This Christmas tree quilt was made using a pattern and fabrics by Edita Sitar of Laundry Basket Quilts. It was such a pleasure to quilt and enjoy having in my studio!
We chose the pantograph Rhapsody which played on the theme in many of the fabrics.
I like to choose a design that compliments the quilt not necessarily one that echoes the design. Thread colour and weight of thread also make a big difference in the outcome of the quilting.
I personally find it very difficult not to be inspired by the quilts that I work on! Edita’s quilts often have the small piecing that I love to do and the appliqué ❤️
I love the way the quilting shows on the back of the quilt!
Trimmed and ready for binding!
Let me help you to complete your quilting projects!
As we move closer to Winter solstice our amount of natural daylight hours become less and less add to that, that it seems that the sun is shy and hiding behind the clouds… making it really challenging to truly capture the true beauty of some quilts. I came close with this quilt.
Marlene’s White Chocolate quilt is absolutely stunning with its subtle soft colours and creamy backgrounds.
After looking at several options for the quilting, Marlene chose the pantograph Gravity. The fun oval design of this pantograph leans toward a modern look and really plays so nicely with this more traditional looking quilt.
The curves in the quilting soften the angular look in the piecing.
The backing fabric has a beautiful sheen to it and as it was brought to me as yardage, it was pieced by me, carefully matching the design. This is a complementary service that I offer.
Both quilt top and backing are always carefully pressed before loading onto my Longarm.
The quilt was trimmed after quilting and ready for binding when Marlene picked her quilt up.
Let me help you bring your quilting projects to completion.
The Nebula Quilt designed by Julie Herman of Jaybird Quilts with fabric designed by Tula Pink is a glorious party of Colour!
Suzanne chose a soft flannel backing and Wool for her batting. A good quality wool batting from companies like Hobbs and Quilters Dream are wonderful to work with and add more loft to a quilt.
Wool is warm in the winter without added weight and also cooler in the summer. It does require a little more care when washing and I personally would not ever put a quilt with wool in the dryer. I actually hang all quilts to dry but that is a personal preference.
After looking through several options for a quilting design Suzanne chose Belly Bop, it is a fun and medium dense design that plays so nicely over these modern prints.
The super soft flannel backing has such a soft flowing design and really showcases the quilting.
The quilt was trimmed and ready for binding when it was picked up.
Let me work with you to bring your quilting projects to completion!
I am not entirely sure how December has arrived when I was just getting used to it being November!
The very best part of November in my books is that it’s Liam’s Birthday…he turned 12 last week.
My Dad hosted a family dinner in Liam’s honour, he smoked a turkey that Liam’s Mom provided and the rest of the dinner was made by my daughter Katie and I. Family dinners are so much easier when everyone helps!
I wish that I had taken a picture of his gift and reaction to opening it. You see he had requested money for an upcoming trip in February…this request was made in the summer. So to make it fun, I put 4 $1. USD bills in a peanut butter jar as a liner to look like the label…then filled a third of it with coins and wrapped more bills into the centre of the coins and topped the jar up with our remaining Halloween treats. The gift was a total success.
As his Grandma I have enjoyed his childhood so much, we have spent so much time together and he has truly brought so much joy in my life. These last months I have noticed how much he has grown and is definitely less of a little boy. I am sure by his next birthday he will be taller than I am, his life is busy with soccer and school and friends as it should be…though he has told me he still plans to be here in the summer and our annual trip to the Dells.
When my 3 year old granddaughter Minka let me know that she wanted an all pink quilt, I happily got on that…I am also making one for her sister. Pink is Minka’s favourite colour right now. The quilt is similar to Olivia’s baby quilt that I made last summer.
A night time shot of my design wall.
I have been collecting pink fabric for awhile now, I took advantage of Road17N’s Black Friday sale and ordered backing fabric and a couple more metres of pinks…what a great surprise to find more pink fabrics inside the parcel a few days later!
I really try to allow for an hour of piecing every evening after I finish working on the Longarm. I may have to add an extra hour in the morning in order to finish both quilts.
My presentation of my quilting journey went well at the November Quilt Guild meeting.
Last year when some of my customers saw this table runner that I had quilted they were inspired!
The pattern is Those trees by Zen Chic.
Melissa chose Kona Sheen in Arctic Ice for her background fabric, it truly has the sheen of ice with a very subtle sparkle to it.
Backed with a silver grey Fireside fabric and quilted with the pantograph Windswept, trimmed and ready for binding….her quilt that she made for herself will soon be ready to snuggle under.
