Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Happy Leap Day! Announcing May For Me Bingo!

Since this is Padsworth's favorite day, and it only comes once every four years, it's fitting that we make a lot of fuss, and wish every one of you a 

Hoppy Leap Day!!! 

I also want to join my blogging buddies in announcing the May for Me Bingo Games!  There will be four blogs that share in this adventure:


                                      Vrooman's Quilts


                                      Hillbilly Handiworks


                                      Crafty Sewing and Quilting


                                      Lilypadquilting  (you're already here!)

Sharon, Tonya, Marcia, and moi will be your guides on this fun, month-long escapade. Yes, it will be in the month of May . . . but you have some work to do, in order to be ready!


We've given you plenty of time, so don't grumble and be a cranky-pants! Here is what you need to make:




Yes!!  It's your very own Bingo card, and it's made with fun novelty prints! You'll notice that the "B" row is all blue prints or a blue item, the "I" row is yellow, the "N" row has red (and the free square), the "G" row has green, and finally the "O" row has purple!


Here is the run-down on my card: 
"B" row (blue) gator,elephant,sheep,caterpillar,frog
"I" row (yellow) duck,blocks,flower,ladybug,ornament
"N" row (red) teepee,dog,ant,flag
"G" row (green) lizard,ball,dog,cherry,jackolantern
"O" row (purple) bone,fish,dragonfly,dragon,elephant


Pop on over to Sharon's blog (Vroomans Quilts . . . click right here and you'll be there in a flash) and she has posted all of the details --- including a tutorial on how to make your own Bingo card.


You have lots of time to beg squares from your quilting buddies, er snitch them while they aren't looking, er pull novelty prints from your stash and some of you might even win some squares from Marcia at her blog!   Tonya will be giving you the rules of the game at her blog.  Be sure to hop to all four of the blogs at the links up there today, and enjoy the start of our May for Me 2012 bloghop!!


Now, I hesitate to mention this, but Padsworth is nudging me and telling me to say, "There will be giveaways, and even a grand prize!"
And this grand prize will truly be grand --- Green Fairy Quilts is sponsoring a lovely jelly roll of Tend the Earth by Deb Strain . . . feast your eyes on this beauty:



Oops! I really should have sounded the "drool alert" warning on that one, shouldn't I? (Grin) Padsworth is such an enabler, isn't he? He wanted to make sure you saw it!


Have fun hopping!!
I'm linking up today with The Shady Porch "Rock and Share" party!

Love,




Tuesday, February 28, 2012

There's a Frog in my Sewing Room!

Still working with my apples!

I'm making pinwheels today. I whipped out two of these puppies last night before I fell into bed, and I hope to get some more done after work today . . .


You can tell it was late, because my lighting is pretty bad. But you can see the apples!

Oh, and there really is a frog in my sewing room. You've heard me mention Padsworth, right? Well, Elby and I wanted to come up with a video featuring Padsworth, and didn't really find a froggie that was "just right." (Yes, really, and truly, a video . . . we're going to make him a movie star one day!)

So, we created a plushie. That was difficult, er nerve-wracking, er fun. (All those tiny little seams!) And now he shows up in my sewing area frolicing and making me laugh. I hope you like him --- he's really kinda cute, I think. (Please say nice things about him, if you comment. I have caught him looking over my shoulder sometimes when I'm at the computer. I don't want him to feel sad.)

Today he was offering to pass me pins for my piecing . . .


So, say hello to Padsworth, and have a happy day of sewing!

Love,

Monday, February 27, 2012

Winner of the Big Giveaway!

I'm so excited!!!  Today is the day we choose our BIG winner!!


Not that the winner herself or himself is large . . . it's the prize package that is so big!!


Let's get to this quickly -- I can't stand the suspense.


OK, Mr. Random Number Generator, who is our winner?




Alrighty, let's see who number 219 is . . .


It's ILuvmybugs!! And here is her "funny" that she left in her comment:


Congratulations! We'll be contacting you by email for your shipping info, and packing up all those goodies to send them on to you.


A great, big Lilypad "THANK YOU" to all of you who entered our giveaway, too. We're going to keep on working to make this blog a happy addition to your day!


Love,



Saturday, February 25, 2012

Mmmmmmm . . . Apples!

Want to enter our biggest giveaway yet? Well, you have two options. You can climb on Padsworth's back and hop, hop, hop to that blog post. Or you can click here and get there a lot faster!!  But go!!  Enter to win!!


