And the Winner IS....???

I've been busy as always. I am working on holiday gifts a lot. These are not all done yet as they are works in progress. The first up are these star ornaments. They are made from two hexagons and I got the idea from Kiwiquilts free pattern page:

Next we see various potholders and a pillowcase:

Even more potholders and some place mats too!

The square potholder pattern was gotten from the Craft Sanity site. There are always a wealth of projects for one to choose from!

Oh, I bet some of you want to know who the winner is for the give-a-way? Hmmmm, where is that kid of mine? He needs to pick a number..........and the winner is:

KANSA!

Congratulations!!!

LAST CHANCE TO ENTER MY GIVE-A-WAY!!!

Tomorrow is the last day to enter the contest to celebrate my 250th posting on my blog! The winner will get :

• the last issue of 'Quilter's Home' magazine with Mark Lipinski's picture on the cover (Oct./Nov.)
• three holiday fat quarters
• two home-made ornaments for your tree!
  

To enter, just leave a comment on the blog entry date of 11/11/09. For TWO chances to win, mention my contest on your blog and let me know you did.

The drawing will be on Tuesday and announced by day's end. Good luck!!!

It's a Cloudy Day

I've been disappointed that only two folks have entered the drawing for the magazine, FQ's, and ornaments. I might extend the deadline to December 15th and try to get more folks to sign up. I will look to see if I have something extra special to add to the prize too. My guess is that interest is low due to a combination of a lackluster prize and low traffic on my blog!

I've been slowly working my way through the charity quilts for the quilt guild. I have five to do. I have the third one almost done.

I did hearts in the green squares and the flowers in the purple ones

I had goobers on the back of this quilt, in a few spots. I ripped them out and will re-quilt them today. I really watched my tension, but still, I have loopys on the back side every now and then. I am thinking about trying the Juki on the frame to see if the problem is with the machine or with me! lol

I am working on the final flower petals for the House Medallion quilt. The size of the cornerstone is about four inches. Those are very tiny flower petals!!! I am hand appliqueing them with silk thread.

Lady Lego has been in my studio, causing all kinds of mayhem! She was last seen to be bear wrestling.

I have had this six inch art block for a long time. It was a gift. I just hadn't found a way to use it. I have now trimmed it in black with gold lame' binding.
The quilt guild is promoting Ami Simms' Alzheimer quilt project. I had made several for the project a few years ago. I am hoping to get in touch with of the giver of the block and ask her permission to donate this finished quilt-let to that project.

That's all for today. I have a bunch of quilting to work on, as always. It is cold and cloudy outside. That makes for a good day to work inside on projects!!!

250 Posts! Let's CELEBRATE!!!

I haven't posted because it took a while to get things ready for this posting! This is my 250th posting on this blog! I am celebrating with a little give-a-way for you! I have the last issue of 'Quilter's Home' magazine with Mark Lipinski's picture on the cover. (Oct./Nov.)This is a duplicate issue I had and is in pristine condition.
Along with it, are three holiday fat quarters. Added to this will be some tiny home-made ornaments for your tree! To enter, just leave a comment on this blog entry. For TWO chances to win, mention my contest on your blog and let me know you did.

I will draw a winning name on December 1st.
Be sure I can contact you through your comment posting so I can get your address.

In other news, I have the fan border attached to the House Medallion quilt. I didn't get them done perfectly, but this quilt was one that I was practicing different techniques on anyway.

Next I put on the last round of borders on the quilt. All the fan blade tips have been appliqued down. Next I will be appliqueing flowers in each of the four corners to round out the quilt. For an everyday-type quilt, this one sure taught me a lot! My applique skills from the center blades compared to the outer blades are like night and day in quality!!!

I went to the local guild meeting on Monday. I left with five charity quilts to quilt for them AND I somehow am now the membership leader. lol Nothing like going into something full blast, eh? lol

Here are two of the quilts on my frame:
A closer look here:

I am doing a meandering star pattern on four of the quilts because they all have a patriotic theme to them.
I am so happy to have this chance to practice my short arm quilting set-up without all the pressure of doing it for a customer or for a very important quilt of my own. The lady from the guild was just thrilled to have these quilts done in any way that they'd be usable! She's had them sitting around for a year or more, she said.

