Our morning view is in Hinckley MN today. We arrived settled in, had supper and went to bed early with a full day planned ending with being home!
It’s been a little over six weeks that we have been on our adventure… it is so nice waking up to sunshine this morning after a full day of driving in the rain. I am not complaining as we had almost perfect weather on this trip.
I brought my travel machine and some little projects just in case however our days were full and the only sewing I did was to stitch the binding on our camper quilt…even that isn’t finished but it’s close and I will share more about this quilt soon.
This is the third scrappy quilt of Marilyn’s that I quilted before our big adventure!
It’s so much fun to see how she utilizes her stash and makes wonderful scrappy quilts…also so inspiring!
I used the pantograph Tickle Two to bring the three layers of her quilt together.
I especially love the way the design shows on the backing that reads as a solid along with the beautiful stitches.
As I mentioned at the beginning of this post we have been on a bit of an adventure!
We left home in our Motorhome on March 20th and have put on 9140 kilometres so far…we are in Clear Lake Iowa this morning, after visiting the Surf Ballroom yesterday.
Today we head to Hinckley MN and then home on Friday. It’s been an amazing trip, which I will start blogging about once we are settled in again.
I will also be back to full time Longarm Quilting for all of my wonderful, encouraging and patient customers!
As a long time quilter and lover of quilting fabric I have acquired over the years a wonderful collection…one that continues to grow I might add…actually I have grown it a little this last month and will probably add a little more next week.
Watch for my upcoming posts as I share what I have been up to for the last month or so!!
Anyways, I noticed this morning that Tara Faughnan has released her Sunny pattern! This was such a fun month of the Color Collective that I took part in and the pattern has so many possibilities of fun with your stash and a great way to learn a different technique of paper piecing that doesn’t involve removing or wasting paper.
The collective was so much fun for someone like me…. Each month receiving a colour palette of Tara’s choosing and a pattern to play with…it felt a little like being a child back in my childhood and getting fresh new crayons with blank paper to create with!
Onto sharing some scrappy fun!
Marilyn has been inspiring me for many years with her use of her stash…I have two customers named Marilyn who are on a mission of playing with and using stash!! Which means so much fun to someone like me!
Some times simplicity of piecing is a great way to play and use scraps with a beautiful quilt as a result!
Adding some easy piecing that allows for some colour pops into the border really added more fun!
Marilyn told me that she ordered the backing online and that it was a sheet! It was perfect and so easy to work with and the result really made for a two sided quilt!
Using the design A Little Bit of This was another layer of fun adding a layer of soft density and visual pleasure to her quilt.
Of course it left trimmed and ready for binding then gifting.
This quilt was fun to work on, starting with finding the backing, which I found at our local Fix Sew & Scissors. They are not a quilt shop however have been selling the last of Fuelled by Fabrics inventory.
The floral print that I found was such a lovely match to this vintage top made before there were “quilting cottons”. I loved the seer sucker prints and the memories recalled in working with them!
I chose the pantograph Knit One Pearl one, a fairly recent addition to my collection.
As always, when piecing a quilt backing when applicable I like to match the pattern. Always a complimentary service.
As is trimming quilts so that they are ready for binding upon pick up.
Let me help you turn your quilt tops into finished projects.
For Professional, Hand Guided, Quality Longarm Quilting contact me at
I have been quilting for Marilyn for many years, her use of colour always amazes me.
This quilt using the basic nine patch makes it very easily a beginners quilt, however setting it on point gives a much more interesting look.
I find working on my customers quilts who are utilizing their stashes to make amazing scrap quilts so inspiring…and lessons the guilt that I sometimes feel about my stash!
Not really, I love my fabric stash! It brings me joy!
The black border with the pops of colour, is such an interesting contrast to the centre of her quilt.
Have you heard of bobbin chicken? It’s when you realize you have finished a seam or project and had barely any bobbin thread left! Well I won at backing chicken on this one!
I chose the pantograph Star Swirl for this quilt…notice the tiny stars in the background fabric and then there were also stars on the backing! This is such a softly flowing design with a perfect density for a quilt with a lot of piecing.
This week I have been busy quilting a few quilts made by a long time customer of mine.
I have always admired her use of colour and how she plays with different layouts. Her quilts are often what are referred to as scrap quilts. When someone has been quilting for many years those scraps accumulate and seem to grow when stored away.
Some of her quilts such as this one is just a bounty of colour and prints, they are so much fun to look at and explore the variety of prints.
