Little Tidbits and A GIVEAWAY

Putting off an easy thing makes it hard. Putting off a hard thing makes it impossible.
 ~George Claude Lorimer

Friday morning I was a procrastinator - Big Time!  I spent time in cyberspace checking out blogs, looking at online stores, reading emails....you name it I probably visited it.  I had two blocks to make for swaps.  Both of them are/were log cabin blocks.  I love the look of log cabins.  I have always been drawn to their design and the beauty of the descending hues.  BUT, I HATE making log cabin blocks!!!  The more I tried to pry my butt out the chair, the heavier it felt.  After over an hour of wasting time I finally pulled myself up and away from the desk.  Now it was decision time.  Which one to make first?  Have you ever had a block you know you have to make (after all it was requested) but you really, really didn't want to make it?

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Bubble Gum

The second week of March is known as bubble gum week.  In 1928, bubble gum was invented by a man named Walter E. Diemer. Here's what Walter Diemer, the inventor himself, said about it just a year or two before he died: "It was an accident." "I was doing something else," Mr. Diemer explained, "and ended up with something with bubbles." And history took one giant pop forward. What Mr. Diemer was supposed to be doing, back in 1928, was working as an accountant for the Fleer Chewing Gum Company in Philadelphia; what he wound up doing in his spare time was playing around with new gum recipes. But this latest brew of Walter Diemer's was -- unexpectedly, crucially -- different. It was less sticky than regular chewing gum. It also stretched more easily. Walter Diemer, 23 years old, saw the bubbles. He saw the possibilities. One day he carried a five-pound glop of the stuff to a grocery store; it sold out in a single afternoon.

Before long, the folks at Fleer were marketing Diemer's creation and Diemer himself was teaching cheeky salesmen to blow bubbles, to demonstrate exactly what made this gum different from all other gums. The only food coloring in the factory was pink. Walter used it. That is why most bubble gum today is pink.

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THE DREADED LOG CABIN

I made this log cabin block for Leanne.  She is my swap partner for March in the Quilting Block Swaps Australia #1.  She requested the colors of blue and pink with a white center block.  It turned out okay but I always feel like I fight the block the entire time I'm working on it.  Now I have another one to make in Christmas fabric.

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YET ANOTHER WIN

February was very lucky for me in the giveaway department.  I won four different times!  One of my wins was a giveaway over at The Woolen Willow.  I was given the choice of any one of their patterns on their website.

I selected the Patriotic Mini Quilt.  I know who I will be making this little quilt for :)  They also generously included a little Spring stitchery project.  Thanks Jeni!

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B. BUMBLE and COMPANY GIVEAWAY

I recently discovered one of our own bloggers is also a wonderful pattern designer.  I would like to introduce you to Linda Winters over at B. Bumble and Company.  

Linda has a  background in art as well as early childhood education, she approaches quilt designing as she would illustrating a book. The designs are whimsical, colorful, and will appeal to the child in everyone.

Linda grew up in San Antonio, Texas. Perhaps exposure to this colorful city is part of the reason she is drawn to bright, fiesta colors. She and her husband have raised three sons and have lived in three states. Linda is from a family of artists –her mother was an accomplished wedding cake decorator, her dad an architect/furniture artisan/illustrator, her sister a watercolorist and art teacher, her brother restores old cars, her nephew an art framer/artist, her youngest son is a semiprofessional photographer, and her young granddaughter spends all her free time drawing.

Linda has been selling her patterns locally in San Antonio for the last couple of years and recently began selling online.  The applique technique she uses makes preparing the figures VERY easy.  There is a photo tutorial on her website under the heading "Getting Started".  The applique can be either hand sewn or machine sewn.  The size of the quilts range from large to small and sizes are given for each on her website.

Now for the giveaway.  Linda has generously donated two patterns for this giveaway.  How would you like to win a pattern.....

This adorable pattern is based on the old folk song “There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly,".  This pattern is for a quilt approximately 50” x 60.”

Or maybe you would like to win.......

