Giveaway winner! and a challenge completed

So I did the random generator thing and picked #54! 

Yeah!!!!...????ohhhhh.  Colleen!



  There were only 53 comments not 55!  Opps!  My bad!

So I picked again, and drum rollllllllllll #30.....Joanna of Needle, Thread, Happiness is the winner!

Joanna said, "I learned about your giveaway on Linda at Stray Stitches' blog. The lapquilt you won is a great prize. And I am addicted to Christmas fabric. I love all of the collections, and especially love vintage. I'm posting your giveaway on the sidebar of my blog. "


If you you are looking for some stash busting ideas for your vintage Christmas fabric then check out the comments on the original giveaway post. I have made my on todo list.


So now for Amy's Creative Side-One Week, One Thing Challenge . I finished it! Yeah me! I machine quilted and put the binding on a lap quilt that is a gift for someone.

Which means I can't show you anything but this little snippet.

Here is a picture of it folded up with my current UFO boxes, first new modern quilt, the Christmas mix tape quilt I won, and the top quilt is the one I finished this week. 

Look back for a full picture after I give it to _______shhhh! Also another 1990's stash giveaway at the end of the month. I am thinking blues maybe or some novelty-there is that Mystery Quilt going on by Bonnie Hunter.





Keep dreaming...Colleen aka 'butterflygirl'

I'm Guest blogging today! (Giveaway ends soon!)

I'm am so excited to be guest blogging today over at the fabulous Stash Manicure!  I have some old pics of my former life as a quilter in the 1990's.  I also talk a little about the trials and tribulations of being a reborn blogger, rulers, and cutting mats..

BTW a little background on this pic from my Stash Manicure post.  Above is my late cat Opus the Penguin, Opus for short.  He was my baby.  I had him for 14.5 years and he died a couple days after my chemo in November 2005.  I still get teary eyed thinking about him as I was living down the road with my parents during my illness and he was home alone.  As you can see from the pic he was always in the middle of my sewing.  He used to sit on the back of my chair draped over my shoulder, batting at the sewing machine needle.  I love this pic where I found him laying on my ironing board on some Christmas cat fabric with some cat blocks from an exchange and a small cat wall hanging on my design wall behind him.  His name and image have always represented the handmade items I have sold as Opus designs and is the name of my Etsy store.

My Christmas stash busting giveaway ends Monday!  Check out how to enter here.  I think I will do a 1990's stash buster giveaway at the end of each month.  Hmmm...maybe some blue fabric for January/winter projects...

For Amy's One Week One Thing Challenge #5 I finished machine quilting my secret present-a Disappearing 9 patch with a "free motion" pattern.  I put it in quotes because it did surely not move freely as I quilted.  I showed glimpses of this quilt here and will post pics after I give it as a present to someone who reads this blog.

 Last Saturday I met an experienced machine quilter who told me she machine quilted 13 baby quilts when she was learning, and it wasn't until the 13th one she felt like she was competent.  I guess I have 12 more to go!  LOL! Tomorrow the binding and label!

Does it really ever get easier?  There were small sections when I felt successful, but then there were the tension issues with my old Kenmore.  BTW after I get the binding on how should I wash it?  I'm used to fleece cozies and wall hangings and am scared to wash.  Any hints would be greatly appreciated!

Keep dreaming...Colleen aka 'butterflygirl'

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope everyone takes the time to slow down and enjoy family and friends and of course turkey!

I and my family will surely enjoy this lovely 25.02 pound bird being stuffed by my mom!  Gotta love Dad and his desire for leftovers.  You would think we were feeding 25 instead of 6.  My sister Kelly and I have our leftover containers ready.

Speaking of Dad he dragged me downstairs as soon as I walked in the door to see the progress on the photo album cabinet he is making for my mom for Christmas-dont worry it is not a surprise. 

 He is using cherry wood and a marble top.  Two deep drawers each  fit up to twenty-six  10 by 10 albums.  I guess you know where I get my creativity from!

Again I hope everyone takes time out to eat the turkey and sit and gab with family and friends.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Keep dreaming...Colleen aka 'butterflygirl'

Guess what was at my front door (and GIVEAWAYS!)

So I came home to this inside my door.

A week ago Karen over at FeistyEily decided she had a quilt surplus so she decided to give one away.  And guess who won?? 

Its a Christmas Mix tape lap quilt.

Isnt it beautiful!  Karen was worried that because she had cats some cat hair may still be with the quilt, even though she washed it.  It smells wonderful too-take a sniff!

Well I'll think I'll just let Kalli tell Karen what we thought of any hitchhiker cat hair..

Thanks Karen for a wonderful early Christmas present!  We love it!!

Now for the Giveaway...

In the spirit of Stash Manicure where I will be guest blogging on Sat. Nov. 27.  I have found some of my 1990's Christmas stash to part with.   A bundle of 5 vintage VIP fat quarters and 2 yards of a vintage Concord Fabrics print by Joan Kessler. 

