New listings from some of our team members Dec 30, 2009

This is a lovely new brown and white quilt from team member Creationsbynoramarie.
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A new listing my member Quiltsalad/HandmadeDiva.

Announcing the Winners

The votes are in and you chose....drumroll please.....Clubaloha's beautiful holiday wall hanging. Congratulations Clubaloha!

As a thank you we have randomly chosen 9 voters to win these prizes. If you are a winner, click on the names below and you'll be taken to the etsy shop where you can contact the shopowner to claim your prize.


Nova won a scarf from DesignsfromDani





SueCahill won the Michael Miller Card Holder from Dottyjanedesigns



Debbie is the winner of an appliqued dish towel from Jacistuff



ccccraftsudio won a ring from Waterrose



awkward won the coaster set from Starryhomecrafts



SuzyQuilts won a headband from Punkiepies



OriginalsbyLauren won a set of coffee cozies from Clubaloha




Hipchic-cynde won an embroidered ornament from Rokstudy



And finally Terremum won a pair of slippers from Elleellee

Winter Wonderland Giveaway

The Quilts and Heirlooms Team would like to announce our first ever Winter Wonderland Contest. Our members have submitted their work and we'd like you, our visitors to be the judges. To vote for your favorite, take a look at our beautiful craftsmanship and leave a comment here on the blog. letting us know your choice. Nine lucky voters will be chosen at random to win a prize from one of our talented shops. Check back here on December 6th when we'll announce the winners and tell you how to collect your prize. Take a gander over to the side for a view of the prizes.

Faith Hope and Joy Rokstudy

Crochet Lamb Scarf Jacistuff

Claret Hat with Scarf Elleellee





Pointsettia Wall/Lap Quilt Quiltsalad

Vintage Child's Scarf Set Designs From Dani

Holiday Quilted Wall Hanging Clubaloha





Snow Candy Wrist Cuff Waterrose





Strike it Rich Gold Trenchcoat Stormeejean





Snowman Stocking Gellybeans





Sunbonnet Sarah /Quiltsbykandi





Fashion Scarf for All Seasons /Punkiepies





Quilted Christmas Coasters /Dottyjanedesigns





Knitted Christmas Stocking Starry Home Crafts




Snowflake Hot Pads Creationsbynoramarie

Where Women Create - Giveaway

Pictured is just one of the giveaways.

I admit that I, Edna, had not heard of the WhereWomenCreate magazine until I read a post by fellow Etsyian PunkiePies on Twitter, where she stated that she had just received her latest copy, and left a link to the magazine. I then went and took a look at the magazine to realize that they are having a giveaway; and I absolutely love the stories in the magazine.

We missed out on the last giveaway, but, for those who would like to participate, is in time for this one. The expiration date is Monday Nov. 16 at midnight MST. The magazine is giving away 5 prizes. Click on this link to go and participate if you would like to: WhereWomenCreate.

1,561 comments on ONE post, and we might be to late to win.

The photo shows just one of the giveaways.

I was blogging today and clicked on a blog mainly because of the name, Canton. There is a Canton, Georgia, north of Atlanta, therefore out of curiousity, I clicked to learn whether the blogger was from Canton, Georgia (she's actually from Canton, Connecticut).

But what really dropped my jaws was that when I looked at her comment section, I noticed that she had 1, 561 comments on ONE post. Of course, I double checked to make sure that I was seeing what I was seeing. (I had only looked at the photos in that post). I then scrolled to the page top to read and find out why so many people were commenting.

That's when I realized that the author was having a giveaway. Though the deadline is upon us/has passed, I felt that others would like to know about this story.

New creations from some of our team members

Snow Candy Wrist Cuff Hand Embroidered LIMITED EDITION from WaterROSE.

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From team member Elleellee
Pretty new green crocheted slippers.










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New from member, Jacistuff, this lovely crocheted lamb scarf from her shop.













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From team memer Clubaloha.
















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From team member Elleellee

Black Bag Terrorizes Beautiful Black Giant Chicken Chaka

Well, you might say that I just happened to be in the right place at the right time, in the southeast U.S.A., along with my trusted camera. It happened on a nice cool day in late August 2009. As I was photoing my new line of lunch bags in the FRONT yard, all hell broke loose in the BACK yard.

My six teenagers (chickens) emitted the familar loud warning sound that I hear when a suspect (dog, cat or whatever they feel unsafe around) enters their territory. Upon hearing the panicky distressed sounds, I immediately picked up a stick (I keep several in strategic places for times like this so to always be prepared to fight off the enemy, a dog or cat) and ran to the back yelling, without seeing a single thing, "get away, get away". -For I just knew that the biggest dog in town had encringed upon the territory of my precious little angels . (They do have a secure area, but when they come out to graze, I constantly monitor them.)