I'd love to let you in on my new project . . .

But I can't yet. (Wink)


I can show you a glimpse . . .




a sneaky peek . . .


. . . but that's all for now!! I sure am getting hungry for a nice, crisp apple!!  Pretty soon I'll be introducing you to the talented designer of these scrumptious fabrics, and we'll even have some of them up for grabs! (I do spoil you peeps, don't I? Heehee! But that's 'cause all of you are really special!)

Love,



Friday, February 24, 2012

Want to See Something Amazing?

Awww, you know you do!

I want you to click on this link, and go to Ole Frog Eyes gallery to see my sister's Civil War block of the month quilt . . . You are going to be so glad that you did!

It is absolutely gorgeous!

Leave her some comment love here at the Lilypad, or over at her blog.  Or if you are an Ole Frog Eyes member, you can comment below her quilt!

Don't forget to enter our delicious giveaway, here at this link, OK? It's a hum-dinger!

Love,

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Quilt Kit Market gift certificate winner!!

Whooo hooo! Somebody is going to win a $50 gift certificate to the Quilt Kit Market today!  I wonder who it will be?


Keep the Quilt Kit Market bookmarked after this giveaway . . . they are a wonderful resource for kits to make lovely quilts FAST!!  And you may remember this quilt top that I completed:


This is only one of the many gorgeous quilt kits that they have available! So please be sure to shop there often, and tell them you appreciate their sponsorship of the Lilypadquilting blog!

Now, without further ado (don't ya love it when they say that?) we'll let Mr. Random pick our winner . . .


Now let's see who No. 229 is --- why it's Quilter in the Gap!!

(I know, it says 29, but after 200 the "official number-er" starts over again...)  Thanks, Quilter in the Gap; we always appreciate the quilters who help us spread the word, so it's nice to award the prize to one of our PR Angels!! I'll be emailing you to get your shipping info momentarily!

Hope everyone has a quilt-y day!  And don't forget our humongous giveaway, going on now! Click here to enter to win!

Love,

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Celebrating with a Giveaway! (Giveaway closed now, but thanks for stopping by!)



I'm so grateful that we have over 600 followers now, that are peeping out from the right-hand sidebar, and we have others that follow through our RSS feed, too!  You guys and gals are the best!

Today we offer a wonderful prize package for you! We have several kind sponsors who have helped us out with the goodies, so let me show you all the great stuff the lucky winner will receive:


Quite a haul, isn't it? Here's a list of the items, with some photos and descriptions . . .

You can see that there's a copy of Interweave's Stitch magazine, full of projects AND patterns. It's an awesome resource for quilters and crafters.

There's a sample package of Sulky thread. This was in a prize pack that I won from McCall's Quilting, and I'm paying it forward, passing it on to one of you special peeps:


Now let's look at some of the other prizes . . .


This gorgeous Floral Fancies panel is sponsored by Kelly, at IHAN. Want to know all about the latest tools of the trade? Want to order them at really great prices? Would you like to experience awesome customer service and orders carefully packed by obsessive compulsive elves? (Wink) You can get all of the above from the IHAN online store.  I hope you will take some time to look at the many things she has in the shop; I know you'll have fun looking around.  Just click on that link and check it out!
Oh, and here's another prize sponsored by Kelly; the Mighty Bright -- fasten your peepers on this:


Kelly has some of the neatest options for lighting your work, in her store. These little guys are absolutely awesome - take my word for it, cos I ordered a set for me! You can clip them almost anywhere; my favorite way to use them is when I'm hand-stitching on a quilt or a stitchery, and I don't want to disturb anyone around me. (You know, like when you turn on the lamp and it casts a glare on the television, or gets in someone's eyes . . .)  The LED light in it is very bright, but only shines in the direction that I choose, so it is very discreet. There are two in the package, and I am in love with mine!
Kelly is a doll to sponsor the lights and the panel --- I appreciate it, my friend!


Next up at bat is Colonial Needle --- the prizes they sponsored are actually inside that patchwork pouch in the picture, but we'll show you pictures, anyway.  (The pouch is handmade by moi, by the way!)
Colonial Needle is a company that I discovered after I won a prize in Madame Samm's Wantobe campaign. I'd love to tell you about them, because I have personal experience with their products.

Have you ever reached into your sewing bag or tote, and when you pull out your hand, you've been scratched by one of your needles? I used to just stick my needle through the lining of my tote, and I was always getting poked or scratched!

