A Finish, A Mystery & Winners

The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery every day. Never lose a holy curiosity.

 Albert Einstein

I wanted to get my finished project blogged about yesterday but I spent most of the past two days in the road running errands.  I didn't get everything done Thursday so I had more to do yesterday.  I had an appointments to keep both days so I was afraid to try to start anything in the studio for fear of being late.  Christmas shopping is almost done but I have a stack of projects for gifts that need my attention.  Hopefully next week and this weekend will allow studio time.

A Finish

My finish is one you have seen before.  It is a charity quilt.  I decided to finish it although there are some ladies who like to stitch the binding down in the group.  That is a good project for some older ladies who don't or can't sew much any more.

Here is a good shot of the quilting.  I used a variegated YLI thread that went from blue to orange so it was perfect for this quilt.  I tried for some glamour shots.  Misty wasn't impressed by the quilt at all.

I did a scrappy binding with the leftover fabrics.  It turned out fine.

I think this shot was after washing.  The fabrics weren't prewashed before piecing.  It shrank some and the color catcher turned blue but there was no bleeding of color.

I tried something new and attempted to center the X on the back.  This is hard to do on the longarm as the layers shift as they are rolled up.  The tension put on the fabric is never exactly the same each time it is rolled either.  I think I did pretty good however it was only about an inch off when finished.  Not enough to be noticed visually.

Misty was one of the reasons for so many errands.  The groomer and the vet.  I'll have to get a picture of her new haircut.  You can see she was a little scruffy here.  She is 10 years old and has been suffering from skin problems this fall.  This is common with her breed but she has shown a little improvement this week.

A Mystery

Last Saturday I had a spike in page views here on my blog, over 2200 in one day.  I'm thinking that someone must have mentioned my blog on Instagram or Twitter because many used Google to find me.  Any of you wonderful readers out there know where this sudden interest come from?  Maybe some of my new readers found me that way.  I'm just curious.  It's nice to get some unexpected hits.

A Christmas Hang Out?

Welcome to ALL my NEW READERS!!!  Even while I've been delinquent in posting my numbers have been crawling upwards.  Thanks for having faith in my imparting something you want to read about.  I am about to hit 400 on Bloglovin.  I haven't check my other numbers lately but that is by far the largest one.  I know others use Feedly, GFC or email to get my posts too.  I'm thinking another drawing will be due soon to celebrate.  How about one to start off the New Year.

Most of my traffic lately, especially while I wasn't posting, was to check out my posts about Christmas projects and the Christmas Hang Out Linkys that I did the past two years.  I have not done any promotion for one this year.  I have been running them the week before Christmas.  If you are interested in having one this year I will be glad to do it.  I was thinking that a theme of Table Toppers would be nice.  This could be anything from Table Runners to Mug Rugs or Placemats.

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN LINKING UP PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW.  The dates would be December 18 - January 1

If I have at least 10 people who want to participate I will do it.  I think I would leave it open until New Years.  That way the Christmas Rush will be OVER and you will have time to think blog again.  If you have a tutorial for anything that will fit the theme let me know and I can feature it one day.

As I have done in the past I would have a Giveaway for those who participate.  I will make a decision Monday according to those who comment this weekend.  If I don't have at least 10 who are interested in linking up I will just skip this year and do one next year.

The Winners!

Thanks to all who commented on the Sew Mama Sew Giveaway.  I used Random. org to select the winners this morning.  Here are the Lucky Numbers that came up.  I will get the gifts on their way to you when I have your snail mail addresses.

#51 Cindy Dahlgren

#55 Debbie

#47 Lisa

#45 Crickets Corner

Congratulations!

Linking with:  Whoop, Whoop and Link a Finish and Finish it up Friday and Fabric Frenzy Friday

Grow Your Blog

Don't wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what. Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confident and more and more successful. 

Mark Victor Hansen

Welcome to all the new visitors here for the 

Grow Your Blog Party!!!

I'm so glad you have found your way to my little corner of blogland.  I hope that you will look around and get to know me a little while you are here!

