Howdy,

I know, it has been awhile since I did a blog for everyone to read.  I have enjoyed my summer and fall quilting for customers as well as getting some quilts completed to post for sale on the website.  I am still trying to learn Instagram and apparently I've managed to get 3 accounts instead of one, so be patient with me until I get them merged into one.

I will post some pictures below of some quilts I have worked on for others.  You may have seen them on Facebook, just in case you haven't, they are below.  I found some cute freestanding lace embroidery projects which I will post below as well. 

I now have my Crown Jewel Longarm quilter which I use daily.  There is a lot you can do with a longarm quilt machine besides longarm quilt a quilt.   I am going to keep you in suspense here, as I am learning to do videos and hope to have them up and running on my facebook as well as my website.  Yes, you will see that I am in the beginning stages of doing video, but I am told the more I do them, the more comfortable I will get.

The family including granddaughter along with a friend and her family did a project for a local cottage outfit in Ft. Collins.  It is sad to report, we have yet to see any payment from Tree Cycled Art. She apparently received a backer who gave her monies to complete her CSU Souvenirs.  She has ran into some difficulty on getting payment from CSU for the 7200 pieces that we did for her, so the story goes.  Hopefully, we all can see some monies before the New Year.

The Destiny II is an awesome machine.  I have done lots of embroidery, scanned a picture for the granddaughter, which this machine digitized and then we embroider it on a sweatshirt. She was thrilled.  I am still learning what all it can do, and amazed what it can do.  Maggie, at Maggie's Sew and Vac https://www.maggiessewvac.com/ in Ft. Collins sold me the machine in March.  This is a lady who doesn't care where you bought your machine, is there to help you with your sewing issues and needs with any sewing machine you have old or new, and any brand.  It is my understanding she was a Home Ec teacher and loves to teach others how to use their machines.  I did my first video when I did my granddaughter's Prom Dress.  Did you know if you have fabric and it is curved or uneven, you can program this machine to stitch around that curve and adjust to keep it exactly even all the way around.  Awesome!!!

This week, I am rearranging my Quilt Studio and then plan on posting a new page on my web page called re-purposed fabric.   This is fabric that I have acquired from Meals on Wheels, along with donated fabric.  There will be different categories such as jelly rolls, fat quarters Charms, Cake Layers and 2-1/2 inch squares.  Also applique which will have the fusible on the back and ready to iron on that outfit you wanted to add to. 

Also, I am still working on donations both cash and fabric for Cheyenne Quilt For Kids.  Lots to learn on how to get cash donations.   I sent a pack of 5 kits to Gillette Wyoming for the FBLA kids to do.  My goal is to get one person in each town to be an organizer for that town and get the younger generation to sewing.  What better way for them to give to that community and we keep the younger ones learning to sew and create outfits for themselves as well as for others.  I try my best to make my Christmas gifts for the family and friends.   Yes sometimes, it is an item that you cannot make, so I do try to get what is on their list.

Well enough of my rambling.   I would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Prosperous and Happy New Year.

I will leave you with this saying I found on line.

Sewing is magic, creative and fun,
its meant to be shared with a special someone.
Let's fly off to Sewland and stitch something new,
where all the town sews at a quarter or two.
                                       author   Jenny Wilding Cardon.

Can you believe it, March 2017 has arrived.  I have been busy working on 1952 quilts for a customer as well as in between working on my new Babylock Destiny II.  Maggie at Maggie's SewNVac in Fort Collins made me a terrific deal that I could not refuse.  I love her store and her employees.  Everyone there is so helpful.  They treat you like family.  There is no high pressure sales, just a warm welcome when you walk into her store.

Yes, I am still working at IBMC as an adjunct instructor.  This is what funds my quilting business and I love teaching computer classes.  Do you know of someone who wants a career change or a student who would like to receive their diploma in 24 months, an externship and then a job?   Send them to IBMC to check us out.  Also check out our massage therapy and our cosmetology.   Their prices are reasonable and who couldn't use a haircut and a massage. :)

I have been working on my website as well.  www.longarmofthewestcustomquilting.com.   Setting up two more tabs, one is E-commerce, so now customers can purchase online products and quilts that are for sale.  I have added another tab which is called recycled fabric.  All the fabric has been washed and pressed and ready for sell.  I volunteer at Meals-On-Wheels and volunteered to take some of the fabric and wash it and press it and sell it online to generate a little more income for them.  When you order that recycled fabric that you have been looking for, note that 10% goes back to Meals-On-Wheel on this tab only.

