First of all, how exciting that the Superior Quilt Show returns next Month. This is the Thunder Bay Quilters Guild Quilt Show that is normally held every second year! Of course the last few years haven’t been business as usual so it is even more exciting to have the show return!
The response of the membership has been fantastic and while normally there has been a call for extra quilts over and above the limit of three quilts per member this year the number has been capped. So I will have 3 quilts in the show along with any of my customers who have chosen to enter their quilts.
If you are in the area I hope that you will not only come and check out some of the incredible quilts and quilting that are done locally!
I believe that most people who live in North Western Ontario are longing for spring as we do every April! However our reality it seems is that winter isn’t over until it’s over and spring storms dumping fresh large amounts of snow in April is not uncommon… but still!
I am ready to put our winter gear away, but I know better so will wait!
My morning view
I will be back to showing quilts regularly again, life has been busy and as usual so have I and my APQS Millenium Longarm.
Just before Easter and our trip to Cuba, I quilted this sweet little quilt with Minkie fabric for the backing. These digital panels are amazing and this one with the giraffes appears 3D.
When choosing a quilting design, I wanted something that would look like it was in the jungle but also would have enough stitching to hold this fun quilt together for the long run. This design was the perfect fit!
It was a little challenging as we really wanted to use this piece of backing and it was a little small…I had a half inch on both sides of extra backing fabric. Yes I do require 2” as that does seem to work best but I can and do make exceptions and in my 18 years of quilting professionally I have learnt a trick or two.
The best part of this particular quilting job is this!
In this case Cathy brought me her Nebula Quilt designed by Julie Herman of Jaybird Quilts and fabric by Tula Pink. Cathy made some changes to make it hers.
I really do love quilting for others! It’s so much fun to help other quilters bring their projects to completion.
Cathy chose the pantograph Nemesh Feather Grande which is such a pretty design and perfectly suited to this gorgeous quilt!
The backing really showcases the beautiful feathers, curls and swirls of this gorgeous pantograph!
Cathy also supplied the prepared binding, so not only was her quilt trimmed but the binding was attached and pressed and ready to be hand stitched when she picked it up.
Cathy will be entering her quilt in the Thunder Bay Quilters Guild Quilt Show May 26, 2023- May 28, 2023 if you would like to view this and many more beautiful quilts in person.
Are you a fan of binding? What is your favourite step in quilting?
I really don’t have a favourite step though I really do enjoy hand stitching bindings, I like to take my time to keep my stitches close and hidden as best as I can. I love the look of a really well stitched corner on both front and back. Somethings take time but to me some things are well worth the time it takes to do it right.
Part of my Longarm Quilting Services does include binding. I am often asked to prepare the binding, attach the binding and occasionally to hand stitch the binding so when the quilt is returned it is completely finished.
This is the back and binding on my granddaughter Romee’s quilt, yes it takes more time to hand stitch but why race through such a special project 😊
Of course machine stitching a binding both front and back does make for a more durable quilt especially if it will be laundered often so it’s a valuable skill to have. I do use the technique from time to time but still prefer hand stitching.
Oh and of course how do you choose the binding? I rarely make that final decision until the quilt is almost finished. I love how the binding adds that final touch… it took some time to finally choose the binding colour for my Sunny Quilt and I am so happy with my choice of orange!
Applying binding to my Sunny Quilt
Todays project is to attach a customer binding. One thing that I always do and highly recommend is to take a little time and lay the binding around the quilt so that you can adjust it and avoid having binding seams in the corners.
Well it’s a little past mid March and I woke up to snow…again. Thankfully my morning commute is only a short stairway away!
A peek at what’s under my needle…though it’s almost finished and will be done before lunch break. I am really enjoying the changing colours on this quilt with every advance.
Todays Instagram Quiltfest post prompt was favourite quilt which I can truthfully say that I don’t have one.
I love quilts and their stories some are so exciting such as for babies and weddings…some have brought me comfort the ones made for friends that are at the end of life or struggling.
This is a customer quilt from early in my Longarm career, I love the beautiful appliqué and the quilting added. I wish that I had better pictures of it!
Another custom quilting job that included a lot of freehand stitching, it really is a spectacular quilt!
This one was a Victory Quilt made to commemorate the end of the World War in 1945, it was brought to me top and backing and binding to complete.
Another long time ago quilt, made by Margaret Bliss for her Grandson, that shows my custom Quilting.
My friend Alva and I decided to play with the disappearing hour glass pattern shown on Missouri Star Quilts…mine was made with Kaffe Fassett fabrics and hers with Batiks.
My disappearing hourglass quilt
This was Alva’s last quilt, I quilted so many quilts for her and this final one was the only one that I put the last stitch in for her in the binding.
