Hashtag Blocks for Sydney Round Up

Joshua at MolliSparkles put out a call for blocks so he can complete quilts for the families of those most severely affected by the Sydney siege.

It looks like he is getting great response - hopefully he will meet his goal, AND find some help putting all the quilts together!

I love quilts made with many hands involved, so my heartstrings were easily tugged when I read his plea, and I went right to work selecting some bright fabrics. The tutorial for the Hashtag blocks he requested is pretty easy, & there's an FAQ page if you're interested in donating blocks!

Winners Announced & Aurifil SALE at Fat Quarter Shop!

Oh,-what-fun-it-is-to-hop from one blog to the next - with dreams of winning lovely giveaways!

I did not get a count on how many giveaway links were linked up with SewMamaSew's Giveaway.
There were a LOT this time around, and very generous!!

Winners selected this morning by Mr. Randomizer are:

Figgy Pudding (shy)Fat Quarter Bundle: lauraluvsloons "It is sew much fun reading these blogs, almost as much fun as winning a prize."

Loralie Harris Coordinates: Sewgreen  "Both of those bundles are gorgeous!! There is just SO much pretty fabric! I want it all!!" 

Congratulations ladies, emails are coming your way!

Thanks again for all the warm comments, I wish everyone the best of Holiday Seasons!

BTW, Fat Quarter Shop has tons of thread (going fast!) in their DAILY DEALs! (no, I am not associated or sponsored!)

Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day (WEEK!)

It is Giveaway Day over at SewMamaSew!
Giveaway is closed and winners will be announced shortly! OMGosh, I am so happy with all the traffic and nice comments left this week. I started the week intent to reply to each and every one and was not able to keep up!
I have truly enjoyed each and every one, thank you so much for visiting!

Thank you so much for visiting! I enjoy blogging as a hobby and write posts once or twice a week. I love sharing current projects and swapping advice with other quilters and artisans. Lately time has limited my projects to a few blocks and quiltalongs I find irresistible. I just finished the final Aurifil Block for 2014, 'Not Afraid of Flying' by Designer of the Month, Carrie Nelson.
Find Carrie's interview with Pat Sloan, and block pattern here.

Each month, participants who link their block to the Aurifil Flickr Group are eligible to win a large pack of Aurifil Thread. That is all the incentive I needed and I did not miss a month! My blocks are pictured in an album at my Flickr site. Hopefully I will be able to design a setting soon!

Business has picked up lately in my Etsy shop, Red Letter Fabrics! I'll be posting some recently acquired fabrics over the next couple weeks that I am pretty excited about. I try to post a good mix of modern fabrics as well as unique vintage fabrics, novelty prints, and many popular OOP Cottons. Currently, blogger's receive a 10% discount with the code BLOGGERDISCOUNT.

I have put together winning bundles for two lucky reader's!
The first winner will receive a remnant bundle of five prints from the Figgy Pudding line by BasicGray for Moda. These are approx. 16" x 21" each.

The first quilt I sold was made with this line!

Finished in 2012, I named it Figgy Swirl. I had a lot of this fabric and cut into it without any plans. I began by fussy cutting the border fabric for the center hexagons and played with the 60 degree triangles from there. After the six big hexies were complete, I played with setting ideas and the diamonds just evolved. I have never patterned a quilt, but I love this setting and I wish I had more of a pattern than the tissue paper templates I used at the time (!). 

Perhaps I will do this design again in the future..

Yep, Figgy and I had a good thing going on,

I miss him more than I thought I would. sigh.

The next lucky winner will receive a bundle with more out-of-print fabrics.

This bundle includes 1/2 yard each of Button Dots and Sewing Stuff by Loralie Harris.

 

If you are willing to leave me a comment prior to midnight on Friday, December 12th, and you have an email address to reply with, you are eligible!  The drawing will be held by my husband, The Randomizer, and winners notified by email on Saturday the 13th.

 

One more big share for you! 

Just look at this lovely floral clip I received as a Thank You from an Etsy customer!

 I am still quite stunned and genuinely impressed with the quality of work she does.

Her new Etsy Shop just opened this week, FlapperFancies.

This is heirloom work folks, and it is stunning! Only the finest materials are used and the use of antique lace is prevalent in her work. In fact, her favorite charge is using the client's own ribbon or lace to create lasting keepsakes. Hairpieces, pins, hats and custom trims seem to be her focus, and she is offering free shipping with the coupon code 'grandopening'.

