Progress . . .

I've told the future recipient of this project to avert her eyes (my sweet sis) so that I could show you some progress . . .

Julie at the Intrepid Thread added some lovely scrappy pieces from the Apple of My Eye line, to go with the yardage that I requested. (Thank you so much, Julie!) I love her "Pack and Press" bag in the book, and I'll be reviewing the book when this is completed (and yes, there will be a giveaway!).

Personally, no matter how much I love a pattern, I just have to add some pockets. You can never, ever have too many pockets. Work with me here --- if you are packing up to go to your LQS or your guild, for a day or an evening of sewing and fellowship, there are lots of little things you want to take with you, right? That fat quarter your friend asked you to bring, your rulers, your cutter, some marking pencils, some chocolate . . . but I digress.

I added some pockets to this bag, too! Using some of the afore-mentioned scraps, I fashioned two extra pockets below the gathered pocket in the middle.

I think they will be useful for my sis!

I'm continuing to work on this, and hope to reveal the finish soon!

I'm linking up with Kathryn's Corner and the Thursday Favorite Things blog hop today!

Love,

A peek at my project . . .

I have a project on my sewing table that I am really loving . . . thought I would show you a sneaky peek of it!

Here are the luscious fabrics that I'm using:

Do you recognize the line? (I'll have a book review and a giveaway coming up soon.) I shopped with Julie at the Intrepid Thread and made these beauties my very own. If you like what you see, you should head over there and grab some, quickly!

Here is a peek at the project itself:

And here is one portion of the mystery, already completed:

Whatcha think is going on here? Any guesses?

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,

Meet the Cousins

Padsworth here, and I wanted to show you how Snoodles' Turtle Parade project is progressing! She seems to have had a lot of fun with this, and I could swear that she created likenesses of my second cousins . . .

See if you don't agree -- I believe that this one looks like "Ash-leh" (please imagine that said in a sweet, dulcet southern tone, a la Olivia de Haviland) . . .

And this one resembles "Melanie," with her demurely painted toenails and hairbow to match her shell: 

Here is a close up of Mellie:

This one is "Scah-lett" --- Ya know it has to be her. Look at that scandalous shade of polish, and the rakish angle of the ribbon!

See what I mean? 

Both ladies convinced a lady bug to adorn their accessories --- it didn't take much convincing, since lady bugs are so keen on parades. You didn't know that?

Here is "Selzie" --- short for David O. Selznick. He's a studious sort; note his wayfarer glasses. I occasionally refer to him as "my cousin the nerd."

And bringing up the rear is "Rhett" my second cousin who is a bit of a rogue. 

Here is the entire parade --- Snoodles says she is ready to sandwich and quilt this now. I always start to get hungry when she says that . . .

I'm off to the kitchen to see what I can find!

Linking up today with our sweet bloggy friend, Katherine, at the Thursday Favorite Things blog hop! Stop by there and find some new blogs to inspire you!

Love,

From France and from the US

I do so love it when the mailman (ours is a fella) brings fun things in the mail! I got two packages recently, one from here in the US, and one all the way from France!

Marjorie (Marjorie's Quilting Bee) did a wonderful job with the Quilts of Valor blog hop, and she sent me not one, but TWO samplers of lovely Aurifil thread! Just look at these yummy colors:

And then, just when Lholy-Chan and I thought it might have gotten lost, my package from her finally did arrive! I think sometimes there are gremlins that like to take our packages and play soccer with them, or use them for seat cushions, or nibble on the edges....but it's here!

And inside that package, I found some lovely things:

There is a wonderful postcard that looks like a vintage one; I love the pictures and text on it! And the little notebook is so pretty -- Lholy said it is from Japan!

Are you turning green with envy, looking at my buttons in the picture? Ya know I love my buttons! (Grin) It's so much fun to have just the right button for a project, especially my 3D projects! Lholy told me that the buttons came from La Droguerie, which she said was a very nice notions shop in Paris! Wow! Now my creations will have an international flair!

And here is my prize from the SewMamaSew giveaway day....this pretty book cover! 

It is stitched so nicely, and even has a marker in there, to hold my place when I stop reading and put down my book! Sweet! And since it is in my new fav color, orange, it is especially nice. (Had to show you those buttons one more time!)

Thank you, Lholy-Chan, for my special gifties! I love them! I hope if y'all have time, you will hop over to visit her at Anomori, her blog! Just click here on the linkie!

Love,