Quilted Wallhangings and Wildlife

 I have been long-arming so many quilts and having escapades and computer/social adventures, that I have neglected this blog site  sorely.  My apologies.
I will try to earn your love again by sharing all that I can. 

Macaw for Client

I have been growing in so many directions lately:  personally, creatively, and educationally.  I have been quilting for clients and sometimes finding the time to quilt from my creative streak.  The Macaw is a wonderful example of what long arm quilting can do to lend form to a piece.  It was a very abstract top when my client gave it to me.  I studied photos of Macaws (via Pinterest and Google) for several days.  I have been discovering that taking the extra planning time really does make a better quilt.  I have even taken to marking quilt tops!

Quilts for Paws Project:  Merlin

  The Quilts for Paws project is a slow success.  I have not had an outrageous demand, but I have managed to get Shadow his surgery.  He is the happiest he has ever been in life.  It is quite nice to see.  I will continue this project as I do believe it is a good cause.  I did not begin is it just to help my animal and I would still like to help other animals get the veterinary care they need.
  Spring has finally come the Rockies.  We have had lots of rain so everything is really green and gorgeous.  This particular moose has been roaming the neighborhood.  We named him Mickey because his antlers kind of look like Mickey Mouse ears in the this photo. 

Mickey the Moose

Some of my focus lately has been developing my other social media sites.  It has become quite a long list actually.  Let's see, www.mountainjoyquiltndye.Etsy.com and this blog were my first social sites.  Now, I have added:  www.mountainjoyquilts.com, www.facebook.com/mountainjoyquilts,
I am so addicted to my Pinterest for great inspirations and a place to share my work,
a not so active linked in profile,
and personal FB   --Whehh! It takes 2 cups of coffee in the mornings just to check them all for comments.  I love getting comments! 
I promise to write and share more often again!  Keep quilting and creating!

Time Flies By

My goodness, it's been a month since last wrote? That is just unacceptable! I will strive to do better. Actually, that is what today is all about for me again. Does anybody else procastinate everything you can and then try get it all done in one day? Or is just me that "catch's up" every few months?
Now, I will attempt to share some of what has been happening at Mountainjoy. It has been a very rainy summer so far and there has been a lot of vegetation and wildlife. Pictured here is the one of the most attractive young bucks I've seen in a while. He strolled through one night and ate heartily from the patch of fire weed. Even though I was planning on harvesting a lot of flowers this year, I did not shoo this elk off. Have you seen how big they are? He didn't eat it all of it and he was so majestic looking that I didn't mind sharing. The are plenty of flowers for mead making anyway. It's become an annual tradition here to make Fire Weed Mead each August.
I've been working in the sun in Boulder and the studio up here too. I've made several quilts this summer actually. You see, I have taken more time to quilt and have been seeking new clients as well. I am pleased as punch that it seems to working so far. I finally managed to get through my website building boot camp. I still have much to learn and much to do about polishing my website, but it is up. If anyone wants to check it out, go to www.mountainjoyquilts.com. I would also welcome input from my readers as to the site's look/feel. I can now be reached via email to rebeccah@mountainjoyquilts.com.
Basically, it's another beautiful summer here in the Rockies. Busy as beavers and loving it.

Confessions of an Overquilter

This long arm quilting is the shizzle! I've been at it since March and I still can't believe how much fun it is. Most things this much fun are illegal. I can lay down hundreds of stitches per minute with great accuracy and ease. This is what is leading me to my confession. I can't stop sometimes. Even if I plan a quilt to be lightly quilted, I just keep laying down stitches. I am happy with the work, it looks good. But does a baby quilt need over 20,000 stitches? I mean really, it will hold together with less. Quilting has taught me patience, maybe it is time to learn moderation.
I have been growing my quilting service business the last few weeks. It is coming along nicely. The junk you get in your email when you advertise on craigslist is phenominal. It will be worth it though if I get a few clients through it. I lost my DSL connection for a few days there. I was completely at a loss. I never thought I would get that used to (and need) my Internet connection. It is time for me to be listing on Etsy and promoting my business. I am so glad I am hooked up again. It isn't like I truly missed anything, I just feel better knowing I can reach into cyber space when I want to.

Quilting as a Business

My adventures as a quilter began a long time ago. As a child, I learned to sew. After my stint in college, I revisited sewing and discovered quilting. Slowly through the years, my adventures began turning into ventures. I began making some money selling my quilts and teaching classes. My hobby is quickly becoming a business with many new and exciting things on the horizon. One of the greatest marketing tools is the Internet. What a wonder that we can reach so many people! Learning how to use this tool was a challenge for this artistic girl. But once again, there is plenty of help for that.
One such book is Your Quilting Web Business. This comprehensive e-book is written by Fran Smith and Nicola Baume. These successful artists share their knowledge on how to start your own on line quilting business. you will learn how to market and sell your quilts using the Internet. They even go over how to set up your own website. For $37 with a money back guarantee and a bonus quilting resource book, this is a great investment for any one thinking of starting their own quilting business. Click on the link provided to find out more and to download your copy of this book today.