Tuesday Tidbits...

Today's post is a little all over the place...kind of like me this week...as usual, I have about a hundred irons in the fire (and I am headed to Dallas for the Komen 3-Day on Thursday). I have been working on Etsy projects round the clock, trying to fill up my shop for the holidays. Yesterday and today, my focus has been on my large zippered project bags - I have a lot of requests for these and thought I would try to stock up again - so right now, there are a handful in the shop, ready for purchase. At the current moment, my embroidery machine is humming along, doing a custom order for ten of my freestanding lace teapot ornaments...and my cutting table is filled with piles of various items ready for assembly line sewing. My studio truly looks like a disaster...so add cleaning to my long list for tomorrow.

...and of course, Schatzi and I did another 7+ mile walk this afternoon...again, mostly off leash...and I snapped this photo of her with the lake in the background...

....oh, and remember this photo, I shared a while back??..it is the photo I entered in the PetSmart Bandana Blitz Instagram contest...and guess what??....Simba and Schatzi actually won a runner-up prize...a free grooming! I was hoping for two free grooming sessions, one for each (and my prize notification message sounded that way), but when my prize arrived it was only one...but I am definitely not complaining - I am thrilled they received runner-up honors with well over 5,000 entries!

I also must share this lovely, heartfelt gift I received from a friend in California - a beautiful cross stitched pincushion commemorating my Komen 3-Day 60-mile journey I am taking this coming weekend. I was very touched to receive such a treasure and I can definitely use an angel watching over me right now! Thank you so much Kate - I will treasure this special keepsake...

I am hoping to be back tomorrow with one more post before I fly off to Dallas to meet my Twinkle Toes teammates to embark on our yearly Komen 3-Day walk...I have so much to be thankful for this year and I am truly overwhelmed by all the love and support....

An Extra Special Giveaway

On occasion, I receive a message from a blog friend/follower telling me that my posts and projects gave them motivation and/or inspired them to expand their creativity...those are messages I am thrilled to receive! Recently, I heard from Rina - she is an avid cross stitcher who has followed my blog for a few years - she told me a wonderful story about how my blog and Etsy shop inspired her to take a sewing class. You see, she had be admiring my sewing/quilting projects and had ordered one of my project bags...when her new project bag arrived, she decided she would like to be able to make them for herself in different sizes and she would like to be able to finish some of her cross stitched items into pillows...so she decided to take a sewing class. She proceeded to tell me - "one three-week course was extended into a nine-week course...my husband bought me a Pfaff sewing machine for my birthday, and I was on my way!!"...she told me "sewing was fun....and quilting was a natural progression - super-fun! How had I lived this long without my sewing machine?? And fabric, well, fabric was, and is, downright addictive!" - I think many of us can agree with that statement!! Rina told me how quickly her tastes have changed and how she still enjoys cross stitching, but right now her passion is for quilting and she even shared a couple photos of her beautiful quilt blocks with me.

So what does all this have to do with a giveaway?? Well, Rina still had that project bag she purchased from my Etsy shop (click to see more photos and details)...and it is still brand new...and since her taste in fabric has changed and she was not going to be using it, she wanted to know if I would like to give it away to one of my blog followers. Well, of course I would! I know many of you are going to be excited about this giveaway, because this particular zippered project bag uses popular sampler print fabric from the Rhubarb & Ginger Collection by Blackbird Designs for Moda for the outside and a floral print from the Madeira Collection by Blackbird Designs for Moda for the lining - and both of these fabrics are long retired! The zippered project bag is approximately 14" W x 10.25" H and is the perfect size for taking your entire needlework project on the go...it will easily hold a standard pattern/booklet (8.5" x 11"), along with fabric, threads, and tools.
...and since Rina was generous enough to supply the zippered project bag, I thought I would add a couple charts to the giveaway, as well...how's that for a BRD prize??!

I am so thrilled Rina decided to message me and share her story (and allow me to giveaway her zippered project bag to one of my blog readers) - I have a feeling we are going to be great faraway friends, as we share a passion for many of the same things. Rina has an Etsy shop called Stitcherina that specializes in quilting fabrics (many of which are retired) - check it out, you may find something you have been searching for...

