{ A Month Of Giveaways } Week 4 Winners!

OK folks! Lets see a show of hands... How many of you are ready to see who the lucky winners are? I have to say... I think the final week in my April Month of Giveaways has been my favorite. 1201 comments!?!? Seriously?!?! I LOVED seeing all the comments and can tell how much you all love the Fat Quarter Shop! I don't blame you. Kimberly and her crew run a tight ship and are #1 in customer satisfaction. Thanks again Kim for your generous donation.


Without further ado, the winners of the $50.00 Fat Quarter Shop gift certificates are:

Comment #690: Elizabeth, who said -

Do I have to pick just one? Seriously? I wrote down 19 fabrics that I LOVE in the coming soon section. If I have to pick one, I'll go with Berkshire by Blue Hill fabrics, but Adoring and Awesome by Sandy Gervais for Moda get an honorable mention because she is one of my favorite designers for one of my favorite manufacturers. I can't leave out Angel & Snowflake Holiday Flourish by Peggy Toole for Robert Kaufman and Tuxedo by Color Principle for Henry Glass also gets an honorable mentions. See, I told you I couldn't pick just one.

AND

Comment #1082: Elena, who said -

To be original, I'll say I'm looking forward to Fandango from Kate Spain. She's new to me and it looks like a classy line. To be cliche, I'll say Amy Butler's Soul Blossoms, because, well, do I really need a reason? :)

Congratulations to both of you! Please contact me so I can send your gift certificate code to a valid email address. Here's a hint on how to contact me: my email link is on my blogger profile page!

Make sure you stop on over to Fat Quarter Shop and say hi! Feel free to do a little shopping while you're there!

I hope everyone had fun this month participating in the giveaways. It's the very least I can do to say thanks for your support and inspiration. Can't wait to do it all over again next year!

We now return to our regularly scheduled program. :)

{ Reader Poll } Do You Sew Barefoot?

While driving to work today I found myself analyzing my morning routine and thinking how the whole process affects my day. I'm talking about the mundane things we all do every day in the same order, without thinking. The tiny rituals you perform to help you get out the door in the morning. Do you get up and jump in the shower? Do you have breakfast first? What's the last thing you always do before leaving the house? If you forget to do any of those things does it throw your entire day off?

Can you tell I'm total type A? :)

The whole questioning my routine scenario came about when I was ten miles from home and having that "I forgot to do something" feeling. I was running through my morning routine in my head...

Got up, jumped in the shower, grabbed some coffee, ironed my clothes, got dressed, said hi to the kids, said bye to my wife, got the kids out the door and in the car, dropped them to the babysitter, headed to work...

It didn't do me any good. I couldn't come up with anything I "forgot" to do. All was well so to speak. I just chalked it up to rushing out the door and giving little thought to what I was doing. Maybe I set my coffee cup on the counter instead of in the sink and my brain was telling me I did something different than normal, therefore throwing a bright red flag up in my subconscious. Who knows.

Needless to say I had a crazy moment... but wait, I wasn't done yet...

The entire experience got me thinking about the things we as quilters do when we're in our sewing rooms. The stuff we do without giving much thought to. Is there always music on in the background, a TV maybe? Do you raise the presser foot lever with your right or left hand? Do you pull the loose threads from your machine to the left or the right after clipping them from your block? Crazy stuff like that. If you forced yourself to change the way you sew, how would it make you feel? Would you get the same creative satisfaction when you were finished or would you have the urge to do it over again?

We're all creatures of habit and one thing I always do is have my shoes off when I'm sewing. In fact, I don't think I have my shoes on at all when I'm in the studio. Even at guild meetings it seems foreign to be piecing with anything but socks on my feet. It's like using someone else's machine to sew. It feels odd, right? You get used how your machine is set up. Having something between my foot and the machine pedal kind of gives me the same feeling. It totally screws up my quilting mojo.

I'd like to hear from you about this. I started a poll in the right hand side of the blog posing the question, "Do you sew with or without your shoes on?" Yes? No? Doesn't really matter? Are you brave enough to answer?

{ A Month of Giveaways } Week 4 Reveal

Welcome to the final week's reveal in our April Month of Giveaways. Every week in April I've been expressing my heart-felt thanks to my readers by giving away everything from toys for those newly-expected bundles of joy to fabric gift certificates so you can indulge in a little fabric therapy. I am very excited to tell you all about our 4th and final giveaway as I've teamed up with another of the premier online fabric shops.


The Fat Quarter Shop has long been regarded as a wonderful source of information on upcoming fabrics, often posting collections before the design houses have time to put them on their own websites! They offer yard cuts of fabric, lots of pre cuts, kits, Block of the Month Clubs, and super fast shipping!

