Secret Santa Arrived!

It's so hard when I have to, and so easy when I want to.
 ~Annie Gottlier

I am now sure that I have a screw loose some place in  my head.  Whoever thought it would be fun to run two giveaways at once?!?  Well, me, of course.  I never expected to receive almost 600 comments between the two giveaways.  I'm still working on responding to each comment left plus I have comments to respond to left for me on my Wednesday post.  Now don't get me wrong.  I'm glad to have so much participation in the giveaways and I love reading all of the comments but talk about overload.  Whew!  Never again will I have two giveaways going at the same time.  And you know what?  I have another giveaway to run next week for the Traveling Stash.  Sometimes I never learn.

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LITTLE FACT OF THE DAY

Snowflake

Some parts of the country have already seen snow this year. Others will soon be watching fluffy white flakes drift from the sky.  I won't be one of those lucky ones.  We only receive snow about once every seven to 10 years and so far it's been much too warm.  Here are some interesting facts about those little beauties:

* Every snowflake has its own unique shape and is different than all other snowflakes.

* All snowflakes have six sides.

* Snowflakes aren't always white. Years ago, when coal was used in factories and homes, snow was often gray. Why? Because the coal dust entered the air and was absorbed by the clouds.

* The largest snowflakes ever recorded fell in the state of Montana. The snowflakes were 15 inches in diameter.  (Can you imagine?)

* The snow capital of the United States is Stampede Pass in Washington State. Each year, the average snowfall is 430 inches.

* In Prince Edward Island, Canada, where the soil is red clay, snowflakes often look pink. Why? Because red dust from the soil is blown into the air and absorbed by the clouds

* The average snowflake falls at a speed of 3.1 miles per hour. (5 kilometers)

* People buy more cakes, cookies and candies than any other food when a blizzard is in the forecast.

* Billions of snowflakes fall during one short snowstorm.

* Snowflakes are made up of ice crystals

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SECRET SANTA SOIREE

In October I signed up to participate in the Secret Santa Soiree being hosted by the Coloradolady.  Tuesday a package arrived in the mail......

hmmmmm......only a return address (Colorado) - no name.  Now my curiosity got the better of me and I just had to open it........

Look at all those goodies!  And isn't the button and thread tissue paper adorable?  But do you know what I first noticed?  The wonderful scent of cinnamon!  My favorite!!

Ten little gifts in all!  WOW!  And the cutest little card letting me know these were from my Secret Santa.

WOW!  My Secret Santa did a wonderful job and must have done some research on me.  She knew that my favorite Christmas decoration is snowmen.  There is the most darling snowman with the green fleece hat and scarf and real buttons down his front and a cute  little snowman ornament with blanket stitching on his hat.  There was also a pretty ornament made from ribbon and scrap fabrics (far left), and a darling knitted or crocheted pincushion that looks like a cactus.  And there is what was giving off the wonderful scent of cinnamon - two Holiday Cinnamon candles.  SS also included four fat quarters - two white on white (they didn't really show up in the picture) and two Christmas prints (designed by Sweetwater).  Also included was a set of 6 handmade note cards that have two different hexagons sewn to the front of each card.  I'll use these for special notes to very special people.  And last but definitely not least is a Bordeaux bar from See's.  My absolute favorite and it was quickly devoured soon after its arrival.

Thank you, my Secret Santa, whoever you are!!!!  And thank you to Suzanne for making the Secret Santa Soiree a huge success!!

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IT'S TIME TO VOTE

I have entered my Christmas quilt in this week's Quilting Gallery contest. 

The title of it is Christmas Mystery.  When you go to vote, if you choose to vote for mine, be careful because there is one that looks just like mine.  Mine is NOT the first one.  Mine is the 9th quilt down.  There are loads of gorgeous entries this week with a grand total of 67 submissions from 14 different countries!  Please take the time to look over all the gorgeous entries, and if you see fit, please cast a vote for my Christmas Mystery by going HERE.

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BEE BLOCK

I recently completed a block for one of the hostesses for Let's Bee Together in December.....