Well, when I finally reached the back yard (it seemed to have taken half an eternity) all that I could make of the scene was that my lovely Black Giant teenager, Chaka, as in Chaka Khan, had somehow gotten one of her legs caught in a black plastic bag, and was fluttering about, and running in every direction, with the entire team of six squaking to the top of their gizzards, and more frightened than a chicken should ever have to experience. How the bag got into the yard, I will leave for Kojak to figure out.

Now, of course, she would not stand still and allow me to remove the bag; but I did manage to capture several photos of the event. Any attempts to approach her, and she would take off again with "her" bag trailing. Upon realizing that I would not be able to rescue her, I returned to my photo session. About 5 minutes later, I returned to the back to attempt another rescue of her from the bag, and was pleased to find her just fine and grazing with her flock again. I will never know for sure exactly how she managed to remove the bag. A day or two later, I did find the bag in the lower yard, mostly shredded and caught on a small stump. My guess is that the bag somehow, during her running session, became caught on the stump and WALA, Chaka became free.

Crazy Appliqued Lunchbag Team Challenge

A lunchbag challenge was suggested for our team; with a deadline completion of August 31, 2009. Here is what two of our members came up with:
This bag was made by our StarryHomeCrafts . (click on either of the photos to be taken to Starry's Etsy shop where this lovely and very practical bag is for sale.)




























This bag was made by Quiltsalad:
(click on either of the photos to be taken to Quiltsalad's Etsy shop where this lovely bag is for sale.)

Trial and Error

Sometimes when we see something gorgeous we forget we are seeing the end result of a long process. Beautiful heirloom art is not sprung from a moment of finesse but from many moments of both success, error and skill building. It is trial and error that sparks our creativity, gives us free rein and takes us in directions we might not have immediately chosen.

One of the nicest ways I've seen to encourage this type of anything goes, just create attitude is a Journal Quilt. These are small, usually
8 x 10 quilts which can be done in a variety of mediums. I first heard about these from the Quilting Arts television show run on PBS. Patricia Bolton (Pokey) is the host of this show; a great one for sparking your imagination.

The idea of journal quilts is to encourage you to continually create and try new techniques. Because of its small size, you don't have to feel like you're committing to a large project. It's similar to a sketchbook for your various attempts and reminds me of knitting and crochet samplers. As with journal quilts, there is no reason why this same concept could not translate to other fiber arts as well.

This past Saturday, I caught another of my favorite shows: America Quilts Creativity, episode 913. This episode had Pokey on as a quest and to my great delight, she actually walked us through her method for creating one of her journal quilts. Click here for the pdf file that gives you the steps from that show.

Mistakes often take us into new areas of creativity, opening our eyes to new possibilities. Use that freedom and try some journal quilting!

Creating a Design Wall

The things I ponder over

As I'm browsing the web I sometimes come across terms I'm not really familiar with. One of them was a Quilting Design Wall. I had seen it often but as quilting is newer in my skill set and being a starving artist, I had not come across it in my earlier years.

Fortunately, I've discovered the wondrous power of Google. Where there is a need, there is a google search string that will find it for you. So, for all of you other fiber artists who would like to fix up their studio (my lovely little term for all the crap I have piled up in my livingroom), here's a very nice article to help us out.

"How to Make a Quilt Design Wall: Best Way to See Whether Fabrics Work Together Before Quilt Assembly by © Christine Mann"
-->To Read more, click here

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Have fun!

Spotlight on Fiber Artist MomnMiaQuilts

Fabric Easter Basket/Creative Kids Art Bucket
Originally uploaded by MomNMiaQuilts

Today, we look at another one of our QuiltHeirloom team members, MomnMiaQuilts. She is also a member of the EtsyKids, EtsyBABY, EtsyWMI teams. The picture of her work I selected for today's post, shows a lovely little art bucket or Easter basket. With her love of making items for children, I thought it the perfect example.

Residing in Michigan, with her Etsy shop and two children, one boy and one girl, MomnMiaQuilts is one busy lady. In spite of that, she manages to place wonderful items in her shop, often inspired by her children. Part of that dedication to both children and her craft may be the reason her quilts and baby items can be found in boutiques from Maine to South Carolina and even Malaysia! She does accept custom and wholesale orders so if you don't see what you are looking for, send her a message. She just may be able to match your needs.


I interviewed MomnMiaQuilts yesterday, and I'd like to share it with you.

