Getting better at blogging. Maybe.

Encouraging words of the day:

He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will never be shaken. ~ Psalm 62:2, NLT

Another item from the interesting book given to me by my sister:

Until the 1700s, there were no machines to make cloth; every single piece had to be spun by hand.  This was considered “women’s work” and consigned to an unmarried female in the family.  Hence the word “spinster.” 

I’m doing somewhat better on my blogging, every-other-day instead of once a week so here I am again.  I worked on my block for the Layer Cake Quilt-Along.  It was pretty easy and very interesting.  For Block Nine with Jovita Goldschmidt you sew up 9 squares and move them around to make different 4 different variations for her block.   Here’s the one I chose:

 

I received two mug rugs for the Mug Rug Swap  My rug mugs, ummm mug rugs were made by Lisa from Michigan and I am so excited.  She made one of the mug rugs with an appliqué shape of Texas (my state) on one half and the card tricks block on the other half.  I don’t think she has any way of knowing I love to play cards.  Beautiful.  The other mug rug is in hues of blue and green with a heart appliqué and a star block and is lovely as well, not to mention the beautiful hand-made card she included.   Oh, and did I mention, both mug rugs are completely hand-sewn and quilted?  Also included were a hand-sewn pin and a cute butterfly tassel “thingie” which is going to look great hooked onto my NOOK.  Thanks, Lisa.  What an exciting package! Here is a photo showing all my loot:

The main thing that occupied my time in the last two days was working on my blog.  I changed my main photo to the little crooked pink house I made for the “House Block-of-the-Month I’m in.  And THEN, trying to get one of those little “Grab My Button” gadgets on my blog.  That was pretty much a nightmare.  Please try it and see if it works and let me know one way or the other…It's on the top right hand side of my blog over a the little pink house that looks like this. Thanks.

And finally, don’t forget to visit my sister’s blog my sister's blog when you get a chance.  She’s just starting and  “I made her” (or so she says) start blogging.

Giveaways!

"Confessions of a Quilt Addict"    is having a great giveaway consisting of 2 charm packs, 13 fat quarters, 4 one-yard cuts, and a copy of the newest "Quiltmaker" magazine. 

Oh.  Don’t forget about my  "Birthday Giveaway"  for a chance to win 9 fat quarters from Connecting Threads, an Olfa 45 mm refill blade, and a spool of 100% Egyptian Cotton Thread. 

And I still didn’t get to those dreadful UFOs.

That is all.

One Flower Wednesday again.

These encouraging words of the day seem so appropriate for what’s going on in the world today.

Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. ~ 1 Timothy 2:2, NLT

I’ve been reading an interesting book given to me by my sister.  It’s full of all sorts of interesting information.  For example, did you know that in the 1950s, 75% of American households had sewing machines?  Now it’s less than 5%.  I guess, we’re too busy and many don’t have the time to sew.  I’m glad we’re in the minority.

It’s “One-Flower Wednesday” once again.  I’m getting to where I really enjoy these days.  Last week I completed 2 flowers and this week I, once again, completed 2 flowers so my garden is starting to grow.  So, ta da!

Oh.  We have a new blogger in “Blog Land.”  I have finally convinced one of my sisters to start a blog.  She is working on it as I type this.  If you get a chance, visit her blog and encourage her.  I know that it helped me so much with all the encouragement I got from all the blog friends I’ve made.   Here’s the link: My sister made me do it.

Some giveaways I’ve run into, including my own  "Happy Birthday Giveaway"

or check yesterday’s blog entry for my “Birthday Giveaway”  for a chance to win 9 fat quarters from Connecting Threads, an Olfa 45 mm refill blade, and a spool of 100% Egyptian Cotton Thread.

"Jaybird Quilts"  is giving away a half yard bundle of Magnolia Lane along with other companion fabrics... totaling 7 half yards of fabric!  This giveaway ends Thursday, February 24, at 10 pm EST.

 "So Happy Me" is having a Fabric Giveaway with a very generous bundle of 19 fat quarters of fabric.  You don’t have much time to enter this as it ends midnight (UTC time) on Wednesday  23rd February and I’m not sure when UTC time is.

Things I need to do today are work on my Layer Cake block and then, of course, there are always those dreadful UFOs so…

that is all.

Happy Birthday Giveaway

Words for the day:

For we live by believing and not by seeing.~ 2 Corinthians 5:7, NLT

 

Happy Birthday Giveaway

 Today is my birthday so I’m celebrating with you by hosting my first giveaway!

In this morning’s mail, I received a shipment I had ordered from Connecting Threads.  I ordered fat quarters in stripes and checks since it seems there are SO many floweredy fabrics on the market.  It seems like I’m always looking for something to neutralize the flowers, something besides a solid.  So, I’m sharing 9 striped  and/or checkered fat quarters  and, alright,  one floweredy orange fat quarter,  an Olfa Rotary Refill Blade 45 mm, and a spool of 100% Egyptian Cotton Thread. 

