Free-Motion Machine Sketching DVD Blog Tour and Giveaway!

My friend and fellow artist Candy Glendening has just released her newest instructional Quilting Arts DVD, where she shares with us her process for using free-motion sketching to create her wonderful sketchbooks, (and inspires us to do the same) filled with stitched samples of that which inspires her, such as birds, vessels and fauna. Oh... and COLOR! Lot's and lot's of glorious color, which Candy knows better then almost anyone!

For anyone who is intimidated by free-motion sketching, (done the same way as free-motion quilting,  but using the technique to draw/sketch a picture) this DVD will be a great first step in breaking down that wall of fear. 

Candy gently walks you through the process, showing how simple and fun it actually can be, even if you have never had success with sketching on paper. 

She teaches you how to create fabric sketchbook pages that you can then record your free-motion sketch ideas onto, which you can then build into complete sketchbooks.

As Candy demonstrates it's a great way to practice ideas for new motifs and color combinations. 

Candy likes to create her sketchbooks by themes, and refers back to them when planning bigger projects, which I think is a fabulous idea!

And now here's the best part! Not only is Candy offering one of my lucky blog readers a chance to win their own copy of her newest DVD, she is also going to include a botanical sketch of a Pansy, (which I requested as it's my favorite flower) made especially for this giveaway! 

To enter, just leave a comment at the bottom of this post, (please make sure that the comment links back to you so I have a way of contacting you should you win)! The drawing ends on Wednesday the 26th, and I will announce a winner on Thursday. You can also follow along on the blog tour for more chances to win!

• Wednesday, 3/12 –  Vicki Welsh of  Field Trips in Fiber
• Friday, 3/14  – Diane Doran of Ooh! Pretty Colors
• Monday, 3/17 –  Victoria Gertenbach (hey, that's me!) of The Silly BooDilly­
• Wednesday, 3/19 – Susan Brubaker Knapp of Blue Moon River
•  Friday, 3/21 – Beth & Kristen of Sew Mama Sew
• Monday 3/24 – Melody Johnson of Fibermania
• Wednesday, 3/26 – Candy Glendening of Candied Fabrics

3/26/14: Comments are now closed. Thanks so much for everyone who participated!
I have contacted the winner and will share who it was in my next blog post. Contest is still going on over at some of the other participating blogs, including Candy's, so you still have more chances to win!

Rough Patches - First Batch of 9 - Done!

Finally! It was two months ago that I first talked about starting a new series called "Rough Patches", in a blog post titled "Series within a Series". The premiss was to create 4 batches of small fabric collage quilts, (called "Rough Patches"). 

Each batch would containing 9 individual Rough Patches. At the time I thought I'd have the first batch easily done within a few weeks, but between writing and illustrating some new patterns, as well as contributing some art and articles to some upcoming magazines, it wound up taking me a wee bit longer!

Rough Patch 1/1

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Each Patch pays homage to the worn and weathered farms and fields that surround where I live, and which, as many of you already know, I am so drawn to, time and time again.

( I am posting photos, almost daily, on Instagram. 

Many of the photos I post feature those farms and fields!) 

Rough Patch 2/1

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Various fabrics were used in the patches, including cotton tickings and cheese cloth...

Rough Patch 3/1

Shot cottons, linens and rusted fabrics...

Rough Patch 4/1

Homespuns, chambrays and flowered indian prints...

Rough Patch 5/1
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Plaids and vintage crochet.

Rough Patch 6/1
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The patches of fabric were machine stitched with little bits of hand stitching here and there.

Rough patch 7/1
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Although ultimately very simple, each patch, each placement of fabric, 

each tiny stitch, took a lot of thought and consideration.

Rough Patch 8/1

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My favorite part of the patches are the outer edges, 

where I stitched small bits of fabric in-between the quilt layers... 

and hand frayed all the edges.

Rough patch 9/1

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To see more detailed photos and info on purchasing, 

just click on the links below each Rough Patch.

Am thinking about the next round of patches now, planing on how they will be similar, and how they will be different... stay tuned!

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Also, be sure to pop back in this Monday, March 17th, where I will be part of Candy Glendening's current blog tour. There will be a Giveaway! where one lucky blog reader will receive a copy of Candy's newest Quilting Arts instructional video, and a piece of her artwork made specially for readers of my blog.

See you then!

Final Touches

I've been adding the final touches to my first batch of Rough Patches. 

This one cried out for french knots!

This first batch of 9 patches took way longer then I'd thought. Granted I had some other projects in the works, (all top secret!) But what really surprised me, (although after all these years of creating and stitching, it shouldn't) was how much consideration and thought to composition and placement can go into even the smallest and seemingly simplest of projects. 

I am definitely a tortoise, not a hare. 

Hope to have them all done and photographed by next week!

Till then... xox

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

Another 8 to 18 inches of snow and ice is headed this way, and I am trying hard to find something positive in this oh, so very long and hard winter. If I don't, I fear I may go all Jack Nicholson-ish like from The Shining, (... Here's JOHNNY!!)

So, when the roads are clear for a few days between the storms, and I am driving back and forth from here to there, I look for signs of beauty, and I admit, they seem to be everywhere...  

From the ice covered trees in that top photo, 

(where the ice was so thick rainbow colors shot forth from the sunlight's reflection) 

to the wonderful jolt of golden yellow against a blue sky 

thanks to a packed corn crib along the side of the road, below.

I have been taking these photos on my not so great phone camera, 

and posting them on my newly opened Instagram site. 

And while the photo quality isn't great, I like the imperfection, and immediacy  of it. 

A quick, visual diary to remember the pleasant in a not so pleasant winter...

I wonder how much longer this barn will stand, 

and find it's long endurance, touchingly endearing.

And this, above... a homestead tucked way down in a frozen valley. 

I pass it several times a week, yet never noticed it until the last ice storm hit. 

The weight of the ice bent the brush low, 

allowing me a peak at a real life snow-globe that is usually well hidden away. 

What a gift.

But I admit... I still want Spring!

Quilted Fabric Bead Tutorial Pattern

I am delighted to announce that I have finished the downloadable PDF tutorial pattern for making my quilted fabric beads, and now have it available in my shop, here.

I truly had no intention of even beginning this project for least another month. But after numerous requests, it became a constant must-do thought on my mind, so I bumped it up to the top of the list, and after only three days of work, got it done! Now I don't have to think about getting it done anymore! What a great feeling... beats procrastination any day!

The tutorial pattern is 8 pages long and is fully illustrated. I wrote it in a friendly step by step conversational tone, very similar to how I share things here. Helpful tips and suggestions are there to encourage and guide you so that you will have the know-how to make lots of variations. I also included some color photos for visual reference and to help inspire.

For more information or to purchase a copy, just click on the link below:

Quilted Fabric Beads Tutorial Pattern

Happy Stitching!