WINNERS Anounced

Appreciation abounds this week! I am so thankful for the community of quilting that the internet has opened up to the world! It feels as though we quilter's, all around the globe, are really making history.

 

I offered up a hand made item for a giveaway this time. It really seems more personal even though I know we all want to win FABRIC from another quilter's stash! I wasn't sure this giveaway would be well received, and now I am so thankful for all the sweet responses!

Random winner of the sewing book - Congratulations to:
#10 Rhonda D. "Love your needle book! thanks for sharing with us. Your Etsy store has some wonderful vintage fabric.Thanks for the chance to win!"


I opened a new Etsy shop, RedLetterFabrics to branch off my first shop, RedLetterQuilts. I felt my hand made items were 'buried' in the fabrics, and I realized these are two different customers as well, those who buy fabric as a product, and those who buy fabric produced.

 

I was reluctant to send bloggers to my Etsy shop for the giveaway, but I offer unusual fabrics, and I realized bloggers may actually want to know about the shop! I appreciate, and I am encouraged by the great responses about the fabrics posted (there are a lot more to come!), and the many new followers! Without further ado;

Random winner of the $15 credit with RedLetterFabrics - Congratulations to:
#81 KathyinOzarks "If I should I win I would be delighted with either prize-I did find some beautiful fabrics in your shop so that would be fun too"

 

Well, there you go Kathy, time to be delighted!

Thank you to Michele at Quilting Gallery for hosting Giving Thanks Blog Hop Party 2013! We all appreciate your great work and organization!!

 

I hope everyone enjoys a Red Letter Holiday Weekend with quality family time, good grub, and a bit of quilting time too of course!

Today on my Design Wall & BOMs Away!

My Christmas Sampler has been on my wall for two weeks.

I designed and made the Christmas blocks in the late 80's. I made them just before I purchased a rotary cutter, and prior to having much stash. I learned to quilt with library books. And then with a couple BOMs, but I enjoyed drawing patterns out on graph paper and piecing them together.

LAST Christmas, I pulled out all the old blocks and set to work piecing the sashings. I was happy with the flimsy I finished, but I packed it back up with 'to be quilted by this Christmas'.
At 40" square, I thought this would be a wall hanging, but I have been re-thinking it now since it has been on the wall.
I'm considering making this a throw instead, but I really don't want to get back into piecing on it.. 
Such are the dilemmas.
Meanwhile, other things are going on in The room. (hear that, Sampler? The world hasn't stopped for you!):

Mr. Juki has acquired a huge backup of flimsies as a result of a very bad case of constipation. Apparently, he bit off more than he can chew when this 'quick' little project began:

He and I have to drive very slowly when following the black lines on this cheater fabric...

(I can't believe I started this, and I know if I allow Mr. Juki to begin another flimsy without finishing his business, he may never want to see this baby hex again...)

The clock is ticking til Christmas...

The Sampler's grand finish has been threatened...

It's lease on the design wall expires on Wednesday, 

I just cannot wait to play with some new blocks I've been stripping.. Some BIG blocks.. BIAS blocks... big Bias Blocks that CANNOT(!) be played with on the floor...
There they are in pre-starch mode...

I am linking up with Judy at Patchwork Times for Design Wall Monday today, check out more design walls here!

And I am linking with Lyn at What a Hoot...
Lyn hosts BOMs Away!, where I share my Hello Moon and Add-a-Border Block Swap blocks!

I finished my first Add-a-Border 'flimsy' this weekend! Round Four charges us to make a 24" block, but I let it grow a bit since it seemed like a great baby quilt for Christmas. I really loved adding the borders for this one, it came out real sweet...

Ty thinks it is vomit BTW.

What do you think, vomit or art? 

A week of heartfelt thank you's to the wonderful online community of quilter's , (that's you baby!)

Comment here through 11/26 to enter my current drawings!

Giving Thanks Giveaway!

It's PARTY TIME again at Quilting Gallery!

Quilter's Blog Hop Party runs November 16th-26th.

 

What are you giving thanks for this week?

 

Giveaways, perhaps?

 

First up, I am offering this little prototype Needle Project Book:

This was the first one I put zippered pockets in - it has two.

 

I know this may not be everyone's Zen, so I have added a second giveaway for the drawing!

 

The second name drawn will receive one $15.00 credit in my new Etsy Shop - the place I am listing scrap bundles, vintage fabrics, kits and pre-cuts, and unique kids prints:

Red Letter Fabrics!

 

Leave a comment to enter! If you are passionate about the prize, let me know which one you are hoping for! A comment is all that is requited! Well, that and you must be a no-reply blogger! (Please check! There were about 20 in my drawing last week!)

 

Followers of my new Etsy Shop will receive a second entry!

 

Comments for the drawing accepted until midnight, PST, on Tuesday, November 26th.

 

Michele really knows how to Boogie Baby....   Check out all her links here!

