Make-A-List Wednesday (oops) and Scrappy Wednesday Rolled Into One....

Hi, all!

Well, vacation has arrived and my brain cells have checked out - I completely lost track of what day of the week it was!  But when I realized it was Tuesday, I decided I could just combine a Monday and a Wednesday post, since I've got something fun to share to help conquer your scrap problems. 

So first of all, last week's list...

1.  Write Sunday's "Meet the Sponsors" H2H post.

Done- and if you haven't seen all the great stuff that's been donated as "thank you"s for the Hands2Help participants, you should check out this post!

2.  Take photos of the shirts for the next memory quilt so I can plan while on vacation.

Done!  I've already worked on the plan a little bit - I have a good idea of how many blocks I need to cut from each shirt and how to work in all the extra memorabilia.

3.  Throw a graph book in my bag for catching ideas on the fly!

Done - and a good thing, because I had a couple of good ideas today and I was glad I had a safe place to record them!

So I did finish what I planned to do - hooray!   This week I have a few things I need to do, even though I'm on vacation, so here's the list...

1.  Add an intro and closing to the first guest blogger post for H2H.

2.  Keep working on the vacation quilt.

3.  Work on a plan for the 12 Days of Christmas in July quilt-along.

4.  Have LOTS of fun with the grands!

I've been working on my vacation quilt this week, and it's making good progress...

I've still got seven of the star blocks to make - they take a good bit longer than the square blocks, but they are fun!   Sometimes I get one or two made in a day if the kids are busy playing a game, but not always, so it may not be finished before we leave, but it's a good start!

And now for the Scrappy Wednesday part - These Clever Hands (@thesecleverhands on Instagram, or you can find her blogpost here) is hosting a sew-along of her new pattern, Me Sew Happy, beginning April 1st and running through May 13th.  Four simple blocks and no more than four per week, and just look - doesn't it make you smile??

She's also doing giveaways every week so if you want to join in, go check out her blog or Instagram feed right now.  This looks like it will be a fantastic scrap buster, or maybe a way to use up those random fat quarters that clutter up your stash.  I've got several ideas rolling around in my head!

So now, I have two questions - what are YOU working on this week, and will you be joining in the Me Sew Happy sew along?

Hugs!

Sarah

Hands2Help - Meet the Sponsors!

Hi, all!

I hope you're enjoying the Challenge so far!  Maybe you've started on your quilts, maybe not - everyone works at a different pace - so it's all good!  Today we're going to meet the sponsors who have contributed some lovely things to thank all of you wonderful quilters for participating in the Challenge….

First, let's meet the corporate sponsors.  

 C&T Publishing is providing a coupon for each participant for 25% off a purchase.  They have loads of fabulous books - I'd have a hard time choosing!

Amy Smart, who blogs at Diary of a Quilter, has sent a huge bundle of her patterns and some other goodies!  An accomplished pattern and fabric designer, her blog is always interesting and insightful.

The folks over at Fat Quarter Shop are back again this year, offering three $25 gift certificates!  Have you been to Fat Quarter Shop?  They have a great selection of fabrics, and they feature wonderful tutorials for easy quilts using pre-cuts.  Lots of fun things going on there!

Judi from Green Fairy Quilts is offering a $25 gift certificate for her shop.  And here's a heads-up - they are having a great sale on fat quarter bundles right now!  (Many of you may not know this, but Judi was part of the inspiration for the Hands2Help Challenge the first year.)

If you're anything like me, you're already familiar with The Warm Company, creator of Warm & Natural batting.  The Warm Company has sent us 24 crib-size quilt batts to be given away as prizes!

Northcott Fabrics has joined us as a sponsor again this year, sending several beautiful fabric bundles to share as giveaways!  Their fabric truly is wonderful, with a beautiful hand and great colors.

Moda Fabrics has also jumped on board, with a fun box of goodies that will ensure many happy hours of quilting to come for some of you!  

Quilters Dream Batting has generously donated five quilt batts for our participants!  These are great batts, particularly for hand quilting!

Emily Bailey, who blogs at Em's Scrap Bag and is also the champion for one of our charities, Quilty Hugs for Happy Chemo, is donating three mini soap samples and twelve PDF patterns from her shop! If you love scrappy quilting, you need to be reading Emily's blog - she's the queen of scraps!

Pineapple Fabrics is returning as a sponsor this year with great giveaway goodies!  Be sure to check out their on-line shop and tell them thank you!

Elizabeth Hartman, pattern designer extraordinaire, has joined us as a sponsor this year by sending ten of her patterns!  Her designs are definitely on my bucket list - if you aren't familiar with them yet, you can check them out on her website.

Do you love really great lighting at your sewing machine? Then you need to check out InspiredLED!  I absolutely love their lights on both my tabletop sewing machine and on my long arm - they really help my old eyes!  InspiredLED is donating three lighting kits for this year's Challenge!

Thanks to the recommendation of a fellow H2Her, Jaftex Companies is joining us as a sponsor this year.  Don't know Jaftex? Well, I bet you know one or more of their subsidiary companies - FreeSpirit, Henry Glass, Studio E, Blank, A.E. Nathan and Fabric Editions.  The folks at Jaftex have sent four jelly rolls as their contribution to this year's Challenge!

Felicia's World is joining us this year as a new sponsor.  They are providing some of their paper piecing foundation papers, which are just the coolest thing!  I'll be talking about them on the blog soon as I have been trying them out - it's lots of fun, and a great way to use up scraps!

Joy Martin, who can be found over on Instagram as @themakingsofjoy leaped into pattern designing last year with her Scrap Mountain Quilt and subsequent quilt-along.  She has since added another pattern to her catalog, Pride and Prejudice, and is offering both patterns to three lucky participants!  

Bernie Kringel, who has a fun blog and great little shop at Needle & