A giveaway....

...I haven't had a giveaway in quite some time...so today is the day!!
I know, I know, I was to do this last Friday...better late than never!!

Someone will win a Moda's Cherry Christmas charm pack by Aneela Hoey and 

a copy of Me and My Sister's new book 3 Times the Charm Book Two.

If you know me at all, you know I love to embroider.
I am always looking for new embroidery designs and patterns
and I'm always encouraging my friend Corinna to let me spend her money
to stock her Crazyquiltgirl Fabric Shop with new and different patterns and fabrics.

Have you heard of Michelle Ridgway? She is an Australian designer,
and has some of the most adorable embroidery and applique patterns.

I'm sEw happy to have a number of her patterns already...thank you Karen...
and each new pattern Michelle designs is 'calling my name',
like her new Christmas BOM 'Christmas Memories'...
and I luv her 'Gifts of Christmas' Cushion
and her 'Alphabet Stitchery' pattern...is sEw sweet.
It would make the most adorable baby quilt.

Rag-Tag Stitchin' is the name of her pattern company.
Stop by her blog, Michelle Ridgway Designs.  

Check out her designs HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE. 

Visit her at Pinterest.

There is an interview about Michelle on the Red Brolly blog.

You may not have heard of Rag-Tag Stitchin' patterns as 

they are not available in the USA...but soon
Corinna will be offering them for sale in her online quilt shop...
Crazyquiltgirl Fabric Shop
 ...and I'm excited for you and me!! 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

one comment per person
...to win this giveaway please

• let me know your favorite Rag-Tag Stitchin' pattern/patterns,
• let me know if Rag-Tag Stitchin'  patterns are new to you,
• do you shy away from buying International because of the high shipping costs?
• lastly, would you like a Rag-Tag Stitchin' pattern giveaway?  I'll see what I can do.

**If you are a no-reply blogger you can not win

...make sure I have an email to contact you.**

I will pick the winner July 3rd and post the winner's name on July 4th.

You do not have to be a follower but I would luv it if you were.
Michelle would love to know you dropped by her blog...
leave her a sweet comment, follow her blog and
every now and then 
 a free design from Michelle's sketch pad
shows up on her blog.

till next time...happy stitching and
have a wonderful, wonderful day!!

GIVEAWAY CLOSED

Goodbye Google Reader....Hello Bloglovin'

Using Google Reader?

Soon you will be able to follow me on Bloglovin’.  To make this happen I need to publish a post with this code

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

in order to claim my blog.  Then I will be able to add a button that will allow Bloglovin’ users to continue to follow me. 

DH is also looking at setting me up for users of Feedly as well...has anyone switched to Feedly?

Look what found it's way to my sewing room!!

It is sEw SWEET!!!

Remember to come by for a visit on Friday...I'm going to have a giveaway!!

happy quilting

Tammy Project Bag and a giveaway coming soon...

...where does the time go..today is day 4 of the

Tammy Project Bag Blog Hop

I'm so glad to be participating in this fun blog hop

hosted by Mdm Samm at Sew We Quilt.

Thank you Mdm Samm for making this blog hop possible

and for designing this sweet bag pattern...I luv it!!
I will definitely be making more of them.

My first bag is a sewing kit....

...a bag I can carry all my hand sewing supplies when travelling in the car
or taking to quilting.
The outside fabric is a sewing print by Debbie Mumm with an
orange pin dot by Moda.

a view of the inside...

yes, all these goodies can fit into the bag!!

My second bag is for my embroidery projects.

It's a black gingham on the outside
with a yellow, orange and white floral print lining.
The crocheted flower has a yellow button center.

You will find some needles, a variety of flosses, 
tracing pens, scissors and patterns...

...I was able to fit 6 patterns in the bag.
It definitely holds more than you think.

Some of my favorite embroidery patterns lately are Rag-Tag Stitchin' 
designed by
Michelle Ridgway...an Australian designer.

Thanks for stopping by...Ü
please visit the other talented ladies
participating in the Tammy Project Blog Hop today...
be prepared to be inspired!!

 June 17th (Monday)

  Rosemary

Pauline

Kris

Karen

Pauline...this is me

Roxanne

 Vickie

  Martina  

Jane

Marga

I haven't had a give away in awhile...
be sure to come back on Friday and see what I've come up with
...and what I've been up to.

Many thanks to Mme Samm for all her hard work in 
organizing the hop and for supplying us with her great Tammy Bag design.

Many thanks to the sponsors of this blog hop
Riley Blake Designs
 Jim at Corrado Cutlery

hugs and happy stitching 

Look what showed up in my driveway and Tammy Bag Blog Hop...Day 1

The strangest things are showing up on my driveway...
2 weeks ago it was a raccoon... at 2:30 in the afternoon...
I thought they slept during the day.
DH and I were working in the front flower beds.
I went into the garage to get the watering can...
I was heading back to the front of the house when this raccoon
not more than 2 feet from me...headed up our crab apple tree...scared me half to death!!!
I ran screaming...there is a frigging raccoon up the tree...DH came running.
DH turned the hose on him...he didn't like it...it didn't take him long before he came down
and took off across the street.

