A show of hands please...

Who loves getting mail?  I do!

First, let me give you a little background story that will help explain why I am so excited about getting mail.  When I was a little girl I LOVED Sesame Street.  My mother says it was the best babysitter she ever had.  It was on Sesame Street that I first discovered Russian nesting dolls.  Here is the video:



Ever since I saw this on Sesame Street, I've loved nesting dolls.  They come in so many shapes and sizes and styles.  I'm just forever fascinated by them.  For a while now, I've been seeing nesting doll quilt fabric on quilters' blogs but I never seem to be able to find it in my area.  And it's really hard to find online.

Fast forward to today.  In today's mail was a package from my Brown Bag Quilt Contest parter Julianna in Poland.  And her package and it had this taped all over it!

How cute is that tape?  If I had some that I'd use on everything...seriously!  So anyway...when I see this, and I don't know why, but I sat there thinking to myself "Oooohhhh I hope there's nesting doll fabric inside."  As hard as it is to find here I thought it would be a long shot.  But guess what?  There was!  She sent me this...

along with...

I couldn't be more tickled about what she sent me!  The dolls, the funky florals, and those owls...they're all so fantastic!  I can't wait to start playing with them this weekend.

Thanks again Julianna!

It's that time again...

...to pick a winner!  The winner of the two patterns from last Friday's post is

Sheila C.

Congratulations Sheila!. Please contact me via email with your mailing information.

Be sure to check back this Friday, October 1, when I'll be posting another giveaway for the Fall into Fall Blog Giveaway.  For more information click the scarecrow on my sidebar.

To finish today's post I'll leave you with some pictures of my favorite quilt from the recent Trinity Valley Quilt Show.  The quilt was called Nine Dutch Treats from the pattern Dutch Treat by Judy Garden. 

This little beauty was embroidered and reverse appliqued.  Besides how well constructed it was, the quilting is just awesome.  The quilter actually quilted little scenes around each embroidery.

  

     

  

 



I'm telling you...

...I need to buy a lottery ticket!  I don't what the heck is going on. 

While at my local quilt shop's Last Saturday get together where we get to hear about new quilty things going and do a little show and tell, the Moda rep was there and gave the shop a prize to give away.  And....I won a fat eighth bundles of Brannock & Patek's new line Remembrance!

I still can't believe it.  Go figure.  While at the shop I picked up the newest issue of QUILTmania and Bloom Creek Quilts by Vicki Bellino. 

I was very excited to find Vicki's book as it was released maybe a week and a half ago. Inside is a collection of new and old quilts mixing patchwork and applique.  Included in this book is one of my favorite patterns...Blooms for Annabelle.  Here is my version, made more than a year ago from Moda's Portugal.

Wanting to share in good fortune, how about another giveaway...a small one?  One lucky person will win this...

...the orignal Blooms for Annabelle pattern along with Open Door by Miss Rosie's quilt company.  You can see my version of Open Door here.

For a chance to win just leave me a comment here and I'll select a winner on Monday...simple as that!  Good luck to y'all!

P.S.  The Crockett quilt has been completed but I'm going to hold off showing it till after it's quilted which should be next week.  I can't wait to share it with you!

Another GO! Giveaway

For a chance to win visit Millie's Quilting.

Hi...

...my name is Monica and I'm a major gleek! 

Season two of Glee starts tonight and I can hardly wait! 

Will you be watching?

Soooooooo...

...with the help of you WONDERFULLY AWESOME people I hit 101 as of yesterday!!!  Anyone interested to know who won the $50 gift certificate to The Fat Quarter Shop?  I didn't think so. 

So instead I'll show you the result of my weekend sewing...Schnibbles Paganini - Version 3.

I love this little quilt!  It was was so quick and easy and ALL from my stash.  It's like a morphing of Carrie Nelson and Kim Diehl into one super cute quilt.  The little red corner stones were not part of the original pattern but I really like the extra little pop...and let's be honest...it made sashing all the blocks together easier.  I hate matching seams without cornerstones.

So NOW are you ready to find out who won?  Me too!  The Random Number Generator has chosen...drum roll please...

Doodlebug Gail

Congratulations Gail!!! Please email me your mailing information and I'll get that gift certificate out to you ASAP. 

To everyone, you have my deepest gratitude for helping me out.  I hope that you continue to stick around and enjoy your time here.  I don't know how soon I'll resubmit my blog to AccuQuilt.  It seems there were a lot of people on AccuQuilt's Fan Page that were upset by my (and others) posting on Facebook for help.  It was never my intention to offend anyone. 

