Help Me Celebrate With A Giveaway!

Success isn't a result of spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire.

~Arnold H. Glasow

Finally a finish!  I can't believe I finally put the last stitch in the Minnesota Star Quilt.  It sat idle for so long.  I started this quilt back in May of last year.  I'm so embarrassed.  I  put this quilt on the back burner so many times that I lost count.  Almost a year to complete a quilt that's just not that big (60" X 72").  I finished a king sized quilt in under four months (a few years ago).  Other projects always looked more interesting.  There was always something new to try.  And then I finally finished the top this past October.  I pieced the backing and then put it in a sandwich.  And then it layed on the spare bed, waiting to be quilted.  And waited, and waited.......  Finally I started quilting it in January - just one row.  Not difficult quilting; just quilting 1/4" away from the seam line.  No marks to follow, no fancy fmq.  And then it sat again.  I'd already missed being able to give it as a Christmas gift - also missed Valentine's Day.  Good thing the recipient didn't know she was getting it - lol!  Finally, with much determination and muscle straining it is done.  Woohoo!!!  Finished date:  April 20, 2011. 

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PHOTO FACT OF THE DAY

Jelly Beans

Today is Good Friday and Earth Day - two very important days.  But April 22 is also important for another reason - It's National Jelly Bean Day.  Anyone who loves these delicious, flavorsome, colorful little sweets should treat themselves on this day.  But be careful, as we all know, jelly beans are addictive.  There are many things you can do to celebrate besides eating jelly beans. Here are a few suggestions.  Why not dress in the colors of your favorite jelly bean?  You could have a jelly bean party and ask for friends to create their own special jelly bean dish.

Jelly beans are one of the oldest forms of candy we have. They date back to at least the mid-nineteenth century. Jelly bean historians believe the jelly bean center originated from Turkish Delight, which comes from the Middle East. The gummy center is made from sugar, corn syrup and other ingredients to give them their fruit taste. Machines spray the insides with colored sugar to give the beans their hard shells. Jelly beans today come in all kinds of different flavors, including spicy. You can even put different ones in your mouth to create new flavors. They are even popular with American presidents. Ronald Reagan kept a jar on his desk in the White House. Once of the most interesting facts buried in the history of the jelly bean is the fact that many of these little babies even went into space. One of the space shuttles took up a bunch of jelly beans for the shuttle crew to snack on while they were up there.

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MINNESOTA STAR QUILT

(picture heavy)

And the unveiling begins......

The colors - browns and blues....

A corner revealed.....

A peak at the backing....

A little more to see.....

Here's the back with a simple row of scrap piecing in the center (ignore the shadow cast by the overhead wires)...

And here it is!  The entire quilt in the late afternoon sun.  Can you see the toes sticking out underneath.  Thanks to my DH for being my quilt holder!

And the final stitches - a label I printed myself using just muslin and freezer paper run through my ink-jet printer.  I added some left over fabric around the edges and I had a label.

DONE!  COMPLETED!  ME = HAPPY :D !!!

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CELEBRATE THE FINISH WITH ME

It's Giveaway Time

THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED

I think finishing the quilt is reason to celebrate.  It calls for a giveaway.  I am going to giveaway.......

10 coordinated fat quarters.  These are from Classic Cottons and dated 1999.  I don't know what the line of fabric is called as it wasn't on a single piece of the fabric.  All together there are 2 1/2 yards of fabric.  Don't they look like spring?  How can you win these lovely pieces of fabric, you ask?  Well, let me tell you.  It's really quite simple......

THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED

Just leave me a comment telling me what your favorite jelly bean flavor is.

and for a second chance.....

Blog about this giveaway.  Come back and leave a separate comment with a link to where you have blogged about it.

Only two chances per person.  This giveaway is open to everyone - and I mean everyone.  If you have a no-reply blogger, please include your email address in your comment.  If I can't contact you,  you can't win,  and that would be so sad.  Every time I have a giveaway, there are at least 10 people who are eliminated because of NO REPLY BLOGGER.  If you aren't sure if this applies to you, then jump over to Pleasant Home where you will find an excellent tutorial on No Reply Bloggers.  I will do my best to respond to each and every comment left - but forgive me if I don't if there should be too many (and I hope there is!)

This giveaway will remain open until Sunday, May 1, at 8:00 pm PST.

Good luck!!!

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TODAY'S GOAL

Today I hope to get the first baby quilt finished except for maybe the hand stitching of the binding.

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GIVEAWAYS

Fat Quarterly is having a giveaway.  You could win a copy Countryside Softies with patterns of all sorts of cute little critters.  Not sure when this ends.

Quilt Hollow is having a giveaway.  You could win an autographed copy of Country Comforts by Cheryl Wall.  While your there, check out the sneak peeks of her next book.  This winner will be announced on Sunday, May 1.

BillieBee's Blog is having a giveaway.  Billie is giving away a Connecting Threads kit.  She will have her DH draw a name on Sunday, April 24.

Singing Three Little Birds is having a Poppy Seed Fabrics giveaway.  You could win a Heather Bailey Pin cushion pattern and one yard of the new Night Owl Satin fabric from Poppy Seed Fabrics.  This giveaway ends Friday, April 29.

Sew Fun Quilts is having a giveaway.  You could win 200 pre-cut 2 inch fabric squares....both light and dark.  But hurry, this giveaway ends tonight at midnight CDT.

Little Bluebell is having a giveaway.  Adrianne is giving away one complete fat quarter bundle of Denyse Schmidt's, super popular new fabric, DS Quilts Collection, Picnic and Fairgrounds - 21 fat quarters!  A winner will be randomly selected on Thursday, May 5.

The Quilting Booklady is having a giveaway.  There are two chances to win a Lapel Stick.  This giveaway ends Monday, April 25th. 

P.S. I Quilt is having a sponsored giveaway.  You could win three wonderful Longaberger products.  The winner will be drawn on Sunday, April 24.

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FINAL THOUGHTS

It's Good Friday.  Many people will spend this day in fasting, prayer, repentance, and meditation on the agony and suffering of Christ on the cross.  For others it is a day off from work or school.  Not everybody celebrates this religious holiday - and that's fine.  It's also Earth Day.  A day to promote awareness and appreciation for the Earth's environment.  It's also just Friday.  The last day of the week, the beginning of the weekend.  However you look at today I hope it finds you happy and enjoying life. 

For I remember it is Easter morn,
And life and love and peace are all new born.
~Alice Freeman Palmer

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!!