In the Meadow We Can Build A Snowman (or bunches of them)!

Two years ago I got the kit for Lisa Bongean's Mini Warm Winter Blessings. After returning from my Winter Retreat earlier this month where we worked on two wool projects I asked myself why I hadn't stitched up this kit yet. So I have worked on it most evenings of late.

The blocks finish up at 4"x5 1/2".

I just need to sew the rows together, add the two borders and this will be ready to baste and quilt!

I ordered this kit when I attended Winter Retreat in January of 2013 with Lisa Bongean. It was my first experience with Wool applique and I learned from the master. Our project was actually two blocks from the larger version of Warm Winter Blessings, but I realized I wouldn't have anywhere to display a quilt that size, so after making those blocks I stopped and waited for the motivation to make the mini version.

This is one of the larger blocks I had made. I'm turning it into a pillow.

                         Continuing with the snowman theme, I made a new little ornament.

This is a free paper pieced pattern from Carol Doak's website that I reduced. DD#1 sent me this cool winter tree ornament and I made the snowman to go with it. I may make another one and face it in the opposite direction. You can click the photos to get a better view.





I don't have another snowman, but what about a snow-lamb?

My winter Lamb for All Seasons is ready for the wool to be stitched down. I am trying to decide how to embellish it a little more. If this is your first visit, this is based on Lisa Bongean's free pattern Old Glory Gatherings. This is the sixth lamb I have made for this series.

If you missed my last post I want to make sure you get the word. This beautiful snowflake pattern from last year's Row By Row Experience is now available on the designer's Etsy and Craftsy pages, as a  digital download for only $3.50.

Okay, let's get down to the winners of the drawing.
Karen Beigh (Log Cabin Quilter blog) is the happy winner of the 12 banner patterns.

Nancy Ratliff (Tattered Garden Quilting blog) is the runner up and will receive 3 other Buttermilk Basin patterns.
Congrats to the two of you, and thank you to Miss Stacy from Buttermilk Basin for contributing the banner patterns for this giveaway!!

This time around I got more "no reply" comments than ever before. If you find your profile name below then your profile settings do not allow anyone to respond to you when you leave comments on their blogs. You can change the settings and if you want help, let me know (making sure your email address is included) and I will link you to some good instructions.
Quilting by the Lake
Gale C.
Beth Barron
Sue in Oregon
Rhonda Knutsen
Lorraine
Lana Cadwallader
Melissa Horne
Quilter Kim
Candee
Elley Z
Sonja Mclane

Until next time,
Janet O.

Buttermilk Basin Banners Pattern Giveaway!

Remember these wonderful banners that I shared photos of in my last post? One for every month of the year (they are obviously not in order here--I am just lucky I got them all loaded and semi-lined up), and all so cute. They finish at just under 8"x15", so they can fit in a multitude of places.

Well, all of these patterns can be yours! Miss Stacy had promised to send some patterns for a giveaway, and when she saw that I had featured these, she sent the whole set! How cool is that?

To enter just leave a comment and tell me whether or not you have ever made a pattern from Buttermilk Basin before.

*If you are a "no-reply comment" you will not be entered.*

I need to clarify that I did not make these banners. These are all the work of Miss Stacy herself and I took these photos at her trunk show earlier this month!

There will be one winner of the set of patterns and a small consolation prize for second place.

The drawing will remain open until noon MST on Saturday, January 24th. I will post the winner that night.

Thanks so much to Miss Stacy of Buttermilk Basin for a great giveaway!







One more note of good news. Last year I posted this photo during the Row By Row shop hop experience. It was the prettiest "row" I had seen!

It was designed by Annette, an employee of the LQS where it was the featured "row". Several of you asked to be notified when it became available for sale. You can see it on Annette's blog here, where she shares the link for purchasing it through etsy or Craftsy. Very reasonably priced, too!

That's all for now.
Until next time,
Janet O.

Giveaway Now Closed

Stitchin' with Stacy--and having a blast!

I spent last Friday and Saturday with Miss Stacy from Buttermilk Basin, at the Village Dry Goods Winter Retreat. This is the third year I have attended and it has been fun to become acquainted with Lisa Bongean, Pam Buda, and now Stacy West. It was a 3 day event this year, but I only did the last two days. This was our project on Friday (this one is Stacy's, but mine is almost finished).

 It was designed to be a picnic basket cover, but I think I may make a wall hanging with mine.

