Show and Tell Thursday

First, let's start with my photos for show & tell Thursday:

I tea-dyed some of my fabrics

I made a doodle girl doll from Chocolate Lollipop fabric line

I made a John doll to go with my doodle girl

I made a Jo doll

I made a quilt for a customer

This is my pieced backing for the quilt

I finally received my Spare Change Swap squares

Not much quilting or sewing has been getting done this week, my kids all decided to take turns getting sick-- so sick kids mean--lots of cleaning--I'm always behind disinfecting everything-really, no sewing, no quilting--and no blog posting, but since my husband is back and he had the past 2 days off I did manage to find some time to satisfy my urge to sew/quilt. I made some adorable dolls that are addicting! If you haven't seen them check them out..... I got them from here: http://www.bitofwhimsyprims.etsy.com/ . They really are quick and easy--you can make dolls in less than an hour. I've almost just about purchased all her doll patterns--I know, call me crazy, but I'm so addicted to the softies and plush dolls. I've built up my felt stash and also picked up some chenille and minky dots to make the animals...I can't wait to see how that turns out. Do any of you know where else to get patterns? I've been on the hunt and haven't found much so either Free or to buy--I WANT THEM ALL!

For the fabric dye-ers out there-- QUESTION !?! I just started to dye my own fabric, well I only did 3 and that was just using tea. I need to know the rules out there of what kind of fabric works best. I used one material--I don't know the material, some poly blend that took the tea so quickly and acheived the color I wanted so quickly....I took pictures of what I ended up with.(SEE ABOVE) The darker of the 3 is the unknown fabric so I was just wondering if you all can tell me which material is best to use for this? I of course am gonna use this new dyed material for the rabbit doll pattern and the bear :) I know I can buy it, but making it and having the control of the shade is SO MUCH BETTER! Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

I also finally finished a quilt order....whew! Nothing like speed quilting :) It seems as though 2 is the magic number. However this quilt went by very quickly that I could have finished in one day, but I needed to sleep. The pattern is called Lodge Pole Pine from Eleanor Burns "Quilts Through the Season" book. The customers choice....I'm glad she picked it, I would have never picked this as one to make, and I love how it turned out, I'm going to have to make another one for myself.

So that's my post for the day. I've got some pretty big projects coming up that required the help of some of my favorite fabric designers --more info. about that coming soon. So off I go, the baby's calling. Happy Crafting!

Quilt Giveaway Winner

It's finally come, I've been waiting so long for this opportunity to announce the lucky winner of my Quilt Giveaway, and hopefully make someone's day. I was so touched by the number of wonderful comments many of you had left for me!

When I stopped at midnight there was a total of 424 COMMENTS!! WOW! I won't ever touch Old Red Barn Co. comments :P but this was a great number for me! THANK YOU ALL! You all really have made my week.

I was also amazed and proud of the number of people who loved my quilt.....thankfully, aside from getting my orders done, I was also busy creating the pattern for those that would be interested in purchasing it themselves and trying their hand in making a quilt out of love. You will have the opportunity to purchase the Hard Copy and have that sent to you via USPS or receive the PDF form for instant gratification! Here's a preview of the pattern:

And now, to announce the winner! I really wish I had the ability to make all those who left a comment here a quilt. I hate only picking one, but that was the rules. Although there were 424 comments, There were a couple that had duplicate comments, so those were omitted and then the tallying began. For each person that left a comment, I did visit your blog to see what you had up, either blogging about it, and or putting the pic in your sidebar. You would have earned a maximum of 4 entries. I went about it the old school way and placed your name on paper and tallied the number of entries. I tallied everyones up and came up with an actual # range to enter into Random.org, and well from 403 comments, it tallied in actuality 764 entries. Your name each had a number next to it. For example, if you were #20 in leaving a comment, and you posted about the giveaway in your blog and then added the pic, then you held comments 20-24. So this was my method used for everyone.......and...........through........random.org......... the lucky winner is:

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:87
Timestamp: 2008-11-14 06:57:23 UTC

NUMBER 87 is Jennifer of rundpinne.blogspot.com

Congratulations Jennifer ms. Knitting mom of 3, please contact me either by email so I can get your color-scheme and have an early Present out to you!

