Maggie's First Dance - Block 3 and giveaway

This giveaway is CLOSED now! Thanks for your interest! We'll announce our winner soon.

It's time for Block 3! Are you ready? I think this one is my favorite so far!

I followed the instructions and made four of those . . .

And eight of those . . .

Four of those . . .

And four of those!

And of course, a lovely pattern for the applique center!

Here is the completed block -- isn't it cute?

I thought I would get out all three of the finished blocks and look at them together. I know it's not yet time to start the "putting together" process, but hey, that's how I roll. (Grin)

I really like how these colors are playing together!

And speaking of playing, these two must be up to something . . . I had to help DragonDrop dig his way out of the button basket, so I hope he and Padsworth are going to be careful . . . 

This month's giveaway is sew much fun -- a pattern AND a fabric kit to make a table runner! This would be a great start to your Christmas and Hanukkah sewing.

The pattern is called "Mod-ified Trees" and the prize package is sponsored by EvaPaige Quilt Designs. I know you will love what you find at Beth's site, click here to hop over and check it out!
Beth is also coordinating a Teal mini swap that benefits Ovarian Cancer research, so head over to her Facebook page to learn more about it!

Be sure to have a look at the other bloggers who are participating in this fun Block of the Month party:

http://greydogwoodstudio.com/

https://farmhousequiltsblog.wordpress.com/

http://thecraftyquilter.com/

http://www.evapaigequiltdesigns.blogspot.com/

http://gogokim.blogspot.com/

http://lilypadquilting.blogspot.com/  (You are here!)

https://thequiltingnook/wordpress.com 

Leave a comment here to be entered to win the giveaway! Tell me how long it has been since it rained in your "neck of the woods." Some places have been quite dry this summer, and some have experienced rain and storms pretty often -- tell me what it's like where you are! (Please be sure that I can contact you; if you aren't certain, leave your email address in your comment like this -- me(at)yahoo(dot)com.)

While you're at it, make certain that you are signed up to sew with us by clicking on this link. And get lots of inspiration at the Facebook page and the Pinterest group!  Once inspiration has hit, and you complete a block, show it off at the linky party!

There are sew many ways to have fun with this Block of the Month! 
We'll leave this giveaway open till Sunday, August 7, and then we'll announce our winner. 
Good luck!

Love,

Barb of Bejeweled Quilts

Barb was a fabulous sponsor last year, for the Pets on Quilts Show, and we appreciate her sponsorship this year!

Many of you know Barb for her great patterns. She has such cute ideas! That one above is something that would look great in a corner of my kitchen - how about yours?

You can check out the selection at her Etsy shop, over at this link.

This is one of my favorites - it's a great change-up from rectangular table toppers!

Barb spent time in Samoa, so these lovely fabrics are near and dear to her heart. They feature in some of her quilted projects.

Bejeweled Quilts can also be found on Craftsy -- click on this link to hop over there! You'll find a variety of free patterns that will be great for quick projects and gifting!

Barb is offering THREE of her great patterns to one lucky winner at the Pets on Quilts Show in August! Yay! That's going to make somebody happy!

Please take a moment to click on one of the links above and check out her patterns -- or drop by her blog and let her know we sent you! Better yet, leave a comment here to thank her for being a gracious sponsor of awesome prizes!

Thanks, Barb, for sponsoring our show! We love ya!

Love,

Update on Moses, the Official Studio Cat

All of us here at the Lilypad would like to thank all of you special peeps and purr-friends who have stopped by and offered words of encouragement.

You rock!

We appreciate you very much.

I wanted to give you an update on Moses, our Official Studio Cat here. I suppose he should be called the Official Sewing Room Cat, because we don't have anything fancy enough to be called a Studio! (Grin)

Here he is, with his "I don't trust you right now" face on.

This was a few minutes after I gave him his morning dose of The Awful Medicine. The doc warned me that it tasted terrible.

