Tag: Wendy’s Quilting

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

June! and a Liam update

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Anyone who knows me knows that I love June! I always have for as long as I can remember!

The month started off welcoming and celebrating the grand opening of my friend Ana Paula’s new shop!

Two of my daughters share my birth month, the weather truly warms up and my world outside turns green!

Oh and Summer Solstice! Something else Liam and I share is the love of looking forward to and enjoying the longest daylight day of the year.

In the last years Liam delights in June looking forward to the first swim in the pool, barbecues (especially his favourite Bison Burgers) playing soccer outside and of course looking forward to summer holidays!!

This June for Liam marked a big milestone in his life! He graduated from grade 6 (grandma brag here…with an excellent report card!) on that note He had an amazing teacher this year and school really clicked for Liam starting in the fall, when he informed me that his teacher had a standing desk station for those who found sitting for long stretches hard. She also announced the snack table and that if you are hungry please have a snack! This woman clearly has a good understanding of 11 year old boys!! Liam will miss her and the elementary school but now moves onto Jr High in the fall.

This Junes ice cream cake was to celebrate Liam’s graduation!

He and his Mom spent well over an hour playing in the pool, the laughter was true music to my ears!!

Speaking of Liam and his Mom…she has shared her love of beading with him! The creativity in my family always amazes me and fills me with joy!!!

My Sister by choice and longtime very best friend came for a visit! Liam has met her before and when I mentioned something about her being a pilot and now is a captain he told me that he thought she was one of those people who bring you food! So we did some education 🥰 that those flight attendants are there much more for your safety than anything else!!

There was quilting happening as usual…though somehow I managed to pick up a flu bug and ended up spending quite a bit of the month dealing with that…thankfully that’s behind me!

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Those Trees! Some faux trapunto

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This stunning table runner left yesterday.

It was pieced using the pattern Those Trees by Zen Chic.

We chose to use faux trapunto under the larger trees giving them a little more of a pop with the dense quilting in the background.

Have you done Faux Trapunto before? If not, it is really easy using the Longarm but also manageable with your sewing machine.

With the Longarm, I load the batting as I would the backing and then the top. I using water soluble thread to sew around the trees and stars and afterwards very carefully trimmed the batting away as close to the seam as I could. This technique adds an extra layer of batting under certain areas of your quilt and in this case was well worth the effort.

The runner left yesterday making its way home to Ottawa, ready for binding. More pictures will follow when it’s finished.

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

The Annual Birthday Trip

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We have been going to Duluth Minnesota every May or June since we met to celebrate Eriks birthday. (Missed the years when the border was closed)

We love the drive down, and usually stop for a few hikes…this year we chose not to feed the mosquitoes…they seem worse this year.

We did stop at the scenic lookout in Grand Portage. I am always in awe of all of the different greens in the spring and early summer!

I love Canal Park so we always book a room there so we can walk to restaurants and explore.

Much to Eriks delight I’m sure, I didn’t take the usual pictures in the restaurants haha.

This spring trip we usually do some shopping for supplies…this year was mainly parts for the backhoe on Eriks side of things.

My shopping in my opinion was way more fun!!! More Pantographs to add to my collection…it’s always so much fun to have more to offer and to learn, and of course fabric!!

We also visited 4 quilt shops missing one but will get there next time 😊

There is a new granddaughter arriving in August and the quilt requested is for pink!!!!

Thank you Megan at Hannah’s Quilt Shop you are amazing!!
Oh those puppies!!!

I really love my morning coffee and I really don’t like drinking from paper cups…so I almost always bring a favourite mug 🥰. Staying at the Inn on the Lake we request lakeside and ground floor and enjoy walking outside from the room.

Oh and the view!!

The hotel also offers bikes to borrow and the trails are fantastic in Duluth!

We stopped along the drive home…I thought of our rock collecting grandchildren and the fun they would have had!!

Lake Superior really offers spectacular views!! The lake was so calm yesterday.

After stopping at the DQ in Grand Marais for a bite to eat…we were on our way home. Sven and Ollie’s is open again which was our first choice but this popular pizza place had a very long line!

It’s good to be home!

My Longarm awaits!

I am really looking forward to my visit with Ana Paula and seeing her Studio and Open House today!

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

My Dad and Quilting!

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When I first was curious about quilts and quilting my Moms first reaction wasn’t positive…though not too long after I began she caught the bug as well.

My Mom sewed many things during my childhood and loved to decorate our homes but it was not until after her family had grown and flown did her true creative self emerge! She was an amazing painter and weaver and had an incredible sense of colour.

My Dads creativity really flourished after retiring from his longtime career and amazed us all when the suits and ties disappeared and his garage became a workshop! He is an amazing woodcarver.