I'm sorry I couldn't pick everyone, but have no fear!---There is another quilt giveaway coming soon! If you scroll down and read my previous post you will see the picture of the quilt I will be giving away--- It was really hard for me to say only 1 person won, so that quilt-top will be split in half, quilted and batted for a generous size Crib or could easily be Lap Size--2 WINNERS this time! I can't wait for that. Please add me to your favorites or follow my blog to watch for that giveaway.

Remember, the pattern for Brenda's Quilt, I've titled "With All My Heart" is now available in my etsy shop. Visit http://www.thehandmadequilt.etsy.com/ or you can also click on the link in my sidebar. Thank you all again! I look forward to reading more of your comments and reading your blogs!!

Possibly a new quilt to giveaway?

My giveaway is still going on---it will be closing at midnight on Thursday, and I will be picking a winner Friday morning....so if you haven't signed up--Hurry!! I've already found some amazing blogs through here and everyone of you have been very sweet and kind with your comments. I really am touched by all of your 'kind words'. Thank you.

I've enjoyed having this giveaway so much so that I've been playing with the idea of another one. This is the quilt-top that I pieced together quickly with some vintage fabrics I found hiding in one of my plastic bins to be forgotten. I spent all Sunday morning piecing the soft neutral colors of fabric together and ended with a very nice soft combo. Just really soothing to look at. The picture does not give this quilt-top any justice.

You'd think after working and finishing my last quilt in record time, I would be relaxing and taking a very needed break.....WRONG. This quilt is large enough for me to possibly break into 4 crib size quilts, if not maybe 2 good sized cribs.....opening it up to the possibility of 2 winners this time. This was made completely out of old vintage fabrics that still carry that scent of 'old'--I LOVE THAT SMELL :) Keep checking back as I may turn this into a giveaway..... Let me choose my winner first from my current one and finish theirs before this one gets going. My goal would be to have that giveaway just in time for two of you to receive a special Christmas Present from me. Gotta quilt this and add batting to it eventually.

On another note, I promised several folks that I would have my pattern of my giveaway quilt ready by Friday at my etsy store. I never realized how hard it would be to put it in writing and making sure that it would be easy to understand and follow as well as Beginner and Pro friendly. I've come up with 2 different patterns for my heart quilt, and I'm really aiming to have it by Friday....here's what I've got so far. I definitely prefer working it out on graphing paper and then transferring it to computer when I'm done.

Can you see the heart in there?? :) A little optical illusion for ya.

As if that wasn't enough, I added an apron to my list earlier in the week, I kept forgetting to post about it here, but it is going to be added to my etsy shop and available for purchase. My very own design....I didn't really follow a pattern for this and although I wasn't trying to go for a holiday theme, it kinda looks like it, or Rasta colors.....yeah man. I made up a matching pot holder to go along with it. --My very first apron:

So that concludes, the projects that went on in my home this weekend. I can't wait to pick a winner and be able to tell someone they won a quilt and possibly make their day? What did you do?

Brain Fart

I love yo yo's I really do. I love making them just as much as looking at them.

I was having a brain fart when drawing up my patterns and figuring out the measurements so I took a break and decided to re-organize the stash. I found some more stuff I had forgotten about. I went to several auctions this past summer and picked up some really great things. There was one particular auction that I attended that had a gi-normous stash of vintage fabrics and you better believe I bid on that baby to death. Of course I won, but true to my nature, I put it away and forgot about it....well during my break from designing patterns as I was looking for something else to make while re-organizing, I came across this bag of pre-cut circles--all vintage fabrics....

I suddenly felt the urge to make some yo-yo's. I pulled out the X'mas looking fabrics and stopped when I got to this point.

I really could spend all day and making these, but certainly not without the help of these.... if you don't have them yet, you really should get them..... it just makes it THAT much easier. (cue the staples commercial here.)

I really did use these. I like to keep them in the plastic cause I'm pretty anal about certain things... especially about keeping things where they belong. Don't ask.