Let me start off by introducing myself.  My name is Patricia and I am a quilter.  I started sewing before I started to school and haven't stopped yet.  Quilting caught my attention in the mid 70s.  I took my first class in 1979 and haven't stopped yet.  I began teaching quilting in the early 90s and opened a quilt shop in 1996.  Before I closed the shop in 2002 I had begun 'stand up' quilting.  I own a longarm quilting machine and enjoy quilting the tops that I have made as well as doing a little quilting for friends.

If you want to see some of the quilts I have made over the years there are a few under the Finished Quilts Tab at the top of the blog.  This is not by any means ALL the quilts I have made.  There are more scattered throughout the blog posts as well as pictures of many in process. 

My Favorite Quilt

Blogging is my way of reaching out to the quilters around the world.  I try to share some of the knowledge I have learned over the years.  I also love taking pictures and reading.  This year I have joined a couple of reading challenges.  You can find out more about them by clicking the tab at the top of the blog or here (Reading Challenges).  I am also trying to share a photo each week to fit a theme for the 52 Photos Project.  You may have noticed I started my post with a quotation.  This is something I try to do on each post.  I love quotes and make an effort to find one that relates to something I have to say in my post.  I guess you could say that is a personal challenge for me.

Now would you like the chance to win a little gift for visiting my blog?  I tried to come up with something that would be nice for quilters or non-quilters.  I found this nice little pewter key ring.  It has a basket quilt block on it but I think that many people like baskets and almost everyone needs a key ring.

How to win?

Anyone can enter a comment and might win here's what to do.

Leave a comment below about why you like to read blogs.  Anything you want to share about what kind of blogs you like to read or what content makes your favorite blogs appeal to you.  Is it personal tidbits, common hobbies, humor, food, etc.

If you are a follower of my blog, new or old, leave a second comment for a second chance to win.  

Be sure to leave an email address so I can contact you if you are a 'no reply' commenter.

Drawing will be held and winner announced February 15.  That gives you until midnight, February 14, EST to enter.

  

Thanks for stopping by!

Looking Ahead

The imagination is literally the workshop wherein are fashioned all plans created by man. 

Napoleon Hill

I have been busy with quilting and reorganizing my studio work spaces.  It takes a bit of thought and energy to figure out the best place to put things.  I now have better access to my large fabric storage bins and I plan to go through them and cull some of the less useful fabrics over the next few months.  I still haven't had much time with my new machine.  I did manage to put a zipper in a pillow back for what will be a Christmas gift.  It is the quietest machine I've ever used and I really love the bright lights on it.  

I wrote a blog post last week that disappeared when I hit publish.  Grrr...  (Note to self, if you have left the compose screen open for too long, hit refresh BEFORE you start writing again.) So I have been thinking of you I just haven't had a lot the share.  I need to start keeping a list of things I can write SHORT posts about.

HELP OR IDEAS NEEDED!!!

It is now November and the Holidays are approaching at lightening speed.  If you will take a minute and VOTE in the POLL to the right about what you think would be a good name for my Christmas Tree Skirt Linky Party I would appreciate it.  If you have a better suggestion for a name PLEASE SHARE it in the comments.  I also need a Clip Art Picture or something to use for a Linky Button to share.  I have been so focused on my quilting and organizing that the creative ideas for this project just aren't flowing.  Any bright or helpful ideas would be appreciated.  I would even give a small prize to anyone that has an idea or name that I use.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE A TUTORIAL ON MAKING A TREE SKIRT?

I would like to feature some fellow bloggers during the linky party.  If you would like to share a tutorial on how you make a Tree Skirt or maybe on how you like to make the ties, closures or binding for one please let me know ASAP so I can get a schedule organized.  You can find my tutorial that I made in July HERE.

How to Make a Hexagonal Tree Skirt

I thought I would share some pictures of the textured quilting I did on the the quilt I finished a few weeks ago.  There were three areas to quilt sky, a tree and snow.  These pictures are from the back side because the threads matched and did not show up well on the front.

