Roman Shades Complete

Checking this project off my list feels SO good!  

 Our lamp is still trying to find the right home, since rearranging everything.  We did have a table lamp, but, one little boy accidentally trashed the shade....

up

Fabrics are Amy Butler, the home decor fabrics have such a nice feel to them.  Slightly more $$ but worth it for a quality covering in my book!  That is partly why I did the roman shade, 2 yards per window vs. 6 - 8 yds for a full length curtain.

one down

I lined these with black out lining.  Fabrics fade really fast here in windows, and I didn't want to take a chance at my gorgeous fabric fading.  Plus, having the living room dark will be nice for movies, and the hot summer months to come. 

two down :)

 The windows are on the small side, so I decided to mount them over the window and made them a few inches wider and longer, to give them more of a presence.  I really, REALLY like them lots!

cord lock, eye bolts, button holes

I purchased my cord lock, and rings on etsy.  Yesterday I was convinced that the cord lock didn't work - thankfully Joe had a look at it, and I had goofed it up.  Today they are gliding up and down, locking as I want them too - yay!

rings for cording

I used a zig-zag stitch, with the smallest stitch length, I ended up dropping the feed dogs too, in order to sew the rings on without too many holes in the fabrics.  There is also a dowel in the hem to keep things flat as it lifts.  


My rings are spaced 9" apart and start 6" from the bottom, then every 12" up from there.  All in all they went together really easily, getting them hung with Joe's help alleviated a lot of my frustrations.  I know some of you may have more questions, and I will do my best to answer them in the comments.


I hope you have a great weekend~
Amy
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Featuring Rita -- A Blogger's Quilt Festival Quilter!

Odds are you know today's featured quilter - it's Rita from Red Pepper Quilts!  I hope you enjoy getting to know Rita a little more --

1. When did you begin quilting?

Rita's First Quilt

I began quilting about 10 years ago.   Both my mother and sister are quilters, and it is their passion for quilting which appealed to me, and with their encouragement I began my own quilting journey. My first quilt is dated 2001 and was made using a magazine pattern.  When I look at my first quilt I can see that I have made so much progress, and that my eye for color and design has changed direction.  This quilt even represents all those elements of quilting that I currently try to avoid - applique, hand stitching, hand quilting and hand stitched binding!

2. Why do you quilt?

I quilt because I absolutely love it.  I love my fabric stash, enjoy fabric and color play and enjoy the freedom of piecing without a pattern.  

3. What is your favourite quilting tip?

My favorite quilting tip: - Break all the rules, and do what works well for you.   I do not have a sewing background, no training in design or color, but have found my own way to work towards making quilts that appeal to me. 

4. What was your inspiration behind your Quilt Festival quilt?

My inspiration for the Quilt Festival quilt was to exhibit a quilt that was made early in my quilting journey - at time where I was still reliant on others to choose fabrics, and as such this quilt was made from a complete fabric kit.  I did not dare to alter the layout of this quilt in any way.  My fabric and color skills have since progressed - at first by taking calculated risks in fabric selections - and feel that I am now at a point where I am confident with my own fabric choices.

5. Do you sew other things?

I don't sew other things ... at all.  

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Rita - Thank you so much for sharing your quilts and your journey with us!    I love your use of color :)

Happy Weekend Everyone!
Amy
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Coming Together

Hi there!  I've got Blogger's Quilt Festival on the brain - taking my time to work out all the details with sponsors. It's going to be great!!  If you are a shop and interested in being a sponsor, send a quick email to me with a link and I will get the details to you right away!  It's a great opportunity to get your name out there :)

Do you have a quilt ready to share!?  May 21 is the first day of our festival!

My Roman Shades are nearly done, maybe I will even be back later today with a pic....my living room is a bit of a mess at the moment.  Have to put my kiddos to work :)

What are you up to today?