BOM's Away - Hello Moon Blocks Tackled

I caught up with my Hello Moon Blocks this weekend!

 

Just a quick post to link with two fun Parties:

 

 Lyn from What a Hoot, for BOM's Away

 

And with Marelize of Stitch by Stitch for Anything Goes Monday

A Huge Thank You & Two WINNERS Announced!

THANK YOU to all you lovely bloggers who cheered, encouraged, made my head swell, and participated in the fun Blog Hops I linked up with last week:

HydeeAnn's InHand EPP Linky Party

Lyn's BOM's Away! Linky Party

 

MadamSamm's For the Boys Blog Hop

 

 

And the drawing winners are:

 



Lucky random winner #1 - Girl's FQ bundle of Art Gallery Spellbound:
Michele commented: "I think your flowers look great together and I'm sure by the time you finish it you'll love them all together too, especially since they bring back so many memories. Thanks for the chance to win the pretty fabrics."

Thank you Michele!

Lucky random winner #2 - Boy's FQ bundle of Michael Miller Bots:
CeLyn commented: "In a word, WoW! This quilt is just stunning, and well worth the wait in my opinion."

Thank you CeLyn!

 

Winners have been notified by email:-)

 

Sunday Stash - Vintage Scores

I have two fabric giveaways ending today, Sunday the 17th at midnight, PST! See post here!

 



I picked up quite a few fabrics yesterday while garage sale hopping with Ty, and  I thought I would share photos with the enthusiasts at Sunday Stash, hosted this week by Lisa at Port Hope.

I know not everyone is into vintage fabric, but I love the thrill of a thrifty and unique find - especially when it relates to quilting of course!
My favorite vintage find is this large scale floral.
Pretty, but it is a poly blend, so I am unsure yet what I will do with it.

Here is another fun & very retro find,

I found two never-used sheet sets from the 70's.

I have never used sheets for quilting, but I know a lot of quilters are doing it and thought these may sell well:-)
And I found some juvenile cottons that will definitely sell well:

And some quilt fabric from two local quilter's I really enjoyed meeting, at separate sales:

Usually I avoid scrap size pieces, as they are a nuisance to launder, but several of these caught my eye, and they are of great quality, so I picked them all up;

Today I am in the mood to sew, and not up to going through my washing process with these , so they are all queued up in the laundry room. I treat vintage fabrics with one cup vinegar and 1/2 cup backing soda in the pre-soak & wash cycle, then run them through a normal cycle when that is complete. This usually works like a charm, but if they have any odor at all after this process, it is off to the thrift store they go!

Linking up with Sunday Stash, and as Molli Sparkles says,  'You should too!'
BTW, he is offering an amazing Echino giveaway today!

Happy Sunday!

Crazy For the Boys!

After much anticipation, 

it is,

at last, 

Day Five!

I am pleased to introduce to you my guy, Ty!

Apparently, he has always liked the color red..

But his favorite color is actually blue.

He has a lifelong passion for things on two wheels...

He may be ALL MAN now,

but I assure you he is very much a BOY AT HEART...

He tends to keep me laughing!

 

And sometimes on the edge of my seat!

Go 65!!

We all know it takes patience to be the husband of a quilter, eh?
For years now I have been stashing fabric, and every now and then I will show Ty some fabric with the promise, "I will stash this one for your quilt"  --  yada yada, right?

Well, thanks to Mdm Samm at Sew We Quilt for hosting this blog hop, 'For the Boys', and as well to Amy at Sew Incredibly Crazy for cheering us all on, and let us not forget Camelot Fabrics for providing such generous incentive(s), I have been properly motivated, and Ty has, at long last, been properly rewarded!

Back in July, on Ty's Birthday, I pulled out all the fabrics I had been stashing (cuz every Red Letter Day deserves a quilt, eh?).
It was really fun sorting through and adding to the pile. Here is a sampling:

Some of the more recent additions came from swaps and giveaways. (Thanks for the YZ fabric Amira, it is one of Ty's favorite bikes!) 

A ZigZag just seemed well suited to Ty, so I drew it up and showed him the sketch on his Birthday. (A quilt plan. Some present, right? I should have wrapped it!)

He wasn't quite satisfied, so I drew it up on EQ6 and he helped me add a bit of Ty-like Style to give it a bit more pizzazz. The drawing was terrific, and fun, but of course, the months went by...

Again, we have this Hop to thank for the fab-finish!

I took the quilt to the local dog park for photos. See the onlooker on the right hand side?
This park is also an interpretive one, with native plants. Since I am not native, I learn something every time I am there. These big peanut things caught my eye,

Off track we are, and this is supposed to be all about Ty...
And Ty's quilt...
Couple more photos for you and we can get on with the giveaway...
Here is Mr. Juki at work, quilting the Star Wars patch.
And the Ty Ty Ty Ty patch I printed...

