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Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Great prizes on Candy's blog hop!

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My friend Candy Glendening has a great new Quilting Arts Workshop called “Free-motion Sketching: Drawing with Thread from Birds to Botanicals” and she’s hosting a blog hop to publicize it. At each stop, there’s the chance to win prizes, including a copy of the Workshop, and one of Candy’s original stitched botanicals.


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I’ve admired Candy’s gorgeous hand-dyed fabrics, and her lovely, loose free-motion motifs, since I met her on the set of “Quilting Arts TV” a few years ago. (If you want to learn Candy’s dyeing techniques, make sure to check out her first Quilting Arts Workshop, “Dyeing to Stitch: A Comprehensive Guide to Creating Colorful Fabric Art.”) She takes her hand-dyed fabrics and makes lots of usable projects like tote bags, baskets, iPad cases, and sketchbook covers. (Many of them have been featured in Quilting Arts and Quilting Arts Gifts magazines.)


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If you are a new, or hesitant, free-motion quilter, the technique Candy demonstrates in her new Workshop is a great place to start learning. Why? Well, Candy believes in stitching so that the hand of a human being is evident; she doesn’t want her stitching to look too perfect or mechanical. She likes the sense of movement created by the repeated lines, and stresses that these sketches look better if they are slightly imperfect. 

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Candy spends a lot of time demonstrating how she stitches her motifs – birds, vessels, and botanicals – while she talks through what she is thinking about as she stitches. This is very valuable for the beginner free-motion stitcher, because she shares tips, as well as practical advice about when to snip your threads, how fast to move your needle and your hands, and how to visualize the motif you are creating. 

In one of the chapters, she shows photos she’s taken of botanical subjects, and talks about how she closely observes what she sees before stitching it. 

Then she shows you how to assemble these stitched motif pages into a beautiful sketchbook where you can preserve your motifs. Just as artists work in sketchbooks as a way of developing ideas and working through problems before they begin a major piece of art, Candy uses her stitched sketchbooks to preserve motifs, see what works and what doesn’t, and determine if the thread and fabric colors play well together. Then she goes on to use her motifs in other projects.

While Candy doesn’t mention this, I think one of these sketchbooks would be a beautiful gift that could be personalized for your favorite gardener, teacher, or bride and groom.

Candy is very enthusiastic and supportive, and offers great advice to make beginners feel at ease: “The freedom that you feel once you are secure in your subject matter and secure in your free-motion sketching skills gives you that flow you really need to get … fluid lines. Definitely don’t think that you are going to be perfect the first time around. You need to sketch, sketch, sketch.”


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GIVEAWAY!
Win a DVD of Candy’s workshop and a botanical motif that Candy stitched.
Leave a comment after this post and tell me a little bit about why you’d like to win. I’ll draw one winner at random at 6 p.m. Eastern time on March 26. Make sure you leave me your e-mail address, or some way to reach you. And check back on March 27 to see if you’ve won. Make sure you visit the other bloggers listed at the end of this post for more chances to win. On the last day of the blog hop, Candy is giving away a DVD copy of her workshop, as well as all the fabric to make a sketchbook in the Autumn Splendor palette!

Note: If your comment does not show up right away, please don’t freak out. Please post only one comment. I now have to moderate/approve all comments, because I was getting a ton of Japanese porn spammers leaving comments on my blog! 

 We have a winner! Susan Isaacson has won this give-away. Thanks for reading, everyone!



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Candy’s Blog Tour
Wednesday, 3/12 –  Vicki Welsh of  Field Trips in Fiber (entries end 3/24)
Friday, 3/14  – Diane Doran of Ooh! Pretty Colors
Monday, 3/17 –  Victoria Gertenbach 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

85 comments:

  1. I am really intrigued by her motifs and would love to stretch my current skills in that direction - thanks for hosting the giveaway!

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  2. Birds to Botanicals...great subject matter!! Wonderful motifs for adding to my current needlework! YOUR work is fabulous, too! Thanks for the opportunity to win. mpburrell@bellsouth.net

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  3. I love the look of her work and it's a great give away. would love to try this !

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  4. This looks really fun and would be a great technique to add to my art quilting skills. Thanks for hosting her giveaway and making me aware of her blog!

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  5. I like the look of her quilting motifs and this is a wonderful way to get the word out about her DVD class and book. Please enter me in the drawing.

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  6. I struggle with free motion quilting and would love to learn Candy's technique! Thanks for the chance.

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  7. I have always been interested in adding new techniques to add to my quilts. Thank you.

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  8. Too fun. I would also be pleased as punch to be able to learn from Candy. :)

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  9. I would like to win because my word for this year is EXPLORE and I have not done any exploring in this area...yet.

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  10. Oh, please pick me! I have been working on my long arm quilting and thread painting. I am taking a workshop next week with Heather Thomas on that very thing! Knowledge is power!

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  11. I did some of this when I was younger then life got in the way. I would love to pic this up again and do more! Thanks for the inspiration and chance to win!!

