May NewFO Challenge

I didn't realize I had started so much “New” stuff in May until I looked back over my posts – Wow!!!  For someone trying to finish stuff up, I really filled up some new project boxes!!!

But that is almost always the case when I take classes, and remember Edyta Sitar visited our Music City Quilt Guild this month! I started two quilt projects in classes with her, and although I often abandon projects after a class for one reason or another, I've decided that I really like these two and will finish them up into quilts.  They are....

My Eldon block from Edyta Sitar's class

Two of my spool blocks from Spools by Edyta

Then I designed and finished this sweet table topper Sonshine for my Mom for Mother’s Day….

And last but not least, I started my June Calendar Quilt.  It’s one of my favorites from Kim Schaeffer’s Calendar Quilts book!  The top is finished, and all I have left is to sandwich, quilt and bind – yoohoo!!!

You can read all about the process of working on these projects by looking back at my May posts.

How did you do on your NewFO’s?  Start anything new?  Share it with us at Cat Patches!!!  And while you’re there, wish Barbara Bon Voyage… she’s off to Ireland, the lucky girl =^..^=

Hugs & Blessings,

Teresa

=^..^=

Design Wall Monday – Memorial Day!

Happy Memorial Day!!!

A heartfelt THANK YOU to all our soldiers and veterans and their families!  It is certainly never enough for your sacrifice and service to this wonderful country of ours.  May you be showered with honor, respect and lots of love this day =^..^=

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As for my design wall, it’s beginning to look like a Quilter lives here!!! 

My sweet husband hung my Quilts in Progress quilt up yesterday, and I am just in LOVE!!!  (Well, yes, I'm in love with HIM too, but I was talking about the quilt :*D)  It is so perfect up there, and I fall in love again every time I step into the room :*)  Thanks sweetie!

He looks like a really nice guy, doesn’t he?  That’s because he IS!  Now the cat on the other hand, that’s a different story LOL!!!!  But she sure does love her daddy =^..^=

I have so many projects in process!!!  Does that ever happen to you?  I've simply GOT to get some of them done and out of my way.  Here are the ones I managed to work on this past week.

Last night I finished the top for my June Calendar Quilt.  Boy-o-boy is it cute!!! 

The big, black ants kind of take over, but even though I'm not fond of insects in any form, I really love this quilt for a whimsical touch of summer!  

Do you see why I am always on the hunt for the perfect greens?
All of these olive colors came from my fat quarter stash!  

This will be even cuter when the applique is stitched down and it is quilted.  Hopefully I’ll get that done this week.  This is one of my NewFO Challenge quilts for May =^..^=

Here are the Churn Dash Star blocks I have done so far for my UFO from Runaway Retreat last September - Girls Just Want to Have Fun (GJWTHF)…. 

I completed these at Red Rooster last week.  This is a piecing intensive quilt, so I’m really happy to have this much of it done.  I only need to finish five more of these blocks and then 24 of the alternate block which is much, much simpler.  I can see a glimmer of hope of finishing this one soon :*)

Here are some of my favorites of these blocks…

  

No progress on Vintage Valentine last week because of retreat, but I will start working on that again in a few days, so stay posted for progress!

That’s it for me – how about you?  Share what’s on your Design Wall at PatchworkTimes!

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

=^..^=



Also linking up with:


Tuesday Linky Party at Quilting by the River
WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced 
Can I Get a Whoop Whoop at Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Stash Report & Giveaway Winners!

What a fun week!  Thanks so much to Amy at Sew Mama Sew for hosting the biggest, most fun Giveaway Day ever!!!!

I’m sure you are all anxious to know the winners of the fabrics and the cute Tea Party pattern, so without further ado…..

Because I was away at retreat, I didn’t get to join the Giveaway party until very late, so there were not as many entries to my giveaway as some of the other blogs had.  I saw some with 700+ entries!!!! 

Mr. Random Number Generator says Comment #2 made by Shayla at Raggie Girls blog is the winner of the fabrics!  Shayla is a new follower and I’m thinking this will really help her like my blog LOL!

And the winner of the Tea Party pattern is Dar from Dar’s Patchwork Garden who said:

“What I like best about your blog is that you write like a good friend that is sitting across the table sharing a cup of tea with me. You have great pictures on your blog and are funny, witty and always sincere. That pattern would fit nicely in my collection of teapots. That is so cute.”

Awwww!  Congratulations to you both!  Both Shayla and Dar have really cute blogs - I hope you’ll go over and give them some love!!!  Just click on the name of their blogs for a visit :*)

I have sent emails to advise the winners and will ship out their goodies as soon as I receive snail mail addresses =^..^=

As for Stash Report… remember I said there were no more quilt shops between Nashville and the Red Rooster?  Well, leave it to my sew buddies to find one :*D  We made a short trip into Cullman on Wednesday after lunch to visit Fabric Expressions.  They were a rather small shop, but they had some goodies I discovered I just couldn’t live without.  Ever had that happen to you?  Nah, I didn’t think so ;-)  So, 4-1/2 yards of fabric later, this is what came home with me…. (please ignore the wrinkles - I didn't have time to pretty them up!)