Amy

PS - Did you notice Fat Quarter Shop is celebrating their anniversary with a huge sale!?  There's a few things, in my shopping cart :)
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Little Things

It's the little things that make me happy most days.  Like the five minutes that all four kids get along each day, or a empty kitchen sink (it's not right now).

Or the little tulips gathered from the yard.

And inspiration for, yet another quilt.

I just love the colors in this couples photographs!  They have a gallery in Park City.

All these little things, (and a few more) bring smiles to my face, and my heart over the course of the day.  What's making you smile today?

Amy
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Roman Shades & a Winner!

This roman shade project has been on my list since we painted the living room in January!  I purchased fabric in February, and finally collected all the bits and pieces needed to make it.  I had to let my ideas fully form, before I was ready to cut (some may call this procrastination!), but I decided I'm ready.   Last night I got all my pieces cut, and today I hope to get the sewing done.

When we get them mounted, I will show you our living room :)
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The Blush Layer Cake goes to -- #284

Congratulations Julie!!  I would love to see what you make with this.

Thank you to everyone that left sweet comments  -  I loved reading through them all!  You guys make my day with everyone :)

Blessings ~
Amy
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Houses in Frolic!

I'm so glad to have you help me celebrate 500 posts!   It wouldn't be possible with out all of you  :)

I took a little time on Saturday to make some house blocks for V.  Pulled out a little extra yardage, from a different project, cut, and whaalaa -

Houses in Frolic

What do you think?  I love them - yes, there's five total!  I work in production mode best, and it's for a great cause!  :)  These will be in the mail early this week to meet the April 31 deadline.

While working my blocks, I was able to put a couple new tools to work!  I told you about Kelly's month of giveaways, and went and entered myself in a bunch of them too.  Lucky me - I won a set of tools.  Yay me!  

Super sharp little scissors and seam ripper - I have to rethink my ways a little to put it to good use, but it's nice and sharp.  And the scissors are a great addition for all the little threads hanging.  Thank you Kelly!

I hope you have a great day!
Blessings~
Amy
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Weekend Spotlight

Hi there!
For this weekend, I thought we would stay here . . . it's my 500th post, and I'm giving away a Blush Layer Cake to celebrate!!

I'm always amazed at how fast the posts add up!  I'm so thankful for each of YOU, my readers, for being here with me through it all :)

For your chance to win --
1 - Leave a comment
2 - Become a fan on facebook, and leave a comment
3 - Subscribe to this blog, and leave me another comment

Hopefully that's quick and easy enough for all of you to want to play along :)
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My Thursday was spent with these little guys :

Ella, Emmalie, Sophia, and Owen's kitty's - notice Owen trying to get his back?

At breakfast I asked Ella if I could make her a kitty.  I told her I knew it wasn't the same as a real kitty, but would it help?  Her face lit up a little, and she agreed.  That led to all four of the kids picking fabrics for their own kitty, and just before bedtime, I finished closing up the seams.  They all helped to stuff them too.


They are the free Amy Butler pattern and cute and relatively easy.  The only changes we made: they have a smile, and eyelashes.  I think they look less alien like :)

I will select a winner for the Layer Cake on Tuesday, the 27th - Good Luck!
Amy
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Featuring Isa -- A Blogger's Quilt Festival Quilter!

Hi there!  The featured quilter today is Isa!  I hope you enjoy getting to know her more --

1. When did you begin quilting?

I started quilting in the summer of 2008, while being pregnant with my youngest daughter Marie, I wanted to make her a baby blanket under which she could be kept warm and safe. In my last trimester I had a hard time sleeping, and so I spend my nights sewing and surfing the internet learning about patchwork, quilting and such. And that first quilt really got me hooked (some may say obsessed…)

2. Why do you quilt?

I quilt because I simply can’t stop… And because I really enjoy the process in which small pieces of fabric create a new whole.

It’s also a great stress relief for me, and I would probably be a much grumpier person if I didn’t quilt.

