Featherstone Quiltworks

First, how I prepared for the “drawing”.  I printed out each day’s comment section for the eight days of the give-away.  Next I went through and X’ed out any duplicates for that particular day, any comments by me, my hubby, or my son Dave (sorry, Dave, I know you really wanted all this quilty stuff…). 

I then started numbering the comments starting with 1 on the first day going through to the last comment on yesterday’s post, which was numbered 171.  Then I got DH into the computer room with me to be my witness that I did everything fair and square.  I used a random number generator, entered that I wanted it to draw two numbers in the range of 1 to 171.  And here’s what it spit out:

And, the winning numbers are: 129 and 59!!!  Oh, wait, you probably wanted NAMES, didn’t you?  Let me try again.

Congratulations to Donna and Ruby!!!  Congratulations to both of you, and I will be contacting you via e-mail to get your mailing addresses.  An interesting side note:  both Donna and Ruby entered all eight days, as did many of you (thank you!).  Here are the winning entries:

Thank you, everyone, for making my 1st anniversary/40,000 visit week so much fun!  I really enjoyed everyone’s comments, and I also feel like we know each other a little better.  Thank you all again for playing along this week, and I hope you continue to stop by once in a while and say “hi”!

Sue

(PS:  Sorry, apparently asmallorange (the host for my web site) had a server down for a while today, and it was the one I’m on.   My apologies to those of you who were trying to find out the results of our give-away.)

It’s already been a week.  That means there are 7 prizes accumulated, only one more to go.  My favorite thing for today?  I love to knit, and my latest knitting passion is socks! 

Here’s what I’ve made so far:  Upper left is my first attempt at two socks on two circular needles.  So far, so good.  But I’m not very far.  Upper right is my first sock, and I finished those in November.  The first time I wore them is when I fell and broke my wrist, so I guess they’re not my lucky socks.  I like them anyway.

Lower left, the raspberry one was coming out really weird once I got past the heel (but I love the yarn).  It would have been custom-made for Big Foot.  Ripped it out and it’s now a ball of yarn.  The green pair came out nicely.  Lower right, I really like this sock.  I did something wrong in shaping the toe, so I’m going to rip it back to the beginning of the toe and do it right.  Then try to make another sock just like it! 

Sorry, if you win one of the prizes, don’t draw around your foot on a piece of paper and send it to me; I’m not giving away hand-knit socks.  Just a pair of low-cut athletic socks with a cushioned sole, perfect for a walk around the block or standing at a long-arm machine.  (And doesn’t “low cut” sound a little scandalous?)

Another category of what’s near and dear to my heart are my friends.  Like you, I have been blessed with quilting friends, former-co-worker friends, neighbor friends, internet friends, and “just because” friends.  And it’s nice to keep in touch with them.  My favorite all-purpose greetings cards are Rebecca Barker’s Quiltscapes, so four different designs will be included in each prize bag so you can keep in touch with some of your friends too!

And the complete assortment (bag, scent of Best Press, and specific cards are different in each prize).

I’ve been printing off the comments to each post, deleting any of my comments, my family’s comments, and a couple of duplicate comments where someone forgot to say something and did a second comment on the same post to finish out what they wanted to say.  Then I’m numbering them straight through, 1 to whatever we end up with.  Monday morning I will use a random number selector on line to pick two winning numbers in that number range, and I will post the results by Monday afternoon (maybe sooner, but no promises!), as well as e-mailing the winners.

So leave me a comment on this post, and for today’s subject matter, what is your favorite quilting-related tool?  One of mine is good-quality pins.  I bought good pins early on and have taken them for granted, but I ran across some old pins lately and tried using them.  It was like pinning with a nail! 

Thank you all so much for making this give-away so much fun!  I’ve really enjoyed all the comments.   Happy Quilting! 

SORRY, GIVE-AWAY IS OVER.

