And the winner of the Aurifil thread is...

... Mr Random Number Generator says the winner is -

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max: Result:25Powered by RANDOM.ORG
Please note that I am still incapable of making Mr RNG work the way everyone else can because I cannot do a screen grab with my (very basic) computer. But that is neither here nor there as comment number 25 is still the winner. 
And that would be -

MB in MI said...

signed up--might do some shopping later :-

Congratulations, I will be sending an email for your postal details and then Cindy will be sending your Aurifil goodness to you. Hope you love the thread as much as I do!


Susan 

It's that time of year again folks. Time to go out and admire everyone's lovely quilting creations. Amy's Creative Side hosts this Quilt Festival twice a year and it is a real joy to have a look at the inspiration out there from all over the world. 

In the autumn I entered my Wonky Stars quilt into the festival. This time around I have to put my Stained Colourful in because each and every day it gets used and loved. It is the best thing I ever made - besides my two girls - ever! Even better than chocolate flapjacks and they are pretty darn good.

If this is your first time to my blog and you have never seen this quilt before, then I used my friend Sarah's tutorial which can be found on Narcoleptic in a Cupboard. The tutorial is fabulous and designed to use eleven fat quarters. I chose to go my own way though.

I hauled out my fabric stash, and using Sarah's block instructions I cut 144 different fabrics for the quilt. I did not think about the individual placement of each fabric within the quilt. I am far too shot away to ever have worked that out. I would still be sat there dithering.

No, I just cut and hoped for the best. And the best did happen. Well, in my eyes at least. Almost every fabric here has been hoarded in my stash waiting for 'that right quilt'. Some were quite small pieces that I received in scrappy swaps that I wanted to use in a way that they would not be lost in the over all pattern. I now sit there on the sofa at nights with this over me and happily wallow in all these fabrics.

I used Kona Snow for the narrow sashing, and for the back as well. I knocked together five more blocks for the back and spent more time pondering their placement than I did working out where to put the 144 fabrics on the front!

I stippled it in a a big lose stipple to keep it soft and snuggly. Made a scrappy binding and that was it. I finally made a quilt that was for me and no one else but me. Sure I let the girls use it once in a while, but I do spend more time telling them to get their grubby little paws off and having heart palpitations when they bring food near it. If someone is going to get a big smear of chocolate on it then it will have to be me.

If this was your first visit to my blog, thank you for stopping by. I hope you enjoyed your visit. I'll be doing my best to have a look at everyone else's quilts over the next week. Enjoy the quilt festival!

Susan

So What Was I Afraid Of?

When I did my bee block for Miss April in the Brit Bee - Jo, I did a few hexies to form the requested circle in the block. To do so I had to have a stab at English paper piecing. Honestly, I didn't want to do it really. Not the bee block, the whole paper thing. I have had a mental block about it for just about forever. I admired what other people accomplished but thought to each their own.

Well, as so often happens, I was wrong. I really liked it. Far more surprising was how quickly it all went together. I think that had been the main part of my mental block. It wasn't that I thought it would be difficult or anything. More that I thought it would be tedious. Wrong!

Seeing as how the Royal Mail is holding onto my sewing machine oil for a little longer, today was a hand sewing day. I started the third hoop for the Sample Swap but then decided I would like to try something new.

I printed off a couple of sheets of diamond graph paper. A few minutes playing scissors and I had the diamonds I needed. Not much longer and I had fabric cut and needle and thread in hand.

And I formed those diamonds into a large hexie. Feeling rather pleased with myself I cut up another piece of paper into diamonds and made another one.

I am already picturing how I would like to hand quilt these blocks. Fortunately, I am also aware of my character flaws. Primarily procrastination and lack of long term attention to any one project. Let's just put the stars down as a WIP to put onto the list of the next quarter of the FAL. They will get done when they get done. But I still rather like them.

Susan

While the Cat's Away...

... this mouse might play - sometimes.

There is a new toy in our house. It arrived by delivery this morning. It's called a Mookie Lolo Ball. Never heard of it? Either had I until Emily begged and begged for one. Seeing as how she has had a tough time lately and himself is a soft touch, we now own one.

This is what you are supposed to be able to do on one.

You are so missing out on a good laugh because you haven't been able to witness my attempts to conquer this impossible to do toy! And, no, I'm not capable of getting a photo of me making a complete arse of myself on it. Sorry! It now rests innocently in the corner of the kitchen and Emily will never know. Thought it best I stop before I broke the thing and had to deal with a devastated daughter.

Meanwhile I am on hand sewing duty while the lovely Cindy volunteered to send me a bottle of oil for my machine. So I am now half way through my hoop production for the Sample Swap.

Two down, two to go. The light is at the end of the tunnel.

Susan

Call Centres

I spent a good deal of this morning talking to very nice ladies in foreign lands via the BT call centre line. It took up more time than it should have. It was frustrating. I needed something simple and satisfying to do afterwards.

I've been playing with my Brit Bee blocks to regain my normal zen like state of mind. Ha!

It's been fun. Only my machine is complaining noisily now. I think it wants a drink of oil, but I am out. Time to return to the embroidery I think, until I can get into town to replenish stocks. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted.

Susan