You will have two chances to win this giveaway:

1.  Become a follower of my blog and tell me you’ve done so in a comment.

2.  Blog about this giveaway and come back and leave a comment telling me so.  

     Leave me a link to your blog so I can contact you if you win.

If you have a no-reply blog or do not have a blog, make sure to leave me some way to contact you.  If I can't contact you, you will not win and I will have to choose someone else.  I’ll be using the random selector to choose a winner. 

This giveaway will end on Tuesday, March 8, 2011 at midnight (Mountain Standard Time).  I will announce the winner on Wednesday, March 9, 2011.

I hope you like the giveaway and that I’ll soon be hearing from you.  Good luck!

That is all.

Back home.

Words for the day:

Shout to the LORD, all the earth; break out in praise and sing for joy!
~ Psalms 98:4, NLT

     I'm back home now after a wonderful week spent in Gulfport, Mississippi with my husband and great friends.  We relaxed, visited, ate and drank too much and had a wonderful time.  The weather was great, not that terrible cold that the entire country experienced earlier in the month.  And then, of course, it is always wonderful to get back home.  I missed my blogging friends and my sewing so I've spent most of today catching up.
     I'm in a group working through Penny Haren's Pieced Applique book.  It is quite challenging and seems to get more challenging with each block.  One good thing, my blocks will all match since they all seem to end up crooked.  Cute and pretty, but crooked.  Here goes the 4th block called "Advanced Liberty Star."

Amazingly, the star block I made for the "Star Block of the Month" was harder to make than the "Advanced Liberty Star."  I didn't really know what it was going to look like until it was done and it did not look at all like what I envisioned. Anyway, it was a nice surprise. I think I really appreciate everyone's efforts even more after I've gone through making one and experience, first hand, the difficulties encountered.

      This is a short post.  I'm too worn out from having a good time all last week and playing catch-up today.  I need to surf the web a little and find some giveaways for us to enter.  But until later,


...that is all.

On the road again.

Encouraging word of the day:

If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. ~ Ecclesiastes 4:10

I'm on vacation right now but I didn't want to miss "One Flower Wednesday" so I sewed two flowers before I left home so that I'd have something to post.  I've been up having a good time with my friends but it is now 1:18 am and technically already "tomorrow" so here are my hexies:

 I'm having a great time and will write more later.  

 That is all.

Not much going on.

Encouraging words of the day: 

For we live by believing and not by seeing.
~ 2 Corinthians 5:7, NLT

Things I've done/am doing...

I finished Block #8 from the "Layer Cake Quilt-Along."  Either these blocks are getting easier or I'm getting better.  I think I must be getting better (tongue in cheek).  Here's Block #8:

Wow, is that all I've done in the last two days? Ummm, I did go shopping at JoAnn's and bought 24 fat quarters.  Oh, I did start packing for a trip I'm taking, I washed clothes, and did all the usual hum-drum things we all have to do.  I found some giveaways and that's always fun while today I am absolutely borrringg...

     "Samelia's Mom"  is hosting a giveaway (open until Feb 15) of a Moda charm pack.

      "Lilac Lane"  has a giveaway of beautiful fabrics plus $20 gift certificate from Above All Fabric .  You can enter every day through Feb 13 for this giveaway.
     "Stray Stitches"   is having a fabric giveaway.  She is giving a total of 5 yards of fabric. Don't miss this one.

That is all.  I'll probably have really interesting topics next time.

One Flower Wednesday

Encouraging words of the day--

So let's stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall.
~ Romans 14:13, NLT 

Today is "One Flower Wednesday" and this is my flower for the day.  I love these days :)  I'm also enjoying the "Hexie Flower Swap" I've joined.  Speaking of which, I mailed my February hexie to my "person."  Actually, I had my husband take it to the post office.  Since the hexie is going to Australia, he was asked to fill out a customs form and estimate the cost of the item.  He wrote $1.  Imagine.  Not that I wanted to pay a huge amount of duty but really, can't you send around $100 worth duty-free?  To say my hexie is worth one dollar?  Anyway,

 

As a matter of fact, I'm enjoying most of my quilting projects.  I just finished this UFO I had been working on for a while.  I call it my son's "Monkey Quilt."  I started this before I had become as knowledgeable about quilting.  I have learned so much from my quilting-blogging friends.  Here's the "Monkey Quilt."  My son is now 33 years old but he loved monkeys as a child.  I guess he still does...

   The instructions for the 8th block of the Layer Cake Quilt-Along have been posted so I'll be working on that.  Soon.  Meanwhile, here are a few giveaways I've come across.

     The "House of Bad Cats" is hosting a mystery giveaway (probably involving hexies).  This will be given away on Feb 13.

    "Snippets of a Quilter"is having a giveaway to celebrate her birthday on Feb 14.  Happy Birthday!  

   "Very Berry Handmade"  is having a giveaway of "Simply Solids" fabric.  They are simply beautiful and will be given away on Feb 14.

That is all.