Slow Sunday Stitching

I sure do hope your Sunday is a prettier day than ours here in Music City!!!  It's another of those gray, rainy, blustery WINTER days!  Makes me think of Pooh Bear :*)  And hubby said it was even spitting a little snow earlier!  But I'm not complaining or whining, you understand.  Just sayin'....... :*D

Of course, it is easy to find something to praise in a gloomy day like this when it is a lovely stay-at-home Sunday....

♥♥♥....... a nice hot mug of tea in the morning to warm the bones....

One of my FAVORITE mugs!!!
Marilyn-cat =^..^=

♥♥♥..... decorating for Christmas!!!!  

We bought a small tree yesterday to put up instead of the huge one we usually do.  There is so much going on this year and both hubby and I have been under the weather, so we decided to downsize our decorating efforts.  It won't take very long to get our house looking cozy and joyful!!!


♥♥♥..... and lots of Slooooowwwwww Stitching on the sofa while watching some football!!!

This past week I got my first block for the BOM I signed up for at Shabby Fabrics - Bertie's Year.  I am so excited about this set of little wall quilts!  I especially love all the fun and colorful pieced borders on each one.....and the hand-stitched details - so cute!!!!

Photo courtesy of Shabby Fabrics

The yummy flannel fabrics for the first block did not disappoint!

And the best bonus is that the pieces are laser cut - love it!!!

I'm hoping to start this project this week - it will be my December NewFO for the Cat Patches linky party.

And speaking of Cat Patches linky parties - Barbara's having a wonderful Giveaway Linky Party right now over at her blog HERE to kick off the 2014 NewFO Party!!!  You could win a beautiful fat quarter bundle just by linking up - so get busy planning & blogging about those 2014 NewFO's!

If you get stuck for ideas (really???), you can look at some of the fun projects she has lined up for the year.  She's going to be a very busy girl, as usual :*)  Of course, I had to go over immediately and grab up the free "I Love Sewing" patterns from the Sulky link - Thanks Barbara!!!  =^..^=

Today, I will be very happily employed cutting out traced templates and fusible pieces for my remaining Blue Collection blocks.  Even though I am so close to the end of this quilt, there are still about a million pieces left to cut out and sewn down.... ugh!!!!

Once all these are cut out, I will begin prepping the applique pieces for this block at the bottom center of the quilt that holds the tree.....

....... I have a feeling it's going to be a doozie .... look at all these fussy little pieces! :*O

I think that might keep me out of trouble today :*)  

How will you stay out of trouble today?

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

=^..^=

Linking up with:
Kathy's Quilts - Slow Sunday Stitching
Patchwork Times - Design Wall Monday
What a Hoot - BOM's Away!
Freemotion by the River - Tuesday Linky Party
Cat Patches - December NewFO Linky Party

On the Needles & a Winner!!!!

First things first.....

The winner of my giveaway of the Terri Stegmiller pattern is:

Barb of Mountain Quiltworks!!!!!

Barb chose Paws in the Garden for her pattern and will be receiving it very soon.  

Congratulations Barb, and thanks so much for following along :*)

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

On the Needles.....

It would probably be easier for me to show you what's OFF my needles!!!!  I'm still trying to make myself a pair of RED socks.  Remember the last pair I made ended up way too big and I gave them to my husband.  So I bought more yarn - the actual correct size yarn for socks this time LOL!!! - in both the desired fire-engine-red and a wonderful royal blue....

....... and I got them started in my favorite method for making socks - on the circular needle for Magic Loop, Toe-Up and Two at a Time.  Then I realized this yarn is very solid-looking and would look great in a pattern.  Of course, I had gone beyond the point where you would normally start said pattern, so I tried to add in a lifeline - what a mess!

So that was the first tearing-out session LOL!!!  Starting over, the second time .....

Test Swatch!

The pattern I decided to fall in love with was this one I saw on Denise's blog, Justquiltin.  Isn't that a neat pattern?  It's called House Targaryen after the Game of Thrones books, and it's free on Ravelry.

Denise calls this an easy pattern - and I have to agree, the pattern itself is not hard at all.  It's actually a fun stitch to work.  But I guess I haven't made enough socks to be able to easily change anything in the pattern, because I tore these darn socks out THREE times!!!!   Thankfully I never got very far before it became clear I wasn't doing something right and my brain was not wired right for what I was trying to do :*)  My problem stemmed from the purl stitch carrying over to the other side on the circulars.  It kept leaving really big holes, no matter how tightly I tried to join them there.  I'm sure it was just something stupid I was doing, but I finally gave up, cast one sock onto the DPN's and got started yet AGAIN!