But it has helped! His appetite has increased, and I think, I'm not sure, maybe I'm being too hopeful.... I think he has put back an ounce or two. It feels like he is not quite as bony at the shoulders and hips.

He still is very careful how he sits and lies down. I imagine that tumor makes it uncomfortable, but he still enjoys his sun puddles on the screen porch, and watching the birds and squirrels.
And that is what I'm aiming for -- for him to have as much time as possible to enjoy the world he loves, and have lap time when he wants it.

"Aw, mom, you're embarrassing me."

So, thank you for your kind words. We will see if he is able to get stronger, before we decide if an ultrasound exam would stress him more than help him. The vet says that even if we are able to do a surgery, it may not be worth it, for what it would put him through. So we may be looking at keeping him comfy until it is time to cross over the bridge.

All of you special folks who left us love are the best! Keep purring and sending pawsitive thoughts in this direction!

Love,

Terry Stegmiller sponsors again!

Terri Stegmiller sponsored a prize last year, and she is back this year for the fun! Terri is a talented designer, and dreams up beautiful and sometimes whimsical patterns for lovely quilted projects. Take a peek over her shoulder and see what I mean!

Isn't that the cutest? Love how one kitty is expressing his individuality. We all know a cat like that, am I right? That is called "Purrfectly Patterned" and it was accepted to "Patterns," the 2016 Dinner at Eight Artists exhibition, which will debut at the Houston International Quilt Festival this fall.

I first "met" Terri in blogland when I had the honor of testing a pattern for her. Remember this wallhanging?

It was so much fun to make! I added some 3D touches, and I love how Terri's design really brings those kitties to life!

Terri is an artist and designer, and her focus is on textile arts -- she is multi-talented and works in art quilting, painting, stencils, and more.

She offers tutorials on her blog for projects that we can all enjoy. The tote bag above is one of those tutorials.

The photo above is from her thread sketching tutorial. You can learn from her tutorials how to bucket dye, to make faux batik fabric, and to construct a folio, an eyeglass case, or a pillow cover!

Have you ever wanted to sun dye fabrics? Or have you wanted to print on fabrics? You will find instructions and inspiration in Terri's world!

I enjoy keeping up with Terri's blog, and I hope you will hop over to see her. It's particularly interesting to see how she uses stencils and Thermofax screens to make lovely, one of a kind fabrics. 

And speaking of one of a kind fabrics, just take a peek at the prize that Terri is providing for one lucky winner at our Pets Show in August:

May I hand you a tissue? You are drooling on your keyboard. (Grin)

Those gorgeous fabrics are the bundle of fat quarters that Terri is sponsoring. Beautiful!

I'd like to encourage everyone to check out Terri's web site, and her blog, too.  (While you are there, sign up for her newsletter. Inspirational!) 
Take a cyber trip and visit her shop, and be sure to look on her tutorial page for the videos she has posted. There's one of her creating one of her art pieces -- and it's fascinating to watch!

(Waving)
Thank you so much, Terri! We love our sponsors, and appreciate your sponsoring a prize again for our Show!

Love,

Pawsitive thoughts

Just a quick update and a sincere "Thank you" to all of you -- all of the purrs and prayers have been much appreciated!

Moses' blood work does not look good. His white blood cells are high, and his albumin is low; coupled with the mass in his tummy, the doc says he is reasonably sure this is cancer.

Now we move to phase two . . . trying to see what we can do to maintain a good quality of life in an elderly cat. He's probably not a good candidate for surgery, but research has brought up some ideas of meds that might slow the growth of the tumor, and increase his appetite, so that he can be more comfortable and enjoy life here in the studio.

After all, what would I do without his help in arranging my quilt blocks? (Grin)

And he is a great duckling baby-sitter, too!

Please keep those pawsitive thoughts coming as we try to come up with a strategy for Moses. We're not ready yet to throw in the towel, though we know that day will come. Hopefully he has some time left with us. We want to do the right thing for an old friend.

Love,