Measure or Just Cut???

***  Yikes!  This post turned out a LOT longer than I intended,

but please hang in there with me!  I'd love to have your feedback

on some questions and ideas I have!!!   ***

Hey all my Quilty Friends!  I have a question (or two or three . . .) for you.  When you're making a log cabin block, do you measure and cut each strip the length it should be for the side of the block you're working on and then sew it to the block OR do you just cut a long strip (like the width of the fabric) and sew it onto the block then cut where it needs to end?  Does that make sense???



I'm working on my "Liberty Logs" wall hanging (which is a BIG step for me in expanding my quilting skills . . . yeah, yeah, you can stop laughing now!) and was just wondering if there is a right way to do it???  I'm not measuring and cutting - I'm just sewing the long strip onto the block then cutting it (that's what the pattern tells me to do).  It seems to be working for me!  So much faster than cutting lots of pieces to lots of different lengths and then sewing them like I've seen in some tutorials online!

Now before you answer the question above think about this . . . I've also heard when you're putting borders on a quilt, you're supposed to measure your quilt and cut borders to that size then sew them on, instead of just sewing on a long piece of fabric and cutting it off (I do it this way).  Why would you need to measure first?  I've also seen both ways taught online (that's where I do most of my learning!).

If your answers are different for piecing a block vs. putting a border on a quilt, why are they?

Now onto something else (but don't forget your answers to my questions!) . . .

I'm thinking of starting a post on Wednesdays called "Wondering Why Wednesday."  Tell me what you think of this idea . . . What if I have people (especially beginner quilters like me!) e-mail me quilting/sewing questions (how, what, where, why, when . . . ) and I have different guest bloggers (NOT me!!!) answer one question a week and post it on my blog on Wednesday???  Then I could leave the question and answer on my blog for a future reference for newbies!  Hmmmm . . . what do you think of that???  I have so many silly questions come up when I sew . . . I wish I could have someone sitting beside me to just quickly ask or that could point out an easier or better way of doing things (not watching me sew, though)!  I know I need to take classes and learn through experience, but I'm talking about simple questions that could be answered easily and help my quilting be better, faster, easier.  Tips and tricks, stuff like that.  Like, did you know you can chain stitch blocks together and it makes things go faster?  I just recently learned this simple technique and I can't believe how much faster it makes things go!    Do you think there's a need for that online?  Is there already something like this online that I'm missing out on?  I'm gonna think about this a little more, but let me know what you think . . .

Good Grief!!!  Sorry this is so long!!!  :/  I do appreciate your help though!!!  :o)

Hugs!

Two Winners of the "Liberty Logs" Wall Hangings

Welcome back from a great weekend everyone!  It's time to announce the two winners of the "Liberty Logs" wall hanging kits!

Noni May 17, 2012 12:52 PM

My favorite item in the catalog is the "Chevy Twists"...love the brights

Bill and Mandy Guidry May 21, 2012 11:53 PM

I like the Wee Ones Honey Buns. I like the name, and the quilt is adorable. :)

Congratulations Noni and Bill and Mandy Guidry!  I'll contact you to get your mailing addresses so I can get these kits off to you!!!  :o)

Thanks to everyone who left such great comment love for me!  And WELCOME to my new followers!  I hope you'll find things going on here at "Having Fun Quilting" will be worth coming back for!  :o)

Just a friendly reminder . . . the "Candy Ribbons" quilt kit is still on sale ($25 off!!!) through the end of the month of May!  There are 12 different color combinations you can order this DARLING quilt in - I know, I know . . . so hard to choose!  The quilt kit includes the pattern and fabric for the top, binding AND the minky (*snuggle*) back!  Hurry and get yours before the month is over!!!  :o)



Hugs!

HUGE Giveaway Week

I'm so excited about my giveaway this week!!!  I'm linking up my giveaway with Sew Mama Sew's Giveaway Day! 



First of all, to enter my giveaway please go HERE to leave up to 3 different comments for up to 3 chances to win my Memorial Day Giveaway!  (Please don't leave a giveaway comment on today's post - you won't be entered to win if you don't go to the correct link listed above!)



This is what I'm giving away . . . 2 full kits for a "Liberty Logs" wall hanging that 2 lucky winners can make!  I'm working on mine right now and having so much fun!!!  :o)

In honor of Memorial Day, my giveaway will be open until Monday, May 28 at midnight!  I'll pick a winner Tuesday morning and let you all know!  :o)

After you've entered my giveaway go HERE to find lots of other blogs that are participating and enter their giveaways, too!  What a fun week this will be!!!  :o)

Hugs!