Yep, this is as far as I've gotten!!!

I picked up another pair of #2 DPN's so I can at least do them both at the same time and not risk different sizes like my very first pair LOL!

What kind of adventures are on your needles?  

Check out all the fun yarn eye candy over at Judy's Patchwork Times today!

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

=^..^=

A "Hullabaloo" Winner!!!

Thanks to everyone who joined us for Jacquelynne Steve's fun Blog Hop....

I am happy to report there were 157 valid comments on my Blog Hop post!  Whoohoo!!!  It was so much fun seeing all your comments and smiling when you listed some creation of Jacquelynne's that is also a favorite of mine - which of course is everything she creates, right?  :*)  I wish you could all win, but we invited Mr. Random Generator to join this party and gave him authority to pick a number.....

And the winner is.....

Joanna P.  left Comment #84!!!

Joanna has left a new comment on your post "Holiday Hullabaloo Blog Hop!!!": 

"I already like her on facebook and receive her emails." 

I have to say, I'm delighted that you are already a fan of Jacquelynne's, Joanna!  I know you will enjoy the prize package she will send directly to you very soon.  I've sent you an email asking for your snail mail address so that package can be making it's way to you very soon.  Wonder what it will be????

+++++++++++++++++++

Now, don't forget, there is still another Blog Hop Giveaway going on HERE.....

Terri Stegmiller is giving away one of her amazing cat patterns, and you don't want to miss that opportunity do you?????

Thanks to all of you who sent your well wishes for me!

I am indeed feeling much better - just need to get my energy back now :*)

Your cyber-hugs helped tremendously!!!

Stay warm my friends & consider yourself HUGGED!!!!!

Hugs & Blessings,

Teresa

=^..^=

Another Blog Hop with a GIVEAWAY!!!!

Do you all remember about a month ago when I revealed a sweet little wool block I made using Terri Stegmiller's pattern, "Paws in the Garden"?

Paws in the Garden - Created by Teresa Raleigh
Hand applique in wools - 10" square
Pattern by Terri Stegmiller

 Just LOOK at all those sweet details on this pattern.....

Terri sure knows how to brings these kitties to life, right in front of your eyes!  

I made this block because I accepted Terri's call for pattern testers.  I mean, you know me, right?  Have you ever known me to resist anything to do with a cat?????  Of course, I tweaked the pattern a little to make it fit the small 10" block size for the project I was working.  (You can see more about how I made this block on my post HERE.)  Working with wools presented some challenges as well, but I was absolutely delighted with the finished block!!!

I just loved Terri's original "Paws in the Garden" quilt --

Paws in the Garden - 24"x37"
Photo courtesy of and copyright of Terri Stegmiller

Some of her testers were given a different pattern, also adorable of course!

Butterfly Moments - 20"x24"
Photo courtesy of & copyright of Terri Stegmiller

She has SO MANY cute things she has created - check out her other art at her Etsy Shop HERE!!!

And for some wonderful eye candy, click on these links below to Terri's site where she shared more of the quilts her other pattern testers made - I love the variety of color and techniques :*)

http://stegart.blogspot.com/2013/11/more-results-from-pattern-testing.html

http://stegart.blogspot.com/2013/11/kitties-kitties-everywhere.html

http://stegart.blogspot.com/2013/10/paws-paws-everywhere.html

So now, here's the fun part!  Would you like to WIN one of these patterns?  Who wouldn't, right?  Well, it's easy!  Just leave a comment on this post telling me which Terri Stegmiller pattern - Paws in the Garden or Butterfly Moments you would like to win!  This is a tough choice my friends, I'm telling ya!  At the end of the week, I'll draw one name from all the comments to win their choice of pattern from Terri.  Whoohoo!!!  Could that be any easier?

The pattern will be provided to you in PDF document format, which you download and print yourself.  It will be delivered to your email address from Terri herself.  Please be sure you provide contact information when you comment, especially if you are set up as a no-reply blogger.  No-reply comments will only be considered if the email address is provided in the comment!  And because the pattern is delivered by email - everyone is eligible to win - domestic or International!!!!

