FUN: JANUARY GIVEAWAYS!!!

Someone said there is no better time to start than the present, 

so...

I shared in my last post that 

I am intending to giveaway ten quilts this year and here is the front of #1

and the back of this baby quilt my husband took to Mexico for a friend's first baby.

FINALLY, 

two quilts for my nieces totally quilted, bound, and sent!

OK, so Sarah likes pink and Lucy likes purple...

maybe? 

not really...

turns out Aunt Stephanie (me) should read emails more carefully, 

because Lucy likes light blue! 

Hmmm...

Sarah's second quilt (fourth to be given away) in the box (a quilt that has been sitting on a shelf for a very long time and begged to be used by a little girl) looks like this...

and Aunt Stephanie (me) will be forced (hee-hee) to make another (light blue) quilt!!!

Another quilt patiently waiting to be used and not stored on a shelf is this one...

now happily living with the delightful daughter of son #2's bowling coach! This mom was a wonderful coach through twenty eight official bowling matches and numerous practices...

which paid off because the team is off to the state bowling tournament!

(Did you even know there was a state high school bowling tournament?)

************

Another action I intend to do this year is have a de-stash giveaway each month.

As January is quickly coming to an end...

here are the choices for this month...

 (oops - I promise to adjust the brightness on the camera for next month's giveaway):

cluster of black and whites

second cluster of black and whites

Soiree charm pack

Taza jelly roll

How to win? One son will pick four random numbers based on how many people leave a comment sharing what smell they like best. 

Why smell?

Son #1 is reading Diane Ackerman's book A History of the Senses for his first college class, English 101, and I picked it up and fell in love!! 

What a wonderful book! 

I have only read the part on smell, but I am already becoming more sense aware which totally helps to keep me in the moment - my life goal!

OK, I digress...

leave a comment telling us your favorite smell

become a follower for an extra chance

current followers are hugged dearly and will also get a second chance

share the giveaway with others for a third chance

AND...how about this...if someone you told about this giveaway wins - you will win a yummy yard of fabric!!!

Winners will be picked on the evening (pacific time) Tuesday January 31, 2012

Of course, lovely people from far away places can play too! 

RESOLVED TO SEW 2012!!!

I LOVE the often humorous blog written by the fabulous Duff 

http://bacontheneggs.blogspot.com/ 

She has been a wonderfully supportive blog friend (see groovy Mexican skull on the side bar...she carried this fragile and heavy surprise all the way back from her vacation for me!!!) 

Since I would follow her anywhere (and I most definitely mean ANYWHERE, 

but, in case she is reading this,  I would prefer Fiji)

I am entering (just like Duff did) 

a MOST AMAZING GIVEAWAY at 

http://veryberryhandmade.co.uk/.

VeryBerryHandmade wants to know my sewing resolutions for 2012.

Interesting, because I have been working in this cute notebook

to list 101 intentions I have for the new year.

"resolution" means a firm decision

"intention" is a plan

I like the idea of having a plan. 

I don't need firmness. 

I am open to the notion that I may not exactly accomplish what is on my list.

Along the way to the fruition of the original idea 

other possibilities may arise

fun

happy 

peaceFULL

possibilities

I am trusting!!!

It's a lot harder than I thought. 

I am up to 53. 

I am delving deep. 

WHAT do I REALLY want? 

Perhaps to help my middle son achieve one of his daredevil goals like a flying lesson or parachute jump, to go away with just my husband, to reinstate a game night, to color, to only go to the grocery store twice a week, to read two biographies, to set a fancy table for dinner most nights...

What about specific SEWING INTENTIONS?

1. To make a heart a day 

2. To make a trip-around-the-world quilt

3. To give away ten quilts

4. to "wake up" when shopping and mostly buy only to supplement a current quilt project

5. To take a class with a "big name" quilter - Susan Shie? Karen K.Stone? Laura Wasilowski? Someone I don't even know I love yet?

6. To enter a quilt show

7. To have a de-stash giveaway each month (Don't you just love giveaways?!)

8. To make a collage on my blog

9.To make a Swoon quilt 

http://mychellem.blogspot.com/2012/01/scrappy-little-swoon-quilt.html

10. To make a Bottled Rainbow quilt 

http://www.stitchedincolor.com/2011/02/bottled-rainbows-ticker-tape-quilt.html

11. To take advantage of the word "mostly" in #4 and get a fat quarter pack of Denise Schmidt's 

12. To make a "little" once a week with the theme of "fun"

13. To go to a BIG quilt show - Paducah? Houston? Birmigham, England?!! Alsace, France??!!

14. To find some more friends to sew with

This is the beginning. I am practicing awareness...being in the moment.

What makes me happy? 

What is fun for me?

What are my intentions in life? more specifically in sewing?

I've got a good start...

The possibilities are endless!!!

"I dwell in possibilty." - Emily Dickinson 

Thanks for being here! 

Make sure you go to 

http://veryberryhandmade.co.uk/

join the giveaway

read the comments

get inspired to make your own resolutions and/or intentions!!!

PINCUSHION PARADE!

More snow = more time 

to catch up on blogs I love like http://lollyquiltz.blogspot.com/. 

She's part of a pincushion parade

What fun! 

I want to play too! 

