Just a Reminder - and Important Information for the Wanttobe Quilter Campaign

If you haven't submitted your name for the Wanttobe Quilter Campaign yet - why not? If you're having problems figuring out what to do here's one way to do it:

GET a GOOGLE account
Google accounts are free and simply allow you to have a second e-mail address to use for contests if you don't want it to be your main account.


Don't be a No Reply Blogger
Comments on Stash Manicure automatically go into Madame Samm's e-mail inbox. But if your settings aren't correct she can't reply to you. Here's how to fix that - to make sure you aren't a No Reply Blogger:


Here is what you can do:
In blogger.com, click on Dashboard.
Select Edit Profile.
Check the box for "Show my Email Address."
Save changes.

Easy...right? :)


REGISTER IN this Campaign
Either leave a comment on this post telling me you want to enter the campaign and I'll e-mail you back or e-mail me directly at shavroo53@yahoo.com with your name, e-mail address, and telephone number. This information will be sent to Madame Samm but it will be destroyed after the campaign.


Comment on the Appropriate Posts


If you are a Wanttobe Quilter (have no tools or experience) or a quilter who does not have a blog you comment on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
If you are a quilter with a blog you can comment on Tuesday and Thursday.


Be sure you are a follower on this blog and on Stash Manicure and that you also follow each of those who are posting on Stash Manicure. Some of you don't like to "follow" I know - you prefer bookmarking. But just for this campaign you will need to follow. You can always "unfollow" later. :) And when you win you will need to pay for the shipping but:


YES! YOU CAN WIN MORE THAN ONCE
and we ship the lowest rate possible
( may take longer but we have
everything insured)

Orange You Glad

Oranges were once considered the ‘fruit of the gods’ and were actually the Golden Apple that was sought by Hercules. The taste and aroma of an orange differs from season, county, state, country, soil and place it grew on the tree. Orange oil has been used as a cosmetic, wood cleaner, and degreaser. The oldest known variety of orange is the Navel. Only 20 % of the orange crop is sold as ‘whole fruit’ - the rest is used for juice, extracts, and preserves. And children thru the centuries have use the orange peel wedge to make a ‘funny smile’.


WINNER OF THE ORANGE QUILT KIT

I thank all of you who commented and so many orange lovers! And no one said anything about my newest quilt having orange.

MIMI is the winner of the draw (no blog). I will send her a notice for information. Congratulations MIMI and thank you all - there could be more.




WHY DID THE ORANGE STOP ROLLING DOWN THE HILL?

BECAUSE IT RAN OUT OF JUICE!


Sewingly Yours,
Sharon

August's Sincerity

The August birth flower is the gladiolus which means sincerity and symbolizes strength of character. Love at first sight is what the hidden message of this flower was during the Victorian era.

The longest days of the year is passed, but the hot days remain. You may have noticed the birds are already gathering, purhaps planning thier flight south for the winter. The insects are noisier and more numerous than in any other month. I can remember my greatgran saying 'if the first week in August was hot and humid, it will be a long, white winter' - oh I hope not.


PLAYING WITH BLOCKS

My Fat Quarter tub was over flowing so YES I broke down and joined Amanda Jean's 36-patch block quilt along over at Crazy Mom Quilts. Very quick blocks and you certainly could us a stash busting.

The next paper pieced block for Regina Grewes' Garden Fun BOM. I think I will add a 'terry' towel and looking for a beach ball button.

A peek at part of the process of those special Keepsake Quilting 1.5" squares. Rows of strips with those precious squares - pressed and ready for the next step. I'm using 'cut-offs' of muslin from a quilt backing. Extra wide muslin, so those strips are 110" long.



SQUARED UP

Here are all my blocks from the previous post - layed out. **TIP - photo your layout and then later review to catch any mistakes OR to use if you have them get re-arranged by a child or furry of they flutter off your design wall. I opened a window to catch a breeze and had to re-set them.

I took my row as a stack to my machine to piece together. The seams are going to be pressed the same direction - but if you pressed to set your seams and then pressed flat - they should be flat enough to handle. TIP - shorten your stitch length to help in flattening seams that press this way.

I joined two rows at a time - mark your top left corner with a pin so you always have your starting point. I like to join half and half a quilt and then join the halves together. There is less weight and drag on your machine (and you) if you finish up your quilt top this way.

