Hodgepodge Patchwork Tuesdays - Easy Table Runners

Using my Easy to Sew Quilt Pattern, I created these three table runners.  They are all similar, yet at the same time, different.  The construction method of the Easy to Sew Quilt Block assembles the blocks to give you a unique and artsy look every time, without doing any figuring.  

I selected different fabrics for the borders on each table runner.  I free style quilted one of the table runners with a Two Color Ribbon Quilting with a Twist.  The twists are the dragonflies.  I chose scraps of blues and greens and I even used some of my extra wide quilter's blenders fabrics for some of  the blues. Remember the post about Extra Wide Fabric is not just for backing a quilt.

Hope you had a great Tuesday!

Marcia

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A Weekend Post - Quilts at Organic Valley

The other day I posted photos of my quilts that were at the Organic Valley Quilt and Rug Show on my Crafty Sewing and Quilting in My Garden, Kitchen, and Home Blog. Friends and family suggested that I post them here too!  So here they are. In March I was invited to bring three quilts for their display!  The quilts were in their show from April through June 18th.  

I used my Easy to Sew Quilt Pattern to create the first quilt for a fabric challenge for Quilts by Barb's Retreat last year.  This quilt was also featured in the Ribbon Quilting video - click here for the post about it and here for post with up close photos of it and here for the link to the video.

My Red, Yellow, and Blue Baby Quilt was created for a challenge for Project Quilting.  I posted about the whole process of construction from choosing the colors, through the sewing, and the quilting .  Click here to see those posts.

This next quilt was made using a variation of the Easy to Sew Quilt Pattern.  I used four extra wide backing fabrics to construct this quilt. The floral black and white prints, the solid black, and the solid white.  Click here for the post about using extra wide fabrics for piecing.

Hope you are having a wonderful weekend!

Marcia

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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

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Double Winners - Double Prizes - May for Me Celebration Giveaway!

The Double Winners win double prizes: Pat and Shelly
Congratulations to both Pat and Shelly!

Each winner will receive a set of May for Me Note Cards and The Easy To Sew Quilt Pattern.  Two prizes each!


Thank you to everyone who follows me and left a comment sharing who inspired them to craft, sew, or quilt and for the kind wishes and prayers for my Mom.


I emailed Shelly, but I can't email Pat as she is a non-reply-commenter.  


So Pat when you see this, email me!  Marcia@craftysewing.com


Several of you that follow me are listed as a non-reply blogger.  Here's how to know, if I did not send you  a reply to your comment, than you need to either leave an email in your comment or on your blog settings, somewhere you can add an email/  That way when you leave a comment, then bloggers can reply to your comment.   Most importantly you can win!  I have seen where some bloggers don't let that person win, because there is no contact information.  But I will post it and hope that the person sees this post and contacts me.  So Pat email me, please.  Do you know Pat?  Let her know she won too. Thanks!

Pat's comment was:

Pat said...

I too am a new follower. I too will have to give my grandmothers credit for starting me on the road of quilting, sewing, crocheting and crafting. My mom's mom taught me to sew on an old treadle machine when I was 7 and I am now in my 50s so that is over 40 years of crafting for me. :) I hope I have inspired others to also express their creativeness too. And even if I don't win the prize, I just wanted to say those baskets are gorgeous! And you have inspired me to give them a try sometime. Thanks. :)

Shelley's comment was: 
Shelly (free indeed) said...

I've always had a creative bent I guess. Mom recognised that in me and made up a craft box for me. She would put yarn, pipe cleaners, toilet paper rolls, tissue paper, gum wrappers...just about anything she thought I could use to create. I used that box for years!!!! My first sewing 'lessons' were on lace up cards; then she gave me the cut off hems when she hemmed slacks...lots of polyester in those days LOL! I started my first patchwork with those and all by hand....I thank her for encouraging that spark for making things with my hands and imagination.




Thanks again for all the kind wishes and prayers for my Mom.  We are still at the Hospital and my Mom is doing better.  Please keep us in your prayers.

Another May for Me Giveaway on Tuesday! Here is a listing of the past Hodgepodge Patchwork Tuesday Posts.

Enjoying May one day at a time.

Marcia

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Getting Up Close with Overall Swirl Quilting

Overall Swirls can be as small as a quarter and as large as a dinner plate.  It is a beautiful choice for an overall quilting for any quilt, especially a colorful, bright, or busy quilt.  The large swirls would be great for a quilt with large pieces.  The smaller swirls would be the perfect choice for a quilt with lots of pieces.  Tiny over all swirls work perfectly for a background filler.  I think the swirls look best on modern quilts, but can be quilted on any quilt.  Today I chose a variety of photos to give you an idea of how it looks on all different quilts.  Some you may have seen before but I would like to share them again.  There are more photos in the photo gallery.

This quilt was my 1000th Quilt!  In November of 2008, I knew it was coming close as I kept a daily count of quilts from my first quilt in 2003.  The count included customer's quilts and my own quilts.  I counted all the quilts I quilted on my machine from day one! 


As my customers were booking their dates for the 2008-2009 Winter Sale, which starts in December and goes to the end of February, (every year).  I told them, that I knew I was going to hit the 1000th quilt sometime during the sale, but it would depend on how many Christmas quilts I quilted in December. Sometimes I get emergency quilts and that would change the count.  So I could not be for certain, if it would be the end of December, January, or February.  So my customers booked their dates knowing that one of them may be the lucky winner. They would get their quilting for FREE!  The 1000th quilt was quilted the end of December, as it was a busy Christmas season. How exciting!  It was a special day for me and a lucky day for my customer! 

The front and the back of this quilt.  Cool on both sides!























