Building a House

This is the first house block I've ever made.  I had to look on the internet for a pattern.  I've never done  "wonky", so I did a traditional house block.  I wanted to make a house block because I read on Beth's blog Love, Laugh, Quilt that if I sent her a house block I might win a set of blocks for a quilt.  I thought that sounded like fun--plus there isn't any obligation to do it.  I'm always nervous about deadlines and if I'll get something done.  I forgot that I'm also nervous about sewing for someone else.  I had fun making the house block.  I'll get it in the mail this week.  It's interesting to see all the different blocks she's gotten so far.  If you would like to join in the fun, stop over at Beth's blog for details.

I started Rocco's quilt from the kit I won.  There are just 6 blocks to applique.  I used fusible and I'm doing a buttonhole stitch around them.

The borders have mitered corners.  I've never done mitered corners before.  I looked up a video on line, so I'll give that a try sometime this week.  There have been alot of fabric sales on the internet.  I ordered  some minkee for backings of three quilts.  Rocco's going to love his soft blanket.  lol  I've never used Minkee for a backing, so that will be a new experience too. 

It's been cold here, but the snow has missed us so far.  We've had trouble with waterers freezing up and one of the older fuse boxes in the barn burned out.  This week looks to be a little warmer--20's.  So there will be some wiring and fixing going on as usual.......

New Blog Hop

You know how I love free projects and give aways.  I found a new one on the internet today.  Have you heard of the Henry Glass Project Parade?   If you go to Heather Mulder Peterson's blog Trends and Traditions, she will tell you all the designers and what days they will have free projects.

1. Each day there will be several designers that will be featured.
2. Each designer will provide you with a free project that you can print off and keep.


3. Each designer will provide a clue that you will collect. At the end of the parade, you will go to the Henry Glass blog and post a comment with all the “clues”. If you win, you will be sent  gifts from all 19 designers, along with a package of fabric from Henry Glass fabrics. I’m telling ya’, the prizes in this blog hop are seriously good!!!!!

Doesn't this sound like a fun hop?  I know what it feels like to win a wonderful prize.  I hope one of my blog friends can be a winner this time.  The hop starts December 1st.

I know it's a busy time of year to be spending time on the internet, but who can resist a blog hop--not me.
 

Thanksgiving Fun

The week of Thanksgiving was a busy week.  I like the Thanksgiving holiday.  Although I spend some time every day being thankful for the many blessings God has given me, Thanksgiving is a special time to stop and remember the last year and the wonderful things He has done.  We have had BIG family dinners in past years, but this year there were 6 of us.  Michelle was home all day Wednesday and had to work 2-10 on Thursday.  We ate at 11:00, so she could be home for Thanksgiving dinner.  BIL Ron, nephew John and his girl friend, Dena shared the festivities with us.   Of course we had plenty of food, football and a nap.   It's hard to have Jennifer so far away on a holiday.  We talked to her by phone.  She spent the day with her cats watching movies.  She was totally booked Friday and Saturday, so it was good she had a lazy day to rest up.

On Friday Michelle came home after working 6-2 and we went to Faulkton to meet the newest member of the family - John Wayne.   He is a wonderful little bundle of love.  We had fun passing him around and snuggling.  It was nice to catch up with two of DH's sisters and all their activities too.  Everyone was very appreciative of the baby quilt and I committed to life time mending if needed. 

Ron and John are the family deer hunters.  They came a few days and stayed with us.  DH thinks they come for the food.  lol  I always spoil them with homemade buns, fried chicken, raisin bars (John's favorite) and other home cooking.  They didn't shoot any deer yet.  They are usually looking for the "big buck".

I took this picture from our deck a few days before the season opened.

He stopped to look back at me too.  We often times have 4 or 5 deer walk through the yard in the evenings.

They stop by the grain bins for a treat of corn or oats that has spilled from the trucks.  They also like to munch on my garden at times.

I haven't done much sewing.  I had to put everything away, so Ron could find a bed to sleep in.  I did make this pillow case for great niece, Mya.  She loves Dora and will be pleased with it. 

I'm being rather lazy today--reading a book and perhaps a nap later.  : )   I hope you are enjoying your Sunday afternoon.

Overwhelmed

I was definitely a "little" overwhelmed last week when I received this box from "Quiltmaker".  I didn't realize that being a "Big Bundle" prize winner in the 100 Blocks Giveaway would be such a generous box of wonderful prizes.  Michelle was home and she just laughed at me, as I kept say "Oh, my", "Oh, My" and "OH, MY" as I took each new and wonderful thing out of the box.