A winner will be randomly drawn the morning of Friday, December 13.   

Please visit ALL of the following blogs for more chances to win 

(each blog will have a winner!)

Blog Hop Order

Terri Stegmiller

SewCalGal

Jill Buckley - The Quilt Rat

Teresa Raleigh - A Quilt and a Prayer

Marsha Leith - Cool Quilting

Snoodles - Lily Pad Quilting

Judy Applegarth - ScampAlot

Margie Kraft - Margie Quilts

Joy Manoleros - Bjoyful Studio

I'm so looking forward to giving away one of these patterns!  

I know you are going to love it just as much as I do :*)

Have a very blessed week, my friends!!!!

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

=^..^=

Back to the Blue!!!

I've  really been down for the count this past week, sick with a sinus infection and bronchitis -yuk!!!  Hopefully this will be my "obligatory" sick session for the winter and I'll have great health for the rest of it :*)  Once I started feeling better today and was able to sit up for a while, I got out this hand-applique project to see what I could work on while just sitting...

The Blue Collection
Design & Quilt by Maggie Walker

This poor project has been sitting ignored for WAY too long!

The Bad News -----

I was pretty shocked to realize the last time I touched  Blue Collection was in March!!!  

Wow!  Really???

The Good News ----
Almost all of the blocks are done for this quilt - whoohoo!!!!  Last week I finished up the next-to-last standard block before beginning to put the center of the top together - this is the tall vase standing on the left-hand side of the quilt ....

I left the top un-sewn to allow for those wonderful vines that will flow from it....

I still have one more block, as well as quite a bit of tracing and template prep for the outer border features, so sitting in my chair while tracing off those pieces was not too taxing at all :*)  My last true block will be very intricate - I'm just crossing my fingers and hoping it won't be too difficult....

The center block that holds the tree that moves through the center of the quilt

Here's how it looks in Maggie's wonderful quilt....

Of course, you know I'm prone to make things hard on myself, right?  I'm using a border print for this pot, which will just add to the challenge!  

Where you could usually use one fabric for the bowl itself, I will need to cut individual pieces and fit them carefully together to get the right angles with this print.  And I don't have a large piece of it either, but I really think it will be worth the effort!

Something you might not realize either is that the tree - that's 3D!!!  Yes, it's is 3 fabric ropes braided together and appliqued down.  Now that I think about it, is it really any wonder I've been dragging my needle on this one???

I also have to make some upgrades to a few blocks before I put them all together.  I started this quilt before I really learned how to do applique well, so some of the blocks are roughly done :(  For instance, see these pathetic attempts at koi below? ...... aren't koi supposed to be beautiful, elegant fish???

Ugh!!!  Nothing graceful about these poor things!!!  I found a print of some koi that I will use to make a new template - hopefully these elegant fish will look much better when I'm done :*)

It's not 2014 yet, but my mind has already started thinking along the lines of finishing up some UFO's which is my plan for the year.  I didn't touch anything at all on my December To Do list, but when you're sick, you have to do what you can do, right?  Hope you all have had a much better week than I did LOL!!!

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

=^..^=

Linking up with:

Slow Stitching Sunday
Design Wall Monday

Tuesday Linky Party

November 2013 End-of-Month Report

Be sure to get in on the GIVEAWAY!!!!!

My post for the Holiday Hullabaloo Blog Hop is HERE!!!!

Getting it Done!!!

I was amazed at how well I did in November, getting things done!  

If I can just do that well in December, I'll be very pleased :*)  

Hubby always carves the Thanksgiving turkey at Mom's house
Hudson had fun taste testing this year !!!

Finished projects - Wow!!!!

November 2013 Goals:

• Finish and post about Paws in the Garden project - DONE - post is HERE
• Quilting (domestic sewing machine DSM) - G's Banners, Mom's Valentine table-topper - G's Banners is DONE and gifted to that sweet baby girl (see posts HERE and HERE), but Mom's table-topper is still sitting forlorn on my sewing table :(
• Quilting (longarm) - UFO - Christmas Geese (Christmas QAL) - thanks to Joanne, this quilt is DONE - post is HERE.  I also quilted my Pumpkin Sampler quilt - bonus!!!
• Make a baby quilt for newest grandson for shower the week before Thanksgiving - DONE!!!  This has to be the fastest I've ever made a quilt from start to finish!  See Tranquility post HERE.
• Make several receiving blankets, etc., for shower also - DONE!!!  I also made a couple of pacifier keepers to include in the shower gift bag :*)
• Yarn Projects - continue Wingspan; cast on new socks for working on over the holidays :) - also DONE!!!  I got a lot of progress done on Wingspan during our road trip at Thanksgiving.  And not only did I cast on the new socks, but I actually FINISHED them and gifted them to my daughter!  See them HERE - Whoohoo!!!!  They were supposed to go in her stocking, but she insisted she couldn't wait :*)  I also finished up my aqua Surf Socks in November - Post HERE =^..^=
• Enjoy time with family for the Thanksgiving season!!!!!  - This was the easiest "task" on my list LOL!!! - DONE!!!  

So, basically, the only thing on my list that I didn't get done was my Mom's table-topper.  Not bad!  However, I've also decided to make one of these for my sister as well, which I haven't even started, so double that task now for December! :*)

December 2013 Goals:
It's not looking very promising for me to get a lot done this month.  There's that whole thing of Christmas and its many parties and time consuming activities.  Then of course we have a baby due in NC around Christmas time so I'll be trotting off there when Cooper decides to make his sweet appearance :*)  In addition, my stepfather in NC is not doing very well and they put him in the hospital with pneumonia this morning.  He's mid-80's with lots of health issues, so that's not good.  And as if all that's not enough, I've been fighting off the flu for the past few days - ugh!!!

However, I am ever the optimist and incurable list-maker, so I am determined to at least have a To Do list for the month, whether I get any of it done or not!

• Blog:  Prepare and post about TWO Giveaway Blog Hops!!  The first was yesterday - see link at top of this post; and the second will be Terri Stegmiller's Blog Hop next Monday (12/9) - come back for the fun!!!
• Quilting (domestic sewing machine DSM): - Mom's Valentine table-topper, and any other projects I manage to finish up this month.
• Quilting (longarm) - UFO - Indian Summer - This is only if Joanne has a day free for me to come play on the longarm :*)  This is maybe my oldest UFO, or at least one of the very first for sure.  It is a Judy Niemeyer pattern that I fell in love with when I first started sewing.  It's been folded up on my To-Be-Quilted shelf since 2006!!!!
• Bind Christmas Geese - yes, it is still sitting on my table waiting to have it's binding sewn on!  Poor beautiful quilt ♥♥♥
• Finish piecing the Bargello Tree Skirt - I'd love to have this under the tree this year, but it's not looking too favorable for that right now.
• Make a couple of Christmas gifts, mainly small gifts for stockings :*)
• Yarn Projects: - continue Wingspan; cast on new Red Socks for ME!!! (Actually I had already done that - see photo below - but forgot I wanted to do these in a pattern, not just "plain jane" and had to rip back to do that, got lost and ended up just totally ripping out to start new.)
• Guild Prep (new category):  I have agreed to head up a "Bees" Group sit-n-sew after our meetings each month, and I need to have all my ducks in a row for the announcement and roll-out in January.  Much planning still to be done!

Projects to finish up in December - I hope!!!

A few small gifts to whip up for loved ones :*)

I haven't done any Rainbow Scrap Challenge blocks in either October or November - things have been just too hectic!!!  But SoScrappy will be hostessing this again in 2014, so click on the button below to go on over and check it out.  We'd love to see your Rainbow blocks there next year!!!

Linking up with -

Cat Patches - 2013 NewFO Challenge

Patchwork Times - Get It Done!

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

=^..^=

Holiday Hullabaloo Blog Hop!!!

Come on in!  

It's time for us to have some FUN and celebrate with 

in a wonderful Blog Hop....with a Mystery Giveaway!!!!

I don't know about you, but I just can't resist a Giveaway!  And a Mystery Giveaway makes it all the more fun, right?  Well, you don't want to miss this one!  Visit everyone on the Blog Hop schedule (see below) and leave comments to win a Mystery Prize Package worth $15-30!!!  Each blogger will be giving away one Mystery Package, so be sure to comment on each & multiply your chances to win - you can even win more than one prize!!!

