Fun Friday Giveaway!
September 21, 2012 Here she is ... my sort of self-portrait.
I love it. It's happy, fun, bright, pretty, a perfect combination of embroidery, patchwork, hand quilting ... ad libbing. Fun fun fun.
But I have a question for you. Do you do this too - buy pretty little things like a jar of white buttons ...
yards of lace ...
and novelty trim ...
just because you like them? And then you put them somewhere in your sewing space, either as decoration or in a drawer or box? And then never use them?
I do ... or rather did. But blogland has inspired me to new heights and made me realize that I'm tired of buying pretty things and then never using them. So I turned over a new leaf with this quilt and broke out of that rut!
I discovered the tape trim fit perfectly on top of the lace so I added it to a few squares. I fussy cut 1-2 because it is 2012.
And then 4-5 because maybe that's how old I am ... maybe. ;)
Here are my pretty buttons ...
That's right.
I went all crazy and sacrificed EIGHT of 'em! LOL!
I had a few fabric squares left over and I didn't want to waste them. But I already had the main part of this quilt and the first border added.
So I stitched up the teacup, pieced it together with the leftovers and added the afterthought panel to the bottom!
And then I thought it would look pretty if I added a run of lace.
I'm not usually a red girl but this quilt was begging for red binding.
Perfect, right?
This project started with me wanting to embroider some designs from "Little Stitches". I had no idea it was going to look like this. Funny what happens when you let yourself play.
And you know, Aneela's book has so many designs you could easily do something similiar to what I did with different themes - children at play (girl &/or boy), Christmas, domesticity, crafting, transportation, animals, flora, seasons, toys, pets ...
Thanks Aneela, couldn't have done this without you!
Now without further ado, I have a "Little" giveaway today.
C&T Publishing is kindly offering one of you a copy of "Little Stitches", the book that inspired my project. If the winner is a US resident, you will receive a hard copy. If the winner is NOT a US resident, you'll be sent an eBook.
To enter this giveaway, leave me a comment with your favorite winter crafting activity. Comments will close Sunday, September 23 at 9:00 pm PST and I'll announce the winner Monday morning.
Good luck everyone!
And have a great weekend too.
PS: And also happy first day of Autumn!
Reader Comments (220)
This a great giveaway!
I love to knit in the winter. It keeps my lap warm and I end up with scarves and cowls to match every outfit, as well as other goodies to give as gifts.
Always sewing, but I do tend to lean towards appliqué, wool especially. I also take time to embroider most days. Oh and I usually do some hand quilting.
I love your self portrait. What a wonderful idea!
I spent my first Winter in Canberra with lots of handwork and tried knitting...
love how your little quilt turned out! I think my favorite winter activity is knitting or cross stitching or quilting...anything with a cup of coffee nearby!
First of all - I LOVE your blog -- check in every day! My passion is quilting, and winter or summer, I enjoy time spent in my quilt room more than just about anything!
I love all of your projects, you are so creative that I always visit your blog to find inspiration! I love seing in the winter and also knitting scarfs and jumpers! Handmade knitted clothes are warmer I think! Thank you for the giveaway
Make favourite winter crafting activity is quilting. Mind you, I like making quilts in the Spring, Summer and Fall too.
I love that trim you used that looks like a measuring tape. I've been trying to find it in my LQS but haven't had success.
My favorite winter craft is sewing of any kind. Embroidery by machine or hand, piecing, and making quilts. I love it all! It's my therapy when I can't get out side because of the cold or snow. Thank you for all your lovely ideas. They inspire me and your blog is a bright spot in my day.
This would be a perfect book to use to teach my girls how to embroider! Thank you so much for the chance to win.
I'm new to your blog and new to sewing too! Though I've been collecting fabric and notions for about a year now. This post has really inspired me to actually DO something with all my treasures. I love that the quilt tells a story about the maker. I truly admire the embroidery and the way you've made it all fit together with embellishments as well. Very creative and not so different from my favorite Winter craft - SCRAPBOOKING. Followed closely by crochet.
I love reading your blog. You make the most pretty little things all the time. Quilting must be my favorite creative activity during the winter. It is snugglier finishing quilts in the winter when it is cold. Would love to add some embroidery to my quilts so thanks for the chance to win.
I don't know if I have favorite winter sewing craft, but I truly love to stitch up quilts. That goes pretty hand in hand with winter. I can stay warm as I sew.
I LOVE your quilt, it's so cheery. My favorite winter crafting activities are knitting, sewing, and needle punch.
Making an afghan is my favorite winter craft activity. Just as long as I keep those fingers busy I'm happy.
A favorite winter craft of mine is to make wine bottle gift bags out of fabric. I use them at Christmas to give bottles of wine to our friends. I keep trims and ribbon too, so I grab that box and we use them up for bows. Thanks Krystine! I love your quilt and would squeal with joy if I win Aneela's book! Love little stitchy projects. They make me smile.
So very pretty, thank you:)
First of all, I love love love your quilt! Very inspiring! I have a ton of buttons and ribbons that I barely use too! I may just have to dig into the stash and actually make something with them! I love to knit hats in the winter...socks too. Thanks for the chance to win! I am a huge Aneela fan! Love your blog and all the pretty things you make!
My favorite winter crafting is sewing quilt binding down by hand. The quilt keeps me nice and toasty while I do it.
I think I am just squeaking in here. My favourite winter activity is of course quilting ; )
My favorite is to work on small embroidery projects while sitting on the deck of my apartment. Especially early morning where it's so quiet I can enjoy the birds singing, The natural light is key to good hand work! Oh winter, please hurry up.
Patricia