Month: August 2013

Quilting, sewing blog hops about to start.

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September
has always been my favorite month. 
 Our family is full of September birthdays and anniversaries.
 Every day is a party! 
 I can also celebrate National Sewing Month. 
So much fun. 
So much to see and learn.
 First of all, the crew at United Notions is celebrating with 
Measure Twice, Cut Once.
 You will want to join them for daily posts, giveaways and more.
National Sewing Month 2013
Then the much anticipated Moda designer blog hop, 
SIZE MATTERS takes place, Sept. 4-16. 

Visit as many of the designers share their wit, wisdom and creativity. 
YES of course there will be chances at giveaways.
 YES there will be patterns you will want to collect and make.
To read all about it, click here. 
 Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend. 
Hope you get lots of rest to start the 
 month of 
September Sewing Celebrations.

Million Pillowcase Challenge

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image from million pillowcase challenge
 Did you know that in the US alone there are over 
800,000 children in foster care? 
Many of these children move from place to place with 
very little 
and certainly nothing to carry their 
few belongings in. 
Just imagine if each child had a fun pillowcase.
This is one of the main reasons I have participated 
in the
 Million Pillowcase Challenge since the beginning.

Recently All People Quilt issued a challenge to vote
on your favorite
 FREE pillowcase pattern.
I guess it is fitting that the train pillowcase won. 
There seems to be an inspiring comparison between
 the winning pillowcase
 and the Million Pillowcase Challenge.
 So, I have taken the liberty to give this pattern a new name,
the little engine that could. 
That’s perfect, right?

APQ’s little engine has made it up the hill
to the half million mark.
Now is the time for everyone to throw some
coal in the engine and help.
So, today is the day many people are posting
their version of the train pillowcase pattern and 
donating it to a local charity. 
Here is my pillowcase.
The sample yardage from Arrin Turnmire’s, Little Things Organic
 had arrived and I was dying to sew with the organic cotton.
I choose a fun striped print for the body of the pillowcase and then pulled
pieces from my scraps to make the train parts. 
I must say, sewing on the organic was dreamy.
You can make your own version of the train or any pillowcase. 
 To download the train pillowcase pattern, click here. Lots more free patterns
 are available  at AllPeopleQuilt.com
Visit here to see the other pillowcase posts.
 
Here is a message from Senior Editor, Jennifer Keltner 
asking for your help 
in meeting their goal of One Million Pillowcases.

Won’t you please make a few pillowcases 
and donate them to a local charity? 
Here is a complete list of charities
if you 
are looking for places to donate.

and the winner is…

2 Comments
Thank you to Gudrun for letting me be a part of her anniversary celebration. 
The winner from my blog post was
 Linda said:
HI! LOVE THE HOP!
LOVE GUDRUN’S INSPIRATION!
THANKS FOR SHARING!

August 12, 2013 at 10:40 AM

Linda, I have sent you an email with the details.

Gudruns’ 10th anniversary

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Welcome to day 8 of the anniversary event.
 We have been celebrating Gudrun’s 10 years in this country and 10
years of GE Designs.
What does Fast and Furious mean to you? 
Is it the movie starring Vin Diesel and Paul Walker? 
Or is it Gundrun’s books?

In each of the books she gives instructions and techniques to make
adorable projects fast. Once you have made any of the projects,
you will be
FURIOUS
that you have not tried them before.
I don’t know for sure that is how she came up with the titles,
but makes perfect sense to me.

 I am completely intrigued by the curved piecing projects.

I looked for years for a round kitchen table. Once I saw these place mats,
I thought  this was sheer brilliance.

 Jump in and make any of the table runners with precuts.
Fast, Fast, Fast

Time does go by so fast.
I remember meeting Gudrun at her first quilt market,
 so I am thrilled to be a part of her celebration.
Leave a comment here and Gudrun has supplied a
copy of her new book,
 Fast and Furious Home
as a giveaway.
I will throw in a moda goody bag also.
Drawing for the winner from this post
will be listed here on August 15th.
BUT, guess what?
There’s more.

The quilt on the cover will be given away as the
 Grand Prize
during the blog  tour
on Gudrun’s site on August 15th.

Be sure to visit all the sites on the blog tour for lots more
fun, inspiration and giveaways!

 To learn more about Gudrun, follow along on her blog.

Here are the participating blogs:
Aug. 5th-14th Gudrun Erla gudrun.typepad.com
Aug. 5th Terry
Degenkolb whimsicals.typepad.com
Aug. 6th Bonnie
Hunter quiltville.blogspot.com
Aug. 8th Carrie
Nelson lavieenrosie.typepad.com
Aug. 9th Jodie
Davis itsarubberduckieworld.com
Aug. 10th Fat
Quarter Shop fatquartershop.blogspot.com
Aug. 11th Pat
Sloan blog.patsloan.com
Aug. 12th Lissa
Alexander modalissa.blogspot.com
Aug. 13th Julie
Herman jaybirdquilts.com
Aug. 14th Quilting Gallery quiltinggallery.com
 

it’s okay…..

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IT’S OKAY IF YOU SIT ON MY QUILT
by Mary Ellen Hopkins
Many Christmases ago I received a gift from my sister in law. 
This gift was life changing. 
The gift consisted of a rotary mat and this book, 
along with a a little note saying that the 3rd part of the gift 
would be here soon. 
I could NOT figure out how this book and this big green mat 
were suppose to be used together.
I was a bit puzzled because I could not figure out what the 3rd part was. At this point in the game I already knew how to quilt, the old fashioned template way.
Can you guess what the 3rd part was?
About 3 weeks later, my very first 
rotary cutter arrived in the mail.
That was the life changing part. 
I had made a few quilts from THE SAMPLER QUILT by Diane Leone
 tracing all the pattern pieces  to templates, 
then to fabric and
 then cutting with scissors.
Not until THE IT’S OKAY IF YOU SIT ON MY BOOK 
(along with my trusted mat and rotary cutter)
came along was I truly inspire to quilt every single day.
Fast forward 32 years and 300 quilts later and I still love a good quilt book.
I am fortune to have been involved with the making of 
many books along with  
having good friends that are talented authors.
But my brand newest, 
most favorite book 
as of right now today is,  
The sub title says, Family, Friends, Foods  & Quilts. 
Because I love it so much, I am going to give one away.
Tell me why you need this book and I will draw a winner at random on 
SUNDAY, August 11th.
I will post the winner late in the evening.
Stop by all the other blogs on the book club hop today!
PLUS… the generous crew at United Notions has a special giveaway for 6 books to add to your own
collection on Moda’s Book Club Day here…
http://modafabrics.blogspot.com/2013/08/book-lovers-day-hooray.html

Book Club

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I may not be Oprah, but I am going to be part of a 
book club 
to celebrate 
on August 9th, 2013
Join us as a few people from the quilting industry share the
 book that inspired them to start quilting.
 Also what is our favorite book right now!!
Visit the moda blog on August 9th for full details.
Follow Moda Fabrics on FB for the latest happenings.
Wouldn’t it be great if Oprah choose a quilt book for her club?