I have been working with some ladies who are making "Quilt For Kids" for Cheyenne. New to sewing and new to quilting.  This is a great way to learn for a new sewer.   If you want to join us, contact me and we can set you up sewing up some of these quilts.  If you have fabric you want to donate to the cause, please do.   We accept 100% cotton for those we make for the hospital and the binding has to be zig-zagged down. (Reason for this is they have IVs and we do not want them getting caught in the blanket.    Flannel, fleece, and any other soft fabric is welcomed and we donate these to other organizations for children.

Last Sunday, I went to The Fig Leaf in Ft Collins to teach the computer side of the ScanNCut2 cutter.  You would be amazed what you can do and send wireless back to the ScanNCut2.   Go check out Laura's s quilt shop as well.  Tell her Marcia Sent you.  Sign up for one of our ScanNCut2 classes too.  Did you know if you love to do crafts, quilt and design, this is the machine for you.   It cuts fabric with a 1/4 seam line if you choose to have it draw it.  You can scan in a template and cut the accurate fabric for that template to make that pieced quilt.   Need a card, well it will do that as well and Pop-up cards to make  with projects listed in there ScanNCut Canvas program which, by the way, is a free program.  Just create an account and then log in.   https://scanncutcanvas.brother.com/en.

Below are some quilts that I have done some longarm quilting on.  Visit my website and like me on facebook.  

Happy Quilting and Sewing.  Until next time...

This is little house on the praririe that I did the Panel with the ScanNCut2 machine and fused it onto the background with OESD FuseNSeal and a blanket stitch.  The customer then completed the quilt blocks which I precut on the ScanNCut2 machine for her to sew together.   

The quilting was done for a Customer who calls this her scrappy flag quilt.  The backing was her design as well.  I think she did  an awesome job of making this quilt.

This quilt is the 1952 quilt.  I chose 108 inch wide backing so there were no seams. I took the bottom row of quilt blocks and replaced the damaged ones in the quilt, all hand-stitched in.  Then washed it in the bath-tub as the reds are noncolor fast with the color catcher and rinsed twice.  It was then pressed and put on the frame to quilt.

Well our summer and fall has flown by and winter has visited us with a snow storm.  I am blessed to have customers calling me to do their quilts.  A GREAT BIG thank you to those who have referred them to me.

I have been busy quilting for customers and working on a couple of special ones.  The one is shown using my ScanNCut2 and ScanNCut Canvas software.  We started a small group of us here in Cheyenne and I am teaching them how to utilize the ScanNCut for applique cutouts to save cutting after the fabric is sewn in the hoop.  I also will be teaching at The Fig Leaf in 2017 to show how to enlarge a pattern to the 200%, 300%, 400% size in order to do an applique panel like the one shown below in the pictures I am sharing.  I had so much fun in doing this panel and now it is ready for the customer to complete from Carpenter Wy.

I have found a new place to design my web page and set it up with online shopping as well.  I am loving how it is turning out but still some work so please visit often.

Received a QuiltForKids donation from a gal in Burns and still looking for businesses that want to donate $$ to get this up and running again.  The main office is in Pennsylvania that started this program and there is an account for CheyenneQFK@qfk.org.

I have posted a slide show on my Web page and will be changing that out every month and a half, so go visit and see what is being offered there as well.

I want to wish you all a Very Happy Holidays and that the New Year will bring us all good blessings.

A Day Spent Quilting is a Day well Spent :)  Enjoy the pictures from start to finish of the panel.

Marcia
Longarm of The West Custom Quilting, LLC

Another Quilt done for Emma in Seattle Wa.

Well, it is June. Oh my half of 2016 is almost completed.   How time flies when your having fun.

Emma from Seattle WA loved the first quilt I did for her and sent me another.  I mailed it back to her and she was thrilled.  She loved my thread choices and said my quilting was exquisite.  I am so happy she love the work I did on the quilt.  I love doing her quilts.  She is an excellent quilter and makes beautiful quilts.

I have also been doing appliques for customers.  Those intricate designs that no one wants to attempt.  Well ScanNCut2 does it well.   I am amazed as what I can do with this machine. Since I have posted that I would do quotes for appliques, (note not just for applique) this machine does a lot of other projects as well.  The picture below of the fish is 22 inches long and about 7 inches wide.  There are several who have a ScanNCut and I am offering classes for those who are interested.  Cathy called me for a quote and this is what I did for her.  I think you all will agree that this is a very intricate design.   Contact The Fig Leaf in Ft. Collins.  Tell Laura I sent you.  She is a Brother Dealer.  Those that do not want the expense of the machine, have been calling for Quotes.