Monday Dec. 2             Lily Pad Quilting  http://lilypadquilting.blogspot.com/

Tuesday Dec. 3             Freemotion by the River   http://www.conniekresin.com/
                                                        Sew Cal Gal  http://sewcalgal.blogspot.com/
              Wednesday Dec. 4        Upstairs Hobby Room  http://upstairshobbyroom.blogspot.com/

                                                         Bejeweled Quilts by Barb  http://bejeweledquilts.blogspot.com/

Thursday Dec.5             A Quilt & a Prayer   http://aquiltandaprayer.blogspot.com/

                                                        Tami’s Quilting Adventure  http://tamichaulk.blogspot.com/

Friday Dec. 6                 Needled Mom http://needledmom.blogspot.com/

The prizes are all donated by Jacquelynne herself, and each prize will be different.  Even she has no idea what your prize will be until she pulls your name from a hat at the end of the Giveaway!!!  Prizes include fabric, books, patterns, stationery, gift items, etc. - whoohoo!!!!!

Now, as if that is not enough, Jacquelynne is also giving away a GRAND PRIZE Package on her blog as well!!!!

.... Includes fabric, books, patterns and other gift items! - so be sure to go HERE to her Blog to sign up for that too!  You can enter every day for many chances to win!!!

You should visit Jacquelynne's Etsy Shop as well - Hint: She's having a SALE!!!!  She's introducing some lovely new items and they would make PERFECT gifts for Christmas or anytime!!!

You've heard me rave about Jacquelynne and her amazing talent before - remember these cute projects I made this past year with her fun and playful Happy Town line???

First, I made a cute little Preemie Quilt for one of our Guild's charity projects.  I just love the way Jacquelynne adds stripes and dots to her fabric lines so we can add wonderful geometric interest to our quilts!!!  You all know how much I love me some stripes & dots, right????  Well, they don't come much cuter than with cats & dogs :*)

(The binding was not sewn down in this photo because I used it later that week
as my sample quilt for a binding tutorial at one of my guilds :*)

And I know you haven't forgotten my little grandson's Hudson's Heroes play quilt, right?

Paper-pieced vehicles - so fun!!!
Meet Hudson and read more about this quilt HERE and HERE =^..^=

Just this past week at Thanksgiving, Grandpa and Hudson were down on the floor playing with cars on the Happy Town roadway panel that I used to back this fun quilt....don't you just love Hudson's cute little diapered bottom showing there?  Why do all kids have a problem keeping their pants up? LOL!!

I happen to know that Jacquelynne is hard at work designing a new line of fabrics right now - they're going to be yummy of course!!!  But designing fabrics is only a part of what this talented lady creates!  She's an artist through and through!  You are definitely going to want to go to these links to check her out if you aren't familiar with her - (and even if you are :*)

Website - http://jacquelynnesteves.com/
Blog - http://jacquelynnesteves.com/blog/

The Art of Home Ezine -  http://tinyurl.com/acjfcbc

(see past issues here - http://issuu.com/jacquelynnesteves)

Etsy Shop - http://www.etsy.com/shop/JacquelynneSteves

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jacquelynne-Steves/543549752352215

Instagram - http://instagram.com/jacquelynnesteves

Pinterest - http://www.pinterest.com/jacquelynnes/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/JacquelynneS

So, how can you get in on the Mystery Giveaway filled with goodies valued at between $15-$30? 

It's easy-peasy!!!  You get TWO CHANCES to win!

1st Comment:  Just leave me a comment below telling me at least one of the above links you have visited and what you like best among Jacquelynne's creations.  Everyone can join in on this first chance to win!

2nd Comment:  In addition, if you follow Jacquelynne through any of her social media sites, let me know that in a SEPARATE COMMENT and you will get a second chance to win!!!

This Giveaway is open to anyone, even internationally!  

Comments on this post will close and a winner chosen after midnight, December 8, 2013.

If you're new to my blog, I hope you will come back and visit again!  I'd love to have you follow along as well - don't be shy!!!  There are links on my sidebar to follow by GFC, Blogloving, email and Pinterest :*) You can check out a few of my recent posts by clicking on them under Blog Archive in the right-hand sidebar.  You can also see some of the projects I've been working on this year by clicking on the Tabs at the top of my blog under my header picture.  For instance, pictures of my finishes this year can be seen by clicking on the 2013 Finishes - Yay! tab at the top of the blog (or you can just click HERE - much easier, right?).

SORRY - GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!!!!

Thanks so much for visiting!

I wish you all well in the Giveaways!

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

=^..^=