Sunday, July 22, 2012

A Finish and a Giveaway!

This giveaway is closed now......
Whilst my sister is still looking the other way, I'll show you her present that I finished! Yay! I love getting presents ready early! (Grin)

Here it is:


It's the Pack and Press bag, from the "An Apple A Day" book --- using the wonderful "Apple of My Eye" fabrics from Amanda at the Quilted Fish, and the pattern designed by Julie (of Intrepid Thread fame) that is included in the book.  Oh, these fabrics are to die for . . . so cute; I love all of the colorways that she created!
I'm telling you, it's a wonderful book --- there are nine different projects in it, and they are all great! From necklaces to placemats to quilts and much more!  Amanda has assembled the Creative Design Consultants, a group of talented women that come up with super ideas and then have the skill to translate those into instructions for folks like you and me!
I'd like to show you how the Pack and Press bag works; there is an ironing surface that folds up and becomes the front of the bag, like so:


See the large green and yellow buttons there? (I was so wanting apple-shaped buttons, but I don't have a local quilt shop near me, and the big box store that I went to didn't have any . . . (Pouting) I guess these will have to do. 
Anyway, there are fabric ties that loop and tie around those buttons. The bag itself can hold a nice large cutting mat, or a big "square 'em up" ruler. And of course, there are all these pockets for supplies that you must carry with you. (You know, the coffee or tea bags, the chocolate, the cookies . . . Ahem.)


This is a perfect project (or gift!) for someone who travels to their LQS or to their guild meeting to do some sewing. 
No more standing in line to use the iron and ironing board . . . just open this baby up, and spread out your own personal ironing surface. The Insul-brite inside will protect the surface that you lay it down upon!


Personally, I just love these fabrics --- I gotta show you one more close-up:


I know, I know . . . I heard some of you squealing --- don't be embarrassed; I feel exactly the same way about these adorable prints!
I happen to know that Julie still has some of these in stock, so you might want to hop over there and check it out, before they're gone!

Now, how would you like to have a book giveaway? Applause, applause! One of the talented designers featured in the book  (well, actually her picture is in the book, but her project and the pattern are the things that are featured!) is the lovely Mistress Brooke, of Silly Mama. She does fabulous things with fabrics, and you should check out her blog, and her Etsy shop
Brooke was gracious enough to send me "An Apple A Day" to review, and will provide a copy of the book for one of you lucky peeps!
Let me tell you a little about the book . . . this has to be one of the most inspiring books that I have ever looked through. These ladies dreamed up lovely projects that really let Amanda's fabrics shine. Let me show you just a couple of examples:


This cute quilt is Brooke's project -- scallops and apple appliques....how can you not love it? 


Jackie from Jackie's Art Quilts designed this necklace . . .who wouldn't love to show up at their next guild meeting wearing this stunning piece of art?


And this is Amanda's "Inside the Box" project -- wonderful! I am going to make some of her 3D pincushion flowers to adorn a project that I'm working on. 
I was really impressed with the instructions (easy to understand), the photos (crisp and clear), and the templates (full size, included in the book). This is truly a book that you will get use out of --- it won't just sit on your shelf, I can assure you!
Leave a comment here telling me what your favorite fruit or veggie is. And no, I won't give your comment special consideration if you say "apple." (Grin)
We'll leave this open until Friday, July 27th, then ask Mr. Random to choose, and announce our winner on Saturday. Brooke will ship the book directly to the winner. 
And do me a favor, won't you? If you think there is ANY chance that you might be a no-reply blogger, (like if you are on Google plus or something that doesn't show an email addy) then PLEASE leave me your email as part of your comment!! You can disguise it from spammers by doing this: name(at)domain(dot)com !!
Come on, now, don't be shy --- what's your favorite fruit or veggie?


Love,



88 comments:

  1. I love berries of any kind and Zucchini!

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    1. Hi Debra Lee....I tried to reply to your comment, but you are a no-reply! Please leave me your email as part of your comment....you can do it this way to avoid spammers: name(at)domain(dot)com
      Thanks!

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  2. Love your Pack and Press bag...what a great gift!

    Favorite fruit....pears. Thanks for the sweet giveaway!

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  3. my favorite fruit is peaches either canned or fresh. veggie would be broccoli. I love the pink apple print. I actually bought some. plan to make some sort of bag. Thanks for the chance at the giveaway.

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  4. Hard to pick just one favorite from all the delicious fruits and vegetables, but lately I'm especially loving Strawberries.

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  5. That is a great bag, how unique idea! Thank you for a lovely give away! I love all berries but if they don't count as fruits, then it is ... an apple! I'm bad with vegetables but if I try to choose I say carrot.

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  6. Very cool book - I would love it!! My fav veg would be pruple beans - they are exactly the same as green beans but purple. They even turn green when cooked so like to eat them raw - yum!!! Purple carrots are good too!!!

