Looking Glass Blog Hop & Giveaway

I was given the privilege of testing Looking Glass for Cheryl of Meadow Mist Designs.  When I saw her call for testers, I rushed to put in my name, because this is my type of pattern.  I am always drawn to squares and rectangles, don't know why but I am.  When she selected me to test the quilt I was so exited.  Then I got the pattern, and just couldn't make up my mind what fabric to use.  The pattern is charm pack/layer cake friendly, but when you get into the bigger sizes, that can be scary (well for me it was).  So after waffling forever I finally decided that instead of using charms or layer cakes I would used fat quarters.  I ordered a couple of different bundles, thinking I would go with black/white/red or black/white pink. I decided to go with the pink. And I love that Cheryl added fat quarter usage to the pattern for the larger sizes.

Now the bundle was a mix of pinks and corals, and I really loved how they looked with the blacks and whites.  Then the next big challenge for me was to pick the background color.  Now in the photo above it looks white, but I decided to used a low volume print that I thought was super cute. You can see it a little better in this photo.

I really struggled to get this quilt finished, it was the first quilt I finished in what feels like forever. But once I started quilting, I just couldn't stop until it was finished. It felt so good to be quilting again.

The blocks went together very quickly, and because she explains everything very clearly and even gives pressing instructions which always help me.  If I was able to make the blocks and piece the top in one weekend.  Then I had to decide on the backing.  Luckily I found a sale of Ansonia Mushroom Medallion by Denyse Schmidt, so that became my backing.

After it was quilted, I was trimming it yesterday (yes I know that is last minute) and I did something totally stupid.  I sliced a one corner, yes I did a nice gash.  I was so upset with myself I thought about just showing the completed flimsy.  I put it aside and just was going to leave it.

But I couldn't sleep with it in that state.  Fixing the front would be fairly easy since it was in one of the sashing strips.  I simply unpicked the quilting and the seam and added a new end piece.  But the back was a whole different story.  I couldn't figure out how to replace the cut section easily.  Then the light bulb when on in my head.I fused another piece on top of it and then did some very simple quilting to make sure it was good and attached.  Then I did this.

I always use a corner label anyway, so I just picked that to be the corner with the label on it. Problem solved...ok if you look below the label you will see the patch, but if you get that close I'm going to hurt you.  Don't you like my dotty binding???

This pattern is fun and fast to make, and it is sized for baby, lap, twin and queen, so it covers a broad range. But the thing I think I loved the most was the ironing diagram, I struggle to figure out which way to iron. Now the wonderful Cheryl of Meadow Mist Designs is offering one copy as a giveaway.
To enter the giveaway:

1. Simply leave a comment, if you need a idea of what to write, how about telling me what you are working on these days.  If you are no-reply blogger make sure you include your email.

2. If you want to have a second chance, my followers (new or old) get a second entry, just leave me a comment and tell me how you follow.

The giveaway will run until December 3, 2014, but if you just can't wait to see if you win, then you can pick up the pattern on Etsy or Craftsy and it is on sale through the 6th for $5.50.

And if you want additional chances to win check out the other stops on the hop.

Friday Nov. 21st: Cheryl @ Meadow Mist Designs
Saturday Nov. 22nd: Lin @ Lin's Quilts
Sunday Nov. 23rd: Beth @ Cooking Up Quilts
Monday Nov. 24th: Michelle @ From Bolt to Beauty
Monday Nov. 24th: Anna @ Fresh Dew Drops
Tuesday Nov. 25th: Chelsea @ Patch the Giraffe
Wednesday Nov. 26th: Shauna @ Shauna's World (you are here)
Friday Nov. 28th: Shelley @ The Carpenter's Daughter Who Quilts

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you pick up Looking Glass, it is a great pattern.

Sunday Stash: Paisley Please and Lucky Cotton

Happy Sunday everyone, I hope you are all prepared for Thanksgiving...me not so much, but that is my life lately.  I don't seem to be getting anything done when I should.  But enough about that, let's move on to more fun topics.  I don't normally do Sunday Stash posts because I'm just not organized enough.  But since I just opened these beauties up today, I couldn't resist.

Last weekend Sharla called out from her bedroom for me to check the flash sale at Fat Quarter Shop. If you've not checked out these sales you really should.  Everyday they put something new on sale for 24 hours only.  The amount of the sale varies but can be as much as 70% off. But back to the story, so I went and checked out the sale. It was for the Paisley Please line by Jacqueline Savage McFee for Camelot Cottons.  When I saw it, I knew I was buying some fabric.  Everything was 60% off, so I bought the fat quarter bundle. It is 21 fat quarters and paid just over a dollar a fat quarter.  I also bought some yardage to use for backing and borders.

