Fresh Sewing Day and Small Blog Meet

It's the first of the month again: Fresh Sewing Day and Small Blog meet.   I am trying to work out what I have achieved this month and, frankly I have as good as nothing.  My mosaic is empty.  So this is the achievement I am going to share this month.  Joining the Fat Quarterly team.  I was nearly hysterical with excitement when they asked me to join them, it took me all of two seconds to accept and I confess I am just as excited now as I was then.

So what did you achieve this month?  Link up at the bottom of this post to show me what you've been working on.  If you do link up, how about visiting at least four of the other blogs who link up - two above you and two below you - and stopping to leave a comment as well as visiting back anyone who visits you.  As always here's the button to grab:

<div align="center"><a href="http://lilysquilts.blogspot.com/" title="Fresh Sewing Day"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5069/5883537449_e85ba77279_o.jpg" alt="Fresh Sewing Day" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

And link up in the second linky if you are a blog with fewer than 50 followers and would like to get to know a few more people out there in blogland.  Write a post about this feature, add the button and then link up.

<div align="center"><a href="http://lilysquilts.blogspot.com/" title="Small Blog Meet"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6147/5989823380_a69fafd955_m.jpg" alt="Small Blog Meet" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Next go and visit and get to know at least four other linked blogs - starting with the two above you in the linkys and the two below you. Visit those blogs, leave a comment, click to follow and visit that blog regularly over the next few weeks. Visit more if you have the time.  And also visit back any new bloggers who come to visit you and get to know them and their blogs.

A little extra part of this feature is now going to be the Am I A No Reply Comment Blogger section. Yup, each month you will have the chance to test whether you are a no reply comment blogger right here on this post.  I get so many comments that I cannot reply to and often I don't think the commenters know that I can't reply.  So, if you've ever left a comment on this or any blog and not received a reply, you might be a no-reply-comment-blogger and I and other bloggers can't reply directly to your comments.  To find out if you are, leave a comment on this post with your email address in the comment - separate it out into sections to avoid being treated as spam (eg. lilysquilts @ gmail . com).  I can then either reply directly to your comment or let you know via the email address you provided that you are a no reply comment blogger.

Advent Giveaways - one a day

Fi over at the Sewing Directory has teamed up with Abakhan Fabrics to bring you a giveaway every single day from 1 December right up to Christmas Day.  Just head here each day from tomorrow to view what prize is on offer and how to enter, plus you can check the winner's list to see if you won any prizes the previous days. Prizes include gift vouchers for the Abakhan site, loads of fabric, sewing supplies, ribbons, buttons, sewing patterns, craft books and more.

J'Adore Paris

When I mentioned Moda's Etchings by 3 Sisters on my blog a while back, my sister asked for something for Christmas made from the blue Paris map fabric so I've made her these two pillows, to her size specification, but I have no pillow forms in that size so have had to photograph them flat.

They are dead simple but I really just wanted the pillows to be all about the fabric and not some kind of patchworky extravaganza because not everyone likes their house to be filled with an abundance of overly patchworky patchwork.  My house is getting that way and I wonder if it's becoming abnormally so yet.  Has my house become "weird quilting house" as my son predicted 18 months ago?  In other news, I am going to be getting my grubby little hands on some of this Dear Stella line "J'Adore Stella" which I have been eyeing for a while at the Fat Quarter Shop.

I have no specific plans for it as yet but I have a sneaking suspicion my sister may end up with more Paris themed pillows before too long.  Look at this wonderful Paris map print.

And these Eiffel Towers.

These cyclists.

And these birdcages which I know Leila will love.

At this rate, my sister's flat will turn into weird patchworky Paris pillows apartement.  Get me, French n all.  

Pillows Galore

I'm on a pillow making frenzy at the moment.  I can't get enough of the fusible fleece from Julia at Gone to Earth which makes pillow making so easy and the pillows so soft and sleepable-on.  I decided to make my parents a Christmas pillow instead of the usual Christmas card this year.  I used shot cottons on a background of a somewhat busy dotty fabric which I had thought was going to be the most useful dot ever when I bought it but it turned out to be too busy for most jobs.  As a blizzard though, it's just the ticket.  

To get those wavy / snowy quilting lines, I drew straight lines an inch apart with my hera marker.  Then I straight line quilted along those lines at full pelt yanking the pillow back and forth like a cartoon character would drive, more or less aiming for the hera marker line but not worrying too much about it.  I then went back and did the same in between all the lines.  It's a quick way of quilting and my new favourite.

