Tuesday, June 10, 2014

New Quilt Blogger Blog Hop ~ Day 2!

Welcome to day 2 of the New Quilt Blogger Blog Hop Hosted by Plum & June! Thank you so much for following our hop!

marciaMy name is Marcia, and I appreciate you taking the time to stop by my blog, Cozy Capatiller. The blog name came about b/c a few years ago I started clowning and my clown name is Flutterby… So I kind of like the whole branding thing and it just fit my style anyway. When I was a little girl, on my report card every quarter, the teachers would all comment on how I am a “social butterfly”. It wasn’t until I got older that I realized that my teachers were actually trying to politely tell my parents that I talked too much! HA! You can learn more about my clowning and other ventures on my About Me tab...


My wife and I will be celebrating our 5th wedding anniversary this Thanksgiving! Abbi is by far the most supportive person on the planet! She makes me a better person just by having her in my life. We love sports and we love to travel! And we deeply love our fur babies, Nyagwai’ and Ranger… Sadly, we lost Nyagwai’ to a heart attack just a few weeks ago while we were on our most recent vacation. I am sure he is playing with many new friends while he waits for us at the Rainbow Bridge…

Nyagwai2
Nyagwai’
ranger2
Ranger

I am new to blogging, but I am also a new quilter! I started my blog in April this year ~ but I only began quilting in October of 2013! As most quilters know, once you start, you either love it or you don’t. If you love it, you develop this deep addiction that others who don’t quilt just don’t understand! Honestly though, don’t you just love taking some fabulous fabric, chopping it up, and creating amazing pieces of “usable art”!? That was my best compliment to date! A friend who received the first quilt I made on commission told me that they think it is “a wonderful piece of usable art”! I call this quilt “Running Through My Mind”.

race memories

I took many months making a quilt for my mom, Linda. It’s the first queen/king sized quilt I made! Let me tell you, it was quite a challenge! It may be a while before I try to make one this big again! Just the size of it – but I did the whole thing myself, I even quilted it on my domestic machine – a Viking Opal 670. I call this one “Lilies For Linda”.

lilies for linda

Last month I entered my first ever quilt challenge – the Modern-Traditional Mini Quilt Challenge. So this quilt is my first ever challenge quilt AND my first ever mini quilt – measuring just 20” x 20”. I call it “Down the Dresden Trail”.

20140610_071331[1]

For more information on all of these projects – and several other completed works, please visit my Show & Share page.

I may be a new blogger myself – but I have been reading blogs on and off for many years! I suggest to all bloggers, especially b/c our world is becoming so highly digital and mobile, that you all check the mobile settings for your own blog! I write most of my blogs at a desktop computer, however, I read blogs while on the go! Which means I am either reading your blog posts via a tablet or a cell phone. You would be surprised how many blogs I come across that do not have a mobile view set up and if they do, the pages just don’t load properly. Many don’t have a header at all! So this is my blogging tip to you today – go and check the layout of your blog’s mobile view… Mobile readers, like me, would GREATLY appreciate it! The best mobile layout shows your posts in a very short preview format instead of making your mobile readers do lots of scrolling to find your posts. Think of your blog like a book and give your mobile readers a "table of contents" view to select from! The less scrolling the better, and it makes your mobile view load faster too (and this will make mobile readers adore you)!

I want to share a quilting tip also, but it sort of feels funny for me to share one b/c I have only been quilting for about 8 months myself… I have learned SO MANY things that it is really hard to pick one to share. But I am actually surprised at the number of quilters who do not label their finished work. So if I have to pick one tip, it is a reminder to label your quilts! There are tons of labels, from hand written, to embroidered, and then there are ones like mine that are printed on fabric using a printer! They can be very basic to very extravagant… But pick one that suits your style, and start labeling your work! I wrote a blog just the other day (QR Codes = Everlasting Life) about my label ~ well, more specifically, the QR Code I use on my printed labels… Check it out! Maybe it’s something you’d like to do as well!

I would love to hear either a blogging tip or a quilting tip from all of you! Please share! I am one of those who believes that the day we stop learning is the day we stop living… So what tip do you think every new quilter / blogger should know? What was the best tip you got when you first started?

I want you all to continue on your way to visit my other fellow blog-hop spots. These sites are all great and they will have more tips to share with all of you – but before you go… I wanted to share one more fun fact about myself! I know I mentioned above that we LOVE to travel! Well, in the past 5 years, we have been to more than 20 countries across 3 continents! Some of our favorites have been: The Netherlands, Belgium, Brazil, and Spain. When I proposed to my wife, I said “I can’t give you the world, but I can show you the world.” All of this travel is me making good on my promise! Our next trip will take us back to South America and we will get to travel through the Panama Canal! We can’t wait!

Now, go! Go forth and visit these other fabulous blogs:
Jill ~ Pie Lady Quilts Jennifer ~ Never Just Jennifer
Chelsea ~ Patch The Giraffe Alice ~ Blossom Quilts
Daisy ~ Ants To Sugar Megan ~ Sew Stitching Cute
Rachael ~ The Floral Suitcase Stephanie ~ Late Night Quilter
Elizabeth ~ And Pins Kelsey ~ Lovely And Enough

Until next time my quilty friend ~ PIECE!

Marcia }|{

28 comments:

  1. You are more brave than I was as a new quilter. Your quilts look great! My advice is to make what you like. It is more fun that way.

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  2. Loved reading this Marcia! So sorry to hear about your beloved pup...I know how hard that is. But he will always be in your heart and love he gave is forever a part of you.
    Blogs are becoming (or really ARE already) such an important part of our life and such an amazing way of sharing our creativity, our quilting and our lives... I so love technology! :)
    It seems to me that in quilting you found an ideal way to express your creativity and it just shines

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  3. Wow, Marcia, you have really jumped in with both feet! I am amazed at the beauty you've created in the past 8 months! So sorry to hear about Nyagwai’.

