100th Blog Giveaway!

I can't believe I have made it to this blogging milestone. I have taken so much from this wonderful world of quilting and crafting blogging. Without this virtual world I don't know if I would have got back into quilting after taking a break for several years. Here are a few things I get out of this blogging world:

* inspiration
* encouragement
* motivation
* ideas
* problem solving
* friendship
* focus
* determination
* generosity
* control
* fun
* excitment
* recognition
* anticipation
* going outside the box
* learning new techniques
and on and on

As a token of thanks and to give back to the quilting blog community I am having a giveaway. I will be giving away a set Perfect Pouches (my version) and a couple of fat quarters too!
I would like to hear from you, your friends and family too, let them know about my giveaway. All that I ask of you is that you leave me a comment with your best quilting tip: the kind of tip you wish someone had shown or told you sooner or one that makes the process of quilting quicker/easier, or the quilting tool/notion you just can't live without. I will in turn compile all these tips and tricks into a document and send them out via email to all that enter.
1. leave a comment with your quick tip, email address and where you live
3. tell your blogging friends
4. open to international friends
5. if you want, join me by following my blog

but most of all where ever you are or whatever you are doing I hope you have a smile on your face! Have an awesome day and I hope you get lots of sewing in! Giveaway will close on Thursday Feb 4th at 11pm (MST)

tough decisions......

Lately I have had a hard time making decisions on how to spend my limited free time.

I really want to be sewing on this wonderful machine I got for Mother's Day last year but.....for Christmas I was surprised with this eReader. Now I am a reading maniac. Tomorrow I am heading to our library so I can up date my card and then I will be able to download books for free from there...way too cool and convenient!

What's on your eReader, Kindle or night stand? Any recommendations?

I joined a challenge...

We are having fabulous weather here for January. I only wish that it would last, but we will take the good days when they are here. I have been cleaning most of the day, ugh and need a little blogging time.

Stephanie over at Loft Creations is hosting a "No Strings Attached" challenge. I joined! It is not a swap and you only have you to answer to if you don't produce anything. You can only use fabric that you already have! I have tons of scraps now and have wanted to make one of these for some time. ( I will get the other UFO's done too).

Sew are you up to the challenge??? If so email her to have you added to the list. I can't wait to see all the wonderful projects.

p.s. I was a winner of SewMamaSew's Grocery bag challenge they hosted before Christmas. I won something from Fiskars...it's in the mail :)

P.s.s Do you see how many post I am up to....hhmmm might have to host a give away!

I was spoiled at Christmas...how about you?

Where does the time fly? I wanted to post this last week, but just didn't get the chance, but for a good reason. My father was here visiting from Ohio, on his way to China for business. Although a quick visit, it is always great to see him and catch up.

Anyway I just wanted to mention how spoiled I was with quilting related Christmas gifts. The kids were great getting me all kinds of notions; pins, bobbin holders, seam ripper (never enough of these), needles, etc. My sister gave me 3 more Elm Creek novels, and a deluxe seam ripper. My mom bought me a mini iron that I hope to use more as i do more applique, maybe even learn the turned under process. Santa had a quilting magazine in my stocking and hubby got me a subscription to Quilters Connection, a Canadian quilt magazine (and an eReader, yahoo). My dear friend and now new quilter spoiled me with fabric from the Red Rooster line of Harvest. Yards and yards of 1/2 yards and full yards oh what fun I will have with that. I spoiled myself at the LQS Boxing Day sale with some 50% off fabrics. Even my MIL bought me FQ's from Ontario! My Dad gave me the quilt block calendar and a subscription to American Patchwork magazine, love that one too.

Like I said I was spoiled. Now if I could just get all the Christmas decorations away I could start using all of these wonderful supplies.

my last finish for 2009

Talk about finishing under the wire. I can officially say I finished this quilt before the stroke of midnight on the 31st...11:50pm to be exact. This quilt was my oldest UFO in hiding. I found it a couple of weeks before Christmas. Originally it was suppose to be a tree skirt. Over the years I would get it out, look at the hand written instructions, get frustrated with it and put it away. Well this year when I took it out and couldn't find the instructions I decided what the hec it is going to be a quilt instead. It was in two pieces already but not square in the corners (if that makes sense). There were even some squares already cut in the bundle. I added them to the corners even if they didn't match, put on one border, but then decided it needed another. So off to the LQS to find some fabric of the same vintage, I wouldn't call them the prettiest fabrics now. I did manage to piece the back together. I made a 12" maverick star for the back to represent the star of Bethlehem. I ran out of waking hours to quilt this before Christmas. A couple days after the Christmas when things had settled down a bit, I sat down and machine quilted with a meandering loops, stars and holly leaves. In the end I love how it turned out and how it graces our family sofa now and for what I hope will be many years to come.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to one and all!
It has been a wonderful year of quilting and blogging. I am so glad I joined this amazing virtual world. Everyone has inspired me and taught me so much. I have enjoyed reading everyone's adventures in the creative pursuits and seeing their accomplishments. Looking back I can't beleive what I have done and learned. I couldn't have done it without all of you.

Wishing you all the best for 2010.