How adorable are these?

Do some us of have a soft spot for pincushions?

I do and I bought patterns for these sweeties at the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Show

These two friends were having so much fun!! They couldn't decide on which one to buy. I think they ended up buying them all!

This one is my favorite. How unique is this?

A primitive chair.

Yummy!! Martha Stewart Yummy!!

Yummy Cupcakes and Give-Away!

Sometimes I can't decide whether I want to sew and make a quilt or spend time with my Happy Voyager embroidery machine.

I think these bunny cupcakes are just adorable. I am now on the hunt for a machine embroidery design to compliment these cupcakes.

I did find this cute rubber duckie and stitched out a bunch of them. Of course, I am giving one of them away. Leave me a comment and how to get in touch with you if you are my winner and it's yours!! Check out my store for a sweet Debbie Mumm Fat quarter bundle that actually comes with one of these sweeties. I would love to see a bright pink baby girl quilt using this sweet duck. So how about it?

Happy Cottage Quilter is my Winner!!

Happy Quilting!!

Memories of a Lifetime

I love old vintage linens.

They wash fantastically. They iron perfectly. They smell so sweet when you can let them hang out in the afternoon sun. Mmmmm. I would love a nice spring sunny day right now. Sitting in my screen-in-porch with my pretty pillows and a good shabby cottage book or magazine to look it. Dreaming of ways to incorporate the shabby look into my house.

I have ton of vintage linens from my mom. When she passed away, I got a treasure. Her huge boxes full of wonderful duvet covers, tablecloths, embroidered table scarves, doilies and more. Ohhh the hand work on some of those duvets is fantastic!

I took some of the duvet covers that were a bit stubborn to get crispy clean and I made this redwork block of the month quilt with them.

Just a few days before valentine's day, I bring it out. Iron it. Display it. Remembering all of the sweet things my mother did for my brothers and I as we were growing up.

I remember how fun it was in school to pass out my valentine cards. I would come home with a handmade goody bag from school. Filled with cards from all of my clasmates. Now I look for those valentine cards in antique stores and flea markets.

Technology is terrific too!! You can get your vintage images on-line. I am not this vintage, but I do love this old look!!

Cyber Commitments Almost All Done

One more commitment to finish.

"The Winter Time Mini Quilt Swap"

I just don't know what to make this time. I am learning toward a sweet valentine block of the month pattern that I have always wanted to do. But that doesn't really say winter time to me. Maybe there is sometime cute on Quilter's Cache. Or maybe better yet, take a block from a stack of "Love Note" blocks that a friend gave me and turn one of them into something super cute.

One of my finished group swap projects was to make 22 stretched star blocks. They are all done and ready to be mailed. Every waste triangle was used to make this sweet banner hanging from a tree in my backyard.

Which turned into these pinwheels

Where are they?

Somewhere under my sweet yellow and green string quilt are the tips of my daffodils. I stayed home all weekend retreating with myself. LOL!

Here is a peek at my street!

I live on a nice sweet gradual hill. Perfect for kids to sled down to the end of the cul-de-sac. Boy did they all have fun today! Through my camera looking up the street here's a guy who thought he could go make it down our street. He chickened out and turned around.

My Winter "Snow Day" Weekend Retreat

My Fall Mini Quilt Swap Arrived

How fun!! I got my fall mini quilt in the mail yesterday. It came from Lynn in Oregon. It even has two little thingies in the back for me to hang it up next year.

This swap was a lot of fun. There were swappers from all over the world.

Thank so much Lynn.

Sock Monkey Tote Bag Give-Away

Hi Ya'll,

Jennifer in Nebraska is my winner for the Sock Monkey Tote bag!!

Check out her blog.

Jennifer Quilts

Down in The South

This Southern California Girl who transplanted to the South 17 years ago loves her "Greens". Down in the south, New Year's day would not be complete without a taste of collard greens and black-eyed peas.

The tradition of eating collard greens on New Year's Day is said to bring good luck. I learned a few ways to cook up this inexpensive cheap dish over the years.

Well, I was one day off. I made my collards for tonight's dinner. Sauteed in olive oil with tons of garlic and onions and served over rice.

I started this neat tradition in 1993 with my family. The very first year that we moved to Raleigh, NC. I never heard of collards and let alone eat black-eyed peas? I thought my neighbors were nuts!! I said "No Way, I am a Southern California Girl". Well, I tried them and the very next year started our family tradition of making a huge batch of collards leaves and a great big batch Hoppin' John.

Whole Food always has a great "culinary specialist" out demonstrating different ways of cookin' these huge leaves. I like to roll them up like a dollar bills and slice them very thin.

p.s. I like it here in the "South"

Join My Challenge

See that blog button on the left?