You've seen this one before, although I haven't blogged about after it was completed.  There is a post about putting it together.  It is this year's donation quilt that my Mom and I started last year and completed in December. We donated to the Fireside in Fort Atkinson for their yearly fundraiser.  This year they are raising money for Rainbow Hospice.  The Photo Gallery contains more photos of Quilts for a Cause - quilts from past years.

The block pattern of this quilt defines the lines of the pattern, so an overall quilting is perfect.  The next photo shows the back of this quilt.  She just pieced large sections from her leftover pinks, in no particular order for her backing fabric.

You can hardly see the quilting on this colorful busy quilt.  That's why the overall Swirls are perfect!

Here the swirls was used as background filler, but these swirls aren't tiny.  They are about 2 to 3 inches in diameter.

This shows tiny swirls for a background filler.  It's a hot apple pie table runner.

Large overall swirls work perfectly on this quilt.  It is a quilt created with the Easy to Sew Quilt Pattern.




One of the questions for this week's Friday's FAQ's will be about pricing.  


What does it cost to have quilt quilted by you?  
On the Contact Marcia page is an order form.  Gives you all sorts of information and I can email you an estimate anytime.


Price per square inch is based on the type of quilting you choose …  ranging from 2 cents a square inch for Overall X Large Meandering with a Twist to 2 1/4 to 3 to 4 cents a square inch and up --- based on the detail of the quilting.  


Just to give you an idea:  The Large "dinner plate size" overall swirls would be 2 cents a square inch.  I think it adds more interest to make a dinner plate size and a salad plate size together.  That would still be 2 cents a square inch. The salad plate size or smaller increases in price from 2 1/4 cent and up.


By getting up close with my quilting, I am hoping to give you a better understanding of free style quilting and  all of the possibilities ...  it is almost endless... Thanks again for stopping by to see what I am up to!


Another May for Me Giveaway tomorrow night on Hodgepodge Patchwork Tuesday

Having fun in May!


Marcia

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Congratulations --- 3 Winners from the May for Me Team Up Giveaway!

Thanks to everyone who stopped by to enter the May for Me Giveaway.  You all left such nice comments and I wish you all could win, but there were only 6 winners.  Three winners here and three winners on Chris' Blog. Thanks for sharing the giveaway on your Facebook pages, tweeting it, and posting it on your blogs.  I appreciate it so much!  

More May for Me Celebration Giveaways every Tuesday for Hodgepodge Patchwork Tuesday's Posts.  So stop by and enter every Tuesday in May - on the 17th, 24th, and 31st.  There may be other giveaways in May - to be announced.

Winner # 1 is Megan McCowan.  Megan wins the May for Me Note Cards.  She said, "Wow this stuff is so pretty and springy.  Love the bright colors!"   Congratulations Megan!

 

Winner # 2 is Lisa T. of Lisa T's Blog.  Lisa wins The Easy to Sew Quilt Pattern.  She said: " What cheerful cards and pattern! Great for summer!"  Lisa shared the giveaway on Twitter and on her Giveaway page on her blog at Lisa T's Blog.  Thanks for helping us spread the word.  Congratulations Lisa!

Winner # 3 is Linda Gilli of Stray Stitches.  She wins the Dye Candy Fabric from Chris at Dye Candy Fabrics.  She said, "Thanks for the opportunity to enter your wonderful giveaway!"  Linda posted the giveaway on her blog at  Stray Stitches.   Thanks for helping us spread the word.  Congratulations Linda!

Winners from the Dye Candy Blog:

#1 Artfully Caroline --- Easy to Sew Quilt Pattern
#2 Robin Who is Quilty as Charged --- Marcia's  Note Cards
#3 Joyce of J's Quilting Blog --- Hand Dyed Fabric

Thanks for joining in the fun of the May for Me Giveaways!  Spread the word about enjoying each day in May.  Take time to smell the roses, your fabric, and anything else that you enjoy!  

Enjoy May one day at time!

Marcia

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Teamed up with Dye Candy Fabrics for a Big Giveaway - 6 prizes - 6 winners !

This giveaway is now closed.  Thanks to everyone who entered!  
Check the May for Me page for the current Giveaways.
To Celebrate May for Me, Chris and I are both hosting giveaways on our blogs this week.  

6 winners will be chosen.  You will have 3 chances to win here 

and 3 chances to win on Chris' Blog  

Double and triple your chances to win by posting about the giveaway on your blog, twittering or sharing on Facebook.  Leave a separate comment each time you share information about these giveaways.

The Prizes:

#1 - A set of 3 May for Me note cards:

If you have ordered from Chris' Dye Candy shop you may have received one of these note cards to thank you for your order.  I sell this design (featuring Dye Candy fabrics) along with a few others in my ETSY shop and on my website at Note Cards.

 #2 -A copy of my Easy to Sew Quilt Pattern:

This pattern is so much fun, fast and a great way to start on the road to piecing quilts in a free form manner.  You can purchase this pattern here or here.  Both of us carry it.  

There are several photos in my photo gallery of the Easy to Sew Quilt.  

Gives you lots of ideas on what you can do with it!  

 #3 - An item valued at $18.00 from Chris' Dye Candy Shop or a $25.00 discount good towards the purchase in Chris' Dye Candy Shop:

 

Update: Due to the 24 hour outage on Blogger's site I am extending the closing date for the giveaway to 5:00 pm, Sunday Evening, May 15th.

Wishing you good luck!!

Enjoy every day in May!

Marcia and Chris

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An April Giveaway at Dye Candy Fabrics!

APRIL Dye Candy Giveaway!  
Here's a Bonus Offer!  DOUBLE your winnings!


If you WIN at Dye Candy Giveaway AND you mention that Marcia sent you in your comment to Dye Candy Fabrics, then I will send you my May for Me Note Cards!

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