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  7. Looks like a fab book! My fave fruit is bananas.

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  8. Looks like a great book. My favorite fruit is cantaloupe.

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  9. Hi Snoodles, I love satsumas for fruit and cauliflowers for my vegetable. I love the look of the book. Thanks for sharing Susie x

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  10. As a matter of fact, I do love apples but my favorite is actually mangos today. In season, I also love strawberries, and grapes, andf cantaloupe. There is hardly a fruit I don't like. Thanks for the opportunity to win your giveaway.

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  11. I don't think there is any fruit I don't like!! My favourite is probably raspberries!
    Thanks for the giveaway - this looks such a great book!

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  12. My favorite is corn on the cob, but it is more like candy than a vegiie :-)

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  13. tomatos of course they are fruits and i love them

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  14. My favorite is corn on the cob or green beans from garden, apples and blueberries. Shuttermom77 at gmail dot com

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  15. I would love to win this book. All my sewing books are vintage, and I would like a new one. Anyway, thank you for the giveaway. My favorite fruit is banana. It goes awesome in smoothies.

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  16. This time of year I am especially fond of Watermelon. I can eat SOOOOOOOOOO much of it without feeling guilty at all. YUMMY.

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  17. I love so many fruits and veggies.
    fresh strawberries, sour goose berries (haven't had those since I was a kid I think)
    Veggies- danish peas- like english peas, during pea season in Denmark we'd find farmer's kids selling bags of picked peas and you open up the pod and eat the peas raw like that, oh they were so yummy- gave you terrible gas, but so worth it :-)

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  18. I love fresh peaches. Thanks for the giveaway!

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  19. Jacque, how sweet of you to make that cool tote and press bag for your sis! All the lucky stitchers that will be sitting near her!!! Have her save me a place wouldja!

    That does look like a fun book! I love Raspberries best and Artichokes too.

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  20. My favorite fruit is fresh pineapple and mangoes okay I know that's two but I can't help myself they are both so good.

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  21. I love blueberries! And lima beans for veggie.

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  22. Favorite fruit is strawberries!

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  23. What an awesome bag.

    I love all fruit but when the cherries come out I can not get enough of them, unfortunately they have back lash....won't need to go into details...

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  24. I just LOVE summer peaches, fresh, not canned :)

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  25. Awesome bag...I still love all the pockets! The book would be fantastic.

    My favorite fruit are fresh strawberries right from the patch!

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  26. My favorite fruit is/are peaches and nectarines-straight from the tree!

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  27. That is super cute and such a fabulous idea. If your sister doesn't like it, she can send it to me. ;)

    My favorite fruit is raspberry.

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  28. This is just adorable!! Thanks for the chance. I like plums and spinach.....can't get enough spinach!!

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  29. My favourite fruit is homegrown strawberries right off the plant and sunwarmed.

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  30. I love blueberries and raspberries... I know that is naming two but they are both my favorites!! This book looks awesome!

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  31. My favorite fruit has to be pears!!!!!, yummooooooooo

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  32. My favorite fruit is Strawberries!

    tcrowley122 at hotmail dot com

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  33. I love asparagus!! It is my favorite.

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  34. My favorite fruit is Red Delicious Apples.

    Cindy

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  35. My favorite veggie is fresh picked corn and my favorite fruit is kiwi today ;) Beautiful bag for your sister, she is going to love it!!

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  36. What a nice gift for your sister. My favorite fruit is cherries.

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  37. At the minute nectarines, but if you asked me a different day I might have said cherries, or pineapple or fresh peas still in pods....

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  38. I love parsnip. Roasted is best but I also like it in soup and stew.
    For fruit I think my favourite is an Australian native fruit known as lilli-pilli. (http://anpsa.org.au/s-aus.html) Although I also love any of the summer berries.

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  39. Such a cute pattern! This book looks very inspiring. My favorite fruit is strawberries.

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  40. Such a clever and useful bag. I love cherries

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  41. I haven't seen this book before and it looks realllly good. Sure would like a copy. Love veggies better than fruit. Fave fruit is strawberries. Favorite raw veggie are avacado. Fav cooked veggie is baked sweet potatoes.
    Thanks for a chance o win the book!!

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  42. I love cantalopes, they are so juicy and smell so sweet. I also can eat avacado's everyday.. there are alot of seeds in my compost that try to grow.

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  43. I just love apples, peaches, cherries, corn, beans, asparagus, almost all fruit and veg in other words. As I listed 6 do I get 6 entries??

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  44. My favorite fruit is Bing Cherries and my favorite veggie is cucumbers.

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  45. SQueeeeeeeee!!!!! I so want that pattern and fabric!

    My favorite veg is corn and favorite fruit is cherries

    DachsiesWithMoxieMama@gmail.com

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  46. I love Pinapple! Thanks for the chance to win!

