Giveaway Winners

I'd really love to give a prize to each one of you who commented on my giveaway posts. Sorry that 's not possible. Here is a list of the winners. I am asking for each of you to contact me, as I'm having a little bit of trouble sending out emails. It's not like I'm computer challenged or anything, but my formally live in computer geek decided to get married and move out :-(

Of the qualified comments here is a list of the winners -

DAY 1 - Emily C (comment #71)

DAY 2 - Jacqueline (comment #13)

DAY 3 - Sharon in OK (comment #36)

DAY 4 - Margie in OR (comment #9)

DAY 5 - Amy C (comment #22)
            - Rina     (comment #7)
            - Kelly Cline (comment #27)

Please contact me with your mailing info. I will try to work on sending out emails.  Thank you for your patience.

Have a Happy Quilting day!

Our Favorite Things Blog Hop Tour

 

Welcome! Today is my day to share with you some of my favorite things!  If you have been following along with the Island Batik Ambassadors, you will know that these talented ladies have some awesome places where they create. 

So where do I go to get my creative juices flowing? For many years I never had a designated sewing space. I sewed in the laundry room, in the family room and on the dining room table. You gals know what that means? You start on a project and when you really get going you have to pack it all up! But last year, when my youngest son moved to his own place, I took over his room.

This is what you see when you come in the door. I've moved and re-arranged the furniture several times, trying to find the best working arrangement. So far I like this the best.

 My sewing machine is set up beside the window. I get great light and a little bit of an outside view.

A view from my second story window.

 You saw my sweet hubby putting up my quilt rack the other day. It's the perfect size for this wall space.

Treasures to be found

It's been several years since I've been up to visit the two quilt shops in the Ocala area. So when we found ourselves close, we figured, why not?  Sadly, one of the shops had closed, but we were pleasantly surprised to find the second shop had expanded. Like to twice the size it had been before.

 Lots of beautiful fabrics to choose from...

Bernina Dealer...

And lots of eye candy...

Rack 'em up

I want to thank each one of you who stopped by for my week long giveaway. You still have time to sign up if you missed any one of the days. I will close the giveaway on July 30th and announce the winners on the 31st.

In the mean time I've been a little busy working in my sewing room. I've arranged and rearranged things several times. Saturday my sweet hubby hung a quilt rack for me.

I found these quilt racks on markdown at Walmart several years ago. When we moved five years ago I did not have a designated quilt room, so this one sat in a box. Can you believe that I paid only $10 for the rack?

Hanging this quilt was my long time intention. I love the panel and it reminded me of my own two boys when they were children.

Now if you want to see the rest of my room you need to come back on Thursday because I am joining the Island Batik Ambassadors as we all share our favorite things Blog Hop

 

 You can go back and see what the other Ambassadors have shared. Here is the schedule.

07/13  - Linda Pearl of One Quilting Circle

07/14 – Barbara Gaddy of Bejeweled Quilts by Barb
07/15 – Maryellen McAuliffe of Mary Mack’s Blog
07/16 – Christine Martinez of Made In Scraps
07/17 – Maria Hrabovsky of Maria’s Quilt Scraps and Quilts For Sale 
07/18 – Tammy Silvers of Tamarinis
07/19 – Joan Kawano of Moosestash Quilting
07/20 – Marlene Oddie of Kissed Quilts
07/21 – Nan Baker  of Purrfect Spots Blog
07/22 – Adele Mogavero of Adelemogavero.com
07/23 – Pam Geisel of For Quilts Sake
07/24 – Bea Lee of Beaquilter
07/25 – Connie Campbell of Freemotion by the River 
07/26 – Pam Boatright of Pamela Quilts
07/27 –  Connie Kauffmann of Kauffmann Designs
07/28 – Patti Bochey of Lemon Tree Snippets
07/29 – Carol Steely of Funthread Designs, LLC
07/30  - Jocelyn Pleus of Happy Cottage Quilter 

In the meantime, Happy Quilting!

Bread for the Journey

The Grand Finale

The last day, finale, finition of my week long giveaway. If you missed any of the previous days, you can go back and comment on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

So today, let's do three prizes, yes??

Prize #1

Pixel Perfect by Tula Pink. Three coordinating fat quarters to get your next project started.

Prize #2

If you like color, this one is for you. 11 gorgeous quilts that celebrate Mediterranean color. And of course three vibrant fat quarters. If you notice carefully, the middle fabric is the coveted Flea Market Fancy by Denyse Schmidt.

Prize #3

 Modern Baby featuring 14 different designers including Amy Smart, Melissa Cory, Victoria Findlay Wolfe and more.  I found these adorable fat quarters by Jacquelynne Steves and thought they were a perfect match for this book.

