A Cotton + Steel Giveaway

It was my birthday this month, and one of my daughter’s, too.  Luckily her birthday is just four short days after mine so her special day eclipses mine, which is just how I like it now that getting a year older isn’t quite as fun as it used to be.  I treated myself to lots of quilting related presents this month…

Did you know that you can get a pair of Gingher shears on Amazon for between $20-$23, which is a lot off the price at craft store?  Amazon has other pretty good quilting deals.  A pack of 5 Olfa 45mm rotary cutter blades will only run you $14-$15.  Add them to your cart and watch the price fluctuate up and down, then snag them when you think it’s a good price.

Speaking of scissors, I tried sharpening my old pairs with the tin foil and sandpaper methods, but neither worked.  The Gingher shears are much heavier than the Fiskars brand I used before, but they slice through several layers of fabric like a hot knife through butter.  Plus I’m pretty sure my husband can sharpen them in our electric knife sharpener if they go dull. 

In the spirit of birthdays, I thought I’d give away 4 fat quarters of my favorite prints from the Cotton + Steel fabric lines that came out earlier this year, a little thank you for reading my blog!  Your comments really brighten my day and encourage me to keep creating.

So if you’ve left a comment on my blog in 2014, leave a comment here to be entered in the drawing.  This giveaway is open to all followers, US and international.  The winner will be drawn on Wednesday, October 1st.  Thank you for reading my blog and good luck!

A little bunny told me

That spring has finally sprung!

This little bunny is from Melly and Me’s pattern called “baby bunnies.”  You can purchase the pdf pattern here.  He also told me he wished I had stuffed his feet a little better.  In my defense he is the first stuffed toy I’ve made.  My next one will be better, promise!  I already got my hemostats ready to professionally stuff the next one’s extremities.  And if you don’t know what hemostats are, they are very technical tools for stuffing homemade toys.

No matter, my daughter loves him and has carried him everywhere with her since I made him a few days ago.

And this little bunny also told me that it’s time to have a giveaway in celebration of spring.  Earlier this year I picked up a few charm packs for a giveaway…Hello Petal and Daydreams.  And then this past weekend I found some great designer brand fabric in the fat quarter bin at my local Joann’s…two Timeless Treasures nature prints and one Rashida Coleman-Hale Washi print.

One winner takes all!  In your comment tell me what project you are working on now.  I’ll pick a winner on the 17th and international entries are welcome.  Good luck! 

A Little Giveaway Game—Prize Update

Here is a photo of the prize, 4 fat quarters from my LQS.

From left to right:

• Pumpkin Party by Deb Strain
• Moda Essentials Dots
• Blitzen by Basic Gray
• Baby Jane by Cosmo Cricket

Enter my giveaway here.  Thanks to everyone who’s entered so far!  Good luck!

A Little Giveaway Game

Lately I’ve  been obsessing about which fabrics to choose for my projects.  In the past I mostly used already coordinated collections for my quilts, but I seem to gravitate toward quilts that have a scrappier and more eclectic style, a certain quality I think can be lacking when I only use an entire range of a designer’s collection.

Enter the newest pumpkin tablerunner (is this one word or two!???).

Which fabric should I have chosen for the binding?  I took these photos to help me decide.

#1 Orange

#2 Green

#3 Yellow

Okay, now for the giveaway…which binding did I choose?  Everyone who chooses the one I picked will be entered in a drawing.  Make sure I have a way to contact you, and I’d love if you became a follower of my blog, although that’s not mandatory.

The prize is going to be 4 fat quarters, but I’m not sure which yet.  The local quilt shop is closing :( and I’m heading over there tomorrow to check out the fabric.  It’s all on clearance and they do have many fat quarters to choose from, so I’ll be picking them out tomorrow.

Good luck!  I’ll announce the winner Wednesday. 

PS.  Mary of Needled Mom was the winner of my Fabric Fest loot giveaway.  Thank you to all who entered.  The package has been mailed and you should receive it Monday or Tuesday, Mary.

