Our Final Cozy Afternoon Together!!!

Today is the day you will receive your instructions to finish up your Cozy Afternoon top!  Here is mine....

I have to admit, I am very happy with it!!!

It was actually all finished several weeks ago, but then I decided I really didn't care for my choice to use small purple cornerstones in the chain around the center block .... See that previous version below ...

Can you see the purple squares?

To me, the purple breaks up the chain - which defeats the whole purpose of putting the chain design in there, right?  So, while at retreat last week, I took out all the offending cornerstones ....

.... and I replaced them with bright colorful orange ones!

I am much happier with this result!

I had originally thought to try to find a Laurel Burch cat print for the backing, but one of my guild friends recently had a de-stash sale, and I picked up this fun and very colorful cat print for $2 a yard - woohoo!!!

Have you ever seen a GREEN cat?  BLUE?  FUSCIA?

These are SEW FUN!!!

And you gotta love those cowboy hats LOL!!!

They look kinda "Nashville" don't they?

I hope you've had as much fun as I have while making these fun blocks designed and shared with us FREE by Jacquelynne Steves!  You can check out her final blog post HERE - and you'll find all the links to other guest bloggers as well.  I can't wait to check out all the finished tops!!!

As always, Jacquelynne is offering a lovely GIVEAWAY of digital pdf patterns to one lucky winner on this blog.  I'm going to make it SEW very easy ... Anyone can win!  Just leave a comment - any comment! - on this blog post before midnight, Monday October 19.  I'll pick a random winner to receive this awesome prize!

In addition, I thought it would be fun to reward my lovely faithful followers with a Giveaway as well!  If you are a follower, leave a SECOND COMMENT, telling me how you follow A Quilt and A Prayer and you will be entered into a drawing for a set of Jacquelynne's Cozy Afternoon Quilt Labels!!!  These labels are SO, SO NICE!!! The photo below shows one of the labels on the left, sewn onto Jacquelynne's quilt - there are 10 adorable labels total in the set.  They are cloth labels printed with the fun applique designs from the Cozy Afternoon blocks!

This picture also shows the cute notecards on the right
the notecards are not included in the giveaway!!
You can get your set of these from Jacquelynne's Shop HERE

Remember - you must be a follower in order to be entered in this second giveaway.  It's just my way of saying Thank You for hanging in there and loving me even though I have been rather absent lately.  I appreciate you each and every one!!!

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

=^..^=

Cozy Afternoon Block #4

Wow - can you believe we are already making Block #4 of Jacquelynne Steve's BOM, Cozy Afternoon?  

I've had so much fun making these blocks - and I particularly loved making this one ....

This is the only block that has a dog as well as the cat.  At first I thought, How sweet! They look so cute together, like best friends.  But then I looked closer and noticed the look on that cat's face .......

She looks as if she's saying, "Really?  You've tied me up in these stupid RIBBONS with this stupid DOG????  You know I can't stand even being in the same room with him!!!  He DROOLS and he BEGS!!!  No self-respecting cat would ever do something so GROSS!!!  Ewwww ... I think he's drooling on my shoulder!!!!"

And next to her is that sweet little dog, all doey-eyed with love and almost quivering in his happiness to be all cuddled up next to his cat sibling whom he adores.  LOL!!!!

Such is the special talent of Laurel Burch that she gave her art such character and LIFE!!!

In fact, I fell so far in love with this block that I decided it needed to be my center block for the quilt.....

See how the lines of the blue and purple make a nice frame for the chains made by the Sew Sweet Simplicity blocks around it? (Note - see my note at the end of this post if you love those SSS blocks as much as I do!!!)  And since Cozy Afternoon has five block designs, the quilt will end up in a perfect nine block square :)

This was actually the first CA block I made, and it was while I was planning it that my final plans for the overall quilt design came together in my mind.  I knew if I wasn't careful, all these bright colors and designs would just become a jumbled hot mess!

I decided I wanted those wonderful hot colors - pinks, oranges, reds, yellows - to pop and play in the block centers ...

......with those luscious cool colors - blues and purples - framing and containing all that color explosion :)

And this is how the blocks are looking all together so far ..... I think my plan is working!

Block #5 will go in that bottom left section
=^..^=

If you are making these fun Cozy Afternoon blocks too, be sure to share your blocks with all of us at Jacquelynne's Facebook page and Instagram!  You can also find me on Instagram HERE :*)

*************

And now for the GIVEAWAY!!!!  As always, Jacquelynne loves to give away fun patterns and projects :)  To celebrate the release of this CA fourth block, she is giving away a digital pdf set of these PATTERNS to one lucky winner from my blog!

I love that Mad About You quilt!  Quilt block designs with curves have always appealed to me - and of course those colors are right up my alley :)  And who doesn't need an adorable tote bag to carry our latest hand project in style?

For more opportunities to win, go to Jacquelynne's blog post HERE and find links to all the other bloggers who are showing off their blocks today and hostessing the Giveaway :*)

This Giveaway is open to anyone - just leave a fun comment on my blog post here and you'll be entered.  We will close comments and choose a winner at midnight on Sunday, August 16.

GOOD LUCK!!!!

Note:  You can still get the Sew Sweet Simplicity patterns from Jacquelynne at her website HERE!)

Sew Sweet Simplicity by Jacquelynne Steves

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

=^..^=