Marta sent out Christmas fabrics for us to work with and requested a star block - any star block.  I finally decided on Go Along Block #2 and changed it up just a bit.  Instead of making the points all the same color, I alternated between the two prints.  She also requested that we write our name and state on the block, which I did before it was mailed.

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TODAY'S GOAL

Hopefully today I will finish responding to all the wonderful comments left in the giveaways!

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GIVEAWAYS

Tattered Garden is having a giveaway.  You could win  enough Apple Cores to make your very own Apple Core quilt.  This giveaway ends Saturday, December 24.

Sew Kiki is having a giveaway.  You could win an Aurifil sampler pack!  This giveaway ends Wednesday, December 21.

Canton Village Quilt Works is having a giveaway.  You could win 10 beautiful fat quarters.  This giveaway ends Sunday, December 18, at 10:00 pm EST.

All About Applique is having a giveaway.  You could win a copy of A Year In The Life Of Sunbonnet Sue by Christine Porter and Darra Williamson.  This giveaway ends Sunday, December 18, at 7:00 pm.

Hawthorne Threads is having their weekly giveaway.  You could win a Joyful Garden fat quarter bundle.  This giveaway ends  Wednesday, December 21.

Thru The Red Door is having a giveaway.  You could win a copy of Tilda's Christmas Ideas, a fat quarter of Christmas red felted wool, a pack of charm squares by Sandy Klop for Moda, some spotty red and white ribbon, Cosmo 2 strand thread and Cosmo hanks in Christmas reds and greens, and some lovely red fabrics as well as fat quarters of delicious green linens.  This giveaway ends Wednesday, December 21, Melbourne time.

Quilt Story is having a giveaway.  You could win a $40 credit to Five Monkey Fabrics.  This giveaway ends Monday, December 19.

Just a quick reminder to enter my giveaways if you haven't already.  Go HERE and HERE to enter.  They end very, very soon!

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FINAL THOUGHT

Christmas Flowers

Gifts of time and love are surely the basic ingredients of a truly merry Christmas.
 ~Peg Bracken

Have you all made it through the seemingly endless list of giveaways the last couple of days?  I'm not even half way through Quilting Gallery's Party Blog Hop with Giveaways and have barely put a dent in Sew, Mama, Sew! Giveaway Day.  There's just not enough hours in the day!  I have found some 'new to me' blogs that I have begun following that look like a lot of fun.  I'm way behind on responding to comments left for my giveaways.  Where was my brain when I decided to run two giveaways at the same time?  And once those are through, I have another giveaway coming up for the Traveling Stash.  Oh my! 

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LITTLE FACT OF THE DAY

Candy Canes

One of the most often seen symbols of Christmas is the candy cane. Not only are candy canes used as a sweet Christmastime treat but they are also used for decoration. How did this seasonal candy get its familiar shape, and when did it become part of Christmas tradition?

When the practice of using Christmas trees to celebrate Christmas became popular in Europe the people there began making decorations for their trees. Many of the decorations were food items including cookies and candy. Our modern candy cane appeared at about this time in the seventeenth century. These were straight, white sticks of sugar candy.
Part of the Christmas celebration at the Cologne Cathedral were pageants of living creches. In about 1670 the choirmaster there had sticks of candy bent into the shape of a shepherd’s crook and passed them out to children who attended the ceremonies. This became a popular tradition, and eventually the practice of passing out the sugar canes at living creche ceremonies spread throughout Europe.
The use of candy canes on Christmas trees made its way to America by the 1800′s, however during this time they were still pure white. They are represented this way on Christmas cards made before 1900, and it is not until the early 20th century that they appear with their familiar red stripes.
Many people have given religious meaning to the shape and form of the candy cane. It is said that its shape is like the letter “J” in Jesus’ name. It is also in the shape of the shepherds’ crook, symbolic of how Jesus, like the “Good Shepherd” watches over his children like little lambs. It is a hard candy, solid like a “rock”, the foundation of the Church. The flavor of peppermint is similar to another member of the mint family, hyssop. In the Old Testament hyssop was used for purification and sacrifice, and this is said to symbolize the purity of Jesus and the sacrifice he made.

