from a fatquarter bundle of flannels.
Each block consists of:
1. Sew on black strip to each of the rectangle prints
2. Choose your layout for the block and one of the rectangles with the black (or your solid) to the square. HERE IS THE IMPORTANT STEP: only sew half way from the bottom edge.
3. Press this section. (Press all seams to the black strip) and sew your next rectangle as shown:
.
4. Continue with the next 2 rectangles:
5. and finally finish the first seam. Alva added black sashing’s to her quilt when joining her blocks.
Now that I’ve made a block I am going to have to add this to my quilts to make list.
I’d love to see other versions, so if you make a quilt using this tutorial and would like me to quilt it this winter I will supply your batting! Just mention this tutorial. (This offer applies only to January and February 2013.)
Also note that I now have several wide quilt backs for sale to my quilting customers all backs sell for $15. a yard. You will only buy what your quilt requires.
As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I’ve been gaining some new quilting ideas from some new sources. Thank you Suzanne for letting me do what I wanted on this quilt it really was fun to do!
(It’s so hard to believe that this picture was taken yesterday morning, no jacket on and this morning the same table had almost 10” of snow on it!)
I love to visit these falls, they are tucked behind a short paved trail just south of the border. We often stop in the spring and again later in the summer, Marlene and I stopped for a short walk when we went to the border a couple weeks ago. Although it was a very misty grey day we were rewarded with beautiful colours and of course the view of the falls.
and don’t the colours of the above picture go along with these two quilts by Alva.
This is the quilt that Alva demonstrated the blocks for, at Thunder Bay Quilters Guild October meeting.
It is quilted using the Bayside Pantograph (by Lorien Quilting)
and another, also by Alva who bought a Fat Quarter Bundle of these Flannels and has been getting incredible mileage from it. I quilted this sweet lap quilt with the Waterworld Pantograph (by Jodi Beamish)
Wendy’s Quilting and Life 