How about a Leap Year Day giveaway!!!

Happy Leap Year Day!!!  (???)  I thought I'd join in the fun of

giving away something to help celebrate Leap Year! 

This is seven fat quarters of Hawaiian fabric!  Looking out my window at all the snow I thought today needed something cheery!!!

You have two chances to win (Sorry - No international entries this time):

1.  Become a follower of my blog and leave me a comment that you are.
2.  Leave a second comment telling me what kind of quilty project you're working on!

Simple!

I'll choose the winner tomorrow (March 1st) at 10:00 p.m. (MST) so good luck to everyone!!!  :o)

I got this great idea from Such a Sew and Sew.  I'm embarassed, but I did it wrong and can't figure out how to fix the links and add the cute button and all that other bloggy "stuff!"  Anyway, go on over to her blog to see who else is celebrating Leap Year by giving something away!!!  :o)

Hugs!

Tutorials for "Hailey's Baby Quilt"

So it looks like I won't have to make a tutorial after all!  *Whew!!!*  These are some links I found while wandering around the World Wide Web tonight for instructions on how to make "Hailey's Baby Quilt."  Funny thing though . . . they weren't listed under "Hailey's Baby Quilt!"  Go figure!!!  :o)

Piece N Quilt

Apostrophy Designs

Everyday Mom

One thing I want to add (Everyday Mom kind of mentioned it with her X) is you need something to attach the front to the back since the quilt isn't quilted or tied.  Otherwise, when the quilt is washed it will be all skee-wompus!  That's why I added the appliqued flower and stitching in the white border on Hailey's quilt.  I also did an 1/8" top-stitch around the outside of the quilt to help keep things where they belong!  :o)

Hugs!

Hailey's Baby Quilt

One of my best friend's daughter is due to have a baby in a couple of weeks and I wanted to make something for her that I hadn't tried before.  I'm not sure what it's called . . . something like "No Binding Quilt" or . . . well I don't know what it's called.  Some of my quilting friends taught me how to make it this past weekend.  I'll just call it "Hailey's Baby Quilt."  :o)

This quilt was soooo easy to make!  I used the most awesome flannel so it's extra soft, too!

I wanted to add a little something to the front so I just appliqued this flower with a blanket stitch.  I think it adds a nice touch!  :o)

You just make the center whatever size you want for the front (mine is about 34" x 34") and then add 10" to that for the backing (so mine is 44" x 44").  I chose to do a simple patchwork front.  One of my friends said when she's been in a rush she just uses a panel for the front!  It's cool because the way you make it gives you nice mitered corners when you're done!

It's weird - the back doesn't have any seams and "folds" around to the front to make the border!  There's a special way you sew it - instead of edge to edge, you sew from the middle out!  Maybe someday I'll try and make a tutorial so you can see how easy it really is!  Or maybe you already know how to make these and it's just new to me!  :o)

This is Hailey holding the quilt.  I actually forgot to take pictures so she saved the day and sent me some!  Thanks, Hailey!

I think I'll make up some of these quilts in pink and blue colors to just have around for the next baby shower!  So much fun!!!  :o)

Hugs!

Cambria's Church Bag

For the last couple of months I've been babysitting my two grandchildren because my daughter is on bedrest with her third pregnancy.  It's actually been quite fun having two little ones around the house again (my teenagers don't run to the door when I walk in, wildly excited to see me quite like my grandkids do!), but I've had to "re-learn" how to have "two little ones around the house again!"  :o)  That includes going to church.  Every week I have a baggie for snacks, a baggie for colored pencils, a baggie for toys, and a pad of paper to draw on.  I'm sure the young Mom's just roll their eyes and giggle as I pass them in the hallways!  So I decided I needed to make a bag for church. 

This pattern is called Scrappy Sack from This and That.  This is what their Scrappy Sack looks like.  I'm not sure why (other than I didn't put a cute flower on mine), but, obviously, mine is a LOT different!  I also didn't flatten the bottom (red polka dot fabric) because the bag was smaller than I was anticipating so I just left it as a side piece to make it a little bigger.  Hmmm . . . that's gotta be it.  :/

Theirs seems wider at the top and just looks bigger than mine does.  Oh well.  That's why it's now my granddaughter's church bag!  It'll hold all her neat "stuff" in it and she looks sooooo cute walking around with it slung over her shoulder!  :o)

I'll just have to continue my search for a cute bag for me that's more Grandma sized!  I want to find a pattern that I can use to make different bags for different seasons.  I think that would be kinda fun!  Even though this one didn't turn out quite like I expected it to, I'm pretty excited about it since it's the first one I've ever made!  :o)

Hugs!