AWKWARD

I'm kinda really embarrassed to write this post.  :/  But I've put it off too long so here goes.  *deep breath*  A couple of days ago I posted about a giveaway I'm having.  (If you want to see the post you can go here.)  I was so excited!  Sad thing is, I only got one comment and I have two complete wall hanging kits to giveaway!  :(  I won't go into my thoughts of giving up quilting I've seen this type of giveaway on other blogs so I thought, "why not?" But I found out, this is not a good idea. :/   At least not for me.  I decided I made the giveaway too hard, too time consuming.  I guess I'm not only trying to learn how to make quilts, but I'm also learning what to do/not to do for giveaways, too.  So . . . to try to redeem myself I'm going to make this simple, with up to three chances to enter and win! 



I have TWO of these wall hangings to give away!  I'm working on mine now and I love it!  Here's how you can win one of them:

1st entry:  Become or be a follower!  Tell me in a comment that you are!
2nd entry:  What's your favorite item in the My Lazy Daisy Catalog?  Tell me in another comment!
3rd entry:  Write a post about this giveaway on your blog.  Tell me in another comment that you did!

There you go!  Three ways to put your name in the "hat" to win one of these wall hangings!

Good luck!  :o)

Now, I have two other things I haven't told you about but should have before now:

***  For the month of May the quilt "Candy Ribbon" is $25 off!  I'm getting mine in the Gracies Color Collection!  I can't wait!

***  From May 23-26, My Lazy Daisy is having an open house to show off their new show room and classrooms!  If you're in the St. George, Utah, area May 23,24 or 25, stop in and see me!  I'd love to meet you face-to-face!  :o)

Hugs!

Memorial Day Giveaway

I am so excited about this giveaway!  I've been working on my "Liberty Logs" wall hanging and I'm having so much fun!  This is a BIG step for me since I've pretty much only made quilts with squares and rectangles (remember . . . I'm still a beginner . . . don't judge too harshly!) and I'm having a blast!  I'm having so much fun I decided I wanted to give this wall hanging kit to TWO of my Quilty Friends (followers)!!!



I LOVE AMERICA and all the freedoms we are blessed with in this country!  In honor of those freedoms, and the men and women who have helped protect them for us, I thought this wall hanging would be perfect for the upcoming holiday!

I looked up Memorial Day in Wikipedia to see what they had to say about it:

"Memorial Day is a federal holiday observed annually in the United States on the last Monday of May.^[1] Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War. (Southern ladies organizations and southern schoolchildren had decorated Confederate graves in Richmond and other cities during the Civil War, but each region had its own date. Most dates were in May.) By the 20th century Memorial Day had been extended to honor all Americans who have died in all wars. Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces.^[2]

By the early 20th century, Memorial Day was an occasion for more general expressions of memory, as people visited the graves of their deceased relatives in church cemeteries, whether they had served in the military or not."

So . . . here's what you need to do to be eligible to win one of these wall hangings:

Write a post about this giveaway on your blog and encourage your followers to come here and leave a comment (one comment per person, please).  Encourage often, because the more comments there are that name your blog, the greater your chance of winning is!!!  :o)  In their comment on my blog they need to tell me who's blog they saw the giveaway on and also tell me what their favorite item is in the My Lazy Daisy Catalog.  If your blog is named the most often in the comments for this post I will randomly pick an entry from those comments only and both you AND your follower will receive a "Liberty Logs" wall hanging full kit!  Here's what a sample of what a comment could look like:

     "I saw your giveaway listed on such-and-such blog on such-and-such date and my favorite item in the My Lazy Daisy Catalog is the "Piggy Tales" quilt!"  (And anything else they may want to say!!!)

Simple!  :o)

OK.  Here's the fine print:

1.  You can't name your own blog or my blog for where you saw this giveaway information, so do some blog hopping on your favorite blogs and list one of them that posts about this giveaway!

2.  Please list the date of their post that refers to this giveaway.

3.  Only one entry per person, please.  (You can't list different blogs in different comments.)

4.  You need to be a follower of my blog to win.

That's it!  :o)

I'll leave this giveaway open for two weeks!  On Memorial Day (May 28, 2012) at 10:00 p.m. (MST) I'll choose the two winners!

If you have any questions shoot me an e-mail!  GOOD LUCK!!!

Hugs!

From My Heart To Yours

Breanna's Easter Skirt

Remember when I told you about the skirt I made my granddaughter and how it was WAY too big for her?  If you want a good laugh, check out this post!

I wanted to show you that I'm not always off with my measurements!  This is the same skirt pattern I made for my three year old granddaughter - just modified for my 10 year old niece!  (The first picture is one I took with my cell phone camera.  :/ )

I LOVE these colors and  I really like how this skirt turned out!  Now here are some pics my sister took (with a real camera!) of her kids on Easter, with her daughter, Breanna, wearing the skirt.  They're all so cute!!!

Maybe I won't give up sewing yet . . .

Hugs!