 

 The clip slides out of it's own velvet pocket for versatility. Genius!

I know that there is no time to waste online during Giveaway Week!

I appreciate this opportunity to share with reader's and to explore blogs that are new to me as well!

THANK YOU!

 

I Love December!

Only one post made here in November!
Time spent sewing was in short periods. It is easier for me to work on blocks when my time is limited, and the bonus is that they are pretty gratifying :-)
I finished up Sew Sweet Simplicity Block Two:

Of course, November did have a NewFO. I've been following the Cascadia Quiltalong Mystery over at Humble Quilts. The big reveal was last week and Lori shared a photograph of the little antique doll quilt that she based the QAL on.
Unfortunately, I selected a background fabric with too little contrast for the patchwork.
I thought there would be more background used in the setting, but not knowing is the challenge of a mystery QAL.  
At this point I sure wished I had used a different color!

For the save, I divided the center panel up and added a bit more negative space all around. Then I brought it in the dining room for brighter lighting:

 It looks very Easter-ish, eh? 

 

I used every last bit of that green. The backing will be pieced with some of this lovely rose print that I was gifted with last week. This finish will be my final goal finish for ALYOF, December 2014!

Another fly-by month whizzed by and my projects are uncharacteristically scattered about. I do tend to work on several things at a time, but this is out of hand! Even amidst unfinished projects, I have new piles evolving as I consider new projects I want to make.
Like the placemats for Mom.
Yes, on the floor.

As much as I love to make new blocks and small projects, a strict diet is in store for 2015. My plans are to finish a dozen or so of my projects, simultaneously foregoing all NewFO's (Is it true that Barbara is no longer condoning new projects every month ?).

To help me focus a bit, I'm thinking of participating in the 2015 Finish-Along.

Yes, I need all the help I can get ;-)

Adrianne will be hosting from On the Windy Side!

I have seen some progress lists from participants in the last couple years, and some of them are so long they'll make your head spin! I will need to come up with a simple way to set some goals.

 

For now, I will try to prepare for the holidays, and ENJOY them!

After all, 2014 ain't over yet!

 

Linking up this Wednesday with Lee at Freshly Pieced for WIP Wednesday.

 

Thank you for reading today!

Please enjoy a 10% discount at RedLetterFabrics, good thru December with the coupon code: BLOGGERDISCOUNT

Cyber Week, a coupon, and a couple vintage stitchery's to share!

Did anyone see how fast the goodies went at Fat Quarter Shop this morning?
Man, I didn't stand a chance!
I have made a few great fabric scores here recently though!

Twice in November I landed at garage sales at the home of a quilter, and a couple of those are items I still haven't posted from the big parking lot sale at Quiltique a couple months ago...

I've posted a fair bit of new stock at my Etsy shop over the past few weeks, and pictured here are some pretties that will go up in December. Lots of goodies are queued up in the basket; Laurel Burch prints, Mary Engelbreit, Beatrix Potter, all ready for inspection, measurements, and photography.

Did you know you can follow shops on Etsy? Well, not shops exactly but members. If you click on the shop, it is not obvious (how to follow) and you will only see an option to click the heart and 'favorite' the shop. If you click on the shop owner, you can find the option to follow that person. A few times I have scored favorite, out of print fabrics by being the first to see it listed.

If you do check out my shop, I appreciate it! Hang on to this coupon code through the year, good for 10% off your purchase at checkout: BloggerDiscount

These lovely embroideries were at an estate sale recently:

 I bundled them with other purchases and did not unroll them until I got home:

 And these sweet little prayers:

My mother told me that 'should I die' is now a 'less accepted' version of this prayer. hmm.
She had never heard the other prayer, and neither had I. Isn't it sweet?

Regarding online fabric shopping, I don't usually turn to eBay for it, since I have been disappointed in the past, however, last week I won a .99 auction online for a couple yards of older Amy Butler that I thought would coordinate with FQ's in my stash (sometime down the road - ha!). The shipping was $6.00, but what a surprise when I received a heavy flat rate mailer with this inside:

Of course I don't.

MIND?

 

Good fortune ought naught be mine alone.

I am working on a beautiful bundle for the big giveaway week coming up hosted by SewMamaSew

 

I hope to post a few project updates tomorrow, something to wake this blog from it's wee slumber! It has been a bit slow in the studio, which reflects in the blog.

 

BTW, I finished the entire 31 disks of Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth without doing any FMQing. Sooo bad...