This pillow had my first envelope back.  I overlapped the two halves of the back by 4" and edged the upper edge with some binding.  Much quicker than zips and buttons and it gives a nice finishing detail on the back.  I copied this idea from Katy but don't tell her I said that because she'll get all big headed and pleased with herself.

I have also rashly ordered a FQ bundle of Countdown to Christmas from the Fat Quarter Shop (taking advantage of this week's 25% of everything sale) with the intention of making all my children and my long suffering Welsh husband pillows for Christmas but whether I will pull that off I don't know. Do they really want Christmas pillows anyway or is that just me getting all romantic thinking they'd be thrilled with a homemade gift from me when really they'd prefer something from the Apple store.

Layer Cake £20; Jelly Roll £20; Charm Pack £6

Sale MADNESS at my mate Mandy's shop, Simply Solids.  Do not hesitate.  Stocks will not last at these prices.

Houston, we have a winner...

Yes, after waking from my nana nap, I have asked Mr Random to choose a number from the 177 entries for the fusible fleece giveaway generously sponsored by Julia at Gone to Earth and he has chosen:

 And that is (and I am always thrilled when Mr Random picks a friend):

Gill, I will email you privately for your details to forward to Julia and congratulations!

Looking like Ronnie Barker in my new bins

It took me about an hour standing all alone in the opticians looking at myself in the mirror to pluck up the courage to actually order these glasses. Still starting slightly when I catch myself in a mirror but I'm getting there. I'm going to wear them all day every day until I am no longer feeling self conscious in them.  Oh, and for any non-Brits, "bins" are glasses and this is Ronnie Barker, one of the funniest British comedians ever.

Fusible Fleece Giveaway

A while back, I made this pillow using Etchings Wovens and a fusible fleece which I bought from  Julia at Gone to Earth.  I have since made more pillows with this fleece which I can't show you because they're Xmas presents but I love it so much and it makes pillow making so easy and the resultant pillow is very cosy and soft if you're in the mood for a Sunday afternoon nap which I often am.

I asked Julia is she might give some of this fusible fleece away and she has agreed to do so.  So, here's a quick Thanksgiving / Black Friday giveaway of 2 metres of this wonderful fleece for you to try your hand at making pillows (or bags or other items) with.  Just one quick easy comment to be in with a chance of winning.  Just let me know what you would make with it and Mr Random will draw a winner on Sunday, probably just after my afternoon nap.

New Backstitch Flickr Group

Do you shop at Backstitch?

Did you, like me, buy this bundle?

Or this one?

Well, pop on over to the newly formed Backstitch Filckr group and go upload your projects there.

Save The Date

20% sale

This weekend there is a 20% sale at Fresh Squeezed Fabrics using the code christmashop20.

How about a Secret Garden full yard bundle:

An Outfoxed half yard bundle:

Or a bargain-acious Lucky Dip 8 FQ bundle for only $12:

Kona Winner

I am going to announce the winner of the Kona Bounty of Basics boxes from the colossally generous Robert Kaufman now and do my regular Christmas Gifts for Quilters later on.  And so, without further ado, the winner of these:

Was picked by Mr Random:

And is:

Congratulations Regina!

Start of a new quilt

Well I've just got some fabrics in for a new project.  a FQ set of Echo by Lotta Jansdotter from Alice at Backstitch which I am head over heels in love with.  This is the fabric line of this year as far as I am concerned.  Being naturally uncool in person, I like to try to gravitate towards the cool kid fabrics so that, by magic osmosis, my projects will look cooler than I really am.  My kids tell me it's no longer "cool" to say "cool", especially the way I say it with the "l" clearly pronounced on the end.  Apparently I am an epic fail in both my pronunciation and use of the word "cool".

I also bought some yardage for backing of Cameroun Jungle - Alexander Henry - from Sew Fresh Fabrics.  Those ladies are so clever.  I told Peg and Becca what fabrics were going on the front of the quilt and what the design was and asked them to suggest a backing with the same sort of feel and I think they made a wonderful choice, as always.

I've started this new project three times so far and not liked what I've made any of those times so I'll keep on going and hope that, by the time it appears in the next issue of Fat Quarterly, it will actually look the way it looked in my head when I started out and not an epic fail.

Are you up for a challenge?

I am organising my first Designer Challenge over at the Fat Quarterly blog.  Fancy a Design Challenge using a sample pack of Aurifil threads?  Well head on over to here.

