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Winner announced

Yep today I am priveleged to give away ANOTHER copy of Simply Charming Minis.

You might remember that I gave one away in early June as a special treat from Konda.

I was so happy when she asked me to partake in this one too.

I thought this round I would show you my favorite 2 projects from the book.

Mini Baskets is the first.

I have been thinking I will do this one in Cuzco by Kate Spain.

I've already sorted the charms....

so there is a good chance I will sew it soon.

And my second is Mini Flower Garden.

I haven't picked fabric for this one....

I think is may come out of scrap fabric.

I have some strip and squares of Gypsy Girl left so we'll see.

Stop by the other blog tour participants for a chance to win a book from them:

Tues, July 24 Lissa Alexander http://modalissa.blogspot.com/

                                Emily Herrick http://crazyoldladiesquilts.blogspot.com/

Wed, July 25 Nannette Merrill http://fredashive.blogspot.com/

Thurs, July 26 Pam Lincoln http://www.mamaspark.blogspot.com/

Fri, July 27 Brooke Johnsen http://pitterputterstitch.blogspot.com/

Sat, July 28 Sherri McConnell http://www.aquiltinglife.com/

Sun, July 29 April Mazzoleni http://april-makingendsmeet.blogspot.com/

Mon, July 30 Vickie Eapen http://www.spunsugarquilt.com/

Tues, July 31 Konda Luckau http://moosequilts.blogspot.com/

        Michele Foster http://quiltinggallery.com/

Now for this giveaway.

Leave a comment about what color way of fabric, or range you would use for a mini...

I will randomly select a winner on Friday August 3rd.

Simply Charming Minis

Join the tour!

July 24th- July31st....

A bunch of bloggers,

A bunch of books,

A bunch of ideas...

stop back tomorrow for my giveaway day!!!

fascination with washi tape...

I went a little wild at Target last weekend.

I found four rolls of 'paper' tape.

aka Washi tape

I have collected a few rolls of tape from Japan and etsy listings.....

but to find these at Target was awesome.

They are cute with dots and stripes,

and no, I don't really have a plan for them.

It seems that I just didn't stop buying because I found these tapes at JoAnn's.

In the same display there were these little hanger clips.

I keep thinking they would be sooo cute to put petite Blythe clothes

or even regular Blythe clothes on them...

So do you have any washi tape?

Where do you buy it?

pinky swear, I am sewing...

as a few of you have seen on Instagram...

I've been working with Gypsy Girl by Lily Ashbury.

To be honest, I picked up this bundle at sample spree.

I really had no idea what any of it looked like.

Some new fabrics had been "leaked"..but I hadn't seen this one.

It's a cross between Urban Chicks Swell and Mary Englebright-ish sort of flowers...

It's bright, happy and well just my style.

can't wait to show you this one...

it's for a class I am teaching in a couple of weeks.

Now that I think about it..

I really NEED to finish sewing the blocks...

French Roses

I couldn't wait to take pictures of this finished quilt top.

I mean one I can show?

That's unheard of lately. :)

I began this quilt about 3 years ago, when my friend Jane was still working for me.

She and I pretty much used the same fabric for it

and were both on the hunt for that border...

which we found.

I think her quilt has been done for 3 years!

LOL

that is my life's story.

She finished and mine went in a pile of UFO's.

til this week.

I love these fabrics,
they are called Darla by Tanya Whelan
and the pattern is French Roses by Heather French.

I am sending it off this week to Natalia of Piece n Quilt

 and see if she can work some magic for me...

well I know she can....

and I REALLY can't wait to see it quilted.

Dolls and the Jungle

 I have been a Blythe doll fan for several years.

This year my daughter informed me that she'd like a Blythe for Christmas.

You may not know this, but Blythe's are difficult to buy in the U.S.

unless you find a friend here on flickr or instagram

and adopt one!

Well I decided to try ebay.