So after looking at the yo-yo's I started to have another brain fart..... really this mommy brain is killing me! I can't think of what to do, there is no way I'll make a quilt completely out of yo-yo's it just doesn't appeal to me, and I've already done a flower garden quilt out of yo-yo's and also placed them on a bag..... so what can I do with them? This is where I would be asking you all for some ideas.

Well in the mean time, the brain fart I had passed for a moment and I thought I came up with a genius idea-- I thought- "Let me turn these into hair barrettes! and make some matching dresses or x'mas outfits for my girls!"

I placed a ribbon and everything, the only thing left to do was hot glue to to the barrette piece.

Then I realized something..... There was a major flaw to my idea:

Notice anything?

Well let me tell you..... my girls hardly have any hair.... HOW THE HECK WILL THEY USE THESE BARRETTES?

So back to the drawing board and me asking you for some help. What can I do with my yo-yo's? I'll have to post back here later to show you the final product.

A Good Thing or Bad Thing?

A new Joann's opened up closer to me the past couple of weeks. I have to say I've been over there pretty much a total of 10 times out of 14 since they opened?! Okay so maybe that was a little exaggeration there, but seriously, it seems as if I don't have a life other than being home with my children and sewing & quilting during breaks, so when I get the chance to get out, I get out and head out to my quilt shop and local fabric chain stores. Some of you said after reading my comments when I took you through a tour of my sewing/craft areas that it was a lot....to be honest..... I really don't feel like I have enough. What was the new addition over the weekend? Well here it is.....

I picked up some really girly and boyish fabrics to turn into kid projects.

These will become aprons at some point....the fabric for my holiday apron swap is in there :)

The four on the left were from a quilt shop....I am definitely loving the Art Gallery Fabrics.

The 4 on the right? Will be another apron.

I definitely had to pick up some more perle cotton floss for some more embroidery work. I'm thinking about doing another embroidery quilt....something other than flowers.

& of course.....more books!! I am definitely loving these! If you don't have them yet, definitely pick them up. For my fellow apron lovers...I'm a new apron lover....any good apron books out there? I think I grabbed every apron pattern from McCall's, & Simplicity that Joann's had....I'm wondering if there are anymore books you all might recommend? I want it..... oh yeah, and Yaya, I found my vintage apron patterns! Yeah! I'll be sending those over soon :)

So, having this new Joann's a lot closer seems to be hurting my wallet a lot more, but I've definitely got some great stuff from it--I still haven't figured out if it's a good or bad thing.

Win This Quilt (My Giveaway)

Hooray for Giveaways!! --
**I WILL ANNOUNCE THE WINNER ON FRIDAY Nov. 14.*** pls. cont. to sign in till then.

As I mentioned in my last post, I was asked to make a quilt in honor of a neighbor/friend who unselfishly donated her bone marrow to a stranger. To read the story, Click Here. My neighbors wanted to pay me for making the quilt and also for completing it on such short notice, but how could I accept any money for it knowing the reason behind it all? The women and other neighbors had gone around helping to collect money for their family and to also help pay for the quilt, but I rejected the money they offered and in turn gave the quilt to 'Brenda' as a gift from myself and everyone that came up with the idea to give a quilt and for those that cared enough to stop by and wish Brenda well.

Why give it away? As I said earlier, I was so moved by their actions and also by Brenda's generosity and selfless attitude, I too wanted to do something special,plus I love to share and consider myself to be a very giving person.

In the spirit of giving, I would like to offer this quilt for a special home. It will not be the one pictured, but it will be in the same pattern and in the color scheme of your choice. The wait is finally over. I didn't post pictures in my post about Brenda's quilt, because I wanted to save it for this giveaway. Here it is.

This was Brenda's Quilt:

Sorry it was windy earlier today, and I only had a few more short moments before the quilt would be taken so I had to hurry and snap what I could.

This took me 2 long gruesome nights, and an hour this afternoon to make.....here are some progress pics I took earlier.

Just the quilt-top. I finally finished piecing this baby at 2am on Sunday morning.

Ready for quilting. I spent all Sunday night quilting until 3am...my hands still hurt from gripping the quilt-top so hard. If you see an empty space in the middle, it was on purpose, it there so the well-wishers can leave their mark.

