Thanks to my readers from all walks of life, I've surpassed 10 Million, Five Hundred Thousand Views and was #32th out of Top 100 Quilting Blogs on feedspot last month then glitched and disappeared. Hahahahaha! Me and my never ending magical and energetic inter-net journey!
"Michele Bilyeu Creates With Heart and Hands"
In 2006 this blog was originally titled
"With Heart and Hands a Quilted Journey".
I think I just might have been part of what scientists called the "Quilted Universe" in Multiple Universe theories. HA!
1. What is the name of your blog?
With Heart and Hands
2. What is the correct Url
https://www.with-heart-and-hands.com/
2. What is the correct Url
https://www.with-heart-and-hands.com/
originally:
http://with-heart-and-hands.blogspot.com/
3. How did you choose your blog's title?
Having done volunteer "transpersonal lay therapies" involving my innate or "natural" healing touch/non-touch energy work and innately understanding that I combined the power of the work of my heart with the work of my hands, I knew that "With Heart and Hands" to be my first, last, and immediate choice for this blog as it has been for so many things I do!
http://with-heart-and-hands.blogspot.com/
3. How did you choose your blog's title?
Having done volunteer "transpersonal lay therapies" involving my innate or "natural" healing touch/non-touch energy work and innately understanding that I combined the power of the work of my heart with the work of my hands, I knew that "With Heart and Hands" to be my first, last, and immediate choice for this blog as it has been for so many things I do!
Along with my volunteer and charitable efforts in helping others, I also knew that my life's journey involved the blessings of these natural gifts and understandings in my sharing my healing energies not only with others one on one but in a greater quilting ministry where my quilts could bring blessings to so many hundreds and hundreds of others.
I also directly or indirectly practice distance healing, prayers or meditative energy work one on one or in groups. I have shared my blessing quilts and prayer flags with family, friends, and neighbors in many cities and care homes and places of healing in Oregon, as well as being a part of a program in volunteer hospice work through my connection with those in clinical settings and online forums and groups.
I also directly or indirectly practice distance healing, prayers or meditative energy work one on one or in groups. I have shared my blessing quilts and prayer flags with family, friends, and neighbors in many cities and care homes and places of healing in Oregon, as well as being a part of a program in volunteer hospice work through my connection with those in clinical settings and online forums and groups.
And yes, I studied healing modalities (reading 100s of books and articles online since I taught myself how to use a computer in 1990 from 12 computer manuals using Dos, from used books gifted from a bookstore owner/friend-client, or from libraries or gifts including those of Barbara Ann Brennan, Mantak Chia, Donna Eden, and the amazing work of Prune Harris of Cornwall UK. I've been studying with her, taking classes and participating in extended programs, groups and her amazing Gathering Ground of like minded and incredibly gifted people from all over the world.
All of these programs and books on health, healing and other modalities helped me to use many "traditional" Energy. Healing practices including all levels of Reiki Healing, Healing Touch, Non‐touch and many of my innate combinations.
After almost 10 years of learning through the energy blessings of Acupuncture and acupuncturists and with the blessing of a superbly gifted and highly intuitive Doctor/acupuncturist/chi gong practitioner, I learned on my own that I not only carried the same spiritually expressed energies of intuitive healing as both a seer and practioner.By working with so many gifted helpers and surrounded by angelelic helpers I learned my intuitive energies were already following along the same Chinese Energy Medicine channels. And all these years I was being sent clients that I worked with at no charge as I learned best by helping others. Clients were often suffering from chronic pain, depression, or end stage disease processes. I loved these dear new friends whether I worked with them in person, over the phone, or long distance.
4. What was your purpose in beginning your blog and has the purpose changed over the years? If so, how?
In the fall of 2005, I was one of 200 quilters who gathered together in a downtown Salem (OR) Convention Center, to make quilts for the survivors of Hurricane Katrina. In just two days, 200 of us created an amazing 200 quilts. That experience was so energizing, and so fulfilling, that I wanted to further my goals of both creating quilts for charitable causes, and finding ways to share that quilting process. Once I became aware of quilt blogs and blogging, and learned how to create a blog - I did!