1. In the range of over 50/under 50, where would you place yourself?

As my husband manages to remind me at least once a week, I'll be 30 in December, so that'd put me in the under 50.

2. How long have you been a member of the Quilts and Heirloom team and what made you decide to join this group?

I joined about 3 months ago. I love having a team who shares my passion for quilts and fabric/fiber creations to share and chat with!

3. What do you consider your fiber art passion?

Definitely quilting. And I have a major fabric obsession...I love pretty fabric!

4. Where or when did you learn this art?

I am pretty much a self-taught quilter. My mom taught me to hand and machine sew at a pretty young age, but over the past 12 years I've really gotten into quilting and quilt design. I have never actually taken a quilting or quilt making class, and I hate patterns. If I see something I like I might use the pattern as reference, but I like to do things my own way and with my own touch! Most of what I do is one of a kind or custom designed. I love designing quilts and doing the piecing work - whether by machine or hand. My mom and I usually tag-team on the long arm quilting machine depending on what the project is and who has time to do it. And there is just something really really fulfilling about hand-stitching the binding that gives that wonderful finishing touch to a quilt!

5. Do you have any encouraging suggestions for someone new to your skill?

Don't be afraid to try doing things your own way! Have fun with color & designs.

6. Do you enjoy any other creative endeavors? And if so, could you tell us a little about them?

I really enjoy sewing in general. I love making baby items like my bibs, blankets, and fun creations like my new Creative Kids Art Bucket, which has been a big hit for the Easter season. I also enjoy scrapbooking, but rarely find the time to dedicate to it.

7. I know about your shop MomNMiaQuilts on Etsy. Do you have other shops or venues for your art?

I have only been selling on Etsy since March of 2008. I've been making custom quilts and baby items for over 10 years through my business Mom N Mia Quilts. I sell my wares at a select few arts & crafts fairs, but mostly through wholesale venues with fine children's boutiques across the country and world. As of this month, my items can be found in 8 states and 4 other countries! As far as online venues, I have had shops on lollishops and 1000Markets, but find Etsy.com to be my favorite and most successful venue.

8. As you look in your shop, what would be your favorite item in the bunch? The one you almost hate to part with?

In honesty, I hate to part with all of them, but the quilts are what I love the most. It's a great joy to send one on to someone I know will enjoy it, but I'd love to keep them all too!

9. Do you have any suggestions or advice for someone just starting out on etsy?

Don't give up! It's hard starting out in any business, and online is no different. Get your name out there - my best advertising is word of mouth. Provide a superior, high quality product, and your customers will want to come back again and again!

Never a dull moment

Sports Wall Pocket
Originally uploaded by starryhomecrafts

The picture I've included with today's post, is a wall pocket by StarryHomeCrafts. I chose this because it shows the variations handmade can bring to our lives. Whether you sew, quilt, crochet, knit, tatt or embroider, the possibilities are endless.

Items we create can be both functional and beautiful. There is creating simply for the artistic side and there is art meets function, where our skill can be used to create items we use daily.

Particularly today, many individuals don't have the money for books or a lot of equipment. Don't let that stop you from trying out various crafts. Your local library is still free and is a resource we can all use. The web is also a great resource for crafts. Below you'll find a few I came across on a quick browse this morning.

Crochet:
http://www.crochetcabana.com/crochet_dictionary.htm
Collecting and Caring for Vintage Heirlooms:
http://www.ehow.com/how_2148140_clean-heirloom-vintage-linens.html
Quilting:
http://quilting.about.com/od/stepbystepquilting/How_to_Make_a_Quilt.htm
Embroidery:
http://www.sublimestitching.com/howto.html
Knitting:
http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/shows_dkng/0,2044,DIY_18180,00.html
Sewing:
http://www.whatthecraft.com/index.php
Tatting
http://www.wikihow.com/Begin-Tatting

Let your creative side flourish and like us, you'll never have a dull moment again.

Spotlight on Fiber Artist Twentypoundtabby!

Tiny Doll Demo
Originally uploaded by twentypoundtabby

This tiny, almost 3 and 1/2 inch doll is just one of the marvelous creative endeavors being produced by the talented Denver, Colorado artist, Twentypoundtabby.

This very diverse lady is also a photographer and was kind enough to answer a few questions for me to share with you here.

1.In the range of over 50/under 50, where would you place yourself?

I'm exactly at 50.

2.How long have you been a member of the Quilts and Heirloom team and what made you decide to join this group? Are you in any other groups?

I believe I joined it right at the beginning which was the summer of 2008. I belong to EGADS - Etsy Guild of Doll Artisans, FAE - Fantasty Artists of Etsy, EtsyFAST and the Mile High Club (Denver Etsians). Right from the start this group was friendly and social so I wanted to join.