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FINAL CHRISTMAS FLOWERS

I  have decided after these two flowers, I am not going to make anymore Christmas flowers.  After all, this isn't a Christmas quilt.

This flower is ablaze with Christmas candles.  It could almost be a Halloween flower with the colors that are in it.

Since we have two miniature dachshunds as part of our family, I just couldn't pass up the fabric with the doxie wearing a Santa hat.  This pup reminds me of our very first mini doxie, Schnitzel.  He was a red, short haired and oh so very smart.

Karen (over at Journey of a Quilter) has organized One Flower Wednesday and provides a linky for all of to share our hexagon flowers.  If you would like to see more flowers out there in blogland, just click HERE.

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TODAY'S GOAL

Today I will continue working on my Gardener's Journal

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GIVEAWAYS

Want It, Need It, Quilt is having a giveaway.  You could win a California Girl Layer Cake by Fig Tree Quilts.  This giveaway ends Saturday, December 31.

Jolly Jabber is having a giveaway.  You could win Blackbird Designs’s Designer Select Fat Quarter Bundle.  This giveaway ends Friday, December 16.

Sew Kiki is having a giveaway.  You could win a $25 gift certificate to Fat Quarter Shop.  This giveaway ends Monday, December 19.

The Jolly Jabber is having a giveaway.  You could win a mini mason jar pincushion sewing kits from Caroline Simas.  This giveaway ends Saturday, December 17.

Annie's Ruby Slipperz is having her Mystery Monday giveaway.  You could win 5 fat quarters and a pattern by Rosalie Asby.  This giveaway ends Saturday, December 17, at midnight MT.

I currently have two giveaways running.  First click HERE for a chance at a table runner kit from Connecting Threads.  Then click HERE for a chance at a Pure charm pack.

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FINAL THOUGHT

Posted by Bonnie of Quiltville on FB 12/10/11......

Giveaway Day!

There aren't enough days in the weekend.
  ~Rod Schmidt

I'm so glad it's Monday!  We were so busy this weekend that we barely had time to enjoy DH's two days off from work.  We left the house at 9:30 Saturday morning and didn't return until 4:30 except to drop off a few perishables.  DH was kind enough to order dinner delivered from a local Chinese restaurant because I was in no mood to cook.  Sunday started a bit more leisurely as I took my time perusing the local paper.  We spent the rest of the morning wrapping gifts and boxing them in preparation for shipping out this morning.  Added to that was the normal 5 loads of wash and a bit of straightening up and you have the total of our weekend.  I'm looking to a more peaceful and quiet day today!  How was your weekend?

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LITTLE FACT OF THE DAY

Poinsettia

Today is Poinsettia Day!  All year long there’s hardly a poinsettia to be found, and then suddenly the holiday season rolls around and POOF these bright red plants are showing up in homes and offices all over the country. Here are some fun facts to help you celebrate this day:

* Did you know that the poinsettia's main attraction is not its flowers, but its leaves? The flowers of the plant are the yellow clustered buds in the center. The colored leafy parts are actually bracts or modified leaves.

* Poinsettias come in a variety of colors from red, salmon, and apricot to yellow, cream, and white. There are also unusual speckled or marbled varieties like "Jingle Bells" and "Candy Cane" with several colors blended together.

* Although every state in the United States grows poinsettias commercially, California is the top producer with about 27 million pots grown, followed by Texas, North Carolina, Ohio, and Michigan, each with about 14 million pots.

* Did you know that in the wild, the poinsettia can reach heights of 12 feet with leaves measuring six to eight inches across? It is actually a small tropical tree belonging to the Euphorbia plant family.

* In the fourteenth to sixteenth centuries, the Aztecs used the poinsettia leaves to dye fabric for clothing and the sap for medicinal purposes

* True or False? The poinsettia is a poisonous plant. If you answered false, you're correct. The plant has been tested repeatedly and cleared of this charge by the National Poison Center in Atlanta, Georgia, and the American Medical Association. The POINSINDEX Information Service, the main information resource for poison control centers across the country, reports that even if a 50-pound child consumed more than 500 poinsettia bracts--the amount tested in scientific experiments--the consequences would not be fatal. Even at this high level, no toxicity was found.

