Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Spring Break, Liam Adventures and Quilt

This week is what was supposed to be March break for Ontario schools it was changed to April due to Covid…with a plan to reopen schools on the 19th. Plans change and now the schools will remain closed and students are to continue with virtual learning until further notice.

Liam and I made a plan yesterday for how we will approach virtual learning when we start again. It has been a very real challenge to keep him in front of that laptop for learning.

Erik taught him how to use a slingshot over the weekend, so we went for a walk in the woods so that he could practice his shot. No critters were involved.

On our walk to the mailbox Liam reminded me that we spent last March break together so now it’s a tradition. He assures me that he will always want to hang out with me.

The mailbox contained a big envelope that caught his attention and he opened it as soon as we got home and read a lot of it!

We took Liam to the Dells in 2019 with a plan to return the next summer…that didn’t happen. Liam still loves to talk about that adventure and we have promised that when it’s safe and we can that we will go again.

We spent the afternoon quilting his quilt.

It was a challenge at first and then I decided to try standing behind him with my hands over his and help guide the machine. By the time we finished he was the driver and had really gotten the hang of it! This morning we will trim it and make the binding.

Liam requested and had his favourite supper.

Years ago my Auntie Marie suggested that we had blueberry pie for breakfast…I mentioned that to Liam so guess what’s for breakfast today! We are making the most of these days together and hopefully get also making lots of great memories!

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Traditional and Curvy Workshop

I spent the day in my studio yesterday taking a work shop put on by our Thunder Bay Quilt Guild by Daisy Aschehoug of https://warmfolk.com/

I have attended Guild meetings on Zoom and often use the IPad to visit with another quilter while we both work in our own studios.

This was my first workshop on Zoom. It was very very convenient and a lot easier to work from home and I was probably more productive. I did miss the classroom setting and being able to see what everyone was doing and for the instructor to be able to see as well. It was fun learning about Daisy …and a bit about their life in Norway.

We toured northern Finland Sweden and Norway several years ago and I have always wanted to go back with more time to see more.

The class involved 1/4 curve piecing. I did not have a glue stick in order to try her technique so used pins which worked well as I have sewn curves before. I plan to add a glue stick to my next purchase and give it a try. I used the templates purchased from Daisy which amazingly seemed to arrive overnight!

My love of flying geese prevailed and I chose Dutchman’s Puzzle for my traditional block. Using my bin of solids made this block a lot of fun to put together.

The block has a lot of movement. I haven’t decided what will become of it yet so it will wait … I love the idea of a parts department of units and blocks for future projects.
Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Stash, Scraps, Work and Life

I love Saturday mornings not that they are really any different these days from other mornings…I love to start my day slowly with a fresh cup of coffee.

Did you know that you can buy a smart coffee cup and that you can set the temperature on your phone? The coffee stays the same temperature until your last sip!

I still love my coffee in my special to me mugs…but someone is retiring in 6 weeks and has always wished that his coffee would stay hot…

Onto my stash…I have been slowly re organizing my beloved collection…one of my daughters who loves to live minimally suggested not long ago that I purge my sewing room! I told her that I am still regretting the fabric that I parted with when I moved!!!

My friend Marlene recently gifted me with fabric that I have always wished I had bought more of! It just makes me smile.

Quilting has been one of my main passions for most of my adult life however most of that time was full of responsibilities of caring for family and earning our living.

Sometimes a couple things need to be added to an order to reach free shipping 🤓

My Longarm quilting has been and will continue to be for others and occasionally myself…all of those quilts have added to the non stop inspiration!

So my stash stays, it grows and I happily and excitingly accept gifts of peoples scraps that would otherwise go to waste…because I can see that as seasons change so do seasons of life and I am finally at the stage that I have been preparing for!

Life was full and busy this week, Liam really enjoyed our field trip and kept me on my toes keeping him fed! He tells me that I make the best food!

I really cherish these days that we share together. He will head back to the classroom the week after next. So far anyways as Ontario is closed to all but essential…

I had planned to buy cards to mail my swap blocks with however…that was a cannot buy item when I was out the other day. I have cards here to use and thankfully we could still buy stamps!

Sisterhood Quilt Swap blocks ready to go.

It’s been a rainy several days …not a lot of sunshine. This customer quilt has reminds me of our colours soon to be out the windows!

Today I am taking a class with Daisy Aschehoug of https://warmfolk.com ….more on that soon.

