|
|
 Made by Jackie for a friend.  By Jackie Kunkel A quilter for about 18 years, I am constantly amazed by the kindness and generosity of other quilters. They consistently give to those in need by making quilts for organizations such as Quilts of Valor (soldiers coming home from war) and Basics (a shelter), and quilts and pillowcases for The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp (kids with illnesses), to mention just a few.
In addition, quilters are kind to other quilters. Since I began blogging almost four years ago, I have met other quilting bloggers and found some long-term friendships. We have done things like swaps, and “paying it forward,” which means making something for someone else “just because.”
A longtime blogging friend and I recently agreed to do a swap. We decided to make a small quilt for each other, keeping in mind what we each like, but also putting our own “signature” design on the final result. For me, it was tons of fun to create a quilt with someone else in mind.
 Made for Jackie by a friend. We initially agreed to have them completed by November, but with deadlines looming, the date kept getting pushed back. Then 2011 arrived along with more deadlines. But my friend Stephanie and I kept at it, and finally were able to send the quilts to each other. I can’t tell you how delighted I was by the one she designed especially for me (left). Just perfect! I see it now every time I walk into my studio.
I sent her a quilt that I thought reflected her likes and my design (above). She was tickled to receive it, as well. I can’t wait to see it on her wall. However, I won’t see it in person anytime soon; she lives in Ohio, so I’ll have to settle for a photo.
Anyway, these are just some of the good things that quilters do for each other and for others. They make me feel good, just like we all feel when we do something nice for somebody else.
* * *
Jackie Kunkel is the owner of Canton Village Quilt Works. Her posts will appear occasionally at dotCANTON.com.
Please Patronize Our Advertisers
 Jackie Kunkel, above, entertaining plans for a 40-mile ATV ride ... plans she decided to abandon.  By Jackie Kunkel We all know that it has been a very difficult winter in Connecticut, and I must admit I don’t enjoy this weather very much at all.
Thank goodness I have a place to escape to this time of year. My parents live in Arizona during these harsh winter months (a very smart thing), so I couldn’t wait to hop on that plane for a weeklong visit.
After arriving early last week, we were treated to sun-filled days and temperatures in the mid-60s. Absolutely glorious! We did something wonderful every day, and I’d like to share those things with you.
 Jackie and "Mesquite," right, out riding with her son in Arizona. One day we were able to go horseback riding at Saguaro Lake Ranch in Mesa, a beautiful respite not far from where my parents live. We did a 90-minute tour with the horses, and to be honest, I don’t think I could have sat on the horse any longer than that.
My horse was quite large, and his name was Mesquite. The horses were incredibly easy to guide around the rough terrain that we wandered through. We saw some beautiful vistas along the way, and off in the distance were mountains with snow-capped peaks. I was so happy we weren’t very close to the snow.
The ranch was interesting itself. I loved some of the decor: a beautiful, four-sided stone fireplace, a very old (dead) saguaro cactus that was built into the center of the room, and a “cow”-covered chair. Fun!
 Four-sided stone fireplace at Saguaro Lake Ranch in Mesa, Ariz. Another day, we went on an ATV tour. Well, I say we, but I use that term loosely. I went with good intentions of going on the 40-mile ride, and then graciously copped out after getting very nervous. But my son did go and had a great time. He took some beautiful photos, too.
We also did a little hiking, and a lot of visiting with friends and relatives — in addition to enjoying the warmth of the sun! You realize just how much you miss that warmth when you’ve had such a long and grueling winter.
I hope this post has brought a little of that warmth and sun back to you.
Jackie
For a closer look at a few more photos from Jackie Kunkel’s trip to Arizona, click on any of the images below and use the arrow left or arrow right button at the bottom of the larger image that pops up. To return to this page, click on the full image you are viewing.
* * *
Jackie Kunkel is the owner of Canton Village Quilt Works. Her posts will appear occasionally at dotCANTON.com.
