Think Spring Giveaway!

Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.

 ~Victor Hugo

I'm very much a music kind of gal.  I would rather listen to music than TV.  Don't give that rap stuff or hard rock - well, unless it's Jimi Hendrix and then he's probably not considered heavy rock for today.  I can get lost listening to sound tracks from movies.  Movies like Cider House Rules (Rachel Portman), The Horse Whisperer (Thomas Newman), and Star Wars (John Williams).  Or give me classicals like Dvorak, Beethoven, or Brahms.  I love the piano, especially George Winston or a good trumpet piece by Winton Marsalis.  Don't care for jazz, never understood it.  I grew up on opera and can name a lot of the arias when I hear them, but I would rather not listen to it.  Music can be electrifying or totally calming.  It can be hypnotic or invigorating.  Give me music any day!!! 

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PHOTO FACT OF THE DAY

Toothbrush

We use a toothbrush several times a day.  Brush those pearly whites or lose them.  Have you ever wondered how the tooth brush came about?  Hard to believe, but most Americans didn't brush their teeth until soldiers brought the Army's enforced habit back home from World War II.  The early history and evolution of the toothbrush has its origin in the "chewingsticks" used by the Babylonians as early as 3500 BC.  As the years passed, toothpicks matured into the chew stick which was about the size of a modern pencil. One end was chewed into and became softened and brush-like while the opposite end was pointed and used as a pick to clean food and debris from between the teeth.  The first true bristled toothbrush also originated in China at around 1600 AD.  By the early 1800s the bristled brushes were in general use in Europe and Japan. In 1857, H. N. Wadsworth was credited as the first American to receive a toothbrush patent as America entered the growing toothbrush market.  Thank goodness we no longer have to just chew on sticks.

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CANDLE MAT

Yesterday I finished the candle mat I started earlier in the week.

Bright and cheery!  I usually don't like to bind a quilt in a light color or print but I think the bold flower print works for this one.

Here is a close-up of the decorative stitch I used in bright pink thread.  This candle mat will be going out to one of my PIF participants next week.  I hope she will like it!

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GARDEN PARTY

Is anybody else joining in on the Garden Party BOM?  Sheryl of Quilting Tizzy is the creator of the darling quilt.  It contains both applique and regular quilt blocks. I love birds and this is so cute.

This is what the completed quilt will look like.  Sheryl is releasing one new block a month for the next 15 months.  Yesterday I prepared the first block for stitching...

You had to make two of these little Garden Party Love Bird's one facing each direction.  I used Lite Steam-A-Seam 2 for the first time and had some problems with it.  Well, not so much problems as confusion.  I ended up using almost 2 1/2 sheets of the stuff when it should have only taken 1 1/2 sheets.  I kept drawing on the wrong side - my brain just couldn't get it straight.  But once I figured it out, it was easy to work with and fused the fabric nicely.  I am only going to work with scraps from my stash for this project.

Come join the fun!  The next block will be released February 19th.

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THINK SPRING GIVEAWAY

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!!!

Have you been thinking about spring?  The flowers, the bright green of grass and leaves?  Don't you think that we should celebrate the coming season with a giveaway?  I do!!  After looking through my stash, I decided to share some fabric that definitely says SPRING!

This fabric line is called Cute As A Button by Ro Gregg for Northcott Studio.  The far left piece is a 2 yard cut of fabric.  The other 6 pieces are 1/2 yard cuts each.  That is a total of 5 yards of fabric.  If you like geraniums then you will love this fabric.  Now doesn't that look like spring to you?

How can you win this fabric?  Well let me tell you....

1.  Leave me a comment telling me what kind of music you like best.  I already told you my favorites at the beginning of this post.  List a special song or piece of music too, if you like.

2.  Blog about this giveaway and come back and leave a comment telling me you did - make sure to include a link back to your post in the comment.  I will check.

Make sure that you do the above in two separate comments.  If you include them in one comment it will only count as one entry.  You do not have to be a follower but I would certainly appreciate it if you were to become one - and thank you to all of you who already follow my blog!!!!  If you have a no-reply blog or do not have a blog, make sure to leave me some way to contact you.  If I can't contact you, you will not win!  This giveaway is open to everyone - yes, everyone - no matter where you live! 

This giveaway will end on Monday, February 21st at 11:59 PM PST.  I will announce the winner on Tuesday, February 22nd. 

Now go tell your friends and good luck!!!!

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SIL UPDATE

My SIL was released from the hospital today!  He's on the mend and headed home.  He still has a drain in his abdomen that DD gets to learn to take care of.  But at least he's finally out.  Thank you for all of your prayers and positive thoughts you sent for him and my family!  They were much appreciated and seemed to have done the job :)

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TODAY'S GOAL

I am going to work on the applique part of the Love Bird blocks.  Maybe I will do some work on the wool table runner in the afternoon.

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GIVEAWAYS

The Q and the U is having a Valentine giveaway.  You could win 3 Heather Ross Mendocino FQs and a half yard of Heather Ross West Hill.  Riel's giveaway ends Sunday, February 13, at 7:00 PM AST.

Sew Lux Fabric & Gifts is having a giveaway.  Chrissy is giving away a Brooklyn Bag pattern as well as a Fandango charm pack and 1 yard of the Fandango print of your choice from her shop.  This giveaway end Monday, February 14, at 11:59 PM EST.

Cut To Pieces is having a giveaway just because she feels like it.  Angela will be giving away something from Sweetwater.  This giveaway will end Sunday night.

Happy Quilting is having a 400th follower celebration with a giveaway.  Not fabric this time but darling handmade cards.  You could be one of 4 winners.  Melissa will close this giveaway the evening of February 17th and announce the winner on the 18th.

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FINAL THOUGHT

The computer is a wonder, a miracle.  Do you ever wonder how we got by without it?  Life was simpler before the computer.  There were no instant answers to everything unless you went to the library or asked mom.  Social networking didn't exist.  Not so long ago, the computer was something you saw in sci-fi movies or when watching The Jetsons.  Now we can't live without it.  I know that I spend way too much time connected to the web.  I have to give myself time limits or I might just spend all day in front of the screen.  The computer makes it way to easy to spend money.  You no longer need to go to a brick and mortar store.  I like this technical miracle as long I don't try to understand it.  Make it simple.  Make it fun.  And thank goodness for it or I wouldn't have made so many wonderful friends!
There are three kinds of death in this world. There's heart death, there's brain death, and there's being off the network.
~Guy Almes

May your Friday be fantastic and your weekend joyful!!