This fantastic pattern called The Shop Hopper.  This pattern depicts a whimsical bunny who has been shopping for her fabric! Along the right side several quilting or sewing tools are appliqued. The bottom is embellished with an easy ribbon treatment.  The quilt measures approximately 24" x 25 1/2", not including the ribbon embellishment.

How can you win one of these wonderful patterns for your very own? 

There are several ways for you to enter....

1.  Visit Linda's blog, Buzzing and Bumbling, and leave Linda a comment on her blog telling her I sent you over for a visit! Then come back and tell me did (I will be checking). 

2.  Become a follower of Linda's blog and leave me a separate comment telling me you did for another chance to win.

3.   Blog about this giveaway and leave me a separate comment telling me you did.  Be sure to include a link to your blog where you posted about the giveaway in the comment.  (I will be checking these too!)

and for one more chance....

4.  Visit Linda's online store, B. Bumble and Company, to check out all of the cute patterns (don't forget to look under the Newest Patterns page).  Come back here and leave one more comment telling me which of the patterns is your favorite (mine is the The Shop Hopper!).

Four chances to win one of the two patterns above!  Please make sure there is some way for me to reach you.  If I can't contact you, you can't win!  If you have a no-reply blogger, please include your email in your comments.  This giveaway will end Monday, March 21, 2011 at midnight.  With the help of random.org, two winners will be selected and I will announce the winners on Tuesday, March 22.

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TODAY'S GOAL

I will make the second log cabin swap block and start cutting out a table topper for another swap (I can never seem to say NO to swaps *sigh*)

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GIVEAWAYS

1 Choice 4 Quilting is at it again with another giveaway.  You could be the lucky winner of 4 yards of Sunkissed fabric.  The giveaway ends Monday, March 14, at 10pm EST.

Material Girls Quilts is having a charming giveaway.  Nadine is giving away a charm pack to one lucky winner.  This giveaway ends Wednesday, March 9.

Inch Worm Fabrics is having a March giveaway.  You could win 5 Batik fat quarters.  Jeanette is not sure when this will end, it just might last all month.

Want It, Need It, Quilt It is having a 200th follower giveaway.  To celebrate Jane is giving away 35 colors, L style prewound bobbins with Bottom Line Thread. Tucked into a BobbinSaver.  This giveaway ends Saturday, March 12.

Crazy Mom Quilts is having a fabric giveaway.  You could be one of three winners of a stack of Sweet Remembrance from Connecting Threads.  This giveaway will end some time next week.

Jackie's Art Quilts is having her first fabric giveaway and 1 year celebration.  Jackie is giving away an Easter fat quarter bundle of 5 -100% cotton fabrics.  She will draw the winner on Friday, March 11.

Sew Jewelry is having Two, Two Giveaways In One Post!  There is a small fat eighth pack (7 pieces), a small "Rolie Polie" (Riley Blakes version of a Jelly Roll) (19 pieces 2 1/2 by 22, cut from fat quarters 10 fabrics total) and two charm packs (34 pieces each with some multiples).   You have four chances to win here!  This giveaway ends Wednesday, March 9, at midnight.

Alford Inn is having a giveaway to announce a new fabric by a new designer.  You could be the winner if you enter before March 17th.

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FINAL THOUGHT

We had a very busy Saturday.  Started with a run to the Farmer's Market.  Sure can tell we are between seasons as there is just a little bit of this and a little bit of that and LOTS of citrus.  It was a beautiful sunny day so we came home and weeded the front yard as planned.  We had an abundant crop of those pesky little green things.  We also ran across a bunch of suckers cropping up from one the trees, just no sure which one.  The Gerbera daisies are starting to bloom as are the daffodils.  Even the few tulips I have left are starting to poke up their green leaves.  In the afternoon we ran errands for about 3 hours - exhausting.  And to celebrate the warmer weather, DH barbecued hot dogs.  Delicious (even if they aren't good for you) and just the way to start off the warmer weather.  Our sunshine and warm weather was short lived however, as Sunday brought overcast skies and a threat of rain.  Mother Nature is such a tease.

If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.
~Anne Bradstreet

It's Monday!  Make something marvelous!!