Just dividing up these goodies has so motivated me that I just had to work on a quilting project. I've had this panel for a while, but I felt challenged by Amanda Jean (Crazy Mom Quilts) to get the WIPs finished.

Borders are on, quilting is done. All that is left is the binding. Yay!

Do you have Works in Progress? Tell me how many? In your comment today let me know which prize you would prefer.  Again these prizes are for my US peeps. Sorry about the shipping costs.  Followers, you know the drill.

You have all been so lovely. Allowing me to take you along on our recent trip and hearing from you in your comments. I love hearing from you. It's been a fun week.

Now go... comment... 

And enjoy quilting!

Finish it up Friday

Can I get a Whoop Whoop?

Christmas in July?

Seriously, how can we not have Christmas in July as part of the giveaway?

So today five fat quarters of great Christmas fabric.

AND...

A fun and funky book by Linda DeBono, New Noel. 22 very cute and colorful projects.

In your comment today tell me if you make quilty things for Christmas presents? Have you already started? Or are you a last minute, down to the wire crafter like me?

Leave a comment on this post. Be sure I have a way to contact you (either email or from your settings). Google+ members are no-reply comments.  Thanks for helping with this. If you are a no-reply, I will have to pick another winner.

Followers can leave a second comment.

Merry Quilting :-)

El día tres (Day three)

Good Morning peeps!  What great information you all are sharing with me. It's lovely to hear the experience of others, especially when it comes to ordering anything online. I'm glad to hear that most of you have had good experiences with online purchases. Sadly so many brick and mortar quilt shops have been closing their doors. The price of fabric plus the cost of fuel can make one hesitant to travel very far to a local shop. But there is still something about actually seeing and touching fabric that entices many of us.

 Today my giveaway is the latest issue of 100 Blocks (vol.11)

 And I do have a question for you. With so many patterns available on the Youtube and pdf, are you still subscribing to Quilting magazines? I used to be subscribed to several. But over the years it appears that most magazines just rewrite the same patterns over and over. For years I subscribed to American Patchwork and Quilting. I think I have some of the very first issues. But once, after my subscription expired, they no longer sent any renewal notices. No letters saying "hey we miss you and want you back." So I reevaluated my need for so many magazines. Most recently I've let everything go except for one. And Primitive Quilts sent me an offer I couldn't refuse, so I thought I'd give them a try.

So tell me, do you still buy quilting magazines? Do you prefer paper or internet versions? What do you do with your old magazines? I'm currently going through the massive collection and passing on the ones I would never use.

Leave me a comment. Please be sure that I have a way of contacting you. So many of you are on Google+ and there is no way for me to respond to you. Did you know that?
As always if you follow, leave a second comment.

Have a great quilting day!

Giveaway Day Two

Thanks for all the wonderful suggestions about quilt shops around the country. I will be making my list, and if we are ever close to these shops, I will definitely be seeking them out.

Today is Orange day :-) I have never used orange much in my sewing or quilting, so I am gathering up my little orange stash and passing it on to one of you.

Wouldn't this make a delightful start to your Fall sewing?  In light of that, just for the fun of it, I am going to help you out and include a Fall pattern.

I love to decorate for Fall. The warm colors prepare us for the bleak days of winter. 

Today when you leave a comment, tell me if you order fabric online. Are you happy with your purchases? Which company do you like the best. I've ordered from several and the only trouble I've had is seeing the true color and value of fabric. I guess I've always enjoyed touching and feeling the fabric.

You know the drill. Leave a comment on this post. If you are one of my lovely followers, let me know and leave a second comment. Please be sure I have a way of making contact with you. If you are on Google+ there is no way for me to respond unless you leave your email addy.

Happy Quilting!

Let's have a giveaway!

I've so appreciated all of you that followed us in our recent travels. We have enjoyed our traveling cottage and look forward to more trips.

Isn't she fun to have following along?

Finding good restaurants, antique malls and great quilt shops makes for interesting browsing. You just never know what little treasure you might find along the way. And I've learned that I get an education too. Some items that I purchased years ago, either at Goodwill or a thrift store, are now sitting in antique shops with some crazy prices.

So how about a little giveaway?  I'm thinking that I will have a week long giveaway. Something new every day. Maybe fabric? Maybe a quilting pattern? Quilt book? You have been kind enough to read my little blog, and leave comments, and I enjoy sharing with you. The giveaway is for US peeps only, as the cost of postage has skyrocketed, even here in the US.

Today we are going to be going blue and yellow.

Eight fabric cuts, some fat quarters, some half yard.

