Elegant! Some quilts have an elegance to them and that rang true on this recent quilt.
Starting with fabric that you love and finding a way to showcase designs in the fabric really can make for an exquisite quilt.
I quilted this quilt with the pantograph Jitterbug which added some fun movement without detracting from the quilt itself.
The backing perfectly suits this quilt.
Most of my customers take me up on my free trimming service. I love how a trimmed quilt looks when it’s maker first sees the quilted quilt but also that it is ready for binding.
When I first began Longarm quilting for others the season of my life was busy!! I was raising 4 daughters on my own and had a full time day job. Needless to say my time was not my own.
I was so fortunate to have friends who really cheered me on and supported me in several aspects of my life. One was my friend Alva, who I have written about before. She truly loved quilting and she especially loved sharing what she knew with others.
She was never shy about trying new techniques.
My quilting group is happily meeting in person again and this week, some were reminiscing about the great programs that were once offered at our city’s first quilt shop. The owner Diana really did an amazing job with classes, clubs and programs!
The second shop, The Stash also offered classes and I remember Alva talking about her Colour Wheel class, showing me samples and about how to take it. I was interested but again there just wasn’t time for very much play.
Anyways, when I was getting ready to head to quilting group on Monday is was looking for misplaced book and came across a tote of Alva’s tutorials…
Alva’s Colour Wheel class was popular and it turns out it wasn’t only missed by me…it may be revisited.
Another treasure discovered was her sample from the Fractures workshop that we took together. Hers of course involved Poppies! She loved red and Poppies. Wouldn’t this piece look perfect on a bag!
Todays quilt share looks very similar to the one that I shared yesterday. They both began with the same panel, however they were surrounded by different blocks and layouts.
Starting a quilt with a panel gives the maker all of the colour clues needed to build the fabric palette.
How much fun is the back of the quilt with this long neck fellow!
It was quilted using the pantograph Popcorn which adds a fun cloud like design without distracting from the piecing.
As a longtime quilter as I like to think of it…I have accumulated some fabric over the years and have kept a lot of scraps for some day. They are fun to play with and especially useful when trying out a new block or idea.
I am still playing with some crumb piecing. However I took a little side trip recently, as I have been wanting to make a bag…thankfully I easily shopped my stash and had all that I needed.
I was able to use some scraps left over from my one of my granddaughters quilts for the lining.
It was a quick and fun project using a free pattern from Apple Green Cottage
I can see making more in the future…this sweet bag made with different fabric would be adorable for a little trick or treater!
Good Monday morning…we woke up to some white stuff this morning! Not enough to shovel and it will most likely melt this afternoon but enough to remind me to get out the winter gear!
It’s so much easier to greet the warmer days of spring and summer along with our nice long days of extra daylight…. But then again it’s so much easier to get lost in my quilting as winter approaches.
I recently completed some double sided quilts, these take a little more time and consideration in loading in order to keep the back as straight as possible.
This quilt is a great example of beginning with a panel and adding on with different blocks to create a quilt top. The backing was inspired I believe from searching on Pinterest.
What’s going on in your quilting world these days? I have a few spots open for Christmas projects so touch base with me if you would like to be entered onto my quilting schedule.
Autumn is truly upon us with the leaves with their spectacular colours barely holding onto the trees and quickly covering the ground.
Our days are getting shorter and cooler…soon to be colder. We are truly entering perfect quilting weather. If you are working on a project or have quilts that you are wanting finished for Christmas let me know soon as those spots fill up quickly.
This beautifully pieced quilt made with rich soft flannel was a joy to quilt. The angles inspired a swirl quilting design to add some movement with just enough density to still allow for a soft drape making this quilt perfect for snuggling under!
The backing is a bold checkerboard woven fabric. A backing with such as this requires a little more time and planning in order to keep straight but the effort is well worth the results!
The majority of my customers like to have me trim their quilts for them which I do free of charge …
It’s been a busy Month, with quilting and preparing for winter. The furnace is often running overnight now and it won’t be long before it’s needed during the day.
This was the view from my sewing room window last week…the leaves are falling and the view changes daily.
I have been busy in the studio…here’s a glimpse with more to come.
When most of my time is spent working on customer quilts I like to treat myself with some time sewing for myself before bed.
I am contemplating the final border for my Longtime gone quilt and while I do that I have been playing with the crumbs that have been made in the process of piecing the top.
One of the most interesting things of course with RV Travel are all of the great places to stay! We joined Boondockers Welcome before we picked up the Motorhome in Quebec and then upgraded to Harvest Hosts before our September adventure.
I have already mentioned our first Harvest Host stay…The Snowmobile Museum. Well our second HH stay was at an Apple Orchard… not far from Frankenmuth.
I first met Carol through the quilting group at our re recreation centre and have quilted for her before. I of course loved seeing her project develop while she was piecing her blue quilt! It is gorgeous full of beautiful batiks and did I say blue?
As much as I love to play with different colours I am often drawn back to blue…there is just something so tranquil and calming about blue.
When she asked me to quilt her project I have to admit to being really happy to have the privilege to spend time with her quilt and to help bring this quilt to completion.
Carol was even more excited to have her quilt returned to her and ready for her bed.
This was a fun picture to take and really captured the true colours in the quilt!
Yes, I am asked on occasion to bind quilts for my customers this quilt was 100” square so it took a few sessions of hand stitching.
One of my purchases last year was a lamp by Verilux that I ordered from Amazon and I am really pleased with the true and clean light it gives and is almost as bright as if I was sitting at a sunny window. I highly recommend good lighting.
Our arrival to St Ignace seems well reflected in the picture of me on the ferry!
Upon arrival we were told where to park the motorhome and the shuttle was there waiting for us. I had expected a little time to get ready for the excursion…
I do enjoy being on the water and chose that we sit up top and on the side. It was a fun ride that before arriving at the island we were given an up-close look at the Mackinaw Bridge.
The arrival on the island and off the Ferry was fun and definitely felt like we were somewhere different. There are no motorized vehicles on the Island which gave it a peaceful feel. Of course being a tourist destination it was a busy place and considering it was a rainy September day and still very busy I can only imagine how crazy July must be.
We enjoyed some hiking and the beautiful scenery.
After several hours exploring we were on our way back to the mainland and our campsite for the night. The KOA in St Ignace.
The next morning we left to cross the Mackinaw Bridge on route to Frankenmuth Michigan. It was a rainy day and being on the passenger side I could definitely see how high above the lake we were…
We spent a few hours exploring…
Erik was really interested in the covered bridge..it really is something how they are constructed!
We left Frankenmuth headed to Freeland for the night…our next Harvest Host stay…which I will share in my next post.
We spent the next day in the area exploring.
Frankenmuth is well known as a Christmas Town and we did visit Bonners and their amazing shop of all things Christmas Decor. We did buy a few things though I am more inclined towards less is more and sentimental hand crafted decorating.
Wendy’s Quilting and Life 