March Blocks

Wow, March really flew by, didn't it? I can't believe it's April already. Fortunately, I managed to keep up with my quilt block commitments!

But first, an update on the Union Jack block I had so much trouble with last month. I can finally claim SUCCESS!:

Granted, it's not perfect. I am sure you can find the flaw without too much effort, but after two failed attempts, I don't really care. I'll take it!

Now on to some new blocks. This first one isn't for a quilting bee, but for a special project that's been organized over on Flickr. I can't share too much more about it yet, but I will soon ... promise! Anyhow, I was tasked with making an improvisational block in shades of yellow. It turned out to be a pretty cute block!

Here are my two blocks for the do. Good Stitches charity bee. We were asked to make "stacked book" blocks (not the official name, but it's what I call them!) in shades of blue, gold & yellow:

And finally, here are two blocks I made for my neighbor Rachel (olivethebeach) over in the Buzz Cuts group. I LOVE how these turned out! I followed a tutorial that Rachel put together on her blog -- you should check it out if you want to make something similar:

So what did you work on last month?

Nesting Chairs Winners

Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway for Laurie Wisbrun's fantastic Nesting Chairs fabric. I wish I could send some to all of you, because you all described some wonderful project ideas for the fabric.

The lucky winner of the fat quarter bundle is:

Rachel said...53

Oh my goodness! I am SO in love with that yellow and grey combination. You are soooo luckynto have such good friends/connections ;) I have some grey Kona that would be perfect with this fabric in a little quilt! (oh please - fingers crossed - pick me)

MARCH 27, 2011 11:38 PM

But wait! Did you notice that the title of this post says WINNERS? Plural??

That's right! I've finished my project with the blue and orange bundle, and I've decided to send a scrap pack of my leftover fabrics to another lucky winner.

The winner of the scrap pack is:

DeeRoo said...154

What is it about fabric with furniture on it that gets us so excited?:) So glad you used the other colors....hmmm...I'm thinking I'd love a bag made out of some of it and of course pillows...I just ordered some fabric with those same colors!
Go VCU!:)

MARCH 28, 2011 8:01 AM

Congratulations to the winners! Please email me or leave a comment on this post so that we can connect on mailing information.

Thanks again for playing! Winner of the QuiltAlbum giveaway is coming soon ...

The Story of a Showmance (aka Quilt Album Giveaway)

I have a confession for you, dear readers. It all started back in November, when I was invited to be a guest on Pat Sloan's radio show. That brief encounter kicked off a showmance so hot it rivals anything you might see on Big Brother, The Real World, or The Bachelor. So today, here on my blog, I want to announce ...

April Fool's!! Bwahahahaha!

But I do love me some Pat Sloan. So I was more than happy to be a part of her latest blog hop in support of QuiltAlbum, a new software package that helps you create a digital story of your quilt creations.

If you're reading this, three things are probably true:

1. You're a quilter, crafter, sewist, or someone very interested in one of these things.
2. You're online.
3. You like to take (and share) pictures of your crafty creations.

And if that's the case, then you're exactly who QuiltAlbum had in mind when they developed their product.

Here's a brief description taken directly from the welcome screen of the program:

QuiltAlbum is an easy-to-use way to store important information about your quilts – when they were made, who designed them, what methods were used, etc. – and to keep photographs you have taken of your quilts. So you will always have a stored memory of your quilts even if you give them away to family or friends.

QuiltAlbum also provides easy tools to print out those photos and information – as pages to be kept in an album (or a three ring binder!); as greeting cards in a wide variety of formats; or even as images to use on personal business cards you can use with your friends!

You have spent many hours creating your quilts. Now you owe it to yourself and your family to create a lasting and complete record.

Now, I've installed and played with the software myself. Though I think the interface design is a bit traditional and could stand a few new "skins" to appeal to the younger, modern quilter, the functionality is there. And that's what matters, right?