To enter just leave a comment telling me where is your favorite  Quilt shop. As we travel around, I love to visit new shops. Some that are listed on the internet have closed, and it's sad to drive there only to find a vacant building. So give me the scoop. Where do you find quilt shop inspiration?  If you follow me, you can leave a second comment.

I'll leave the giveaways open until July 30 and announce the winners on the 31st. Giveaway is closed.

 Happy Quilting!

Bread for the Journey

 

For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence,

for my hope is from him.

Psalm 62:5

On the home stretch

One last post about our travels.  The more we have enjoyed our little traveling cottage the more I like it. No more packing and unpacking for every night on the road. We can eat our own meals if we want plus we like having our own linens to sleep on. 

So the last stop is a local quilt shop. It's not exactly in an area that I frequent, but it is a nice store non the less.

 It's a very quaint little shop.

So until next time, our little lady is taking a rest.  She's put in a lot of miles already this summer.

But she might not be done yet ;-)

Happy Quilting!

A drink of inspiration

As we made our way south, passing Paducah only seemed like the logical location to stop. Just across the river we found a great little camp site and spend the night. The next morning my hubby sat out in the trailer as I ventured into Hancocks of Paducah.

If you have never visited this shop, you have missed a great treat. The only other fabric store that might compare is Mary Jo's.

There are rows and rows of fabric, all designated by manufacturers. So if you are looking for Moda, Timeless Treasures, Riley Blake or any of the other popular names, just find the sign and peruse the aisles.

The traveling cottage moves on

So where did we go after we spent time in Illinois?  We headed south late on a Sunday afternoon. We made it as far as Lincoln Illinois and stopped at a camp ground on the famous Route 66.

 Yep, more corn fields all around.

We shifted and headed for Missouri. After eating lunch at the Bar-B-Que restaurant in St. Louis we made our way to a huge Antique mall in St. Mary. 

I had been there several years ago.  It is pretty large and takes time to go through, even if you are just browsing. 

 

Now of course we were so close to Paducah, it would seem such a shame not to head there and visit Hancocks.  So tomorrow I'll take you inside.

 

Happy Quilting.

Once upon a time...

I used to love to read fairy tales. Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel. What little girl doesn't dream of "happily ever after"?  So...

...Once upon a time, in a land far away, there lived a little girl who had a dream. It was a big dream, because she did not know that dreams could come true. She lived in a big city, where lots of people lived, but felt all alone. She had a sweet mother, who worked hard and loved the little girl very much.

One day the Mother decided to move back to her home town. So the little girl and her Mother moved to a place of tropical paradise. The little girl went to school and worked to help her Mother.

Then came a day when she met a handsome young Prince. At first it was a road paved with gravel and stone. There were highs and lows, up and downs.


The little girl did not have an earthly father to talk to, so she talked with her Heavenly Father. It was a troublesome time for the little girl, as she came to this crossroad. But she asked her Father to help her. She had such a peace knowing that He would direct her towards the right path.




The handsome young Prince was also at a crossroad. But in time they both came to understand the meaning of ...










Do fairy tales come true?? Maybe sometimes they do. But I know that in the providence of a loving God, I met a special man who has been the light and love of my life. We've walked together through the good times and the not so good. I've learned that genuine love has no expectations from those who are loved. Love is giving, not getting. That's what happily ever after is all about.

To Dine for

Just so you know, even though we enjoy visiting new places to eat, my hubby still loves to fix bar-b-que while we travel. We bring our own grill and set it up ready to go.

Getting ready for the unveiling.

 Bar-B-Que pork, grilled artisian lettuce, and roasted potatoes and onions.

What a feast!

 And of course dessert. Chocolate cheesecake, provided by our dear friends who live in Kankakee.

Are you hungry yet?

Happy Quilting!

Bread for the Journey

The first shop stop

Today I will take you on the tour of the quilt shops. I was not able to venture up into Wisconsin this trip, but the shops I visited were happy and full of inspiration.

Quilt Play was in Grayslake Illinois. It was a short easy drive from where we stayed, which of course, made me very happy.

 Nice assortment of fabrics.

And quilts on display for inspiration.

And did I purchase anything while I was there? Um, why yes I did :-)

As I was looking at the various fabric collections, this one jumped out at me.

Three Sisters Passport NYC.  And why would this one jump out at me??  Well, because I was born in the Big Apple, and have always thought that I'd love to go to The City Quilter shop in downtown Manhattan.  I haven't made it there yet, but this fabric will give me a nice little project to recall some of the streets and places that are icons of the great city of Manhattan. I'll keep you posted on how I'll use this fabric.

More to come.........

Happy Quilting!