Some nicely colored batiks – always welcome in my stash, right?!?

A few bright, happy aquas – just because I liked them :*)

Some greens – because I am always looking for that perfect green LOL!

And these are for Eldon – I needed some aquas that were the medium and light variety since I always tend to buy fabrics saturated in deep rich colors =^..^=  Don’t you just love that Riley Blake dot in aqua, gold and yellow?  YUMMY!!!

So with no finishes (even though I worked my tush off at retreat!), my Stash Report for this week looks like this:

Used this week:           0 yards

Used YTD 2012:           74 yards

Added this week:         4.5 yards

Added YTD 2012:        104 yards

Net Used for 2012:      -30 yards

Now head on over to Patchwork Times to see how others are doing on their stash management!  

Have a marvelous Memorial Day weekend everyone!!!  And please don't forget to say a prayer for our soldiers and their families!  Without them, we would not be living in the Land of the Free!!!

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

=^..^=

It’s a Giveaway!!!

I’m jumping in a little late for Sew Mama Sew’s wonderful HUGE Giveaway event.  

As most of you know, I have been off gallivanting around the countryside (well, actually just around Alabama :*D), doing the Red Rooster Retreat thing!  But I’m home now, and guess what I’ve just discovered?

……my official followers have just reached the number of 100!!!!  

Yippee skippee!!!  One Hundred of you out there like me!!!  When I started blogging this past Christmas, I wondered how long it would take to get to 100 followers.  Actually, I wondered if I would EVER get to 100 followers LOL!!!  I wasn’t sure if anyone at all would want to follow me and my little blog :*)  But you did, and I’m SO HAPPY!!!!

So here’s the deal for the giveaway.  These items are for the Sew Mama SewGiveaway. 

Two (2) half-yard pieces of quilting fabrics!  These whimsical Hoffman fabrics coordinate with each other.

One has the names of many of the familiar quilt blocks printed on it - for those of you who love word fabrics :*)  The other has all sorts of sewing notions - scissors, threads, pins, etc.  

Just leave a comment below and you’ll be entered to win by random drawing – how simple is that?!?  You do not need to be a follower to win, but now that you’ve found me, I can’t help hoping you’ll decide to join this journey =^..^=   And of course, be sure I have your email address so I can contact you if you win!

BUT THERE’S MORE…. *Suspense* !!!!

If you are (or become) a follower of A Quilt and A Prayer, please leave a 2^nd comment telling me what you like best about my blog.  Your name will be included in the above drawing for the fabrics, plus you’ll also be entered in a separate drawing to win this oh-so-cute applique pattern called Tea Party, designed by Lauren & Jessi Jung!

Is this not adorable?  Look at that sweet bird taking a bath in a teacup :*)

I’ll choose the winner of the pattern from my favorite comment.  Giveaway ends May 25 at 5pm.  How’s that for excitement???  Just can’t stand it, right???  LOL!!!

Okay, I’m off now to see if I can win some super wonderful things from the other giveaways over at Sew Mama Sew!!!  Let's go together :*)

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

=^..^=

*** COMMENTS & THE GIVEAWAY ARE NOW CLOSED...... GOOD LUCK :*) *****

Calling All Roosters!!!

Hello from the Red Rooster in sunny Cullman, Alabama! I sure do wish you were all here with us.... we're having such a fun time!!! Can you tell?








We are being spoiled rotten....







Breakfast was absolutely yummy!!! But dinner was pretty good too :*)



Last night we had creme brûlée for dessert - YUM!!!!




A few of us had to sit and relax afterwards :*)


Here are a few of the projects we are working on... Lynn is making pillow cases for her grandsons...


and a Twisted Bargello wall quilt ...




Mary is making a t-shirt quilt for a cousin...



Joanne is thrilled that she got her June Calendar Quilt done before me =^..^=



Betty brought kits to make four Sewn-in-Love quilts for cancer patients...


Michelle is making everyone jealous with her scruptious fabrics... (Shhhh... I am definitely stealing this one when she goes to bed tonight :*)






Carole finished up this gorgeous 3D cardinal wall hanging...


And I'm working on a UFO from last year - Girls Just Wanna Have Fun ....



These are the two blocks. Churn Dash Star...


and an Alternate Chain block...


I am working on this project while here because it is straight, pretty mindless sewing. I really would love to see some results from this retreat. I'll get back to something more intense when I get home :*)

I'm making this quilt out of 30's fabrics. I had NONE of these in my stash - not with my love for saturated colors and batiks, right? But my friend Joanne had 2 baskets full of scraps from her Dear Jane and she handed them to me and said use whatever you want. Wow - I did!!! I am having such fun playing with all these sweet little fabrics :*)



Hugs & Blessings!
Teresa
=^..^=

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