Kimberly Jolly and her crew work hard to provide excellent customer service and selection. Here is a little information about the shop which is shared on their About Us page:

The Fat Quarter Shop was founded in 2003 by Kimberly Jolly. An avid quilter, Kimberly began her shop as a side business while still working a corporate position, cutting, packing and shipping right out of her house during evenings and nights. From the very beginning, she was committed to delivering top-notch service for every single order and customer. As the Fat Quarter Shop's reputation grew, Kimberly decided to make it a full-time operation. Her husband Kevin joined her not long after, and with his help, lots of hard work, and a tireless commitment, the store began to grow. Over the past few years a few more people have joined the staff!

As a team, we continue to branch out with the best fabrics, exclusive kits, quilt clubs, BOMs, and more. And we will always be driven by the passion that Kimberly founded the store upon, which is always giving you the best products and service!

One of my favorite parts of The Fat Quarter Shop is the wonderful blog Kimberly and her crew create called The Jolly Jabber.

Kimberly has generously donated a $50.00 gift certificate for this giveaway and I have agreed to donate another. That means we will again have 2 winners at the end of this week!


Here's how YOU can win!

Everyone can enter up to 5 times in the following ways (please make sure you leave a separate comment for each entry):

1. Post a comment on this giveaway post.
2. Become a follower of my blog (leave a comment letting me know you follow).
3. Post the giveaway on your blog along with the Month of Giveaways image at the top of this post (click the image to enlarge and save) and leave me a comment with the link.
4. Visit the Coming Soon section of the Fat Quarter Shop website and leave a comment telling us which fabric collection you're looking forward to most.
5. Become a follower of the Fat Quarter Shop's blog, The Jolly Jabber and leave a comment here letting me know you did.

I'll use the random number generator to pick 2 winners on Sunday, April 25!

Good Luck!

{ A Month Of Giveaways } Week 3 Winners!

Well folks, the sun has set on another craft-filled day. It's time once again to draw names for our giveaway. The contest was a little different this time. Even I could tell that. The excitement has been building all week and the comments have been pouring in. A record number I might add. Somehow FREE fabric is very tempting to the crafty sort like me. Yes, I might have struck a nerve. I think I may be catching on! :)


Before I draw the names there are several necessary "thank yous" in order:

First, a big thanks to Charlie and Lindsay of Hawthorne Threads for generously donating one of the gift certificates to their shop. I've spoken with Charlie several times and have to say, the level of communication and service they provide for their shop is amazing. Congrats you two on a job well done! I'm a customer for life!

Second, I want to speak to everyone who reads and follows my blog. I truly appreciate all the comments you leave on every post. Whether you're just passing through from a link on another blog or checking in with every post, you are the reason I strive to create. I wouldn't be here if you weren't holding me up with all your love and support. Gush, gush, tear...

And thirdly, the ultimate thank you to who else, but YOU would be to draw the names and give away the goodies. So here goes...

The winners of the week 3 giveaway, out of 392 comments, picked by the random number generator at random.org, are:

#330, Teri, who said:

Charlie and lindsay really are a great bunch, I just love them.

Thanks ryan for the great giveaway and thanks to Hawthorne as well.

and

#197, Chancy, who said:

What a great shop. They have lots of lines I hadn't even heard of before. Thanks!

Congratulations to both of you! Please contact me so I can send your gift certificate code to a valid email address. Here's a hint on how to contact me: my email link is on my blogger profile page!

I tried my best to reply to every entry that came in, but after about 200 it was just too much to keep up with. I'm sorry to the folks whos comments were numbered 201 and up for not personally getting in touch with you.

Everyone please stop over to Hawthorne and say hi to Charlie and Lindsay for me! I'll see you back here tomorrow for the 4th and final giveaway announcement.

Fabric Swapping

One of the best aspects of this wonderful place we call "the internet" is its ability to connect people who would otherwise be strangers using a common bond such as quilting. Blogging for me has opened up a vast array of outlets to share information about the art of quilting and crafting in general. I've had conversations with quilters from all walks of life and have learned a great deal. It has put me closer to the designers I enjoy, more so than I would flipping through the pages of a magazine. I can certainly say that if it weren't for the handful of friendships I've created here I wouldn't be half the quilter I am today.

Swapping and quilt a longs, for me, is a big part of my online presence. Flickr and Swap-Bot are two websites I frequent often. Participating in swaps has been a great way for me to force myself to try new techniques and challenge my quilting abilities. I'm not at all surprised to discover that the online community of quilters as a whole are a caring, generous bunch.

