Tag: Wendy’s Quilting

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Sunny

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Sunny is the name of the first block of Season 4 of the Color Collective that I have been working on. This Season began November 1st and this block introduced a new to me paper piecing technique.

I don’t usually enjoy paper piecing, it seems so tedious and wasteful however Taras technique was fun and no ripping papers and very little fabric waste. Not only that but as our days become shorter as we get closer to December 21st it was a fantastic palette and block to play with in the moments that I had time to play.

Curved piecing has really been popular these last few years and I was glad to have the glue technique for these blocks!

Fall and winter are especially busy with customer quilts and Christmas coming so my personal piecing time becomes very precious and needed. I decided to focus on Sunny but also accept that the November block most likely wouldn’t be a top until January.

So yesterday with little wind and not too terribly cold weather I laid Sunny over the snow to show you. I am somewhat pondering how I will quilt this top so it might be awhile before I get to that stage.

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

January Quilting and Life

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Another anniversary has just passed over the New Year of my APQS Millennium’s arrival December 31, 2004. I began Longarm quilting for others a few months later and continue to love and grow in this wonderful business.

After allowing myself a little down time and time to quilt one for myself, my machine is back to work…of course that means that I am as well.

Just a peek

And another peek

We had scheduled a fun day for Liam and two more grands before Christmas which had to be cancelled due to the gastro crud…so this week we had a redo… the epic nerf gun war, sledding and snowmobiling were in order and lots of fun and laughter!

Erik preparing the sliding hill also known as the snow mountain as the kids call it. This year the addition of the back hoe has helped to grow it.
The biggest kid!

Of course the big winter highlight is when Pappa gets out the snowmobiles. Liam has mastered his driving skills and loves to ride our trails.

Another highlight around here this winter has been the addition of the jumbo lego blocks…they have provided hours of fun! Liam has returned to virtual learning this week and really enjoys his forts for when he is off school.

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

The Field Trip

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Life has been very full and heavy at times lately. My friend Kim and I decided we needed a visit with Donna at her quilt shop.

I was needing some wide backs for customer quilts and Donna always has such great wide backs. I was able to find just the right ones and even one for my Moda Block head quilt.

Donna is always so friendly and fun to spend time with!
She enlarged her shop over the winter…how will she fit it all on her bus when she can finally get back on the road!

For those who don’t know, her shop is called Fuelled by Fabric and is usually a mobile shop using a refurbished bus that her husband found online.

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Lady of the Lake Quilt

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This was one of Susan’s first quilt projects that she purchased when she first began quilting. It sat waiting for her to feel ready to tackle all of those half square triangles.

As usual her quilt top was perfectly pieced and a joy to quilt! it was quilted using Bethanne Nemeshs pantograph Feather Grande.

I love the yellow and grays together

How pretty is this backing!

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Design Wall Update!

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I have had so much fun piecing blocks for my Long Time Gone quilt! It is very scrappy and very bright. I think starting it before finishing my Moda blockheads might have been a mistake because these brighter blocks really drew me in.

My design wall is located in the hall outside of my studio which makes photographing a challenge.

A lot of the fabrics are from my stash but many friends have enhanced my scrap collection along the way which will make this quilt so much more special to me. This will be my 2021 quilt and I plan to have the top completed before I allow myself to begin the first Color Collective project…starting November 1st (more on that soon).

Longtime Gone quilt is a pattern by Jen Kingwell that really caught my attention early in the year. I love the variety in piecing and fabrics that are in the quilt.

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Thanksgiving Weekend

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Happy Thanksgiving!

With the weather being wet and gloomy and being a long weekend weekend I decided to treat myself to some just for me sewing days.

I began the Moda blockhead 3 quilt at the beginning of 2020 and kept up for the most part and enjoyed the challenge of piecing a few new to me blocks. I used fabrics from a few designers and a colour palette that was different than I had been using lately.

These blocks were on my wall far too long to the point of being tired of looking at them, especially with another project getting well under way and needing the design wall space!

Not all blocks made it into the top and now I am at the point of deciding on the border, that may take a little time as I am going to ponder that for a while. Any suggestions?

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Swap Blocks … and a few new things

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My paper piecing adventure has finally begun..it started with the paper and then I decided I wanted the ruler!

I have paper pieced before but it had been years…so I did spend some online time refreshing my memory and also discovering new tools etc…

Carol Doak taught the first quilt class that I took…she was teaching at Quilt Canada and a new friend suggested that we take a class… that was in 1991! I never finished the project, however I met Alva in that class who really took me under her wing and mentored me for years.

I highly recommend Carols paper, I know that there are other ways and means but her paper made it easier.

I watched a YouTube video by Berene Campbell on the appliqué portion of this project which was well worth the time. As a long time Longarm quilter I have a pretty good stash of thread so found just the right colour and weight.

I thought that I would start out with mine to make sure that I knew what I was doing before I embark on the blocks for the seven others in my group. It was fun and will be on the table this week to complete.

Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Summer Blossoms Quilt

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Joan’s quilt brightened up the room as soon as I opened it up. I always press quilt tops before loading them onto the Longarm.

I also prepare quilt backs. Many of my customers bring yardage as I offer free piecing…I use a lot of pins which always give me nice even and flat seams.

How bright is this back!
It’s hard to see the stitching on the back.

Trimmed and ready for pick up. The majority of my customers choose to have me trim their quilts. I use the table on the back of my Longarm which is 12’ long making the process much easier.

Customer Quilts, Longarm quilting Thunder Bay, Quilting, Wendy's Longarm Quilting, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Susan’s Alaska Quilt

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I have been quilting for Susan for several years now and her quilts never cease to amaze me. Her piecing is spectacular and this quilt was no exception! I think the best part of quilting for customers are the friendships that begin with our love of quilting.

When she first saw Edita Sitar’s pattern Alaska, she knew that she wanted to make it! She had begun piecing it pre covid lock downs and delivered it to my deck and left the quilting decisions to me.

Susan’s Version of Edita Sitar’s Alaska Quilt

I used Bethanne Nemesh’s pantograph grande feather.

Susan’s Alaska Quilt back.