Please Patronize Our Advertisers
 A little string bag, all made from scrap fabric. By Jackie Kunkel
As quilters, we sometimes tend to gauge our progress by how many project finishes we have in a year. It isn’t necessarily to have started them in that same year, but they must be finished.
 Diaper bag for infant nephew. Being a devoted and passionate quilter, I am no different than any other — I keep track. So I thought you might like to see some of the projects I was able to complete in 2010.
Interestingly enough, my first project, right, wasn’t even a quilt. I completed a diaper bag for my newly born nephew. I thought my brother and sister-in-law would like something stylish that didn’t quite resemble a traditional diaper bag. They loved it. It actually flew halfway across the world at that time, as they were in China.
 Started about three years ago. My second finish, right, was a quilt I had started about three years earlier. It was from a class that I taught at the local quilt shop, and I was finally able to finish my own sample. As you can see, it graces our bed.
My next project (see image at the top of the story) didn’t take very long. It was a challenge from another quilting blogger. I made this tiny little string bag, just big enough for some spending money, license, and cell phone. Love the colors on this, and it was all from scrap fabric!
 New pattern from a friend. Again, another bag! This one, right, was a new pattern from a friend and fellow quilting blogger. She had begun to design patterns and asked me to test it for her. I think it turned out great and, yes, it is quilted, too!
Next, I had a very important quilt to complete. My nephew was turning 7, and he kept asking his mom, “When is Aunt Jackie going to make me a quilt for my big boy bed?” No self-respecting, quilting aunt could turn down this opportunity. So within a month this quilt was completed. (See image in the gallery below.)
Of course, I threw in a project just for me. I love these floral fabrics, and so this lap-size diamond quilt was created! (See image in the gallery below.) It shouts spring, and I know we all could use a little of that right now.
 "Fabulous." The first time Steve Wilder wrote about me on dotCANTON, he showcased me with my first published quilt. This is also just for me, and it was featured in Quilt Magazine! It is called “Pop Squares.” (See image in the gallery below.)
The next one, right, is very indicative of some of my favorite colors. The magentas and fuchsias always call my name. Sprinkle a little purple and yellow and you have a quilt named “Fabulous.”
My next finish is a large one that I started years ago, as well. I love it! It is called the “Weathervane Quilt.” That is the name of this traditional block. (See image in the gallery below.)
 Gift for daughter. My quilting, blogging friend designed yet another bag pattern she wanted me to test for her. This hip bag is called “The Loft Tote,” and it was fun to put together! (See image in the gallery below.)
Last, but not least, was probably the most important quilt of all. This one, right, is a traditional block called the Hunter’s Star. A few years ago my daughter asked me to make her a black and white quilt with a little bit of teal in it. So I began this quilt in 2010 and finished it in time to give it as her Christmas gift. Needless to say, it was well received.
I hope you have enjoyed a look into my year in projects for 2010! Stay tuned for upcoming projects and a continued look into the world of a very dedicated quilter.
Jackie
To check out larger versions of the images below, click on any of the five and use the arrow left or arrow right button at the bottom of the larger image that pops up. To return to this page, click on the full image you are viewing.
* * *
Jackie Kunkel is the owner of Canton Village Quilt Works. Her posts will appear occasionally at dotCANTON.com.
dotCANTON Classifieds Page Open For Business
 Hello Everyone,
 By Jackie Kunkel It is with great pleasure that I am writing my first post for dotCanton.com. I would like to thank Steve Wilder for inviting me to be a contributor. Being a resident of Canton for more than 13 years makes it even more special for me.
Hopefully in my posts I can give everyone a little insight into my corner of Canton and what I do. So let’s get started …
Being a mom and having made the decision to stay home with my kids, I started my own business out of my house more than 10 years ago. This business was born out of my hobby, quilting! I have been quilting for 17-plus years and love it.