For anyone I have offended, I'm truly sorry.  I just wanted the opportunity to give away a GO!.  I've decided to take the gift certifcate I won and put it towards a Studio.  Again, I really hope you continue to hang out with me...even if I don't get to give away a GO!.

Anyway...back to good thoughts...

Stay tuned because I have some more FUN things in store for y'all in the very near future that will include a quick and easy tutorial for some stashbusting...and maybe even a Paganini giveway related to the little beauty I posted about today!

Now I'm off to finish that darn Crockett quilt.  I'm determined to finish it by tomorrow afternoon!

Results From My Friday Night Sew-In

...not a whole lot...

This is what happens when your wonderful husband decides to take you out to dinner followed by grocery shopping.  Oh well.  I had really hoped to get more done last night but I think I have a pretty good excuse.

Tonight's the night...

...for this month's Friday Night Sew-In! 

Unfortunately I completely forgot about it last month but I am ready to go for tonight.  I have eight more Crockett blocks to go of which I'll work on a few more and then I'm going to do some more with that Paganini pattern.  Here's what I completed last night...all the half square triangle blocks for one of the Paganinis.

And what do the charm packs have to do with Paganini you ask.  Well....when I was at the quilt show today I found these little gems and thought they'd look great in the Paganini pattern too...and there's still two versions that I haven't planned to make.  Yeah...I'm either crazy or a major glutton for punishment!  But this pattern is soooo easy and soooo cute, why not make them all?  I figure if I do that I have ready made Christmas gifts...if I can part myself from them.

Anyway...if you're not doing anything special tonight, why don't you click the link above and join the rest of us quilters sitting home on a Friday night.

It's time...

...to announce the winner of the birthday giveaway! 

But first I'd like to share some highlights from the Trinity Valley Quilters Guild show being held in Fort Worth this weekend.  It was a great show filled with lots of beautiful quilts.  Here are just a few of my favorites...

 

Some of these have become "must do's" for me.  For anyone who has followed me for a while, it'd be an easy guess as to which ones.  That's all for now.  I have some more pictures that maybe I can share tomorrow if anyone is interested.

Anyway, on to the birthday winner!  Random.org has selected...

...which if I can count correctly, and sometimes I wonder, is...

Linda of Stray Stitches

To everyone, thank you for helping me celebrate my birthday!  Y'all rock!

Have you ever...

...worked on something for so long and intently that you begin to feel like you're losing your mind?  I think I'm having one of those moments...ugh.  Ohhh Ms. Crockett how I love her...but why in the heck did she have to make the squares so small?  Here's blocks 19 - 22.

Right now I'm working on number 23 and when it's done I think I'm going to take a break from it for the day.  I want to work on something quick and fun...maybe this.

Carrie's Paganini pattern is the perfect distraction...even if I can't decide which version I want to make.  If you aren't aware Carrie included four different versions of the pattern to choose from.  Apparently she could decide either.  The Evening Mist by Sentimental Studiosbcharms to the left will become version 1.  And the charm to the left were cut from my stash to become version 3.

If Paganini doesn't work to distract me, maybe I'll do some more crocheting.  Here's what I have so far.  Sorry the pic is kinda washed out.

So far I've got twenty made.  I tore out a good share of the original ones to remove the cream and replace it with the taupe color.  And then I went around all of them with the cream.  I've got a long way to go before I have enough to make a small throw blanket.  I'm guessing about four times this many.

Well...back to work.  Hope y'all are having a great day!

You are my sunshine...

Yesterday I received a special award, the Sunshine Award, from Staci, The Confused Quilter.  It was awfully sweet of her to think of me. 

As Staci put it, this is a fun networking award to share blogs you love that others might not be aware of.  And here are the guidelines to follow when you're nominated:

1. Save the image above and post it on your own blog.

2. Pass the award on to 12 fellow bloggers.

3. Link the nominees.

4. Let nominees know they have won this award by commenting on their blog.

5. Share the love and link to the person from whom you received this award.

I'm tickled to share the following blogs that I just love to read. 

I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

BOM Quilter

Busy Liz

Country Log Cabin

Empty Field

Fleur's Place

Lavender Ridge

Life's a Stitch

Mrs. Sew n' Sew

Needles, Sticks, and Hooks

Sew Lovely Embroidery

Teddlywinks

Uberstitch

To my nominees, thank you for sharing your craft with me and the other readers that follow you. 

I look forward to the many posts you have ahead of you. 

Y'all ROCK!!!