5. How long have you been blogging?
I officially began blogging in October of 2006.
6. Do you have special features on your blog? If so, what are they?
My blog is most recognized by search engines for my sharing of well over 2,500 free quilting and quilt pattern links. And I am recognized for my charitable quilting and most often known for my posting, and quilting for the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative, and my passion for making and sharing my love of prayer flags as a visible form of caring and sharing with others and now for the making of Alzheimer's Fidget Quilts and for making and donating dozens of comfort quilts and blankets each year to charitable causes. For me, this is the essence of my blog, my work, and my quilting journey.
My blog is most recognized by search engines for my sharing of well over 2,500 free quilting and quilt pattern links. And I am recognized for my charitable quilting and most often known for my posting, and quilting for the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative, and my passion for making and sharing my love of prayer flags as a visible form of caring and sharing with others and now for the making of Alzheimer's Fidget Quilts and for making and donating dozens of comfort quilts and blankets each year to charitable causes. For me, this is the essence of my blog, my work, and my quilting journey.
Making Prayer Flags with my dear friend Anne Gilbert Walton of the Zena Farm School and many of her talented art quilters.
Sayéik Gastineau Classroom Volunteer, Michele Savikko Bilyeu
and
Theresa John Yupi'k Cultural Awareness Educator, University of Alaska
I was fortunate to have a very creative sister-in-law who taught at Gastineau Elementary School (primarily first and second graders) in my childhood elementary school on Douglas Island, Alaska, making kuspuks and my blog teaching others online and in real life, how to make them as well!
And of course my absolute joy of being able to help students, parents and other teachers in my own elementary school on Douglas Island Alaska for 3 years!
Sayéik Gastineau Elementary School
Douglas Isand Alaska
The addition of the Tilnget Native word Sayéik (for "Spirit Helper") was suggested by the Douglas Indian Association Vice President Paul Marks, or Kinkaduneek of the Lukaaxh.ádi clan came about during additional construction revealed the remains of 5 original island ancestors. It was decided it would be more meaningful for students and the community to honor our island and our schools history.
“Whenever we speak our language, our ancestors are listening and become present with us. And so with that understanding then they start to guide us,” Marks said. “We believe that our language is taught to us by our Creator, so our language is a language to strengthen, encourage and to give comfort to each other and to one another.”
Including our entire group being invited to the Governor's Mansion.
Currently, my blog has been 'trending' for both the creation of prayer flags and for my making of Alzheimer's Fidget Quilts! and for helping others, and of course for the gift of being able to help so many in both Alaska and Canada with suggestions and photos on the making of kuspuks without needing a pattern.
I began sewing as a very young girl, growing up on Douglas Island near Juneau, Alaska. I taught myself to sew by watching others, first by hand, then on my grand-mother's treadle sewing machine by the age of 12. I progressed to making all of my own clothes by the time I was 17 or 18.
When I left for college in the late '60s, I learned very quickly that if I wanted any new clothes that I would need to make them myself! Money was very tight for our family of 7 and I used anything I had, or my mother had at home, to make clothing. I made the blouse I am wearing above from a remnant altering my mother's pattern in her size, to fit me and creating the jabot from the collar. So, of course, I did the same when I needed something to wear for an interview or a social occasion in college!
Many of my pieces were my own design, some even from my own home made patterns, and quite original. I had made my own clothing from lingerie, to wool dresses, to even my own coats, while living at home in Alaska. But, I learned rather quickly when I arrived in Oregon in September of 1968, that wool was not 'in' at 85º while walking on the hot pavement of a college campus!
Many of my pieces were my own design, some even from my own home made patterns, and quite original. I had made my own clothing from lingerie, to wool dresses, to even my own coats, while living at home in Alaska. But, I learned rather quickly when I arrived in Oregon in September of 1968, that wool was not 'in' at 85º while walking on the hot pavement of a college campus!
