Giveaway Day!

Giveaway is now closed! Congratulations to Lyn, who loves snicker doodles and has an adorable kitty, too. Good taste.

So... If you're new, welcome! If you're not, uh, welcome anyway!

Recently, I learned how to longarm quilt, and I thought I'd talk a little about the process. {Don't worry. There's a point to this.}

I rent time on a Gammill machine, using Superior Threads. They sell batting at an excellent price. It's nice, because not only am I clearing out a lot of UFOs - I also have access to a ton of thread and other things without having to keep them in my sewing room.

My first couple of quilts were done with pantographs. {H is for Henry, How Charming Girl, How Charming Twin Boys} Then I ventured cautiously into freehand. {Swoon, Gobble Gobble, Rainbow Boats, Squadron T-shirt}

And then, with Loopy Ewe, I knew I wanted to do something a little more detailed, but I also knew I wasn't to the point where I could freehand anything more than a star.

Enter, the Quick Swipe.

The longarm place has a ton of stencils. I found some holly and berries, swiped some chalk over it, and voila - a complicated-looking design scattered randomly across the quilt.

So, my giveaway is a Quick Swipe and chalk set.

To enter, leave a comment with your favorite Christmas cookie. I'm training for a half marathon, so I get to eat all the carbs I want this holiday season. Links to the recipe are encouraged.

Other important things:
I'll ship internationally.
Leave an email if you're no-reply. Or just don't be no-reply.
Giveaway ends 12/13 at 5 p.m. PST.

And in gratuitous kitten pictures, the longarm place sells zippers, so you can pin the backing at home and zip on immediately when you get there. This is actually very difficult in my house.

More giveaways at Sew Mama Sew!

Giveaway Day!

Hey, look, I managed to remember Giveaway Day was coming and left something out on purpose during the packing!

{Okay, not really. I have all my panels still hanging in the closet. But let's pretend I'm organized and prepared!}

{It's not really crooked. That's my mad camera skillz.}

Up for grabs: one 23x44" quilt panel by South Seas Imports. Slap some borders on it and it'll make a great baby quilt.

To enter, leave a comment with your favorite house selling tip. As a military wife, I have the moving thing down {going on #8 in 11 years!} - but I am a newbie and terrified by this house selling process!

Giveaway ends May 10 at 5 pm PST.

Check out more giveaways at Sew Mama Sew!

Weekly Progress - Giveway Winner!

Last week was busier than normal, for no real reason. Just a lot of other stuff that kept me from the sewing room. So not much progress in there.

But first, a winner!

Which is SewCindy! Congrats, I shot you an email!

{BOM/Design Wall} No change on Saturday Sampler. I have a good sketch and hopefully good math on the layout, and another 3.5 yards of the black to start setting it. Once I double check my math again.

{Cat Tails} Block #7!

{Boardwalk} The centers of the three pink blocks are done.

{Starburst Quilt Along} Block is finished, backing is prepped, and I've even decided how I'm going to quilt it!

{Fifteen Minute Challenge} Now this I actually have been working on daily! I decided to tackle the Christmas scrap box, so it could be fully organized and packed up for our house sale. And it is taking the full fifteen minutes every day. Please, no one let me buy any Christmas fabric this year. I don't care how cute Sandy Gervais' line is going to be.

Linked:
Fifteen Minute Challenge @ Life In Pieces
Design Wall Monday @ Patchwork Times 
BOMs Away Mondays @ What A Hoot 
WiP Wednesday @ Freshly Pieced
Starburst Quilt Along @ Happy Quilting

100 Follower Giveaway!

I've been meaning to get this together since I hit 100 last week, but I'm behind on everything online. I'm trying to keep up with blogs, but my poor old laptop can't handle it, and while I read on Flipboard, I end up commenting less because the iPad likes to change my words. #firstworldproblems

But I really do appreciate you followers, and to prove it, I'm going to fall asleep on the couch before finishing this post give away some things.

The newest issue of American Patchwork Quilting, a Jaybird Quilts pattern, and a Denyse Schmidt small project pattern set.

You have two chances for entry. 

First, by being a follower {in the little gadget over there ----->} and commenting as such.

Second, by commenting with your favorite Queen song. "None" is not an acceptable answer. Neither is "the Muppets singing Bohemian Rhapsody" {get off the computer, Dude.} If you really don't have a favorite, put "Fat Bottomed Girls," because it's my favorite and I like to skew the results.

Giveaway will remain open until next Sunday morning, and Mr. Random will choose the results. As always, don't be no-reply. Seriously. Just don't.

And thanks!

Giveaway Winner!

Um, wow. I wasn't expecting over 350 comments. Y'all must like the Beatles. Or Millie's Closet.

To drag this out...

Seventy-five different Beatles songs were mentioned.

{And yet six of you? Couldn't even find one you liked.}

"Hey Jude" won, hands down, with 76 mentions.

"I Wanna Hold Your Hand" came in second with 41.

"Eleanor Rigby" came in third with 24.

{Though it was close with 23 mentions of "Yellow Submarine." Which the majority of you blamed on your children. Or me for getting it in your head. You're welcome.}

Only one of you likes my favorite, "Across the Universe." Monica is obviously the most awesome person ever.

And the winner...

Judy - obviously a "Hey Jude" fan - of Sew, Rip, Repeat!

Congratulations, I'm shooting you an email!

Oh, and so you can start brushing up now - next giveaway will be your favorite Queen song. "None" will not be an acceptable answer.

Giveaway Day!

Giveaway is now closed. Thanks for entering!

Welcome!

The short summary {because I know you just want to get to the giveaway...}

My name is Kate. My dad calls me Katie Mae.

I have two sons - the Dude, who is in second grade, and the Little Man, who is still in Korea. We are bringing him home this spring.