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  12. I have been free motion quilting for a long time, but my sketching needs a lot of help. I have followed Candy's blog a number of years and admire her beautiful work.

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  13. Candy's designs are unique and I like the simplicity of them...it's a pleasure just to look at...martamanole@yahoo.com

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  14. Maybe Candy's approach could finally get me to free motion! Thanks for the opportunity to win!

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  15. Ha ha ha... Japanese Porn on the blog, now I have heard it all! Poor you! Since I tried my hand on freemotion after buying your DVD, I haven't had time to do any more and this looks like a really fun way of getting back into it!! Wouldn't it be fantastic to use as shadow in the background, say with a field of waving grain or something? Would love to try it out! Thanks for the opportunity to win.

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  16. I've had this dvd on my wish list since I first heard about it, I think in an email. I love her whimsy and this looks like so much fun!

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  17. Would love to learn this beautiful craft to add to my growing abilities in the quilting world. Such an awesome teacher to learn it from, too!

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  18. I would love to remove my fear of freemotion quilting! Empower me with your wisdom!
    Quilting Hugs and Smiles, Linda

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  19. I would like to win and learn new motifs. I can stitch basic daisies and leaves, but Candy's design have a perfect blend of realism and whimsy. I love the pumpkin she made in honor of your October birthday!

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  20. I love Candy's suggestion of keeping a sketch book of samples. Here designs are so lovely thanks for sharing this chance to win on of her books and CDs.

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  21. I am new to thread sketching, so Candy's DVD would be helpful! cfrankcef@aol.com

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  22. I am familiar with free motion stitching, but never really thought about using it to "draw" with before. Candy's workshop looks fabulous..wish I could take a class with her in person!

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  23. I would love to be the recipient of the thread sketching DVD of Candy's. Love trying new things.

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  24. As I have been spending so much in my butterfly garden I'd love to create a free motion sketchbook with that theme and I'm sure Candy's video would help me do that!

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  25. I'd love to learn Candy's techniques!!

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  26. I love the look of thread sketching, and I would really like to learn to do it well.

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  27. I love the chance to win Candy's DVD and congratulations on your hosting of Quilting Arts.

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  28. I do love CANDY!!! and would love to win a dvd! Natalie

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  29. HI Susan,
    I would love the DVD so that I can practice free motion quilting more. Never can have too many motifs available.
    Thanks for the chance to win.
    ruth@rogers.com

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  30. I've been a follower of candy's blog for a few years and own her fabric dyeing DVD. I'm so happy to see her doing so well and would love a copy of her new workshop.

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  31. I have just begun playing with the idea of loose sketch-like free-motion quilting and Candy's DVD would help me move along this path.

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  32. What a fun way to use our sewing machines. Sketching with the needle looks fun to do. Need to try that.

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  33. My sewing buddies and I were just discussing this DVD- we love to make altered books and this DVD would take us to a new level.

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  34. Looks like a get DVD Candy is giving away! I would love to learn the technique of thread sketching. thanks

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  35. I think this would be just the thing to learn, and I could see these designs on blocks featured in a quilt...I would love to win this!

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  36. I would really like to improve my FMQ! I haven`t done much and feel no confidence at all! Help!

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  37. I always love to learn more about free motion quilting, and I love Candy's designs.

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  38. I would love to win this prize! Free motion quilting is very new to me and I feel like I am all thumbs. I would love to know her process and what she is thinking as she draws pictures with thread!

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  39. Love what I see. Thanks for introducing me to this book. One of my goals this year is to improve and enhance my free motion quilting. These techniques would certainly help.

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  40. I would love to win this! I can do basic free motion quilting but love the artistic way Candy creates!

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  41. I'd love to have this video. I am slowly building up my free motion quilting skills, and have also begun to do ink drawings from nature, on paper, and this looks like a great blend of these two directions in my work.

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  42. Beautiful!!! I hope I win, I hope I win, I hope, I hope, I hope I win!! :)

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  43. I love Candy's dyeing and stitching, and would love the chance to improve my almost non-existant free motion skills!

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  44. Beautiful work. I would love to learn. Thanks for the opportunity to enter this DVD.

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  45. I would love to give free motion sketching a try and this DVD looks like a great place to start.

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  46. I would love to learn how to do this!! This looks so pretty! Thanks for the chance. ksmith8@emich.edu. I haven't done anything like this before.

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  47. Would I like to own this DVD? For sure! Since I have some beginner experience with free motion quilting, this clearly would be the next step to increase my creative skills. -- soparkaveataoldotcom

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  48. Have seen Candy on QA TV and would love to learn this.

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  49. I do lots of free motion sketching, mostly landscapes and structures. I'd love to try botanicals and can always use tips to make things better, cleaner, easier!

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  50. This dvd would be playing along side my sewing machine while I tried this technique.

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  51. I love the look of thread sketching and Candy's work is very inspiring so I'd like to give it a go myself.

    p.s. Japanese porn!

