Comfort quilts and something to smile about...

This year I decided I would make some comfort quilts,

I thought I'd try for 6 to 8 comfort quilts for donation...

...very doable I thought, and then in March I heard,

Henry Glass Fabrics was sponsoring a contest that benefited
Quilts for Kids.

You could win $500.00 for first place and $250.00 for second place.

You had to use the Happy Town fabric 
designed by Jacquelynne Steves.

My friend ordered the fabric for her shop and I got to work!!

I made 2 quilts...mailed them off...
never expected to win...and I didn't.

I was just happy to make a few quilts for such a great cause.

While reading Jacquelynne's blog

 I saw my quilt hanging at the entrance 

of the Quilts for Kids head quarters in Fairless Hills PA.

WOW, was I surprised...
here is the picture of the front and the back of the first quilt.
 

 The second quilt I sent was

bright and cheery but nothing fancy...
...the front and the back.
  

...I was even more surprised when I received the nicest email

from Harriet Clemens, Design Director for Henry Glass Fabrics.

Dear Pauline,Your quilt has received an Honorable Mention in our Happy Town Quilt Contest.  Thank you so much for contributing your time and effort to such a worthy cause.  While simple and contemporary, at first glance, we were very impressed by the quilting you did on the background.  It was just lovely and gave the quilt a lot of depth and dimension.While there is no monetary award for Honorable Mention, we will be sending you a gift box filled with fabric.  I hope you enjoy it and continue to make beautiful quilts for this and other such worthy causes.  The people at Quilts for Kids, we at Henry Glass and Jacquelynne Steves are thrilled with your effort on behalf of the children in hospitals throughout the world, who will be comforted by your quilt.Look for your quilt on our Facebook Page and on our blog, as well as Jackie’s and Quilts for Kids.Regards,Harriet

Quilts for Kids just sent 200 quilts to Moore OK...
...definitely comfort quilts need there!!


If you are interested in the Happy Town fabric you can find

some of the fabrics at Crazyquiltgirl Fabric Shop.

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

...and now...
these little cuties make me smile...

...any advice for Tommy???
Run Tommy Run!!!

They were competing in Michigan

at the Hall of Fame Dance Challenge this past weekend...

and it was a fabulous weekend...

Nana couldn't be prouder of her grandgirls, 

Leah and Rylee...you are amazing dancers.

Leah received highest marks for her jazz solo and 

an invitation to the Hall of Fame Nationals Competition...

...she is one happy girl.

Happy stitching

I'm back and I've missed you...

...since my last posting, way back on March 29th
I've been spending a lot less time on the computer, but
still my computer has been hacked
and has sent out emails to just about everyone in my address book...
not once but twice. I apologize, really, I did not send them out.

Mr QnQ retired March 31...

it's hard to believe that he has been retired 5 weeks already.

We traveled to Canada April 5th and

got to see the grandgirls perform in a dance competition.  

They did fantastic...I even got to 

celebrate my birthday with them...it was great!!!

I've been working on donation quilts.  

In March I signed up with Sarah's Hands2Help Charity Quilt Challenge.  

I will be donating these 2 quilts to Happy Chemo...

...helping Emily reach her goal of donating 1500 quilts to cancer patients.  

This time I did not procrastinate, had a couple UFO's

that just needed to be quilted!!  

I finished binding the quilts as we traveled down I75

to the Smokey Mountains in Tennessee for a little vacation.

We went antiquing or 'junking' in Jonesborough TN

and stopped to take these pictures at a park.

The pink quilt would be perfect for a breast cancer patient.

I'm calling it 'In Full Bloom'.

The brown and green one would be perfect for 

a boy who loves sports...it is quilted using sports equipement.

I'm calling it 'Playing on the Grass and in the Dirt'.

I'm hoping I have time to make another quilt before I have

to mail them...by mid June...still have lots of time, right?

We used to live in Morristown in East Tennessee 10 years ago

and the closest quilt shop was an hour away.

It is called the Cherry Pit and is in Sevierville TN.

We stopped by the Cherry Pit on Tuesday,

the same ladies are still there.

I bought this cute snowman pattern...called

S'mores and Hot Chocolate

and a wee bit of fabric...$6.35 worth...

...yes Mr. QnQ is retired.

Today, I'm linking up with 

Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict and

Amanda Jean at Crazy Mom Quilts.

I've entered my purple log cabin quilt at the 

Quilting Gallery's Show and Tell.

This week theme is Applique quilts.

You can vote for 3 quilts till Monday at 6:00 p.m.

If you like my Flowers at the Cabin quilt

I would love your vote.

Vote HERE.

Enter the Quilting Gallery's Giveaway

at the bottom of the voting page.

To enter leave a comment answering: 

What’s your favourite size of quilting ruler and why? 

You have until Monday, May 6, 2013 at 6:00 p.m. (EDT) to enter the give-away.

Happy stitching

Stitch me up Blog Hop Day 8...

...it's my day to share my embroidery projects. 