It was back again on Wednesday eating the garbage from the trash can across the street.
They are a nuisance!!
~~~~~~~~~~~
This past weekend there was a subdivision garage sale...
this is what I found on my driveway!!

DH was working outside ... I was in the house
and this man in a truck stopped in our driveway.
He said "do you refurbish old sewing machines".   My neighbor sold a treadle machine
to someone in this area.  DH said we did buy a treadle machine at a
garage sale last year.  
The guy said he had a old machine
he didn't want it anymore  and we could have it.
I was stitching in my sewing room, DH called into the house 
and said "I'm going to help load a sewing machine on a truck".
By the time I got upstairs a black truck was heading out of the subdivision.
I thought to myself...he has just gone off with some stranger.
...a few minutes later he returned.
with this....oh lucky me



It is in pretty rough shape and needs some TLC.
It is a project DH can work on in his retirement.
He retired March 31...we are now into month #3 of retirement.
It sure is different having him home 24/7...
he is loving it and I am too,
We are starting to think about moving back to Canada...
the day is coming....sometime before October 2014 but probably sooner.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Today is day 1 of the Tammy Bag Blog Hop


Be sure to stop by and see what these talented ladies have created

Tina

Melinda 

Mary

Frederika

Thearica

Liz

Grethe

Daryl

Patty

Inga

Be sure to leave them some comment love!

I'll be posting my Tammy Bags on Monday June 17th

hugs and happy stitching

Hands2Help Linky Party

It's the first day to link up your comfort quilts with Hands2Help .  

Be sure to check out all of the beautiful quilts at Confessions of a Fabric Addict

that will be donated to

Happy Chemo and Quilts Beyond Borders.

It is linky party that lasts all week...

I will be sending Emily 2 quilty hugs for Happy Chemo.

...quilt #1 is called 'In Full Bloom'

...quilt #2 is called 'Playing on the Grass and in the Dirt'

You can find more details at Em's Scrapbag blog.  

Emily is helping cancer patients of all ages going through chemo treatments.

Her goal is to give 1500 quilts to Happy Chemo.

Wrapped in a quilt is like giving each cancer patient a...quilty hug.

Emily shared a lovely thank you note from a cancer patient 

who received a Happy Chemo quilt.

You can read about it in Emily's post "Happy Mail Day".

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When I first heard about Happy Chemo I knew I wanted to help.

Most of you may not know this about me as I don't

usually share much about my family life on my blog.

but...I'll share this...it's why I chose to make the quilts for Happy Chemo.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Before I started quilting,

 my sister and son both received the 'C' word from their Drs.

It was tough couple of years for me...

my sister received her diagnosis in May 1998...just a few weeks after our Dad passed.

After a couple of surgeries, chemo and radiation,

...it was March 1999 when my sister finished her treatments.

Our son was diagnosed a few months later...in October.  

Chemo drugs are administered differently depending on the type of cancer.

Our son had an IV drip for 4 or 5 hours every morning for 5 days

 then off the drugs for 2 weeks

then back on the IV for 5 days.  

He did this for 4 months. 

Shortly after my son's first treatment...

 I found him in my sewing room with his girlfriend and now our DDIL

cutting up large squares of brightly colored fleece.

They made a fleece quilt...and it turned out pretty darn good.

He was in his final year of University...

and with a wonderful circle of friends and understanding professors 

he graduated along with his class.

I shed a bucket of tears at graduation.

I confess...I've used a tissue or two today too.

Luv you guys...both are cancer survivors.

Thank you Sarah for hosting this challenge.  

Your hard work and dedication is greatly appreciated.

I hope to participate again next year.

Happy stitching

It seems I'm still MIA and a Summer Quilt Along

Katy from Fat Quarterly is hosting a Summer Quilt Along

...it starts June 1st.

I love this pattern and am thinking of signing up...

...it is Rachel Griffith's Pattern

impromptu 

 

I've got my layer cake on my cutting table
...it's Moda's Spirit by Lila Tueller

It's a fabric line from 2010.

There are a lot of other projects on my cutting table
and I have to finish them first....you know deadline projects
and a few fun things!!

If you want to join in 

Crazyquiltgirl Fabric Shop 

should have the patterns back in stock by Wednesday.

It's a finish...a chenille blanket.
A number of years ago I bought a quilt kit 
from Lake Street Mercantile quilt shop in South Lyon Michigan
with instructions to make a chenille blanket...
I made lots of these blankets and everyone loves them.

...here it is ready to gift.

I'm linking up with Karen at Sew Many Ways...
It's her Sew Darn Crafty Linky Party Week 117 hugs and happy stitching