The next shot shows a bit more of the quilting, although it is still hard to see with the busy prints..
Also the backside of the pillow. This is the first time I quilted a backing for a pillow that also has a hidden zipper.
Only the best for my Ty;-)

The front of the pillow is made with blocks Ty removed when it was still on the design wall. Culling is such sweet sorrow, right Liz?
I must admit, their placement did not suit the quilt well though. Now that they are in pillow form, Ty has adopted the orphans with gusto, so all is not lost...

I did not need to piece a fancy back as this fabric seemed to suit it well, and matches the Reunion binding perfectly. Woo-Lah!I

One more thank you to our ambitious, motivational leaders before we wrap this up!

Be sure and visit all of today's participants:

Pigtales and Quilts

Celynn's Sunflower Patch

Rainbows. Bunnies. Cupcakes

Devoted Quilter

Desertsky Quilting

Sew Fresh Quilts

RedLetterQuilts (That's me! Thanks for visiting!)

Craft Nurse Quilts

Miss Priss Quilts

 

Enjoy the hop!

 

BUT FIRST, stick around for the giveaway!

After winning several prizes this year, I figure it is my turn to spread the love!

Leave a comment and you will be entered for the drawing to win this bundle for the BOYS! Giveaway entries will end at Midnight, PST,  Sunday Nov. 17th.
No pond is too daunting for me to ship over, as long as I can contact you for an address ;-)

Bundle of FQ Bots by Michael Miller!

P.S. If you are interested in my GIRL giveaway, visit Monday's Post!

In Hand EPP & a Giveaway

Last month I linked up with Hydeeann's Inaugural In Hand EPP Party, where I shared the fabrics chosen for my 21st Hexie Flower block. I am pleased to say it's now a finish!

Saturday night I pulled all 21 Flowers out and laid them on muslin. Since I have averaged only one block per year, I am hopeful that this monthly linkup will help me kick this project up a few notches - maybe I can actually finish the quilt in my lifetime:-) Over the years, my tastes in fabrics have changed a lot, and my stash too of course. Although I really do like my blocks, I felt fairly disappointed with them all laid out together. I arranged and re-arranged. Then I pulled three blocks out to get a more cohesive look. One of those pulled happened to be my new block, the one I just finished. Aghh...

Then I got to thinking. I have been quilting a long time now. I am a make-do quilter, and I love the story a quilt can tell by the fabrics included in it. This gives me a strong passion for scrap quilts... Scrap quilts that require a large 'palette' of fabrics to draw from...

These blocks do tell a bit of a story for me, and I decided I am not quite ready to give up on any of them yet. I will 'whip up' a few more blocks that could help bring them together. Still, I may end up culling a few (thanks for the chuckle Liz!)

And Liz has a point: It is best to choose a bit of a color-way to stick with prior to starting a quilt. Way-back-when I had no plan. I just stitched up a block one year. I stitched up another the next year... And so on. I knew a few years into it that it was a bit off, and I'd attempt colors for the next block that I thought might help it out. Now I guess I just can't quite give up on that concept.
So, back to my old ways, I quickly packed them back up and selected fabric for my next flower.

(honestly, that muslin looks gray doesn't it? Next month I will photograph them on white!)

All this leads me to a bit of advice for all those 'fabricaholics' who are discussing Detox:
Nonsense!! Be always on the lookout! Fabric is essential to feed your palette! It can take years to gather fabrics for some quilts, and these are usually the most sentimental ones.

That said, I am forever in destash mode as well. When I make a decision to part with fabric, I usually keep a tad bit of it. I can't say how many times I have used these bits for odd projects, like BOM or swaps. Tastes change over time too. (I was anti-floral/anti-calico when I started my garden quilt!)

Speaking of destash, it has been a LONG time since I offered a giveaway!

On Tuesday, the 12th, I am participating in the For the Boys Hop.  I prepared a BOY Bundle to give away in conjunction, but first I thought I would offer a GIRL Bundle:

Girls before boys ya know...

Art Gallery Spellbound FQ Collection

Just leave a comment if you want to be in the drawing for this bundle - sometime before midnight, PST,  Sunday Nov. 17th. No pond is too daunting for me to ship over, as long as I can contact you for an address ;-)

Linking up with gratitude for the hosts:

Hydeeanne at Splish Splash Stash for 'In Hand' EPP #2

 

Lyn at What a Hoot for BOM's Away

 

Shameless, I know, but if you would like a second chance to win, leave a second comment to let me know you took a stroll at my new Etsy shop (and follow me there if you are so inclined - I have not one follower yet!)  https://www.etsy.com/shop/RedLetterFabrics 

In an effort to de-clutter my original Etsy shop and focus on handmades there, I am clearing fabric out and posting new fabric into this new shop. I have a ton more to post there as time permits!

Pushing My Buttons

What I woke up to this morning

My husband's new screensaver.
hmmm...