Three great pet show sponsors . . .

Looking for our great giveaway? Click here to hop over there and enter! Then come back to see some wonderful sponsors for our Pet Show!

What do a sweet bloggy friend, two bunnies, and gorgeous wool projects have in common? Well, you can find all of the above at Raspberry Rabbits!

Our good buddy Michelle is a textile folk artist, and she has two special furbabies, called Hannah and Harrington --- they keep everyone entertained over at the blog. 

And then, Michelle has a wonderful shop filled with yummy projects and supplies! Just click here to hop over there and see . . . want us to wait? OK. (Humming) 

Well, Michelle, Harrington, and Hannah are generous sponsors of our Pet Show (it's coming up soon, ya better get those photos done!) and here are the lovely prizes that will go to one of our winners:

This is one of Michelle's patterns, called For the Love of Spring, and one lucky winner will receive the pattern, and all of this loot, too: 

Gorgeous wools to make the project, and . . .

Rich colors of Valdani floss to accompany it, and (Yep, there's more!) . . .

This adorable bunny hanger for your completed masterpiece!  Thank you so much, Michelle, Harrington, and Hannah, for your sponsorship of the show!

Next we'll shine our spotlight on Marcia, a professional free-style long-arm quilter, who blogs at Marcia's Crafty Sewing and Quilting. She is an inspiration to many of us, who love her free motion quilting designs, and her patchwork innovations, too.

Check out these photos from her gallery:

Marcia offers extra wide backing fabrics in thirty (yep, you read that correctly) different colors, and she has some wonderful notecards listed for you to purchase, too. 

She is generously offering three prizes for our show winners!

Three lucky winners will receive gift certificates for $30 off on her expert quilting of your masterpiece -- any size from baby size to king! This certificate will be valid for sixty days from the date of issue -- and it's transferable, so if you want to gift it to a friend (though I think I would be tempted to keep it all to myself . . . but then I can't win it. Sigh.) you can do so.

You'll be able to browse through her photo gallery and pick something you like, or just chat with her and discover exactly what you think would look awesome -- and she's great at offering suggestions based on your quilt top, too.

Thank you, Marcia, for your generous sponsorship of our show!

Our third sponsor for today is Margaret Bucklew, of Chiseled in Cloth, and Patterns to Quilt, and the site which bears her name --- and more! 

I'm so impressed with this talented lady. I've looked at her sites, and she offers pantographs, lectures on fabric portraiture, oodles of quilt patterns (you do understand the quantity implied by oodles, right?) and so much more. I hope you will take a few moments to check out her sites, and her blog, too. (You'll find exciting scrapbooking ideas, there!)

Take a look at two of these pantographs, and see if you think they are a perfect fit for some of our show quilts: click here for the kitties, and for the pup, called "My Best Friend."

I was moved by her patriotic gallery at Chiseled in Cloth - take the time to click there, and check out the movies that show close-ups of the fantastic artistry on these quilts.  Just beautiful!

Margaret is offering one of our lucky winners the Quilty Clip Art download! Sixty images drawn by her, and offered in jpg and png formats, to make it easy to use for quilting, scrapbooking, newsletters and more!  If you click on that link up there, you can go to the page and watch the video! Oh! And there are two sizes of each image, too. (You can even get a CD, if you prefer that, instead of a download. She thought of everything!)

Thank you, Margaret, for your sponsorship of our show!

This show would not be possible without the generosity of our sponsors, so I hope that you will take time to check out their sites and blogs, and if you see something that you like, make a purchase. If they have an email linkie or a Facebook page, let them know you heard about them at Lilypadquilting, and that you appreciate their sponsorship of the Pets on Quilts Show!

Love,

The sponsor spotlight is turned on . . .

We're shining the spotlight on more of our awesome Pets on Quilts Show sponsors today! First up, is the fabulous Quilted Kitty shop!

I love it when the newsletter from the Quilted Kitty hits my inbox . . . not only is it fun to see what the Furry Dudes are up to, but the fabrics, kits, and notions that are featured in their online store are just wonderful! 

And of course, those of you lucky duckies who live near Lincoln, Nebraska, know that their brick and mortar store is a happening place -- and you get to meet the Furry Dudes in person!

Nanci and Connie do an awesome job of catering to quilters' needs, and of course, to the needs of the furry residents of the shop. They (the furry residents) are the real movers and shakers there, but they let Nanci and Connie assist them.... (Wink)

Wally, who contributes each week with his Wally's Weekender newsletter, is pictured here channeling his inner Oliver Twist:

Remember that line in the movie, "Please, sir, can I have some more?"

Wally comes up with some really neat project ideas, and dictates them to the ladies so they can include them in the newsletter! Meow!

There's the handsome Opie, too, who they say gives great advice on mousing:

And Sophie, who looks like a real quilt diva to me:

Isn't she a doll? I've heard that she has a weakness for Frisky's Treats....turkey variety, dahling!

