Check out this giveaway...

Check out Lyn's giveaway over at Bluebird Quilts;

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... and the winners are .....

I know what you are thinking, what's in the chuck right???

I spent a whole morning this week writing out all your entries and adding them to the chuck.
My dear husband Tony picked out the winners randomly - and I can vouch that he had a good dig around and didn't peek.
I can finally announce that the winners of my giveaway are;

Gina from Quilting in the Valleys who won Option 1; The bag patterns and charm squares

and

Quilter Going Bananas who won option 2; The book, charm pack and pin cushion

Congratulations you two!! Please contact me with your address details and I will get your goodies posted off right away.

I will add that I have enjoyed this giveaway and want to thank everyone for entering, leaving comments, adding my side-bar and blogging about me. Maybe I'll do another one soon!!!
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Welcome to my studio ...

I admit to feeling a little envious when some of you wonderful bloggers have shown pictures of your beautiful crafting rooms. I have admired the fact that you don't end up dripping spaghetti bolognaise on your ironing boards or even tripped over the ironing board whilst rushing to answer the phone, cook the tea and let the dog out whilst trying to quilt your latest work of art - all at the same time!!! Phew, breathless!!!!

Working in the kitchen, from home can be great - the advantages include always being there for deliveries, being able to do what you want, when you want. But the disadvantages in my case far outweigh the benefits;

• I pratically took over the kitchen and the living room with threads and fabric - as much as hubby loves me he really can't stand what he calls 'mess' and I call 'creativity' ,
• Often poor hubby can't even find the table under the array of fabrics - never mind eating off it, hence lots of indigestion eating off our knees - oh dear!!
• Hubby and Henri, our Jack Russell have been the victims of being pricked by dropped pins!!! Whoops!!
• There is also the distraction of TV, computer, eating, having yet another cup-of-tea to help with inspiration, if I'm desperate even housework took me away from work!!
• There is also my pet hate of 'having' to tidy up when I am at my most creative - I can never seem to get back into the groove afterwards.

I hate to go on but really, something had to give. After searching on-line for a studio for rent I came across one that sounded too good to be true, not far from home. I e-mailed the owner, had a brief look on a Sunday evening, took hubby back for a second look the next day, weighed up the benefits and moved in on Wednesday. Wow, am I lucky. This place is great, reasonable and allows me to work undistracted and our home to return to exactly that - a wonderful retreat and family home without chaos!!

I hope I won't make you too envious !! Enjoy some picture and apologies for the heavy use of text!!!

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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.

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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