Two Tip Tuesday – Curved Log Cabin

Posted on December 11, 2024 by debbiewendt

I love creating curves with straight lines! In the case of a Curved Log Cabin, you have a skinny side and wide side. This allows you to create “drunkard’s path” type blocks with straight pieces. Brilliant! The inspiration table runner I made with Curved Log Cabin blocks is below…

I taught the Curved Log Cabin Workshop to the Blackstone Valley Heritage Quilters on Saturday. We had a great time sewing blocks and watching the curves take shape. I’ll share some photos of progress during class. Thank you ladies for spending the day with me!

A couple of ladies took advantage of the kit I offered for the class. Here is Cathy F.’s progress along with the beautiful border fabric.

Carol V. also choose Christmas colors with her red/green/cream. Great progress!

And Carol was thrilled when she realized she matched a design in the fabric in a seam without even trying!! I said the Quilt Gods were with her.

Karen M. also went red and green, but chose to use the holly as the background (skinny side). I can’t wait to see the results.

Lori L. went for the popular blue and yellow color scheme. Her blue fabric was beautiful and the stars were shinning bright!

Looking forward to all the finishes, including Kathy B. who packed up before I could snap a photo of her progress. Well done ladies. I hope to share their finishes very soon!

Some tips I shared in class…

#1 – Mark your ruler with the strip lengths. The narrow side strips were all cut 1 1/4″ wide x varying lengths. While the wide side strips were 2″ wide. By marking their rulers they could cut and just slide their ruler down the strip for fast cutting. No searching for the correct length. It is marked on the ruler! See my ruler below.

#2 – Always check your seam allowance! With pre-cutting log cabin strips, each “round” will line up exactly with the previous pieced section. If the seam allowance is not correct, the block will get “out of square” very easily.

I hope your holiday sewing is going strong!

in quilting,

Debbie

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Two Tip Tuesday – December is Time for Holiday Sewing

Posted on December 4, 2024 by debbiewendt

Did you know I have free patterns on my website? They are great for last minute holiday gifts. I’ll list several below.

Holiday Napkins can be found HERE. The napkins are double sided and use a back to front binding.

Winter Tree-Land is great if you like making trees, a favorite! Trees are HERE. There are coasters!

Hot Dog Pillow Cases are a great for kids and adults alike. The pillow case pattern is HERE.

Fun sewing is in your future! I hope you were able to stock up on all the fabric sales.

Don’t forget to sign up for one of my classes at AQS Quilt Week in Daytona Beach in February. Feb.19-22, 2025. Become a Brilliant Binder is full but there is still room in Oooh Hexie Baby and Basic Piecing is the Cornerstone. The promo photos are below!

Can you believe we are in the last month of 2024? Where did it go?

#1 – Take a break from the busy of the season and SEW!! or QUILT!!

#2 – Sew up pillow case or napkins or a quick quilt with a free pattern!

in quilting,

Debbie

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Two Tip Tuesday – Thanksgiving Blessings

Posted on November 27, 2024 by debbiewendt

On this Tuesday before our Thanksgiving, I give thanks to YOU my readers! I appreciate the time you spend following my quilting journey! I am also thankful for local quilt shops that spend hours keeping the industry alive and vibrant! Thank you to quilty friends in guilds, those that visit me at shows and take classes I teach! Many THANKS and savings on my website, (wendtquilting.com). Use code THANKS to receive a 15% discount until December 3rd. Items purchased during the discount period will be shipped the end of next week.

I am very thankful for FAMILY!! Those near and far give me amazing support! Thanksgiving spent with family make for the best times. I got the chance to see our Great Grandson in action with our daughter-in-love(law) making pumpkin bread. Oh the fun and flour! Thank goodness the eggs stayed in the bowl. (the flour, no so much) It is times like this that make my heart blessed and happy!

I hope you have shared blessing for Thanksgiving! If you have time to sew, ENJOY. If you don’t, ENJOY what you are doing. Hoping it is with family and friends.

#1 – Take time to enjoy the giving season. I give thanks for local quilt shops, beautiful fabric and straight seams.

#2 – If you have time to create, DO! Whether you are at your sewing machine, longarm, or in the kitchen, ENJOY.

blessing in quilting,

Debbie

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Two Tip Tuesday – Pins and Pine Needles

Posted on November 20, 2024 by debbiewendt

When you realize your pine tree has dead branches that are a big as your car, it is time to get those “pine needles” out of your tree. I’ve seen many of these branches come down during heavy snow days. Now to HOPEFULLY keep that from happening this winter. Those dead branches had to come down!