(even though I rarely use pins, I think the cushions are sooo cute!)

Here's my three pincushions (without too many pins hee-hee)...

My oldest son made this one in 5th grade. His teacher guided them to hand sew hexes.

The class made two twin size quilts to give away, and each student made a pincushion as a Mother's Day present. 

I made this one a few years ago...

and this one just the other week (impulsively because the cute cupcake holder was on sale after Christmas and I don't bake cupcakes, but wanted the holders! hee-hee encore!)...

Thanks for stopping by! 

Check out the rest of the parade at 

http://lovelaughquilt.blogspot.com/2012/01/pincushion-parade.html

SNOW DAY!!

Woke up with this view through my sewing window - 4 inches of snow with more on the way!

Took a walk and...

had some fun...

just like I created earlier in my "little" quilt for January! 

A few of us are going to make a little quilt (around 8x11) every month of 2012. 

My theme is "fun". 

Judy, http://wildirishrowsquilting.blogspot.com/ had this 70s crafty book on her table and I just had to make my own version...

a Kaffe Kreature!

I did a lot of playing/sorting/fondling/dreaming this week. 

Pink was calling...

I LOVE this line from Kathy Davis...

Maybe with some of these...

Then I found this pink polka dot...

and went in a completely different direction!

Still working on my geese quilt...

with the scraps I have played and made this...

I also have no this growing pile of half square triangles.

Speaking of growing piles! 

These silly little hexes are VERY addicting!

Started this idea - reds and purple!

Lastly, here's a peak at a brand new-new project. I LOVE these colors together! AND it's old old Jan Mullen fabric!!! On Pinterest I even have a whole "tangerine frolics with aqua" board! (I suppose this is technically orange and turquoise, but who is checking??)

That's it for this week. Off to playand seek out some more fun...in snow and with fabric!

NICE!

NOW...

in THIS moment...

what is happening?

lovely stories!

maybe even no story!

A kind and supportive universe!

ALWAYS!

I just have to be aware...

in THIS moment... 

 Practice, practice, practice...

feeling joyFULL in the beauty of the storyless moments and look what happened this week...

Amazing "junk" mail from Martha Stewart

Another piece of "junk" mail from a new magazine called Mindful (really!)

Why, yes, thank you, I am practicing having a nicer and nicer dream!

Caught this gorgeous sunrise...

and a day later, this gorgeous sunset!

In Stanwood, WA I saw this great sign at a cute shop...

and was in awe as hundreds of snow geese flew over head (geese remind one of the sacredness of the circle of life...thank you!)

*********

When something happens, big or small, I get a thought. Here's an example.

"That guy cut me off."

Then, I make up a story. One reoccurring theme for me is judgement.

"He cut me off. I am driving slow. Probably too slow. He probably thinks I am an idiot. I bet he wouldn't like me. He probably hates me. He thinks I am a terrible driver. I always drive slow. I must always be terrible."

The stories lead to ugly feelings -  bad, sad, angry, stuck.

And then these feelings lead to something physical. Headache, upset stomach, trouble sleeping, brownie devouring time.

A year ago, I wan't even aware of ALL THESE STORIES flying around in my head NONSTOP and ALL DAY LONG! 

UGH!

It was exhausting. I was always tired.

NOW, I am practicing awareness and lettingo.

What if...

right when I got the very first thought, 

I was IN THE MOMENT?! 

and I said to myself,

"Oh yeah, he cut you off, you probably think he thinks you are an idiot because you often feel judged. Feeling judged goes way back to grade school for you. You are driving fine. You are an adult now, not in grade school. What that guy thinks doesn't matter. Wish him as much love and peace as you wish for yourself. 

LET IT GO!"

Then, no bad feeling AND no physical ailment has a chance to get started ( no brownie needs eating!)...

What if, 

thoughts were like clouds passing by, and there was always an inner stillness?!

That's me! Feeling calm and still, on a hill of flowers, as the thoughts (little and big swirly pink ones) pass by.

Nice!

CHEERS TO 2012

Cheers to 2012!

Thinking about love (my love shack)...

and more love and...

"lettingo"  - on the wing of a bird on a pretty magic wand.

One word.

My "word-for-the-year" is lettingo.

It makes me happy and brighter (and lighter)  just to think about lettingo.

(bird was inspired by an article in the latest Quilting Arts magazine)

Always...thoughts of the beach! Oh how I love that beachy feeling! 

I made "new" light, medium, and dark fabric from some Kaffe and used these pieces 

 to make a beach scene with sand, water, sky, shack, and palm tree.

(inspired by Edrica Huws' book Patchwork Pictures.)

Besides thinking about love and lettingo, I want to make more fun little projects this year. I have been sewing lots of the hexes, so I having a special place for the process was a good project to start.

It gave me a chance to use a bit of each fabric my boys picked out for Christmas.

Three big pockets for each stage of a hex.

Happy!

I especially like that I used this big bead that was on a necklace I impulsively bought at Houston and have never worn. I put the necklace around the whole book and laid it in the middle.

On the outside, the necklace string gave me a place to tie on these polka dot strips.

On the inside,  I wrapped some floss and used the floss to sew the necklace down.

For the next project...Good fortune is waiting!

What's your word or project you'd like to make this year?