I have used three bobbins up, this morning, on the charity quilts. I think I will go eat lunch and do some hand work that I always have sitting around. Or perhaps the creative prompt *WISH* from last Friday! Enjoy your day! Happy sewing!!!

I really AM in the studio!!!

The posting after this one will be my 250th posting. I plan to have a give-a-way to celebrate it! I haven't decided if I should or should not include a bag of scraps or not though. What do you think?
Lady Lego was 'helping' me today. She reminded me that I need to clean the lint out of my machine EVERY TIME I change the bobbin!!!

I am attaching the borders to the House Medallion quilt today. It is hard!!! I know I am not doing it right. Of course the fans are not lining up the way they should either. I will take some closeups of my mistakes and you will be able to see what I mean. I am glad this is a utility quilt! I know I should take more care in making it 'right', but I am only experimenting with this pattern. I learn from mistakes and experimentation. Plus I AM the LAZY Quilter!!! :)

What a Halloween!!!

It was quite a day, considering we were not going out trick or treating this year. It was Tommy's choice. He didn't want to go. He DID want to carve a pumpkin though. He did over half the work on this, including scooping out the guts! We had 28 kids stop by. Most of them were older kids and several were bordering on either side of age 20! I guess when you need a candy fix, you get it on Halloween!

Later, as hubby and I watched last week's episode of Amazing Race, I was sewing on the hexagon quilt. All of a sudden, I realized I was sewing the last hexagon on it!!!! The monster top is DONE DONE DONE!!! Photos will be up later today or tomorrow. :)

If you read this blog much, you will see I have been on a streak of creativity with the Creative Prompts. I am all caught up now. This week's prompt was "Spirit".

Rah, Rah, sis-boom-ba! lol I hope you can see the letters on their shirts! Remember if you click on the photo, you can see a larger version of it for more details.

Today started with donuts, still warm from the bakery. Hubby goes there about once a month or so, to sabotage my (pretend) diet. I am not sure what I will do today. I could sandwich the hexagon quilt and start basting it. It will be quilted by hand though, and I should wait till after the holidays to set up the big floor frame.

I could have a go at the House Medallion quilt. Next on is a narrow black border, followed by all those fan blocks. There is a Griffin waiting to be done on the U is for Unicorn quilt. I have Christmas gifts to make, but I am not sure what they will be yet. I have three or four charity quilts coming in to be quilted, on the ninth of November, so I don't want to load anything up on the short-arm frame till they are done.

There is a spring-time wall hanging, hanging around in my head. I might do that up and teach a class for it. I have my "Inchies" to mail out to my swap person too. Maybe I will just straighten the studio a titch and rest more? My knee is screaming in protest from all the stair climbing I am doing, with the puppy, when taking her in and out of the house. lol

I could make a BIG announcement, but that won't happen until tomorrow. Need a hint? I am coming up on my 250th blog posting. I think it should be a cause for celebration, don't you? Maybe a contest? hmmmmmmmmmmm :D

Enjoy your Sunday's everyone! Toodle-loo!

Fly Away With Me

The blustery winds of March are here in January this morning! I have these balloons anchored down well though and they shall remain so until February 14th! I am giving away this piece of fabric that is over 2/3's of a yard by about 42" wide.
This is by "Fit to Print, Inc. The larger balloons are around three inches big. The fabric has a nice hand to it and it is quilt shop quality. It has been pre-washed. My home has pets and though they are not allowed in the studio, I can't say that a stray hair or two might not be on the fabric.

How do you win this fabric? Here are the rules:

1. Any time between now and midnight CST on February 13th, leave a comment to this posting.

2. Answer this question: "How many and what brand(s) of sewing machines do you own and what machine(s) would you like to add to this list?"

3. A random drawing will be held on Valentine's Day morning and I will mail out the fabric to the winner as soon as I verify their mailing address.