I had to take two photos, because I didn't want to unwrap it since it was so pretty, but here is the back half of the fat quarters.

Now anyone that knows me, knows I love purple so this little bundle is right up my alley.  I love the dark coral and tan fabrics as well.  I think I'm going make a "Yellow Brick Road" quilt with them. But alas it is further down on my to do list.

They also had a bundle of Cotton & Steel on sale in their weekly pre-cut sale.  Yes Fat Quarter Shop has great sales.  The bundle was called lucky and it is a mix greens and golds.  Now at the moment I don't have a plan for these, but since my niece is a big Baylor Bears fan, they may work their way into a quilt for her.

All in all I got lots of fabric for some great prices and I couldn't be happier.  Now I've got to get my buttock in gear and get some quilts made.  Today I'm linking up with Molli Sparkles Sunday Stash.

Friday Finish: Sharla's First Quilt

If you have been following me for any time you know that Sharla has made more than one quilt.  I regularly show tops she has completed and then the finished version after I have quilted them.  So I'm sure you are wondering how her "first" quilt made the Friday Finish post.  Well it was only finished this week.  Yes you read that right, her first quilted, which was pieced and quilted in 2007, was finished this week.  What can I say that is how we roll.

Let me give you some background.  In 2007 Sharla and I took our first quilting class.  It was the type of class that teaches you how to use a rotary cutter, piece the top and then gives general information about quilting.  We both finished our tops and quilted them on our home machines.  Now I bound mine and gave it to my mom for Christmas and Sharla sew the binding on the front and then put it away because she hates hand sewing as much as I do.  Fast forward to last weekend and we were going through some boxes and found the quilt.  It even still had the needle in the binding where she was going to start (hahaha).  I told her I would machine sew the binding down and so I did.

The pattern is a simple alternating four patch and the fabric is from Moda, but I don't know the line. The funny thing is we both looked at it and laughed because the fabric is so not Sharla.  Not even something I would have picked for her seven years ago.  It is pretty, but not her style (but definitely her colors).

Since it is cold outside I decided to photograph it in front of our glass door.  As soon as it was on the floor, our resident quilt inspector had to check it out.  This photo gives the best representation of the colors.  The next few the sunlight washes the colors out some.

After washing it got laundry piled on it, so it needs to lay out for a while to get rid of the wrinkles, but who has time for that.  It is a fairly small quilt, and the quilting was simple straight line (well as straight as she could get) quilting.  This quilt does have something you won't see on this blog very often and that is a label without my name on it.  I teased her that I wanted binding credit and the original label she typed up had my name on it and I told her to remove it.

I have gotten a little more done that the binding on this quilt, but nothing to the point of showing anyone.  I'm really hoping by next week to have my Looking Glass top completed and if all goes well, maybe even another quilt actually quilted.  Here is one more shot of the quilt inspector checking out the quilt. I'm sure he thinks it belongs to him now.

It seems like forever, but today I am linking up with  Let's Bee Social with Sew Fresh Quilts, Can I Get A Whoop Whoop @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Link a Finish Friday @ Richard and Tanya Quilts, Finish It Up Friday @ Crazy Mom Quilts, Needle and Thread Thursday @ My Quilt Infatuation and Fabric Frenzy Friday @ Fort Worth Fabric Studio.

A Lovely Year Of Finishes: November Goals

I could just copy my goals from October to November, but that would be too easy and too lazy for even me.  Plus I'm going to change up things just a little.  I have a lot I have to get done between now and the end of the month, I know I won't get it all done, but hopefully at least some of it.

1.  Finish my Looking Glass test quilt.  I want to get the top completed, and if all possible it quilted as well.  I have all the fabric cut, and am in the process of piecing the blocks.  If all goes well the top will be done by this weekend.  Here are the fabrics I chose.

2. Finish at least 2 of the memory quilts.  I still struggle to work on these.  I make progress and then I stop.  The deadline I set for myself is fast approaching, so I have to get myself in gear and soon. This is what I have done so far.

3. Quilt 3 quilts and bind them.  Now the most likely three would be two memory quilts and my Looking Glass quilt, but I have a stash of quilts I need to quilt, so it could be any three. But I am really looking forward to quilting this one, because it is the biggest top I have and will almost work as a bed quilt.

4. Complete my bee blocks and get them into the mail.  This month we're doing bow tie blocks.

Now that is where I'm going to stop, do I have more to do, you bet. But if I complete the above list I will be very very happy.  If I get more done, it will be even better.   I am linking up with Shanna of Fiber of All Sorts and Melissa of BitterSweet Designs.