It’s not often that I find a new notion that I really like and want to share. I also know that these have been around for a long time, however I never really needed or felt that I needed help with threading needles.
I love using tulip needles they are beautifully made and really glide easily through the layers when I am binding however the eyes on these needles is small.
Well, this needle threader from Clover is in my opinion well worth the investment!
Another well worth the investment, especially considering it is now a couple of years old is this floor lamp from Verilux that I purchased from Amazon. The lamp has different light settings both types of light and amount of light. I use the daylight setting and when stitching at night and these days early morning it’s light is invaluable.
It’s no secret that I love quilts, also I have never been able to settle on only one style of quilts.
So many beautiful quilts have entered my life through my Longarm quilting business and many have inspired me in my personal quilting life.
This recent quilt by Karen was so much fun to have in my studio, I told her that it was really hard to give back!
Here’s the story….
Karen’s son in law requested a quilt. Having grown up on a farm it was decided that a farm themed quilt would be perfect.
Using her book by Lori Holt, Farm Girl Vintage 2 for many of the smaller blocks and the Barn from Farm Sweet Farm pattern along with some of her own personal designs the Farm quilt came to be.
I love that scarecrow! All the tiny piecing always draws me in!
We chose the pantograph popcorn with its soft cloud like look that took the secondary spot on this super fun quilt
The flannel used for the backing with the plaid design similar to a work shirt is a perfect fit.
As hard as it was to part with her quilt, it was picked up trimmed and ready for binding!
Let me help you bring your quilting projects to completion!
Today is Thanksgiving in Canada, it is a day widely celebrated in Canada though it seems like many things quieter than the American Thanksgiving that is celebrated in November.
Still it marks the changing of seasons.
The last week began with way above normal temperatures as in the 30’s Celsius which was a welcome treat though a little too hot for many mid week we experienced a thunderstorm with a lot of rain and hail and back to colder days!
The rainbow after the storm
The view from my studio window is constantly changing… I do love the spring and summer views, then the changing colours and the leaves falling is beautiful too, though a reminder of the colder days to come.
The grandchildren have been visiting and having fun. Last week Grayson had his turn with the knitting machine…
After making his own beanie with some help from Pappa…
Seemed funny to be making such a cozy hat on a hot day!
He got busy making another beanie for his Dad creating it himself from my yarn collection!
He was so excited and determined to make this really special gift for his Dad.
The knitting machines have been a fun addition to my crafting supplies and my hope is that all of the grands will enjoy using it.
I haven’t had as much time as I like for piecing…my postage stamp quilt will be something that I plan to slowly work on as my customer quilts take priority. Still it’s nice to have something I can spend time sewing as time allows.
A very fun part of quilting, can be finding fun fabric that suits the recipient and then making a gift!
Lori’s daughter has chickens…
She had a lot of fun making this special gift and together we choose the pantograph leaf pile… the falling leaves are part of what also appears to be the fall harvest in this great panel!
Most of the people who I quilt for love to pick up their quilts trimmed and ready for binding…this quilt was no exception.
Thank you Bonnie Schiedel for writing this article featuring my long love of quilting as well as my Longarm quilting business in this Months addition of the Walleye Magazine.
I consider a true honour to be included in this months feature Timeless Textiles along with so many talented artisans in Thunder Bay.
Quilting has such a long history and has evolved over the years from a craft out of necessity to a creative and great hobby. Quilting brings people together sharing what for many becomes a passion.
There are many small groups of quilters in Thunder Bay who get together regularly to sew and spend time together sharing friendship and skills with one another.
The Thunder Bay Quilters Guild has been an important part of my quilt life for many years. I truly believe that the mentorship is invaluable and I really encourage experienced quilters to reach out and mentor newer quilters.
I was so fortunate to have joined the guild as a young and beginner quilter and to have been mentored along my journey by women who had been quilting for many years and held such a passion for this art.
My friend Alva Llewellyn really made it a point to connect with me after we first met during a class at Quilt Canada when it was held in Thunder Bay, she always either knew how or found out how to help me in my early years of quilting. Later she was one of my biggest cheerleaders in my Longarm Quilting career.
Being mentored made such a huge impact in my life and was such a gift. I have always strived to share what I have learnt from others and on my own.
I truly feel privileged to be entrusted with other quilters work and have always strived to work together bring their vision of their quilts to completion.
This recent quilt job was a very large panel that Linda wanted quilted and will be gifting to her very long time friend who has moved into assisted living. Her friend has always loved birds making this quilt a perfect gift.
The Pantograph Garden Frills added so much lovely texture and is really showcased on the purple grunge backing fabric!
Liam has had a full September settling into Jr. High and loves it. His favourite subject this term is history he says it’s interesting and he really likes his teacher.
Unfortunately September also means colds return and yesterday Liam needed a day off due to a head cold. Fortunately for me it meant a day with Grandma!
Shortly after he arrived, my delivery I was expecting arrived. He was really happy to help with unboxing and took over setting it up! I have been researching knitting machines thinking it might be a fun activity with our grandchildren.
It didn’t take long before we had looked through my yarn stash and started on the first project.
It also didn’t take long before he had enough rows.
With a little help this tube became Liam’s new beanie which he was pretty proud of!
I have done some research on best yarns to use and will be prepared for more knitting sessions in the future. Liam has his next beanie planned along with some Christmas gift ideas.
One of the best things about running a home based business is that I have the freedom to spend time with our Grandchildren when their parents need us and my Longarm waits. I often quilt all evening and yesterday was no exception.
This sweet and fun quilt will be finished this morning …
The pantograph Azalea is a fairly new design in my collection and was a perfect choice for this quilt. The backing reads solid which really showcases the quilting design.
When choosing a quilting design, it can be tempting to copy an image such as the butterflies in some of the prints however adding the azaleas and leaves added a little more interest in my opinion.
This quilt left my studio trimmed and with the binding prepared.
Just a note that I brightened the photo below which really captured the actual look of the quilt colours.
My design wall is loaded with blocks made with Betty’s 2 1/2” squares. She gifted me a large bag of left over squares from a project she started and after one quilt she was done, and passed them to me. After several years I finally just started sewing them together with a loose rule of light and dark.
I will play with the placement of the 16 patch blocks before sewing them into the top.
It’s been a wonderful project for playing with my sewing toys as I find the process very relaxing…I hadn’t really been thinking of a what’s next project until I came across a picture from Gigi’s Thimble http://www.gigisthimble.com/2021/12/postage-stamp-quilt.html
When I first began making quilts…almost 40 years ago…I was first drawn to quilting by scrap quilts. I also remember wondering how I would ever accumulate enough fabric to make something like the above quilt!
Well after almost 40 years of quilt making I now know how and I have enough to make many!
And so this project began….first I made a smaller block with 1 1/2” squares…
Which would be ok but would take a lot longer than I think I want this project to take.
After watching some tutorials on postage stamp quilts I have decided on a variation of Kimberly Jolly’s tutorial on youtube.
And so it begins!
This will take some time as I have other projects on the go as well. My piecing time is usually limited to an hour or so in the evenings as my customer quilts come first.
It will be an easy project to take and work on at the Rec centre on Mondays which my plan is to add back into my routine…
Wendy’s Quilting and Life 