What does that have to do with quilting? Well, not much other than it was fun to watch our tree get tended to from the front door. AND Pine NEEDLES worked right into my title!!! The height of our beloved tree is incredible when seeing how far the boom had to extend to get to the upper branches!

Anyone who has been around me, knows I say PIN and PEN the same. I try! But it just is the way it is! So with the needle title, I thought pins would fit right in. If teaching, I always say straight pin, then you know I’m not talking about an ink pen. Just a little secret, that isn’t a secret anymore. <grin>

In thinking about pins, I have many different brands, shapes, and sizes. I have the heavy duty ones for my longarm, to pin my quilt top and backing to my leaders. I have tiny applique pins, so they don’t interfere with catching thread as I stitch. I have glass head pins, because you can iron over them and they won’t melt. I have flat head pins, so they lay flat underneath a ruler when cutting. (NEVER cut or sew over a pin!…..they will nick your blade and could break a needle!) I made number pins to mark my rows when laying out a quilt. I have pins with decorative butterfly heads, because they are cute. I have Taylor Seville pins with new ridged tops for easy gripping. I have long fine pins, short fine pins, heart pins, pearl head pins…even fork pins.

WOW, that is a lot of pins. Why so many???? Each kind serves a purpose! How many pins to you have? Go take a look, I bet you have more than one kind. In thinking about all of these and the purpose they serve, I realized I could use my fork pins to put up blocks side by side on my design wall. No need for two separate pins, one fork pin will do. My fork pins are below and can be used to keep seam intersections in place when sewing. I sometimes use two pins instead.

Take a look in your pin cushion or magnetic pin bowl, how many different ones? Are they all mixed up or in a cute design?

#1 – Find a pin that best fits the USE you need it for.

#2 – You can never have too many pins!!!

in quilting,

Debbie

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Two Tip Tuesday – Years End and Next Year Shows

Posted on November 13, 2024 by debbiewendt

Did you know that AQS has opened up the registration for the Daytona Beach 2025 show? If you are an AQS member, you can register now!! If you are not an AQS member, then general registration will begin Nov. 26th at 9am CST. The classes I am teaching are listed below! The show classes are HERE.

Feb. 19, 2025 – Wednesday 1-4pm Basic Piecing is the Cornerstone

Make a table runner with a variety of simple blocks to learn basic cutting skills and trusted piecing techniques with only three fat quarters. For efficiency, we will use a cutting plan to maximize the use of your fat quarters. Options will be given for moving blocks around to change up the layout. 

Feb. 20, 2025 – Thursday 1-4pm Become a Brilliant Binder

Make perfect bindings every time! Learn flawless mitered corners and no-fuss end seams with Debbie’s Brilliant Bindings© tool and technique. Make samples of continuous straight-of-grain and bias binding for straight and curved edges. Stitching the binding to the back will be done by hand and machine. Plus, we’ll work with odd-angle bindings often found on many table runners. 

Feb. 21, 2025 – Friday, 1-4pm Oooh Hexie Baby: Piecing with No “Y” Seams

Discover time-saving techniques to create the beloved Tumbling Baby Blocks pattern with ease! In this workshop, you’ll learn how to simplify this classic design using strip-piecing methods. With the help of the Hex-a-ma-jig Template, cutting becomes a breeze, and you’ll achieve precise piecing—all without the hassle of Y seams.

I hope to see some of you in class next year!

I’ve got several guild lectures to finish out this year. Tomorrow, I’ll be Zoom-ing with the Patched Lives Quilt Guild in Center Wales, WI. Then on Sunday, I’m in person for the Cornerstone Quilt Guild in Charlton, MA. Next week on Nov. 21st you will find me at the Narragansett Bay Quilters in East Greenwich, RI and then teaching Brilliant Bindings by Machine for them on Sat. Nov.23rd.

On Dec.7th, I’m teaching for one of my home guild’s Blackstone Valley Heritage Quilters making a Curved Log Cabin Quilt or Table Runner.

Looking forward to family time over Thanksgiving and Christmas! Plus a Wedding to start the new year!

#1 – Join a guild and enjoy quilty events and programs and classes!

#2 – AQS (American Quilters Society) has great benefits with their membership. Show and class discounts and early class registration, just to name a few!

in quilting,

Debbie

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Two Tip Tuesday – Thank You Market and Festival

Posted on November 6, 2024 by debbiewendt

Last week flew past. With RE-setting up my booth and then Pre-view night of International Quilt Festival, Two Tips had to put on hold. I’m so happy Quilt Market and Festival are in the books and I miss so many of my quilty friends already!!!