The prizes included:  40 fq bundle of Moda French General-- Petite Ecole, 20 fq bundle of P & B Textiles-- Safari So Good and 16 fq bundle of Clothworks-- Dinos on Parade, Antique Sampler pattern by Sue Daley, 3 Modkid patterns (pillows, purses and a wall hanging),  Marsha McCloskey's Feathered-Star Quilt Blocks II book, Tidbits from Triangles by Kari Ramsay book, Tidings book by Nancy Halvorsen, Rotary Cutting Revolution by Anita Grossman Solomon book, Treasures from the '30's by Nancy Mahoney book, Suzn Quilts by Susan Marth, Fireworks! and Lynda's Sunflowers by Possibilities,  Fit to be Geese pattern and template by Open Gate, Decadence, Reflections and Bloomington by toadsew, Peppermint Candy and In A Snap patterns by Susan Guzman AND of course, Quiltmaker's new 100 Blocks magazine.

This wonderful kit "Eye Candy" from Planted Seeds Designs that was published in "Quick Quilts" .  This will be so much fun to sew.  I love all the bright colors.

 Even Rocco will benefit from my winning.  A quilt kit by Heidi Pridemore called "A Few of My Favorite Things.  Don't you just love the bones on these blocks!

And last but not least--thread from Sulky and floss from Presencia.

 I can't believe all the wonderful items I received.  Thank you so much "Quiltmaker".    So many choices of projects to make!   I've had so much fun looking at all the books and patterns.  The French General fabric is outside my "box".  I'll need to find a special project to use it.   I think I'll start Rocco's quilt--his Christmas present.  : ) 

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!!

I Won and A New Challenge Site

I got an email from Quiltmaker that I'm a winner.  All that time I spent on the internet wasn't wasted.  lol  I had alot of fun looking at all the blocks and visiting new blogs.  I'm such a blog junkie!  I love my laptop.

I went back and read the blog.  I'm one of the Big Bundle winners.  I'm so excited!!  It's not a GO, but I'll take it.  lol  :)

 Isn't this the cutest button?  I love the quilt and of couse the cat under the table.  There is a new blog in blog land.  It's a challenge blog.  Paula of Paula's Crafty Corner has started a second blog called Paula's Sewing Challenges.  You can enter a your project for a chance to win prizes.  Please stop over and see what Paula is doing with this new blog.  I'm sure you have a project you can enter.

This is the project I'm entering in Paula's challenge this time.  It is Gingerbread Men table runner.  It was in Quick Quilts.  It was so much fun to make.  I like gingerbread men almost as much as I like snowmen--love those men.  lol

I quilted it with peppermint swirls.

I hope you will stop over and check out Paula's blog for challenges.  It is so nice of her to go to all the work of setting up this fun site.   She is giving away the cutest prizes too. 

I better get busy.  BIL and nephew are coming tonight.  Deer hunting season opens tomorrow morning.  I need to get my sewing room in order, so he can find a bed to sleep on.  We will be headed to a funeral that DH is a pall bearer for in the morning  His Dad's cousin passed away this week.  

I need to do Thanksgiving food shopping.  I hope to stop and do that after the funeral 

 Have a good week-end!

Snowfriends

This is my entry for SewCalGal's Christmas Quilt Show 2010.   There are some lovely prizes being given away.  It is so much fun to hop around the blogs and look at all the beautiful things made from Christmas fabric.  Christmas fabric is one of my "many" favorite kinds of fabric.  I want to someday make a large Christmas quilt. 

This is Snowfriends designed by Lynda Howell and published in the Nov/Dec 09 issue of  Quiltmaker.   I hate snow, but I love snowmen.  When I saw this wall hanging I knew I had to make it. 

I wish I had used a different color for the roof.

The original pattern did not use this "saying", but I wanted to use it, so I did.

I used a type of material that is off white and roughly woven for the embroideries.  At the moment I can't remember what you call it.  lol  I'm sure you know what I mean.  : )   I quilted it with plain stitch in the ditch and it hangs in the bedroom that is my sewing room.  The first of December I will move it to the dining area where the fall wall hanging is now.

Now I'll have to see if I can figure out Mr Linky--this is a new thing for me.  I hope you enjoy looking at all the Christmas quilts.