Thursday, May 31, 2012

Three's company

I've made my third house from the Country Homecoming Quilt.

Three's company :-)

I just love these houses. So what have you been working on this week??

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

WIP

I decided to add a button to my Selvage tote bag. It will help to keep things inside, and not falling outside :-)

I also made my second Primitive house for the Country Homecoming Quilt.

No windows or doors yet. I like how Anne used the light color for the windows. So I need to find something that will look like light.

Just coming along with some works in progress :-) And getting to use up some stash!!

Monday, May 28, 2012

Memorial Day


Memorial Day is a truly patriotic holiday which is celebrated on the last Monday in May. It is a day set apart for remembering and honoring those who died while serving in the American Armed Forces.

In 1971 Congress passed a law making Memorial Day a national holiday. Typical Memorial Day celebrations include parades, special programs and speeches. Americans often attend picnics and baseball games, and almost any other type of outdoor event made possible by the freedom these soldiers died to protect. This holiday is the unofficial beginning of summer.

"I have never been able to think of the day as one of mourning; I have never quite been able to feel that half-masted flags were appropriate on Decoration Day. I have rather felt that the flag should be at the peak, because those whose dying we commemorate rejoiced in seeing it where their valor placed it. We honor them in a joyous, thankful, triumphant commemoration of what they did.
"
Benjamin Harrison,the 23rd President of the United States.

Thank you.

Saturday, May 26, 2012

And the winner is................

The SewMamaSew! Giveaway is over. Did you get to visit all of the blogs?? When I first started blogging, SMS Giveaway Day was the very first giveaway I participated in. What a great way to meet new bloggers, and visit old friends from all over the world.

I always find it fascinating where my visitors come from. During this Giveaway Day I had comments from 46 US States, plus Puerto Rico, 9 Provinces from Canada and 27 countries abroad. WOW!! The internet surely makes it a very small world.

And so now on to who won the TWO jelly rolls??

The winner of the SewMamaSew! Giveaway Day is Carly.

Thanks so much to ALL who visited during the Giveaway Day. I hope that you will come back again and stay a while. It's been wonderful to meet so many new friends. And of course I always look forward to seeing my old friends too.

Have a GREAT Quilting day!

Friday, May 25, 2012

Selvage Tote

Remember when I was working on these??

And so it grew to this -
And finally it became this -

This is a project I've been wanting to make for as long as I have been saving selvages. I based it on a pattern that was in an old copy of McCall's magazine. I made a couple of changes to the pattern, but I'm so happy to finally make my Selvage tote. I'm telling you, those string blocks are so addicting.

Please don't forget this is the last day to sign up for my SewMamaSew Giveaway.

I will close the comments tonight. And if you are visiting or a new follower, I hope you will come back again :-) Giveaway is closed.

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

A lazy day to shop

Many of you know that I love to take you along with me when I visit a Quilt shop. One of my favorite places to visit is Quilts on Plum Lane. It's such a lovely shop.


Always lots of eye candy and beautiful sample quilts made up.


Don't you just love to browse and take it all in??

I just have to add -Wow! I am amazed and blown away at the amount of comments on my SewMamaSew Giveaway post. Over 600 comments so far!! Thanks so much for stopping by. I usually reply to comments, but there are so many of them this time, that I just will extend my thanks here.

I hope you can enjoy a lazy day to shop. But if not - Happy Quilting!!

Monday, May 21, 2012

SMS Giveaway Day

Well it is here once again. The SewMamaSew Giveaway Day!! And what a fun week we have ahead of us. Be sure to stop by and visit the many blogs that are participating.

So what am I giving away this time?? We all know how much fun it is to work with pre-cuts! So how about a jelly roll??

No?? Not good enough???

Well how about.................

Two Jelly Rolls?

Yay, that's more like it!

What do you have to do to enter?? It's always fun and interesting to find out where my visitors come from, so to enter this giveaway please tell me where you live. What state or country.

And as always, because I ♥ my Followers, Followers (old and new) may leave a SECOND comment. You must have a way to be contacted. If the winner is a no-reply comment, it will not qualify and I will draw another winner.

This giveaway will close on Friday May 25th. Comments are now closed.

Thanks so much for stopping by. If this is your first visit to my blog, welcome! Old friends are always welcome :-)

I hope you will enjoy the Giveaway Day. Have a Happy Quilting day!

Friday, May 18, 2012

Bloggers Quilt Festival

Every Spring and Fall Amy's Creative Side hosts a Bloggers Quilt Festival. I've been privileged to participate in each Festival that she has hosted. As a simple, traditional quilter, I enjoy making quilts for friends for special events in their lives. So is the case of this quilt.

This pattern was found in the Nov/Dec 2010 issue of Quiltmaker magazine. It's called Anita's Arrowhead.

It was a fun quilt to make and stretched me in learning to work with bias strips.

My daughters very dear friend had a baby girl and this quilt was perfect for little Heidi.

If you are a new visitor to my blog, thanks so much for stopping by. Please be sure to come back on Monday for the SewMamaSew Giveaway Day!