3.What do you consider your fiber art passion?

That's going to be hard to pin down. I sew, quilt, dye, embroider, felt, lucet chord, and do a little bit of weaving. Sewing Art Dolls is my biggest passion. I don't knit, which some people find strange because I have so much fiber.

4. Where or when did you learn this art?

I learned to sew from my mother at a very early age. My first sewing machine looked like -->this.

5. Do you have any encouraging suggestions or tips for someone new to your skill?

I've met folks who say they can't sew. To those I say anyone can sew if they take the time to take classes and practice. Very few people are going to be great at it right away - anything worth doing well takes study, practice and time.

6. Do you enjoy any other creative endeavors? And if so, could you tell us a little about them?

I paint, draw, sculpt, do calligraphy (SCA scrolls), bead, garden, and play a variety of instruments. I used to dance.

7. What is your shop and do you have other shops at Etsy?

I'm at twentypoundtabby.etsy.com and tabbytoo.etsy.com


8. As you look in your shop(s), what would be your favorite item in the bunch? The one you almost hate to part with?

Probably my dragon. I really like dragons.


9. Do you have any suggestions or advice for someone just starting out on etsy?

Not really. I could use more advice myself.

To see more of her work, in addition to her etsy shops, you can also find Twentypoundtabby on Myspace, Flickr and blogspot:
MySpace:
www.myspace.com/twentypoundtabby
Flickr:
www.flickr.com/photos/twentypoundtabby/
Blog:
twentypoundtabby.blogspot.com/

Spotlight on Fiber Artist Julie Harrison!

kindnessback 001
Originally uploaded by jus_creations

Julie Harrison is the talented owner of Ju's Creations and her etsy shop, Rokstudy. Her motto of, "Visual Arts through the eye of a needle" gives you a clue to her favorite passion of embroidery. I was fortunate to be able to ask Julie some questions to let us step a little way into her world.

1. In the range of over 50/under 50, where would you place yourself?

I am over 40 under 50.

2. How long have you been a member of the Quilts and Heirloom team and what made you decide to join this group?

I have been a member of the Quilts and Heirlooms team since July '08. I found them in the Teams section of the forum and I joined because I wanted to continue learning how to quilt, the only other pattern I have ever done is the double wedding ring; and I wanted to be in team treasuries.

3. What do you consider your fiber art passion?

Embroidery.

4. Where or when did you learn this art?

Back when I was five I lived on a remote mission station in Africa and my Mom showed me how to do a few small things; when I was eight I started a Christmas table runner using my grandma's steel embroidery hoop, and I joined an after school girls club where they taught Bible and embroidery and continued my project; after that I was hooked and determined to finish the project. When I was fourteen and a half we moved to the US and at sixteen my best friend from Africa came for Christmas and New Years and she taught me satin stitch. Sylvia, my Mom and I finished the runner that year and I decided I had really honed embroidery as my skill. Since that time all of my friends have received a wedding gift, baby gift,all occasion gift.

5. Do you have any encouraging suggestions for someone new to your skill?

Use the giant beginner patterns so you don't get discouraged and quit. Small areas are challenging for beginners. Find some elderly lady to show you how, she has probably embroidered all her life and knows a lot. Find your own style, create your own stitch. My stitch is the anchor stitch. A stitch I use to secure corners.

6. Do you enjoy any other creative endeavors? And if so, could you tell us a little about them?

I am a published poet. "Kindness" has been published. I love to write, I hope to publish some books someday. I love candlewicking,I finally found another pattern to do, it is on my project "To Do" list. I play violin. Someday I want to try oil painting. [ed. The picture included with this entry shows her lovely poem.]

7. I know about your shop Rokstudy on Etsy. Do you have other shops or venues for your art?

I own Rokstudy as a domain name. Rokstudy.com is my website. I am looking at Artfire, I cannot afford the monthly fee. I am on Myspace, Facebook, and WeloveEtsy. Up until November of last year my inventory was in a consignment shop in Oak Glen, CA. I'm looking for a new brick and Mortar venue.

8. As you look in your shop, what would be your favorite item in the bunch? The one you almost hate to part with?

Cozy Kittens really shows a lot of my skill and it is my favorite vintage pattern. If it sold I don't know if I would make it again this is the second time I have used the pattern. I made a table cloth for my dolls when I was young.

9. Do you have any suggestions or advice for someone just starting out on etsy?

Take a digital photography class. Marketing is marketing even if it is on the internet so success comes with time. Join a team. Create your own brand. Appreciate and utilize Etsy's uniqueness to get your unique products out there don't try to make Etsy into ebay.