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MINIS ALL READY FOR GIVING

I finally finished up the two little mini quilts we are giving as a gift to my SIL and BIL.....

First is this snowflake.  I was going to go with a Christmas theme but since the time for decorating will basically be over by the time they open it, I figured I should go with something more neutral like winter.

Then I decided the next holiday to create a mini for was Easter.  What better way to celebrate than with an Easter basket filled with a dyed egg and chocolate bunny.  Both of these little quilts measure 6 1/2 inches square.  They will hang on a table top wire stand.  I found the patterns for the applique at Fat Cat Patterns and shrunk them down to fit on the size block I wanted.  I now need to get these wrapped and in the mail.

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GIVEAWAY DAY !

This giveaway is now closed!

Sew, Mama, Sew! has once again organized Giveaway Day and I am happy to be participating.  I'm going to giveaway away......

A charm pack of Pure by Sweetwater for Moda.  This is a package of forty-two 5" squares.  In case you don't know what fabrics are included in the Pure line, here is a sample picture:

How can you win this charm pack of Pure?  Easy!  Just leave me a comment telling me whether you have a furry friend(s) in your family and what their name is.  If you don't have a furry friend, then tell me what your favorite animal is.

Rules:

1.  Only one comment per person

2.  You must leave me some way to contact you.  If you are a No-Reply blogger, please include your email address in your comment.  If I can't contact you, you can not win.  If you aren't sure if you are a No-Reply blogger, check out the info in my left sidebar.

3.  This giveaway is open to everyone - yes, that means international.

4.  This giveaway will end Friday, December 16, at 5:00 pm PST.

5.  The winner will be selected with the help of random.org and posted Saturday, December 17, no later than noon.

Now that you've entered my giveaway, don't forget to go to Sew, Mama, Sew! and check out all of the other giveaways!

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TODAY'S GOAL

Today I will continue working on my Gardener's Journal quilt

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GIVEAWAYS

Normally I post giveaways I find here while blog hopping.  However, with today's Sew, Mama, Sew! Giveaway Day and Friday's Party Hop Blog with Giveaways, I figured you had enough to keep you busy.  But don't forget to enter my giveaway from Friday (just in case you missed it) - you can enter that giveaway HERE.

I will return to my normal list of giveaways on Wednesday.

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FINAL THOUGHT

Slowly The Snail Escapes....

Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Has anybody else had the dilemma of trying to decide between sewing and blog hopping?  With all of the giveaways currently going on at Sew, Mama, Sew's May Giveaway (see link below under GIVEAWAYS)  it's hard to stay away from the computer.  It would be different if the giveaways lasted a week, but most of them are only open for the next couple of days.  I've only had time to look at a handful of those participating.  Each blog is offering such wonderful prizes!  Maybe tomorrow I can squeeze a few more in.  Maybe next year they could extend the length of the giveaway.  Have you been hopping about?

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PHOTO FACT OF THE DAY

National Escargot Day

May 24 is considered National Escargot Day.  Escargot is a tasty appetizer made from cooked snails that has been consumed by humans for centuries.Escargot can be considered a healthy food because snails are high in protein and very low in fat. The ones that are edible have a lot of magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, Vitamin B1, Vitamin E and many essential amino acids.  However, not all species of snails are edible and the taste of the snails vary among species.
To cook escargot, the snails are removed from their shells, gutted, and cooked with garlic butter. Once cooked, they are then poured back into the shells to be served. Did you know that the French consume 40,000 metric tons of snails annually? If you've never tried escargot, National Escargot Day is a great reason to give them a try! Of NOT!

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GIFTS

Yesterday's mail brought a couple of belated birthday gifts.  I like it when my birthday manages to encompass more than one day :)

My friend, Mary (Needled Mom), sent me this absolutely gorgeous fabric postcard.  I have never attempted thread painting and her flower is just amazing!  Thank you, Mary!

