Not One, but Two Giveaways....

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS GIVEAWAY HAS NOW ENDED

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO ENTERED

I have decided to have a Giveaway - the first I have done since blogging began for me this year. No reason - just because. The first challenge for this giveaway was what to actually giveaway, I really couldn't decide - so i have decided to giveaway two options.

Please copy and paste my button to your sidebar;

The rules are fairly simple, please let me know if you find them a struggle to understand. I will select one winner for each option and the winner will be randomly selected - I haven't quite figured out how to use this facility so I will be doing the old-fashioned way of selecting names at random from a hat!

The rules;

1. Leave me a comment with the option you would like to win and your contact details. That will earn you one entry. (You can't win both options unfortunately).

2. Paste my blog button to your side-bar - this will earn you an extra entry.

3. Post about my giveaways on you blog - this will earn you 3 entries.

4. Anyone who enters and leaves a comment of the blog who linked them to me gets themselves and the other blog member 5 entries each.

I will be drawing the winners on 30 September 2009. Don't forget to come back and tell me if you blog about the giveaway or use my button otherwise you will only be entered once.

Good luck.

Glitter Text Generator

Made to make your mouth water

This is the latest quilt I have been working on. It was made from one charm pack of Moda Snippets by American Jane. The pattern was adapted from Jodi of SimplyThisThatandtheOther found at this link on the Moda Bakeshop. I made mine bigger with white squares inbetween each pinwheel and made more squares for the prairie points.

As I was quilting this, the colours actually made my mouth water - they remind me of the sweets called 'Starburst' now, but used to be called 'Opal Fruits' in the UK. I could actually taste the flavours of lime, lemon, orange and strawberry. It was lovely to step back in time and think of days when the only troubles I had on my mind were what sweets I should buy with my pocket money. Oh those were the days .... I still wouldn't swap them though for all the sweeties in the world.

I'll have to do more close-ups as the quilting on this quilt is just gorgeous - I stitched inside a 1/4" from each section of the pinwheels but then felt that the squares needed something extra. I bought a book recommended by Lynda of Master of Patience, called 'Quilting makes the Quilt' and found a lovely stylised daisy pattern that echoes the motif in the fabric. I also quilted round the edge with a meandering loop-d-loop with daisies.

My piecing and quilting skills are definately improving.

Anyway, I must dash now as I'm off to The festival of Quilts at the NEC in Birmingham - I'm so excited!!!!

Caroline xxx

Thank you for your help.

I knew you lovely blogging buddies could help and I thank you from my heart, for helping me decide how to quilt my latest quilt. The consensus was to echo quilt the vines and flowers and cross-hatch or stitch-in-the-ditch the coin stack. After reading your comments I felt confident enough to give echo-quilting a try - for the first time. I was surprised at how easy it was to do, using the edge of the foot as a guide.

I also decided to stitch-in-the-ditch as I wanted the quilting to be fairly simple. I'm pleased with the result - I also added some buttons to give the flowers a little more effect.

Thank you all for your suggestions, you really are a helpful group of wonderful people.

Caroline xxx

Flower Garden Quilt - Please help!!!

My latest quilt is almost completed - that is the top is complete but I am having a little difficulty deciding how this one should be quilted.

It is a rather simple design based on coin stack using a charm pack in the Moda range 'Portugal' by April Cornell. I have hand stitched the vine on and added the applique flowers.

I am trying to steer clear of stippling and feel that this quilt should be kept quite simply quilted. I know how wonderful all you amazing quilting bloggers are and wondered if you had any suggestions. I will consider all suggestions, so hopefully it will be truly completed soon.

Thank you. Caroline xxx

Wow a Great Giveaway

Look at this amazing giveaway over at Quilting in the Valleys, here. It's gorgeous and I would love to win such a beautiful quilt.

Sailing Away Quilt Completed

I finally finished stitching the bias for this little quilt last night so that I could post you the pictures before the weekend. This has turned into one of my favourite quilts so far. I do love the colour combo of blue, red and white together, it's such a simple but effective design.

I showed a picture of how I was going to quilt it a couple of posts ago, but on reflection I thought the pattern was too fussy and I wanted to portray calmer waters so I have done a bit of a simple wave design with some curls.

Hope you all have a good weekend.

Caroline xxx

Pinwheel Quilt

Recently I was asked to make a quilt for a new baby by a friend from Sweden. There was little time and the brief was red, blue and cream patchwork. I came across this design on Moda Bakeshop from Jodi of SimplyThisThatandtheOther found here . It was very easy and quick to do, I wasn't sure if the design would work with mixed coloured pinwheels, I used a charm pack from Moda's Zippity Doo Dah range, but I am more than happy with the finished article.

The quilt is winging it's way to a new baby boy in Sweden who is being Christened early next month. I hope he enjoys the quilt for many years to come.

Some Loop-d-loop quilting finished it off nicely.
Completed boat quilt and other exciting projects coming soon.

Caroline xxx