I love to create quilts of my own …
    But quilting other people’s quilt tops is my main business. I receive them from all over the world (literally). I have a 15-foot machine in my home to help me out. Right now I am in the middle of the Christmas Crunch! Lots of quilts to get back to customers before the holidays. They have been specially made as gifts. Here are a few photos of quilts on my machine.
  My customers are some of the nicest people. But then again, I have never met a quilter I didn’t like. In addition to quilting quilts for my wonderful customers, I have an online fabric shop. This came about because I am an avid fabric collector. So the need to share lovely fabrics with others resulted in the creation last year of an online business!
  It has been growing ever since, and I ship all over the world. I still am in awe that the World Wide Web is just that … world wide! But to love what you do really helps. You can find my site by going to www.cvquiltworks.com. There you will find tons of information about me and my business, a wonderful gallery of customer quilts, links to my very active blog, and also to my podcasts.
Thank you for stopping by, and I look forward to my next post here. Next time, I will give you a peek into some of my personal projects!
Jackie
Jackie Kunkel is the owner of Canton Village Quilt Works. Her posts will appear occasionally at dotCANTON.com.
 Jackie Kunkel We first introduced quilting and fabrics expert Jackie Kunkel to readers of dotCANTON.com in an Aug. 24 post about her business, Canton Village Quilt Works.
Beginning Thursday, Dec. 16, the North Canton resident will begin sharing her insights right here with occasional posts on dotCANTON.com.
Jackie is an award winning quilter and a member of the International Machine Quilters Association. She has been a member of the Farmington Valley Quilter’s Guild since 1997, and served as 2nd vice president for two years. She is also a member of the American Quilter’s Society.
We invite you to keep an eye out for Jackie’s contributions and to enjoy what she has to say.
– Steve Wilder, founder/editor, dotCANTON.com
 Jackie Kunkel stands beside her long arm quilting machine and shows off the pattern she designed that is being published in Quick Quilts magazine. Photo: dotCANTON By Steve Wilder dotCANTON.com
It all started innocently enough about 17 years ago, when Jackie Kunkel was pregnant with her first child and getting ready to leave her job as a vocational rehabilitation specialist to become a stay-at-home mom.
Her well-intentioned husband, Rod, thought that “maybe I ought to get a hobby, that I might get a little bored,” she recalls with a smile.
Jackie took him up on the idea and attended a quilting class. She didn’t like it much, but went to another and became smitten. These days, Jackie Kunkel’s involvement with quilting is so expansive that she has to laugh when she says, “It’s kind of like a hobby gone awry.”
 Colorful threads. Photo: dotCANTON Today, Kunkel operates her own business, Canton Village Quilt Works, out of her home in North Canton. In addition to her primary job as a “long arm quilter,” she manages her own website and blog, is a sales rep for a quilting machine manufacturer, an online retailer of fabrics that she ships around the world, the producer of a podcast that’s listened to worldwide (she has done 16 of them), and now she’s getting into giving lectures and designing patterns. In fact, Quick Quilts magazine is about to make Kunkel a published designer for the first time, with “Pop Squares” appearing in soon-to-be-released issue #117.
Kunkel packs most of this business activity, including her computer assisted long arm quilting machine and its 15-foot table into a room that measures about 800 square feet on the second floor of her home.
 Some of the fabric available through Canton Village Quilt Works. Photo: dotCANTON How does she stay on top of all this? “I have to be very regimented,” she says. “I have to stay in a business mode. I’m usually at it by 7 a.m.”
When Kunkel’s children started going to school, she considered a return to the 9-5 world, but decided she “wanted flexibility” in her life. “It’s important,” she says, “for me to be here with my family.”
Kunkel purchased her first long arm machine in 2000 and started her business. As a long arm quilter, she receives quilt tops and backs from clients around the country, adds a layer of batting in between the two and quilts it all together with the decorative stitching that quilt lovers so appreciate.
And what is it that keeps her passion for quilting burning?
“I love the contact I have with all my customers,” she says. “They are creative, smart and loving people.”
|
 Click ad to link
|
