And The Winner Is.............

First of all I want to thank the Academy.....oh, wait, that's the Oscars........Seriously, I want to thank all my followers, old and new, for making this such a fun giveaway.  And here is what Mr. Random has to say:

                         The winner of all the fun stuff  is Naomi of Beeshebags who said:

Congratulations, Naomi, I will be contacting you for your mailing information.  Thanks again to everyone and please keep dropping in..........it stands to reason that now I need to have the official, actual, blogiversary giveaway, right??? That will be next month......February 23rd..........we all have a date, right?

RIGHT!

Last Chance to Enter the One Month Before My Blogiversary Giveaway!

"A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new."           - Albert Einstein
I wonder if Mr. Einstein was a quilter???  LOL........

I will be talking to Mr. Random tomorrow morning as soon as I have my morning coffee to see who he has chosen to be the lucky winner of my very first giveaway so hopefully we can get a few more entries between now and then.............  Here is the Link for those of you who haven't seen the giveaway:

http://mysismademe.blogspot.com/2012/01/official-month-before-my-blogiversary.html

So anyway...........I have been trying to get back into the groove of the JustTakes2 mystery quilt-a-long.

I was able to get #7 and #8 of the  blocks done this week.....and not without a little trouble........which I attribute to my desire to get to work on my Name Game Swap over at Samelia's Mum.....I am still waiting for some fabric for that project but I have enough to get started on it and I can't seem to concentrate on any other projects right now so I think maybe I was just too much in a hurry........but anyway, here they are:

bLOCK 7

bLOCK8

Block8 was paper-pieced.  It was more fun (and more forgiving) than Block7...there is a little dark shading which not really on the block....(I think maybe it is the shadow of my head taking the photo...haha)

I still have Blocks 8,9,10, and 11 to finish before the next group comes out the first of the month........

The good news is that I am getting more projects started and I actually have a couple of UFO's now!  I feel so proud....haha......yeah I know I am somehow unclear on the concept of UFO's.......which we are supposed to want to get finished, right?  ...... but for now, having a UFO is making me feel more like a "seasoned" quilter.......so I will bask in my ignorance for awhile......will talk to you tomorrow.......TTFN

The Official "Month Before my Blogiversary" Giveaway!!!

Please don't comment on this post but Click on this link and comment there to enter drawing for Traveling Stash:



Giveaway is now closed......thanks to everybody for participating!


"Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently."          -Henry Ford


So now without further ado......I present to you, my very FIRST Giveaway!!  As I explained on my last post.....whenever I have something to give someone, I JUST CAN'T WAIT!!!  So instead of this being my Blogiversary Giveaway it is the (drum roll....)
"Month Before My Blogiversary" Giveaway!!!!
I am giving away the following cool items:

6 pretty Fat Quarters from ConnectingThreads by designer Mary Jo Tuttle. 
 They are: Criss Cross-Red, Whimsey-Multi, Watercolor Wash-Blue, Summer Blooms-Multi, Happy Stars-Cadet, and Full Blooms-Multi

A pair of Fons&Porter Machine Quilting Grip Gloves

A handy wrap-around your sewing machine pin cushion

A package of  Steam a Seam2  double stick web

A copy of Fast, Flirty, and Fun Easy Quilts From Fabulous Fabrics by Sarah M. Bisel

And lastly....In plenty of time for Easter, a Bunny Wall hanging by Yours Truly.........

All you have to do to enter is:

 #1 Be a follower and tell me what you would make with the fabric 
#2 For a second chance to win, blog about this giveaway, then come back and leave the link to your post.


Good Luck!  Mr. Random will pick the winner one week from Today!

Valentine Schmalentine.....

"A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down."                                                                                                                       - Arnold H. Glasow 

So I finished my Rose/Heart paper-pieced Valentine's Day Wall Hanging.....I think it could probably be used as a table topper too...I'll have to try it out on my table......I really enjoyed working on this project....I did a little free motion quilting and also tried out some of my pre-installed stitches on my sewing machine.  I know, I know....it is kind of cheating but I really do like some of them....the little star flower is nice...and I used it around the frame....and I also used the tiny vine to do the quilting on the rose petals and stem..........I got this free pattern from eQuiltPatterns.com and enlarged it from 11"x10" to about 16"x17".  Here it is:

I had found some lovely fabric full of bright colorful large valentines and was thinking about fussy cutting one and using it instead of the paper-pieced heart in the upper left but, in the end, I opted to do some "real quilting".........while still fussy cutting a small heart and appliqueing it at the tip of the rose....