It’s For the Birds {plus a giveaway}

The giveaway is closed.  The winner was Rina Mason #106 (Crickets Corner) and has replied to my email.  Thanks everyone who entered and left a comment!!!

Thanks for checking out my stop on the hop today!  When I saw a bird-themed hop it was a no-brainer to jump right in.  I have a serious love affair with birds ever since I started staying home with my kids.  The first winter we got a bird guide book and a bird feeder and it’s just exploded from there to multiple bird feeders, birdhouses, every kind of hummingbird feeder, mealworms for the birds (yes, mealworms!), and even a month long adventure of raising a baby robin last fall.

When we found “Lucky” he was a pinkie, which meant he didn’t have any feathers and had to be fed every 20 minutes from sunrise to sunset.

We took him everywhere with us those first few weeks, including to the pool in his shoebox home.  We’d just sit him on the table in the shade, keep him fed and clean with a toilet paper trick we learned from a helpful rehabilitator, and no one was the wiser that we had a baby bird with us while we were splashing it up!

Once he was a fledgling and did a lot of flying around the yard, we were able to find a licensed wildlife rehabilitator to take him.  You see, when they are so small and require so much care around the clock, places that rehabilitate animals cannot meet those sort of demands with volunteer schedules and the fact that many people who do that kind of work also have regular jobs they have to go to.  So we kept him for a little over a month until he didn’t need to eat so frequently and required less care.  What a meaningful month we had taking care of him!

So what did I sew for this hop?  Well basically I’ve tried to incorporate birds into nearly everything I’ve sewn since I signed up for the hop.  I started a Mooshka quilt for my daughter, but it’s not finished yet, so I am sharing two other sewing projects today.

With the explosion of friends who are having babies this year, I’ve made quite a few pairs of reversible fabric baby shoes.  This sweet bird print (no idea what it is) looks darling paired with pink polka dot fabric.

I’m not sure which photo I like better.  I had a lot of fun staging the shoes for a photo op.

Here they are with their “friends.”

Then, the DC Modern Quilt Guild had a nametag challenge last month, so I thought I’d pick something with a bird in the design, of course.

It took no time at all to stitch up.  The pom pom trim was a little tricky to pin into place (I have a really hard time with fiddly things like that), but overall it was pretty simple to make and I had fun wearing it around the entire day (like even into the Chinese restaurant to pick up carryout, and at the dinner table at home much to my husband’s amusement). 

So there you have it!  Now if you follow me regularly you might have seen that our squirrel-proof bird feeder stopped working last week.  I took a few photos of an especially daring squirrel with strong teeth and sent it into the local newspaper, and they printed it!

Our new birdfeeder arrived yesterday and the girls and I put it up today.

It must work because I’ve seen about a dozen squirrels checking it out intently but never touching it.  I picked it up on Amazon here.

I ordered a few more new feeders from Amazon, you know, while I was already looking...

No birds at this window feeder yet.

But I’ve seen a couple hummingbirds at this one already.

Be sure to check out the other stops on the blog hop today!

http://ssparrowinflight.blogspot.com

http://Hillvalleyquilter.blogspot.se

http://mcsqrd.blogspot.com

http://loveitsewit.blogspot.com

http://piecepeacenc.blogspot.com

http://grammieq.blogspot.com

http://meadowbrook-Kristen.blogspot.com

http://scrapbook-ChickADoodle.blogspot.com

www.craftyshenanigans.blogspot.co.uk

http://Stitchingbythebeach.blogspot.com

www.thebusybeequiltshop.blogspot.com

http://morestarsincomanche.blogspot.com

http://lesquilts.blogspot.ca

http://suebeesworld.blogspot.com

http://mtnmommy2.blogspot.com

www.thatlookslikeitneedsstitches.blogspot.com

http://www.freshcutquilts.com

And a huge thank you to Madame Samm and Mary Winegar (rhymes with vinegar) who put this hop together!

