Padsworth's Project - Part of the Show

Ribbit!

Padsworth, here, to tell you some more about my project! It's near and dear to the hearts of all of us here at the Lilypad, and you can see on this page that we've dedicated our efforts to Pepper -- our rescue pup who crossed the rainbow bridge last November.

My project is all about making beds and blankies for animal shelters and rescue efforts. Most of us have a shelter or a rescue near us, and all it takes is a call or a visit to find out if they are interested in receiving handmade, sturdy items to help their pups and kitties show off their cuteness when prospective pet parents come to call.

We've talked before about how the animals in a shelter are frightened and lonesome, and many times they are stressed by the animal in the next cage. When you have been kept awake all night by your noisy neighbor, by the hard surface of your enclosure, or you are longing for a snuggly place to lie down and rest, it is really hard to look your cutest and friendliest when folks come to see you!

Our efforts will not only contribute warmth and comfort to the dogs and cats, but also help them to present well to prospective new pet owners.
There are some organizations that specialize in this type of community service, and one of those is Kennel Comforters.  (You can click on that linkie and go to see their site.)
Kennel Comforters is an all-volunteer group -- their site says they have donated over 11,000 beds to shelters! Ribbit!

Their site has lots of great posts to show you how to contribute; you can donate via paypal, or you can use their patterns and instructions to make beds!

These folks really do it right! There are instructions to help you make rectangular beds, round beds, large and small beds!

And for each one that you make, and post a picture on our page, you will receive TWO entries in our prize drawings at the Pets on Quilts Show 2013!

We had a chance to "talk" to their founder via email, and we loved hearing what Joan Laisney had to say:

Hello Snoodles,
Nice to meet you; it takes all of us to help homeless pets in shelters.  The staff barely have time to feed, clean and medicate, so most shelters have volunteer support groups wanting to help with the extras to make pets comfortable.
We have been sewing beds 4 years, almost 12,000 pet beds, and we operate with donations and volunteer hands.  I have heard from Japan to Germany of others doing the same as individuals.  There is a large group in NYC who have made beds for years. (Shelter Pet Project?)

Our biggest challenge is getting volunteers who will sew; I do a lot of recruiting via CraigsList ads, fabric shops & sewing guilds, etc.  
What has helped the most is sewing AT the shelter...the public seeing us in action is a powerful tool!

Thru my shelter volunteering I designed a cat scratcher specifically for shelter cat cages.You can see it at StretchandScratch.com  
My "aha moment" came when I was helping Girl Scouts put their newly-sewn cat beds in the cages.  I saw scratch marks on the walls where cats had tried to relieve stress and get exercise. I envisioned exactly what they needed and I tithe a portion of sales to support Kennel Comforters.
I have zero money for advertising but word of mouth spreads fast -- shelters everywhere want the scratchers; my challenge is getting them to add a Wish List link to my scratcher website so donors will buy and send them. 
That's my story, I am called "the scratcher lady" and I'm sure my hubby will put it on my tombstone!
Joan Laisney

I hope that her story, and the Kennel Comforters site, will inspire you to help out your local shelter by participating in the Padsworth Project! Ribbit!

Don't forget now, the Padsworth Project is part of the Pets on Quilts Show . . . To be a part of the Padsworth Project, join our linky party on the Project page. Link up a blog post or a Flickr photo on our page, and you will earn TWO entries in the prize drawing after the Pet Show! And you can enter the linky party as many times as you want! (That's how much we want to see shelter animals comfy while waiting to be adopted!)

The Pet Show is coming in August, so you'd better get hopping!

Lots of love,

Padsworth's Project - and the Pet Show

(If you are looking for our Aurifil giveaway, click here, and then come back to see what Padsworth is up to today!)
  Ribbit!

Hi everybody!

Padsworth here to ask if you are getting ready for the Pets On Quilts show for 2013?

It'll be here before you know it! In August!

Lots of you Lilypadquilters entered precious pups and cute kitties (and hedgehogs, and horses) in the competition last year, and we are hoping for an even bigger and better show this year!

For those of you that are new here at the Lilypad, the Pets on Quilts Show is all about getting your favorite furry friend to pose for you with a quilt you've made . . .on the quilt, under the quilt, beside the quilt, well, you get the idea!

You can also enter a quilt with an animal or pet theme, if you can't get your furbaby to cooperate with the photo shoot!

We have awesome sponsors, and super prizes are up for grabs. You can vote for People's Choice Awards in several categories, and there are random prize drawings, too.

New this year is the addition of the Padsworth Project -- an effort to help dogs and cats be adopted into loving forever homes. We posted a while back about how beds and blankies in the shelters and rescue facilities would help them rest, recuperate, and present themselves better to potential owners. We will be posting some tutorials and resources soon to help you get started -- each time you make a pet bed or blankie and post a picture on the Padsworth's Project page (don't you love alliteration? It just makes my froggie day!) you will receive TWO extra entries into the prize drawings!

We're excited about this project, and we hope that you will help by spreading the word, and by making beds and blankies!

More information on the project soon!

