Making Friends with the Walking Foot...

Because Free Motion is my favorite way of quilting I used to say that I don’t like the Walking Foot because it’s boring. Correction: it’s not boring. Except for my name on the bottom right side, this whole quilt above was quilted using only my Walking Foot and I love how it looks. I admit I had a lot of fun quilting it. 

If you are not ready for Free Motion Quilting yet, come take this class I designed, where I'll teach you how the Walking Foot can be used for so much more than just 'stitch in the ditch'.  I will share with you all my tips and tricks for getting great results with Walking Foot Quilting.  

MAKING FRIENDS WITH THE WALKING FOOT   
Saturday, September 5th, 2015. 
10:30am-1:30pm  
at  Suzzie's Quilt Shop

 
QUILT YOUR OWN QUILTS  
(The first part of this Workshop is Walking Foot Quilting, the second part Free Motion Quilting) 
Saturday, September 26th and 27th, 2015.
10:00-1:00pm 
at Workhouse Arts Center
      

Click here for the complete list of classes and know about how to register.

Spring!

This is another sample of Free Motion Quilting with out marking. Check out the back of the quilt!
Quilts by Marisela original design. 42"x 31"

Look for my upcoming Free Motion Quilting classes at your local quilt shop. 

Click here for the complete list of classes and know about how to register.

Front

Back

A Wonderful Experience!

Here are the pictures of my quilt at the 6th Expo Patchwork and Quilt 2014 in Mexico City.  Although my quilt didn't win being part of this quilt show was truly a wonderful experience.

 Thank you very much to Quilters Mexico for inviting me to be part of this great event.  Lulu, Eduardo y Caro: Great Job! Congratulations!  Thank you to Janome Mexico Latinamerica for your support and for letting me use your machines in my classes.

Pam Holland was the juror of the contest - it was really nice to meet her and also to meet all  the other great teachers.

My biggest thanks go to all the wonderful quilters who attended my lecture and my classes. Congratulations Artists!  It was a pleasure to meet all of you, thank you for your comments, hoorays and smiles.  Let's keep going with our art.

Click  Read More to see some more pictures of the classes and of the fabulous quilts that were displayed in the show:

A Miracle With Roses

No other flower represents Mexico better than the roses that Our Lady Guadalupe gave Juan Diego. 

The Miracle of Our Lady of Guadalupe is the center of Mexican Catholicism. In 1531 Virgin Mary appeared to Juan Diego, directing him to request a Church be built for her at the top of the arid and rocky Tepeyac hill.  The Bishop wanted proof of the encounter. 
"Here is the proof you should bring to the Bishop", she said.  The hill held thousands of roses which Juan Diego collected in his tunic. 
My quilt shows the moment he opened his tunic in front of the Bishop without noticing the miraculous image of The Virgin imprinted on it. 
  
Click Here to learn the complete story.

  I'm so excited because this quilt was accepted for the juried contest "Las Flores de Mexico" (The flowers of Mexico) at the 6th Expo Patchwork & Quilt Mexico 2014 in Mexico City.  Awards night is Friday the 21st  -I'll let you know how it goes. 



TECHNIQUE
Lots of Free Motion all over the quilt, without marking it at any moment. It's important to mention that even the words in blue are Free Motion, not an embroidery machine. I used ink to paint the details in the Virgin, the hands and the flowers.  Check out the pictures of how I made the flowers: Without a stencil I painted them in a Kona Solid fabric, then created the shapes and texture with Free Motion and outlined each one with black monofilament thread. 

                                   

 

It says  "Here is the sign you must bring to the Bishop"

IMPROV PIECING

This is a super fun way of piecing. It can be called "free piecing" or "no rules piecing". It's a very instinctual quilting format that results in a one-of-a-kind quilt!
Get inspired, enjoy and create as you learn this method.

 
IMPROVISATIONAL PIECING
 
Friday, November 20th, 2015. 12:00pm-3:30pm at The Quilters Studio  

DECEMBER  Tuesday 1st, 2015. 10:00am-1:30pm at Sew Global Quilters


 Click here for the complete list of classes and know about how to register.

Mixed Media Metallics Exhibition & Auction!

Artistic Artifacts in Alexandria, VA.  is opening this Saturday 18^th at 3:00 pm its latest art challenge exhibit called “Metallics”. The challenge requested submissions of 8" x 10" mixed media creations celebrating the shine of metallics.  

More than 90 entries were received including my “Metallic Owl”.

Many artists contributed their work to the silent auction with proceeds benefiting Food for Others. There are art quilts, collages, jewelry and more in a stunning range of styles, colors and techniques.  I already saw some of the pieces and they are amazing!  Exhibit closes February 8^th Don’t’ miss it!  To learn more go to www.ArtisticArtifacts.com/metallics.