My friend, Annie (Adventures In Oz) sent me five fantastic batik fat quarters, some darling Post It notes, and a oh-so-cute magnetic note pad!  I have the project already picked out for the batiks for later in the year and you can never have enough sticky notes or note pads.  Thank you so very much, Annie!!

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A LITTLE MORE DESIGNER

In between blog hopping I did manage to get some sewing in......

I finished the bottom two rows including all of the sashing of the 2010 Designer Mystery BOM.  Now I just have to make the borders and it will be time to get it to the long arm quilter :)

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LOST POST

I guess I'm never going to get back my post from May 12.....lost in the Blogger malfunction of the year.  And since I use this blog as a sort of scrapbook/journal I need to re-post the picture of my finished quilt once again.....

Just in case you don't know, this is my finished quilt from the Layer Cake QAL hosted by Moose On The Porch.  It was quilted by Joanne Lendaro of Insanely Cheap Quilting and she did a beautiful job.  Sorry, I won't bore you with this one again!

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TODAY'S GOAL

Since tomorrow is One Flower Wednesday, I think I should probably get a hexie flower made :)

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GIVEAWAYS

The Intrepid Thread is having Market Giveaway #5.  This time you could win two fat quarter bundles:  either Prince Charming or Kumari Garden Holiday.  This giveaway ends Sunday, May 28. 

Stitch Your Soul is having a giveaway.  You could win 6 fat quarters of hand dyed cottons all cold water resist dyed by myself, 5 fat quarters of some fab spotty cottons, hand dyed blue cotton with block printed butterflies and hearts in blue and metallic green, some of her stash of vintage buttons, and 9 x 12" butterfly patchwork blocks made by Alice, herself.  This giveaway ends Tuesday, May 31.

KoolBeenz is having giveaway #9.  April is giving away a Dilly Dally charm pack by moda.  This giveaway ends Friday, May 27, at midnight.

Adventures in Oz is having her Mystery Monday giveaway.  You could win 5 fat quarters in your choice of color.  The winner will be announced Monday, May 30.

Mariliz's Musings is having a giveaway.  You could win 5 beautiful fat quarters from Mary's stash.  This giveaway ends Monday, May 30, at 8:00 pm.

Jane's Fabrics and Quilts is having a giveaway.  You could win a yard of Kona Cotton, color your choice and Five Balls of Finca Thread, colors also your choice!  The winner will be announced on Thursday, May 26.

Cottonwood Lane Primitives is having a giveaway.  You could win a Maggie Bononomi design penny rug.  The giveaway will happen when Roberta reaches 100 followers.

The Intrepid Thread is having a final Market giveaway.  You could win a fat eighth pack of Ruby.  This giveaway ends Monday, May 30, at midnight.

Sew, Mama, Sew is having her Giveaway Day May 2011.  There are 3 categories with oodles of blogs participating - each having their own giveaway.

Do you like pin cushions?  I'm giving away a sunflower pincushion in conjunction with the May Day giveaway.  You can find the giveaway at GIVEAWAY DAY IS HERE!  This giveaway ends on Thursday, May 26, at 7:00 am PST.

Do you like fabric?  You could win 8 one half yards cuts of coordinated fabric at My Birthday Giveaway Celebration.   This giveaway ends Monday, May 30, at 7:00 pm PST.

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FINAL THOUGHT

I have been thinking about entering a quilt in the local quilt show this coming January.  I'm just not sure if I meet the grade.  It's a quilt that I haven't even started yet.  Those of you who have entered quilts, what are some helpful hints you can pass on to me - and others thinking of making the same leap?  How do you decide which quilt(s) you might enter in a competition?  I'm really nervous about this.  And this isn't the same kind of nervous as attending the guild meeting.  I've never had my quilt work judged.  I have had counted cross stitch judged and won Best In Show two years running at the local county fair.  But for some reason this just has set my nerves on edge.  Maybe I should make the quilt and then decide.  I'm looking for any advice you experienced quilt show exhibitors care to share!

Learn all you can from the mistakes of others. You won't have time to make them all yourself.