And oh yes, I was probably wearing my brand new leather knee high boots that day as well!
Remember this is when Oregon State had one computer and it took up one very large room. My knowledge of the world was limited to geography books, and the weather reports on our only two TV stations out of Seattle! And all of our TV shows were mailed up to the stations and arrived two weeks to three months later than their original airing in down south in the states!
I was gifted with my first very own sewing machine for Christmas in 1968, brought it back to school in Oregon after the holidays. I sewed every single free day from that day forward creating new clothing for Spring into Summer "in the lower 48" as we called the rest of the "States"!
Remember this is when Oregon State had one computer and it took up one very large room. My knowledge of the world was limited to geography books, and the weather reports on our only two TV stations out of Seattle! And all of our TV shows were mailed up to the stations and arrived two weeks to three months later than their original airing in down south in the states!
I was gifted with my first very own sewing machine for Christmas in 1968, brought it back to school in Oregon after the holidays. I sewed every single free day from that day forward creating new clothing for Spring into Summer "in the lower 48" as we called the rest of the "States"!
Once I figured out I could piece fabrics together to make 'hippie' vests or wide legged pants, my creatively artistic side was really unleashed! I came from a large family of artists and I already sketched, painted, decoupaged, did macrame', simple hand loom weaving, and made jewelry from parts linking beads, stones and metal findings.
It was 'the' era for all of this, and boy, I had fun sewing and crafting and no matter how unusual my color combinations might have seemed before that time I was finally "in"! This was during the 'flower power' generation and the saying "anything
goes" allowed us all such freedom if we weren't afraid to take it. We were vivid to say the least! I added Rit color dyeing to my repertoire and expanded color availability and the repurposing of old garments, table cloths and sheets as my fabric choices!
After meeting and marrying my husband Larry at Oregon State, he in the sciences and myself in the arts, we married in 1972. A combination of pioneer families with mine from France and Finland and his from France, Germany and other European countries.
Together we raised three wonderful children, all filled with the same independent, creative and hard working standards instilled in us by our parents and lives based on overcoming life's many challenges.
Raised to believe there was nothing that I couldn't do, teach myself, or become, I forged ahead into marriage and motherhood using my teaching skills and artistic background and always wanting to be of service to others with the intrinsic , intuitive gifts that had been passed down to me by my parents and grandparents.
In the 70's, I discovered the fun of 'patchwork' quilting and began making simple patchwork pillows and quilts (and lots of curtains!) for our home and later baby quilts for my children. By the later 1980's when the groundbreaking book "Quilts, Quilts, Quilts" came out, I taught myself all of the traditional patterns in that book by simply starting with the simplest pattern, and progressing my way through the book. I used the traditional patterns... but always with a twist.
I went into costume and theatre design for my children's schools and a children's theatre program. Theatre costuming took away the last of my perfectionism and taught me to be creative on the spot, make do with what I had, and always wing everything even under great pressure, and multiple emergencies. In theatre we learn that it's good enough and not considered a sewing mistake.... as long as 'it' can't be seen from the back of a moving horse from 35' away.
Not only a liberated costumer was born, but also the beginning of an improvisational, and liberated quilter!
Rather than making an album quilt, which I might still have to this day...I made pillows. So, one pattern per pillow creating dozens of pillows. One by one, they were all given away and many were used on reading couches in elementary classrooms, here in Salem.
Sadly, I have nothing of my own making until about 1989 when I made my first queen sized quilt using a variation of the 'Buttons and Bows' pattern. Made in dark browns and coral tones, the bright sun coming into our bedroom window faded that within six months. I was reminded of the transient nature of all things and to appreciate and treasure that which we have - while we still have it!
I am now having a great deal of fun with what we are called "Liberated" or "Improvisational" free piece quilt making, With Gwen Marston. and her quilting partner, Freddy Moran as my muses. I was so lucky to meet them in real life...and long before they became 'famous!'. The freedom from not having to match points and to focus on fun and creativity rather than precision has been very freeing, and a great deal of fun.
