Saturday, December 13, 2014

Giveaway Winner and Thank You


Thank you, everyone, for stopping by and for each and every comment. Total comments = 108! This is a record for my little blog. Thank you!!

I would like to make a matching pair of quilts for my daughters in 2015. They have already been waiting a while!
Congratulations, Ella and Nesta! Maybe you will use your new patterns to make your daughters' quilts this next year? 

It seems a lot of you are going to try to create more for yourself in the coming year. Please, please do. We need to take care of ourselves. Up until a couple years ago now, I quilted and gifted and quilted and gifted. I think there was one table runner that I  kept for us. Then my children started asking, "Is this one for us?" "Are you giving away this one, too?" "Mama, when can you make something for our table?" Mama, can you make me a quilt?" "Mama, can you teach me how to make a quilt?" While I think it is a very good thing for children to see their parents give, I also began slowly to see that I need to give things I make to them and myself as well as others. We (my family and myself) need to feel that love and care just as much as others (in all honesty, probably more so) or things of the heart get out of balance and the giving becomes harder and more stressful to do and the spirit of giving can become tainted with grumblings and maybe even a bit of resentfulness (just speaking from personal experience here, probably just me). 


So, in late 2012 I made us a wintery quilt and that is where I started officially quilting more specifically for my family and home :)

This year I invite you all to join me in quilting/making more for yourself or your family. Whether it's for one or eight (oh dear, what have I gotten myself into : ) or just for yourself (one of these days I would like to make myself a quilt), let's get started and see where we can go with whatever our craft is in 2015. Can we add a bit more comfort and joy to our own home and thus be more able to give true comfort and joy to others?


Also, since it seems to be the moment for a bit of honesty and before you all begin to think I'm down on gifting : ), I have to say that I do so continue to enjoy giving to others. This past year I made and gifted this lovely tote. It was a lot of fun to make and I learned a lot (just need to remember what I learned...) I knew my dear friend and sister-in-law liked this fabric so I thought I would surprise her. I'm fairly certain she thought she was going to get another runner (she has a lot of runners now that she quilts herself) and by golly! the look on her face was worth the late nights. She was so surprised and pleased with a tote bag just for herself. (Us moms do need to look out for each other.)

For those of you setting goals to finish some works-in-progress or beginning something new or tackling something else around your home, I encourage you to do a little bit every week (sometimes a little bit every day is a bit too challenging to work in). In little bits here and there a bigger goal is slowly accomplished. 

Future posts to include a wedding gifted quilt and my dear husband's 40th birthday quilt. Oh, and my 13-year-old daughter's first quilt top :)

Warm wishes to all.
Thanks for stopping by.

Monday, December 8, 2014

Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day: December 2014

Note: This giveaway is closed.

Welcome to Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day!


Today I'm excited to be participating for the first time in the Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day.  If you you are wondering what all the excitement is about, let me explain. It's a big link party of a whole bunch of giveaways.  It's a way to discover new blogs and possibly to win some great goodies. To see other participating givers, please click on Sew Mama Sew link.


My giveaway is sponsored by the gracious Cheryl over at Meadow Mist Designs. I just tested one of her patterns and can testify that her patterns are very well written and easy to follow. Up for grabs this week is not one of her patterns but THREE! One lucky winner will receive three digital patterns.

So what patterns did I pick for my giveaway? Broken Frames - on my January quilting list. This one has been on my list for a while and I'm looking forward to getting started on it.

The Quilt in The Hat - love the simplicity of this one.


Charming - one of these days I will make this.

How to enter giveaway:

1. Comment - any o' comment will do. Any quilty or crafty goals for 2015?  I'm going to shoot for getting a personal quilt done for each child - eeks! Wish me luck : )

2. Followers - new and old - comment that you are a follower.

Giveaway open until December 12 7 p.m. CST.

Good luck, everyone, and thank you for stopping by!

Sunday, December 7, 2014

Looking Glass giveaway winner!


Thank you all for stopping by and checking out the Looking Glass quilt pattern. I so appreciate all your kind comments.  For those of you thinking about whether or not try a new color of sashing/background fabric, I say, "Go for it!" Lay your main fabric(s) out with some different choices and see what speaks to you, maybe start with a smaller project. I think you will be pleasantly surprised.  In the next couple of months I will be trying out some black sashing as my eldest son thinks quilts need more black. Well, guess what? His quilt is getting black shashing ; )  So, keep an out to see what I combine with black.

Without further ado and after very careful selection name pulled from a bowl of names, the winner of the Looking Glass Blog Hop giveaway is Kathy E. Enjoy the pattern, Kathy.

What another chance to win some patterns? December 8 is Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day and runs all week. Stop by for your chance to win three awesome patterns from Meadow Mist Designs (Etsy or Craftsy). I've picked three of my favorites to giveaway to one lucky winner.

Thanks for stopping by.