I received a wonderful unexpected gift in a swap package from last week. Jeannie received my name in the Swap-Bot Modern Noodle Swap I host and went above and beyond the requirements. Inside the envelope she sent was an awesome bag made from some pretty neat fabric. The outside had some of the new Sweetwater Make Life and in the center was a Hershey's candy bar print! Take a look...


Very cool! Apparently she read that I was a big fan of Hershey's (and only Hershey's) chocolate and thought I needed a bag to keep my chocolate stash in. Inside the bag was two noodles of Paula Prass fabric in red and aqua, a piece of batik print, a BIG BAR of chocolate (not shown because it is now GONE) and a note.



Also included in the package was a copy of McCall's Quilting which features our very own blogger friend Julie Herman of Jaybird Quilts! Thanks for being so thoughtful Jeannie!


I've been asked to write an article about online bees and fabric swapping and would love to hear your input! What drew you in to swapping fabric and participating in bees online? How has the experience affected you?

I'm drawing the names of 2 lucky winners this evening for week 3 of my April Month of Giveaways! Stay tuned!

{ Giveaway Update } Weeks 1 & 2 Mailed!

Just a quick update folks...

Prizes for weeks 1 and 2 have officially been mailed! Jill, Bailey and Ariel, "You've got mail!"

Week 3 drawing to be held Sunday! :)

{ A Month of Giveaways } Week 3 Reveal!

Happy Monday my quilting peeps! The giveaways just keep getting better and better around here! I am so excited to announce this next one. I know my last 2 prizes were baby gift oriented and I didn't see alot of my quilting friends joining in on the fun. Just to show you all that I haven't forgotten you, this next giveaway comes courtesy of Charlie and Lindsay of Hawthorne Threads!

Tap, tap, tap... Is this mic on?? Did I get your attention??!?? :)


That's right folks! I sent Charlie an email this morning asking him if it was OK that I used his logo on the blog and told him all about my plans to give away a gift certificate to his shop. After all, Hawthorne is THE place to go for great new fabrics and fast, friendly service. I just got a return email from him with permission to go ahead with the graphics AND he donated a $25.00 gift certificate to boot! What a nice shop, huh? Thanks Charlie and Lindsay!

To show my appreciation to them and to my readers, I've decided to one up the giveaway. I'll also be purchasing a gift cert as planned and offer them both here for you! You guys know the drill to enter. Just in case you haven't stopped by before, I'll post the rules again below. Please do me a favor though, go on over to Hawthorne Threads and take a look. Let Charlie and Lindsay know Ryan sent you!


Here's how YOU can win!

Everyone can enter up to 3 times in the following ways (please make sure you leave a separate comment for each entry):

1. Post a comment on this giveaway post.
2. Become a follower of my blog (leave a comment letting me know you follow).
3. Post the giveaway on your blog along with the Month of Giveaways image at the top of this post (click the image to enlarge and save) and leave me a comment with the link.

I'll use the random number generator to pick 2 winners on Sunday, April 18!

Good Luck!

{ A Month of Giveaways } Week Two Winner!

It's Sunday evening again and as promised I have another prize to give away! I hope everyone had a relaxing weekend. Hopefully you were all able to get everything accomplished you set out to, and set some time aside to spend with your family. The warm weather we were blessed with over the past few weeks has passed and we are back to chilly temperatures and windy days. Please send some warm weather in our direction soon! I'm getting jealous of everyone talking about starting their vegetable gardens.

OK, enough complaining from me. Let's pick another winner!

The lucky pick out of 74 comments is:

Comment #28, Ariel who said...

I'm loving the baby theme! My new little man is due in July and he could use a hooded towel that isnt a hand-me-down ;)

Congratulations Ariel! And another big congrats on the news of your new little man on the way. July is a great month for a birthday. He'll be in good company ;) Please send me your address so I can mail your gift.

There's still more giveaways to come. I'll announce the next one tomorrow. It may just get my quilting pals' attention. Stay tuned!!

Here's a peek of what I was working on for a while this weekend. A tutorial is on the way!


See you tomorrow and thanks for following along!

{ Tula Pink and Kona Pink } A New Tutorial Coming Soon!

I got an idea for a neat mini quilt while browsing flickr today. I've had a Hushabye charm pack sitting on my work table for a few weeks just begging to be used. I paired it with some Kona in Pink. I'll try and put together a tutorial over the next few days and post it here for you.


The neat thing about my quilt idea is you'll be able to adjust the size of the blocks fairly easy to accommodate your size requirements. Use a charm pack, layer cake or cut from the yardage in your stash. Strips of solid and squares of print are all you'll need.