Quilt Market began with a tearful meeting of my dear friends from England. They were my encouragement to start my business in the early 2000’s. Barbara Chainey and Sue Trangmar you MADE my Market!!

I always enjoy talking with shop owners and teachers “in the business”. My friend Nancy Hinds helped me in my booth and talked about what Wendt Quilting has to offer. My new pattern Winter Tree-Land table runner got outshined by my Sparkle Knobs(TM).

My Market booth…

Winter Tree-Land Table Runer is a great way to use 2 1/2″ strips and Hex-a-ma-jig Jr. template. I’m in love with the snowflake corners!

I designed Sparke Knobs(TM) for smaller rulers and templates. It will help you keep those fingers holding your rulers away from your rotary blade while cutting. Can you say BLING and functional?!?!

Both will be available on my website in the next couple weeks!

We did the quick change from my Quilt Market Booth to my Quilt Festival Booth. I expanded to a double booth and LOVE how I had room to display so many quilts and a demo area/table for both Brilliant Bindings and my Hex-a-ma-jig templates and Hexie Speak book!!

If you walked the aisle the opposite direction….

The port hole windows on the second floor of the George R. Brown Convention Center are a must to peek through to see the show floor. My booth is against the wall between the show quilts and the vendors just to the right of the giant blue structure. I put Wendt Quilting just above my booth….find JOY on our front demo table.

Wendt Quilting

Again THANK YOU for all who stopped and shopped in my booth! I had several former students and customers stop and share photos of quilts they made in class or on their own with my tools and patterns. I’ll post some of those after they send them to me. I taught Machine Sewn Bindings on Saturday afternoon and the students had great success practicing several ways to sew their bindings on quilt samples and journal covers ALL by sewing machine. Janome machines were provide in class! Thank you Janome for allowing us to use your machines! A shout out to Taylor Seville (notions) and the Magic company (spray starch) for their donations. It is so awesome I can request donations for my students!

Since I have such a long report, I’ll keep tips simple….

#1 – Attend quilt shows!!! Go with Friends and Family….they love to help you share the wealth!

#2 – Don’t forget to pick up business cards. If you don’t get back to a booth, you can always shop online!

I had the cutest little guy come to my booth asking for a business card. He was being pushed in a stroller by his mom. She made him a snap pouch and he was asking every vendor for a card. He was so happy and thanked me many times for my business card! So ADORABLE!!

in quilting,

Debbie

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Two Tip Tuesday – Houston and Old Quilts

Posted on October 23, 2024 by debbiewendt

Houston, we are getting closer!!! I have some free tickets to give away for the International Quilt Festival next week. If you are local to Houston, or coming in and need a FREE one day ticket….let me know!

A love of old quilts has me in awe of an AirBnb we have stayed in. The home owner is also a quilt lover! I’m sharing this quilt as it has several great ideas and tips to consider.

First, LOVE! And old quilt that has been used is a great quilt! I admire the different fabrics this quilter put together to make these Ohio Stars.

And oops! Yes, seams do rip open. A good lesson for making sure all seam allowance are standard and well sewn. I’m not saying they need to be over done, just not any chance for them to pull apart. Sure this happens over time and use. But notice how it is only in one spot. Could it have had added stress in this one area, sure. Doubtful, this seam probably just gave way.

Look at the back to front binding. A great old technique that I still enjoy using. The backing is used as the binding and pulled around to the front. Since the binding gets the most wear, it is good to actually add a binding to the edge. However, this technique was used a lot and saved fabric because the backing was typically bigger than the front when quilting the layers. So instead of cutting off the excess after quilting, it was used! As the binding!

Sooooo….

#1 – Take care of your seam allowances. Make sure you don’t have any seam that might easily pull open.

#2 – Back to front bindings are a great way to save fabric. It can end up very worn, but another binding could always be added later if needed!

Let me know if you can use a ticket to the International Quilt Festival!!

in quilting,

Debbie

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Two Tip Tuesday – Houston Prep

Posted on October 16, 2024 by debbiewendt

October is rolling along and that means International Quilt Market and Festival is right around the corner!! A new product is ready and class handouts are printed and KITS are cut and ready to go. Here is what some of that looks like…

Pieces quilted and cut, bindings cut, folders prepared and packed in bins ready to GO.

My Machine Sewn Binding class at Festival is full. I’m looking forward to teaching bindings that are all sewn by machine, no handwork. I love sewing bindings by hand but I also like getting them done faster using the machine. As you might guess, BRILLIANT BINDINGS will be used and discussed.