I have a little giveaway today…a charm pack of Winter’s Lane by Moda that features a lovely cardinal print perfect for bird lovers.

The North American Cardinal happens to be my favorite bird.  What’s yours?  Leave a comment to be entered to win.  Open to anyone anywhere.  Followers of my blog can get a second entry.  I’ll announce the winner this weekend.

Have a wonderful Friday!!!

First Ever Embroidery Project {plus a giveaway}

Tomorrow an embroidered pillow I created using Aurifil threads and a free pattern from The Sometimes Crafter is being featured over at Lily’s Quilts!!!

If you are a first time visitor or regular visitor, welcome to my blog! 

Today I am giving away a copy of Aimee Ray’s book, Doodle Stitching: The Motif Collection.  I accidentally bought two copies when I was looking for an introductory book to embroidery (the danger of shopping both on Amazon and at the local Joann’s) and one lucky reader will be getting a copy due to my mistake.

The book is amazing, and that is an understatement.  There is a library of stitches in the front section of the book with diagrams even I can understand.  It has a section of projects and then in the back there are over 400 patterns divided by theme such as “embellishments” and “under the sea.”  It comes with a CD so you can print your own copies.  I’ve printed quite a few and it makes it so easy for using an iron transfer pen or pencil.

To enter, simply leave a comment on this blog post.  For an extra entry, let me know you are a follower, old or new!  International entries welcome.  I’ll announce the winner on Tuesday, April 2nd. 

Luck of the Irish {A Giveaway}

Have you heard about the annual Pantone color contest hosted on Flickr?  This year, the color is emerald. 

I am giving away 11 fat quarters of “emerald” hued fabrics bought mostly from The Intrepid Thread.  They were half yards cut into fat quarters, half for me and half for one lucky reader!

Do you have the luck of the Irish in you???

Fabrics included are Oval Elements, Anna Maria Horner, Amy Butler, and Joel Dewberry.  The giveaway will close on March 17th and I will announce the winner on the 18th.  Open to US and international entries.

To enter, just leave a comment with your favorite color…mine’s purple! 

Dare to Dresden??? {Plus a Giveaway}

A special thanks to the head cheerleader Madame Samm and blog hop organizer Christine of Quilt Monster in my Closet for bringing a brand new Dresden blog hop to the online quilting world!

I’d never made a Dresden block before, but I have three under my belt now!  They each measure 17 inches across and are headed to Oklahoma tomorrow to meet their new “mama” from Stash Bee.

I used Darlene Zimmerman’s Easy Dresden ruler and it worked like a charm.  So let’s have a giveaway!  I have a happy surprise for one lucky blog-hopper today!  A charm pack of 25 Riley Blake small chevron prints!!!  Just leave any comment to be entered and you can get an extra entry for being a follower or becoming one.   The winner will be picked Sunday night.

Thanks for for visiting my blog today.  I hope you can take a few seconds and check out some of my recent blog posts and projects.  Be sure to stop at all the other blog hop stops on today’s schedule!

January 25^th, 2013

Gingersnap Quilts

Busy Bee Quilts

She Sews the Blues

Traveling Quilter

Grand Mama's Stories

Cherry Blossoms Quilting Studio

Sew at Home Mummy

The Slow Quilter

Pig Tales and Quilts

Annie Oak Design

Jane's Fabrics & Quilts

Tea Time Creations

Mo Broker My Creative Side

Just Let Me Quilt

Words and Stitches

Just Keep Swimming

Sew Many Yarns

Sowing Stitches

Jane's Quilting

My Patchwork Life

2muchfun

Pumpkin Patch Quilter

Quilt Monster in my Closet

Easy As Pie Quilt Along {Plus a Giveaway!}

Hello!  My name is Jamie and I have designed a quilt for the fabulous fabric store 1 Choice 4 Quilting.  The fabric is called “Little Apples” by Aneela Hoey and Nicole has put together some fabulous quilt kits that include all the fabric for the top, backing, and binding!