3. What is your favourite quilting tip?

My favourite quilting tip or advice is the importance of accurate seam allowance, and to not save money on a seam ripper… but get the best there is.

4. What was your inspiration behind your Quilt Festival quilt?

My entry to the quilt festival was a quilt I made as part of Crazymomquilt’s one a day minepatch quilt along. (…and breath…) I really like the ninepatch block because it’s so simple and yet so versatile. I wanted to make a scrap quilt using scraps from other quilts I’ve made, so that the quilt in this way would be a walk down memory lane. The rainbow or colorway layout is an absolute favourite of mine, and it seemed like a good and easy way to arrange the scrappy blocks.

5. Do you sew other things?

Yes I sew other things as well, both personally and professionally. I’m in the midst of taking a bachelor degree in textile education and handicraft… A sort of handicraft teacher for adults. So I sew a lot in school, primarily clothes and garments.  In my spare time I also enjoy sewing softies, bags and home décor in general.

6. Anything else you would like us to know about you?

Hmm.. What’s there more to tell?

I’m beginning to be more interested in designing fabric, we have had a couple of courses in screen printed fabric, and I really love doing it. My eyes also been opened to the world of digital textile print, and I hope to become better at using illustrator and photoshop during this year.

Thank you for listening to me talk about myself J

And thank you Amy for being such an inspiration and for having such a lovely blog.

Isa

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Thanks so much for sharing Isa!  I'm envious and curious to know more about your degree - sounds amazing!
Have a great weekend everyone :)
Amy
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I Am Thankful : : 20

for -

- my family
- the warmer temperatures
- checking things off my list
- opportunities
- a good home for kitty

My girls are very sad that the kitty did not stay.  I'm sad to be so allergic...

Blessings~
Amy
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Help!

Joe found this sweet kitten in our garage!  We put up signs, hoping that a neighbor lost her, and will claim her soon. But Joe and the kids are quickly falling for her -

Kitty

I'm super allergic, and can't handle cats on the counter.  She's already box trained, super lovey, and obviously loves kids.  She's got the loudest purr too!  Anyone within an hour of Heber Valley want a kitty!?  I'll meet you half way...

I really want to see her go to a good home :)
Amy
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My List

My must do list, continues to grow and shrink!  Never seems to go away though.  I know I'm not the only one  with this issue - am I?

I have two additional quilt tops pieced for my book, need to add borders to one and get them to Natalia, so she can work her magic!  So my list this week includes prepping the backs and writing the rest of the patterns, and all that goes with those.  (I'm loving my new pins!  The little patchwork set are so teeny and work great!)

I'm also making plans for the next installment of Blogger's Quilt Festival - facebook friends were telling me yesterday if they have a quilt ready.  Do you!?  I'm getting things together for the end of May - I'll let you know when we can start spreading the word.  It's going to be great!!

Have you heard about Fat Quarterly?  A few friends have been working on a new ezine, due out later this month.  Don't miss out!

We had a great visit with my parents last week - oddly I didn't pull out the camera at all!  I just enjoyed our time.  My mom and I went down to Joann's one afternoon and took in a good sale.  They had McCall's patterns for 99 cents - hard to beat that!  Mom got a few patterns to sew dresses for my girls, I found a cute pattern for myself, and machine needles.  We also spent an afternoon on Park City's Main Street, and another in the swimming pool.  Owen has NO FEAR -- it's great to watch him love the water and really take to it.  The girls love the water too, but at 2 years they all had a little trepidation, now they are all fish :)

That's all I got for now.  

Blessings~

Amy

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Get Lucky

Winner:  Darlene at SewCalGal!  Congratulations :)

I'm happy to have read a book!  Really it shouldn't be such a monumental occasion, but life has been so busy - I haven't let myself get caught up in books as much lately.

