While many quilters are working along with Karen at Just Get it Done Quilting’s cleaning and sorting challenges I have been working on another half square triangle quilt for Marilyn.
If you have been following along with my blog you will know that this isn’t her first quilt like this!
It takes many years to accumulate this type of stash! When you look closely at her quilts it’s easy to see some fabrics that may have lost favour over the years over new projects and different fabric lines. Some might say get rid of what you won’t use or that you no longer love but something to consider…some day you may have a little more time on your hands for such a project one that will include memories from many years of quilting!
Some quilters work on a project like Marilyn’s over many years and eventually have enough to make the quilt… what projects are you working on?
I am all about savouring some projects! This quilt has been one of those that it seems can’t be rushed. When I first learnt about this Jen Kingwell Pattern it was the possibility of making it really bright happy and scrappy.
The recommended borders just didn’t suit me and so I took a little more time to ponder and finally decided to piece more monkey wrench and 60° triangles for two corners and will complete the rest with checkerboard piecing.
So it shouldn’t be too much longer before this top is completed, I have the backing waiting and quilting planned out.
My Longarm and I have been busy which is where most of my quilting time is spent.
Thank you Yvonne @quiltingjetgirl for hosting the 2023 Planning Party Linkup!
After a very busy year Longarm quilting for others and fitting in a little piecing and Longarm quilting for myself… it’s time to reflect on the last 12 months.
My APQS Millenium arrived at my doorstep December 2004! I was so fortunate to have joined a Longarm chat group of others who were also pioneering in this new adventure! Together we shared and taught each other so much.
I began longarming for others that winter and haven’t stopped! In thinking about a word to claim for the year… Gratitude keeps coming to mind.
I am so grateful for the honour and trust others have placed with me to help them to complete their projects! I am thankful for my quilting skills and I love to support and encourage other quilters and to share the skills that I have acquired over the years.
I have completed 2 personal quilts and have some tops ready for quilting.
My favourite finish is the quilt that my Daughter and I collaborated on and made for my sweet Granddaughter! Baby quilt
I loved the fun back of her quilt as much as the front.
My Sunny quilt was completed early in the year other than binding and that was that I just couldn’t settle on what colour I wanted…this month I not only ordered the colour that I decided on but took the last stitch on it yesterday. Sunny Quilt
My Longtime gone quilt is so close to being completed, I am working on the border and plan to have it completed in January. This has been a project that I have savoured and know that I will miss working on it when it’s complete it.
A fun project this month has been dressing my twin dolls. I find it hard to believe that they are about 55 years old. When my daughter said that she would love to have them for her girls I was delighted and happily found patterns and then added little quilts for both.
I was able to complete two goals with this project one was machine binding which went well and I can see myself doing that a little more often. I quilted the little boy quilt on my domestic machine and I will be doing that a little more as well.
Also for fun I started playing with making pouches and hope to add some bag making to my skills.
Moving into 2023
I look forward to another year of helping others to bring their quilting projects to completion.
My personal quilting goals include working on more of the Color Collective quilts that I collected in 2022. I have the second top completed and ready to quilt and the third partially pieced.
My challenge will be working with my stash and adding only what I need to complete quilts and projects.
I hope to get back into a regular routine of quilting with my friends at the Rec centre and hopefully finally plan a retreat there that a friend and I have discussed since 2019…
I will be upgrading this site in the coming year as it’s time to upgrade which should be fun and educational 😊
On the life side I do have some personal well-being goals in place… life can get so busy but as I approach a significant birthday in 2023 I plan to greet it at my best and enjoy the ride!!
The blizzard warning has been lifted, the wind is still howling and we have a lot more snow than we normally do before Christmas. (Thunder Bay has been under a Winter Storm watch followed by a Blizzard warning for the last several days)
I really enjoy my early morning coffee and the reflection of our Christmas tree in my morning view.
Liam stayed the night last night. He is so excited for Christmas, we spent part of the evening working on this puzzle. Last year it was too hard and we put it aside for another time.
So much changes in a year especially a child and this year he was determined to complete it.
