> ~ Insights by SewCalGal ~

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

2012 FMQ Recap - July


First, I want to recognize and formally thank Angela Walters, our July FMQ Expert for her wonderful tutorial. 




Angela shared many FMQ insights with us and provided a fun tutorial to create tile designs.




Everyone had fun learning and/or improving their FMQ skills using Angela's tutorial.




At the point of writing this post, there are ~140 quilters that have completed this tutorial and entered to win a monthly prize.  (note: there are over 2,000 participants that have registered to complete this challenge, but only a small percentage enter the monthly challenges).  And many enjoy the ability to complete these tutorials at their leisure vs pushing to complete it in the month it was released.



 It is fun to look at all of they entries, as each of them are truly beautiful.  SewCalGal hopes everyone will be able to view all of the entries too!  There are also more photos, from those that have shared on our optional Facebook Group and/or the Flickr group.

Some have created beautiful projects already, from insights learned in this tutorial.





Quilters of all levels, from all over the world, are participating in this challenge.  While some have experience doing FMQ, many are quite new.  But, we all enjoyed Angela's tutorial very much!  And many participants are already applying Angela's insights, and designs shared in this tutorial to their projects.





On behalf of all the participants, SewCalGal and all of the participants want to extend a special thank you to Angela for providing us such a wonderful tutorial and inspiring us to learn and improve our free-motion quilting skills. 


THANK YOU Angela!




The objective of the 2012 Free Motion Quilting Challenge is to encourage quilters to learn and improve their FMQ skills, as well as gain more awareness to various FMQ Experts, opportunities to learn, tools that are helpful for those doing FMQ, all on a home sewing machine. While the focus is on learning, and SewCalGal does not want the focus to become all about winning prizes, but I'm also delighted that many generous sponsors have donated wonderful Grand Prizes and Monthly prizes, that will be awarded to participants randomly. It doesn't matter how good you are at FMQ, what matters is you take time to learn and improve.

Participants that do complete the monthly tutorial, in the month that it was released, and choose to enter per the rules on the original tutorial post, will be eligible to win a monthly prize.  For the June tutorial, there are three prizes and the winners will be announced ~ mid-July.

I do want to recognize and thank our sponsors for this challenge:


SewCalGal is proud to recognize our
GRAND PRIZE SPONSORS
for this challenge.


Sponsor(s) Prize(s)
The Fat Quarter Shop
Six prizes for Grand Prize Winners:
1 - $250 GC
1 - $150 GC
1 - $100 GC
3 - $50 GCs
logo One lucky winner will receive a $200 gift certificate to The Stencil Company where they can pick out their favorite continuous line stencil designs that are perfect for quilting
Dream World
One lucky winner will receive a Pieceful Holiday Quilting Package, which includes:
a Steady portable tables, a Travel/Storage Bag, Sew Straight Guide, Spinner Tray and Polish Kit
Pieceful Quilting Holiday Package w/ Drawer Tray
estimated value: $149.99
The Electric Quilt Company One lucky winner will receive a copy of EQ7

Retail price: $189.95
June Tailor A bundle of June Tailor products, perfect for free motion quilting, with an estimated value over $100
A bundle of books, perfect for those interested in free motion quilting, with an estimated value over $100


SewCalGal is proud to recognize our
MONTHLY PRIZE SPONSORS
for this challenge.








Sponsor(s)Prize(s)

sampler pack of 5 threads (12) which will be used in the monthly "bundle" prizes, every month.


Silk Stars Thread kit, with 12 spools of 40 wt threads, that was awarded to a winner in the January Challenge:

Aurifil Silk Stars Thread Collection-


note:  This prize was awarded during the January challenge.