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  47. Omg goodness!!! Can you hear my SQUEEL!
    Favorites are hard cause I love so many: veggie I'll say cucumber, corn and spinach. For fruit: gala apples ;),

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    1. Hi sweetie! Your settings are on no-reply! Bummer! If you can go to your profile and change that, you'll be able to win giveaways! :)

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  48. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  49. wonderful projects! my favorite vegetables (or are they fruits?) are tomatoes. thank you for the opportunity to win the book! rush88888 at gmail dot com

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  50. That looks like an interesting book!

    My favorite vegie... Mushrooms.. maybe not a vegie but my favorite all the same!

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  51. My favorite fruit is pear and my favorite veggie is fresh corn on the cob. Of course, I haven't found a fruit or veggie that I don't like!! Thanks for the giveaway! Good luck, Everyone! :)
    gladystan.dawn@gmail.com

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  52. wonderful, wonderful job!! Thanks so much for all the kind comments! Enjoy!

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  53. Asparagus and Strawberries :)
    joshcortney(at)epix(dot)net

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  54. Oh Geeze....what a beautiful project and idea and fabric. Love it.
    Thanks for sharing and I know the book would get a lot of use at my house.

    Take care,

    Debbie
    Imastampr(at)cableone(dot)net

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    1. Oops... Forgot...my favorite is strawberries.

      Debbie
      Imastampr(at)cableone(dot)net

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  55. Peaches are my favorite fruit. Thanks for the giveaway.

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  56. Hi,

    I love rasberrys.
    But on fabric I prefer apples :-)

    Greetings,
    Tina

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  57. Bananas and Alvacado. It would be hard to do without either one.

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  58. I think I was born in the wrong place (NY). I was totally meant to be born in the Tropics where my favorite fruits grow, mangoes and bananas.

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  59. This is an awesome book! I am keeping my paws crossed to win a copy. My fav vegetable in the summer is green beans. My other favorite is fresh strawberries. In my kitchen, I love
    to decorate with lovely red cherries! Thanks for the chance
    to win!!

    wigglypup2(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  60. Peaches and corn on the cob or fresh tomatoes.

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  61. My favorite fruit is watermelon and peach.

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  62. My favourite is passionfruit.
    What a fabulous bag - that would be so handy, even at home, as my ironing board is in the laundry and there isn't enough room in my sewing space to have the board set up!

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  63. Great bag, & gorgeous fabric choice. Favourite fruit-cherries & mangoes.
    lyn.robyn.smith@gmail.com

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  64. I love to go apple picking for Macintosh apples here in NH in September.

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  65. My fave fruit is peaches and my fave veggie is asparagus!
    Great giveaway!

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  66. What a great bag and how neat to have a built in ironing pad. I could have used that yesterday when I was at a class, up and down to the ironing board. Be quiet my knees. hehe. I love all kinds of fruit, mangos, raspberries, grapes and strawberries are probably my top few.

    Thank you and Brooke for an awesome giveaway and a chance to win a great book.

    usairdoll(at)gmail(dot)com

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  67. LOVE, love, love the bag with the ironing pad!! Such a great idea! My favorite fruit(s) are strawberries and blueberries; but right now I add peaches, bing cherries, melon, etc. Anything that is in season! Thanks for the great giveaway!! alnaloge(at)gmail(dot)com.

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  68. Don't pick me - I already have a copy! From the wonderful Julie no else :) I just had to tell you that I love how yours turned out!!! Adorable!

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  69. Berries - blackberries in particular!

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  70. Muito linda esta ideia.Gosto de bananas e vagens.Obrigada.
    tiacarminhapezzuto@gmail.com

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  71. My favorite is watermelon and carrot! Thanks for the chance.

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  72. My favourite is bananas, closely followed by Pink Lady apples (yes I'm fussy!)

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  73. Favorite fruit? Definitely watermelon. Fav vegetable? Lettuce! I love the pack and press! What a fabulous idea!

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  74. My favorite fruit is Blueberries!

    sue
    legato1958 at aol dot com

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  75. favourite fruit, raspberries, or pineapple, or mulberries, or- no I like too many to have a favourite. And veggies? oh sugar snap peas, or Brusselss sprouts, or cabbage, properly cooked or... No I like too many of them too!

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  76. My favourite fruit is raspberries but it is easier to say what fruit and veg I don't like. Only dislike is chard. The book looks amazing.

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  77. My favorite fruit is a banana and my fav. veggie is corn on the cob.Thanks for a chance to win.

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  78. Apricots - both fresh & dried. Thank you for the book, love the necklace so want to buy voiles for it. zuzan (at) gmail (dot) com

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  79. this is wonderful. I love berries ( all kinds) but strawberries from our garden are the best! Fav veg? hmmm can I pick everything that comes from our garden, giggle! Especially cucumbers ( I love cucumber sandwiches xo

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  80. Wow, I love most veggies, but I would have to say onions are my favourite as they are so versatile. Thanks for a chance to win the lovely book.

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