Love,

Swoon play

Don't forget our super-duper giveaway! Click here! 

Many of you know that I'm working on a Swoon quilt for my daughter, in some luscious blues, greens and grays from my stash. I thought I would show you some progress . .

Come right in here to my sewing area and I'll show --- whaaaa?

Hey, what is going on here?

(Tapping foot) OK, guys, I'm waiting for an explanation.

Oh, thank you, Padsworth. So DragonDrop wanted to be a super hero? He wanted to use one of my block components for a cape? Hmmmm.

Yes, I see how you were trying to help him. Oh, and you asked Edna? Wow, you really went to the top for your design genius! And she told you no capes?

 

That's understandable.....looks like you and Mr. Incredible got the same answer, huh?
Well, I have some folks here that would like to see that block completed. 
What are you up to, now?

Careful with that cutter, OK?

Oh, I see, DragonDrop! You changed your plans and decided to be King for the day! Alright, strike a regal pose for the paparazzi!

Giggle! That lop-ear look is quite effective!
Now, may I have my block pieces so that I can finish? Thank you!

Here is my finished block!

And here is a close up so that you can see the pretty fabrics!

Happy sewing to all! I'm off to work on two projects at once! (grin)

Love,

Toadally in love . . .

This adorable graphic suits me today --- just popping in to tell you that I love all of you Lilypadquilters! One of my fav people in the world gifted me with this; isn't he cute? Padsworth thinks it's cool!

I figured I would join the avalanche . . . so many blogs and sites are gearing up for Valentine's Day, and I'm in the midst of completely different projects!

But I can show you some Valentine goodies from past posts, and offer them as quick projects for your sewing enjoyment!

Put together some scraps and "make" fabric for a mugrug or small project for someone you love . . .

Or, go all out and put a table runner together with hearts and embroidered reminders to kiss and hug the cook!!

And you can use reverse applique to make another mugrug from the scraps!

Check out the link up there, for the post that will tell you all about those two projects, and enjoy getting ready for a fabulous Valentine's Day!

Love,

 

Ducklings update!

Looking for our awesome fat quarter bundle giveaway? Click here!

Here is a note for you Lilypadquilters, from the eight ducklings:

We know these are not very good pictures, but we wanted to show you how we are growing . . .

We are about triple the size we were in this post, and we are even starting to get some feathers! Whoohooo! It won't be long before we can try to fly! (Someone is singing, "I Believe I Can Fly" in the background...)

We have games that we love to play -- Who Can Paddle Longest With Butt in the Air and Head Underwater is fun, and our favorite one is seeing Who Can Make the Biggest Splash in our little pool . . . that one is crazy fun when all eight of us are in the water at once!

We also like to spend time on the ledge of our "pool" just chillin' and enjoying the scenery. Snoodles says she will get more pictures of us soon, with a better camera! We'll get some glamour shots! Peep, peep!

Hi, y'all, I'm back! This is Snoodles, and I just want to let you know that Padsworth is working on a project announcement that will be ready soon. We are going to put together a project that will go with our Pets on Quilts show --- it will be something that you can do during the year to help shelters and animal rescue efforts that are local to you --- and you'll get credit for it when the show rolls around!
We're ironing out the details and will let you know as soon as possible!

Tho' I don't usually do this, because I get so many requests, this one is near and dear to my heart; I want to help our veterans and service members when I can. So, I wanted to pass along an effort from one of my followers for the veterans in her town --- perhaps you have some red, white, and blue blocks, or blocks left over from a Quilt of Valor project, or just something fun and colorful (and fast!) . . . Here is Tammara's message:

Love the blog and I have been following for awhile, I have been asked to make 35 lap quilts for our local veterans in the Birchwood nursing home in Traverse City, Michigan and I am wondering if you would like to make one for us? Nothing really fancy; just something to let them know we appreciate what they did. We are planning to deliver to them in December for Christmas. Any help I can get would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much, Tammara

Since it is lap quilts they are looking for, it shouldn't take long to put one together -- let me know in a comment if you can help, and I will introduce you by email to Tammara. Please make certain that I have your email to respond to you . . . nothing is more frustrating than seeing "no-reply" pop up, when I want to reply to you!!
I'm linking up with Katherines' Corner and The Thursday Favorite Things blog hop! Her co-host is Carol, at Everything Home with Carol!
Love,

The winners of the Pets on Quilts 2012 show!!

Ribbit! Ribbit! Can you hear the trumpets? See that red carpet being rolled out? It's time to announce the winners in the fabulous Pets on Quilts show for 2012!!

We had some Terrifically Tightly-contested Tussles going on in our viewers' choice voting! (Dontcha love alliteration?)  Here are the ones who won their categories:

Drum roll, please!!

For the Dog on Quilt or Dog themed quilt, will Archie the Wonder Dog please take a bow!! Congratulations on your honor! (Make sure that She Who Controls the Biscuits gives you an extra one for all that cuteness!)

For the Cat on Quilt or Cat-themed quilt, it's the amazing KruseKats, whose fan club propelled them to victory! Take a victory lap around the milk bowl, KruseKats! Everone loved the tail, er tale of how the quilt was made!