 ~Alfred Sheinwold

Giveaway Day Is Here!

Weekends don't count unless you spend them doing something completely pointless.

 ~Bill Watterson

Thank you all for your birthday wishes and greetings!  They made my birthday wonderful!!

Whew! What a busy weekend!  Saturday started with our normal Farmer's Market run where we picked up so many wonderful new summer squashes, fruits, other veggies.  Next it was a mad dash to get my Mother's birthday present.  Nothing like putting it off until the last minute!  Our DD#2 and SIL and grandpup arrived and then it was out to lunch.  Then we spent a fun afternoon at the local fairgrounds enjoying the flavors, sights and sounds of the annual barbecue cook-off competition.  Makes my mouth water just thinking about it.  Home in time to do a little straightening before family and friends arrive to help celebrate my Mother's 83rd birthday.  Sunday was a little more layed back with only our DD#2, SIL, and grandpup.  We even managed to squeeze in a little bit of Wii.  It's quiet now this morning.  The pups are pooped after so much activity and the neighborhood has yet to awaken.  I am ready for a brand new week!

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PHOTO FACT OF THE DAY

Lucky Penny Day

This Holiday is set aside for people around the world to appreciate the good luck of the penny. So today make it a point to look on the ground everywhere that you go and see if you can find a lucky penny. They seem to magically show up everywhere. Finding a penny is sometimes considered lucky and gives rise to the saying, "Find a penny, pick it up, and all the day: you'll have good luck."  Here are a few little bits of info on the penny that you may not know:

* From 1857 to 1864 pennies were made of 88 percent copper and 12 percent nickel.

* Until 1843 pennies were composed of copper that was mined in England.

* Lincoln’s image first graced the penny in 1909. Prior thereto, the penny had images ranging from Indian heads and Eagles to the “flowing hair braids” of the late 1700s.

* Today’s pennies have 4 different versions of the reverse-side image, including Lincoln’s boyhood cabin home and the Union Shield.

* Even though zinc has certain toxic properties, coins remain the most-ingested accidental object in American households. (Dogs and parrots are particularly susceptible to zinc poisoning from swallowed pennies.)

* If you stacked up 1,056,000 pennies, the stack would be a mile high.

* In 2008, a double-struck penny from 1969 – essentially a minting error – sold for over $126,000 at auction.

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2011 MAY GIVEAWAY DAY

THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED 

Today is the day to participate in the Sew, Mama, Sew's Giveaway Day. I am only one of bunches of participants.  For this giveaway I have made something special.....

This sunflower pin cushion is made of wool and measures 5 1/2" across.  It is stuffed with crushed walnut shells and lavender. 

If you would like to enter my giveaway, just leave a comment telling me what your favorite flower is.

THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED

RULES:

* 1 entry per person

* If you are a no-reply blogger, you must include your email address in your comment.

* If I can't contact you, you can not win!

* This giveaway is open to everyone. And, yes, that means I will ship internationally.

* If you are selected as the winner, you must respond to my email within two days. If you don't, I will draw another winner.

* This giveaway ends Thursday, May 26, 2011 at 7:00 a.m. PST

* The winner will be announced by noon on May 26.

I will do my best to respond to comments left but I'm currently running another giveaway and am being overwhelmed by comments.  Thank you for understanding.

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MY BIRTHDAY GIFT

For my birthday my sweet DH gave me a new Nikon Coolpix L24. 

I had been wanting one for Christmas when my daughter had received hers as a gift.  I spent a little time on Friday playing with it to see what it could do.  It takes some of the best close-up pictures ever.....

Remember on Friday when I was disturbed that you could see how the flower bud tip was folded on the Baltimore block?  Well, look!  You can see the folds AND the tiny basting stitches.  And the picture of the pin cushion in the giveaway?  I took that picture using my new camera too.  Isn't it nice a clear?  I'm so happy with my new little toy.  I hope to be bringing you better pictures and finer close-ups than ever before :)

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RECEIVED MY WINNINGS

Last week I received a box containing what I had won from Marcia's Crafty Sewing & Quilting.....

