Market Winners!!

Have you seen all of the Fabulous pictures of Market???  Oh, I have had oodles and oodles of eye candy!!  So wish I was there :)  I guess there is always next year right :)

So let's have some Market Giveaway winners and make someones Market Weekend a fabulous one!!!

Thanks again to Fat Quarter Shop for Sponsoring our Market Giveaway.  And have you checked out the Jolly Jabber???  Kimberly has a whole slew of pictures from Market!!!  Yippee Skippee!!!

Okay, The winner of the Skyscraper Grand Hotel Fat Quarter Bundles is . . . 

And the winner of the High Rise Grand Hotel Fat Quarter Bundles is . . .

Congrats Kalynn and Heather!!!  I have send you emails :)

And thank you for everyone who entered.  And if you didn't win today you can always come back Monday and try again.  Yup, you better believe I am participating in Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day :)

Stars Quilt for Bloggers Quilt Festival Spring 2012!!!!!

The Spring 2012 Blogger's Quilt Festival is here!!!!  This is only the most amazing linky party!!!  It is such a great opportunity to check out so many amazing blogs and welcome new friends to your own blog.   Thank you to Amy Ellis of Amy's Creative Side for hosting this each Spring and Fall!!!!

For this edition of Blogger's Quilt Festival I am sharing my STARS Quilt-A-Long Quilt!!!  Finally, I get to reveal the finish work :)  I had so much fun designing this quilt and even more fun hosting this Quilt-A-Long.   I just love meeting new people and making friends through this wonderful virtual quilting world!!

And I am so excited to share that I can now say there is a Printer Friendly Version of this Quilt-A-Long!!!  I have been getting some requests so I bit the bullet and set to work converting 110 pages down to 18 :)  I have uploaded the PDF to my Google Drive where it can be Downloaded for Free :)

So, I started this Quilt-A-Long last September, had a baby and then managed to finish the quilt top some time around Feb/March.  Then it sat on the shelf waiting to be quilted. (for a while) Until the beginning of this month when I went to play on a Long-Arm Machine!!  I posted all about that day here :)

I decided to really give the experience of Long Arm Quilting an all out go so I did my own Free Motion Quilting.  I tried a new design for me and did echoed tear drops and swirls.  It was so much fun!!!  And I am so happy with how it turned out.  Not bad for a first timer I figure :)

And now that it is all finished I have made my 6 year old daughter the happiest little girl!!!  She has been waiting for this for a while so I am just ecstatic that she loves it so much :)  And don't you just love how the Heirloom line totally matches her walls!!  Fabulous :)  

And of course, I couldn't show pictures of the quilt on her bed with her old Cinderella pillow case.  That would just spoil the whole effect.  So yesterday I whipped up 2 new pillow cases.  They are the perfect finishing touches :)  (Although, now I am thinking about doing one more decor pillow with a star on it :)

 And one final thing about this quilt that was a mistake but turned out to be, in my opinion, totally awesome!!!  So when I loaded this on to the rollers of the machine I came up a tiny bit short on my backing but only in the one corner.  I told them not to worry, I wasn't to concerned about the back.  So I quilted away and then went ahead and bound it. This is what shows up in that tiny corner :)  Just in case I ever forget the line or who designed it, Love it!!!!  And who knows, maybe someday this quilt really will be an heriloom.

So that's my STARS quilt!!!  If you are new, thank you so much for visiting.  If you are a regular Happy Quilting Reader, Thanks for all of your support!!!  Enjoy Blogger's Quilt Festival :)

Oh, and one last little note . . .  Since I am now officially done with this Quilt-A-Long it is probably time to start a new one . . . What do you think, are you ready to Quilt-A-Long???

TNT Thrusday - Drawing and No Hands

So I tried 2 things new this week :)

First, I decided I wanted to draw a custom quilting design on my quilt.  This is totally new for me.  Most of the time I do an all over free motion "just go for it" kind of thing.  The few times I have done more of a "custom" design I have always just used the seams as a guide.  So I pulled out my water soluble marker and my 1" ruler and  about 5 hours later (not all consecutive) and a trip to JoAnn's to buy another water soluble marker (the first died out)  I was done.  The great thing about water soluble is every time you make a mistake just give it a little squirt squirt and you get to start over.  (Which I did several times :)  (oh, and I will be showing this quilt in a few more weeks, this is your sneak peak until then :)