Get Lucky
I set up this review months ago with Lisa at TLC Book Tours, here's a little from the back cover -

Sarah Harper isn’t sure if the stupid decisions she sometimes makes are good choices in disguise—or if they’re really just stupid. But either way, after forwarding an inappropriate email to her entire company, she suddenly finds herself out of a job.

So she goes home to Houston—and her sister, Mackie—for Thanksgiving. But before Sarah can share her troubles with her sister, she learns that Mackie has some woes of her own: After years of trying, Mackie’s given up on having a baby—and plans to sell on eBay the entire nursery she’s set up. Which gives Sarah a brilliant idea—an idea that could fix everyone’s problems. An idea that gives Sarah the chance to take care of her big sister for once—instead of the other way around.

But nothing worthwhile is ever easy. After a decade away, Sarah is forced to confront one ghost from her past after another: the father she’s lost touch with, the memories of her mother, the sweet guy she dumped horribly in high school. Soon everything that matters is on the line—and Sarah can only hope that by changing her life she has changed her luck, too.

The cover made me think that the book would be all sunshine and easy going, but not so!  The author, Katherine Center, engaged me from the first pages, with characters I could relate to, struggles with family relationships, and making the most of the present situation.  I found myself at the end of the book wanting to know more about Sarah and how things had worked out for her and Mackie.

Did Sarah "get lucky"?  I guess you will have to read and find out!

I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it too, in fact I'm headed to Amazon to look into Katherine's other books!  If you would like to win a copy of Get Lucky, leave a comment - I'll select a winner over the next weekend.

Happy Reading ~
Amy
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Weekend Spotlight

This weekend the spotlight shifts to Quilted Treasures!  Mary and Kristina have a full brick and mortar shop and have specially selected bundles, kits and books for their etsy shop, just for you!

I love the variety of fabric available, I hope that you do too :)
Amy
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Featuring Lynz -- A Blogger's Quilt Festival Quilter!

I met the featured quilter last summer in Dana's quilt-along.  Lynz is a fun gal who blogs her quilting life in Scotland at Domestic Light and Magic....enjoy!
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1. When did you begin quilting?
I've been quiting since May 2009 - so not a year yet! I was looking for a pattern for a beanbag doorstop since my wee sister-in-law was jamming her conservatory door open with one of her husband's trainers (a sneaker if you're not a Brit!). I stumbled upon Tall Grass Prairie Studio and Oh, Frannson! and had never seen quilts like them! I had 2 close friends about to give birth and decided to make them pram quilts which were made (the black and red "Yummy Mummy" was officially my first quilt), happily received and THEN I found the Old Red Barn Co quilt-along. I haven't stopped cutting fabric since!

2. Why do you quilt?
I'm not sure. I've always loved making things out of other things. Creating in general has always been my "thing" whether it was drawing, gardening or baking. I think piecing fabric can be quite zen-like when you get in the zone but you could say that for a lot of hobbies. I don't ever analyse my joys - I just do it coz I love it. Cosy throws and family heirlooms are just a lovely side effect!

3. What is your favourite quilting tip?
If you are tired? Stop. Nothing good EVER comes from sleepy sewing - this would be the voice of experience talking! And I mean fed-up sewing here, too!

4. What was your inspiration behind your Quilt Festival quilt?
The Weller zig-zag was largely inspired by YOU, Amy, since you taught me how to make it! And it is green since that is my favourite colour and it was my first quilt for ME! It's still a favourite and although I could do it better now? I rather like it's imperfections.

5. Do you sew other things?
I've been sewing since childhood when my beloved Wee Granny let me use her auld Singer - I have very happy memories of making sock bunnies for my wee brother and doctoring teenage clothes - but through my adulthood I've only sewn for necessity. Curtains and hemming and nothing else. It is safe to say my machine has had more use in the last 10 months than in the last 10 years put together. Maybe the last 15! I did make a couple aprons last year and have been eyeing up a few clothing patterns - it's fun having unique homemade clothes!!