The finished quilt measures 54” x 70” and is made from one layer cake and an additional 1.5 yards of solid (I used Moda Bella Saffron), 3/4 yard for the border and binding, and exactly 4 yards for backing. 

What I loved about making this quilt is how fast and easy it comes together, which is why I decided to call it “Easy As Pie.”  Since it’s made with a layer cake, there is no need to spend time obsessing about fabric choices, doing any complicated cutting or trimming, and the blocks and rows come together super fast!  This quilt is perfect for a new-to-quilting sewist or a seasoned pro who is looking for a quick quilt that is fun to make!  I have put together easy to follow tutorials with lots of photos, and if you are a beginner, there are videos you can use to help guide you step-by-step through the process!

You can find those quilt kits here.  The price is an amazing $67.99 for all the fabric you need to complete the entire quilt!!!  Nicole has even given you the option of picking your own backing fabric so you can customize your kit!  And while you are browsing, check out the newest Moda releases like Snap Pop, PB & J, and Spring House.  1 Choice 4 Quilting has same day shipping if you place your order before 4pm EST and all orders over $50 SHIP FOR FREE!!!  Yes, you heard that right, free priority USPS shipping for orders over $50!!!  It’s not that hard to spend $50 on quality quilt shop fabric, right?

The posts for each step of the quilt along will be found here on my blog:

February 4th:  Cutting and piecing pinwheel and sawtooth rows

February 11th:  Cutting and piecing wonky star blocks and center row

February 18th:  Sewing together rows and adding borders

February 25th:  Post your photo to Flickr by this day for a PRIZE!

Upload your progress and finished quilt photos to the Flickr page and if you complete your quilt top by February 25th (it does not have to be quilted and bound) you will be entered to win a quilt kit and one lucky winner will get a quilt kit for the next project in March!!!

1 Choice 4 Quilting is offering a super giveaway today!!!  One lucky winner will get an “Easy As Pie” Quilt Kit!!!  Just leave any comment on this blog post, and if you are a follower of my blog, you can have an additional entry!  Just leave me a comment letting me know how you follow.  You can also enter on Nicole’s 1 Choice 4 Quilting blog.  There are up to eight ways to win this sweet quilt kit!  The winner will be chosen on Monday, January 28th at noon.  Good luck and hope to have you quilting along with me in February!

Old and New Projects

This Saturday was the DC Modern Quilt Guild’s field trip to Material Girls in La Plata, Maryland.  Five of us met up there to sew and shop and have fun.  I left with these two patterns.

I haven’t opened them up yet, but I have plans to use the Bizzy Kid pattern with some beach themed fabric as a gift for friends who let us use their condo in Ocean City.

As for old projects, I got the top pieced to my Shoo Fly quilt.  Now I just need to piece together all the flying geese I accidentally made when I sewed the wrong squares together in the beginning of making the shoo fly blocks and make the backing.

And as for new projects, yesterday I finished up all the blocks for my Tula Pink quilt I plan to enter into the Sew Along.  Full Moon Forest was my second ever designer fabric purchase and I’ve had two fat quarter bundles since the line came out.  It’s time to cut into it I guess!  I also used some Prince Charming, Birds and Bees, and some Amy Butler and Anna Maria Horner fabrics.

I read a little bit about making scrappy quilts “work” and tried to use all different scales and values of fabric, but I fear I may have missed the mark on this one.  I hope to have the finished top to share later this week.

My friend Donna is having a giveaway on her blog for a pack of Lecien fabrics and a copy of her pattern “Sweet Scrappy Love.”  It would make a perfect Valentine’s quilt.  I hope I win, but you should pop over and enter yourself, too!   The giveaway closes November 2nd.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

100 Followers Giveaway

A few weeks ago I was just shy of reaching the 100 followers mark on my blog.  Donna from Donna’s Lavender Nest generously donated this beautiful pack of five Lecien fat quarters from her Etsy Shop to mark the occasion.

