Announcing the winner!! And a finished top, too.

First I want to say that I have so enjoyed all your comments and thoughts and really appreciate the new followers. You helped me get past 200 followers. I am overwhelmed. I have also enjoyed reading and joining your blogs. There are so many interesting quilters and crafters out there.

I do wish I had a prize to send to each of you but, alas, there can only be one. I used the random number generator but still haven't figured out how to post that. The winner was #30 - Linda at Living the Dream. Linda and her husband live in France. Sigh! I have emailed her and will wait for her response with her address so the fabric can be on its way to France. I told her that I had hoped to go there this summer but instead I'm sending some fabric on vacation in my place.

Quick update on the quilt. The top is finished! I'm putting it aside while I work on my dress and jacket for the wedding and also while I decide how to quilt it.

It is interesting to see how different this looks from the one that Julie at Jaybird Quilts made from her pattern. I posted it earlier but here it is now. I loved the pattern and will definitely use this one again.

I will tell you that as I read the responses, it did seem there are many out there who work best under pressure. We all have the best intentions but life can get in the way.

I hope you all have a wonderful week of quilting or doing whatever you wish. Enjoy!

Getting there...

If you're looking for the giveaway, please go here. Remember, the winner will be drawn at 9:00 pm Eastern time on Sunday night!

The quilt is getting closer to finish. I was able to sew most of the day, with a few breaks in between and now I'm down to inner and outer border for this one. Once again, chain piecing was my friend. This time I only pieced pairs together. I needed to join two matching sections together so this made it easier to keep them together if I just pieced that pair.

Pieced and connected, then just match together. 

Ironed and ready to stitch. 

Now ironed and into the final stages. 

Design floor, the final layout after moving them around a number of times. A picture really helps. 

All those pieces together and awaiting the borders. 

I did encounter a slight glitch today. My machine was acting up and the stitching just wasn't right. I was thinking that the machine was finished and I had to weigh my options as I took it apart. Luckily, it corrected itself and I was back in business. Phew!

Now, it's off to fold the laundry so I can actually go to bed. Tomorrow is another sewing day.

Hope your day is a happy one.

A slight pause and a new (old) find

If you are looking for the giveaway, please go here.  Remember , it ends at 9:00 pm  Eastern time on Sunday.

I was out for a good part of the day and I'm just about ready to get back to my sewing but had to share what I found before I do. One of my stops today was at a fabric/quilt shop in Doylestown where I used to teach. I had stopped going there because it didn't have a welcoming feel to it. When a friend told me there was a new owner, I decided to stop in. (Thanks, Cindy!) And I'm happy to say, what a difference.

It seems that the new owner is committed to a warm and welcoming atmosphere in the shop and that is exactly what I found. And along with that, some great fabric too. They are stocking many different kinds of fabric. The traditional fabric was there but also the great contemporary fabrics that I love. The shop's card is leaning against a charm pack of Summer House. I LOVE that fabric. If you haven't seen it, be sure to check it out. Some very bright and happy colors.

I also found a bit more fabric for the wedding quilt. Love this brown and green. May use it as part of the backing since the colors are so perfect. The teapot fabric was a just because. I am amassing a great collection of "tea" fabrics.

If you live in the central Bucks, PA area or are just passing through, do stop in the shop and check them out.

Okay, my break is over and I need to get back to chain-piecing!

Keeping going....

If you are looking for the giveaway, please go here. I will choose the winner on Sunday night at 9:00 pm Eastern time. Good luck to all the entrants.

I read a quote yesterday on the Oprah website. It seemed to be very appropriate for this project and many others.

“Getting started, keeping going, getting started again—in art and in life,  it seems to me this is the essential rhythm.”—  Seamus Heaney

This quilt is making me a big fan of chain piecing. When the pieces are repetitive, it really helps the process go quickly. 

The pieces stacked and ready to sew.

Finished pieces, waiting for the next addition.

I started a few last night. I expect to continue and finish today so the blocks will be ready to put together tomorrow. Sewing is on my list for the day.

One step at a time...

If you are looking for the giveaway, go here

I have been overwhelmed by the response to the giveaway. Thanks to all of you I have over 200 followers and now I'm working on my next 100 posts! It is hard to believe. I really enjoy reading your comments, stories and all your blogs. Now if we could only add a few more hours to each day. It is great to be part of the quilting blogging community.

I wanted to share a bit of progress on the quilt. I was able to chain piece the first section. This was done last night...

I just finished adding the next piece to each of these pieces. I think I can continue chain piecing as I add each section. This quilt could be finished in no time!

Back to quilting for me. Thanks again to all of you who commented and joined as followers. 

Have a happy quilting day!

200 Posts, A Giveaway! and One Block down...

This giveaway has ended. I'm off picking the winner now. Good luck to all who entered!

As I was checking my posts earlier today I saw that yesterday's post was my 200th. I simply cannot believe that. I think that definitely deserves a giveaway and details on that will be listed at the end of this post. Woo-hoo!

I cut out all the pieces for the quilt last night and this morning. Since the pattern gave directions by colors and mine weren't the same, I had to call green, pink and sometimes blue or red. I think I came up with a  good system though.

Here is the first block. I did this one all the way to finish just so I could make sure I liked it. And I do! So, I have one done and nineteen more to go. This one took the longest since I can do them in steps now that I understand where I'm going with it. I really can't wait to see how it all goes together. As you can see from the fabric, it will be contemporary and a bit funky too.

Now for the giveaway! I am having a hard time giving this up but it is a fat quarter bundle of Minick and Simpson's Christmas Past. There are 18 FQ's, if I counted right. A few were removed for another giveaway last year. This is a contemporary Christmas collection with dots, candy canes and non-traditional colors but really quite a nice collection. This is perfect for someone who is looking to make a Christmas quilt and, unlike me, can work ahead instead of 12 days before you need it. (Yes, it is only 12 days until the wedding that the quilt is being made for...) 

I've never tried this before but you will have three chances to win. 

1 - Leave a comment. I would love to know if you plan and work ahead or like me, work best under pressure. 

2 - Become a follower, or tell me if you are already are. I noticed that I am at 180 followers. It would be so fun if I got to 200 followers for this giveaway. 

3 - This is the new one for me. You will get one more chance if you blog about this giveaway and then come back and tell me you did. I know how much all of us love to know that someone is reading what we wrote. Feedback is ever so important! I love reading all your comments. 

This giveaway will end on Sunday, July 10th at 9 pm Eastern time. Make sure your email is connected to your name or leave your email for me. I really want to the first name drawn to get their prize. 

Good luck to all and have a great week!

Nancy

Lavender, aaaaah!

I first want to wish everyone a Happy 4th of July, wherever you may be. Whether it is filled with picnics and potato salad or just a day to relax, have a wonderful time. I am planning to get some of that sewing in today and hope to really get started on the next wedding quilt.

I really had to share what I did on Saturday. A friend and I went to a Lavender lunch and toured a local lavender farm. The lunch was delicious. We ate at the Lambertville Station which is as it sounds, a converted train station in Lambertville, NJ. The lavender peach strudel was delicious, sorry I can't share a piece with you.

Then we headed to Peace Valley Lavender Farm where we learned about the harvesting and processing of all the lavender they grow. We even got some tips on growing your own lavender and making it last.

Don't you love this sign!

The owners were so great at sharing their knowledge and love of lavender. 

I could almost imagine I was back in Sequim, Washington where I attended a Lavender Festival two years ago. It is always so nice to drive past the farm right before the harvest begins. Waves of purple are surely a sight to behold. And if you pull in, the scent delights you. 

Have a happy day!

Nancy