Here is my top. Remember these are odd size blocks - not your normal 'square' so you will need more blocks across than down. I used 10 blocks across and 9 blocks down - measures 42" x 56". I will add a 2.5" white border - to break up that busy pattern. And a final border using the 8 jelly roll strips I have leftover. There are some blocks left and I will use them to piece the back.



HAND QUILTING

I am hand quilting Raggedy Friends from the Painted Quilt. I hope I can keep on schedule because my Queen just loves to nap on this one. My lint brush is doing double duty to keep the black clean. I'm using 3-strands of DMC floss and the primative stitch - a third of it is finished. Then ALL those red buttons I have been collecting get added!


NEW PROJECTS

One of my dear followers - Shez of Enjoying Life sent me information about a new Packet Exchange. All information is on her blog - go visit.

Melissa at Happy Quilting is going to be hosting a new "Stars" quilt along. Go visit for information.

Katie Q of Salt Marsh Path sent me information on "Smack Down" - go take a visit for information on a charity quilt event. This could also be used for the 100 Quilts for Kids.

If you have never heard of this site - Tipnut is a wealth of information and projects - Christmas is coming and good time to start. Sign up for their newsletter and get notification when their lists get updated.

CLOSING THOUGHT

Fairest of the months!
Ripe summer's queen
The hey-day of the year
With robes that gleam with sunny sheen
Sweet August doth appear."
- R. Combe Miller

Sewingly Yours,
Sharon

Small , Smaller, Smallest

Have you noticed how things are getting smaller? Packages of cereal - no wonder my son says he is having a box of cereal for breakfast, not a bowl of cereal! Ice cream - two scoops anyone? Print - fine print is now everything. And Quilt patterns - everyone seems to be going for the 1.5" blocks and strips for design. Now that is OK if you are use to handling small pieces, but for a new quilter - oh, just chase them with a stick. Now that being said - I do like to work small........

The largest piece I worked on this weekend. The newest embroidery block for Clover and Violet's stitch and quilt along. I didn't want to stitch the tiny bird, remembered my 'Incompareable Buttons I won - so a cute little red button bird sits on the branch. AND yes a tiny button heart on the house. This is my 'small' project.

My next SQUARED UP project - using a jelly roll strip folded in two, I cut just the salvage - (3) 2.5" squares - (3) 4.5" bricks - and just that smidge of the nasty fold is scrap(I threw it away). The project is using 16 light and 16 dark strips if you want to use from stash.

I layed out a dark brick, light/dark square, and light brick - this is how you will sew your block together. Take care that your light/dark squares are placed in this order at all times. Yes, you will get an odd size block - 4.5" x 6.5" - but there are no rules that say you have to have a 'squared block' to make a quilt. More will follow on Thursday. This is my smaller project.

Yes - these are 1.5" squares. A special gift from someone who knows how I love to play with small bits of fabric. These are going into a special project that I will show when done. Yes, this is smallest - OR IS IT?

OK that bag of scraps that I have been playing out of has bugged me to use it up. This will be an on-going project. There is a dime on one of the blocks and layed them out on one of my cutting matts so you can see how small. Yes 1/2" strips - these are paper pieced - please, not that crazy! I think I will make a black skinny sash as I don't want to try and match all those seams.



SEEING ORANGE AND GOING LARGE

I added the new orange button for Stash Manicure for the Wantobe 3 month give away - just click on it each day and it will take you to the new posting. Nuf said. BUT, I see I have hit the 200 follower mark - holy quacamole!! That deserves a HUGE thank you and a give away in itself. YES, right here!! SO.....

I so tried the orange colour thing - just cannot wrap myself around that much orange - sorry orange lovers. This is a Connecting Threads quilt kit using the fabric line - Canning Day. Everything you need is in there. All the fabric, templates, instructions (nicely colored, too) - I only opened it to check all the items there and to photo it. This quilt needs a home. Is your color orange? Just leave a comment and be a follower. I will draw the winner on Saturday, August 6th ** will ship international**

CLOSING THOUGHT

"Little by little does the trick."
Aesop - on 'Things and Little Things'

Sewingly Yours,
Sharon