6. Anything else you would like us to know about you?
Er. I am Scottish and sometimes my dialect shows in my typing. I work, I love my family more than anything and am a rock chick. And thank you Mum and Daddy for buying me my wee Janome when I was 16 - you were right. It IS a better gift than a motorbike and look what it's making 20 years later!

And to whoever nominated me? Thanks - but I think you're nut. Have you SEEN the talent about?!?!?

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Thanks for sharing Lynz!  I hope you all have a great weekend :)
Amy
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Thank You!

I received a fantastic surprise in the mail yesterday!

Jackie  sent two sets of her favorite pins and  "That Purple Thang" claiming it is her extra hand in the sewing room.

I'm excited to put them all to good use!  Thank you so much Jackie!

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We are spending the day with Grandpa and Grandma - I hope you are having a great day~

Amy
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Almost Here & a Recipe for You

Hi there!  Today is the day - my girls are so excited to see Grandma & Grandpa.  I've done just about all the scrubbing and vacuuming that is going to happen!  We woke up to snow falling yesterday, and so I put the girls to work.  Ella and Emmalie are easily motivated with a quarter, and each happily earned a dollar for the extra chores.

Thankfully it stopped snowing and they went out to play for the afternoon.  I've gotten stir crazy with them inside ALL the time!  I think spring is worse than winter around here - snow is easy to play in, but not mud.  uck!

While the girls played outside and Owen napped, I scrubbed the kitchen and made banana bread.  Our snack supply has been low, and the bananas were turning, perfect solution!

I thought I would repost the recipe, it's yummy, quick and easy.  

Banana Nut Bread
2 1/2 C flour
1 C sugar
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3 TB vegetable oil
3/4 C milk
1 C mashed bananas (2-3 medium)
1 egg
1 C finely chopped nuts

Heat your oven to 350 and grease 1 large or 2 small loaf pans.
Measure all ingredients into large mixer bowl; beat on medium until just combined.
Pour into pans and bake 55-65 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Let me know if you try it.  You won't be disappointed :)
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I want to thank We All Sew for featuring my 1/4" seams tutorial this week.  I hope more quilters are inspired to keep stitching :)

Many blessings ~
Amy
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This is a little embarrassing -

While working frantically to finish my quilts for my book, I kinda let stuff go.  Understandable, right?  Well here's the aftermath --

After finishing a quilt top, all the extras went in the tub, when I got a quilt back from Natalia, the excess batting and backing, went in the tub.  And then the extra binding, you guessed it, went in the tub!  Now it's just a mess, and I'm just going to put it back in the closet and ignore it for a while longer.  That will help, right?

My little shelf of fabric hasn't emptied out like I thought I would either - I love looking at it, and dreaming up new projects.  I have a little more fabric in dresser drawers, I guess I'm turning into a stasher :)  I don't have space to be, but I'm not getting rid of it, unless in the form of quilts, or bags, or dresses!

I cut my last quilt for the book last night :)  Sorry, no peeking!

Hugs~
Amy
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Bits and Pieces & A Winner!

I'm feeling a bit scattered!  I have lots of things that NEED to get done and a few that I really want to get done - isn't that how it usually goes?  I had a couple of hours to myself Friday evening and decided to cut into some fabric for this bag -

The fabrics are Amy Butler Love, and I love it!  Sadly my machine has been overused in the last 6 months, and needs a tune-up. I have no problem piecing, but multiple layers of fabric and interfacing - not happening.  So that's going back on the bottom of the list, until I can part with my machine long enough to have it serviced.  Just imagine no pins holding the lining in place and that polka dot strap attached on the sides :)

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This is the big news in the house!

Owen is growing up!  No more diapers here - YAY!  We've had two dry days, with no accidents - even dry naps!  He's enjoying his M&M's in this shot - I love new diaper-free bums in underwear :)  Now to stalk up on boys undies!

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The winner of last week's giveaway from Reannalily Designs --

Congratulations to Renee of Treasures of Joy!  She won, 3 patterns and Seamingly Accurate from Jen - thank you Jen!

