It may be March, but winter hold its grip here in NW Ontario. We already have more than enough snow and now are forecasted to receive another 20cm over the weekend.
Millie’s latest quilt was a bright addition to my studio. One of the things that I do for my customers with no extra charge is to piece their quilt backs if needed. Sometimes the piecing isn’t just a matter of sewing two or three lengths of fabric.
Millie had two different fabrics and just sewing a seam did not grow the back to the right size. I actually prefer interesting backs.
I used the pantograph Shasta Daisy on this pretty quilt.
I don’t always know where the patterns that my customers use to make their quilts. How fun for me to find out today that Millie used the pattern City Slicker by Highway 10 Designs.
This quilt was pieced during a weekly block challenge of a block a week by my customer. She used primarily batik fabrics for the top and the backing is batik as well.
There is so much to see when looking at this quilt that I chose a very soft flowing pantograph that just added the right touch.
How fun is this quilt made by a grandma for her grandson who loves superman! Liam totally approved this quilt. (If you haven’t been following my blog Liam is my 10 year old grandson)
You might notice that the binding is attached. I do upon request add the binding for my customers. Many will choose this step and will do the hand stitching themselves.
The pantograph swirls was chosen and added fun movement to this quilt.
Do you remember those large boxes of crayons.. the ones that came with attached sharpeners? Now that was exciting! Maybe more so for some than others. I really don’t remember not creating and enjoying playing with colour.
Growing up, my Mom always had her sewing machine out and often was used mostly for making clothes but sometimes home decor. The visits to the fabric departments… were so much fun!
Seventh grade in Winnipeg meant a sewing class…that meant my very own set of new notions! The beginning of a love for sewing notions that still exists today. Oh and the fabric!
While it is true that styles change and that is very true in the quilting industry as well, and collecting fabric that may or may not get used isn’t the wisest use of money. Having a stash that has been collected over the span of many years has its benefits.
I have been Longarm quilting for others for 18 years, I have noticed that many of my customers who are ahead of me on this life journey have more time and the fabrics to make the most amazing quilts.
Marilyns quilt is one! I asked her if the fabrics in this quilt were all hers and she said yes all accumulated over many years of quilting!
This quilt is one of three queen size quilts that Marilyn has made for her adult granddaughters.
As a small child I was always delighted to be given scraps of fabric! I think they were probably my most favourite plaything, add to that scissors, thread and a needle and I was set.
The quilts on the tv show Little House on the Prairie is where I recall first seeing or maybe noticing scrap quilts! I know that I always questioned the colour rules and just loved the look of all kinds of colours together.
One of the most fun part of the Color Collective I am participating in is receiving a palette of colours that I may not have chosen myself for a quilt.
During the break out portion of our local guild meeting last night we were encouraged to talk about how we store our scraps. Of course there are new quilters who haven’t reached the what do I do with all these scraps, part of the quilting journey. There are probably quilters who make a quilt and have very little left overs…I am not sure that I know those quilters, are you one?
So back to the breakout room… I love scraps and I have a lot of them. I love to use them to try out new techniques and ideas. I love to save them to use in future projects and I sometimes just like to look through them and reminisce or sort through them.
Do I need all of them? Maybe not but then maybe I do…perhaps I will have a season in life where I can really dive in and play and I will be prepared.
My Longtime Gone quilt is a scrappy version, I have had hours of fun playing with scraps. This is a quilt that I am savouring the journey…sone things shouldn’t be rushed.
So many quilts come my way to be quilted…thank you thank you to everyone who allows me to be part of your quilting journey! I am constantly inspired.
This is one of 4 quilts that is made up entirely of 2” finished half square triangles. So many fabrics I recognize but many I don’t because this quilter has been collecting for more years than I have.
The view out the window this morning is a little drab, winter has a strong hold right now with a ton of snow and many chilly and today windy days….. My sewing and quilting rooms will be my bright sunny retreat today!
She has taken hers in a totally different direction, which I really like. Mine has been completed by my friend Florence and will one day be finished and hopefully loved by one of our daughters or granddaughters.
It is a pretty quilt, though I have clearly moved on from such a soft palette. Actually I am really enjoying working with the solid palettes.
I have really enjoyed curved piecing lately and have been a little intrigued by improv piecing. After reading Wendy’s above tutorial, I decided that I would play with some scraps after I finished longarming for the day.
The scraps are from a bundle of 6” strips of ombré that came from Craftsy back when it was a great site. I used many of the 40 strips in my flying geese quilt.
One of my goals for this year is to quilt using my domestic machine.
The fabric for the 3rd quilt in Season 4 of the Color Collective arrived this past week and oh are they pretty!! As I still have the design wall full with flock blocks, and a baby quilt to make Stellar is going to have to wait her turn. I may just make a practice block while I wait though.
It always amazes me how many different quilts there are, I so rarely see duplicates.
This week one of the quilts that I quilted was this queen size quilt, there was a backing challenge in that the maker sewed the backing with the selvages intact to stretch the fabric and also added side pieces (as in leader, enders only on the sides) in order for the backing to be big enough.
As the backing really wasn’t big enough to load with the seams horizontally it was very challenging to load and keep even with three seams rolled onto the bar. However, it worked!
The tension was perfect, on the perfect backing for this quilt!
There are times when by mere coincidence the same pantograph is chosen for a few customer quilts which I had also chosen for My Sunny quilt. I have been happily quilting with different ones once again.
Florence told me that she really hasn’t enjoyed paper piecing, though she do a fantastic job on this quilt!
The original backing that she and I chose became a puzzle as it just did not want to cooperate, different size needles, bobbins, tension settings nothing seemed to prevent it from snagging and popping white threads through it. The backing was a very dark gray with black swirls. The only thing we didn’t try was washing it, which we discussed however Florence decided to try another backing.
The second backing had absolutely no issues and the stitches returned to the normal perfect ones on both top and back. It is very unusual for a backing to be so uncooperative!!
The second choice is actually was actually prettier on this quilt so maybe it was just meant to be.
Well we have had some sunshiny days in January, of course those are usually our coldest days of winter!
My Sunny quilt has made for many hours of fun piecing with a new to me paper piecing technique along with the fun of a palette put together by Tara Faughnan of the Color collective. It’s been a welcome adventure.
While making it an old and favourite song from my childhood kept coming to mind…Sunny Days by Lighthouse. It actually came on the radio yesterday!
This weekend after finishing up a customer quilt, I gifted myself time on the Longarm for Sunny. The backing reminds me of tie dye a bit and also carried many of the tops colours. I love finding just the right backs for my quilts!
Sunny is ready for binding…I am leaning towards the orange! What would you choose?
Wendy’s Quilting and Life 