Second, I gave my "hands free system" a try.   While I was up in Salt Lake sewing I chatted with Kati about her "hands free system" and if she liked it or not.  I had pretty much just put my little bar aside when the machine came figuring it couldn't make that much of  a difference.  Kati told me she loved hers and suggested I learn to use my left foot on the foot pedal so I could use my right knee on the bar. So I took her advice and tried it!!!   It took about 5 minutes and I was off!!!!!   I love it!!!!!!  I can't believe how much faster it is to shift fabric, sounds silly but true!!  I can't wait to try some applique with this, oh it makes me giggle just to think about it :)

So that is what I have been up to.  What did you try new this week?? Link on up :)

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Staring at Fabric

*** If you are looking for the Fat Quarter Shop Giveaway you will find it here :)

Sometimes I just sit in my little sewing room and stare at my fabric.  I am hoping we all do that and I am not a little crazy for just enjoying looking at it.  This week though, I have been staring at it hoping to come to some conclusions.  

My month for the Sew Bee Create bee is June and so I need to start getting some packages ready to go in the mail.  What's holding me up??  

Do I want a Christmas block with my oh so my favorite Christmas line ever???  I have seen so many amazing quilts in Countdown to Christmas and I so want one.  This might be the perfect time to break out this FQB. 

But then I think, maybe I want a cool shabby chic block to make a nice throw blanket for myself with these amazing prints from Daisy Cottage.  Don't you just love these beautiful tones??

I can't decide :)  Which would you do??  And fabulous block suggestions for either??  I am assuming if I decide on a block that it would be easier to pick a bundle :)

I also pulled out my Heirloom scraps so I could whip up some pillow cases to match my finished Stars Quilt-A-Long quilt.  More on Friday :)

And then I spent quite a while staring at fabric on-line trying to come to a decision on some new projects.  Do you remember my Braided Irish Chain tutorial??  Well I have been asked to teach it at the beginning of next year (I am so excited, and a little nervous :) I have altered the tutorial a bit to make the Queen size version  more of a square so it fits the queen bed a little better.  I will also be teaching a King size version.  Which means I need a Queen and King quilt to show.  That won't take long right :)

I took advantage of Burgundy Buttons sale last week and finally decided on Hello Luscious with Moda Bella White for the background for the queen size quilt.

And for the king size quilt I went with Reunion with a Moda Bella Slate background.

ore of a square I have also been doing some major quilting this week.  But won't be showing it for a few more weeks.  You know the drill :)

On to the rundown, I am so glad I can keep track of everything hear.  It is really helping me to stay on top of my projects (especially those with deadlines) and not let things fall through the cracks :)

Designing Stage

• King Size Serenity Quilt
• Sew Bee Create Quilt
• Circle Meets Square Quilt
• Snip and Clip Quilt

Piecing Stage

• Jessi and Me Quilt 
• Father's Day Rolling on Out Quilt
• Braided Irish Chain - Queen and King

Quilting Stage

• Solids Quilt for Free Motion
• DDD Baby Quilt

Completed Stage

• Moda Bake Shop Take it All

Market Giveaway with Fat Quarter Shop

So I am not going to Quilt Market, Le Sigh.  You can bet that I will spend the entire weekend wishing I were in Kansas City!!!  Maybe some day.  However, even though I don't get to go, I still get to know so much of what is going on.  How you ask??  Through The Jolly Jabber!!!!  Every year the fabulous crew at The Fat Quarter Shop give an in-detail day by day report of market on The Jolly Jabber.  It totally makes you feel like you are almost there :)  (almost)

So, to celebrate Quilt Market this week, Fat Quarter Shop will be sponsoring this totally amazing Quilt Market Giveaway!!!  Where there will be not 1 but 2 winners!!!

One lucky reader will win this beautiful bundle of fabric goodness.

And a second lucky reader will win this serene bundle of fabric goodness.

That's 2 Fat Quarter Bundles!!!  Yippee Skippee for celebrating Quilt Market!!!

So . . .  How do you get a chance to win one of these awesome Fat Quarter Bundles??


Easy, just leave a comment of what you most want to see from market??  A new fabric line, A particular booth, School house, Sample Spree, or simply that you are new to Market and want to see it all :)

For a bonus entry you can follow the Jolly Jabber (so you won't miss any of there awesome market updates) and leave me a comment that you did so or already are a follower.

That's it.  Up to 2 entries per person.  Giveaway is open to international entries.  It will close on Saturday Morning (19th) and a winner will be selected randomly and announced shortly after.