I am officially a Quilt For Kids sister Chapter.  All the paperwork is in.  Web page to contact me is http://mail.google.com/a/quiltsforkids.org
I am setting up a sign-up sheet for those who want to help sew up the quilts.  There are some special instructions for the quilts that go up to the hospital for those kids.   I will be setting up a room at the Library as a sew day as soon as I have received some interest in those who want to help sew these quilt kits.  New sewers who want to learn to quilt, can contact me as well.   These are simple quilts for those to learn how to start making quilts.

Well I will close for now, and be back soon with a couple more pictures of what I have been doing.  See you soon

Marcia

Can you believe it half the year almost gone,  It is May and I want to wish all the moms Happy Mother's Day.

I received another quilt from Seattle Washington.  She was thrilled with the longarm design I did on her first quilt.  Emma does awesome piecing of her quilts and I so enjoy quilting them for her.

I received a quilt from Lorraine.  My son met her in the UPS store and gave her my card. She gave me a call and brought me out a quilt. I did an overall free motion heart design on the quilt and really like how it turned out.

I am also a licensee to do the University Wyoming quilts.  I have had lots of requests to do throws and queen size quilts, so I took the plunge.   I have just finished digitizing Pistol Pete and ready to incorporate him into the quilt I am working on.   Come back and check for my next blog to see the end results of the quilt.

To all a Warm Howdy and a Thank You to all those who follow my blog, facebook and web page.

Have a Great Week,

Marcia

Excited about my New ScanNCut2

I have just purchased a new ScanNCut2 and have demonstrated it to some of my customers.  This Item is available to come in and use.  I looked at the new Bernina 750 and 880 bur not in my budget right now.  The ScanNCut will do exactly the same thing the features the Eernina has such as cutwork, Rhinestones, applique and even do stencils for your quilting.

My granddaughters love the Rhinestone capabilities and are able to add bling to their clothes. I have had several gals come in and use the machine (for a small rental fee) and have enjoyed learning to create some awesome projects.  

March has been Quilting Month and I have had a great month.  I received a quilt fro Seattle Washington to quilt for a gal there.  Below is a picture of the quilt .  I love her colors and she did a beautiful job on piecing it together.  She pieced together the back from her leftover fabric which is absolutely beautiful.  She can put this on her bed either side and it will be absolutely gorgeous.  I received her call and she found me on the internet and loved my work and asked to send me her quilt to quilt it.  We  decided on swirls and feathers as an overall design on the quilt.  She should receive it this Friday.  Thank you Emma for giving me the opportunity to freehand motion with my longarm this design.  So ho knows, I may have the opportunity to quilt a quilt from each state.  I have done one for a gal in Arizona and now one from Seattle Washington.  She has a second one almost ready to get quilted and will be sending in a couple of weeks.

I am also licensed to make some Wyoming Quilts.  I was contacted last fall to make a  UW quilt with steamboat on it.  We are working out a small throw design that she will like.  I am so fortunate to have the skills to create my website and it has reached across the US and everyone has liked my work.  I am a strong believer that we all have a place here on earth and God provides us guidance and answers our prayers.  We may not always get what we want but we get what God knows we need at the time.  My middle son says, "We are not in charge of the Master Plan."

I also decided to be a "Sister" Chapter for Quilts For Kids for Wyoming.  I am setting up quarter jars in various stores for donations and Sally who is one of the gals in the main Chapter "Quilt For Kids"  has received all my information and I am all set to start organizing a place for those who would like to join me in sewing up these quilts to give out to the children in the hospital and, the different charities around town.  My goal is to contact Quilt Shops across Wyoming to see who would like to be a pickup and deliver of these quilt kits to put together and deliver to their hospitals and charities in their towns.

Well I have a quilt to design and hope to have one or two posted on my web site for sale.  Accuquilt has free patterns and there is a place on my website to click on the home page "Pattern" to go to the site and download a free pattern or two.  They have some really cool patterns.  I have Accuquilt Cutter and the Go Big machine available to rent to cut out your blocks for those who do not want to store all those cutters for maybe just one or two quilt you want to make.  Remember their saying "Accurate Cuts make Better Quilts."

I have several other quilts I have completed and will be posting and blogging on this week.  So come back to visit my blog.   Happy Quilting from Longarm of The West Custom Qulting and enjoy the pictures

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