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  52. I would love to win this, to learn this technique. BTW, I love those photos from the later post of flower prints. WOW. There is so much out there I'm still learning about. Our sewing machines can do so much more, it's ART. Love that!

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  53. I love what I am seeing and reading about Candy's style and I think I need to start one of those sketchbooks. This DVD would be a great start for me.

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  54. OMGoodness!!! I am new here and will defiantly be a follower. If you can teach someone to paint and sketch like you did in the above post, then in want to be a part of it!! Those are some of the most amazing pieces of art that I have ever seen!!! Candy's work is above the best! I sure would love to win one of her sketches and better yet the DVD! Again thank you for hosting this and I will be back soon.

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  55. I would love to win the DVD to start me off in a new journey and new knowledge
    Frankie

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  56. It would be great to win the dvd and lean how to sketch. It would look wonderful on lap quilt and placemats

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  57. Just watched a preview of the workshop and it looks like something I might be able to do. I'd love to learn more!

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  58. I am entranced by thread sketching! Practising a bit at a time, but would love to have this DVD for more instruction.

    Thanks for the opportunity.

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  59. I'd love a chance to win the dvd. I've been wanting to try thread sketching.

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  60. I haven't been quilting for a very long time but I think I'm ready to give free motion quilting a shot. It really fascinates me (and simultaneously petrifies me). I really like the idea of the sketchbook - I would hate to have a picture I wanted to do again and not be able to remember it properly. I give away a lot of what I make so I may not have access to it again.

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  61. I have seen Candy on quilting arts! She is great and I love her techniques. I would love to learn more from her DVD! Thanks!

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  62. Thanks for the chance to win this DVD! sarah@forrussia.org

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  63. I really would like to learn how to do thread sketching!

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  64. I am very much a hesitant free-motion sketcher/quilter. I have tried in the past, but was disappointed with my efforts. I'd love to learn how to do this better with a copy of this DVD. Thanks for the chance to win :)

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  65. I love botanical subject and want to learn more about the technique. Thanks.

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  66. I'm terrible at machine quilting, but want to get better. I think the DVD could help.

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  67. Thank you for the chance to win this! I just started free motion sketching and I am loving it! I know this DVD will be a great help!! Thank you!!

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  68. I would like to win this because I love flowers and all things botanical and I would really like to learn how to do this.

    senstrings[at]yahoo[dot]com

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  69. I'm always looking for ways to improve my free motion stitching and this looks like a great DVD. Thanks for offering the giveaway.

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  70. I would love to add this to my skill set. I am always looking to learn new skills and the DVD would assist in this endeavour.

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  71. I have done three thread painting projects and so want to improve and learn more---I would love to win this.....thanks for the giveaway.....

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  72. I like FMQ and I am always looking for new techniques that will help me improve my skills. Thanks for the intro to Candy's work and the chance to win.

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  73. Oh, what fun. I would love getting to know more about Cindy through her DVD. Thanks so much for the chance to win this great giveaway.

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  74. I've tried some 'sketching' in some of my quilting. It is very difficult for me. Instruction would be good instead of just winging it. I hope I win; I would certainly use what I learned in my quilting.

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  75. I love Candy! She has taught me how to dye fabric through her online classes. She is detailed and straight forward. I am ready to take the next step and put this fun fabric to use! I would love to learn how to free motion sketch. Thank you!

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  76. I would love to win the Candy's DVD because I definitely qualify as a beginner. My designs would most definitely be irregular. The sketch books would be perfect samples to study for future improvement. Thanks for the chance to win.
    katztoo at excede dot net

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  77. I'm interested in the DVD because I finally own a sewing machine that can do FMQ and want to try it now! Although I love handwork, it does take a loooooong time. What, me impatient? :-)

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  78. This is the first time I've been to your site. I love the painting! Can't wait to do some myselk.

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  79. I watched the clip of the DVD on sew mama sew,in it Candy said not to try to go over a previous line, just close to it. I haven't tried free motion quilting yet, I want to, but this was one of main worries. Is the giveaway is open internationally? I'm in the UK.
    jen dot barnard at btinternet dot com

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  80. I would love to learn this technique. Thanks for the chance to win this DVD.

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  81. I loved candy's work when I saw her featured on a recent Quilting Arts email - such a down to earth style and fresh motifs. Great to follow on after the class I took with you Susan when you wee in New Zealand last year. Thank you both! bruceandisabel@gmail.com

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  82. I have been trying to teach myself free motion sketching, and finding a class to learn is not always an option, it would be great to have the dvd to watch over and over. Candy's work is lovely!

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  83. Susan,
    Enjoy your blog. Would love to learn more about thread sketching.
    Thanks, Debbie Griffon d.griffon@sbcglobal.net

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  84. Marilyn at coolrain46@yahoo.comMarch 26, 2014 at 11:40 AM

    I've tried free-motion sketching, but I need HELP! I love creative sewing, and this is really one major hurdle I have to cross. This DVD would really be heaven sent!

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  85. I would love to do a simple portrait on a quilt. crystalbluern at onlineok dot com

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