I’ll be in BOOTH 114 doing demos and talking quilting!! Bindings, Hexies, patterns, and favorite notions. Will you be at the show? I have 10 complementary tickets for single day admission to give away. If you can go to Festival on October 31 – November 3 and want a ticket, leave me a comment. Or you can send me an email through my website — info@ wendtquilting.com (remove the space). We can make arrangements to get you a ticket.

International Quilt Festival is Oct. 31 – Nov. 3 at the George R Brown Convention Center in downtown Houston, TX. They are celebrating 50 years!!! I will also be in Houston for Quilt Market the weekend before. It will be hours of QUILTY FUN! Market is where show owners and industry professionals learn what is new. It is only for those on the business side of quilting. I’m looking forward to catching up with my designer friends, vendor friends and dear friends that helped me get started on my path to designing tools and patterns. I’ll share what is new with Wendt Quilting next week!!

Tips are for quilt show bound friends…

#1 – Dress in layers (Yes, Houston can be hot but AC can be cold.) Same goes for the classrooms!

#2 – Comfort and patience is key at a BIG show.

I hope to see you in Houston in a couple weeks!

in quilting,

Debbie

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Two Tip Tuesday – Delay and YAY

Posted on October 9, 2024 by debbiewendt

Some Tuesdays just fly past. So the delay to Wednesday, but I have a WAY! I will be teaching at Daytona Beach again! AQS Quilt Week Daytona Beach is Feb. 19-22, 2025. I will be teaching three classes!! I’m thrilled to share my love of quilting and tips. I hope you will join me! (Adding the link and hoping it works <grin>!!)

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=928401182656720&set=a.547247540772088&cft%5B0%5D=AZXyLdgAVD9DsiMw_KbwUgGU9AsamgzlPj9NvGRloyVr_oL5tQvoQVdUsheIPqKWkQmlmQIrWHoQTZZiqsd3q6B5JxIUJy4OkceukMOEnvhRo0uKTCHkFjhdRlJPpv_iRqufGL6Zn38nfZKJY9fkB35sBE85-x_x8jEjJpyfrcCZaBAtOT0jeeJu9qN6LVt0FLs&tn=EH-R

Another yay…I attended a bridal shower for a nephew’s fiancé. I LOVE giving monogramed towels. All my married nieces and a granddaughter have said they loved getting them and put them out for special occasions. Fun and functional! Plus a great way to use your embroidery machine if you have that capability. These were done on my OLD Janome 9000.

Use those sewing skills!!

Tips – 1. Quilting doesn’t have to be just about straight lines. Use your creative stitches!

2. Start planning now for attending shows next year. Fun waiting to be had!

in quilting,

Debbie

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Two Tip Tuesday – Bindings with Stripes

Posted on October 1, 2024 by debbiewendt

I’m working on a few new samples for my Machine Sewn Bindings class in Houston later this month. I’ll be teaching and vending at the International Quilt Festival!!! My Machine Sewn Bindings class is a favorite to teach. I have several samples but decided to make yet another. This sample has a binding using a stripe-ish fabric. You’ll see it in the photos below. I say “stripe-ish” because it is not a hard line of a stripe but rather a soft uneven design. Some stripes are worth matching, this one is no different. Besides having a stripe-ish look it also has leaves going in the same direction. It is a good subject to discuss here!

I have put the steps below of making sure the stripe-ish design continues along the binding.

First, I lay out the binding strips to make sure the leaves are all in the same direction. I then flipped one strip on the other, right sides together. I guessed the alignment and put a pin to simulate the seam line. Then check to see that it will be reasonably lined up.

Second, I pin the strips and mark my seam line. Brilliant Bindings is great to mark this line. Since you will be using it for the perfect mitered corners and finishing the tail ends, this adds to its use! Then sew the seam on the drawn line.

Third, trim the seam to 1/4″ seam allowance. Finger press the seam open. Admire the front side! Is it perfect, almost. I could have spent extra time lining up each leaf, but I did not. The overall look is good! Now it needs a good press (It really is even and straight, I promise.)

When I’m ready to sew the binding onto the quilt, I always TEST the seam. I make sure the seam is wide enough to have a nice “full” binding and cover the stitches on the backside. See all my sewn test lines. Then a check that the seam line is covered when I roll the binding around to the back of the quilt. A “full” binding means there is not a gap of empty space in the binding. The seam allowance of quilt/batting/backing FILLS up the roll over of the binding!

Tip 1 – TEST, test, test! Test the seam when sewing stripe or stripe-ish binding strips into a continuous binding.

Tip 2 – TEST, test and test some more! Test the roll over of the binding around the edge of the quilt. You want a “full” binding to give it structure and help is wear better over years of use.

in quilting,

Debbie

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