Hodgepodge Patchwork Tuesday - My Garden Angel and another Double Double May for Me Quilting Giveaway!

This giveaway is now closed.  Thanks to everyone who entered!  

Check the Giveaway and May for Me page for the current Giveaways.

I love these little wall hangings.  I can't seem to stop making them once I start.  I love cutting out all the little pieces and I especially love quilting them.  It's like I am coloring.  This one is called Blanche the Garden Angel from Patch Abilities Wall hangings.   

I call mine "Miss Molly" !  I particularly like the swirly curly hair on my Miss Molly! Her boots remind me of my hiking boots from college. I not only wore them to hike up on Rib Mountain, but I also wore them to class everyday in the winter.  It was very cold in Stevens Point, Wisconsin.   They kept my toes nice and warm.

 Maybe that is what it is about these wall hangings... I see something in them that brings back a fond memory.

Today is the last day of May, so here is another May for Me Giveaway!  It's another Double Double Quilting Giveaway.  It is $20.00 off my Machine Quilting Services on a Lap Size Quilt or larger. (approximately 45" X 65"). 

I am giving away 2 prizes - 2 gift certificates good for one year thru' June 16, 2012.  So two of you will be winners!  Additional Bonus:  If you book your quilting date for September 2011, you will can get an extra $10.00 off the quilting! So that's $30.00 off the quilting on a lap size quilt or larger.

Please leave a comment to enter.  

• First you need to be a follower  - new or old.
•  You will have two chances to win!

#1  What kind of freestyle quilting would you like me to quilt on your quilt if you win? 


#2  If you want a second chance in the drawing - make a separate comment and tell me where you blogged, shared or tweeted about the Double Double Quilting Giveaway and please include the link.


Drawing will be June 15, 2011 at 6pm. The winners will be announced on June 16, 2011. 


Still time to enter last week's drawing thru' 6pm on June 1, 2011. Double Double Quilting Giveaway!


Still looking for Pat from the May17th Giveaway!  .... Anyone know Pat?  I am still holding the prizes for Pat.


So please make sure you include your email address, so I can contact you, if you win, if you are a nonreplyblogger. Thanks!

I really enjoyed the last day of May and I am going to love all the days in June.  

A friend suggested we call it:  "Just do it June!"

Thanks for following!

Marcia

May for Me started a new way of thinking for me and for you...

It all started with an email conversation between two quilt bloggers...  In March, Tonya and I emailed back and forth talking about how we never find any time for ourselves.  I suggested that we set aside time for ourselves and blog about it. Tonya said I can't do it in April.  So we chose to take time for me in May, thus resulting in the May for Me Celebration!  So I made a  photo logo and we started thinking differently about our me time!  We decided, we would take time for ourselves, even if it is only minutes.

So now what are you going to do ?   May is over... you can still take time for you any day and in any month.  You just have to say, this time is for me to sew, quilt, craft, and whatever you want to do.  Think of it as Minutes for Me!


Yes, May for Me didn't turn out to be an "all fun filled" month, but I think both Tonya and I enjoyed the minutes we got!   I enjoyed reading about what everyone was doing this month, while I was with my Mom at the hospital.  As I am sure Tonya has enjoyed reading too, because she is confined to a chair, as her leg heals. I have kidded about Joyful Jubilee June and July!  I think I will just enjoy May for Me with Minutes for Me every day of the year!
Someone once said,  "Don't be sad that it is over, be glad you did it!"


All in all the May for Me Celebration was a delightful blogging adventure!  Hurray for May! May for Me was for everyone!  Thanks to everyone who joined in the fun and really made it a celebration of yourself!

Many of the participating bloggers posted about May for Me ending... BUT it is really just the beginning!  You learned how to take time for you... These are the ones I found so far...

 Belinda says it perfectly at BLines And End and a Beginning?

Wilma wrote " May is almost over..." at Wilma's World

Sharon posted Memories of May and hosted a 4 week Giveaway Vrooman's Quilts and Perfect Ending


Heather shared: Saturday Sewing the Jamie Dress  and her recap of Completed Projects and Goals of the Month

Last day of May for Handmade Crafts Done While Rving

Tonya posted this:  Hillbilly Handworks and a bit of a learning in May for Me! and Living it up on the last day of May!

You can still grab the logo link on the side bar and add it to your blog.  Make sure you email me to link to your blog on the May for Me Page. Watch for upcoming posts about Minutes for Me. 