My next Valentine's Day project was a Ruffled Valentine Mug Rug I made using  another free pattern which I downloaded from FreeQuiltPatterns .

The front of the mug rug is made up of small one and a quarter inch squares of various valentine prints.........the ruffle is a pre-fab binding which went on rather smoothly. 

I am also going to show you the back, which is just one piece of some darling valentine print fabric I found.......I almost like the back as well as the front even though I spent a lot more time on the front!

                                                  This is the front

And here is the back........

Is that the most adorable print you ever saw???  Reminds me of all those Valentines we used to have "way back when".......

Well ok I guess that's it  but OH!  before I say TTFN.........please keep checking back because I will be posting my Blogiversary Giveaway soon....I actually got the fabric I ordered for the giveaway yesterday so I just have to photograph it with the rest of the cool prizes and my giveaway will be "up and running"!  My Blogiversary isn't til February 23 but I have never been one who can wait once I have a gift for someone so I'll post the giveaway as soon as I get everything photographed...sometime next week and I will announce the winner the following week.

I worked last night on the graveyard shift and my get up and go has just about got up and gone.........so I will say TTFN!  Talk to you soon!

Productive Wednesday!

"When you help someone up a hill, you're that much nearer the top yourself."                - Anonymous

I actually made myself a "mental" list today......First I wanted to vacuum my sewing room floor since it was muddled full of pieces of fabric and thread (it is a dark blue carpet....not the best color for a sewing room but very pretty and easy to clean).  Then I wanted to cover a pillow with a beautiful hooked rug my Mother made about 20 years ago. When she gave it to me originally, I displayed it on the wall but after my color decor changed I took it down and stored it.  Over the years I have seen it and wished I had a place to show it off.  My new sewing room has only my sewing chair so when I have company (or when I need to sit and rest) we sit on the floor and lean on throw pillows.  I thought Mama's rug would make a fabulous pillow top and I was right!  Just look!

I had already cut some brown fabric to use for the back when I happened to glance down at my sewing table and saw one of the fabric treasures I found at GoodWill last week............the perfect match!

After making the pillow and vacuuming the floor I needed a rest so I tried out my new pillow.......soooooooo comfy!

Next on my list was replacing the motherboard in my laptop, which I keep in my sewing room.   One of the USB plugs in the back had stopped working and I had bought an extra motherboard last fall when I replaced the motherboard in an identical laptop that my sister had given me.

 I also planned to finish a tied fleece blankie for my nephew's future son (this was really the reason I vacuumed.....didn't want all those little pieces of fuzz all over the blankie) 

...... and finally I planned to start on my project for my Valentine Swap.

The motherboard was replaced........since I already knew the drill from replacing the earlier one it went rather quickly..........Next I finished the fleece blankie and it is ready to mail to my nephew and his wife (Baby Max is due next month)......... I just love the new fabric patterns they are making in fleece these days....so adorable!  And I love the ease of these "hand crafted" throws...........did I say EASY????? What a great way to get together a fast gift...........

So now I am getting ready to start the project for my Valentine swap and I'm still awake!  Oh, by the way, I even had time to go to lunch with my Sis today!............I love days like this when I get so much done.........makes the day last so much longer..........

Ok I'm still revved so I am going to go get acquainted with my sewing machine again...........TaTaForNow!!

All Aboard Please!!

"Do you know the difference between education and experience? Education is when you read the fine print; experience is what you get when you don't."    -Pete Seeger

Ok I am nearing my Blogiversary (February 23) so I have been gathering some items for a giveaway and today I spent most of the day working on an litte Easter Wall hanging to include in the giveaway.............BUT you all have to promise that you will look at it from a fast moving train!  I'm pretty happy with all but the free motion quilting part, which is really bad.......I think maybe the areas were too small for my lack of expertise and it just kind of got away from me.........so there are double track overs and pointy looking things but if you all have boarded that fast moving train I will show it to you...............

 
 

The other little problem I had was the printout of the bunny was too big for the square so I had to recut the bunnies..........all in all it was rather fun........I found the free pattern at CraftIdeas.info. 