Wow, it’s Friday already!  We’ve had a typical spring week here in the Midwest — cloudy, rainy, starts to clear, rains some more.  Great for all of nature, and disastrous for my sinuses and my aching wrist!  When we’re in Texas for a time in the winters, we are on the Gulf of Mexico.  The breezes — no, let’s be honest — the winds generally blow in from the Gulf.  The air must be pretty clean because my sinuses don’t bother me at all down there.

Well, I almost went to bed tonight without doing this post.  I nearly forgot!  This give-away has been good for me.  I learned how to prepare my post earlier in the day and schedule it to be published automatically at a specified time (midnight!).  I still have to go on at midnight and close the comments to the previous post, but that only takes a minute.  It has all been working fine, as long as I remember to prepare!

Today’s sur-prize (and sorry, but I don’t have a Wheel of Fortune budget, so no fabulous prizes) is a large spool of Gutermann thread and a regular spool of Mettler thread, both in a light tan (added to the previous semi-fabulous prizes of:  Clover fork pins, Best Press starch substitute, cookies, tea, placemat bag, and a yard of the Fruit Ladies stripe).

Even though I only started quilting in 2000, I’ve sewn since I was 12 or so, and there has never really been a time since then that I wasn’t sewing something — clothes for myself, my wedding dress, my sister’s wedding dress, pajamas and tee shirts for the boys, slipcovers, draperies, drapery toppers — so I have had a lot of thread.  And I used some of that thread for piecing.  All of a sudden this winter, I started running out.  I ran out of white, then I ran out of tan, I ran out of gray (somehow I seem to have plenty of purple).  I had to go BUY thread!!!  So the two winners will get some thread to add to their thread reserves, so hopefully you don’t have to scrounge around for just a little more tan thread to continue sewing!

The fine print:  1.  Give-away runs Sunday 4/26 through Sunday 5/3.  2.  You may enter once each day by posting a comment on that day’s new give-away posting (that’s what THIS is).  3.  Each day I will add an item to each ”basket” (there will be two); to have the most entries in the drawing, check back and add a comment each day.  4.  There are two baskets because there will be two names drawn on Monday May 4th.  5.  Be sure to include your e-mail when you make your comment so I can contact you if you are one of the winners!  6.  I will close the comments on this post at midnight CDT (sorry, West Coast, but that’s the latest I can stay awake).  Also at midnight CDT the next day’s give-away post will come up, so if the comments are closed here, go to www.suehecker.com/blog (unless it is after May 3rd — then you’re too late!).

And it’s Friday, you’ve worked hard all week, and I’m tired and need to go to bed!  So just leave me a comment to this post for an entry in the drawing.  There’s no additional subject matter tonight, but I’ll have to think of something for tomorrow because it’s really made reading the comments a lot of fun.  Two more prize days to go.  Good Luck!!!

Sue

SORRY, THE GIVE-AWAY IS OVER.

One of my favorite categories of things to make and own are BAGS!!!  I love little zippered bags, bags big enough to carry hockey equipment, and everything between.  They are functional, pretty quick to make, and they each have their own personality.  Here are a few of my favorites:

Starting in the back, that’s my “hockey equipment” bag.  I took it with me tonight to quilt guild and it easily carried two wall quilts, a 2-liter jug of diet coke, a dessert tray (I was on the treats committee this month), a ream of paper printed up into handouts (I was on a panel), plates and cups, a block of the month, two pillowcases for a donation project — and I’m sure there was more, but you get the idea.  Next is the tan tote bag I blogged about here; it is completed now, and I added ties to the sides to snug up so the bag doesn’t gape open as much.  The black/red/tan one is a Celine Perkins (Perkins Dry Goods) design; the black and white is a Grids and Grommets; Elvis is on a Kimmy bag deviation; and the two little bags in front are made from placemats.