Embroidery is one of my all time favorite things to do.

I find it very relaxing.

A BIG THANK YOU to Mme Samm and head cheerleader Jane, 

once again ladies...you did an awesome job!!

A BIG THANK YOU to the talented ladies 

who designed the free patterns for

all the participants of the Stitch me up Blog Hop...

Debbie from Busy as can Be

Cyndi from Stitch Stitch Stitch

Madame Samm from Sew We Quilt

A BIG THANK YOU to our generous sponsor 

Colonial Needles

You just have to love their needles and the Presencia threads,

I know I do.

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

I made three projects before I ran out of time...

The first is an activity bag for carrying coloring/drawing supplies

to Nana's house.  

My grandones love to color and draw.

I fell in luv with the Wee Tots by Madame Samm.

I used a purchased place mat, folded it in half

..attached a mini quilt with some antique pearl buttons to the front

and added some handles.

I stitched the Wee Tot in black 12wt Precensia Perle cotton

using the back stitch... 

as if it was a page from a coloring book

...waiting to be colored.

 

I sewed 4 recycled plastic bags down the center of the inside.

I put some art and drawing supplies in the bags.  

The plastic bags had 2 white domes to easily close the bags.

(I think mattress protector sheets came in the plastic bags.)

They were all the same size and were heavy plastic

...perfect for this project.

I sewed a cloth pocket to the back to hold a coloring book

and a sketch pad...

...added another cloth pocket with a velcro closure
...good for a ruler, eraser and a pair of scissors.

 I added ties to the side...to hold it all together
and as a learning tool.
Most kids do not know how to tie a bow.
Velcro sneakers are all you can find now.
I know my boys could tie their shoes when they started school.
Not too many children can today.   

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Next project is a tea towel with a crocheted edge.

It kinda looks like ric rac but it is crocheted using 

#8wt Precensia Perle cotton.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The last project is a clothes pin bag.

It is a pattern I got last year...
called Monday is Washing Day by Catherine Baynes
I procrastinated starting the embroidery...it seemed so detailed.
I used 2 strands of embroidery floss and I used the stem stitch. 
 The embroidery was the easy part...
I struggled with the pattern instructions and almost gave up.

I luv how it turned out and 
I'm going make another one as a gift.
The color is a little off...
the reds match much better than the picture shows.

The Quilters Cottage is another pattern by Catherine Baynes
that I stitched last year....I luv it too.
I used a single strand of embroidery floss.


Please be sure to visit all the talented ladies
sharing their Stitch me up projects today.

FRIDAY MARCH 29th

Blessings From Our Nest

Liberty Threads (no show)

Caribou Crossing Chronicles of Quilts, the Weather and other Fun Stuff

Creatin' in the Sticks

Melinda Quilts Etc

Ga's House (no show)

Dachsies with Moxie (no show)

Hill Valley Quilter

Quilt n Queen

Madame Samm

Also, check out these blogs offering free stitchery patterns.

Michelle Ridgway Designs - an Australian designer

The Noble Wife - Jacquelynne Steves

Birdbrain Designs - Robin Kingsley
Super Mom - No Cape - Susan Flemming

Thanks you for stopping in for a visit!

Happy stitching

It's voting time and a giveaway...edited....

I entered my Up Up and Away quilt 
in the Quilting Gallery Show and Tell 
Baby Quilts Contest.
It was a very last minute entry.

I love the simplicity of this quilt.
This is one of those quilts that can be as scrappy as you want it to be.
Up Up and Away is one of 16 Modern Scrap Projects found in 
Sunday Morning Quilts.
It is a book by Amanda Jean Nyberg and Cheryl Arkison.    

The fabric I used was Lily and Will II by Bunny Hill Designs and
 Moda Ivory for the background.
It has 589 little triangles....
You can read more in my previous post.



If you have the time to vote... 
I would love it if you used one of your votes for 
Up Up and Away.
The link to vote for your favorites is HERE.

****Edited****
Keep scrolling down past the voting area and
be sure to enter the giveaway by answering the question
"what is your favorite baby name".
To win...you have to leave your comment 
with your favorite baby name
on the Quilting Gallery post.  

The give-away winner will win a Rolie Polie of Ladybug Garden 
by Doodlebug Designs for Riley Blake!

Thanks bunches!!

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

I'm joining Heidi's FNSI...
I'm glad I'm not the only one doing things last minute!!
I have lots of projects I'm working on, 
Here is a peek of what I'm working on...
It is the one on the left...I've had it traced and ready to stitch
for 2 years....I'm working on a dead line so I'm hoping
to get another UFO finished.

~~~~~~~~~~~

***edited***

I'm linking up with CrazyMomQuilts Finish it Up Friday.

I'm excited to finish another UFO.
It has been about 4 years since I started it.
I still have to give it a name.
Bring on SPRING!!  The bench needs some flowers.

~~~~~~~~~~
Have a great weekend everyone...

Happy stitching

Pauline