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This week is Spring Break, and spring is finally here - yay! First crocus' are blooming in my backyard, and tulips are up getting ready to bloom too.  My parents will be here for a visit on Wednesday, so a little purging and cleaning is needed.  My girls are motivated to help since they know who is coming - shouldn't be too bad :)  I also have one more quilt to piece, and I'm thinking about/planning for the Blogger's Quilt Festival, coming next month!  Big exhale - one day at a time :)

Blessings~
Amy
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Weekend Spotlight

Hi there - I hope you are having a great weekend.  Joe has just taken Owen outside to play with his sisters, and the house is quiet!  At least for the moment.  I'm enjoying my last cup of coffee for the day, before I get busy.

The spotlight this weekend points to Canton Village Quilt Works, earlier in the week I added my blogroll back to the sidebar and I love it (my reader is still overfull & overwhelming)!  This morning I found that Jackie is offering 20% off,  today only, (art20) all Art Gallery fabrics in her shop.  Jackie's shop continues to grow, there's something new every week it seems - so go take a look around! 

I hope to have a new bag finished to show you on Monday - what are you working on?
Amy
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Featuring Margaret -- A Blogger's Quilt Festival Quilter!

Hi there!  The weeks keep flying by, thankfully next week is our spring break - finally!  The local schedule was delayed in the fall for the new high school, it wasn't a big deal at the time, but parents, students and teachers are feeling it now.  We are all looking forward to a week off!

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Our featured quilter today is Margaret!  Her Quilt Festival entry is impressive, and I hope you enjoy getting to know Margaret better.  

1. When did you begin quilting? 

I made my first "quilt" in 1987 when I was still in college.  My mother taught me to sew and embroider when I was a young girl though.  Throughout highschool, I made many of my outfits including shorts, suits and even swimsuits.  The need to quilt came when I needed to have something new on my bed!  Over the years, my skills improved.  I made many quilts for Christmas, birthday, graduation gifts.  I've made so many quilts that I can't begin to count.  The number is in the hundreds though.

2. Why do you quilt?  

It's fair to say that I quilt because I have an insatiable need to create and to express myself through this craft.  I love to see pretty things on beds and walls too!  I love learning and testing new techniques, and working with the never-ending supply of gorgeous fabrics available.  I am a romantic and am old-fashioned at heart, so I always think that a handmade gift is ten times that of something from a store. 

3. What is your favorite quilting tip? 

I don't have a specific "tip".  My best suggestion is that practice will bring perfection (or if not perfection, then satisfaction!).  Love what you do.  Try new things.  Don't be afraid.

4. What was your inspiration for your Quilt Festival quilt?  

I didn't have an inspiration per se, like some other quilters did.  My entry for the festival was a collage of pictures taken from a "quilt show" of sorts.  I had donated 53 quilts to Project Linus the previous month, and had displayed them all over my back yard for a photo shoot.  One blogger coined it the "Sea of Love".  

In January of 2007, in an effort to thin down some of my stash (which in retrospect was miniscule!), I made a few flannel blankets for Project Linus.  I had not sewn too much in recent years except for making draperies and a couple baby quilts.  I was suddenly hooked again.  I asked all my friends and family that may have scraps if they were willing to donate them to me to make more Linus quilts.  I had SO much fabric I hardly knew what to do with it.  It was fun to quilt and create and not need to worry who I was going to give that quilt to!  Since 2007, I have donated over 100 quilts to this charity. 

5. Do you sew other things?  

Yes, definitely, but buttons and hemming are not in that repertoire!  I have made draperies for my house, those dreaded Halloween costumes each year, and many heirloom smocked dresses for my daughter and my two nieces.

6. Anything else you would like us to know about you?  

I have hosted several successful swaps in the last 3 years including the Four Seasons Quilt Swap and Spring Fling Round Robin, each of which had many sessions.  Both included fantastically talented quilters which motivated me and challenged my quilting abilities.  The swaps were a great avenue to test new techniques and to grow as a quilter.  