I LOVE making a bag out of a placemat, and I’ve made a bunch of them.  Well, I bet you could never guess what the “basket” is going to be for the giveaway items???  Oh, you saw right through me.  Here is what you start with:  one placemat (not too thick), a fat quarter of fabric for the lining, and a purchased handle.  And did I mention, NOT TOO THICK???  I never learn.  I broke two needles on the black bag.  Check for the thickness in the corners where all the seam allowance fabric all overlaps.  There are lots of tutorials on the web for making these bags/purses.  To me, this is a bag.  When I put a zipper in, then it’s a purse.

And about three hours later here is what you end up with.  And all the sur-prizes fit very neatly inside!  (In case you’re new to this week-long saga of introducing one gift at a time, so far we have Clover fork pins, Mary Ellen’s Best Press, Bengal Spice tea and cookies, and now a little bag.)

The fine print:  1.  Give-away runs Sunday 4/26 through Sunday 5/3.  2.  You may enter once each day by posting a comment on that day’s new give-away posting (that’s what THIS is).  3.  Each day I will add an item to each ”basket” (there will be two); to have the most entries in the drawing, check back and add a comment each day.  4.  There are two baskets because there will be two names drawn on Monday May 4th.  5.  Be sure to include your e-mail when you make your comment so I can contact you if you are one of the winners!  6.  I will close the comments on this post at midnight CDT (sorry, West Coast, but that’s the latest I can stay awake).  Also at midnight CDT the next day’s give-away post will come up, so if the comments are closed here, go to www.suehecker.com/blog (unless it is after May 3rd — then you’re too late!).

Again, it’s been a lot of fun to read through your comments and see what you collect.  It helps me not to feel quite so odd about having teapots on top of my cupboards!  And now for today’s comments.  (Elvis looking out from the side of the Kimmy bag inspired me.)  If you could only listen to one kind of music (or one artist) all day today, what would you choose?  I’ll start.  My all-time favorite CD is Norwegian Wood.  It is Beatles music done in a classical style, and it’s hauntingly beautiful.  It is so mellow and peaceful, it always makes me feel good.  Your turn!

SORRY, THE GIVE-AWAY IS OVER.

SORRY, THE GIVE-AWAY IS OVER.

If you were to walk in my front door, it wouldn’t take you long to notice some of my favorite things.  This is part of the top-of-the-cupboards landscape in the kitchen:

I do love my teapots.  I’m mostly a coffee drinker, but teapots are so interesting and every one has a different story to tell.  Some of these are from TJ Maxx, some are souvenirs from vacations, some were gifts, and a very few others are collectibles.  I love the TJ Maxx ones just as much as the rarest ones.  They are all special to me.  Don’t tell DH, but last I counted I have more than (?) teapots.  That’s quite a few for basically a coffee drinker!

When I do have a cup of tea, I have a favorite tea.  It’s a Celestial Seasonings herbal tea called Bengal Spice (no caffeine, so it’s good in the evening).  My Aunt Bertha introduced us to it in Texas a few years back, and at the time we couldn’t find it in Minnesota so she would send it to us!  Now I can buy it at Target.  It’s best with a drizzle of honey.  Which brings us to today’s addition to the give-away basket (still just a virtual basket!):  A box of tea and a box of cookies!

Even though there are duplicates of everything and two baskets will be given away, from this point on I will just show one set.  So far in each basket:  Clover fork pins, Mary Ellen’s Best Press, and tea and cookies for a nice quiet break time!

The fine print:  1.  Give-away runs Sunday 4/26 through Sunday 5/3.  2.  You may enter once each day by posting a comment on that day’s new give-away posting (that’s what THIS is).  3.  Each day I will add an item to each ”basket” (there will be two); to have the most entries in the drawing, check back and add a comment each day.  4.  There are two baskets because there will be two names drawn on Monday May 4th.  5.  Be sure to include your e-mail when you make your comment so I can contact you if you are one of the winners!  6.  I will close the comments on this post at midnight CDT (sorry, West Coast, but that’s the latest I can stay awake).  Also at midnight CDT the next day’s give-away post will come up, so if the comments are closed here, go to www.suehecker.com/blog (unless it is after May 3rd — then you’re too late!).