Yes! We will do a May for Me Celebration next year! 




Watch for one more May for Me Giveaway tonight for Hodgepodge Patchwork Tuesday!  


Also still time to enter last week's Giveaway thru' 6pm on June 1st!

"Don't be sad that it is over, 

be glad you did it!"

Enjoying the last of May!

Marcia

Getting Up Close with Wave Quilting

Wave Quilting is wavy lines going up and down, including swirls.  The quilting lines look like water waves.  The photos show several examples of Wave Quilting.  This type of free style quilting looks unique for every quilt.  Some need more swirls and some need more waves.  It just depends on the quilt.  Note how different each quilt looks.  Each quilt has it own intensity of waves and swirls.  More photos in the Photo Gallery.

Enter the drawing from last week's Hodgepodge Patchwork Tuesday Post.  Double winners!




Another Special Giveaway tomorrow - Tuesday for the last day of May!  




Celebrate May for Me! ---It's for You!


Enjoy everyday to the fullest, not only in May, but every month!
Marcia

FAQ's - Friday's Frequently Asked Questions - Why and How?

After a couple weeks of FAQ's I have found that sometimes I don't give enough information, when I answer the questions. 
Example:  Why I do something? or How I do something?

This was a previous question and answer.

What size should my quilt backing fabric measure? It should be 6 inches bigger on all 4 sides.  That's 12 inches longer and 12 inches wider.

WHY?

Why does the backing fabric need to be so much larger than the quilt top? 
 I have to pin the top edge and bottom edge of your backing fabric to long rollers, so I need extra at the top and the bottom. And your fabric needs to be wider on both sides, so I can clamp three clamps on each side to hold it taunt.  I ask for more on the sides than most long arm quilters, because I do not want to bump into the clamps on the side when I am quilting, thus resulting in a zig or zag in my stitching lines.  See the next few photos.

There is more than 6 inches of backing fabric on the sides of this quilt.  If your backing fabric is larger, don't cut it off. Leave it on.  It gives me more room when I am quilting the borders without bumping into the clamps.  I give you all of your backing fabric back after I trim your quilt.   Most customers prefer to have me trim their quilt, so it is ready to bind, but I have a few who like it left long.

Previously asked question and answer.

What is free style quilting?  I manually move the quilting machine to stitch on your quilt - no computers, no patterns or stencils.  I just move and stitch wonderful designs all over your quilt.

How do you move the quilting machine?  The quilting machine has wheels and it rolls or glides in a smooth track in all directions.  I hold onto 2 handles one for each hand on the front of the quilting machine, but I only hold onto one handle with my right hand. I move the machine like it is giant pencil.  I use my left hand to smooth the fabric. There is not at gas pedal like a sewing machine. I push a run button with my thumb and then when I move the machine it starts stitching.  When I stop moving the machine, the stitching stops. Then I have to turn off the run button.  It is very different that a regular sewing machine.  I have made some videos and put them on You Tube that demonstrates how I run the machine.  Ribbon Quilting with a Twist video shows you best how the machine runs, but it doesn't show the stitching as the colors are too dark.  It was the first one I made. You can see how I hold the handles with one hand and I smooth the fabric with my left hand.  I think the video of outlining the veins of the Poppy shows you how moving the machine makes the machine stitch.  It goes a little slower and faster, as I outline the flower.

This next quilt is a great example of finding designs in the fabric and creating designs to fill the block.  My customer asked me to outline some of the designs and to fill the squares with repetitious patterns - Zentangle patterns.  Some patterns will be repeated, but they will all look different.  That's the cool part about free style quilting, it is "one of a kind" every time you quilt. 

There are more photos of Zentangle patterns or "Wachuta Doodles" in the photo gallery.

Enjoying May everyday!

Marcia

P.S. Don't forget to enter this week's  Giveaway ! 2 prizes again!

Thursday's Thoughts - I Want The Sunshine for You and Me....

Everybody creates in our own special way... 

I quilt and sew...

My brother, Mark writes and sings...

My brother, Marty in Texas runs...

Click on my brother's music in the side bar if the music isn't playing right now---->

What's your thing? 

When my daughter was four years old, she asked me "Mommy, what are you going to be when you grow up?"  Everybody said it to her, so why not ask me that too.  I answered, I want to do what I love.... I love to sew.... to create....I told her I went to college to be a Home Ec Teacher, because I love to sew and I love to share the gift of sewing. I am very blessed to have my own quilting business and be able to do what I love every day.

