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'