I also delight in the making of creative 'art' quilts in a variety of styles learning and using many design techniques that I have learned over the years from many other art and craft forms. And that organically led me to combine my love of arts as well as crafts to the beginning of my love affair with all forms of art quilting. An intensely creative form of working in the flow and going into another world and dimensional aspect of quilting in entirely different ways.
I have been a passionate supporter of the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative With 16 members of my own extended family now having, or have had, some form of Alzheimer's Disease or a related dementia, this charity means the world to me! Spending as much as 5 1/2 months a year in Alaska, in my childhood island home caring for my parents over the past 8 years, I have made and donated 75 small format art quilts and earned close to $5,000 for Alzheimer's research funding.
I was very proud to still be able to make and to give away at least 25 quilts a year. While a few were given as gifts, the over-whelming majority were given to charitable organizations. I have made and donated quilts to Wounded Veterans (both locally here in Oregon, and at Fort Madigan in the State of Washington) to hospice, foster children programs, abused women and children organizations, the local hospitals neo-natal center, cardiac patients, disaster relief organizations, and through a number of interfaith/local church groups, and of course Alzheimer's organizations.
With so many serious and life threatening illnesses in my family, friends, and those that I care about, it was inevitable that I would increase my focus on making and sharing my deep love of 'Prayer Flags". Since the early 70's, I have felt such a connection with this ancient art form that seeks to reach out and do good, through the natural world, with others.
I became aware of The Prayer Flag Project started by Vivika Hansen DeNegre, joined and began to share some of the flags that I was creating in the online group. While I didn't always share every flag that I created, I have shared a number of them and it's a wonderful contact and connection with like minded individuals who choose to share their artistic endeavors for a larger community connection.
10. Have you participated in online classes, quilt-alongs, etc... If so, what was your favorite and why?
Besides, being a member of The Prayer Flag Project, I was the creator of the Liberated Quilting Challenge for creating and donating small format art quilts to the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative (AAQI). Composed originally of members of the Liberated Quilting Webring and the Liberated Quilting Message Board, we became a group of online quilters or quilt bloggers who wished to challenge ourselves (in any art quilt form) and to learn to think 'outside the box' by trying new quilting or art quilting techniques for creating and donating AAQI art quilts.
Our challenge group made and donated about 650 small format art quilts to this cause. I tracked about 35 quilt makers from the group from around the world, including one wonderful quilter/blogging friend who lived as a practicing Buddhist high up in the Himalayan mountains of Nepal.
I encouraged the creation of quilts, through private emails, and blogging, found new members, made sure that all of our creations were listed, photographed,and published in three different locations ‐‐ the AAQI webpage for our group, the Yahoo Liberated Message Board Photos, my own online photo albums for the group (both Picasa and Flickr accounts) and on a blog that I created just for this purpose, Liberated (Challenge) Quilting I believe in transparency as an attitude of gratitude and wanted visibility for all of us!
This all kept me very busy on top of my own blogging, my daily quilting, and all of the family care giving, but it also made me feel, each and every single day, that I was doing all that I could for my own family and for our selves and futures family members who were at higher risk for developing dementia or Alzheimer's Disease.
The Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative traveling exhibit described above. I felt extremely honored to have had my quilt selected from among so many truly lovely and creative quilts. Other than that, I believe that quilts are meant to be loved and appreciated and if they hang in public, to be viewed with a loving heart and eyes of simple admiration and not judgment.
I have entered challenge quilts into various venues, where they were seen at fairgrounds, libraries, quilts shops etc. and hopefully inspired others to give art quilting a try. That's great fun!
"Mama’s Brain’s Got Tangles…But Mama’s Still Inside"
Michele (Savikko) Bilyeu
surface layer.”
The craziest fun of all is when I show up on unusual sites!
Here's one!