Sky texture - wavy lines and swirls

Tree branch texture

Snow

Not too exciting to look at but the flowers in the print are smaller than a quarter and the quilt was more than 80" in both directions.  It was a lot of quilting!  No pictures of the front as it isn't my quilt.

I was looking for some batting on Joann.com today a happened to notice they have a really good deal on EQ7 and some other EQ products today.  I know many of you were interested in it when I ran the giveaway.  If it is on your Christmas List Now would be the time to get it.  I don't know how long the sale price will be good.

I also learned about a Giveaway the Keepsake Quilting is running.  You can enter daily to win 52 yards of fabric a year.  Sounds like a dream come true to me! 

Enter to Win Fabric for Life from Keepsake Quilting

That's my news for the day.  I'll be back soon to share something new and old that came to my studio recently.

Linking with:  Linky Tuesday

Enjoying the Present

Every year on your birthday, you get a chance to start new.

Sammy Hagar

Today is my birthday.  The last one I'll have in my fifties and that number sounds kind of old!  My husband and I were talking a few days ago about the fact that we have lived in this house for 13 years now and is doesn't seem like it could possibly be that long.  We lived in our previous house for 19 years and that had seemed like such a long time.  The way the years are zipping by we will catch up to that number here shortly.  Time just goes by faster and faster as we age.  

I decided a few years ago that the only time that passes slowly is the last weeks of pregnancy (when I was sure I was going to be pregnant forever) and the hours that you have to wait to hear what the Doctor has to say about test results.  It's not possible for me to repeat the former but it seems that the older you get the more of those darn Doctors you have to see and more often too!  DH is in the middle of going to this one for that and that one for the other etc.  The consensus is that yes, you have this issue and that pain and that's what happens as you get older so you get to live with it and there might be a little pill that will help a little now or later but the problem isn't going away.  Isn't it nice to have something to look forward to?

Yes, there is a point to this depressing diatribe.  I have always been a dreamer.  I've often dreamed of doing this and having that and being able to do this and go there.  There always seemed to be multiple reasons for me not to be able to do the things I dreamed of doing. Sound familiar?  Well I am going to DO IT!  Do What?  I'm going to try to squeeze as much FUN and CREATIVITY and JOY and LIFE as I can into each day from now on.  This will require some effort on my part.  Some of the things I want to do I need to get into better shape to be able to do.  Most of the things I want to do require more time commitments on my part and good planning.  I'll be sharing more later.  I need to make a few lists.

Back to my Birthday.  My oldest daughter took me out to lunch today and I will be leaving shortly for dinner out with my husband, my youngest son, my daughter and her husband. It's been a good day!  Can you tell I gave up cooking on my birthday?  I seem to recall baking my own Birthday Cake back in my 30s and then looking around at my family members and announcing that since there were several others present who knew how to cook (because I had taught them) that I wouldn't be baking any more cakes for my own Birthday.  Now I don't cook my own dinner either.  Sometimes you just have to draw a line in the sand.  LOL 

Presents... so far my DH gave me a bag of dark chocolate with nuts, yum and a card with a promise to buy me something when I decide what I want.  I did buy myself a little something at the Quilt Show.  I haven't opened it yet because I have to rearrange things to make room for it.

I've been wanting an embroidery machine for a while but I was waiting until they evolved a bit more.  The ones I used to sell when I had my shop were the first or second generation. Things have changed for the better!  I was going to get just an embroidery machine but the specials on this one made it worth the difference.  I'll have more details on what it can do when I get it up and running.  If you can't wait to know more look here.  That makes another 'dream come true' this year.  The first of course was my Innova.  I think I'm done buying sewing machines for quite a while.  Now I'm just going to ENJOY learning how to use them and make a lot of things with them!

I've been wanting to start a regular linky party for a while.  What do you think about one that would be for sharing the CREATIVITY and JOY and FUN you find in daily life?  Got any ideas for a good name for it?  Something with 'LINES' in it would be nice of course.  Leave a comment about what I've had to say today along with a name suggestion.  If I go with one of the suggestions the Comment Maker will get a gift.  Right now I do not have one in mind.

Linking with:  Live a Colorful Life