Happy Quilting!!

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

WIP

There are some pretty awesome quilts being talked about on blogs lately. Recently Cottons 'n Wool challenged herself to make the Country Homecoming Quilt. I fell in love with those primitive houses and had to jump on the band wagon.

I gathered up my homespuns and started on the first block. It looks like I will need to pay a visit to one of my favorite quilt shops, Quilts on Plum Lane, for dark sashing. They have a great selection of homespuns and primitive fabrics.

So what have you been working on this week??

Monday, May 14, 2012

Do you never win??


Would you like to know if there is a reason that you sign up for giveaways and never win??

SewCalGal has compiled a WANTED list of bloggers who enter a giveaway on SewCalGal, but their settings disqualified them, as they cannot be contacted. This isn't a problem just for SewCalGal, but for most blog giveaways. If you would really like to fix the problem, go to Insights from SewCalGal and read THIS article.

After you fix your settings, you can start by signing up for these giveaways this week.

Quilting with Deb is having a Sponsored Giveaway.

Amy from Diary of a Quilter is giving away a copy of Geared For Guys.

Kansas Troubles Quilters is giving away a Fat 1/8 bundle of Harvest Moon.

Annie's Ruby Slipperz if hosting Mystery Monday and giving away THREE charm packs.

Silly Mama Quilts is giving away some Sweetwater :-)

Five new quilting books are the prize at Insights from SewCalGal.

Kim Diehl's new book at Stitch This!

And don't forget to check back at Sew, Mama, Sew next Monday for the kick off of Giveaway Day!

Sunday, May 13, 2012

It's Mother's Day

Each one of us nurtures someone, whether it is a child, a friend, a co-worker, a relative, or any number of people that we come in contact with every day.

May this day be a special encouragement to you by knowing that your labor is not in vain and that you are sowing for a harvest that will multiply for generations to come.

Celebrating YOU!

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Guess what I'm doing........

with these????

Yep, I'm making more string blocks.......

Except this time I am using selvages.

I love these no-brainer blocks ;-)

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Doll Quilt

When I restarted on this quilt.....

I found that I still had quite a few blocks that were cut but not put together. It looked like there was enough to make something.

Soooooo..........

I started putting the squares together and came up with this little doll quilt!

Yay!! Still need binding, but I love it! Do you make doll quilts??

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

It's coming!


Once again Sew Mama Sew will be hosting a Giveaway Day.

Be sure to "save the date" of May 21st. There are lots of new blogs to visit and time to get reacquainted with old friends. I will be participating once again.

Looking forward to seeing your there!

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

When sadness touches one of our own


Please stop by and visit Pat at Silver Thimble Talk. Her family has lost a most anticipated grandson yesterday. I'm sure she would appreciate everyone's thoughts and prayers.

Monday, May 7, 2012

Come on along

You know how I like to take you along to my favorite quilt shops. Last month, Crafty Threads sent me a Birthday card with a discount on a purchase during my birthday month. So on the very last day of April, I took the time to pay them a visit.


I did not make a very big purchase, just some fabric for an ongoing project, but it's always fun to be inspired and enjoy a little bit of fabric therapy.

GIVEAWAYS

Alderwood Quilts is giving away a Mini Ruler and Cutting mat. Sign up through May.

Cat Patches is having a Birthday giveaway. She's giving away a fat quarter bundle of Misty Impressions by Ty Pennington.

There is a Blog Hop and giveaway for a copy of Sewing MODKID Style. Check it out at Fat Quarterly.

Leona's Quilting Adventure is giving away a copy of Alex Anderson's book Super Simple Quilts plus four gorgeous fat quarters from Jennifer Pagnelli's, West Indies fabric line, a package of Betweens for hand stitching and a roll of coordinated Green Perle Cotton.

Jaybird Quilts and Canton Village Quilt Works are part of the Blog Hop reviewing and giving away a copy of Geared for Guys.

Marydon from Blushing Rose is celebrating her Golden Anniversary by sharing in huge a giveaway. You need to check out all of her amazing prizes.

Have a great week! And Happy Quilting.

Friday, May 4, 2012

What do you think?

What draws you to a pattern?? Is it the samples on the cover or the design?? I have wondered this question for a long time. I see books and patterns with gorgeous quilts on the covers only to discover they are mostly a common pattern that has been redone.

I've used this pattern for years. It's the one I use to teach beginners to quilt. It is one sheet of paper that was from a quilt class many years ago. But it's still my favorite for teaching the basics of quilting. Do you think they look different made up with different fabrics and color ways?


Inquiring minds want to know :-)

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

WIP

It's been hard to get back into the groove of sewing and quilting. In the evenings I find it easier to just pick up something that is already in progress.

Like my pink Strings quilt.....

And this scrappy quilt that has been hiding in my closet for a couple of years. I found extra blocks so I've been adding rows to see if I can complete this little quilt.

I've lost the pattern, so I'm not planning on any borders.

I hope you have a happy quilting day!