It was fun to read yesterday’s comments about your projects!  In today’s comment, please share if there’s something that you enjoy collecting.  (Don’t share with the group that you have a priceless collection of the Czar’s Faberge eggs in your home…)   And thank you to all of you for playing along!

Sue

SORRY, THE GIVE-AWAY IS OVER.

Here is today’s sur-prize:

Sunday’s package of fork pins are joined by Mary Ellen’s Best Press (starch alternative).  If you haven’t tried it, you will love it.  If you already use it, this is a slightly smaller spray bottle that is handy to take to classes or get-aways.  It comes in different fragrances.  One of these is Lavender Fields, and the other one is Scent Free.  I like to give finished blocks a light spritz of Best Press.  It makes them lie extra flat, and it encourages a troublesome block to behave. 

The fine print:  1.  Give-away runs Sunday 4/26 through Sunday 5/3.  2.  You may enter once each day by posting a comment on that day’s new give-away posting (that’s what THIS is).  3.  Each day I will add an item to each ”basket” (there will be two); to have the most entries in the drawing, check back and add a comment each day.  4.  There are two baskets because there will be two names drawn on Monday May 4th.  5.  Be sure to include your e-mail when you make your comment so I can contact you if you are one of the winners!  6.  I will close the comments on this post at midnight CST (sorry, West Coast, but that’s the latest I can stay awake).  Also at midnight the next day’s give-away post will come up, so if the comments are closed here, go to www.suehecker.com/blog (unless it is after May 3rd — then you’re too late!).

It was fun to read yesterday’s comments about the commentors’ first quilts and how some of you started quilting.  In today’s comment, please share something that you’re working on now.  I’ll start:  I’m embellishing a jacket for a guild challenge, quilting a customer quilt, and putting borders on a gift quilt of my own.  Next?

SORRY, THE GIVE-AWAY IS OVER.

Although I’ve had my web site for three years or so, last week was my one-year anniversary blogging.  And what a fun year it’s been!  I’ve met some wonderful people on line, made some quilts through Judy Laquidara’s site with many of you, and have enjoyed your blogs as well.   I’ve also enjoyed many, many e-mail comments sent by non-bloggers.  A big THANK YOU to all of you!

Last week I also surpassed 40,000 “hits” on my site, which is amazing to me.  I know some of them are robots and spammers, doing what they do, but that still leaves a lot of friendly hits.  Thank you for making this fun for me!

It’s a DOUBLE GIVE-AWAY!  (I feel like an infomercial — “wait, there’s more!”). And there IS more!   I will reveal one item being given away each day starting today through next Sunday, May 3rd, for a total of eight surprises in each gift basket.  Some surprises will be smaller, some will be larger.

Check back each day for you can enter in the drawing one time per day!  (You can only win once — if the same name is drawn twice, I will move on and draw again so we have two winners.)  The theme for this basket is Sue’s Favorite Things.  In looking for items to include, I would wonder, gee, would people want that?  What if they already have it?  Then I decided, who cares?  I’m buying MY favorite things to give away.  Don’t we all do that when selecting a gift? 

Here is today’s surprise: a package of fork pins.  These are great for pinning those nesting intersections together; you get less distortion and shifting of the fabrics.

Leave me a comment telling a little bit about your first quilt and/or how you were introduced to quilting.  I will accept comments left on this post before 2:00 a.m. CST, to accomodate the west coast.  Subsequent days there will be a NEW POST on which to leave a comment for that day.  Go to www.suehecker.com/blog and it will bring you to the current day’s post, not back to this post, on future days this week.

Good Luck!

Sue

PS:   Although everyone has included their e-mail address to me so far, I should  add a reminder here to enter your e-mail address where prompted so I have a means of contacting the lucky winners.  Your e-mail is not visible on the comments, only to me when I log in.

SORRY, THE GIVE-AWAY IS OVER.