Binding was added and now a complete quilt!

Now just a couple more photos for me as a memory.

Can't you just imagine this quilt in you favorite quiet area, sitting room? or perhaps you knit like myself and have your special corner for knitting. I place my special quilts on this rocker....

Do you want a quilt just like this? Then ENTER! The winner will receive a quilt similar to the one above, but in the color scheme of your choice. The lap quilt measures 64"x64". The winner will be chosen on November 14.

Entering is really easy. Anyone can enter even non-bloggers and from wherever in the world, just be sure to leave me a good email to contact you if you are the winner. Make sure you leave a comment in this area good for one entry. Want to add more chances? Take the picture below, copy and paste and place in your sidebar, that's good for another entry. For two more entries, post about it on your blog. I do have a method of keeping track of all of your entries :)

Make sure you provide me with the link to your blog if you decide to post about or email me so that I can read it and tally up your entries. The winner will be selected using Random.org. I DO read every comment that comes my way and make it a point to visit yours as well so, GOOD LUCK everyone! Spread the word! I wish you all the best!

Brenda's Quilt, Quilting for a cause

(The names have been changed to protect their privacy)


I was approached last Tuesday by a neighbor who asked me to make a quilt for one of our neighbors. Nothing really out the ordinary, I make quilts for friends, families and also sell at craft shows so I thought oh just another order for a quilt.

Well, this one was different. It seems our neighbor Brenda was going to be admitted to the hospital that following morning (Wednesday) in order to donate some of her bone marrow--I had no idea, they are a rather private family, I probably would be do about this situation, but well to add to this, Brenda was donating to a stranger - I'm calling her Lucy.


Lucy had been battling with Leukemia for some time and apparently they had been searching for someone to donate for a really long time, all family members were tested and something always came up--but I don't know all the details as to how Brenda found out and got tested to be a donor, but long story short she was a perfect match.

Here's my simple version asked by the ladies for me to create---in addition to the quilt. :)

Sorry ahead of time if you can't read the small lettering. I worked on this on the computer and couldn't save it any other way.


caption: Meet Brenda-The Donor

Caption: Meet Lucy - The donor recepient

Caption: Brenda & Lucy head to the hospital together - Everything goes well.

Caption: The Neighborhood women came to me and asked me for something special.

Caption: So I worked hard and got to quilting.

Caption: Brenda received her quilt. Both she and Lucy are home and recuperating! What a wonderful neighborhood!

So earlier today, the quilt left my hands, but not before I got to snap a few photos for a little show and tell folks. I worked all Saturday night piecing the quilt. Quilted and stayed up late on Sunday, and added the binding and my label earlier this afternoon.

I was so touched and moved by the generosity of the women in my neighborhood for a fellow neighbor that it inspired me to also 'give'. While it isn't my bone marrow,....I enjoyed making the quilt that I've decided to make one and give it away to a fellow reader. More information on a later post. Look for it and don't forget to enter.

A Winner!

Okay, so before I get carried on into the day, I need to post this before I forget all about it. Sign-ups for the Happy Scrap Swap is now closed. Kat & I will be emailing you your partners info. later this week. Along with the swap sign-ups we also had a giveaway. Kat's winner is Carrie--a first time swapper! YAY! My winner:

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:3
Timestamp: 2008-11-03 14:24:13 UTC

© 1998-2008 Mads Haahr Valid XHTML 1.0 Transitional Valid CSSWeb Design by TSDA

So comment # 3 won, and that belongs to BETH! Hooray! I'm no where near completing your item for the giveaway, but it's definitely something good!--Trust me. I'll be posting later about what I did this weekend, and a chance for another giveaway.

OMG! I WON A GIVEAWAY!

I'm so totally not trying to rub it in guys, but for real guys let me have another moment---I'm just totally smiling from ear to ear and wanting to sooo bad do the happy dance but instead let me turn on my favorite song and do the Cha-cha slide--YEAH. I mean, you wouldn't believe the number of contests of giveaways that I enter. I enter soo many contests and giveaways and NEVER win--proof can be found in my blog---look under my label section titled GIVEAWAYS, CONTESTS, and I didn't even post about all of the contests in my blog all the time.

