GROW YOUR BLOG - 2015!!

Welcome!

I am so happy to join in the fun in the 'Grow Your Blog 2015' party organized by the amazing Vicki Boster of 2 Bags Full. I can't wait to go visiting and meet some new friends and also to welcome you to my blog.

First of all, my name is Mary Anne (better known as MA).  My husband and I are retired and live in southern Ontario Canada in an apartment overlooking the local river.  We have two sons, two daughters-in-love, and a handsome 8 month old grandson.

Created in a year long colour challenge

Vicki suggests that we tell you why we blog so here goes....When I started to blog I simply used it as a tool in order for my kids to be able to see pictures of what I was working on at the time.  I never, in my wildest imagination, ever thought anybody else would be the least bit interested in my mumblings.  Slowly people discovered my little blog and suddenly I had a few readers.  That, in turn, led me to feel a small sense of responsibility that I should produce something so they actually had something to read.  It  grew from there and now I am happy to say that I have made a lot of great friendships through blogging. 

One of several crazy quilt purses I have created.

My passion is crazy quilting (as a look through my blog will attest!).  All the crafts I have learned to do over the years have pretty much culminated into one art form, one I never grow tired of.  I like the variety of things that can be utilized into crazy quilting (eg. old jewelry, laces, ribbons, found objects) and that many of the materials I use are recycled.  Being able to create something beautiful and useful from things that would otherwise be thrown away is very exciting.

A large wall hanging created in an online class with Karen Ruane.

  

My interest in crazy quilting began in 1999 when I got a computer with access to the internet and came across the 'CQMagOnline' and 'The CQ Newsletter' (now out of print).  I was fascinated and a passion was born.  I went from there to joining online groups and taking part in round robins and exchanges with those already working in the field.  It was a giant learning curve but ever so much fun!

One of my other passions over the years has been working with recycled denim and above you can see an example of a crazy quilted denim purse and below is the back of one of my jackets that I made using previously-loved jeans.

One of my favourite things to create right now are sewing hussifs and here you can see the front cover of one that I designed.

I was thrilled  to have both pictures and a how-to article on making these published in a 2013 issue of Pat Winter's 'Crazy Quilt Gatherings' magazine.

If you scroll down through my blog (or click on 'crazy quilting' in my labels) you will be able to see portions of the rose-themed hussif I am currently working on.

A further thrill was to be asked by Pam Kellogg to contribute one of my crazy quilts for inclusion in her 2015 calendar  My work was featured for January and you can see a picture of my creation as my blog header.

More recently the 'Crazy Quilt Gatherings' magazine owned by Pat Winter has been passed into the capable hands of Pam Kellogg  and the first issue of the new 'Crazy Quilt Quarterly' magazine will available for purchase on MagCloud February 1st.  Pam has again given me the honour of being the cover artist for her first issue, as well as inviting me to write a column for newbies.  All this is hugely exciting for me and makes me think that perhaps I have 'arrived' in the crazy quilting world!

 Many of the players in 'Grow Your Blog' are offering little giveaways and I am no exception.  I will be creating a rose embroidered needlebook similar to this one (below) and I will  draw  a name from those who comment on this post sometime on February 15th and announce the lucky winner then. 

Lastly, I want to extend a very large thank you to Vicki (and her helpers) for arranging  this great fun blog hop for us to enjoy.  I know it took a huge amount of time and dedication on her part and she deserves a standing ovation from all of us.  

Now I'm off to visit you...

put the coffee on!