When you check out their web site, you'll see they have an innovative way of showcasing fabric collections:

They have a lot going on, at both their store and their site . . . they have an awesome selection of batiks, and they are starting up a BOM called "Women of Courage" too. Their tongue-in-cheek "Strip Club" is a super offering, and they have kits, notions, books, and gifts, too. 

Nanci, Connie, and the Furry Dudes got together and decided to sponsor --- not one --- not two --- but THREE prizes for our Pets on Quilts show!

The first is a fabric prize -- look at these adorable prints! Three one yard cuts of kitty fabrics!

Mmmm, snuggled up with your furbaby, having a cup of tea!

The top lucky winner will receive a $50 e-gift certificate for use in the Quilted Kitty online store!

Put your hands, or paws, or flippers together in a big round of applause for the Quilted Kitty!! Thank you, Nanci, Connie, Wally, Opie, and Sophie!

Another sponsor for our show is the talented and humorous Kelly, at I Have a Notion, or IHAN, for short. I've followed Kelly at her blog long enough for the girl to swear out a warrant on me. (Wink) Ever seen her posts about the flamingo family? 

But I digress. The IHAN online store is a wonderland of --- well, of notions! There are so many gorgeous choices there for thread . . . you can get lost looking at all of them.  There's Aurifil, Floriani, Wonderfil, and many more, in shades that will make you drool. Strolling the virtual aisles you will find kits, ink, dye, embellishments, whew! Let me catch my breath!

Kelly also has irons, and tables, and lighting, oh my!  I really can't imagine that you wouldn't find just the right gift there, but just in case, you can even get a gift certificate for that special quilting friend! 

Kelly and her obsessively compulsive elves (they help with packing and shipping, so I hear) have sponsored a prize for one of our lucky winners of the Pets show. Take a peek at this:

Here's a closer look at the lovely fabric:

It measures 18 inches by 14 inches, and has a zippered pocket on the outside, and three pockets on the inside! This beautiful paisley bag from Bagamore collections will belong to one of our winners! Thank you, Kelly!

Another bodacious sponsor for our show is Martingale Books. They graciously sponsor Lilypadquilting, and make it possible for us to review and giveaway books. They have such winning titles available as:

CopyCat Quilts, by Dawn Navarro!

And how about this e-book:

They have other titles, also, that cater to the cat and dog lovers in our audience --- but you can use the gift certificate for anything they have on their site, if you are the lucky winner!!

Thanks, Martingale folks!

We also have another awesome Etsy shop that we're announcing as a sponsor --- Pat's Designs offers dog tags, key chains and more, and is sponsoring two winners!

Check out some of the wonderful handmade things in her store:

I'm really pleased and happy that we have these Etsy shops participating, and I hope you will give them a visit and check out their wonderful handcrafted items!

We'll give you a sneak peek of an upcoming project soon!

Love,

Check out the sales at our Sponsors!

Just a quick note, since I know everyone is super busy -- be sure to check out the sales that are going on at our sponsors, OK? They help us keep the fun going here at the Lilypad!

Green Fairy Quilts is offering 30% off of everything --- bundles, jelly rolls, layer cakes --- even the new arrivals! If you have had your eye on something in their shop, you had better scoot over there and snatch it up!

Fat Quarter Shop has some incredible deals in their Huge Year End Sale, so click through and check it out! You'll be amazed . . . many of their bundles (and yardage, too) is marked 50% off! (I just spent an enjoyable time, shopping their sale, and used my gift certificate from the Christmas Quilt Show at SewCalGal's to buy some goodies! More on that when they arrive!)

(Looking forward to seeing this bundle up close and personal!)

Here's wishing all of our sponsors, and all of you, a very happy and healthy New Year. As we say down here in the South, "May God bless you real good!"

Love,

Two Birds with one Yard --- A Challenge

Yes, yes, I know, the old saying is to get two birds with one stone . . . but we don't want to do that!! It's mean, and it's messy! :)

We're talking about accomplishing two things with one yard of fabric, here. How do we accomplish this bit of magic?

Well, you grab your favorite beverage and maybe a little snack, because I'm going to explain that right now!

All settled? Good. We're going on a trip to Africa! (Maybe you had better have more than a little snack on hand!)

Recently, I was introduced via Anita, of The Other Side of Me, to a wonderful couple in Malawi, in southeastern Africa. The Kropfs work diligently to educate, clothe, and house the many orphan children there, and adults, too, of course.  They live and work among the very poor. Here is an excerpt from a letter from Lois:

I have been measuring children for school uniforms. I have measured a little over 900 of them in the last month. I enjoy this. It gives me a chance to see their little faces and connect some names with faces.

I look at these precious little 6 year olds, not quite sure what this Azungu (white person) is going to do, their eyes wide with fright; the 9 year old girls give me shy little smiles; the boys put on a bravado.