 

Stacy demonstrated the necessary techniques and stitches, and introduced us to my favorite  new fusing product, Soft Fuse. I don't think I will be so hesitant to start prepping new wool projects now that I have learned about this.

This is the room full of stitchers Stacy managed with her easy-going, fun-loving style, and we did have a good time. The Village Dry Goods gals made sure we had plenty of peanut M&Ms, pretzels and Swedish Fish on each table to fuel our creative activity.

 We came away with near-finished pieces and good memories.

Friday evening was the dinner/trunk show at the event center of a local restaurant.

Good food and company.

Lots of fun--you should have seen Cindy (in the middle) dance as she helped display Stacy's little quilts.

And plenty of inspiration. I'm wondering now why I didn't buy that pattern on the right.

If you haven't already noticed, Stacy's pattern niche is small, prim-style, monthly themed designs.

One of the shop owners brought a cute little granddaughter helper.

So many tempting monthly pinkeep and candle mat designs.

I want to try and show you a year's worth of her banners. Blogger doesn't cooperate when I load this many photos, so I won't even try to put them in order. I think you can figure it out. You can click to enlarge any of them if you want to.

  

 These banners finish at just under 8x15"--a lovely size for hanging on a door or in a little space that needs brightening.

Here is our project on my second day.

Just some stitching on the black edge, buttons and a few decorative stitches and I can make mine into a pillow like Stacy's.

On the left Jamie is stitching her beautiful heart (love her wool), and across the table Stacy is helping someone with their project from the first day (which I didn't attend).

Everyone who attended the dinner/trunk show received a pattern with some of the wool needed to make it.
My friend, Kim, made time to start hers. It is one of the banners shown above, and it is so cute.

To the right, one of the shop owners (RoLayne) is trying to share her box of Peeps. She actually likes them, so it was very thoughtful of her. I passed. : )

 Stacy has so many wonderful patterns. Shall we talk about how many came home with me? Maybe not. We did receive some as gifts, and I won a couple in the crazy game we played each day, but I also did my part in emptying my wallet. If you'd like to check out her patterns click here. You can click on each of the categories on that page to see all of the patterns in each collection. And rumor has it that Miss Stacy will be sending some patterns to be given away on this blog, so stay tuned.

If you are still with me, you have earned a nap--or chocolate--or both. : )
Until next time,
Janet O.

  

Baby Bow Ties, Baby Bunny, and stuff.

Haven't posted for a while, because I haven't stitched much. I put my sewing machine away a week or so before Christmas and haven't done much with it since I got it out after Christmas.
I did finally get the top for this little Bow Tie quilt assembled. It is made entirely from repurposed shirts.

The bow ties finish at 1" and the inner border is 1/4" wide. I did foundation paper piece the bow ties. I only repeated one bow tie fabric. Can you spot it?

Part of my holiday was spent watching over the grandbunny. My grandkids got a dwarf lop-earred bunny for Christmas, so I got to take care of it while they visited their other grandparents for 5 days. Isn't she cute?

Her name is Honey, but I usually called her Bunny Foo-Foo. I think she misses me.

Let's see, have I done anything else?
Oh, yes--these 4-patch blocks were made from my "leftover parts" bowl early last year and I finally decided on a setting square color and got them cut. Haven't stitched anything together yet. I want to bind it in red or purple for some pizzazz.

 

These blocks seemed huge after making the bow ties. They will finish at 2".

I guess I could also share my very slow progress on my "Stars in the Garden" I'm using 1/2" hexies, so it is larger (yes, larger) than the original. And I finally settled on a background fabric from Primitive Gatherings and got it ordered just before Christmas.

 

This sees very little action because I don't love doing hexies, but I love this quilt, so I talk myself into working on it now and then.

 Many bloggers are posting their resolutions for the year ahead, and planning out which BOM programs, mystery quilts, linky parties, and SALs they will do. So I will follow suit (though I usually don't do resolutions).

Quilting Goals for 2015

1. Work on the UFOs I neglected last year.

2. Avoid signing up for BOM programs and try to resist SALs (except a couple of doll quilts, maybe).

3. Don't do mystery quilts.

4. Hmmmm, I guess if I don't do any of the items in #2 & #3, I won't be doing linky parties, either.

5. Keep plenty of dark chocolate in the sewing room. Even if I fail at the others, I think I can manage this one!

 

Until next time, when hopefully I will have more to share,

Janet O.