Since it can take weeks for the doll to be delivered from Asia I decided

I better start now in time for Christmas and this will give me time to

make some extra clothes.

Grace requested the doll named "Chocolate" and she comes with a mate "Vanilla", shown above.

I ended up buying them from an Australian seller.

It was awesome. They arrived in 10 days.

The price was 'right'.

I was elated.

now fast forward to yesterday.....

1 week AFTER they arrive.

DD Grace, decides she doesn't want a Blythe for Christmas, she wants a

Nintendo DS 3D.

Ugh DRAT!

So much for being ahead of the game.

After much contemplation on my part,

I have decided to keep them in secret in case she changes her mind.

IF she still doesn't "want" one...

I guess the girls are mine (insert evil laugh).

 *******

 In other news.

My jungle of a garden is starting to produce.

A LOT.

And we have pretty squash blossoms....

take care,

New DS fat quarters...score!

As soon as I realized

that the new Denyse Schmidt fat quarter panels were available at JoAnn Fabrics

 I was on my way over there!

Okay not quite immediately.

I was a 'good' quilter and waited until Sunday when the Coupon Commotion began.

I figured since they weren't on sale I could use my 50% off coupon.

WRONG

they were on sale just not marked

for $9.09 or something.

So it's wasn't 12.99...but geez..

I really wanted to get 50%.

Has that ever happened to you at JoAnn's?

They always put the magazines 10% off when they have this sale too..

drat.

Well like I said, they were on sale so I can't complain too much.

And they are sweet prints.

and 16 of them for about $36 felt like a complete score!

Now to just get myself to 'open' them and use them.

Our garden....

there is a draught.

so I water nearly every evening.

we actually have more than this.

There are about 40 tomato plants, 15 peppers, a couple of eggplants, and 4 butternut squash.

There's a funny story behind the tomato plants.

When we were planting the boxes there were some plants already sprouted.

I thought for sure that they were marigolds from last year that had re-seeded.

They looked like little marigolds.

A week later, my father in law was visiting and he commented,

"I don't think those are marigolds, look like tomato plants to me".

Well after about 3 more weeks the marigolds still didn't have flowers,

and they were getting awfully BIG.

I quickly realized that they were tomatoes.

The problem is, that we planted about 20 tomatoes before we new the heirlooms had re-seeded!

Yeah so we about 40 now.

We had to move some to pots, and lost a couple as well but still there are at least 40.

Looks like I better learn how to can this year.

And quick!

Sewing this week.

I cut a little bit of these:

Minny Muu.

And sewed a little binding here:

 and a little binding there:

I am working on a new pattern and getting my published patterns printed on postcards,

it's been a busy week.

a bit here and there

there's been a small bit of knitting...

I still have to sew the snaps on before I can make a proper picture.

An up-cycled finish

I took a t-shirt that didn't fit my 5 year old anymore,

cut it up

and made my 11 year old a pillow!

She's the one that says St. Patty's is "her" holiday.

I used scraps of batting to stuff it.

Turned out great for her.

Happy 4th of July!!!

Do you have plans today?

 

We don't have too many plans today.

We are just relaxing and maybe going to the beach.

I am thankful for our freedom to do that

and for all those who made it possible.

Hope you have a great holiday!



What's your SUV hold?

Turns out mine holds an entire IKEA couch.

And that's last thing we did the weekend my mother in law was here.

We got to go to IKEA without the kids.

That gave a whole lot more space in the back....

enough to get a couch....

and nothing else LOL

This is a new IKEA design and it folds out to a bed and has storage under the chaise part.

We love it.

Orange cake

The new Vignette magazine arrived a couple of weeks ago.

I hadn't taken much time to look at it until my mother in law was here.

We both paged through it and

She decided to fill her time....

 and make the Orange Cake recipe.

It has 2 or 3 whole oranges in it!

You will have to get the magazine to try this recipe.

I have never had anything like it before.

Sweet, tangy, moist and flourless!