A Blog A Day ~ A Month Of Random (And Totally Awesome) Blogs To Check Out For October 2020 – Blogger (Blogspot) Edition – ~Plucking Of My Heartstrings~
https://pluckingofmyheartstrings.com/2020/10/01/a-blog-a-day-a-month-of-random-and-totally-awesome-blogs-to-check-out-for-october-2020-blogger-blogspot-edition/
AND this one knocked my often colorful socks off: photographs of my small format art quilt and a description of my work ended up in all different kinds of church bulletins, slide shows and church sermons all over the US and even in other places in the world!
https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=1985
https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=1985
[PDF]Narrative Lectionary- Blind Man March 2, 2014 Michele Bilyeu is a ...
Mar 2, 2014 - Michele Bilyeu is a textile artist, a quilter from Salem, who uses her medium to try to help us understand those who have Alzheimer's disease.
.
And I accidentally discovered that my AAQI Quilt and my words about it, were used by "Working Preacher", an online site for providing direction for Sunday sermons to congregational ministers, appeared and was used all over the world by preachers in their own Sunday sermons! An unusual surprise, but an incredible honor!
[PDF]Narrative Lectionary- Blind Man March 2, 2014 Michele Bilyeu is a ...
Mar 2, 2014 - Michele Bilyeu is a textile artist, a quilter from Salem, who uses her medium to try to help us understand those who have Alzheimer's disease.
.
And I accidentally discovered that my AAQI Quilt and my words about it, were used by "Working Preacher", an online site for providing direction for Sunday sermons to congregational ministers, appeared and was used all over the world by preachers in their own Sunday sermons! An unusual surprise, but an incredible honor!
And then I found myself quoted in a book!! It makes life extra interesting to Google yourself every now and then! Hahaha! Life is filled with amazing, synchronistic and often unbelievable mystical signs and "godwinks"!
12. What style of fabrics are you most drawn to? What are your favorite tools? What type of sewing, quilting or other machines do you use in your quilting projects?
As a primarily charitable quilter, I am very proud of using donated, scavenged, cast off, and re-purposed fabrics that others throw, or give away. And yes, of course I do love 'beautiful' fabric as well but I loved the idea of 'green' sewing and not wasting anything. What few scraps I have that can't be used for sewing are donated as 'bale' to a local mission that earns money through a fabric salvage process that creates new fabric out of old in countries like Japan, China or Malaysia.
And part two: I own several sewing machines including my grandmother's treadle from the early 1900's that survived our house fire in 1971, my first and second Vikings that were either donated for repair and reuse or given to others, my lovely Viking Sapphire 870 Quilt, and my precious 'green' 1964 Singer Featherweight.
I am delighted to have my current blog do as well as it has. And by doing well, I do not necessarily mean my having had well over TEN MILLION people visit and read my blog...but making new friends from all over the United States, as well as all over the world. It was a glorious and gratifying stage of my life and energetically I miss all of that but I gracefully accept change and diminished "original qi" or vitality and the changing and rearranging of priorities in life.
My" best" presence is that which goes unseen but exists in the giving of comfort, aid, love, support and healing in the hearts of others. Whether that is in the much appreciated comments that I received for all of the free tutorials that I created, or the links that I offered for free patterns and tutorials.
14. What type of posts seem to get the most attention from your readers?
When I made the decision to drop anonymity and open myself and my life experiences to my readers, I found that the hearts I touched more often touched mine in return. The journey through the heart and the connection with others is far more meaningful that I ever expected of a simple quilting blog and I am grateful for those openings, and those connections.
15. What is the content of your posts? Are they instructional, informative, reviews, interviews, link posts, rants, research, memes, and/or projects?
I find ways to fit just about anything that catches my own interest into my blog and somehow they end up relating to my life, and my quilting, as well!
16. Concerning advertising, do you have affiliate programs, your own online store, etc.?
I link up to literally thousands of other quilting sites, blogs, and quilters, but I do not currently use advertising of any kind. I am not anti-advertising, I love all of my favorite products and sewing and quilting sites, I don't currently have any on site except in individual blog posts as I write about my sewing experiences or gifts that I have received.As far as linking to any online store. I give away thousands of free patterns, gifts, and links here on my blog.