Quilt Album re-draw

When I originally drew the winner of Quilt Album, the computer program designed for you to catalogue all your quilts on the computer, I chased the no-reply comment blogger who won around the internet and have failed to get anywhere so I have decided to have a re-draw.  

Mr Random has chosen:

Congratulations Mary!  In the meantime, if you would like to invest in a copy of Quilt Album and catalogue your quilts and even make business cards and greetings cards from them, the makers have given me a discount code to give you a $5 discount on the program. You could even make Christmas cards with your quilts on.  Just click through using the button below and use the code shown in the button to obtain the $5 discount.  

Looking for something to make for Christmas?

Well then head over to Kerry's shop and pick up the second in her series of winter paper piecing patterns - this time it's a candy cane love heart - the pattern shows you how to piece the block to make whatever you want with but also shows you how to make the tote.

And if you missed the first one, it was winter woolies. 

Going to Harrogate

Anyone going to the knitting and stitching show at Harrogate next week?  I'm going with Katy, Brioni and Justine.  Sadly our fifth partner in crime, Mandy, is unable to come with us so the gang won't quite all be there.

I'll be stopping at stand B240 to see The Button Company and Eternal Maker who sell fabulous modern fabrics, buttons and also my thread of choice Aurifil.

I'll also be stopping at stand B575 to see my local quilt shop, Quiltessential, run by Ann and Darren, the nicest LQS owners in the world, and that's no exaggeration. Look at this quilt Darren designed and made.

I'll stop at B245 - Oakshott shot cottons because their stand is always inspiring and I adore their shot cotton bundles.

And I'll stop at B692 - Sunflower Fabrics because Maggie is a hoot, her quilts are beautiful and she puts together fabulous Liberty and other fabric packs.

Are you going to be there?  Let me know so we can bump into each other.  And what stands will you be making for?

Christmas Gifts for Quilters 7 (+ mahusive giveaway)

MAHUSIVE giveaway today.  Ma-double-husive.  Ma-Kona-husive. 

So, once again, here is a button you can grab for your blog.  The button links back to the original intro post for this series and, over time, that post will link to all the subsequent posts in the series so just leave the button lying around when friends and relatives are around and hope that they click through and get some great ideas of what to get you for Christmas.  And just in case none of your relatives are showing any interest in any of these great ideas, there's a giveaway at the end of the post.  Colossal giveaway.  MAHUSIVE giveaway.  MA-DOUBLE-HUSIVE giveaway.  

<div align="center"><a href="http://lilysquilts.blogspot.com/2011/09/christmas-is-coming.html" title="Christmas Gifts for Quilters"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6176/6213980856_a52f333b9e_o.jpg" alt="Christmas Gifts for Quilters" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

But before we get to that, the winner of the Fat Quarterly year's subscription has just been picked by Mr Random and notified.  Congratulations to you Sana Saroti.  If you weren't the winner but did enter, the latest edition came out yesterday - all about colour - and you can buy it or your very own year's subscription here.

And this week, some suggestions for the quilter who has everything.  Even if the quilter in your life has these things, he or she will not complain at getting more of them.  Yes, I am talking about the king of the stash, the Kona solids!

For a small gift, Kona's charm packs come in five colourways; classic, dark, dusty, pastel and bright and you can also buy single-colour charm packs of the some of the most useful colours.

An alternative small gift of the most useful of all quilter's tools, the Kona colour card.  Though you can't see it in the photo, each swatch of colour is an actual piece of fabric so you can colour match to perfection.  

Want to spend a bit more?  How about Kona layer cakes or jelly rolls.  These come in the same colourways as the charm packs and in single colours of the some of the most useful colours.  

Looking for something slightly bigger again?  What about the Kona FQ bundles.  These come in beautiful colour groups.  

And finally, the undisputed king of any stash, the Kona Bounty of Basics Boxes.  One dark, one light.  Need I say more?  I have no words.  If you bought these for a quilter friend / relative / neighbour, they would love you forever.  Well maybe that's a slight exaggeration but they'd be happy as happy can be. 

To be in with a chance of winning these two boxes (yes, you heard me right, one person is going to win both of these boxes), three chances in three comments.

1.   Comment to tell me what your current favourite Kona colour is.  

2.   Comment to say you follow this blog.  

3.   Comment to say you spread the word (twitter, facebook, blog etc). 

Good luck and a winner will be drawn this time next week (23 November).