For the Other Pet category, we had an entry that galloped away from the competition! (Grin) It was Sherry's Sky Horses quilt! (Sullivan the Hedgehog was in the lead, but lost in the end. I think it was because his legs were shorter, but that's just a froggy opinion.)

For the EQ category (quilts designed with the wonderful EQ software) QuiltSue designed the winning quilt! (And if you think it was chosen because of the name on it, you're wrong....I'll show you the vote tallies -- she topped the others by more than ten votes!) Great work, Sue!

Taking top honors for the Art quilt category is a contestant who entered the very last day -- Lucy the Llama was the crowd favorite -- congratulations to Landscape Lady, who entered Lucy's portrait in our show!

I hope you will join me in giving these winners a big round of applause --- they have braggin' rights for the whole year! Ribbit!

Now, let's divvy up all these wonderful prizes from our super sponsors, OK? I know, I know, this is the part that you tuned in for! (Grin)

The Quilted Kitty is providing an adorable tea set to Jennifier

They also are providing a gift certificate to Archie the Wonder Dog! Archie's mom can select from their great variety of fabrics!

The third prize the Quilted Kitty is gifting is a fabric bundle, and it goes to Kirsten!

The generous gift certificate from the Fat Quarter Shop is going to My Sister Made Me Do it!  We can see lots of fun in her future, trying to decide which of the delicious fabrics to choose! The Fat Quarter Shop is one of our sponsors here at Lilypadquilting, and we've always loved their customer service and fast shipping, not to mention their dreamy fabrics!

LandscapeLady is the winner of an online shopping spree from Martingale Books! It can be used for e-books, or ones you can hold in your hands and drool over! (Wink)

Quilt Sue will be enjoying a pattern and all of the kitted supplies from the Raspberry Rabbits! Everything she needs to complete this darling project! Harrington and Hannah gave it bunny approval!

 

IHAN will be sending a beautiful quilted handbag to Sherry, at the Adventures in Life blog!  Now she will have to decide, whether to carry her projects, or make it a purse!

Marianne will be receiving the download of Margaret Bucklew's awesome Quilty Clip Art! Lots of great designs from a talented lady!

Carole M, Gene Black, Catachresis, and KitzBitz will all be receiving a sampler pack of several types of Heat Press Batting Together! Different colors, and different widths!

The KruseKats will be having a spree at the Cotton Patch, with their prize, a gift certificate! Have fun deciding what to use the lovely fabrics for!

Amy and the Bad Cats will receive a lovely kitty bed from Ronika Lee's Etsy shop! Sweet dreams!

Diggity Dawg Etsy shop sponsored two winners: Heartsease54 and Debbie will both receive a cute pet placemat of their choice, from the Diggity Dawg shop!

Another of our wonderful Etsy shop partners is Pat's Designs, and Quiltmom and Karen will be choosing a keychain or pet tag for their prizes!

Karen Brow of Java House Quilts will be sending the fabulous Cat-Acatemy BOM to Vrooman's quilts! She'll have fun with that project!

PopDoggies Etsy shop will be sending Christine her prize --- the magnet of her choice from the incredible selection in the shop!

Thimblemouse is the winner of the adorable wooden puzzle from the Wooden Giraffe Etsy shop! They have so many cute things to choose from - be prepared to spend a while looking, Thimblemouse!

Marcia's Crafty Sewing and Quilting sponsored three gift certificates for $30 off on her amazing free motion quilting, and here are the three lucky winners! Amy's Crafty Shenanigans, Catpatches, and Miss Peach are the happy quilters who will receive these prizes! They'll be able to look over the gallery and choose just what they would like to see on their project!

Abbi May's online fabric store sponsored a generous gift certificate, and the winner of this shopping spree is Pennydog! Kerry at Pennydog is the creator of the art quilt that gave Sherry a run for her money; and that blog is the home of the afore-mentioned Sullivan the hedgehog. (Waving) Froggy greetings to you!

Another Etsy shop that teamed with us this year was PupsEtc. They sponsored a prize, and it's Shelle who wins it! Yay! You'll receive a collection of pet toys!

Inchworm Fabrics sponsored a prize, too, and it's a goodie: Dana will receive a copy of Pieced Applique Weekend Projects from Inchworm's fabulous selection of books and fabrics!

Let's have a huge round of applause -- heck, how about a standing ovation? For our fantastic sponsors!!  Yay!!! Hoppy froggies, but they've been wonderful to work with, and ever so generous with the prizes for our show!

I think all of us are winners, because it was so much fun to hop around and view the show! And Snoodles and I were so happy to see some pups and kitties that have been rescued and given happy forever homes! Please be sure to consider that, the next time that you are looking for a pet. You can find some sweethearts at the shelters, and they  will put lots of sunshine in your  heart!

And speaking of Snoodles, she has put aside the bucket, and is getting the patient some clear liquids, so we are making progress! Thanks so much for all of the good wishes!

Congratulations to all of our winners! I'll be emailing you with your prize information soon!  I'm already looking forward to next year's show! Ribbit!

Love,