Making simple blocks and utilizing same colour families in individual blocks is another technique that plays with colour.
The variety of colour and prints against a solid or solid reading print in this next quilt would really use up some scraps and sure makes a fun quilt to look at. Many of the most fun scrap quilts have easily pieced blocks such as half square triangles.
Allowing yourself the freedom of playing with your scraps over time, will help to grow your colour confidence.
One of the most freeing decisions that I have made in my personal scrap quilts is that I let go of stressing over the placement of blocks.
When discussing some of my scrap quilts with this customer and long time quilter, we both agree that a simple rule of no two same fabrics should touch but it’s alright if they are close by.
Allowing yourself to play and make scrap quilts just for the pure enjoyment of sewing and creating will I believe help to grow colour confidence,
This quilt, made by my Mom was made in an attempt to use up stash and is a wonderful example of years of acquiring scraps from projects and putting them together into a quilt that will be enjoyed for years to come! Happy Birthday in Heaven today Mom!
So often when I think of scrappy quilts I think of many colours and prints…but what happens when you choose a colour palette or stick to just one theme such as black and white?
Stunning elegance!
Joan’s Grandson claimed this quilt after seeing her piece it. We chose the pantograph Jitterbug adding a layer of fun!
The backing fabric reads busy and could have just been pieced however there is a design to it and taking a little extra time to match the pattern was well worth doing.
Can you see the seam?
Here it is…
I know how much time goes into making a quilt, so it’s important to me to take the time when quilting for not only myself but for others to do it right. Seaming backs is a complimentary service, including matching the pattern.
This beautiful quilt is trimmed and ready for binding.
I love this bright beautiful quilt made with Kaffe Fassett fabrics, it’s a variation of The Seed Packet quilt.
After piecing and loading this quilt I chose the pantograph Rhododendron which plays on the lovely large blooms in the quilt. I am often requested to decide on the quilting designs for the quilts that I work on.
More often than not, I have a quilting plan within minutes of seeing a top and if not an idea will usually come to me not long after seeing the top.
The backing fabric adds another layer of bright with its pretty pink, but has a soft easy to look at design which beautifully shows off the quilting stitches and design.
Trimmed and ready for binding, this quilt will soon be completed and ready for snuggling under.
I love this picture of our youngest Grandson! It really reflects how he embraces life, he is a busy, curious, and joyful child. Who will begin school in the fall! This is the picture taken of him at an event introducing the children to kindergarten.
Maybe no matter what stage we are in life we should try to embrace each season in life with so much enthusiasm!
January 2024 has been an unusual Month weather wise, seeing only a short stint of bitter cold and while we did get some snow it wasn’t anywhere near our normal.
I have been very happily busy in my studio working on customer quilts and doing my best to schedule in some personal sewing time as well, even making it out to the Rec centre a few times to sew with friends.
Practicing and learning more about quilting on my domestic machine continues to be a goal this year along with playing with scraps …my postage stamp quilt is in progress but may need to be put aside for some other quilts that have been added to the list.
I have 20 blocks finished so far
Working with a ruler on a quilt for Betty has reminded me that I should return to some of my custom work!
Betty’s Globe Quilt
So far February is looking to be a busy and fun Month! What are you working on?
A few months ago my Granddaughter Minka 3yrs asked me if I could make her an all pink quilt. I had made a pink baby quilt for our Granddaughter Olivia’s arrival last summer.
I still had a fair amount of pink fabric left from that project to start another…I did purchase more fabrics when Minka’s Mom suggested a pink quilt for Romee as well.
Sometimes it’s just fun to make quilts with squares and to make them as scrappy as possible. These quilts are fun! I also added pink fabrics from my Moms fabric stash.
Minka’s
The quilts are similar, though they have different backings and bindings and Minka’s has some butterflies from fabric that she especially liked. Minka’s quilt was quilted with the pantograph Hearts and Blooms.
Minka’s backing…those paw prints on the binding are so cute!
I ordered the fabrics from the quilt shop https://road17n.ca for the backings and bindings…when I opened the package I was so surprised to find a gift of 5 good sized sample pieces of more pink fabrics so they were added into the quilts as well.
Romees Quilt
The adorable backing for Romees quilt made choosing the binding a little more of a challenge, I am really pleased with my choice. this quilt was quilted using the pantograph Two of Hearts.
Over the Christmas holidays Kaija came to visit a few times and has begun making her own pink quilt. Hopefully over the summer she and I will have more time to make her pink quilt! Kaija requested that we make hers together.
Wendy’s Quilting and Life 