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

When Quilting Makes the Quilt

When Joan brought me this quilt she said that she wasn’t overly excited with it, she had a huge amount of fabric for the backing. A large beautiful print that deserved the extra time to match. I piece many of my customers backings.

I chose the pantograph Flying Paisley and a 40wt linen glide thread.

Quilters are often so surprised at the difference the quilting makes to their tops. In this case we both agreed that the quilting really made it sing!

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Piecing Backings and Blocks etc…

The days seem to fly by! It’s been a busy Month of quilting and piecing in between Liam’s school and day to day responsibilities.

This quilt back took a little more time to piece than most as it had a larger motif and called out to be matched. I enjoyed the challenge and feel it was well worth the effort. The quilt is on the frame is close to being completed. More on that soon.

The pineapple blocks have been so much fun! I have a plan for them and a pattern on its way that I am looking forward to jumping into. I will make my sisterhood blocks first and send them on their way!! The papers are printed and ready to start.

Maybe some sewing room tidying is in order as well! I often joke that I am a bit like Jillian Jiggs a story that I used to read to my girls…she would start cleaning her room only to find something else to play with!!….Oh also the fabric to finish my blockheads 3 is on its way, along with some other goodies. Life is so good!

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Anne of Green Gables Quilt

How sweet is this customers quilt. She used a Dick and Jane panel along with fabric purchased and saved from a trip to Prince Edward Island.

It will be for a grandchild and I am sure will be cherished.

This quilt arrived with the backing pieced and the exact size of the top. Thankfully my customer also provided more fabric and I was able to expand the backing. In this case I added a strip of the gingham fabric by cutting the existing back 1/3 rd if the way top to bottom and also added borders to the top and bottom.

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Specialty Quilt Rulers…. Drunkards Path

In preparation for an upcoming class through the Thunder Bay Quilt Guild that I am taking soon. We will be using a drunkards path ruler set so I went looking through my collection….

I am so fortunate to have not only collected rulers myself but have also inherited many.

Some of my rulers came from a good friend and mentor of mine who also included tutorials in each pkg… she loved to teach and for many years would offer a tutorial before each guild meeting.

This set is just a little too big compared to the supplied print out. it does remind me though that it’s time to hang my Wheel of Mystery quilt though.

How interesting is this set, it might work and will be played with now that I have had a good look at it.

Now this ruler from 1994 designed by Virginia A Walton might just work. It will be another one to play with for sure.

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Liam’s Quilting part one

Liam joined me in my studio yesterday afternoon and we decided that it was time to use up the fabric left over from his baby quilt.

It was announced that the schools won’t open again until April 19 so we decided to start a new project.

Our project started out when he found the stuffed puppy below and wondered why I had it. It will be part of a donation for Christmas Cheer through the Thunder Bay Quilters Guild called Teddy Bear Quilts.

Thankfully I still had a good stash of the Max and Whiskers fabrics along with other coordinating fabric. Liam mastered ironing. We worked on using the rotary cutter but both agreed that this time Grandma would finish the cutting.

We laid out the blocks together

And made a practice piece…machine set to turtle mode as he tried out the hare and it was a little too fast!

He mastered the 1/4” and sewed 3 rows.

By the time we were finished for the day he was already talking about his next quilt!

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Scraps and Life

Today will be an at home all day kind of day. The last two days involved helping family with appointments along with my grandson and school. I read this morning that the schools will not open next week. That’s life these days…I am very thankful that I am able to be there for family when they need me.

I will soon have more customer quilts to show. The sunshine quilt is finished, as I bound that one by hand for my customer.

Hand stitching really is relaxing and I should make more time for it. I have been on the lookout for a good floor lamp for evening sewing.

My friend Betty gifts a lot of her scraps to me which bring me back to my childhood sewing and the excitement of a bag of scrap fabric to create with. So with a recent large assortment given to me on top of what a I already have and a new to me creative grids pineapple ruler…it started with making a block for my blockheads quilt.

It is not one of the official blocks and although the mistake glares at me I have left it for the time being or maybe for all time.

The ruler is fun at least for me to use. So over the weekend I let myself play…

It amazed me once I got started, how many scraps of fabric I have!
Those kitties left over from Minka’s quilt keep popping up!
These are at the point where I decide to stop and make the blocks finish at 4” or to grow them another inch which I am considering for a quilt that is on my mind. How cute is that little mouse, I did cut into a Fatquarter for that but other than a few Fat-quarters so far the rule has been only scraps…