Lost in Wonderland at Bloggers Fall Festival

Bloggers’ Quilt Festival :: Fall 2011   

"Amy's Creative Side"   is hosting the Blogger's Quilt Festival 2011.  Amy does this each fall and spring to allow bloggers to gather online and share their quilts.  This year, the fall festival runs from  October 28 and through November 4.  I’ve been spending time browsing through the gorgeous quilts and reading the stories that go along with them  and all I can say is, “Wow!”  I’m still going to include my humble little quilt after reading that Amy says that the skill level or style of quilts are not in question as I am definitely not an expert on any quilting techniques.  As a matter of fact, the quilt I am showing for the Festival is made of fabrics I purchased at Wal-Mart, JoAnn’s, thrift shops etc. when I first started quilting.  This was before I even knew what constituted “good fabric,” much less quality quilt store fabric or matching squares or seams etc.  I just bought fabric that inspired me or looked pretty to me.  I did know enough to buy all 100% cotton…  Then I appliquéd my blocks and sewed them together with sashing since that’s the only type of finishing I’d seen.  If the seams on the blocks happened to match up, that was purely accidental.

So saying, and with all the disclaimers, I present my “Alice in Wonderland” quilt.

I love Lewis Carroll and his fabulous stories, “Alice in Wonderland” and “Through the Looking Glass” and have read each several times, even as an adult.  I made my own pattern surfing the free internet clip-art plus clip-art from my “Print Shop” software or even my own ideas.  I read on the internet about quilting with a technique I’d never heard of before at that time called  “stippling.”  I loved it and quilted my “Alice” using this method and learning as I went.

Blogiversary Giveaway Winner

Encouraging words of the day:

And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. 

~ Colossians 3:15, NLT

Thanks to all who entered my “Blogiversary Giveaway.”  I enjoyed reading your comments and am glad so many of you are following my blog.  And now, according to the Random Number Generator, the winner is #80:

I'm so excited that I finally figured out how to post a picture of what the random generator picked.  That took me a while...

“Farm Girl Transplanted”  krisgray  #80 said:

Just announced your giveaway here:
http://farmgirltransplant.blogspot.com/2011/10/another-top-finished.html

Kris, please send me your mailing address and these goodies will be on their way to you.  

This posting daily on the "Blogtoberfest" is coming to an end for me.  I made it through half of the month but DH and I will be on our way to Virginia tomorrow to visit our oldest son and his family.  With three active grandsons, I will be blogging when I can.  Our oldest grandson will be running in his high school district cross-country track meet so we will be attending that.   

Then, after our visit in Virginia, we will be going to the Gulf Shores in Alabama for our OFOF Convention.  OFOF is a group made up of old friends who used to work together before retirement and stands for “Old Farts & Old Friends.”  

After that we’ll return to the ranch and prepare for the start of hunting season for whitetail deer.  After we get to the ranch, I will return to more regular blogging but will be sporadic until then.  I’ll have my iPad with me but have found that it is more difficult to blog on that than on my trusty laptop although it is a lot easier to carry.   I wonder how I’ll post my flowers on One Flower Wednesday ?  I’ll have to figure that out…    I will miss my sewing machine but I will still be visiting the blogs of all my dear blogging friends. Until then,

That is all.

Missed Blogtoberfest Post and Trip to Texas Hill Country

Encouraging words of the day:

Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you. ~ Psalm 25:5, NLT

Well, I already missed a day of blogging yesterday for the Blogtoberfest.  We spent the day driving to our ranch in the Texas Hill Country.  It takes 7 hours to drive here from El Paso and by the time we got here, I was just too tired to write.  I did check my blogging friends’ blogs and drank a glass of wine, well 2 glasses, to relax.  I was able to do some hand-sewing on the way and completed two of “My Jane” blocks and here they are:

 

J-1

J-11

They almost look the same...

Then I made all these applique melons for J-10.  I decided to rest from makiing melons and start on L-10  Well, that was not the best idea since L-10 is turning out to be a real nightmare.  It has 10 million, well 45, little-bitty pieces.  I kept misplacing the pieces and then they are really small and hard to sew and whine, whine, and so on.  You get the idea.  A masterpiece in progress.

Then, to rest from L-10, I made a few hexie petals and did a little crochet on a crochet cowl I’m making for my sister for Christmas.

I ran into a couple of giveaways while visiting blogs last evening:

"Stitches From the Bush" is having a giveaway of a table runner pattern, a charm pack, 70 cm of oyster fabric, 30 cm. of rouge fabric, and Cosmo Multi Work Thread. – ends October 24^th.

"Lily's Quilts" is giving away  1. two Designer Collections;  2.  two Ultra Collections; and
3. four boxes of six spools of 50wt thread from Aurifil threads. – ends October 19^th.

So that was my day yesterday.  Don't forget about my "Blogiversary Giveaway." 

This is the last day to enter.

That is all.

FRIENDS Loot

Encouraging words of the day:

Praise the Lord, everything he has created, everything in all his kingdom.

~ Psalm 103:22, NLT

Father God, I pray today that You would open the eyes of my heart and reveal Yourself to me. Show me Your ways. Show me Your love. Help me to see myself the way You see me so that I can be all that You have created me to be in Jesus’ name. Amen

I recently joined the FRIENDS group in which you and your partner swapped 7 gifts  starting with the letters of the word FRIENDS.  My partner is Marg from Australia and I just received the gifts she sent.  Yay!  Wonderful!  Exciting!

Here’s the list of all the wonderful things included along with a package of yummy chocolates.

The card she made is so cute too, has my name on it even.

F is for fabric (4 adorable Christmas fat quarters, one with koalas)

R is for ribbons (nice Christmas ribbons)

I is for Irene ( an decorated wooden letter I)

E is for embroidery on a beautiful mug rug

N is for notions ( a cute piggy measuring tape, so adorable and handy)

D is for decorations (pretty butterflies)

S is for stocking (Christmas home-sewn)

Thanks, Marg for everything.  I’m still excited.

Don't forget about my "Blogiversary Giveaway."  Ends in a couple of days, October 15th.

That is all.