T-Shirts Quilt for Luz

If you have a bunch of t-shirts and want your own keepsake too, give me a call 

or send me an email, I'll be happy to design one for you.

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas, and many blessings to all of you in 2014!     Guess what? I did it! I finished this quilt before the end of the year!  With lots of love to my dear friend Luz who I admire for being a great mom and a very disciplined athlete.  This quilt is a keepsake made of t-shirts from all her triathlon and marathon races.     The first photo shows the entire quilt and the next two show my... 

The Eye of the Quilter: Flora and Fauna. Houston International Quilt Festival 2013.

This October/November the International Quilt Festival in Houston had again the juried exhibit called "Eye of the Quilter". The exhibit is about photos that inspire us as quilters.  This year's theme was "Flora and Fauna" and three of my photographs were accepted! The exhibit is going to be displayed again in Chicago in June 2014.

"Pink and Yellow"

"Translucent"

Here are my three photos and the photos of the exhibit that Sarah Entsminger just sent to me, thank you Sarah!

"Patience"

                                                      

Award Winning Quilt

I'm just recovering from the shock of excitement. I'm so happy to share with you the good news I got last Friday: My quilt called " In the day of the death: La Catrina de Jose Guadalupe Posada" won 3rd place at the International Expo Patchwork & Quilt Puebla 2013, in their contest themed "Mexican Traditional Holidays".

The quilt show was held at the Universidad Iberoamericana in Puebla, Mexico, on September 26th to the 29th. Out of the 14 finalist quilts, mine received 3rd place and I won a Janome 7700 sewing machine! (Such a great coincidence because Suzzie's Quilt Shop in Manassas, where I am a formal quilting instructor, is a Janome distributor).

The top three quilts will be traveling to the International Quilt and Craft Festival in Ireland this coming June... isn't that great?     As I mentioned, the quilt show took place in Mexico...

My Love, My Accomplice And My Everything...

Quilt Portrait 13.5" x 12.5"

       How much does somebody’s life change after love is found? Mine changed A LOT! A new language, a new country, a whole new culture and a new religion! I feel that I still struggle with all these changes a little bit every day. 
But it is worth it.      Here’s a quilt of the love of my life. I meant to have it ready as an anniversary gift last August but, well, mine is a crazy busy life, you know…
I hand painted it after I printed on fabric (see more about the process in the next picture). 
The words I added in the bottom are a verse of Mario Bennedetti’s poem: “my love, my accomplice and my everything… “and that’s exactly what Michael is for me. Thanks Sweetheart for being part of my life. I love you.   Marisela.    

Two Baby Quilts.

My friends Ana and Miriam

Hope all of you had a great summer! I did - a long visit to Mexico seeing family and then a long visit by my sister and niece with us here in VA. Did I do a lot of quilting? Nope! but I did some.

Here the picture of two baby quilts that I was able to finish and deliver this summer. These quilts were for my friends Ana and Miriam, they are sisters and were pregnant at the same time.

The quilts were easy and really fun to make and you know how much I love to make baby quilts! I wrote the name of the babies entirely with free motion, I like it! Looks like embroidery don’t you think? I used the “Double Slice...

At Suzzie's Quilt Shop...

Today I was the featured speaker for the quilting club at Suzzie's Quilt Shop in Manassas, VA. I had a lot of fun! Thank you to the 37 ladies and the gentleman that came to hear me talk about Free Motion Quilting, Brain Hemispheres and my passion for quilts. It was great meeting all of you. I hope to see you again soon at the shop or at one of my classes. Thank you Susy for inviting me!

Quilters Unlimited Quilt Show 2013

Last weekend I went to the Quilters Unlimited Quilt Show 2013 in Chantilly, VA, and I really enjoyed it. There was a display of great quilts to feed my hungry eyes and lots of vendors (now I’m broke)!

The guild was founded 40 years ago. Annandale was the first chapter. This year I was able to volunteer at the annual quilt show as a “white-glove lady”. White Glove Ladies are the only people entrusted and allowed to actually touch the quilts during a show (in case someone asks to see the back of a quilt or wants to examine quilt’s details close up). This gave me the opportunity to see all the quilts closer, touch them, and talk about them with people who came to see the show. It was great!
 
And guess what? I was interviewed by The Voice of America (VOA) – multimedia US government broadcaster that broadcasts news and information about America to other countries in 43 languages. They asked me about how my quilting hobby has been transformed into a passion and I also showed my “Chocolate and Cherries” quilt which was displayed in the show as part of the “Whisper Quilts Challenge” from the Arlington chapter.
 
It really was a great show, so mark your calendar for next year May 30th - June 1st. For more information go to: www.quiltersunlimited.org

In Good and Bad...

Machine Pieced, Free Motion Quilting.  65"X 65"    Quilts by Marisela original design.

