Tag: Quilting

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Quilting and Life

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I love Saturday mornings! It’s funny really because all of my mornings begin the same way with a nice it cup of coffee that I savour as I slowly begin my day with some reading, and often an hour or so of piecing. Still weekend mornings seem special!

This week flew by, every day we both commented on how all of a sudden another day was finished. I of course work on my Longarm and this week on a special piecing project that involves some different for me colours and a backing that I absolutely adore and will add piecing to it to make it work.

This is an extra special project for someone who is arriving in April!

Erik has been busy with his own piecing project. He is putting up dry wall in the laundry/utility room. What a transformation already.

Liam has thankfully recovered from his bought with covid. He missed a week of school….the week before March break so 2 weeks off which suits him just fine.

People who know me know that I love piecing, I love the accuracy that I can achieve. I am not about speed sewing to me it has never been about how many quilts I can get done. Years ago I adopted the saying “savour the journey”. Sometimes I come across a blog post that really speaks to me.

This post is from 2018 but still resonates… it is written by Modern Quilt Designer Shannon Fraser from Montreal. The rest of her blog is worth visiting as well.

http://shannonfraserdesigns.ca/2018/05/15/are-you-fast-or-slow-quilter-discussion/

The sun is shining, the bountiful snow banks and hills are glistening this morning! The time change happens tonight and we are ready for the scenery to change as well…spring will arrive!

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Fun Scrap Quilts

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I suppose it would be wise to always sew up scrap fabrics into useable blocks or as I read recently, to only buy as much fabric that one needs for each project. However, a quilt that I recently wrote about and shared showed of a lifetime of collecting fabrics and scraps!

This quilt is an example of a fun and easy scrap quilt! I used the pantograph Popcorn as I always reminds me of clouds and the backing called for just that!

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Millie’s Quilt and backings

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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.

https://highway10designs.com/collections/pdf-quilt-patterns/products/copy-of-city-slicker-paper-quilt-pattern

I have been following Kathy’s blog for years and really admire her work!

https://tamarackshack.blogspot.com

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

56 Block Quilt

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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.

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Superman Quilt

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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.

More fun…the backing glows in the dark!!!

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Why Have A Large Fabric Stash

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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.

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Fabric and Scraps

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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!

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Fatquarter Shop 2011 Designer Mystery

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This long ago project was started and the blocks all completed, the finishing kit purchased only to be stored in a boot box for ten years.

Nicole has been writing about hers on her blog at https://sisterschoice.typepad.com/sisters_choice_quilts/2022/02/can-you-see-where-i-am-going-with-this.html#comments

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.

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Play time!

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My mornings begin with coffee and often reading blogs…these days they are much more relaxing than the news!

Yesterday’s reading led to some new ideas from a new to me blog.

https://www.piecefulthoughts.com/improv-wavy-strips-tutorial/

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.

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Bernice’s Quilt

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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.