P.S.  If you choose not to participate in this my feelings won't be hurt. 

Just being able to let you know that you're appreciated is enough for me.

Helping Bloggers In Need

As you read in my last post, I'm going for 100 followers to become one of AccuQuilt's Blogging Friends.  Well I'm not the only one.  There are lots of bloggers out there that could use your help! 

Stray Stitches

KQ Sue

Disconnected Stitches

Flat Out Quilting

A Needle Pulling Thread

North Hills Quilters

Please check them out and become a follower.  I know they'll all appreciate it.

P.S.   If you are a blogger that is going for the "100" and I haven't listed you,

drop me a line and I'll add you to the list.

You are not going to freakin' believe this!!!

This message just arrived in my email.

"Congratulations!  You entered our drawing for a $250 gift certificate by signing up for our email list in August and you are the winner of the AccuQuilt Gift Certificate."

Oh my gosh!  I'm dyin' here!  This is just too cool!  I don't even have a GO! yet...but I don't care...this is awesome! 

Which brings me to another subject related to accuquilt.  Recently they sent a call out on their Facebook page looking for bloggers interested in receiving a GO! and being a featured blogger. 

Well, long story short I submitted my blog and I got a response back!  They are interested in blogs with 100+ followers and I don't have that many...*insert sad face*.  BUT...they ARE interested in speaking to me further once I reach that magic number.

Here's where you 55 followers can help me!  I need 45 more followers and then I can get a GO! and I'm guessing have to opportunity to give away a GO! like you've seen on several other blogs. 

And as a incentive, I'm going to do another giveaway...a BIG giveaway!  Here's how its going to work. 

• Tell your friends about this post in any way you like (i.e. word of mouth, email, blog, etc). 
• Each person you send needs to become a follower and comment on this post that they are a new follower and tell me who sent them (meaning you and your blog's name).  Then both you AND that new follower are eligible for the drawing as a pair.

Each time someone you know comments and mentions you as the person who sent them, you're entered again...so the more people comment here via you, the greater your chances. 

So I bet you want to know what you're trying to win.  Once I reach 100 followers I will use a random number generator, and the winning commenter and the person who referred them will each win a....

$50 gift certifcate from the Fat Quarter Shop compliments of me!

So there you go...will you help a gal out?

Thank you fellow bloggers from the bottom of my little quilted heart!

Only 12 more to go...

...and I'll have all of Ms. Crocket's blocks done!  Here are 

blocks 13 through 18.

I can't wait to see how all these blocks are going to come together!  Stay tuned...

Celebrations and a Giveaway!

Today I'm celebrating!  Why you ask?  Because I just turned...

I've been freaking out and feeling old...like the other day when the news announced that Nirvana's song "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was turning 19!  I swear it was seems like only yesterday when that song came out.  But you know what?  I woke up this morning feeling happy and excited to be "40".  Go figure.

My other celebration is I have 50 followers!  Never in a million years would I have thought to have even get 25.  You gals ROCK!

So to celebrate I decided what better way to do it than to have a giveaway!  Here's a little something I put together.  Its nothing super stupendous so don't go getting too excited.  *wink*

I have for one lucky winner "The Directory of Quilting Techniques" by Caroline Rodriguez, 2 Civil War Homefront charm packs and a pinkeeper/cushion made by moi.

How do you win?  It's simple.  There are two ways to win and no trivia questions to answer this time.  Simply leave a comment on this post...birthday wishes not required...and that will get you one chance.  For a second chance, post about the giveaway on your blog and leave a second comment telling me you did it.

Easy peasy...right?  On Friday I'll do that random number thingy to pick a winner!

Now I'm off to spend some time with Ms. Crockett.

A really good idea...

Do you have unwanted craft supplies collecting dust? 

If you said yes, then you need to go check out

Becky's Craft Supply Swap. 

I know I have tons of stuff I'd love to give away so I'm going to start digging throught my studio closet this weekend and see what I can find.

Elizabeth Crocket Quilt - Blocks 9, 10, 11, & 12

Well here I am nearly half way done with the Crocket Quilt.  As you can see from these four blocks, some of the blocks turn out prettier than others.  But that's the point of it all, isn't it?  You can't have pretty without a little ugly...good with the bad...etc.  Anyway, my hope is to have the quilt top done by the end of next week so my friend Donna can quilt it that weekend.  Then its binding and off to the shop for display. 

I am happy to report that the shop has signed up people for more than half of the available 24 BOM spots already for it!  While it's not my book, my pattern, it still feels good when people want to recreate you've put a lot of time and effort into.