The one with the turquoise and green strings!!

It's my favorite string quilt.

Click on it and join me in my madness for my color-controlled

string quilt challenge.

We'll have lots of sharing, lots of comments, lots of show & tell, and lots of cool things to give-away during the year.

Still Stringin' Along

Eight Tops Done!!

Here is my "Show and Tell" from my own personal quilt challenge to make as many string quilts that I could for one month. I started the day after Thanksgiving and ended it today. I got eight tops done, and have 3 quilted. They are going to be donated to kids in need charities. Thanks to all of you who sent me so many emails of encouragement and charities in which to donate them too.

I am still going to make more, because I can't stop!! There are so many color combinations that I want to do and so many charities that would love to have them. Please keep you comments and emails coming . I love hearing from each and everyone of you.

Watch for my exciting challenge. I am in the processing of organizing and setting up a great quilt-along. It is going to start in January. I am so excited.

Opps!! Forgot to post the New Give-Away on Sunday?

Who loves Sock Monkey??? We do here.

Another Give-Away !!

Take a peek at my store, leave a comment and you can have a chance at winning this cute tote bag made with Moda's Sock Monkey fabric. The tote bag pattern is from Kimmies Quilts. One of our favorites at our store. Winner will be chosen at random on January 8th.

Us Southern Girls Love Our Monogramming

This is so true for us Southern Girls. If it's flat, cute and girly, we want it monogrammed.

