Secret Grandma's Garden and GIVEAWAY...

It took a little a longer, but Grandma's Garden is finished. I really like it and hope that it will auction well at the reunion this weekend. I wish I could be there, but I am getting ready for a little adventure here. I will be gone for about two weeks roaming through woods of Canada, leaving Monday. I am really excited. Do you have any suggestion for small hand sewing projects while camping?

Instead of using binding I just sew the backing on as if it would be a pillow. One of the reasons was the lack of time, but also I didn't feel like it needed a border or binding. I am glad I did that.

I used simple straight lines to quilt this one just to make sure that I won't mess up the flowers.

Also, I just realized this week that it was a year since I started blogging at the beginning of July and I am also approaching a 100th post , I decided to giveaway some vintage fabric.
This box of fabric is only one of several (but my favorite) that I received this summer from friends who thought of me anytime when someone was getting rid of fabric. I love these.
They are in very good shape.



I will share a fat quarter to a half yard (depending on the amount I have) of each with the winner.
Go ahead, leave a comment, and let me know what would you use it for until midnight on Saturday 8/1/2009. Get an extra entry if you blog about it (feel free to use this photo) or become a follower of this blog.


EDIT: I hope that you can all view the picture of fabrics now. I guess it didn't work well before. I did had issues earlier with photo uploads. (7-29-2009 12:42pm CST)

Gratefull and sewing...

Let me just start of by saying how glad I am to have a blog. Just by getting back and reading all those blogs in my reader, I was able to throw back all the bitterness, anger, stress and soak up inspiration, motivation and peaceful, happy attitude. Why did it took me so long ???
I spent my week catching up (I think that describes it the best) and planning my new project.

And as it couldn't get any better, I was invited to meet my blog friend Jennie at the local quilt shop for a Lock-in organized by her friend Vicki. This was the first time I have met someone form the blogland and the first time that I participated in any of the class/ lock-in/ quilt-group activities.
Oh, and was this fun... I had the best time sewing away and chatting with my new friends.

Thanks again Jennie for inviting me...



Now, on to the project... This little "wall hanging to be" has a story behind it. Every year the first weekend of August we travel to Pennsylvania for a family reunion. It is not my family, but I was taken in as if it was .. well that is a long story. The oldest member of the family is Grandma, she will be 91 next week. The reunion is always the weekend of her birthday. Grandma found out about my love for frugal quilts, scraps and vintage fabrics. She sent me a box full of cut up pieces of her robe that she was not ready to part with and wanted to see if I could use it for anything.
How could I not find the project for it (It is bright fuchsia fabric, puffy and soft, but not quite like minky.). In fact, I had a perfect one in mind. I also wanted to create something for the reunion auction we have every year.



That is how Grandma Secret Garden wall hanging came to life. I used mostly my scraps (I had plenty of greens.), but I had to buy some more of pinks and purples, since I don't have much of those shades.



I started at noon on Saturday and this is how it looks now. I will put it together and quilt it tonight.



The original pattern came from the magazine I have, but I found it here as well (scroll to page #31) . I adjusted the size and number of blocks due to the time crunch I am in.



I just realized as I am typing all this that it has been a little over a year since I had this blog and I totally missed it... :)

Well, we need to celebrate... come back for a giveaway soon.

Hey, do you still remember me?

I hope that at least some of you still might... :)

I have disappeared from this space for some time now, but don't worry you didn't miss much on my front. Only very unmotivated, slightly depressed and totally useless woman that had no idea what is going on with her. I blame it on stress from way too many things happening at the time... I have to blame it on something, right?

This blog is meant to be all about crafts and there is a heavy layer of dust around my sewing area, so I am off to get moving and get some quilts done... The first one actually has a due date, which is next week... here is a peek of where the idea came from...



I am afraid, I have missed out way too much of all that you have been doing. Sorry for that, I will try to catch up on all that in between some crazy sewing marathon...
Do you want to help me out? Let me know about the most exciting project that you have finished or were working on in the past two months...