SewSlip

SewSlip has donated 12 SewSlips, to be awarded to the winner of each monthly "bundle".
Revolving Sewslip images
Sewline: Trio Three Color Fabric Marking Pencils with an extra refill package to be given to winners of monthly prize bundles.
Sewline Products
Quilters TouchQuilters Touch has donated 12 bundles, each with a value of $27.95, which will be given to the winners of the monthly "prize bundles":
Machinge 1 (Medium)

  • Sew Precise Sew Fast Machine Binding DVD (retail $19.95),

Video
note:  As machingers are sized for the winner, they will be shipped directly to the respective winners of the monthly prize bundles, from Quilters Touch.  The other part of the monthly prize bundle will be shipped to the monthly prize bundle winners from SewCalGal.
Electric Quilt winners' choice of Quiltmaker Quilting Designs software
from Volume 1-7.  This prize will be awarded during one of the monthly challenges, in a month where there will be two winners.



Quiltmaker Volume 7 software


The monthly Prize Bundle for this Challenge includes:
  • a sampler pack of 5 Aurifil threads, donated by Aurifil.
  • a SewSlip, donated by SewSlip
Revolving Sewslip images


















Quilters Touch has donated a pair of  Machingers quilting gloves value $8 each
Machinge 1 (Medium)


And, Quilters Touch donated a Sew Precise Sew Fast Machine Binding DVD (retail $19.95),


Video

Sewline has donated a Trio Three Color Fabric Marking Pencils, with an extra refill package.
Sewline Products




There is still time to enter to win a prize, simply visit the June tutorial for more information. But all entries for this monthly challenge need to be submitted in June, so this is the last day you can enter to win one of three prizes to be randomly awarded to winners of the Juney Challenge.  To clarify, this is not a judged challenge.  Just simply complete the tutorial and follow the instructions to enter, that are posted on the respective tutorial.  

The main page for this challenge, which has a tab under the header of my blog labeled "Free-Motion Quilting Challenge", will be updated mid-July, to announce the winner of the June Challenge. 







Faculty: Angela walters for Blogging for business

Don't forget to visit Angela's blog (Quilting is My Therapy).  She shares many inspirational quilts, tips and fun insights and I certainly enjoy being a follower.


Craftsy has also released a new FMQ class with Angela called "Machine Quilting Negative Space".  The class is an excellent price/value.  But wait, it gets better than a blue light special....they currently have a super sale on their classes.  So, I hope everyone will check out this class and sign up!  I signed up!



 



Lastly, The August tutorial will be released tomorrow, August lst. An email announcement, with additional information, will also be sent to those that signed up for optional emails for this event. If you didn't sign up for such emails and are interested, click here to sign up. 






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7 comments:

teachpany said...

SewCal Gal and Angela, thanks soooo much, again, for doing this. Angela, you were kind enough to leave a comment on my blog post, and I felt that I had been acknowledged by royalty!! lol. Thanks for taking the time and effort to share your knowledge, and encouragement. I love your style of quilting, and hope to get your book soon. Thanks again!

Quilting Babcia said...

Thanks Angela for your great tutorial and all the encouragement you gave us along the way. Appreciate your taking time for all of us from your busy schedule.

Marjorie's Busy Corner said...

Can't Believe July is gone...Thanks to SewCalGal and Angela for another wonderful tutorial and list of prizes. It is extremely gracious of you to do this for all of us. Thanks again.

Joan said...

Thanks you to Angela and SewCalGal for the wonderful tutorial. Its so very special to have access to these wonderful tutorials. They are greatly appreciated!

Carolyn said...

Your tutorial was wonderful this month Angela and I follow your blog very closely. Your work is lovely and I'm always amazed at how many quilts you manage to get quilted. I bought your "Quilting Negative Spaces" and have already been through it twice. It is awesome. Thank you also to SewCalGal for giving us the opportunity to learn from expert quilters!

Connie Kresin Campbell said...

Thanks so much to Angela for such a wonderful and easy to understand tutorial and also to SewCal Gal for all the work you are doing on this challenge. Thanks for featuring my pillow also!

Anonymous said...

I loved how the tiling came out. Thank you so much Angela for the wonderful tutorial!....and as always, SewCalGal for hosting this great challenge.