It took me a long time (almost two years, wow!) to finish this quilt.  It is for my dear friend Larissa who was here visiting in 2011.  She selected the fabrics and gave some ideas about the design. At the beginning it was going to be a set of placemats but when, just for fun, I put the pieces together on the floor, I saw how great they were for a lap quilt.  I love the fabric from the big busy border and to go according with it I made heavy fancy free motion in the red and brown inner borders -click on the detail picture.            So, this quilt is for a friend who is more like a sister, who has always been...

BIG BAGS

As we do every Friday, our EMA IS QUILTING group got together today. We were all tired of not having an easy way to carry our quilting stuff here and there, especially rulers, cutting mats and ironing stations that are hard to handle. In order to help us with this not so minor problem, Debbie taught us today how to make a big bag. And when I say a big bag, I really mean A BIG BAG, at least mine was the biggest!! We had tons of fun and all of us were actually able to finish our bags today!  You can see all the pictures on my facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/quiltsbymarisela  

Don't forget to click the LIKE button ok?

PS. Everybody is welcome to join us every Friday morning at Barcroft Bible Church, 9401 Little River Turnpike, Annandale. Just stop by and join us for lots of Spanish, quilting, sewing and fun!

... They are so great that I couldn't resist and I made another BIG BAG over the weekend. I repurposed some jeans and added a pocket in the front... Do you like it?

"FRIDA MARIA"
Machine Pieced, Machine applique and my Trapunto Technique. All the quilting is Free Motion and the border was not marked! 52"x45"    Idea from the book "Cool Girls Quilt", That Patchwork Place 2007.  Author Linda Lum DeBono.  Page 67.

Frida Maria is a beautiful baby girl who was born on November 20th, 2011.  With a Mexican mom and a Canadian dad she has awesome expressive eyes.
I enjoyed making her quilt so much, and hopefully she will treasure it until she becomes an adult.  Can't wait to see her again; maybe this summer. She, my two boys, my niece and my nephew will have a playdate together in Mexico.

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"A FLOWER FOR YOU"
Machine Pieced, Machine Applique, Trapunto, Free Motion Quilting.  60"X 60"
Quilts by Marisela original design.
 
 With lots of love to my aunt Maru and my uncle Tim.

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"MY FIRST PINCUSHION"
 Not bad for my first pincushion, eh?  Do you like it?

 

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A wall hanging for the baby's room. She is such a cute baby! 

Quilts by Marisela Original Design. 

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Here's a nice present for my Mom. 

Quilts by Marisela with Artsi2 Quilt Boards. 

No sew quilt wall hanging. Foam Backing. 8"x12".  

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"Free Motion Quilting Workshop with Quilters Unlimited Annandale Chapter"

Just want to say Thank You to Anne and Nancy who invited me to give the class to the members of the QU Annandale Chapter  (http://www.quiltersunlimited.org). Thank you to all the attendees, too.
Joyce, Tory, Nancy, Dian, Marion, Nancy, Diane, Anne, Audrey, Elaine and Carolyn are the newest free motion quilters! I enjoyed the afternoon a lot and even learned some new things from you all, too. See you next meeting.

"My 2013 Commitment"

T-Shirts Memory Quilt.  Machine Pieced, Machine applique, Free Motion Quilting. 75"X 65"
Quilts by Marisela original design.

Susannah was a runner for many years.  A couple months ago, she gave her husband a number of t-shirts that she had worn in various races.  Since she wasn't going to use them anymore, she suggested he donate them.  Instead, Susannah's husband called me and asked me to make this quilt as her surprise Christmas present.  I hope she'll be delighted and touched as she opens the box on Christmas morning.  Notice, especially, the red logo in the center, The Steamtown Marathon 2006. He emphasized that he wanted it highlighted in the center of the quilt because this was the marathon where she qualified for the Olympics.

As I was making the quilt, several things came to mind.  First, what a thoughtful husband he is!  This is such a special Christmas present.  Then, I realized how much I...

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"JUSTIN'S TRAIN"

Wall Hanging. Machine Pieced, Machine Applique, Free Motion Quilting.

Three different sizes: 10"x 10", 8"x 6.5" and 8"x 7.5".
Quilts by Marisela original design.

"BIRDS ON A WIRE"  

Wall Hanging. Project from the book "Quilts Made Modern" by Weeks Ringle & Bill Kerr.

Machine Pieced, Machine Applique, Free Motion Quilting.  20" x 27"

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I can't bake, but I can make cupcakes!!!
QUILTS BY MARISELA with artsi2 Quilt Board.
No sew, quilt wall hanging. Foam Backing. 8"x12".

 

Clothes Line Bali Bag, with Aunties Two Pattern.

 

 

 

 

 

"OUT ON A LIMB"
Wall Hanging.  Picture Image Applique.

Textural Landscape Pattern from Wendy Butler Berns. 13"x16".