My Parents have encouraged my creative gifts as well and when I found myself at a desk job in a little grey cubicle while raising my 4 girls on my own…I received a call from my Dad…while at work with some very life changing news!!

Wendy, he said…I have ordered an APQS Millennium and it will be delivered in 2 weeks can you get a room ready for it!!!

Visiting with Ana Paula

So on Sunday, I invited my Dad on a date to view the quilt show! It was so much fun showing him all of the different quilts and how quilting has changed and yet remained the same in many ways.

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Wedding Season is upon us!

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This king sized quilt is to be gifted soon and what a wonderful gift made by the brides Mom and Aunt!

I love the giant gingham affect these large blocks make.

The pantograph Forest Floor was chosen as it suits the couple who will receive this quilt it also compliments the backing. When you look closely at the backing fabric you can see the subtle addition of blue in the veins of the leaves and some of the designs.

The binding was made from the backing which will be just the right pop on the front and won’t detract from the print on the back.

This quilt left my studio trimmed and binding prepared.

Let me help you bring your quilting projects to completion!

wendysquilting@gmail.com

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Jo Anne’s Quilt Story

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My first quilt was made about 38 years ago, I was 22.

Quilting was on my mind though for many years before that! I loved making things as a child and my Mother and other sewers provided me with scraps of fabric to play with!

It was when Quilt Canada was held in Thunder Bay in 1992 that I discovered there was a local Quilting Guild! I was really excited that I could meet like minded friends…though the first time I went to a meeting and saw that everyone appeared to be much older than I was I chickened out and didn’t attend!

Thankfully I met my new friend Alva at the fabric store and told her and she convinced me that those ladies would be more than happy to welcome me, and welcome me they did! They mentored me and my skills and love of quilting grew!

Jo Anne is one of the founding members of our guild and one of the women I remember welcoming me. It has been my absolute pleasure to quilt for her over the years!

Here we are in front of her quilt at this years show.

On a fun note, that day I attended the show with my friend Betty Maki…the two of them chatted and Jo Anne commented that she is the younger one by a year! My friend Betty is 88 1/2 and isn’t afraid to admit it 🥰

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

What a Weekend!!

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Well that was a fantastic quilt show weekend! So many people put so much work into making it happen! So many quilts to see!

I shared in my previous blog a post about micro scribbling because of a quilt at the show that was absolutely amazing!

Joyce designed her quilt herself and followed her vision, I cannot imagine the hours that went into this quilt! I know for myself the hours of planning and dreaming often aren’t recorded along with the actual physical effort that goes into a quilt or work of art such as this.

First her story about her quilt!

Her borders and use of embellishments were absolutely stunning!

I hope that this won’t be this quilts only show!

I worked as a hostess Friday evening and show many people this amazing quilt as a hostess is allowed to touch the quilts as we wear gloves.

I used both of my votes for her quilt and clearly others did as well as Joyce and her quilt won a very deserved first place!!

Congratulations Joyce Gilmore!

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Scribbling on your quilt

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There is a quilt hanging in our quilt show this weekend who’s maker did an absolute amazing job not only making the quilt but also designing it!

I volunteered as a hostess last night, meaning that ai was wearing white gloves and was allowed to touch and show the backs of the quilts to those people interested!

Joyce’s attention to detail on her quilt is extraordinary and I found myself returning to it over and over again as did others.

Her scribbling technique had me wanting to head to my studio to play last night though I thought better of it and put myself to bed!

This morning I found a Craftsy link of Cindy Needham demonstrating the scribbling technique if you are interested.

Cindy Needham Scribbling

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Flowers and Weddings

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I was contacted several months ago about quilting this quilt in May if the piecer had it ready…she did and this lovely quilt is trimmed and ready for binding. Well before the Wedding where it will be gifted to the bride and groom.

My quilting is hand guided and we chose the pantograph A Little Bit of This which added just the right density and flow for this very soft quilt.

I pieced the backing for this quilt this is a complimentary service that I provide and many of my customers really appreciate just bringing me the yardage.

Speaking of backings, some of my customers just want to piece the quilt top and request that I find the backing for them. This is another of the many services that I provide.

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Forest and Turning Twenty

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The pattern Turning Twenty by Tricia Cribs was a perfect choice to showcase this William Morris fabric collection Forest.

This is an older collection that is softer in colour than some of the newer lines we have been seeing online in the last while. This collection has large prints including some fun animals. It’s so much fun to spot the animals in this elegant quilt!

I chose a soft flowing pantograph design with a chameleon coloured thread that would not detract from the design on the quilt top but would add to the elegance when viewed on the almost solid looking back.

This beautiful quilt left trimmed and ready for binding and with the binding prepared.