OLFA Endurance Blade & Giveaway!!!

It's no secret that I am an OLFA girl ;)   My mother taught me how to cut out quilts with an OLFA rotary cutter, so of course, when I bought my first rotary cutter it was an OLFA.  In fact, it was the cutter on the far right :)   And the dual sliding one is my current favorite because it is so much easier to teach my left-handed daughter how to cut with it!!!  So, as you can tell, they continue to be my favorite Rotary Cutters!!!  

So when I was asked by the wonderful folks at OLFA if I would like to try out the new 45MM Endurance Rotary Blade I was all over that!!!   And as you can imagine,  I did a little happy dance when this lovely package arrived at my door ;)

The OLFA Endurance Blade has a tungsten tool steel blade with proprietary metal chemistry that is designed to cut twice as long to extend time between blade changes.  Now I don't know much about tungsten steel or metal chemistry, but I do know about "Cut Twice as Long" !!!  And with my hand currently healing from surgery, I am all about blades that stay sharper, longer :)

So, I was super excited to pop it out of its packaging and give it a test run :)   And don't you just love the Quick Change feature of the OLFA cutters.  So easy and fast!!!

And boy did I give it a test run!!!  Remember all of those strips I cut back here . . . well they all needed to be sub-cut and then, I ran out of strips and needed to cut some additional piles of strips.   So ya, there was a whole lot of string cutting going on!!!

And I was having so much fun, I didn't stop there.   You know how I just can't stop staring new projects right . . . Well I cut out another one.   I just love all of those happy polka-dots.

And the blade was so sharp, I figured why not rotary cut my Impressions Templates while I was at it.  Last time I cut these out I used scissors as I wasn't supposed to be Rotary Cutting that soon after surgery.  Wish I would have just gone with the sharp Rotary Cutter.  This was so much faster and didn't hurt my hand near as much as the scissors :)  Gotta love a sharp blade!!!

So ya, I gave the Endurance Blade  a pretty good work out for it's first day and I am super excited to keep on cutting twice as long before having to change the blade.   I know, I am crazy, but I really do love cutting out quilts (probably why I keep starting so many new projects ;)    And cutting them out with a super sharp blade just makes it all the more enjoyable!!!

So thank you so much OLFA for letting me try out the new blade as well as the 12” x 17” Folding
Cutting Mat and the Splash 45MM Rotary Cutter!!! You can find all three products at Jo-Ann
Fabric and Craft Stores, and fine quilt shops featuring OFLA products across the country.!!!  It was a whole lot of cutting fun!!!   Although, I am pretty sure I am going to need to order the Emperor Purple Splash now, because how cool would it be for my Rotary Cutter to match my purple walls ;)  

If you’re headed for Paduach, Kentucky for AQS QuiltWeek®, April 27 and 28, check out OLFA’s
pop-up trail tent to test out the new Endurance blade. QuiltWeek goers can participate in a special
project benefitting Quilt for Kids, a non-profit organization whose mission is transforming fabrics
into patchwork quilts for children in need.

GIVEAWAY CLOSED

And the wonderful folks at OLFA  have a special GIVEAWAY for me to host as well!!!  OLFA is giving one lucky Happy Quilting Reader an  OLFA 45MM Endurance Rotary Blade as well as an OLFA Splash 45MM Rotary Cutter!!!

  

So what do you have to do to enter . . .

-Simply leave a comment telling me if you could design your own rotary cutter, what color or  combination of colors, would it be??  

And that's it ;)  The giveaway will be open until next Wednesday, March 29th , when I will announce a winner here.  

And another something you will want to know about, especially if you are feeling lucky!!!

Want to win a one-of- a-kind quilting adventure for two? Starting April 17, visit
www.OLFA.com/QuiltCruise to enter to win OLFA’s Quilt Cruise Sweepstakes*.

*NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. A purchase will not increase your chances of winning. Sweepstakes startsApril 17, 2017 12 p.m. CST and ends at 7/15/17 11:59:59 PM CT. Must be a legal resident of 50 US/DC and at least 18 years of age. For Official Rules, including how to enter, prize details and restrictions, visit www.olfa.com/quiltcruise. Prize includes transportation to cruise departure port. Void where prohibited.  Sponsor: OLFA, NA distributed by World Kitchen, LLC, 9525 W. Bryn Mawr Ave. Suite 300 Rosemont, IL 60018

Thanks for popping in today and each and every day!!!  You guys are the best and I am just so very grateful that I have this little spot to get to share my passion for all things quilting :)  I hope you all have a very Happy Quilting Day!!!

Note - I received products in exchange for this post, but the opinions expressed are 100% my own.

March Bee Block is Buzzing!!!

This month for our Bees Knees group, Tamara asked us to make an adorable Disappearing 9 Patch block using adorable Bee fabric!!!  How cute is that :)

Disappearing 9 Patches are so much fun and super fast to make!!!  They were some of the first quilts that I learned to make.   It is simply starting with a 9 patch, and then cutting it in half vertically and horizontally, flipping 2 blocks, and sewing them back together.   And just like that, adorable disappearing 9 patch quilts!!!    

 

And then I tried a new little twist of making the 9 patch blocks, slicing them, but then instead of sewing them back together, adding some fun sashing.   I love the added modern flair it gives it ;)

And I still kept playing with this block!!!  I discovered that by playing with the placement of the colors in your 9 patch blocks, you could create all new variations.   These look like they are 4 patches that have been sashed, but nope, just a disappearing 9 patch block that is so much faster than sashing ;)    I did a tutorial way back when for these that you can check out here if you want to make your own ;)  

Anyhow, if you haven't tried a Disappearing 9 Patch block yet, you totally want to add it to your "To Make" list.  They are so much fun and super fast and the possibilities are endless!!!

Terrific Tuesday Giveaway Day!!!

It's Terrific Tuesday Giveaway Day!!!    Let's have some fun!!!

But  before we get to today's giveaways . . . First,  we need to announce the winner from last weeks Terrific Tuesday Giveaway Day!!   The winner of the Coney Island Jelly Roll from Fat Quarter Shop is . . . Number #189. . . Congrats JANET!!!!! I have emailed you :)    

    

So on to today's

Today's Terrific Tuesday Giveaway is being sponsored by Shabby Fabrics!!    Shabby Fabrics is having a Super Spring Sale that you are not going to want to miss.  The more you buy the more you save!!!  It ends Thursday night so be sure and check it out  :)  

And the Terrific Tuesday Giveaway is for a Fat Quarter Set of Sugar Pie by Lella Botique for Moda !!!   Isn't that just so pretty in pink!!!   This is just such a fantastic line and someone is going to have these pretties arrive on their doorstep, so fun ;)

You have two entry chances, the second being optional, and please leave a separate comment for each.  All Entries are welcome, including International Entries.  Please just be sure to leave an email address if you are a no-reply blogger ;)  

ENTRY 1 - Simply leave a comment that tells me you favorite kind of pie :)

 ENTRY 2 - Show your Shabby Fabrics love. You can follow them on Facebook, Twitter, You Tube, Pinterest, or Instagram.  You can Sign up for the Shabby Fabrics Newsletter (top right hand corner) or Follow their Blog,  or you can Visit the Shop and then share a favorite item ;)   Just be sure to leave a comment of how you showed your Shabby Fabric Love!!!

And that's it ;)  The giveaway will be open until next Tuesday, March 28th , when I will announce a winner at the beginning of next weeks Terrific Tuesday Giveaway Post :)

Good Luck and Have a Happy Quilting Day!!!

Luck of the Irish!!!!

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!!!   Are you all wearing your Green????