17. Do you have goals for your blog and how do you measure your success at meeting. these goals?
When I first began blogging, I wanted to feel like I had friends that shared the same interests and passions that I did. Later, as I began to feel true connections with others, I wanted to reach out and touch the lives and the hearts of as many other quilters as I could, and learn, and share from that process. In that sense, I have surpassed any, and all goals.
I was once in constant communication with quilters from all over the world and from all walks of life. When I blog about things that connect heart to heart with another, the people whose hearts felt the resonance would often contact me privately, and we exchanged emails back and forth for years turning into decades. Knowing that I have been able,in any way, to share and ease the suffering of another human being through my sharing and caring, meant and continues to mean the world to me.
Life is full of amazing and miraculous synchronicities and events, if one is simply open and receptive to discovering them. And it never fails to amaze me, just how often these opportunities or events occur.
18. Is there a future direction that you would like your blog to take?
I am open to the whatever the Universe has in store for me, and for my blog. And with the interesting challenges that my life has taken on so far, I'm sure it will be an adventure!
19. Is there some point when you will stop blogging? How will you make that determination?
I am a hope filled realist. If at any point, my own life, my family, or my own feelings on blogging should change, I would very simply go with that flow. Right now, I am happy with, and love the process, as well as the wonderful connections with others.
When I made the decision to drop anonymity and open myself and my life experiences to my readers, I found that the hearts I touched more often touched mine in return. The journey through the heart and the connection with others is far more meaningful that I ever expected of a simple quilting blog and I am grateful for those openings, and those connections.
15. What is the content of your posts? Are they instructional, informative, reviews, interviews, link posts, rants, research, memes, and/or projects?
I find ways to fit just about anything that catches my own interest into my blog and somehow they end up relating to my life, and my quilting, as well!
16. Concerning advertising, do you have affiliate programs, your own online store, etc.?
I link up to literally thousands of other quilting sites, blogs, and quilters, but I do not currently use advertising of any kind. I am not anti-advertising, I love all of my favorite products and sewing and quilting sites, I don't currently have any on site except in individual blog posts as I write about my sewing experiences or gifts that I have received.As far as linking to any online store. I give away thousands of free patterns, gifts, and links here on my blog.
17. Do you have goals for your blog and how do you measure your success at meeting. these goals?
When I first began blogging, I wanted to feel like I had friends that shared the same interests and passions that I did. Later, as I began to feel true connections with others, I wanted to reach out and touch the lives and the hearts of as many other quilters as I could, and learn, and share from that process. In that sense, I have surpassed any, and all goals.
I was once in constant communication with quilters from all over the world and from all walks of life. When I blog about things that connect heart to heart with another, the people whose hearts felt the resonance would often contact me privately, and we exchanged emails back and forth for years turning into decades. Knowing that I have been able,in any way, to share and ease the suffering of another human being through my sharing and caring, meant and continues to mean the world to me.
Life is full of amazing and miraculous synchronicities and events, if one is simply open and receptive to discovering them. And it never fails to amaze me, just how often these opportunities or events occur.
18. Is there a future direction that you would like your blog to take?
I am open to the whatever the Universe has in store for me, and for my blog. And with the interesting challenges that my life has taken on so far, I'm sure it will be an adventure!
19. Is there some point when you will stop blogging? How will you make that determination?
I am a hope filled realist. If at any point, my own life, my family, or my own feelings on blogging should change, I would very simply go with that flow. Right now, I am happy with, and love the process, as well as the wonderful connections with others.
*Questions posed are a variation of ones that I have been presented with and answered in the past on other sites. My answers are completely different as theirs were only about quilting!
Love, light, prayers and blessings and thank you for the visits here!
Michele Savikko Bilyeu
Salem Oregon/Douglas Island Alaska
Michele Bilyeu Creates With Heart and Hands as she shares her imaginative, magical,and healing journey from Alaska to Oregon. Creating, designing, sewing, quilting, and wildcrafting, "from my heart and with my hands."