Thanks for sharing, Julie!

Quilting for the Embroidery Enthusiast

Crazy Quilt 1
Originally uploaded by Pixie Dust

Recently, I picked up the DVD, "Judith Baker Montano Teaches You Crazy Quilting". This lovely dvd has hooked me into a new hobby. If you love to embroider and are drawn to quilting, crazy quilts can bring you the best of all worlds.

Your favorite fabric scraps, both solid and patterned, silks and satins, velvets and linens, plus scraps of your favorites trims and notions can be assembled with your own embroidery into a phenomenal piece of art.

After watching the dvd I immediately started gathering fabrics, trims and a bit of heavy muslin to try my hand at this art form. It is not quite finished yet, lacking the embroidery stitches but I can't wait to post a picture of it for you to see. In order for you to see just how beautiful a crazy quilt can be, I found this photo on Flicker to show you.

If you are interested in hearing more about crazy quilting, it's history and the look, try the following links:

Crazy Quilt History: A Victorian Craze
Vigo County Historical Society On-Line Exhibit (quilts 3 and 4)
The History of Crazy Quilts, Part I
Crazy Quilt Central

Now, back to my own crazy quilt project....

Improvising Quilters

Youtube has some fantastic tutorials for crafty people. I was browsing through some videos today and came across two fantastic videos for creating your own custom sewing table. The author of these videos is a quilter and the table she created for her quilting is cheap to make and innovative.

Since I am currently working on a table not meant for sewing and have very little room to work with, I fell in love with this idea. A weekend project is in order! Here's the two videos and I hope you find them helpful.





See you on Monday! Have a great weekend!

Spotlight on Fiber Artist Stormeejean!

Late Autumn in Tennessee Duster
Originally uploaded by Stormeejean

I love this garment, created by another Quilt and Heirloom member, Stormeejean. Her etsy shop promises, "My only gimmick is quality". If you stop by her shop, you'll see what she means. I decided to interview her and share with you a little about this talented artist.

1.In the range of over 50/under 50, where would you place yourself?
Over 50 and close to 60 and lovin it.

2.How long have you been a member of the Quilts and Heirloom team and what made you decide to join this group? Are you in any other groups?
I don't remember, I know that I joined then quit then decided to rejoin because I really enjoyed the fellowship here.

3.What do you consider your fiber art passion?
I love working with fabric. I love the textures and colors and the way they all come together. Jackets are my favorite, I like the challenge of taking something that is worn all the time and making it different, one of a kind. But lately I have started quilting and I find that I really love that too. Only I think that I am more of an art quilter. I love to see the way patterns come together, no matter what colors or techniques you use.

4. Where or when did you learn this art?
I learned to sew from my mother and my grandmother, my grandmother gave it to me as an art and my mother gave it to me more as a skill. My mother was strict about how it was put together, she always checked my work from the inside out.

5. Do you have any encouraging suggestions or tips for someone new to your skill?
If you want to learn to sew, try to follow through on every project even if you mess up. I have learned that these are not mess ups but another way to be creative. Sometimes you have to put it away and come back to it later but always try to finish the project.

6. Do you enjoy any other creative endeavors? And if so, could you tell us a little about them?
Yes I have started crocheting, it gives me time to think about things like what am I going to make next, or meditate on something I read. Also it is so relaxing. I like crocheting with thread.
I also make casual men's clothes. I named the shop after my husband and his car.

7. What is your shop and do you have other shops at Etsy?
http://stormeejean.etsy.com/
http://bobbyjoes40designs.etsy.com/
http://relaxedhands.etsy.com/
Here is my blog;
http://stormeesewgoods.blogspot.com/

8. As you look in your shop(s), what would be your favorite item in the bunch? The one you almost hate to part with?
I love the Crazy About You" patchwork jacket. I love the way it feels on, it is made of colors that are neutral and looks good on you if you wear jeans or dress up.


9. Do you have any suggestions or advice for someone just starting out on etsy?
Just enjoy, and don't take it personal if you don't sell stuff right away. Some people sell and sell alot other things take a little longer to sell. Just don't get discouraged keep listing and don't give up.Join a couple of groups, get into the forums,and create some treasuries and also comment and click on some treasuries. You know what you made and you know that you loved making it, you know that you did your best, you know that you put your heart and soul into it,you know how long it took you to make it, you know what products you used to make it and how much they cost there is always people that understand all that and they are your target market. I could go on and on but I won't.

Be sure and stop by Stormeejean's shops. She is multi-talented and that quality she speaks of definitely shows in her work.