Cathy took part in Joyce Gilmores quilting retreat in Terrace Bay this fall, she had let me know that she was making the quilt and as she already had a quilt in the queue when she told me she was going I had added this Christmas one along with her batik quilt.
If you let me know when you begin a quilt and would like to have me quilt it for you I will add you into my list at that point.
She has named her quilt Baby it’s Cold Outside.
It was a fun and happy quilt to work on and she chose the pantograph Rhapsody and a perfect one in my opinion for this quilt!
Cathy likes to have me attach her bindings for her so that they are ready for hand stitching when she picks them up.
She had this quilt completed finished for Monday and showed both this and her Batik quilt at the Guild meeting this week.
Monday…was my presentation of my Quilting Journey at the Thunder Bay Quilters Guild meeting. It is the last in person meeting until the spring.
It was really important to me, to show my quilts in person as I also like people to see and yes feel free to touch my quilts!
One of the quilts that I was asked about after my presentation was my Hourglass quilt. My friend Alva and I challenged each other to make them.
I made mine with Kaffe Fasset fabrics with a solid white background.
Alva’s in Batiks
Hers was quilted shortly after she made hers (using the pantograph Starswirl) this was the last quilt that Alva made, she had attached her binding herself, and it was the only quilt of hers that I hand stitched the binding for her as she was no longer able to.
I had to tuck mine away for a while.…
When I was ready, I quilted mine with the pantograph Rhododendron. it also began my run on Kaffe quilts that I made…which I did show some of on Monday.
We used the tutorial by Jenny Doan of Missouri Star Quilt to make our quilts. It’s a fun, easy quilt to make and one that really showcases beautiful fabrics.
Preparing for my presentation, was a journey for me personally as I decided which quilts to show. I hope that new quilters noticed my progress from beginner to where I am now in my journey and it encouraged them in their own journey.
Batik fabrics are so beautiful with their colour and pattern variations, this quilt that was completed last week is a carnival of just that!
So much to see and yet so cohesive that they are comfortable placed together, adding a soft flannel backing truly added to how inviting this quilt will be to snuggle under by its recipient.
Cathy chose the pantograph A Little Bit of this, a wonderful design that flows so beautifully along with the designs found in the fabric.
The 40 weight thread in a colour that didn’t quite blend but also didn’t have a stark contrast with the lighter fabrics in the quilt was a perfect choice.
The quilt was trimmed with the binding attached (not pictured) and ready for some lovey hand stitching sessions…
It’s always such a pleasure for me to work with others to help them bring their quilts to completion.
It’s so much fun quilting for and seeing what other quilters are making or have made.
We chose a edge to edge design that would be subtle and not too dense with both top and back being flannel, this kept a nice soft drape.
The backing is a coordinated fabric and so Beary fun!
Trimmed and ready for binding this quilt will be ready for the holidays.
Do you like to make seasonal quilts?
Let me know if you are working on or have a project you might like to have quilted before the holidays. I always try to make a little extra time in my schedule to accommodate a few extra quilts this time of year.
Sunday night I prepared my studio for Monday…the life of a Longarm Quilter…
The quilt on the right was ready for trimming and the one on the left for loading.
On Monday I spent most of my Day loading and quilting the customer quilt on the left in the above picture after trimming the quilt on the right.
After an early supper I packed up and joined the girls at the Rec centre for some relaxation, visiting and personal piecing… my postage stamp quilt project is perfect for these evenings.
On Tuesday after spending my morning quilting the customer quilt on the left in the above picture I gave myself the afternoon “off” to help Erik outside.
In November when the temperatures are in the double digit range on the positive side it’s a real treat! (Just a note that I am Canadian and I am talking Celsius) it reached 13 degrees on the 14th!
We loaded three truck loads of firewood to bring home along with a couple of other things. We also unloaded one truck load of firewood…let me tell you, our supper was well earned.
After a short rest after supper, Erik headed back outside and I to my studio to finish quilting the quilt on my Longarm… as a treat and to wind down from the day I spent a little time in my sewing room working on my postage stamp quilt.
Wednesday began with preparing the next quilt, I always like to press each quilts backing and top which gives me the opportunity to look everything over before loading.
This quilt will come off the frame today.
I was asked a question at quilting the other day… it was how I can sew all day and not have upper back pain?
I make it a habit to change activities through out the day, I take breaks to stretch and move around, sometimes hopping on the glider in my studio for a bit between rows of longarming.
In my sewing room, my ironing station requires getting out of my chair and standing to press what I am working on. When all else fails my back massager is a very good friend!!
Wendy’s Quilting and Life 