There are so many teenaged girls in grades 5, 6, and 7, failing many years, and partly because when they become women, they do not have the necessary sanitation means to go to school, so they miss a lot of school. The boys miss a lot of school because they go out looking for odd jobs to buy clothes, shoes, food, etc.

Wow! Over 900 children to sew for? That is amazing! Here are some of those kids, showing off their new clothes:

Here is a picture of some of the boys, with new clothes and new school books:

Aren't they cute? Look at all those happy faces! You can see more of the Kropfs' work on this blog post.

Now, this is where the magic comes in . . .

We quilters sometimes need to de-stash and thin out the ranks of our fabrics that we pet, er talk to, well, love and purchase too much of.  And, with yardage, Mrs. Kropf can transform a tee-shirt into a dress for a girl, or create a pair of shorts for a boy.  She says:

I made a lot of tee shirt dresses last year, using new material for the bottom and used shirts for the top;  I made over 300 of them. That is why new material for dresses and tee shirt dresses is so much appreciated. I can buy material here, but it is not as nice as the states.

So, here's the plan.

1. Rummage through your stash, and pick out some one yard (or more) pieces that you can donate to this effort in Malawi. And yes, if it is almost a yard, that's good, too. (It does need to be cotton, and please, no decorator or heavy fabrics!)
2. When you decide on what you will send, email me (click on "Snoodles" under "Contributors" and then you will be able to click on "email") or leave a comment, either one --- and I'll give you the shipping information for the Kropfs' daughter-in-law, Anita, who lives in the United States. One yard is not too heavy; postage will be easy to handle!
3. By the by, if you are able to toss in some thread (any color) that will be much appreciated, too!
4. Anita will keep track of the fabric as it comes in, and make certain that the box or crate makes it into the hands of her folks. (We can't just ask all of you to ship to Malawi --- it's expensive, and it may not make it to them . . . )

Now, all of us that help with this challenge will be winners, because we've paid it forward, and helped someone else. It even ties in with the upcoming Make A Difference Day here in the US: October 22. But to encourage you to help out, we have enlisted the help of some sponsors, who will be contributing prizes for a random giveaway to those who participate!

Here are a few of the folks that have signed on to help us out:

Julie at the Intrepid Thread has generously donated eight lovely fat quarter packs!

QuiltSue has happily donated a copy of her new book, Pick Four! A great book for rookies and veteran quilters alike!

Padsworth has donated two twelve-month subscriptions to Ole Frog Eyes, the virtual design wall quilting site!

Amanda Murphy is donating a complete set of her patterns for the campaign!

Jacquelynne Steves at The Noble Wife blog is providing an autographed copy of her new book

Fruitful Hands for one of our winners, and she is sending yardage, too!

Mike and Shawna are generously donating fabric prizes, and also will be sending yardage for the Malawi effort!

Dewberry Lane will let a winner choose two patterns from their awesome selection!

We'll post pictures of the prize packages soon, and we are hoping to hear from EVEN MORE sponsors, too . . . so look around in your stash, and look in your thread cache, and let us know what you can contribute to the De-Stash for Malawi!!

Here is how we will count the entries: 

1. For each yard of fabric that you can donate, you can make a comment on this post.
2. If you can contribute thread, you can comment again. Not once for each spool, just one comment!  ;)
3. If you are one of our subscribers at the Old Frog Eyes site, and you contribute, you can leave yet another comment.
4. If you grab our "De-Stash 4 Malawi" button from the right-hand sidebar, and post it to help spread the word, you can comment one more time! Or if you tweet or Facebook the campaign, you can tell us that, instead!
5. And you don't have to, but if you would like to follow our blog, we'd sure appreciate it, and count another comment!

This challenge will run through October 15 (that's just three weeks, so let's hurry!), and the winners will be announced on or before October 22, for Make A Difference Day. (That will give us time to verify our lists, and confirm our winners.)

Updated: Here is a helpful note from Jacquelynne Steves, who suggested . . .

I suggest using a flat rate box from the post office- medium box costs 10.95 to ship and large is 14.95 to ship, no matter how much you put in. So if you can cram it full, you can ship it for the same price as sending just a little by first class or priority would cost. If they can't fill a box on their own, they can ask a friend to share a box with them. And if they have a little room left, they could take it to their local quilt shop and ask them to "top it off" before they ship it out.

Awesome! Thanks, Jacquelynne!

I hope that all of you special quilting peeps will contribute! It's a very worthy cause!


Love,

It's elementary, my dear Watson - we are searching for sponsors!

Members of the OleFrogEyes quilting community and followers of Lilypadquilting may have noticed some new graphics popping up here and there . . . we are actively seeking sponsors for our quilting site and our blog.

We are encouraging online stores of fabrics, notions, patterns, and more to contact us with inquiries, and we will provide pricing and availability answers. We'd love to review products, feature stores and designers, and host giveaways, too! We're happy to schedule online events to bring more visitors and customers.

Looking forward to making some new partnerships!

Love,