My husband, Ritch always said to the kids "find a job that you love and it won't be a job, it will be your life!"

I believe when you do what you love ... it is not work any more!

Recently Mark started actively writing and singing.  He had majored in Music when he was in college, but he has had other careers along the way including computer work.  He creates wonderful websites! He did mine. He still does that too.  How lucky he is to have two loves.... Well, I would have to say three, as his first love is his wife, Julie.  I believe Julie is his greatest inspiration. I am so glad she is in his life...and ours... I can't leave out his family too. He has three teenage boys.  Alex helped him name the song "Keep on Dreaming".

If you listen to his other songs, you can really feel his emotions in each of the songs.  I told him, I want to quilt at quilt to the music of his "Keep on Dreaming" song. It's on my list!

You can add the music widget to your blog too at http://www.reverbnation.com/oakhilllane

Mark's contact information  http://www.oakhillfort.com/contact.htm
and
My website: www.craftysewing.com

I want the sunshine for all of you in May and everyday....


Marcia


P.S. Enter this week's  Giveaway ! 2 prizes again!

Wordless Wednesday - More Patch Abilities Wall Hangings

Hodgepodge Patchwork Tuesday - On Wednesday??? And a Giveaway - YES!

This giveaway is now closed.  Thanks to everyone who entered!  Check the May for Me page for the current Giveaways.
Better late than never!  So this is going to be another Double Double Giveaway combining a two day Post - LATE !  And an update on my Mom at the bottom of this post. 

Monday I posted the winners of the Double Double Giveaway (I  am still looking for Pat).  I didn't do my regular "Up Close with My Quilting" for Monday.  Tuesday is "Hodgepodge Patchwork". So today I am doing "Up Close with My Quilting" and "Hodgepodge Patchwork" and a Double Giveaway!


I couple years ago I discovered Patch Abilities Wall hangings.  I love them!  Julie, the designer and creator of Patch Abilities has the coolest wall hanging patterns. When I make them I feel like a kid again.  Cutting out the little pieces of fabric and then pressing them on the background fabric is such a delight.  But my favorite part is where I thread paint on the raw edge appliqué.  It's like coloring!  


Previously to finding Patch Abilities, I had taken a thread painting class form Terry White.  She doesn't thread paint on fabric.  But I like to thread paint on the raw edge appliqué that way I don't have to stitch as heavy, because the colors of the fabrics are there too.  It gives it a different dimensional look.


Remember, I have said before, I like to learn and then do it my own way...  It's just the way I am.


Patch Abilities Wall hangings are sold as patterns and patterns and kits.  This is one of my favorites: Butterfly Haven.

Here is a view of the back side of the wall hanging.  Lots of stitching! Remember I stitch them on the long arm machine.  Julie from Patch Abilities suggests hand stitching them with embroidery stitches, which is really neat too.  I choose to do it my way, stitching on the long arm machine - doing my own kind of thread painting.  




Update on my Mom:  She is getting better and is recovering at a Sub Acute Section of her local Hospital.  She will be there for 5 days to two weeks.  On Monday and Tuesday I was getting her all settled in.  She will get all sorts of Physical Therapy to help her get her strength back.  They told us Pancreatitis is not like the flu, it takes a long time to recover from it's ill effects.  Again thank your for all of your kind thoughts and prayers...

Today's Double Double Giveaway is $20.00 off my Machine Quilting Services on a Lap Size Quilt or larger. (approximately 45" X 65") 

I am giving away 2 prizes - 2 gift certificates good for one year thru' June 1, 2012.  So two of you will be winners!  Additional Bonus:  If you book your quilting date for September 2011, you will can get an extra $10.00 off the quilting! So that's $30.00 off the quilting on a lap size quilt or larger.


Leave a comment to enter.  #1  Tell me if you are a follower or a new follower.  #2 What kind of freestyle quilting would you like me to quilt on your quilt if you win? #3 If you want a second chance in the drawing - make a separate comment and tell me where you blogged, shared or tweeted about the giveaway and include the link.


Drawing will be June 1, 2011 at 6pm. The winners will be announced on June 2, 2011.

Thanks for following me and Good Luck in the drawing.
Another giveaway next Tuesday!


Enjoying May one day at a time! Marcia

 I was not paid or compensated in any way from Patch Abilities or Terry White.  I just want of give both of them credit for inspiring me. Thanks!