I don't any more! Enter the John James "Pebble" from Colonial Needle! These sweet little pebbles keep your needles enclosed, and safely away from your hands until you pop open the top!
Here is what the web site says about the Pebbles:
Fine Quality Needles in a "Pebble" -The John James Pebbles are designed to store your hand needles safely, making them instantly visible and easily accessible in your sewing box, craft bag, top drawer or even your handbag. Each needle style comes in its own elegant and distinctive color for quick identification.
Personally, I have found that these are the absolute best needles I have had the good fortune to use! Seriously. I would love for all of you to try them, but obviously I can't give all of you one of the Pebbles! I would encourage you to check out the Colonial site and see them, and get a Pebble for yourself --- each color of Pebble is a different type of needles: embroidery, chenille, beading, quilting, and more!

Now, there is a Pebble in the pouch, and there are also some extra goodies tucked in, that Colonial Needle graciously supplied . . .
That pouch is just packed full of excitement, and I would like to thank the folks at Colonial Needle for their generosity in helping with this giveaway!  I hope you'll take a moment and go check out their site, too! They have gorgeous sewing baskets, cool, high-quality tools to go in them, and lots more for your quilting and sewing delight!  Spend some time shopping there, and tell them Snoodles sent you, OK?

Now, would you like to see some of those fabrics, up close and personal? Do you have a hankie ready? I guarantee these are drool-worthy, so be prepared!


First we have two fat quarters from the Scribble line, from Timeless Treasures. Pretty, huh?


Also in the package are these two beauties . . . I couldn't find a selvage id on the polka dot, but there is a full yard of it! The one on top is a half yard cut of Flora Lane, by Laura Berringer. Scrumptious!


How about a stack of TWELVE fat quarters? Lots of variety here, to build your stash, and all of these are quilt shop quality, too.


This is in there, too --- though I have to apologize for the blurry picture. I'm not positive, but I think these two fat quarters are from the Sausilito line.  They're pretty, anyway!


This lovely bundle is four fat quarters of What's Cookin by Loralie, for Quilting Treasures.  Super cute prints with chefs, pots and pans, utensils and polka dots!


Here are two sweet fat quarters from Blank Quilting --- I was afraid to look for a name on the selvage, for fear I wouldn't get them back into that pretty ribbon! (Grin)


Last, but not least, a gorgeous piece of Katagami by Red Rooster, and a quilt pattern to go with the full yard of fabric.

At this point, you need to wipe up your keyboard and the desk/countertop/your lap, and enter to win all of these awesome prizes! Here is how you do it!!

It's going to be easy this time . . .

  •               Leave one comment to tell me you are a follower, old or new.
  •               2nd comment - tell me something funny that's happened recently to you (If you can't think of anything, just tell me a joke! Let's keep it clean, tho, OK?)          

We'll leave this one open through Sunday night, and announce our winner on Monday, February 27th. Sound good? Well, let the commenting begin - and make me chuckle!

Love,

Golden Quilter Awards 2012

It's that time of year again!


It's time to celebrate the folks that help us be the best that we can be! Nominations are now being accepted in these categories:
  1. Best Quilt Designer
  2. Best Quilt Teacher/Instructor
  3. Best Quilt book Author
  4. Best Quilt Store (physical)
  5. Best Quilt Store (online)
  6. Best Longarm Quilter
  7. Most Innovative Product (physical)
  8. Most Innovative Product (software)
  9. Most influential person in the world of quilting to-date, aka "Lifetime Achievement"
  10. Best Quilt book publisher

Nominations will be accepted through Sunday, March 4th. Nominations can come from anyone, so get involved! Think about who has inspired you . . . who has given you great service . . . who has taught you . . . see what I mean? The ideas are popping into your head right now!

Here is an important caveat:

For nominations to be accepted, they need to recognize someone or a business, that is truly "in the quilting business" and can be contacted through a website. As such, you will also be asked to provide a website for your nominees. If you do not provide a website and one can not be found, that nominee will not be recognized when it comes time to vote.

And here is another important note: Have all of your nominations ready when you want to submit --- you can't do it in ten installments, OK? (Grin)
If you have all the information you need to submit your nominations now, click this link "submit nominations" to proceed. If not, come back once you are ready. To clarify, once you submit your nominations you are not able to add or change your nomination.  All nominations are confidential, but your contact information is requested as you are also entered to win a prize, when you submit a nomination and again, when you come back to vote.   

