Tag: Customer Quilts

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

January 2024…Quilting and Life

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I love this picture of our youngest Grandson! It really reflects how he embraces life, he is a busy, curious, and joyful child. Who will begin school in the fall! This is the picture taken of him at an event introducing the children to kindergarten.

Maybe no matter what stage we are in life we should try to embrace each season in life with so much enthusiasm!

January 2024 has been an unusual Month weather wise, seeing only a short stint of bitter cold and while we did get some snow it wasn’t anywhere near our normal.

I have been very happily busy in my studio working on customer quilts and doing my best to schedule in some personal sewing time as well, even making it out to the Rec centre a few times to sew with friends.

Practicing and learning more about quilting on my domestic machine continues to be a goal this year along with playing with scraps …my postage stamp quilt is in progress but may need to be put aside for some other quilts that have been added to the list.

I have 20 blocks finished so far

Working with a ruler on a quilt for Betty has reminded me that I should return to some of my custom work!

Betty’s Globe Quilt

So far February is looking to be a busy and fun Month! What are you working on?

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Critter Quilts…this one hops!

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I have quilted several critter quilts for this client. They are absolutely adorable and make such a sweet gift for a new baby or a child.

The pattern is from https://www.quiltingdaily.com/product/bunny-patch-quilt-pattern-download/

Wouldn’t it make a sweet Easter or spring quilt as well.

I often choose the pantograph Waterworld for baby quilts as I know that well used ones get a lot of wear and tear and they hold up better and longer with a little more quilting.

Her quilt is trimmed and ready for binding.

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

The Football Quilt

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In reading the news this morning I realized that it was for some yesterday was a big day football wise!

Betty’s Football quilt was on my machine over the weekend.

We chose the pantograph new wave playing on the curve of the ball. isn’t it amazing how just the right straight angle teases the eye to see curves when they don’t actually exist?

Choosing a thread colour on a quilt like this isn’t always easy, in a case like this I chose a silver grey so that the stitching wouldn’t jump off of the lighter areas of the quilt showing only fragments of the design. Of course is takes a bit of braveness to quilt light thread on navy!

Betty’s quilt is trimmed and ready for binding.

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Turtles

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Sometimes I am asked to find a backing for a customer quilt…this week my friend Betty and I went to Fix Sew and scissors to take her machine in for a repair. While there I noticed the fabrics that they are selling for a friend and they had a perfect fabric and at a great price!

As sometimes happens the quilt maker had planned to quilt this piece herself and had fused batting to the top and it wasn’t budging.

We decided to leave it attached and add another layer of Hobbs 80/20.

Adding the pantograph bubbles was a fun and perfect fit for the quilting!

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Stars, Swirls and Plumes

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More often than not I am asked to choose the quilting design when quilts are left with me. In this case I had a few ideas and sent them to my client. She chose the pantograph Tickle Too…a fun to quilt design that adds swirls and feather plumes to dance all over the quilt.

This design has a perfect density for a bed quilt.

The quilting really shines on the back doesn’t it!

The quilt is trimmed and ready for binding.

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Starswirl Quilt

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Starswirl is a beautiful pantograph design, it has a really nice flow to guide my machine over creating a beautiful even density of stitches over the quilt.

The stitches are so pretty and really shine on the blue backing! The daylight was not overly cooperative yesterday, the first picture is a truer image of the green in this fun quilt.

The quilt is trimmed and ready for binding. This quilter is making quilts for each grandchild and saving them for when they are grown.

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Betty’s Polychromatic Quilt

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Betty and I have been friends for many years! I have always been so appreciative of her friendship and life guidance over the years, she is an encourager and cheers me on.

We first met when I was a young Mom, and I have been quilting for her for almost 19 years. At 89 yrs she is still making quilts!

Betty pieced the pattern Polychromatic by Elizabeth Hartman for her son. He and his wife chose the pantograph Belly Bop for the quilting design.

My pictures does not fully capture the beautiful brightness of this quilt.

The gray background fabric is Essex Linen which is made with 55% linen and 45% cotton. This fabric is a looser weave than regular quilting cotton and has a bit of a stretch and also frays very easily. Betty told me that it was a challenge to work with.

I kept a close eye for stray threads that migrated from their place to lay under the lighter fabrics as they really showed up.

Isn’t that backing pretty!

Betty’s quilt is trimmed and ready for binding.

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

January Quilting and Life

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My view this morning…I love the snow laden tree look!

I am almost finished binding the second of the two pink quilts!

A couple of posts ago I shared a picture of the backing fabric being prepared for this quilt.

In my opinion it is well worth the time to do things well. This includes pinning and making sure that my end result is a beautifully quilted quilt that lays flat without puckers or pleats. I know that there are short cuts, however I also know that shortcuts can result in issues that I am not happy with.

It’s a wonderful feeling when I finish a quilt that I know that my customer will feel proud of.

The backing:

Joan has been using her stash to create fantastic quilts!

I really enjoy a good splash of colour in my studio!

Her quilt is trimmed and the binding prepared and ready for pick up.

What are you working on? Do you use your scraps?

Most of my quilting time is spent helping my customers complete their quilts. I do however schedule in time for myself to piece.

I like to have a few projects on the go at the same time, do you?

My current fun is the scrappy postage stamp quilt which I will be working on for a while!

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Preparation and Longarm Quilting

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Now that the holidays are once again ready to be tucked away and added to memories of Christmas pasts, I am ready to get back to sharing my work!

My longarm has new wheels and is ready to get back to work!

Preparation is key to great results! I often piece customer backings and as I have mentioned before there is no additional cost for this service.

In my opinion most backings when piecing yardage look better when the pattern is matched and so I do take the time if there is enough fabric supplied and my customer wants it done.

Preparing both the top and backing with a good pressing, also enables me to double check before loading just in case there might be issues that can be corrected easily before quilting. Loading freshly pressed backings also assures that there won’t be puckers or pleats in the quilt after quilting.

As I enter my 20th year of Longarm Quilting for customers, I am looking forward to continue helping others to complete their quilting projects.

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Christmas 2023

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Christmas Morning…no snow and above zero Celsius temperatures! There isn’t any snow in the forecast and temperatures continue to be very mild.

Winter solstice was very welcomed, without snow the darkest days of the year seemed even darker as the snow does reflect what light there is.

The extra lights from the tree and other Christmas decorations are so welcome and add such a cozy feel to life!

Our family brunch which we host the Sunday before Christmas has become a wonderful tradition and this year was no exception. It’s a very busy fun filled day and one that I don’t have pictures to share but lovely memories to cherish.

Eriks Mom hosted Christmas Eve with a beautiful dinner that has become more of a potluck style meal as the grandchildren are grown, though she still roasts the turkey makes her famous amazing mashed potatoes, carrot casserole, salt fish sandwiches and moccasins as the children call this very traditional Finnish treat.

My daughter and son in law invited me to share their joy of Christmas morning with them and Joy it was watching my granddaughters see the transformation of their family room with tree decorated and lit and gifts and stockings from Santa.

I gifted myself with time to hand sew in the afternoon, as we were invited to my youngest daughters for Christmas Dinner. It was delicious and a truly beautiful evening!

It’s been a very busy season of quilting for my customers and making sure that their quilts were ready for gifting. I am so thankful for my customers that entrust me with their quilts!