Talk with you later,

March Bee Blocks Recap

With April in full swing, I thought it best to do a little recap of the bee blocks I rocked out during March at the sewing machine. I'm proud of myself for getting all the blocks done on schedule this month. It really felt like crunch time around here with the wrap up of DQS8 and Pillow Talk recently.

It was Julie's month for Bee Imaginative and she requested wonky style improv blocks. She sent some great monaluna fabrics in green, blue and grey. Mingle happens to be one of my favorite lines and it made for some fun piecing. Here are the 2 blocks I sent off to Julie. Hope she likes!!



Lisa asked for square in square blocks for her month in the Fussy Cut Bee. She sent some Hope Valley and Dolce fabrics. Denyse Schmidt has another winning combination with her latest line, IMO. That striped fabric is awesome. I was able to make one block with the fabrics she sent. It's already safe at home from what I hear!


Finally, Tami sent some red and aqua strips to paper piece an endless chain block during her month of the Red & Aqua Bee. I have to say, although paper piecing isn't my favorite, it's beginning to grow on me. I did my best Tami!


See you in April for another recap!

{ A Month of Giveaways } Product Review and Week 2 Reveal

I'm a little behind on posting this new giveaway because my connection to the Internet was down last night. I'm back online and just itching to show you this awesome hooded towel given to my by the wonderful folks at CSN Stores to review and give away.

I was so excited that CSN asked me to pick out a product from their catalog. Their shop has thousands of modern and hip items that you can decorate your home with. They have over 200 online stores for you to shop from as well. I found it very hard to narrow down my selection, but I thought it best to stick to my Spring Baby theme. I chose this awesome DwellStudio Gio Aqua Hooded Towel.

What do you think? Wouldn't this make a great baby shower gift?





Here's what the website says about this towel:

Whisk your baby out of the bathtub and into something comfy like the super soft Gio Aqua Hooded Towel. Keep your baby's head warm and prevent their head from getting cold with the hood on this fabulous towel. Featuring a cute animal pattern and perfectly sized to fit your baby, there will be no need to use an ordinary bath towel for your little one. The towel is double - faced and features its aqua animal design on the 100% cotton outside and its cozy cotton terry on the inside. This bath towel will be perfect for your baby and will make bath time much more enjoyable!

Features:

•Double-faced towel featuring pattern in 100% cotton percale on front and 100% cotton terry on reverse
•Reactive printed to preserve colors
•Other Alphabet pieces available
•Overall dimensions: 43" W x 28" D

Washing Instructions:

•Machine wash warm on delicate
•Tumble dry low
•Do not use bleach or detergents using bleach

When I first set eyes on this towel, I thought it looked very familiar. The print they used for the backing is adorable. Somehow I thought I'd seen this towel before. I kept thinking about it and coming back to it when I was looking through the website. Until finally, it hit me! My quilter's mind was referencing some fabric I saw recently. I can't get over how similar the pattern on the outside of this towel is to Alexander Henry's 2D Zoo Too Pool fabric. Can you see the resemblance?

The terry fabric they used on the underside of this towel is very soft. The generous size means you'll be able to keep it around for many years as baby grows. Quality construction all around makes this a wonderful addition to your bath time regimen. Its hip and modern design makes it a unique gift.

Here's how YOU can win one!

Everyone can enter up to 3 times in the following ways (please make sure you leave a separate comment for each entry):

1. Post a comment on this giveaway post.
2. Become a follower of my blog (leave a comment letting me know you follow).
3. Post the giveaway on your blog along with the Month of Giveaways image at the top of this post (click the image to enlarge and save) and leave me a comment with the link.

I'll use the random number generator to pick 1 winner on Sunday, April 11!

Good Luck!

{ A Month of Giveaways } Week One Winners!

For all those who celebrated Easter today, I hope you had a wonderful day with your families!

It's 11 PM here on the East Coast and I need to get to bed for a busy day tomorrow. That means it's time to draw some winners for the first week of our April Month of Giveaways!

Here goes... Everybody cross your fingers! :)

The first winner is:

Comment #73 - Jill, who said:

"Yippee! Need this for my best friend who is expecting"

and

Comment #58 - Bailey, who said:

"I'm a new follower!"

Congratulations Jill and Bailey! Please contact me with your address' so I can get your prizes shipped.

A big THANKS to everyone who stopped by and said "Hi" this round! I have so much fun with these giveaways and I hope you enjoy playing along. If you didn't win this round, cheer up! I'll be announcing the giveaway for the coming week tomorrow evening.

The next item is another wonderful gift sent to me by an awesome online marketplace. It's hip and snugglie and I'll be reviewing it for you right here.

Have a great day tomorrow! See you later,