Giveaway Fine print:
As this giveaway relates to those inspired/motivated by my blog, only followers (current and new) are eligible - after you tell me how you follow, you will have four more entry opportunities! One winner will be chosen randomly and will receive the zippered project bag shown and two Blue Ribbon Designs charts of their choice from my current catalog. International entries are welcome. You must use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter - no e-mail entries will be accepted. The giveaway is open until 11:59 PM CST Saturday, February 22, 2014 and the recipient will be announced on Sunday, February 23, 2014. No prize substitutions.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you have been inspired by my blog, I would love to hear from you...I always enjoy getting messages from my readers!

Stitching & Sewing

I have been on a very creative path since my last post. As far as cross stitch, I have been working on needlework smalls and a tutorial for a class coming up later this year, I have been preparing five new Blue Ribbon Designs for printing...and I finished charting and started model stitching magazine pieces for both The World of Cross Stitching Magazine and Cross-Stitch & Needlework Magazine. There will be more details on each of these designs coming in the future....

I have also been keeping busy with sewing and quilting. I finished a birthday gift for my dear friend Lorrie - a knitting needle case using the Blueberry Crumb Cake fabric line by Blackbird Designs for Moda....I had been wanting to make Lorrie one of these cases since she admired one I made for my friend Merry last Christmas. This tri-fold case has plenty of pockets for knitting needles (with a fabric flap pocket cover) and a zippered pouch built in...plus it folds up and ties closed to make it perfect for travel.

My Etsy shop also has new pincushions for sale. I have had several requests for more Blueberry Crumb Cake and Beach House tuffets (to match my stitch starter ruler pockets and stitching pouches), so the ones pictured below have been listed....

I also completed this custom purple set for one of my Etsy Shop frequent buyers - I had fun working on this special project...

I have ten of my new project bags cut and ready to be pieced this week...I just need a few more hours in each day (don't we all?). I also have a pile of needlebooks ready for assembly (which I know several of you are anxiously awaiting)...I am hoping to get to those soon, as well. With massive model stitching on my plate and my husband being home on vacation this week, my time is a little limited...but I will do my best to get these new items completed/listed soon....

Time To Pack My Bags...

After waiting for what seems like "forever and a day", it is finally time for my prize winning AccuQuilt trip! If you read my blog regularly, then you know I won the grand prize in AccuQuilt's 3rd Annual Barn Quilt Design Contest...in fact, I know many of you voted for my winning quilt block which helped put my entry in the Top 10 to be voted on by the celebrity judges (THANK YOU AGAIN!). Part of my winnings is a round trip for two to Omaha, NE for the quilt block unveiling ceremony, with two tickets to the 2nd Annual Let’s GO! Quilt Retreat (including transportation and hotel stay)...I am taking my dear friend Merry with me and we leave for Omaha in the morning for a week full of events. There is a welcome reception tomorrow night, followed by the two day quilt retreat...then on Friday, my quilt block will be unveiled (it will be displayed at a ginormous 17’ x 17’ size, hanging in all it's glory at the new AccuQuilt Headquarters). This is quite an honor for me and I am looking forward to taking this mini trip - no cooking, cleaning, yard work, or laundry for almost a week - sounds pretty heavenly to me! I am feeling guilty about taking the time away from my work...and I will be taking some cross stitching deadlines with me...but for the most part, I plan to take the time off and enjoy it...and hopefully get a good start on the retreat project quilt...

In a rush to get a million things done before my trip, I managed to get 55 newly finished items listed in my Etsy shop - including 39 more Stitch Starter Rulers Sets and 16 pincushions. This was quite time consuming and I was still up adding items at 4:00 AM. The Ruler Pocket Sleeves shown below are from two different Blackbird Designs fabric lines...the top photo shows ruler pocket sleeves made from Beach House by Blackbird Designs for Moda and the bottom photo shows ruler pocket sleeves made from Blueberry Crumb Cake by Blackbird Designs for Moda...these are already selling well (as did the first batch), so I don't expect them to last long. My shop is open now, but will be "on vacation" while I am out of the office...any orders placed before I leave will ship tomorrow morning. The shop should reopen again on Saturday evening...

Well, that is about all the time I have this evening - I still have work to do, orders to fill, and suitcases to pack...it will be another late night for me! I will take lots of photos and be sure to share my trip with you upon my return....have a wonderful week....