Tag: Longarm Quilting

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Water Quilt

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One of my friends recently commented that it must be a good feeling when I unwind the quilt on the frame. It is! I always like to see how the back as well as the front turned out.

Susan M’s quilt

Instead of taking the risk of the backing being too short …I added. Ten inch leader to the top . I very rarely need to do this but it’s a good trick to keep in mind when there is just enough backing.

It was my Grandson who decided the name of this quilt because it reminded him of lakes and water. He is presently doing his schooling virtually so is spending his days with me while his parents work.

I chose the pantograph bubbles as not only are their circles in some of the squares but the background is full of circles.

Quilting, Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Welcome to March

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Our days are getting brighter…so they feel longer which is very welcome. February seems to have flown by. I was busy with customer quilts, family and a little of my own projects. Our area began another lockdown today due to rising covid cases which feels discouraging. I will have my grandson with me as the schools are back to virtual learning. I plan to start planting some seeds with him this week.

So many of my friends and customers have told me how thankful that they are for their quilting as many of us get lost in our work which makes the days pass more easily.

Laura’s Care-bears.
Care-bear quilt back

Laura’s Care-bear quilt was a pleasant surprise as most quilts arrive to the door these days and the quilting decisions are left to me. I raised my daughters during the Care-bear era and I couldn’t help but think how much the world could use those bears these days 😊

It was a fun cheerful quilt and it was quilted using a tried an true pantograph called popcorn which gives a cloud like appearance.

This tulip quilt is also a reminder that spring will arrive.

The reason that we no longer grow tulips
Longarm quilting Thunder Bay, Quilting, Thunder Bay Quilters Guild, Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Wolves and Quilts

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One morning while sitting quietly having my coffee something caught my eye out the window…a wolf sauntered out of the bush and for a short time stood in the yard before me…all I could do was sit and look, it didn’t occur to me to take a picture. I was just in awe.

I recently finished this customer quilt. I loved the colours in the panel along with the piecing. It called for northern light type of quilting which is why I chose the pantograph, Kindling.

This quilt that I pieced and quilted in 2013 was a gift for one of Eriks daughters who loves wolves. It was a kit that I found online from a shop in Alaska. I remember that it was fun to make and that I entered it into our guilds quilt show that year.

Customer Quilts, Longarm quilting Thunder Bay, Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

North and Star Swirl

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I have always loved Betty’s quilts, her piecing is amazing! Her quilts are usually challenging projects sent to her from her family and she always proves that she is more than up to the task.

When she started piecing her North Star Quilt by Elizabeth Hartman she also reminded me of her integrity that I also really respect about her. She understands the hard work that designers put into their work and encourages others to purchase their own copies of patterns.

This quilt was such a joy to quilt and I chose the pantograph Star Swirl as it added movement and reminds me of the night sky.

Betty chose a soft solid grey for her backing which really shows the quilting. I pieced the back from her yardage as I do for many of my customers.

Wendy's Quilting

Sixteen Years…

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My Longarm quilting machine is an APQS Millenium and was delivered 16 years ago today. That New Years Eve my youngest daughter and I set my Longarm up in the Living room she was 9 at the time. It amazes me that we did that considering that the manual was not exactly clear or easy to follow!

My Millie!

I had never actually touched a Longarm before it arrived and knew very little about machine quilting. It’s been an adventure ever since. I used to chat very regularly with a group called lachat… we were all learning at the time and at different levels but everyone helped everyone it was fantastic!

I really wish that I had kept better records of exactly how many quilts I have quilted. The early years were so busy, I was raising my four daughters and working outside of the house as well as my small business.

My Longarm helped keep the bills paid and food on the table but the best part of course have been all of the friends that I have made and the creativity that I have witnessed and been inspired by!

Happy Birthday Millie!!

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Quilting and Life 2020

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Somehow this strange year is coming to an end…though here in Ontario Covid restrictions will be with us to end this year as well as when we enter into 2021.

The year has not been without blessings, two new grandchildren have been born and we have been able to see and hold them. We are healthy and have had a little more time to enjoy what we have.

I wrote about Minka’s quilt in a previous post it was a true labour of love working with my daughter to create exactly what she envisioned.
Jaxson arrived in September. We had visited a quilt shop in Grunthal Manitoba and found fabric that fit the description his Mom had given us. One was a panel so I chose more fabric than needed which ended up being two quilts.
Berkeley has also joined our family! Liam is now 9 and is the proud co owner of his buddy. Berkeley is now much bigger and busy…this grand pup will not be getting a quilt any time soon. He does add a lot of fun and laughter into our lives.