I was starting to feel pretty stupid entering and started to get crazy ideas and came to the conclusion that all of the giveaways were all set up, I'm not even going to begin to write the other crazy nonsense that were popping in my head, but they were pretty ridiculous. I hadn't posted about anything in a couple of days and there are definitely projects for me to write about, but I was just sitting here thinking about what to post when I decided to look around at the blogs of designers checking to see if anyone updated to show some pics from quilt market and sure enough my faves Lila Tueller and Vintage Chic Boutique 's Blog were the first ones to post. I stalk their blogs like crazy because I just love reading their blogs. I especially love Chelsea's patterns and Lila's fabric and patterns as well.

Well the most recent post listed the winners of the Messiest Creative Space--I almost forgot about that! I didn't think I had a chance. I had just cleaned up my area totally before doing one project and coming across Chelsea's contest, then I had to take a picture of what I had. Well, then of course I went on a cleaning and purging binge and organized everything removing every evidence of that mess--but it was saved on my blog. Look through my archives to read about the contest---Well long story short........I WON! I didn't win the grand prize which was a bag -Chelsea's new pattern in Heather Bailey fabric, but what I did win....was......pattern packs from Pink Fig Patterns & Lila Tueller Designs! Heck yeah! I'll take that anyday! I'm excited and look forward to my prizes! Thank you Chelsea & thank you Lila! for keeping it REAL!

Help! Things that start with " i "

So I'm in this alphabet swap and i'm to put some stuff together for my partner in Australia--why do I always get partnered with someone from Australia?! hmmm.....well I'm having brain block and I can't think of what to put on there, sewing quilting and craft related that start with an I so I'm asking you guys out there for some ideas.

Copied right from her list....this is what it has to be:

(What is an alphabet swap you say?Well - it is quite literally a swap centred on letters of the alphabet. You and your mystery partner will both get the same letter and will have to come up with a box of little things related to that letter. There is no need to get too extravagant or spend OVER $30 - but be as creative and inventive as you like; you could include craft supplies, little treasures, words, foodstuff -ANYTHING! I know, dear readers, you are all fabulously interesting and original so let there be no limit to your ideas!)

My letter is I, I prefer to make things, I am already planning on making Ice Cream in a cone out of felt, kinda like a pincushion ice cream, and after that I'm lost. I can't think of anything that may be easy to make.

So your ideas would be greatly appreciated!

The Fortune or The Cookie?

So I had Chinese for lunch earlier today or since I'm a night owl and posting this super late, yesterday to some of you. It's still 'today' for me, I haven't slept yet. I had to snap these beauties. I've never had such perfect fortune cookies out of the wrapper. Mine were always smashed or already broken in half, but look at these:

So of course using my light box and a fantastic camera, I made the fortune cookies look even more scrumptious. I picked up my order and I don't know about ya'll, but I always have to make sure that they gave me my fortune cookies. Its not the fortune I care about-I could really care less about the fortune inside, I've gotten the "You'll win the lotto" several times & well I'm still broke, still waiting for that fortune to come true, but I just love how it tastes. I'll add a recipe that I've tried before and it just tastes really good fresh!

So these perfectly shaped fortune cookies made me snap to attention. I'm always looking for things to add to my items as a giveaway to my customers whenever they purchase things for example; magnets, cup cozy's, mini-wallets holding my business card, just that sort of stuff. Now I'm not chinese at all, and anyways the fortune cookie idea came from America, but I decided I wanted to make a fortune cookie out of fabric and add my label inside like the paper fortunes---DING DING DING DING!!!!

I'm sure people have already done this, but let me have my moment, and for figuring it out myself. ---By the way those participating in the swap--this is a good project for using up those scraps.

So with some messing around with fabric, I ended up with this as my first ones:

I loved it, and the fact that it's a NO-SEW project folks?! All you need is fabric, fusible, glue, and some beading wire & you're good to go. I should have taken some photos while I made the rest, but I just couldn't stop until I was done. They were just too easy to make. I'll post steps later when I make some more. For now here are the fabric fortune cookies.....ta da!