To enter:

1. Leave a comment below on what you would use these fabrics for and
2. Post about it on your blog.  Simple!

I will pick a winner on November 30, just in time for some last minute Christmas sewing! 

I think I might add to the list of quilting resolutions for 2011-give away or use some of my 90's fabric stash every month.


P.S. Amy's is having another One Week Challenge!  I will finish quilting my secret Christmas quilt this week and bind it!

 

P.P.S. Another giveaway here for some beautiful charm squares.

P.P.P.S.  My friend Gina is giving away an AWESOME purse on her blog

Ginabean.

P.P.P.P.S. Trish at All Things Crafty is giving away a go die here!

P.P.P.P.P.S. And now a great quilt giveaway from Pink Fig Designs-see beautiful quilt #1 on the right.

Keep dreaming...Colleen aka 'butterflygirl'

Christmas Quilt Show 2010

I am excited to be participating in my second online quilt show!  You can see the other entries here.  My entry is for a candle mat I made for a swap.

I really enjoyed this first swap of my reborn quilting life!  I participated in many in the my past quilting life-I have a trunk full of blocks waiting to be made into tops(future New Year’s Resolution 2011).

I actually ordered the charm pack of Moda’s 12 Days of Christmas especially for this.  Modern fabrics!  Even though I have a box full of lovely Christmas prints I really loved these fabrics!  I machine quilted it on my old Kenmore.  I'm still trying to figure that out.  i do love the look of outline quilting and straight lines. I also took the extra charms and made a mug rug and one of my special coasters.  I even have enough left for another candle mat!  Wow!  All that from one charm pack!  I thought I took a picture of them all but…Fa La La La La!  Merry Christmas!

 

Keep dreaming…Colleen

Yet more giveaways and a sneak peek

I know, I know.  Where are the pics, the projects?  All I've blogged about has been giveaways.  Well it's book fair week in my library and the Super Librarian is up to her neck in books.  I did stop the other night long enough to make a patchwork cape with an SL appliqued on it  and a matching sash with pockets to hold bookmarks.  I post a pic when my friend gets it too me.

So without further ado
Retro Mummy is having a giveaway.

Oh yeah Christmas sewing is also getting in the way.  I forgot I have some sneak peek pics of a disapearing 9 patch quilt I am working on for an unnamed person.  I have had to crop certain revealing fabrics out.  Its my first attempt at machine quilting not using straight lines.  I've come to the conclusion need a newer machine.

 

Keep dreaming...Colleen aka 'butterflygirl'

Friday night sewin

Sorry to tired to sew tonight..didnt even get this posted in time as I fell asleep!
Ps Here is a Thanksgiving giveaway over at the Faithful Quilter.

Keep dreaming...Colleen aka 'butterflygirl'

Accuquilt Giveaway plus one more!

 Another Accuquilt Go giveaway!  Check it out on Simply Solids blog.  

Also RetroMummy is have a Fantastic! Fabric! Giveaway!.

 
Keep dreaming…Colleen

Vintage Christmas Fabric

I stopped at a few yard sales on my way home from the first meeting of my Saturday Bee.  One was mostly Avon collectibles, but in a box of miscellaneous Christmas stuff I found 2 yards of vintage fabric.  I think it may have been used for a table cloth but it was not hemmed on the selvedge sides. It is soft and has been washed but is in great condition-no stains.  I love the classic red poinsettias on green background.  It is made by Spring Industries. 

So guess the price…$.10!! Yes that is ten pennies, 1 dime, ten cents!!  It would make great backing or border or fussy cut or… 

 

Keep dreaming…Colleen

Giveaways

Check out these giveaways by  4 sister and a Mom Giveaway!

Keep dreaming...Colleen aka 'butterflygirl'

In honor of all vetrans...

Including my Dad (a Navy vet) who I made this quilt for and my grandpa (an Army vet) who served in World War I

Keep dreaming...Colleen aka 'butterflygirl'

Star trek ..to boldly go...

where I haven't been in a while...Let's do the timewarp again....


OK, So as I am sorting through all of my treasures packed away in the trunk.


Treasure trunk

I am finding these great quilt block sets ready to sew up into quilts. They were all made through Quiltnet/Q-xchg exchanges back when I was learning to quilt. I think back then I didn't know what to do with assembling and quilting larger quilts. I was scared of doing it wrong. I had mostly done small wall hangings. Now I am like , whatever, I want finished quilts!

I have 12- 24 of each of the following: 12 inch sunflower fabric star blocks, 12" Amish blocks, 12 " Hoffman challenge blocks(only 6 of these), 12 " black and white cat blocks, 12" Hoffman purple butterfly fabric star blocks.



I also have multiple sets of 9patches: 59 Christmas fabric, 24 Amish, novelty print, and a ton of other fabrics. Enough for at least 4 quilts. Oh also the one top I put together with 9patches, I just have to piece the back and I am already bartering for the machine quilting.



