One Year Old!

Well, if you didn't already know, it's my blogiversary! Who knew that a blog which started in a quiet corner of Northamptonshire would introduce me to an international set of blogging quilters who offer up more inspiration, incredible generosity, humour and friendship than I knew was out there?!

It has transformed my life in many ways. Taken over my life too - but we won't go into that! Before I started blogging I maybe made one or two small quilts a year, always as a gift and generally for friends who had babies. I knew little about modern quilting and the possibilities that existed once you threw the rules out the window. I sewed alone, knowing no one who shared my interest. (Sob!)

Now there is no stopping me. I sat here this week and tried to make a mosaic of my year. Instead I made four. These represent the majority of what I have made this year and it thrills me right down to my bones that I have done so much.

These are the quilts I made in the past year -

I am proud of each and every one of these quilts for different reasons.
We all know wonky stars is my favourite,
but the scrappy blue one in the top right position just makes me smile.
Something about it just works for me.

I had the pleasure of becoming a member of Brit Bee and each month has produced new challenges. This bee has the very best set of members that any bee could ever wish for. The blocks we have made so far are -

Each month brought a different challenge,
some I thought I wouldn't surmount but I did.
And I am so proud to be a part of this Bee.

Then there were the other projects I took on. Learning to sew different things as my confidence grew.

Cushions, zippers, crochet, needle books, pin cushions, bags - so many things that I took on and got my confidence in.
I love the book bags I made the girls (only one featured here).
And I am so proud of my Modern Christmas Tablerunner Swap.

Finally, there were the items I made for swaps -

I have to admit that my first swap was the Brit Swap and I was scared senseless amongst all these fabulous
ladies who all seemed to know each other already.
But I made Perv Bird (top left) and think I did well for a first timer.

What a year! Thank you each and every one of you for stopping by. The fact that people come and read my blog thrills me. The fact that some of you return time and again amazes me. I appreciate the comments and support. And as a way of showing you my thanks I have another giveaway. (Of course I do, it is tradition after all.)

I'm afraid I don't have tons of fabric to offer you. But in light of my current projects I thought I could do two prizes. The first one is inspired by all the lovely things you lot have had to say about my idea to do One for the Birds Quilt.

One pouch - featuring a bird of course.
Filled with scraps of a half decent size that all feature birds.
So you can make a birdie quilt of your own if you want.

The second prize took all my will power to do. Because it involved cutting my recently purchased and traded for Heather Ross fabrics.

21 charm squares of Heather Ross
Only one duplication - of the gnomes on blue.
I tried to ensure every charm had a usable part of the design on it.

And that's it. I know it is not a huge giveaway but it is mine and I kind of like it. Hope you do too. What do you have to do to enter? There are three ways to enter.

(1) Leave a comment and tell me what you like the most that I made in my first year of blogging. Go on, it'll make me smile!
(2) If you are already a follower you get a second chance. This is not a second chance for people to start following me but a thank you to all those who have pushed that follow button because they liked what they saw in the previous 365 days. Just leave a separate comment telling me you were already a follower, thanks.
(3) You can blog about it if you like, but it will diminish your chances of winning so you might not want to. If you do bother, leave a separate comment telling me and you get another entry into the draw. I have never been on Twitter and am a sporadic Facebook participant so no extra points for publishing it on those.

If you are a non-reply blogger and don't leave an email address at which you can be contacted then I will redraw for a name that I can get hold of. Sorry, but that's just the way it is. I will do the draw on February 14th in the evening, UK time. That means all three giveaways from the past three days will be drawn at the same time, and announced in the same post.

I leave you with a couple of photos taken this morning as the girls made the effort to celebrate my blogiversary.

Helen made me this wee cushion,
and a card from each of them.

And Emily did this too.
Check out the spelling!

Susan