I'm still figuring out how to make the box, I'm gonna wash the chinese box and take it apart and use that for a template--once I'm done eating my leftovers of course. So I thought I would share this little project. So until next time, JOIN THE SWAP, and keep craftin'!

Ideas for Projects

We just started a Scrap Swap and I can't wait to see the fabric scraps that will be coming in and the projects that come out of it. If you're new, Welcome to swapping! You will find swapping to be addicting and you won't be able to stop at just one!

There are so many projects that can be made and you can only be limited by your imagination. To help give some of you some ideas, I found these blogs that have projects in them that can definitely work for our swap.--of course these are just ideas, you do not have to do one of these--you do what you want at your own pace!

Check Them Out!

Scrap Party Garland

Fabric Covered Barrettes

Fabric Wall Art

Fabric Coasters

Tissue Holder

Handmade Fabric Cards

Fabric Tags

Fabric Pom Pom

Fabric Magnets

These are such quick and easy projects, you'll end up making some for yourself. Please join our swap. Remember to enter through the link on my sidebar & be sure to leave a comment under the swap post to be entered in the giveaway. Visit and leave a comment on Handmade-O-Holic to also enter in her giveaway.
I'll be back with more posts!

Happy Scrap Swap

A new swap for you to join!

This one is being hosted by myself(Abbie)- The Handmade Quilt-er, and Kat over at Handmade-oholic.
PLEASE READ EVERYTHING......

What: A swap of scraps from your scrap pile--please use scraps no smaller than a 4" square to your group partners. Each group will have 3 people in it, so you will have 2 partners. Fill two sandwich size Zip-loc bags with as many scraps you can fit into it. Try to have the same equal amounts of scraps for your partners. Send yours scraps out along with a self-addressed stamped envelope measuring 8" x 10"with 6, 42cent stamps on it.

In turn your partners should be sending you theirs as well with a self-addressed stamped envelope for you to mail their items to. When those arrive, mix it all up and create little gifts to make for your swap partners-2 in total, 1 for each partner out of the scraps you received. You should be left with scraps yourself and create yourself a gift!

When: Sign up is now until November 3, 2008, or depending on how many will be participating we may extend the dates further. Your 1st package of scraps in the sandwich bag should be mailed out no later than November 15th. Have your 2nd package of your gift mailed out to your swap partners by December 13th.

Where: Sign up is located HERE. Click on the word "Here" to be directed to our sign-up sheet which will enter you in the swap. You will also find a link to sign-ups on my sidebar.

Who: Anyone who signs up before November 3rd regardless of whether or not you have a blog, just be sure to provide your email address.

Any questions you may contact me at The Handmade Quilt-er or you may also contact Kat through her blog at Handmade-OHolic. Both blogs have the same information, sign-ups can be placed on either blog.

Kat and I will be sending out your swap partners by the 7th of November with their information. Please be sure to write the deadline dates down as we really want to make sure everyone receives their gifts before Christmas. Please note that the dates may change depending on the number of participants we have end date of sign-ups. You will of course be notified if there are any changes to the swap. The deadlines again are:

Sign-ups Until Nov.3

Ship Scraps out by Nov. 15

Mail Created Gifts by Dec.13

Keep checking back at either blog as we will be posting several ideas to make using the scraps you receive. If you know of some, please kindly leave a comment and share with the group.

********EXTRA*******GIVEAWAY************************

Place this button on your sidebar with a link to the swap and leave a comment on my blog and you will be entered in a giveaway.

Kat and I will each be having a give away and you are certainly welcome to enter in both--WE WANT YOU TO!

Kat is giving away this bag & matching wallet: .

I will also be having a giveaway myself which will include a bag and wallet to send out along with some fabric goodies and a quilting/sewing book to the winner through my blog. So if you're interested in our swap please sign in by clicking on my sidebar button, to enter the giveaway place the button on your sidebar and leave a comment on both blogs!

This will be soo much fun and I look forward to seeing the fantastic items that come out of this! Help us by spreading the word! The more people that enter the more fun it will be! Thanks again in advance for participating in our swap!