And speaking about giveaways..........a little birdie told me that Maureen over at  Maureen Cracknell Handmade is having a giveaway tomorrow so hop on over to her blog and check it out.........I know I'm going to!       Guess that's it so TTFN............

Ready for Round 2!!

"Many of the things you can count, don't count. Many of the things you can't count, really count."                    - Albert Einstein

I just finished my first group of blocks for the Just Takes2 and now waiting til the 15th when the next group will be available.  I have noticed that many quilters name their projects so in the spirit of trying to become a true quilter I have named this WIP "Desert Blossom".  Most of the blocks are 6 1/2" squares except for the large 12" square in the upper right.

I am not the best at following directions.....I have been sewing since I was 8 or 9 years old and sometimes since "I know what I'm doing" I skip the directions and plow ahead.........often those are the times that I become reacquainted with my seam ripper.....The good news is that the directions on these first 6 blocks were fabulous and I didn't sew one thing backwards!  I confess that I didn't do the "back basting" method when I appliqued the heart block....I used some wonderful stuff called "Steam a Seam2", which is a fusible web that sticks temporarily without ironing or permanently when ironed. 

Fabric Worm is giving away a fabulous Farm Bundle in their weekly giveaway....3 or 4 ways to get chances to win!


I came across an interesting Valentine Swap going on over at And Sew We Craft
Drop on over and check it out:


And now before I get to rambling too much I will just say, TTFN!

Just Takes2 Block1 and Block2 Finished!

"There's a difference between interest and commitment. When you're interested in doing something, you do it only when it's convenient. When you're committed to something, you accept no excuses; only results."               - Kenneth Blanchard

Moving right along.........I have finished Block1 and Block2 of my Just Takes2 January Blocks which are posted at Sentimental Stitches........I just didn't want to make a plain 2 color quilt so I have used a pretty Beige/Brown Floral with a tea-white background.  I looked for the teal and brown I was wanting to use but couldn't find anything............then I looked in my stash and found 7 yards of the floral and decided to quit buying and use what I had!  So anyway.........here they are........Tada!

Just Takes2 Block1

Just Takes2 Block2

Tomorrow is my day off so I am going to try to finish Just Takes2 Blocks 3-6 so I can be ready when the next blocks are posted on January 15 on My Jane.........................TTFN!

 

Ellipse Blocks for Block Lotto.......DONE!

"Being defeated is often temporary, giving up makes it permanent."                                                                                                  - Marilyn Von Savant

Ok I am off to a good start with my quilting resolutions for 2012!  I just finished 4 blocks to enter in the Block Lotto so here they are!

The violet colored block didn't photograph very well.......and I confess I had to use my Corel PaintShop to bring the colors to a better representation of the actual block and it is actually pretty darn close.  The violet block was my favorite combination until I saw how the fuchsia tie-dye turned out.......I used the same fabric on the arcs for all the blocks, believe it or not there are that many different colors in the fabric..........so anyway, now it is time for bed because I have to go to work tomorrow.............TTFN!

Year 2012 Projects

 "Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the present"     -Jim Rohn

Welcome 2012! This year I am planning to be more involved with my blog and YES....I will have a giveaway on my blogiversary (February 23)..........today I wanted to show you a nice homespun FQ stack I got on Ebay for my rag quilt project......

There are 25 DIFFERENT patterns and I have about 5 yards of another pattern I may use for the back if I don't decide to use just these.  So now I am actually going to put the rest of my quilting plans in print so as to try to hold myself more accountable: 

I have also decided to join the "It takes 2" Mystery Quilt-along at SentimentalStitches , together with Dear Jane. 

 The January patterns are up right now at SentimentalStitches and the next patterns will be available at Dear Jane on January 15.  I think I have decided my two fabrics will be teal and brown to match my bedroom decor.  Still have to buy the fabric....eeeeee! 

In addition I am quilting with the Block Lotto

Our project for this month is the Eclipse block.  I will post mine as soon as I am done...........

.....and, of course, remember I already said I would make a banner for each season (yes, I said "season", not month) of the year to hang on my little banner hanger from Irene.....and I still have to finish my Americana tablecloth for 4th of July....and my crazy quilt is still there....

EGAD!  I'd better get started!  Okay....I am really not putting the Crazy Quilt or the Americana tablecloth on my list of "do-its for 2012" because then I wouldn't have a UFO to talk about......lol..........TTFN!