ETA: And yes, it does run on both Mac & PC!!

Here's just one screen shot to give an idea of the software's functionality:

(Not my quilts.)

I think it's a fantastic idea for quilters of any age to begin keeping a record to chronicle our quilting journeys. And in today's day and age, digital is the way to go. Think of all the quilts you make and give away as gifts. Don't you want to hold on to the memories of making that quilt? QuiltAlbum offers a powerful, easy-to-use interface for us to begin keeping that electronic record of our creations.

Want to learn more? Visit QuiltAlbum on Facebook, or sign up for their newsletter.

Sound interesting? Well, I have a copy of QuiltAlbum to give away to one lucky reader. Yeah, that's right -- I have TWO giveaways open on my blog right now. I'm cool like that.

But before we get to the giveaway ...

Having never done one of Pat's blog hops before, I didn't realize that answering a few fun questions was part of the deal. So, are you ready to get to know a little more about me?

1. What one item do you really want to add to your studio and why?
   
   Ever since Anne Sutton of Bunny Hill Designs postedpictures of her quilting studio, I've been dreaming of having a pair (not one, but a pair) of large cutting tables floating in the middle of my studio. Oh, to have that space, storage, and flexibility! My second dream item would be a big closet with a killer built-in storage system.
   
   
   Photo courtesy of Anne Sutton.
   
   
2. What color would you paint your living room if you had to do it right now?
   
   I would definitely go with a shade of grey. I'm really digging grey right now as my neutral of choice, and I think I've finally convinced Mrs. QD to let me paint a room grey. Does anyone have good suggestions for a specific shade?
   
   
3. Share a little know fact about yourself .. with a bit of detail please.. wink!
   
   I've got two interesting tidbits to share. First, I went to high school with TV's Webster. Yup, that's right -- Emmanuel Lewis himself, in Brooklyn NYC. (ETA: oh, yeah ... and my classmate and lacrosse teammate was Adam Richman from Man vs. Food. Thanks for the reminder, Rachel!)
   
   Second, when I worked at Kraft Foods, I starred in several internal sales videos ... dressed as Mr. Peanut. Yup, I donned the Mr. Peanut costume on several occasions. I think I made a great Mr. Peanut!
   
   
   
   
   
4. What is the last piece of fabric you bought?
   
   Nothing too exciting here. I recently picked up a few yards of Moda Bella solid in the Feather color. I've recently discovered this shade -- somewhere between white and grey -- and I love it. It's going to be the sashing for a quilt I'm working on using Sunkissed.
   
   Other recent purchases: charm packs of "Basics" by Basic Grey for Moda, and some of the non-novelty prints of Basic Grey's "Max & Whiskers" line. Oh, and I stocked up on the turquoise and orange grunge fabrics that are part of that line. D'uh ... WINNING!
   
   
   (Photo stolen borrowed from Rachel, who has the same great taste as me!)
   
   
   
   
5. Your favorite candy to find in your Easter Basket?
   
   Oh, this one's easy. Cadbury Mini Eggs. Fo' shizzle.

And now for the fun part. Simply leave a comment on this post and I'll pick a random winner on April 6th. Increase your chances of winning by visiting the other stops on the blog tour and entering their giveaways:

Rachel Griffith
http://www.psiquilt.com/

Benita Skinner
http://www.victorianaquiltdesigns.com/VictorianaQuilters/311QA.htm

Linda lum deBono
http://www.lindalumdebono.blogspot.com/

Vanessa Christenson
http://www.vanessachristenson.com/

Geta Grama
http://cadouri-din-inima.blogspot.com/

Michele Foster
http://quiltinggallery.com/

The Queen Bee herself, Pat Sloan
http://www.patsloan.typepad.com

Good luck! Be sure to check back on April 6th to see if you've won a copy of QuiltAlbum. And big thanks to Pat, both for inviting me to be part of the blog hop and for the showmance! ; )