4. If you have a blog link or email link that lets me get in touch with you for your snail mail info, I will contact you on Valentine's Day. If I can't find your email address through your posting, I will go on to the next person on the list.

Good luck!

WHIRL INTO WINTER - WINNER

AND THE WINNER IS PEGGY FROM NEW JERSEY!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations Peggy! Your prize will be in the mail this week!
Thank you everyone, who left comments and participated in the Whirl Into Winter Giveaway. It was a blast for me too!

RATS!!!

Dear Friends,
I am writing to you from a borrowed computer. Mine died last night. If I don't get back to you or if you don't see your comments on my blog for the Whirl Away Into Winter contest, please don't worry. I will eventually get everything taken care of.

I DID notice some of the commenters are not leaving an answer to the question about scraps or they are not leaving contact info. Read the rules. BOTH contact information AND answering the question is required. Contact info can be either your blog ID or just adding your email. If either leads me to you, if you are the winner then all is fine.

On the 15th a random drawing will be held here. ONLY the people who followed all the rules will be entered. (Heck, it is only a few 'rules', you can do this!) The cutoff is midnight on January 14th. NO comments will be allowed on the contest entry in my blog, after that time.

I hope to be able to check-in, once a day till the computer is fixed to update the comments list. Thank you everyone for your patience and understanding.
Sherri

Whirl Into Winter - Quilt Bloggers Giveaway!!!

AND THE WINNER IS PEGGY FROM NEW JERSEY!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations Peggy! Your prize will be in the mail this week!
Thank you everyone, who left comments and participated in the Whirl Into Winter Giveaway. It was a blast for me too!

As I mentioned the other day, I am participating in a quilt blogger's giveaway! I am giving away a brand new pair of Gingher embroidery scissors:
Here is how you can have a chance to win...just post a comment to this blog entry, anytime after midnight tomorrow night, New Year's Eve.
RULES:
1. Any comments left BEFORE midnight, January 1, 2009, will not count in the drawing.
2. You may comment as many times as you wish, but please limit yourself to only once per day. Each comment is worth one chance at a drawing held on January 15th.
3. You MUST leave your email for me to contact you, if you're the winner.
4. You can comment without contact information but your name will not be included in the drawing.
5. Those not living in the U.S. may enter the contest. I will ship internationally. I would greatly appreciate a contribution to offset shipping charges though, if you are the winner. It costs $7 extra for me to mail to most countries outside of the United States.
6. Your comment MUST answer this question, to be entered into the drawing:

"What is the most clever or creative thing you have done with your fabric scraps?"

My comments are moderated. I will post all comments whether they qualify for the drawing or not. I will not post spam postings from those who are abusing this blog.
So, if you see your comment AND it is posted with a date between January 1st through the 14th, AND you've included your email for contact information, you will be automatically entered to win.

Have fun and good luck!!!

REMEMBER, DO NOT POST UNTIL IT IS OFFICIALLY JANUARY 1ST, 2009!!!

UPDATE 1/10/09: CONGRATULATIONS WENDY!!!
YOU WERE THE 150TH POSTER ON MY BLOG.
YOU HAVE WON A PRIZE!
****************************************

UPDATE JANUARY 15TH
AND THE WINNER IS PEGGY FROM NEW JERSEY!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations Peggy! Your prize will be in the mail this week!
Thank you everyone, who left comments and participated in the Whirl Into Winter Giveaway. It was a blast for me too!
************************************

The year is almost over!

There is only a few hours really, left for this year called 2008. I am sure there are a lot of emotional thoughts when people reflect back on this past year. I know it was a rough year for us and we are very hopeful that 2009 brings a lot more positive things into our lives!

On January 1, 2009 I will be one of the bloggers hosting a give-a-way! Watch for details on how you can win this:
This is a new, never used Gingher 4" embroidery scissors! The 'contest' runs from January 1 through the 15th. Be sure to check back on the first to see how you can enter the drawing for the scissors.

Studio organizing continues here. I even hope to sew some today. I really need the fabric therapy. lol Happier New Year to all!