Many of my personal quilts have been made just for fun, playing with different ideas, patterns, fabrics and colours. Many quilts are my favourite while I am making them!
Oh one last picture…I was asked to be quilter of the month early on in my Longarm quilting career the memory came up this week on facebook
Are you ready for spring? Summer? Depending on where you live it might already be spring but here in North Western Ontario spring is weeks away dare I say months…
One of the quilts I had the privilege of quilting this week made me think of a pretty little cottage by a lake….
What a fantastic way to use a floral fabric stash!
I chose to use the Pantograph Garden Frills as it adds an almost Lacey feel and such a soft flow of stitching.
I really like the affect of laying a corner of the quilt top over the backing for the above picture as it was really hard to capture the true white backing and the soft pretty floral prints. This picture is a really close match.
This queen sized quilt is now trimmed and ready for binding!
Todays Instagram Quilt Fest post is about scrappy finishes, so I spent a little time looking through my pictures and look what I found!
My adorable Granddaughters enjoying a summer day last year! I had forgotten about the quilt that they are on!
It was made using quilters candies from a once upon loved quilt shop in town called Patchworks! The owner had a candle jar of charms folded into 1” squares with a stitch to hold them together. When I shopped with my girls the owner Diana would pour them onto the floor and my girls were allowed to pick one to add to the collection…
I remember making the quilt to practice Longarm quilting when I first began my business.
One day last December we had a day with grands which always makes for a grand day! Kaija asked me if we could go to my sewing room and make something. Music to this Grandmas ears!!
We made a pouch with scraps and when I dumped out my in use scrap basket I was reminded of my initial love of scraps! She filled her little pouch with scraps and has had hours of fun!
I have made and quilted so many scrappy quilts and my customer quilts continue to inspire more…
I have an early memory of my Mom taking taking me to a neighbours house and this lady had a sewing room full of Raggedy Ann dolls all in bright dresses she also made Barbie clothes…that room was so full of inspiration that never left me I was probably 5 yrs at the time!
Hopefully my sewing room will grow inspiration in my granddaughter’s hearts and minds as well.
This mornings IGQuiltFest post was about lessons learned. I chose to post a couple of pictures from my design wall the lighting wasn’t the best for sure. However my point was that we should enjoy our quilting journey!
Samplers are a great way to try new techniques and to build new skills! I have made a few designer mystery quilts from the Fat Quarter Shop. (See Centre Quilt) this was made with supplied fabrics and a finishing kit and I really like this quilt. Sometimes though if you don’t like the finishing kit…it’s perfectly ok to change it up and make it your own!
The first picture above is a stage of the journey of my Longtime Gone Quilt (pattern by Jenn Kingswell) my decision to make this quilt began with a ruler by Creative Grids to make the pineapple block. It was during Covid and I wanted to PLAY and use tons of different fabrics with only two rules tons of variety of low volumes and any bright fabrics that caught my fancy!!! Making this quilt even more fun was the addition of scraps from friends…this quilt has so many stories and is right now a most favourite project!
This one (to be quilted soon) was my most fun to piece. It really stretched me at times but it brought so much joy into my life! Oh and the backing I chose has a story as well. I plan to have it ready to hang in our upcoming Quilt Show in May.
The third quilt in the gallery is my version of a Moda Blockheads quilt. I made almost all of the blocks but also chose to add some such as the sister hood block and made this quilt more of my own.
To steal a term I have heard before…the unused blocks now reside in the parts department for future use. This quilt took me a little out of my comfort zone using a colour palette that didn’t really rock my boat. Still I am happy with the result!
This recent quilt reminds me that I have a couple of older as in 2009 and 2011 Designer Mystery tops to quilt of my own!
This one is from 2018 and is so pretty and very spring or summer like! I really enjoy these projects as they are both great skill builders and I found that the Fat Quarter Shop was extra generous in the fabric sent.
I chose to us the pantograph Shasta Daisy as it adds such a pretty floral design with a lovely spread of flowers throughout the quilt.
The backing was still in its package when it came to me. It was yardage so was pieced for the backing. The quilt leaves trimmed and ready for binding. (both services are complimentary)
Do you have any mystery quilts tucked away waiting for quilting?
I remember when “Modern” quilting was starting to evolve and being drawn to what was emerging and I still am. Attending a Quilt Con show is definitely on my bucket list so who knows.
Playing with colour is fun for me and playing without rules is even more fun and something I plan to devote a little more time to!
Playing with scraps left over from my Long Time Gone quilt.
A Quilters Table is a blog I visit often, Debbie shares a lot of her projects and her recent one is using scraps from another project and just having fun without all of the rules.
Most of my quilting time is devoted to helping others to complete their projects, I am am truly a quilter at heart. I love to spend time playing and trying out new ideas. Do you?
Wendy’s Quilting and Life 