UFO Challenge Win!

As if I wasn't a winner enough just for successfully doing the challenge, I also won Carrie P.'s "Nothing But UFOs" July drawing! Yesterday afternoon, I received my prize...

It was wrapped so prettily!

And inside was a wonderful array of treats-- some handmade, some vintage, and lots of happy.

Even the little pouch was full of goodies! (Look at those trims! And that lovely handkerchief!)

And the block is gorgeous... it needs a picture all its own:

I'm kind of thinking it would make a lovely quilted pillow cover. I've not made one before. But Carrie P. has made quite a few-- so it just kind of feels right, you know?

Meanwhile, I am plugging along with my August challenge. I'm binding up the baby quilt, and I've started quilting my Mod Mosaic.

Progress!

Many thanks to Carrie P. and her monthly motivational challenge. It feels good to work on these UFOs and even better to be finishing them!

Lucky September!

September really was a lucky month for me. I won two different giveaways-- woo hoo!

First, I was one of the winners for August's Style Stitches Monthly Bag Challenge (my entry was this Fringed Hobo Bag). I received a gift certificate to the Fat Quarter Shop. And then I immediately used it to buy this:


Happy and fall and Aneela Hoey... I don't do kits very often, but this one just spoke to me. Of course, now I need to actually make it. More hours in the day, please!

My second win was from Laundry Basket Quilts in their giveaway for the Moda County Fair blog hop:


Wow!!! Winning this one was such a treat because I am a big fan of Edyta Sitar and her designs (I'm currently having a ton of fun working on her Hop to It design). Such a wonderful array of treats, including her beautiful new book, Reasons for Quilts, which is full of inspiration and eye candy. I need to start finishing some things, because I really want to jump in and make that Wagon Wheel quilt (she even sent the templates to go with it!).

Many, many thanks to Jemellia and the Fat Quarter Shop for hosting and sponsoring the Style Stitches challenges, and to Laundry Basket Quilts for the wonderful treats!

A prize!

Woo hoo! As if just completing my One Week, One Thing Challenge weren't fabulous enough, I actually won a prize for doing it too. Look what I just received in the mail this week:


Oooo... I love me some Sandy Gervais!

Thanks so much to Amy for hosting this great challenge, and to Natalia of Piece N Quilt for providing the prize.

Mail fun!

Yesterday was an excellent mail day!

Mail item #1: Last week I used the last of a birthday gift certificate and ordered some stuff from Big Horn Quilts.


Included were a pack of machine quilting designs, a yard of a pretty Alexander Henry print, and a yard of beautiful Oriental dragons. The dragon fabric is going to be a fun fall shirt for the boy (or, at least, that’s the plan).

Mail item #2: I received my registration info for the Houston International Quilt Festival! Yes, it’s true! I’m going to Houston! My Austin friend sent me a mail at the beginning of July insisting that I join her and a couple friends in their Quilt Festival adventure. They’ve got hotel rooms already booked and everything. My wonderful husband pretty much insisted that I go. There’s definitely some mama-guilt, but I bought my tickets, they are non-refundable, and I’m going. Bonus: I even got into my first choice classes! I’ll be taking Advanced Machine Quilting from Linda M. Fiedler, and Hand Quilting for Beginners from Jan Svatek.

Mail item #3: A few weeks ago, I won a contest that Gayla held celebrating her 250th post on her blog, flibbertigibbet bunny. And as a final super mail surprise yesterday, I received my prize:


In addition to some fun fabric, she included two handmade items. One was a darling pincushion she made from leftover Dear Jane blocks. The other was a fabulous knitted hat (how did she know I’ve been yearning for just such a hat?).


Thank you so much, Gayla!

Mail fun!

Today was an excellent mail day! I got my package of fabrics from my first-ever swap (woo-hoo!), and it included many fabrics that will definitely make it into my green-and-white Dear Jane quilt. (Many thanks to Anina for organizing it!) I also received the latest issues of Ottobre, Threads, and Cooking Light. Lots of wonderful fuel for my crafty/cooking spirit.

It has been a busy week, thus the dearth of posts. It was focus-on-work week for me. On the bright side, I'm feeling good about where I'm at on my freelance projects. But, I didn't manage to get any real crafty time. I'm even behind in my Dear Jane blocks! But, I'm hoping to catch up tonight...