After the nominations close, SewCalGal will do the important work of verifying the data and compiling the list so that all the members of the quilting community can vote.  That list will be published on March 12th, and voting will begin.

Winners will be announced on April 2, and you know who gets to party? We all do! There are sponsored prizes up for grabs!


The winners of the prizes will be announced on April 3.

Now, your mission, should you choose to accept, is to nominate the people, the businesses, and the products that you feel should win.
Oh, and while you are at it? Leave a little love for SewCalGal, and let her know that you appreciate all of her hard work in organizing this!

Love,

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Snoodles, the Dragon-Slayer

Are you a confident quilter? Or are there some fearsome dragons lurking about?


I bet you are shaking your head . . . "She's really gone off her crumpet now," you're saying. (Don't ya love some of the lines in Mary Poppins? Grin)

No, I haven't gone off my crumpet! And I bet you will recognize some of these bad boys when you hear their names! (Some of 'em are going to sound very much like dinosaurs . . . that's just part of the game.)


Intimid-actyl
This ne'er do well swoops down and whispers in your ear (his breath is terrible), reminding you about the talented designers and bloggers out there. He makes you feel really intimidated, which can stop you in your tracks if you are trying to design something new and different . . .


Neverbefore-asaurus
This bad boy pours out the negative vibes, and doesn't hesitate to mention that you have never. done. that. before. And of course, the implication is that you'll be terrible at it, if you take your courage in your hands and give it a try. 


Noskill-ceratops
This sturdy looking dude is another bummer waiting to happen. All he wants to talk about is how you don't have the skills to attempt what you want to try. Nope. Don't got 'em. Don't got the tools, either.


Fearus-maximus
Ole' Fearus is a master at making you quake in your boots. He has a lot of well-worn lines, like: "Aren't you scared to cut into those fat quarters? You know they are out of print, now. If you make a mistake, you'll be sorry . . . "



Diss-raptor
See those eyes? That is the color you'll be seeing when he finishes talking. He's going to tell you about the comments that people will leave . . . about how they already saw this on someone else's blog (and they did it better), and how your craftsmanship is sadly lacking, and lots of other really sweet things. According to him, there are a lot of harpies out there, ready to dice you into little bits with their comments.

Well, I, Snoodles, am a dragon slayer. Whoaaaaa, what's that? You want proof? Can't you see these carcasses lying around? (Wink)

I will part with the secret to my success in slaying these dragons, if you like. Ya want to hear it? Lean closer. Yeah, right up next to the screen, so you'll hear. 

I JUST JUMPED IN AND DID IT!!!!!  

That's a real revelation, isn't it? (Grin)  Here's the story . . . I was asked to write a guest post for the blog of a talented designer and art quilter. First thing you know, here comes Mr. Intimi-dactyl, and intimidation sets in. Then I started thinking about what I would try to do for the post, and Mr. Neverbefore-asaurus starts in with all his negative vibes. Then Mr. Noskill-ceratops and Mr. Fearus-maximus tag-teamed me, and by the time Mr. Diss-raptor pointed his red eyes my way, I was down for the count.

But this talented designer was encouraging, and she let me have way more time than she should have --- she knew I was struggling. 

So I figured that instead of being intimidated by her skills and talent, I would be inspired by them. FWUMP!! (That was Mr. Intimi-dactyl hitting the ground.)
Then I told myself that there are many things that I have done in my life, that I had to learn how to do --- and it all starts with taking that very first step: jumping in and starting the project! CRASH!!!  (That was Mr. Neverbefore-saurus falling flat on his dragony face.)
Next I took on that tag-team; I researched the technique that I wanted to use, and got out some out-of-print fabrics that I thought would work well. DOUBLE SPLAT!!!! (That was Mr. Noskill-ceratops and Mr. Fearus-maximus colliding with each other and falling unconscious.) 
Lastly, I told Mr. Diss-Raptor that I knew the virtual quilting community was not filled with folks who would insult me, but people who would encourage me, and appreciate the effort that I put into the project. BOOM!!! (That was Mr. Diss-Raptor keeling over in a faint.)

Now, if you would like to see the project that all of this story-telling was about, just pop over to Jackie's blog, at Jackie's Art Quilts and see what I jumped in and did!
But before you pop over there, tell me --- have you slain any dragons lately?
(No dragons were harmed as a result of this blog post, and any similarities between the dragons in this story and any dragons living or dead, is purely coincidental.)

Love,