Talk about a difficult job. My last order was to monogram 4 zebra print umbrellas. You should have seen my Happy Voyager embroidery machine humming along. It's amazing that I didn't get the spokes of the umbrella caught or bent. You don't want anything in the way of this embroidery machine while is humming along. I really thought I would have to press the emergency stop button on these. But alas, I still have all my fingers intact and there were no trips to the emergency room. Wheew!

~~~~~~ Drum Roll Please ~~~~~~

Congratulations to Donna. She is my winner for the KP Kids Christmas tote bag. Donna please send me a quick email to sewfarsewgoodquiltshop@gmail.com with your address so I can mail your sweet gifty to you.

Keep watching. Next week it's a different contest with a super cute sock monkey tote bag.

Re-Purposing a Yellow Pages Phone Book

We all get these phonebooks in March, Right? I found the perfect foundation for making my string quilts and it didn't cost me a penny. I decided that I wanted to make smaller blocks when I make my Heartstring quilts for charity. I can get a nice 6-inch square out of one page.

This paper is really easy to tear away after sewing my strips to the foundation. This little book "fit the bill ". But wow, you should have seen the floor in my sewing room.

I went through 300 pages making all the quilts shown below.

I tore out lots and lots of pages. The nice thing about some of these phonebooks is that the ink does not rub off on anything or even mess up your iron. Do a simple check. Run your fingers along a page from the book. If you get residue on your fingers, don't use it. It will make a mess of your ironing board cover and your iron. I asked some of my neighbors if they still had one or two of these phonebooks hanging around. Well, I got lots of them now. I think I will be able to make hundreds of blocks. My neighbors came through big time.

Patriotic String Star Top

I knew that I wanted to make this patriotic star string quilt for some time now. I got my inspiration from

MaryQuilts.com

I've made progress at last. For one entire month, I am only working my string quilts to donate to charities that serve kids in need or kids in crisis. Feel free to recommend such a charity. So far, I have one going to the St. Jude's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. Thanks to Lauren H. who recommended this fine organization.

Sharing My String Quilts with You!

KP Kids Tote Give-Away

It's a Cutie!!

Here is one of our shop samples left over from last year. This sweet little tote bag is made from a pattern from Kimmies Quilts. The pattern is an oldie, but still one of my favorites. This one is made from a cute KP Kids "Snow Day" fabric from South Sea Imports.

Sign up for our store newsletter, leave a comment and I'll announce the winner on December 13th. Please me sure to leave me your contact information.

Good Luck and Bundle UP. It's getting cold out there!!!

Christmas Tote Give-Away

Between running my store, making kits, shipping orders, answering emails, getting ready and hosting Thanksgiving dinner for 12, kids coming home from college for the long weekend, Black Friday Shopping, where was time for me? There wasn't.

I usually only get to sew and quilt at night after spending the day in my office running my little quilt shop. After a quick assessment of all my UFO's, here is just a sample of what I am working on at the moment. I'm too embarrassed to tell you how many I actually have.

1. My purple "Shakespeare in the Park"
2. Cathedral Stars from a Bonnie Hunter workshop I attended
3. Waste Triangles made into Pinwheels
4. And my favorite color controlled String Quilt.


Since this is my busiest time of year with my store, there really isn't any time for me again. So, I have decided that for the entire month of December I am going to make as many string quilts that I can. I would like to donate them to a special charity for kids. I love making these sweet color controlled quilts. We get lots of left over bits of fabric from end of bolts, crooked cuts, boo boos, and manufacturers samples. If you have a special charity and would like to recommend it to me, please feel free to leave a comment or suggestion.

On the Mend Week #2 Give-Away Loralie Miss Occupied

Here is my second week's Give-Away for October's Breast Cancer Awarness Month. Each Sunday I will give away another sweet embroidered lady block from the "On the Mend" breast cancer collection designed by Loralie Designs. Check back often and see what's new. All you need to do is become a follower, leave me a comment on how you would use this sweet block and sign up for my store newsletter. It's that easy. Just fill out the form on the right column. Tell your friends too!!

Tonight's winner is JVC Scout Mom!

She gets the cute "Hats Off to You" embroidered block.

Double Hourglass Quilt

Here is my version of Cluck Cluck Sew's tutorial on the Double Hourglass quilt!!

I gotta make a few more. I think I'll use some Amy Butler fabrics in one, some lime greens in another, and maybe an Aunt Grace too!!! These are perfect donation quilts and I had some much fun making it!!

Cluck Cluck Sew

This Week it is "Hats off to You"

Don't you just love the fun and funky look of Loralie Embroidery designs?

I think these ladies from the "On the Mend" collection are adorable. I have had many customers make a quilt out of the panel that is for sale in my store. I would love to put a few samples in my gallery section. So if any of my customers are reading this, please email me and let's upload your special project.

Now for the GIVE-AWAY:

Each week I will be giving one of these special embroidered beauties away. It will be a surprise which one you get. They are machine embroidered by me on my super terrific Happy Embroidery machine. The square is about 12 x 12. Giving you plenty to room to square it up to any size you need for your project.

How to ENTER:

1. Follow me on Blogger.

2. Leave a comment and tell me how you would use this beauty.

3. Sign up for my store newsletter.

Be sure to leave me your email address. You can privately email me if you do not want your email shown. Our just use a partial email as a code and I can figure it out. Don't forget to sign up at the right side for the store newsletter. It's a painless process. You need to do all three steps.

Happy Quilting.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

GIVE-AWAY WINNER ANNOUNCED!!

IT'S VALERIE!!

Thanks to everyone who posted a comment, took a peek at my store, and signed up for my newsletter. I look forward to sharing more with you all.

Tomorrow I will post of a picture of my Double Hour Glass quilt from the Cluck Cluck Sew Tutorial.

http://www.cluckclucksew.com/

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I am putting together another contest to win this Loralie Embroidered Breast Cancer block. Isn't she neat?

Happy Quilting!

Halloween Give-Away

Just leave a comment and sign up for my store newsletter.

Here is my Sweet Pink Half-Square Waste Triangle Mini Quilt

While I was making my Southern Spin quilt, I sewed an extra seam on the other side of my drawn line and kept these little goodies in a plastic strawberry container forever. I knew I'd use them someday. There are really tiny. Just one inch with the seam allowance.

Southern Spin and my Waste Triangles

First I made this quilt called Southern Spin. The pattern called for lots of half-square triangles and that meant lots of waste. I just couldn't throw these sweet pink little triangles away. I knew I would use them someday. That's when I found about Waste Triangle quilts.

Great Give Away!!

Don't be left out. Sign up for this great Give-Away!

All you have to do is sign up for my store newsletter and leave me a comment.

Signing up is easy. Just fill out your email address on the subscribe form. It's on the right side column. You must leave a comment to be eligible to win this cute tote bag.

A lucky winner will be picked October 4th.

Checkout my new store too.

I've got lots of great goodies, promotions and free quilt patterns too!!

There's something about my sorority girls and their fluffy white monogrammed towels.

Retreat Progress

Getting a lot done today. I love retreats!!

First on the to do list was send some goodies and letters to my soldiers who are deployed. Thanks to Susan who recommended the Soldier's Angels Writing Team to me. I have a few guys and one gal that I write to. I sent them some sweet treats today. Guess what I had for breakfast? Hot Tamales. It didn't fit in my box, so I ate them. I'm bad.

Last night I finished my Thread Catcher or Quilter's Catch All. My friend Carol designed the pattern. I might put some kits up for sale in my store.

Today I attacked the massive stack of 180 blocks for my Trail Mix. I have 9 rows sewn together and I think I have 9 more to go. I am not really liking the thing. But I will finish it up and then decide later.