My husband is currently enjoying an all expenses paid vacation to an undisclosed location.

I have two cats. One is very fat and lazy. The other is very annoying, which means he is involved in my sewing as much as he possibly can be.

When I am sewing, I finish tops. And then let them sit foreeeeeeeever instead of quilting them. The links at the top have some of my finishes. The links on the side go to my Facebook, Pinterest, etc.

When I'm not sewing, I'm running. I ran three half marathons this year, and next year, I'm going for three in 83 days in order to qualify for the Half Fanatics.

And finally, the giveaway!

A layer cake of Millie's Closet by Lori Holt/Bee in My Bonnet {Riley Blake}

If you want it, you'll have to work for it. I want to know your favorite Beatles song. If you don't have one, you don't deserve to win. No judgment - but if your favorite is "Yellow Submarine" - you are my son and not eligible to win.

Winner will be selected Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. CST, by Mr. Random.

Don't be no-reply. It's annoying. Make sure I can contact you.

International entries welcome!

Giveaway Winner!

I'm a bit too lazy to do the screenshots for two winners, so without further adieu...

Winner of the Meet the Gang charm packs is Debbie from A Quilter's Table! I won one of hers a while back and just spent the gift certificate - more on that tomorrow.

Winner of the homespuns is KT (no blog)!

Congratulations to you both, and thanks to all who entered! I will get them in the mail as soon as I get your address. :)

Fifty Follower Giveaway!

In celebration of fifty followers, I'm giving away two prizes:

Two charm packs of Meet the Gang...

And four quarter yards of homespun.

All you need to do to win is:

a) leave a comment saying which you'd prefer to win

b) be a follower. (Duh. It's a celebration of YOU, followers.) But new ones are welcome.

Winners will be selected randomly on Saturday, March 10. Winners must have an email address to win. While she is my favorite follower, my mom can't win. (She'd just give the fabric back to me, anyway.)

Giveaway Winner!

I'll be back with my Friday Night Sew-In results in a bit, but first - giveaway winner!

Congratulations, and thanks to everyone who entered!

Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day!

Welcome! I hope you'll take some time to browse in addition to entering the giveaway, and feel free to follow me if you like what you see!

I've finished about a dozen quilts this year, I make felt food for my son's kitchen every Friday, I'm doing a Swoon quilt with three different block sizes, and I'm in the process of moving my sewing room.

While moving the sewing room, I sorted through fabrics and found these two panels.

{Frolic by Sandy Gervais and Love U by Deb Strain}

One was supposed to be the back of my niece's quilt...but I ran out of time to piece it. The other, I have two because I really thought my cousin would have twin girls...but she had boys.

My loss, your gain!

To enter, leave a comment about panels. Do you like them? Do you use them in the front or back of a quilt? Do you leave them as is, or cut them apart and rearrange?

{As usual, if you're a no-reply blogger, make sure you leave an email.}

Mr. Random Generator will pick a winner at 5 p.m. PST on 12/16.

Winner (& Some Jeans Sewing)

No, I didn't start on Grandma's lap quilt, but that is what I'm going to do. I like the suggestion of cutting it so the pockets make, well, pockets.

I cut off a pair of my own jeans, since my husband has been complaining about me wearing them with knee holes. But...I cut them to knee length and now he's complaining that they're too long. Men!

Anyway, the winner is...

Spinning Star!

Thanks for entering! :)

My New (Old) Sewing Machine & a Giveaway

A few months ago, I had the following conversation with my husband's cousin.

Cousin: Do you want Grandma's sewing machine? She asked all the girls and no one wanted it.

Me: Sure, what is it?

Cousin: I don't know. Not a Singer. It starts with an N.

Me: OH MY GOD IS IT A NECCHI?
Cousin: I guess you want it?

Be still, my heart - it's a pink Necchi Supernova Ultra Mark Two. With the original cams and everything.

So, in honor of Grandma's generosity (she also gave me a box of fabric), her 80th birthday (today), and my 32nd birthday (yesterday), I'm giving away four fat quarters picked to match the Necchi.

{pink: Winsome by Nancy Halvorsen; yellow, green & blue don't have the right selvage side}

Want to know how to win? Grandma also gave me these:

They're the jeans that were cut off her husband the day he went to the hospital. I never got to meet my husband's grandfather - he died just before we started dating.

I'd like to do something special with his jeans - I just don't know what. So, for a chance to win, just comment with a suggestion of what to make with them.

{As usual, if you're a no-reply blogger, make sure you leave an email.}

Mr. Random Generator will pick a winner next Saturday.

Thanks for entering (and vote for Tycho, #89, here!)

Giveaway Winner!

Mr. Random picked AMKreations! She's a fan of Countdown to Christmas. 

I'm not surprised to see all the Flurry fans. I've got four charm packs of 12 Days of Christmas from last year. Kate Spain rocks!

Personally, I'm all about the Grinch this year. We watch it every year on Thanksgiving to kick off the holiday season, and I can't wait to get my hands on those Grinchy fabrics for decorating.

Congratulations to AMKreations and thanks so much to everyone who entered!

Giveaway!

 

In honor of my 100th post, and Sew Mama Sew's Give Away Day...

 I give you Christmas in May!

Four fat quarters of Basic Grey's Figgy Pudding.

Free to a good home - US or international.

All you have to do is comment with your favorite upcoming Christmas fabric line and hope Mr. Random Number Generator picks you.

(You MUST leave an email if you are a no-reply blogger.)
Winner will be chosen on Thursday, May 26, and posted on Friday.

Good luck!

{This is not a requirement for the giveaway, but in light of the tornado hitting Joplin, MO, last night, please consider texting REDCROSS to 90999 to give $10, or donate in any way on the Red Cross website or a charity of your choice.}