Tracey approached me about having me quilt her first quilt, I was happy and honoured to be able to help as she had a small window of being in town working as a community nurse. I added both her final border as well as pieced her polar fleece backing.
She chose the pantograph Kindling as it added to the feather look that she was looking for. She also chose a heavier weight thread that would really pop against the black background and disappear into the plates.
The design added a stunning look on the back of the quilt as well.
It really is both an honour and privilege to be entrusted with my customers quilts and to help them bring their work to completion.
As the Grandchildren began arriving, we began a tradition of holding a Christmas brunch the Sunday before Christmas. My thinking was it would be nicer than the pressure for young families of trying to be with everyone over a two day period.
So todays our day. The tree is decorated, gifts under the tree. Liam has a new Fort built for the cousins. Cookies are baked.
Liam and I began a tradition when he was very small of baking his favourite chocolate cherry cookies together…
This year he and his Mom mixed the dough and last night he helped me bake them…
We have enough snow! Erik has the snowmobiles ready and made the trails yesterday through the woods for fun after brunch!
Winter has truly arrived and it definitely will be a white Christmas!
The tranquility of the early morning and watching the daylight begin with the snow laden trees is so peaceful I feel truly blessed to begin my day sipping coffee and enjoying the view!
A few months ago we discovered that a Finnish comedian, Ismo that we have watched on YouTube was going to be in Duluth this month. So we ordered tickets thinking that we would just keep an eye on the weather. We also booked our stay at the Inn on the Lake Superior where we always stay in Duluth.
The drive down was nice and uneventful, we don’t like to race but instead usually a take our time to explore a little.
This time I explored a new quilt shop in Two Harbours…I was greeted at the door by the sweetest little white pup and of course then enjoyed meeting the shop owner and exploring her beautiful shop!
Her shop is full of a lot of variety of new lines of fabric. Also for those who have been quilting for a while and remember the quilt shop in Castle Danger…those fabrics have been relocated to an area of this shop at a discounted price.
After arriving in Duluth we spent a little time at Costco before checking into the hotel. One of the things we enjoy about staying in Canal Park is the freedom of walking around the area. We had soup at Grandmas before setting off for the Bentleyville Tour of Lights!
If you are in the area it is well worth the visit! It felt truly magical and I felt an almost childlike awe in it all!
The next morning, I had enjoyed a visit with my friend Megan at Hannah Johnson’s quilt shop… I behaved and only walked out with a little purchase this time. This is a shop that I could spend hours in and come out with bags of so much fun!!
After a day of shopping around Miller Hill and Herman Town it was time to return to Canal Park, with the weather changing and now blizzard warnings in effect we decided to drive to have supper at Lucé Pizza… we love their classic.
A fun picture of a store front where we parked…
And we were off to the show, it was held at the Masonic Lodge just up Lake St on the corner of Second avenue…Megan had told me how beautiful this building was and it is. The show was fun and lots of laughs!
Ismo and I
With the blizzard warnings in effect for Duluth and the north shore for our drive home day it was a little hard not to worry…we enjoyed a swim and sauna before bed as we made the decision to head home first thing in the morning.
Leaving Duluth Wednesday morning the roads were snow covered with the wet slushy stuff and temps hovering around freezing and snow blinding at times it was messy…we thankfully followed a snowplow just past Two Harbours and then a transport to Beaver Bay. By then we had managed to get just a little ahead of the storm, and the roads were wet but fine.
We stopped in Grand Marais to watch the angry lakes high waves crashing over the shoreline, thankful that we would miss the worst of the storm and soon be home.
After unloading and getting settled back home I was happy to be back in my studio! One of the things that I picked up was the binding fabric for my Sunny quilt!
We are home in time for more snow which is fine as I have a lot to keep me busy in my studio and preparing for Christmas of course.
Terri chose the pantograph Kindling for the quilting design and it really added so much movement and visual appeal oh and the texture!
I also pieced the backing and of course trimmed her quilt for her so that it was ready for binding. I always check with my customers before trimming and find that most people are more than happy to have me do this step for them. All of the trimmings are returned with the quilt.
I love how beautiful the stitches look on the back!
Wendy’s Quilting and Life 