I have kept busy with my quilting and honoured to help so many quilters to finish their projects. One of my favourite parts of quilting has been making new friends and especially sharing my passion of quilting.

Anessa pieced this quilt for her sons 10th birthday it was her first quilt and self taught, she had planned to quilt it herself until she realized what an undertaking such a large quilt would be on her small machine.
Wendy's Quilting

Winter 2020

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January and February continued on as the winter months here do with perfect quilting weather and many opportunities to shovel snow and to drive in less than ideal conditions.

I was able to keep up with the Moda Blockheads 3, though this project really pointed out how quickly a week flies by! I have a quilting group that meets at our local Recreation Centre every Thursday which allows me hours of relaxed piecing time, so my plan had been to work on a block every Thursday.

Audrey’s Quilt

This beautiful quilt was Audrey’s own design. It was so perfectly pieced and a pleasure to help her bring her vision to completion. The size made it difficult to capture in one picture.

It looks like some of the blocks were paper pieced however they were made using templates that she made herself. The centre was pieced then appliquéd onto the pieced top.
It’s always a pleasure and privilege to be entrusted with someone’s work and allowed to add my touch to the quilt!

Towards the end of February I began planning a very special quilt for my Granddaughter to be.

Wendy's Quilting

January

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Welcome to my site, it is a work in progress so hopefully you will see changes in the next few weeks.

2019 was a challenging and interesting year that brought me to a point where I knew that it was time to make some changes. One was to resign my position at work and become a casual worker. The shift work is hard to juggle especially the nights. As much as I love what I do at work… caring for people who are waiting for long term care…I also love quilting. I needed to find more balance and by the end of 2019 I had attained just that.

My quilting for Customers is a joy and now that I have more time to focus on my quilting my turn around is much faster and so much more fun!

Another change that my decision has afforded me is that I am able to spend my Thursdays at our local Rec Centre. If you are in Thunder Bay, it is the North McIntyre Rec Centre. I spend my Thursday afternoons there and am available for new quilters or quilters that are working on a project and would like to learn or improve their skills. Contact me at wendysquilting@gmail.com for more information

I had set some goals for myself for 2020. One was to complete my Winter Village Quilt. A pattern, fabric and silhouettes by Edita Sitar. I fell I love with the quilt when I first saw it online, it was the appliqué that really caught my eye.

I reached my goal and quilted this with a windy Pantograph on New Year’s Day!

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Proud to be a Canadian Quilt

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In 2012 I quilted this quilt for a customer who had pieced the top for her daughter who is an RCMP officer. I have had so many comments and messages regarding this quilt that I thought that I would re visit it.

Unfortunately I have never been able to find the pattern and any leads led to information that said that it was out of print.

I used a combination of a Pantograph for the background and freehand custom quilting for the rest of this beautiful quilt.

Customer Quilts, Friends, Thunder Bay Quilters Guild, Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Wendy's Quilting

Do You Quilt With Friends?

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I first started attending our local quilt guild when I was in my late twenties. I had been interested in quilting in my early teens but had no idea where to start, not knowing anyone who quilted.

Then I attended Quilt Canada when it was held here in Thunder Bay in 1992 and attended some classes. That is where I met my friend Alva who became my mentor.

I recently had the privilege to quilt a round robin style of quilt for a friend Bobbie who was in a group of quilters that were a very big part of quilt Guild for many years and helped to bring Quilt Canada to Thunder Bay.

It was a very interesting looking quilt and with permission I shared her quilt with a couple of groups that I belong to and was asked how it was made. So I questioned Bobbie and she shared pictures of her sisters quilt and progress. The rule was that each person started with a fat quarter and passed to the next Quilter who was to cut it horizontally and vertically and insert six inch rows of piecing:

Starting with Aileen’s fabric choice

Next Jean Tozer added her strips

Then Marjorie Hosegoods addition

Alva being Alva wasn’t one to follow the rules and decided to make two vertical cuts really changing the look.

Elaine Pond was next:

followed by Val:

And finished by Bobbie:

I loved spending time with these ladies and learnt so much about quilting and life from them. I remember the group of them liked to sit in the front row at guild and often would get the giggles like young school girls they really had fun!