Drama Free 2012

I was just at Seriously . . I Think it Needs Stitches and Making Rebecca Lynne and they have the best thing going!  You should go check it out!  Apparently they had a rough 2011 and so they've decided to make 2012 "Drama Free".  I think it's a GREAT idea!  So great that I added their button to my blog to remind me!  So their goal is now my goal . . . 2012 is going to be AWESOME and Drama Free!  Why don't you join us?!?!?!?  :o) 

New and Improved Quilting Room (Almost . . . )

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!  I hope your day is extra SWEET!!!

So, remember how I promised I was going to post pictures towards the beginning of this week of my quilting room?  Well I didn't get it all done, but I want to show you one wall . . . the one that shows the gift my husband gave me for Valentine's Day.  Ready?!?!?!?!?!?

Wait - one - minute!!!  I have to show you the "Before" pictures first!  (This is so embarrassing!!!)

There's my "inspiration" board!

This is where my sewing machine SHOULD go!!!

My "stash" and stuff . . .

Just stuff . . .

There's my BOM's . . . all piled up in a corner!

Pretty awful, huh?!?!?  OK.  I'm going to lift my head up from being so ashamed and show you the new addition to the space I get to work in!!!  THANKS, TODD!!!  :o)

I LOVE 'em!!!

Remember my parent's Hawaiian quilts?
 Look at  all that Hawaiian fabric, Barb! 
74 fat quarters left!!!  :o)

Happy Valentine's Day . . . to me!!!  :o)

So there you have it!!!  I wanted to get the rest of the room done to show you today, but that'll have to wait for another time.  You got to see the BEST part though!!!  I love just sitting and looking at it!!!  I really do have the BEST husband EVER!!!  :o)

I hope you all have a FABULOUS day filled with LOVE for your Family, Friends, and, of course, Fabric!!!

Hugs!!!

Definition of "Stash"

OK.  I need your help.  I need you to tell me what YOUR definition of fabric "stash" is. 

This is what it means to me:  I buy fabric for a certain quilt that I have in mind.  So that fabric isn't in my "stash," it's just in limbo until I can get to making the quilt it's intended to be used for.  I consider "stash" to be the fabric that is left over when my quilt is done -- fabric you probably couldn't make an entire quilt out of, but it would certainly look great in something "scrappy." 

Does this make sense?  Am I wrong?  What do you think "stash" means?

Hugs!!!

Progress in My Quilt Room

Whew!  What a day!  Today I decided to tackle my quilt room and get everything organized.  Because I'm so new to quilting it really wasn't that bad (I don't have a very big "stash"), but I don't want it to get out of control!  :o)  I also needed to get my WIPs out where I could see them.  Wow, have I got a LOT!  I guess I have a problem with starting one quilt and then, before it's finished, I see something else I want to make and I put the other quilt away, etc.!  Now that they're out in plain sight I think that will motivate me to finish them and get them off my shelf and wrapped around someone's shoulders!  Maybe I can then justify buying more fabric to fill the "empty" spot on my shelf!  That will also help me build my "stash"!!!  :o)

Anyway, I've still got a little more arranging and re-arranging to do so the beginning of next week I should be ready to post some pictures of my new and improved space!  I'll also show you a picture of the early Valentine's Day present my husband gave me to help with my organization!  I LOVE IT!!!  :o)

See you next week!!!

Hugs!!! :o)

I'm a WINNER!!!

You know how you enter contests and giveaways on all the different blogs you follow (at least I do!) . . . fully knowing you're never going to win, but why not try???  Well guess what?!?!?!?  I WON!!!  Take a look at this DARLING Valentine's Day Table Runner I won from Bejeweled Quilts by Barb!  Isn't that the CUTEST thing ever?!?!?  When I first saw the tutorial over at !Sew WE Quilt! I knew I would love to make one but didn't know if I ever would because of all the hearts I would have to cut out by hand!  Especially the CENTER of the hearts!  (Oh, how I wish I had an AccuCut Go!)   And look at the quilting!!!  Soooo much work to just give away to someone you don't even know!!!  Well now I don't have to do any cutting or quilting!!!  She said it's in the mail!!!  :o)



You have GOT to check out Barb's blog, Bejeweled Quilts by Barb!  Not only is it an AWESOME blog (which I'm finding isn't the easiest thing to do  :/ ), but she is sooooo talented!!!  Her quilts are AMAZING!!!  I've also shared a couple of personal e-mails back and forth with Barb now and she is one INCREDIBLE woman!  I have just got to meet her one day in person!!!  :o)

Thank you so much, Barb, for making my day with this BEAUTIFUL gift!  :o)

Hugs!!!

My First Followers!!!

I'm so excited!!!  My blog isn't even finished yet and I have my first followers friends!!!  :o)  I have soooo much to learn, both about quilting and blogging, but I'm really excited about learning both!!!  I've gotta go upload some more pictures now so my blog is a little more worth looking at!!!  :o)

Hugs!!!