To win, just leave a comment that you are a follower.  I will randomly pick a winner next Wednesday.  Open to international followers too.

I finished up quilting my Oh Deer quilt this morning.  It turned out pretty good—now I am just waiting on the binding fabric from the Madrona Road collection to arrive.   I will be working on Esther’s Halloween costume in the meantime.  She is going to be a witch.  I am using the Urban Prairie Dress pattern by Violet Craft and some spooky Halloween fabric she picked out herself.

It is cold and rainy here in southern Maryland, just the perfect weather to curl up under a quilt.  Have a great week!

More Hourglass Star Blocks

Here are  a few of the other stars using oval elements.

Yesterday was my first day doing a blog hop…it was so much fun!!!  If you missed it, you can enter the giveaway for a $25 Quilt Taffy gift certificate here.

Yesterday was also my birthday.  I got a gift card to Joanns and am so excited to go and spend it.  I will be getting a new cutting mat and some rotary blades.  No fabric for me…I’m sticking with my diet, although of course I first thought I might get backing for my Summerlove quilt.  I keep thinking a bright blue backing would be the icing on the cake.   But I’m going with stash fabric, and I plan to do wavy line quilting.

Linking up to Freemotion by the River and Fabric Tuesday.  Have a great day!

Summerlove Update

I have finished up the first four rows of my Summerlove Hourglass quilt. 

Love, love, love!  The sashing is Essex linen, which I have never used before, but I find it soft and easy to sew with.  I may never buy Kona white again…just kidding!

I also joined A Bee in My Bonnet’s Row-Along.  I happen to have quite a stash of Lori Holt fabric, so I thought I’d give it a whirl.  The first “filler” row is done, but I’m not loving my fabric choices.  I just kind of hurriedly picked them out while the kids were with me one afternoon.  It didn’t help that I didn’t understand the directions and picked out twice as many fabrics as needed—my error, not the direction’s.  Luckily it’s just a filler row, so hopefully I can refine my choices as the qal progresses since it’s mystery-ish and I’m not really sure exactly how prominent the focus fabrics will be.

I will be participating in the Dots on Dots blog hop coming up September 10-21 and giving away a $25 gift certificate to Quilt Taffy, where you can find lots of sweet fabric treats!  See you September 10th!

Friday Find #3

These “finds” actually found my daughter.  On her last day of school, she came home with this pretty little canister her teacher had made filled with thimbles and this heart warming letter:

Dear Beatrix,

First, I want to say how much I love your name.  It brings to mind Peter Rabbit and all of Beatrix Potter’s wonderful characters.  I will never forget you.  Then, I want you to know how much I have enjoyed having you in our class this year.  Listening to how much you enjoy sewing, canning and making jelly and jam with your mom is a joy to my heart.  Most children nowadays, even smaller children, are into playing with video games, are on the computer, or some your age even have phones.  Your Mommy has blessed you with the knowledge that you can use throughout your entire life, and pass onto your children and theirs.  Be sure to thank her everyday.

I am giving you a special present.  My children, and so far my grandchildren, have shown no interest in sewing or crafts, which I love and got from my Mommy; therefore, I am starting you off on your own thimble collection.  These are a few of the fun ones that I have.  I hope that you enjoy them and continue collecting your own.  I have thimbles from all over that people have gotten me on their vacations, but Mrs. O’Connor is getting older and I need to begin cleaning out my things.  It’s amazing how much stuff you accumulate over the years.

I wish you a fun-filled summer with your sisters, Mommy and Daddy.  May God bless you all.

Lots of love,

Mrs. O’Connor

P.S.  I’ll be looking for “Quilts by the Cooley Girls.”  So keep on stitching!

Wow, this letter just rocked my whole world.  It got me thinking about how I started this blog a few years ago, when I was getting ready to stay home with my kids.