I also have 8 inch colorful pieced cat blocks. 2 border exchange round robin wall hangings-one partially hand quilted and in the lap hoop for the last ten years(makes a great decoration, LOL). I probably missed something but as you can see my goal for 2011-and I am setting it early - is to finish UFOs. These are all quilts I really want! Other then some vintage and a few family quilts I only have a couple wall hangings and 1 throw quilt I have kept that I made.


Romulan warbird, live long and prosper, Spot Data's cat, tribbles



But what I wanted to talk to you about today is the Star Trek blocks. I have a set of 20 blocks, many appliqued, all really cool, combining themes from original and next generation series. My dad has been waiting for this quilt for at least 16 years-yikes! I just saw the date-they were sewn in 1994!.



Starship Enterpise, original

 OK so I remember back in the day (1994-5) I had the Blockbuster Quilts book and I was going to do some awesome cool innovative setting. (Somewhere I have endless drawings).



Next Gen uniform, Picard sihloette, Entity(ST movie)

  I don't think that is me. I think I just want to sash them in black or black based celestial fabric. With a celestial border. I do have all of those celestial fabrics form the 90s. Heck most of my stash is from the 90s.




Speak Klingon?



transporter, feneration symbols, entity



Borg ship



shuttle craft



Romulan warbird



transporter

Have you figured out what each block represents yet? They are all really cool!  Gosh sewing together should be simple but how will I quilt it?

Keep dreaming...Colleen aka 'butterflygirl'

Giveaways and a winner!

OK so I did the random generator thing...


Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:     11
 Timestamp: 2010-11-06 21:01:13 UTC


Congrats Kelly!  Wait!  Hey!  That's my sister, a person who already has a Lucky Duck shirt and doesn't use fat quarters for anything. (Don't worry I keep her well supplied in handmade jewelry).


 So I clicked the again button and came up with


Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:   19
Timestamp: 2010-11-06 21:09:53 UTC


Congrats Joanne Lendaro!!! She said...


19 "Congrats on the 5 years! Wonderful picture of you and your sister!! thanks for the chance in your giveaway...."IF" by some lucky chance my name is drawn.....please give/send the shirt to MoeWest to give to her friend, sounds like she could use some of your wonderful positive encouragement! Thanks, you are a sweetie!! "
Thursday, November 04, 2010 7:54:00 AM


So generous Joanne!  MoeWest send me the size of your friend and either your or her mail address(let me know which).  I will include a special note and surprise for her as a fellow cancer patient.


Joanne!  You are the sweetie!  I will send you the fat quarters if you send me your address! 


Thanks again for all the wonderful stories.  It is so important to share!  It takes away some of the fear and anxiety associated with CANCER.  Yes we have to say the word and help those suffering heal with our caring.


PS  See my previous couple of blogs for some other giveaways going on including a GO!

PPS You can buy a Lucky Duck shirt from my Etsy store. All proceeds go to Relay For Life to help find a cure for cancer.

Keep dreaming...Colleen aka 'butterflygirl'

Another GO giveaway!

I just had to post about this great GO giveaway!  I know someday I will win one.  It's the law of averages. Right?  I mean ...give it to me straight.  Anyway its over at Lavender Ridge so check it out!

P.S. My giveaway is going on until I pick a winner tomorrow. Just comment on this post to enter.   I have a square in square workshop tomorrow morning so it probably won't be until the afternoon.

P.P.S.  Thanks to everyone who commented on my 5 year cancer anniversary.  I appreciated the cancer stories you shared.  It reminds us to "Just Live!"

Keep dreaming...Colleen aka 'butterflygirl'

Giveaway pics and an explanation

Found batteries for the camera here is the shirt and fat quarters picture. The pincushion and thread ends pan are for background.



I have to explain the whole Lucky Duck thing.  Once my chemo treatments were over I had a feeling inside me that I needed to find my dreams and as I always said "Just live".  I started checking off 'the list' in my head of things I always wanted to do but illness and shyness(I am very!) prevented me from doing.

First on the list was kayaking.  I had longed for a kayak for years!  I had researched them endlessly-its a thing I do, probably why I just finished my masters in library science.  The summer of 2007 I did endless trips to make up for the previous years of illness and no energy.  I tried kayaking in Beaufort, NC.  I LOVED IT!!!

Next came persuading Mom, Dad, and my sister Kelly to buy me one for Christmas, birthday etc.  I have loved it ever since.  But the duck part comes in on one of my first paddles in the lake where mom and dad live.  I found this dirty abandoned rubber duck floating in the lake.  I thought to myself as I fished it from the lake-"you really are a lucky duck I found you".  That was it.  Now that old rubber duck is the hood ornament on my kayak.  I take my kayak many places including my favorite lake in Canada.

 Rubber ducks became a symbol of my and the next chapter in my life.  I was the lucky duck and I needed to follow my dreams.  I started a Relay for Life team called the Lucky Ducks.  So full filling large dreams-setting up my quilt studio and small-singing karaoke, I am trying to "Just Live!!!" 

Thanks for entering my giveaway, make sure you comment on my previous post to do so.

PS Here is another giveaway, this one for scraps at The Child's Paper

Keep dreaming...Colleen aka 'butterflygirl'