Aren't they gorgeous.  I was able to select any item valued up to $18 from Dye Candy.  I selected these 18 Fat 16th yard pieces of hand dyed fabrics.  I just love the colors and already have the quilt pattern picked out that I will be using them for.  Chris also included.....

8 darling Quilt Block Magnets.  These can replace some of the ugly magnets on my refrigerator.  Thank you, Marcia for having the giveaway and thank you, Chris for all of the beautiful fabric and cute magnets!!

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TODAY'S GOAL

Since I did absolutely no sewing on Friday I think it's time to get back to needle and thread.  Today I will continue assembling the Designer Mystery BOM quilt top.

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GIVEAWAYS

13 Woodhouse Road is having FQS Bella Parade Weekly Giveaway #3.  You could win a Bella Parade Fat Quarter Bundle.  Shruti will draw a winner on Wednesday, May 25.

The Intrepid Thread is having Market Giveaway Day 4.  You could win a charm pack of A Little Hoo's In The Forest. This giveaway ends Friday, May 27, at midnight.

Craizee Corners is having a 100 follower giveaway.  Once Sharon reaches 50 followers, she will give away a charm pack to 2 lucky followers and when she reaches 100 followers I will giveaway a charm pack to 3 lucky followers.  So only time and followers will determine when this giveaway ends.

Not a lot of new giveaways were listed but don't forget to check out all of those participating in the Sew, Mama, Sew May Giveaway Day.

And if you missed it on Friday, don't forget to enter My Birthday Celebration Giveaway where you could win 4 yards of beautiful fabric.  This giveaway ends Monday, May 30, at 7:00 pm.

Hawthorne Threads is having their weekly giveaway.  You could win a Dena Fishbein Kumari Garden Holiday fat quarter bundle.  Winner will be selected on Wednesday, May 25. 

Easily Distracted Debbie is ready to send the Traveling Stash on its way.  Debbie has added some great new items to the box.  This giveaway ends Friday, May 27.
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FINAL THOUGHT

AKA
(for today only)
GUILD MEETING REPORT

Well! I went to the local guild meeting Thursday evening. I took a deep breath and passed through the doors with my DH by my side. Don't be alarmed.....once inside I gave him a kiss goodbye and sent him on his way. The lady, Isabel, at the check-in desk was very welcoming and told me a little about the guild. There are over 100 members in this guild. I rolled over to the raffle table for something to do and bought some raffle tickets - nothing there I really wanted but thought I should show my support. Right before the start of the meeting, a couple of members came over to say hi and introduce themselves. One even made a point of sitting with me. The turn out was rather small as several members were on vacation and there were a lot of graduations going on in town.  The guild actually holds two meetings every third Thursday (one afternoon and one evening) to accommodate the membership.  Anyway, after the normal opening ceremony, one of the members, Sally Shuppert, had a trunk show and shared her glorious quilts with us (sadly, I didn't have my camera with me).  Then it was time for membership show and tell where more beautiful quilts were shared.  I have to admit - you all were right and thank you for encouraging me to go to this meeting.  I am proud to say that I am now a new member of The Cotton Patch Quilters of Bakersfield!  I am already participating by having taken home a kit to make a quilt for QOV.  Plus I will be making at least one little 32"X32" quilt for Loving Hands - quilts made for the neonatal unit of a local hospital.  So much for not wanting to start another new project :D

Why not go out on a limb? Isn't that where the fruit is?
~Frank Scully

Giveaway Day & A Little Snowman Star

There aren't enough days in the weekend.
 ~Rod Schmidt
 I couldn't agree more! Where did the weekend go? Saturday started with the normal run to the Farmer's Market to pick up our weekly supply of fresh produce. On the way home we bought our little Christmas tree, dumpy but cute. Came home in time to make Little Smokies for a potluck our ALS Support Group was having at 1:00. Went to the potluck and had fun sharing with everyone. Then came the running - to a new quilt shop (that had already closed for the day), Costco, Harbor Freight and then we even braved the crowds at Toys Are Us. What a nightmare that was! The store was a mess, the aisles were crowded and kids running everywhere. Home in time to fix dinner and crash. Sunday was washing, sewing, wrapping, cooking, and finally, dinner. Luckily my sweet DH was a major help in the wrapping and card department. So how was your weekend - a mad house too?