Three years ago, when I stopped working, I spent a few weeks looking into opening a local quilt shop near my house.  I would have named it The Busy Bee Quilt Shop after my daughter Bea.  I was utterly aghast at the price of rent (and the as the renter I’d have to pay to put flooring, light fixtures, toilets, etc. in), the cost to have a contract with Bernina to sell their machines, and overall how expensive and risky it is to open a small business.   I had enough money saved in my retirement to open a store and pay the bills for eight months.  At the time I had only two children, and now I have another, and I didn’t want to risk all my life savings.  So, I just stayed home instead.  We could live on one income comfortably and safely.

After Bea received this letter, it got me thinking about how it would be the most AWESOME thing in the world to have that shop.  I kind of imagine it being like Dakota and her mom in the “Friday Night Knitting Club” book series, except hopefully I don’t die.  I’d love to have my kids get off the bus at the shop and help me in the evenings.  They can learn to count money and be friendly and have a good work ethic.

So, I still want to do it.  I am going to spend this year living thriftily and simply.  Maybe next year too. 

This year, to celebrate my new commitment to making my dream come true, I am going to be sewing exclusively from my stash and I’m just going to pare down my life.  Like Mrs. O’Connor said, you can really accumulate a lot of stuff.  I have too much.   On August 1st I’m going to kick off my year with a challenge and giveaway.   So stay tuned!

Here are a few of my favorite thimbles from Bea’s collection.

A chicken, an owl, a rabbit with a carrot (don’t worry, his ears aren’t broken off, they are just flattened on the back of his head), a castle on a craggy rock, and another owl.  I love owls!!!

And my friend just returned from a European vacation and brought Bea another owl from Athens, Greece. 

Now we need to find some way to display these on the wall.  I am thinking maybe I’ll find something at Salvation Army one of these days kind of like this typesetter’s drawer I found and use to store my thread.

Here’s a quilt I made when Bea was three (she is six now) and never quilted.  The top has been sitting in my bedroom for four years.

Luckily I made it so big back then that it will still fit her now!  I used spray basting and did not put any batting in it since the top and back are flannel.   My stash challenge goal is to get this quilt done.

Have a great weekend!

TNT and Giveaway

New things I’ve tried:

1.  Basting spray!

Why didn’t I try this sooner?  I love to piece quilts, but I never get around to basting and quilting.  Switching from pin basting to spray basting may make all the difference!  I used an entire can this weekend, so I’ve got plenty of quilts ready to work on.

2.  I made a blog button!

Actually, I made two.  I am going to start a year long of giveaways on my blog, starting with a $25 gift certificate to Fabric.com.  Come back to my blog on August 1st for all the details, and if you’re interested, you can grab my blog button from my sidebar.

In the meantime, I have this book to give away.  As part of my giveaways, I am going to be paring down all the stuff I’ve accumulated in my three short years of quilting.  The first is this:

I love this book!  It is filled with beautiful photographs and fabrics.  But as part of my paring down, I have decided that I am not going to be attempting to make “fiddly things” anymore.  So, potholders are out.  I like quilts and that’s what I’m going to focus  my time on.

To enter, you must be a follower and tell me what you like to sew best.  Do you like quilts, too, or maybe zipper pouches, pillows, tablerunners, or bags?  The drawing will close on August 1st and I’ll randomly pick a winner.  Open to US residents only.

Don’t forget to check back here on August 1st for the first of many giveaways!!!

I’m linking up to TNT Thursdays at Happy Quilting.

Winner!

Esther picked the winning name this morning.

Congrats, Joyce Carter, I have emailed you.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Mother’s Day.  My husband and kids got me the prettiest flowers and a gift card to Joann’s.  I spent the weekend doing fun things like canning strawberry jam with my bff and finishing the quilting on my Aneela Hooey quilt.

And the kids helped make the most delicious peanut butter cookies (if you count spilling flour all over the counter and floor and licking EVERYTHING as helping).

The recipe is here, and I followed it exactly except I used a 1/4 cup to measure out the dough instead of a 1/3 cup.  I highly recommend this recipe!!!  The cookies tasted great and every batch came out bakery perfect.