So if you have been following my blog for a bit, you know that the quilt that my family is sitting on in this picture is a pretty special one.   This was the first quilt my mother made, and she learned to quilt so she could make me something to treasure for my wedding.   Fast forward 20 years and my mother taught me to quilt as well, starting of love of all things piecing.  Hence, it became the inspiration behind my book, Irish Chain Quilts.    And it's Green!!!

So yesterday, as I was stitching away at my sewing machine, I looked up to see my Moda Calandar and this gorgeous Luck of the Irish Quilt, which just so happens to be a Double Irish Chain, just like the one my mom made me 17 years ago.  And it just hit me, I should make one!!!!   And then I realized, I  have this gorgeous Greenery Pantone 2017 Color of the Year Bundle from the lovely folks at Fat Quarter Shop that will be absolutely perfect for a super fun scrappy version!!!   I mean, how perfect is this!!!    What better day to start an Irish Chain Quilt than St. Patrick's Day, and a green one  in the year of Greenery Color of the Year . . . It seems like it was just meant to be!!!  

So I am pulling this bundle out today and pressing and hopefully getting it cut up as well.  I am super excited to start this new project and I am looking forward to reminiscing on the time I spent with my mom while she made the original  quilt while I work on this new one :)

And it really is a great day to start and Irish Chain Quilt.   I have several Free Tutorials for versions of Irish Chain Quilts right here on the blog.  If you are looking for a more Traditional Irish Chain Quilt, I have the Scrappy Single Irish Chain as well as the Scrappy Triple Irish Chain.   And if you want a little twist there is my I Spy Quilt, that has a fun Chain running throughout, or the Bonnie Rose Quilt that has a single chain and fun snowball blocks that let you highlight favorite prints.  

        

        

And of course, you can find lots and lots of Irish Chain Quilt ideas and inspiration in my book.  If you have my book already I am sure you have flipped through it and bookmarked a quilt or two.   Well . . . 

What do you say???   Maybe you just might want to start an Irish Chain Quilt with me today???  What better way to bring you the Luck of the Irish!!!! 

I hope you have a very Happy (and Lucky) Quilting Weekend!!!

March Aurifil Block of the Month - My Turn!!!

The March Aurifil Designer Block of the Month was released yesterday and I am so excited because March is my Month!!!!   And Pat Sloan was kind enough to let me do the month of Purple, because ya know, I just love purple!!!!   And this is my Scraptastic Star block.  Eeeekkk, I just love it!!!

You all know how much I love to design quilts around stars, and of course a twist on an Irish Chain.  And I knew I wanted to make my blocks super scrappy so I could show the vast array all of the shades of purple that I love so much.    And that is how Scraptastic Star came to be.   I just can't get over how much I love the scrappy goodness in this block.

And even though it is a lot of patchwork, it goes together pretty fast as there are only 8 hst's and the rest are just simple square patchwork.  And I had so much fun going through my scrap drawer to find all of those fun purple fabrics.  I used my Aurifil Purple's to make sure I was covering the all the shades of purple I wanted represented in the block :)   I just love purple!!!

So that is my Aurifil March Block, Scraptastic Stars!!!  You can find my  pattern for this block right over here  and then be sure to enter your block a Pat's blog ;)  Every entry of a Scraptastic Stars block is eligible to win a Large Aurifil Thread Kit!!!!!

 Oh, and if you want to read a bit more about me and maybe have a few chuckles along the way, be sure to pop over to the Aurifil Thread blog to read my fun interview.   I had so much fun chatting it up with Pat and getting to share some fun tidbits about all things quilting!!!

And one last thing . . .  I have totally added a Scraptastic Stars quilt to my "To Make Someday" list.   How fun would it be to make up this rainbow goodness while busting some serious scraps while I am at it!!!   (Although, I might change the blocks to 16" so I can use my moda candy, but we shall see ;)  And someone just suggested on Instagram making the original block but using layer cakes to make a giant pixelated Scraptastic Star Block, how cool would that be!!!!

Thanks for popping in today and each day,  I just love getting to share my quilting journey with each of you!!!  

Have a Happy Quilting Day!!!