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PHOTO OF THE DAY

Four Colly Birds

The verse, four calling birds, is actually a corruption of the English word colly or collie. So, we are referring to "four colly birds" or four collie birds (the words to the song were probably written before the creation of the dictionary, so the spelling of old words tends to be flexible).
What is a colly bird? It is a black bird. In England a coal mine is called a colliery and colly or collie is a derivation of this and means black like coal. For a long time in England, blackbirds have been referred to as both blackbirds (as in the nursery rhyme Sing a Song of Sixpence) and colly birds as in The Twelve Days of Christmas.

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Friday was a mega exasperating day for me.  I was looking for a Christmas block and could only find 12" blocks that I really liked.  So I proceeded to split each cutting dimension by half and went from there.  Well, I could tell with the third set of pieces I tried to assemble that this just wasn't working.  Either I figured wrong in my division of fractions - which is very likely - or my cutting was way off - which was also a good possibility.  After working on this all morning, I decided to head in another direction - a six inch block made out of Christmas fabric.  Oh, I forgot to mention that this is for a gift that I suddenly remembered I hadn't made for a stand that is coming in the mail soon.  Thank goodness for the email telling me the stand was shipping or I would have received it and been under even more pressure.  Here's what I did......

I started with the little snowman fussy cut square and cut a couple of squares and several triangles.

Sewed the triangles together to make bigger triangles......

Put the triangles together to make four squares.....

And ended up with this little 6 inch snowman star.

Now it was time to quilt the block....

I turned it over to see how it was looking and couldn't believe what I had done!  In all my years of quilting this is the very first time I have ever flipped over the corner and sewn it that way!  Once again, my seam ripper and I became best of friends.

Here is the back.  I thought the little bunny snow scene was cute for a backing.  You can see the tiny little hanging sleeve at the top of the block.

Here it is finally finished.  Who knew that making a little 6 inch block would take an entire day!!

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GIVEAWAYS

Lilac Berries is having a one year anniversary celebration.  She is giving away 5 adorable Christmas cards!  Stop by her blog and told her that Stray Stitches sent you by.  Her giveaway is open until tomorrow, Tuesday, December 14th.

Lana over at It Seams To Be Sew is having a 12 Days of Christmas giveaway.  Each day she is giving away a little something different.  Now, you have already missed the first three days but you still have 9 days to enter. 

I'm participating in this great giveaway!!  Here is what you could win.....

What is in this pretty little star?.......

Five Christmas batik fat quarters! 

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED

To enter all you need to do is ......

1.  Tell me what your favorite dessert is. 

Easy enough don't you think.  My favorite dessert is Bumbleberry Pie - it's a combination of blueberries, boysenberries, and blackberries!!  MMMMMMM!!!!!  You don't have to be a follower, but I always welcome new followers and appreciate each and every one of you. 

and, if you would like a second chance......

2.  Blog about this giveaway and come back here and leave a separate comment with a link to your blog where you posted about the giveaway.  It must be a separate comment from the first one or it will count as only one entry.

This giveaway is open to everyone - international entries welcome!  You don't have to have a blog to enter.

Remember, if your blog is a no-reply blog, leave me your email in your comment.  If I can't contact you then you can't win!!

This winner will be selected by random.org on December 17th at 9:00 PM.

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FINAL THOUGHT

Too bad we have to sleep.  Sometimes I think sleep is over rated.  I sometimes think about how much more I could accomplish if I didn't have to shut my eyes and get those mandatory 40 winks.  But the down side of not sleeping would be missing all of the wonderful dreams we have.  Some times it's where we get some of our best ideas.  However, I wish I could remember some of those 'wonderful ideas' when I opened my eyes in the morning.  Too bad our dreams can't be recorded on a DVR to be replayed back at a later time!

Leisure time is that five or six hours when you sleep at night.

 ~George Allen

May your Monday be merry!!