    Hmmm... for quilting advice, I have to say that taking the time to oil my machine every day before I start sewing, de-linting the bobbin casing every time I switch out bobbins, and putting a new needle on for FMQing has made a difference in my quilting quality.

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  4. Sorry for your loss Marcia (we lost Ben or Basset over a year ago and I'm still in bits over it). Panama canal sounds fantastic, have a great trip. I'm busy trying to think of tips for my turn on the hop and when I think I have one worth sharing it's gone again!

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  5. Nice to properly "meet" you, Marcia. :-) You are fearless, jumping into quilting, blogging, and challenges all at once! It is great to find a pursuit that gives such satisfaction.
    Hmm...quilting tip = try many approaches to the same thing and figure out what works best for YOU. Just because an "expert" does things a certain way doesn't mean it's the ONLY way. :-)
    I'm STILL guilty of not labeling, even after vowing to change that. Gotta get on that because I want to use QR codes!

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  6. Wow - I am so envious of all that traveling (and what a seriously awesome proposal!) I need to follow your quilting tip - I never label my quilts.

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  7. I'm very proud of my cousin! She's doing amazing things. Love you and Abbi.

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  8. Fantastic intro post Marcia :) I'm so sorry to hear of your fur baby passing. I had my old girl for 14 years, she's been gone now for a few years, but I still miss her. Now, thanks for the wake up call. I never label my quilts! Best I start doing that!

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  9. Great post! I agree on the labeling. My labels are simple, but I make sure to put one on any finished work. I think another great tip is making sure you get the right seam allowance to get correct finished sizes if you plan on communal sewing (bees, round robins) so that all the blocks can 'play nice'. Jealous of all your travels, I think this year I'll be heading to S.A. as well. Hopefully I, my sister, and my mother, will travel to Peru and see Machu Pichu!

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  10. I'm so sorry about your lose of Nyagwai, I know how hard it is to lose a fur baby. At least it looks like Ranger will keep you on your toes. Your quilts are lovely, I love your color choices. I'm not much of a traveler...spend too much money on fabric.

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  11. I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your pup. xx!
    i am so excited that you have joined us here in the blogosphere and quilting! It is such a great community. I love to travel, too! I hope I run into you and your wife on an adventure :) your quilts are fabulous, and not just for a beginner. Keep it up!!! XX! Lori

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  12. Jealous! I find locks fascinating so the Panama Canal is definitely on my list of places to see someday - I'd love to do an Alaskan cruise that starts there and heads up the coast. Have fun, Marcia!

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  13. You are an adventurous newbie quilter! I love your designs. Fantastic post! I look forward to seeing your next projects.

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  14. Nice to learn some more about you. My tip would be trust yourself and your ability. I often underestimate my own so I need to remind myself as well :-)

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  15. Carla (Granny Maud's Girl)June 13, 2014 at 11:19 PM

    I think beginner quilters often have the best tips. It is all still fresh. Old hands can find it difficult to tell how much others know and assume they know more than they do.
    I am very envious of all your travel! Have you and Abbi planned an exotic destination to celebrate your fifth anniversary?

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  16. Leigh Laurel StudiosJune 14, 2014 at 9:15 AM

    Marcia, I'm so sorry about the loss of your pup. It's so hard to lose a family member. Your travels sound so fun!! While studying art history in college, I always found myself drawn to usable art. Your dresden trail quilt is so fun and cheery. Happy anniversary! -Karin

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  17. I love "usable art!" That is such an awesome compliment. 8 months!? You are amazing!
    I would love to travel that much! My first trip I want it to be Alaska! I just love the cold! Getting out of Texas for Colorado is my first step! :-)

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  18. Hi Marcia, great post! First off, so sorry about your fur-baby. That's always so devastating. :( I read your post the other day about the QR on your quilt labels and I love the idea but we only have a laser printer and I have yet to find a way to print onto fabric with it. The best tip I've learned this past year that I can pass along to you - spray starch is your friend. Specifically Mary Ellen's Best Press. That stuff is amazing and really helps in accurate piecing. My other advice - change your needles more often than you think necessary. It really makes a difference.

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  19. Hi Marcia, thanks for the introduction! I have never met a clown before. So sorry to hear about your dog, those pictures are so cute.

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  20. I love your bright and vibrant quilts.

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  21. Slightly late visit from the blog hop! Beautiful quilts, I especially love your mini. And your blogging tip sounds very sensible, I never use more mobile devices and it's not something that's ever occurred to me before, so thank you very much, and I'm off to check my settings now!

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  22. I am so sorry to hear about your loss of one of your fur-babies. - I love the bright mini that you did, the colors are vibrant and glorious! Great job!

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  23. I love the design on that down the dresden trail! Great tips! I often don't share tips because I feel like I'm too new to quilting to offer anything of use. But the tip about mobile devices is great- it something I overlook.

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  24. Joanna @ Riddle and {Whimsy}June 17, 2014 at 12:14 AM

    Awww no, poor puppy :(


    I can't believe your so new to quilting looking at the things you've made. Curves already?! and your seams look like they match up so well!


    Do you have any photos of you in clown gear anywhere? ;)

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  25. hello, nice to meet you! You really do have a massive talent for quilting so I'm more than happy to take quilting tips from you! Your quilts are beautiful.

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  26. The quilt you made for your mom is gorgeous! Hard to believe you've only been quilting a few months.

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  27. Welcome to the quilting world! Your projects are already so good, well done

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