In the fall of 2009, I started a longarm quilting business.  The internet clientele has been instrumental in my success, with nearly 90% of the quilts I have quilted to date coming from fellow bloggers all over the US.  I currently participate in three quilting bees (blocks only), but my swapping days are in the past due to the time constraints of a business.

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Margaret, thank you so much for sharing your quilts and your story with us!  I love seeing the "Sea of Love" and your suggestion to keep trying and doing new things, is brilliant.  :)  I wish you much success with your long arm business!

You can find more information about Project Linus, and local chapters on their site.

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Pins Recapped

I have to say thanks to all of you that shared about your pins!  I'm always thankful to be a part of this community - and to call you all friends :)  I went through the comments and made tally marks for the different pins mentioned, Clover's Flower Head Pins  were the most mentioned by far, as were all of Clover's pins.

It's clear that a fine, sharp, and long pin are what we, as quilters are drawn to.  And I'm with a few of you wanting to try the fork pins- I always pin on both sides of the seam intersection, and these make so much sense!

To be honest in the past I've been drawn to the 500 pack of pins because I'm such a stickler about pinning, and pinning everything all at once.  But I plan to start small, this time, and work on a large collection of really nice pins.

A few of you mentioned emory pin cushions, friends on twitter have also suggested crushed walnut shells.  Julie tells me you can find it easily at pet supply stores - it's lizard litter!  LOL but it works!

One last question for all of you - How often do you replace your pins?  I'm sure it depends on use, but I wanted to throw it out there :)

Thanks again~
Amy

PS - I made a button, if you want to add it to your sidebar, just copy the code!
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Reannalily Designs - Giveaway!

Hi there!  I am excited to introduce Jen from Reannalily Designs to you!  I asked Jen to share a little about herself --

I'm Jen and I've been sewing for people for years.   I have traveled all over the world gathering inspiration and ideas for my designs and patterns.  From Korea,  and China, Japan, to North America, England and France, I have found many cultural and historical elements to guide my interest and creativity.  And LOTS of sewing with military uniforms.  In fact, through that- I developed my Seamingly Accurate seam guide.  The seam guide was released at the Houston Quilt Market in 2008.  It has had a great response from the sewing community and replaces the need for sharpie or tape on your sewing machine.  The Seamingly Accurate guide is distributed by QuiltWoman.com  And since restarting the "word of mouth" sewing business is tricky with every military move, I've decided to branch out into patterns- a business which I can take anywhere.   I have recently married my two areas of work and now have sewing patterns, quilting patterns AND patterns for sewing with military uniforms.  I do still sew commission work on the side and I'm always up to receive military uniform donations.  I'm also lucky enough to have the opportunity to do the technical writing for Art Gallery Fabrics handbag patterns.  I've had a few projects in magazines, including Quilt Scene last October.  I run my design blog which often has projects I'm working on, and like most sewing blogs, I have a collection of tutorials and tips.

For one reader Jen has a collection of patterns and Seamingly Accurate!  


To win ::


1 - Leave a comment on this post.
2 - Tell me your favorite item of Jen's shop
3 -Subscribe to Jen's blog, and leave a comment letting me know.
4 - Blog about this and come back to let me know in another comment :)


Four chances to win!  Good luck to each of you - I will select a winner on Monday, April 12.
Amy


PS - Please leave a comment for each entry, all entries must be made in the form of a comment, not an email - Thank you!
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Pins

I need new pins.  You all have seen mine in action, I use them a lot, and they are dull, bent up and not gliding very well.

So I'm looking to you to tell me your favorite pins.  Why do you love them?  Where did you find them?

I finished my blocks last night, should be a quilt top today and then I get to move on, oh, and write instructions. . . :)

Serious where'd you get your pins!?

Amy
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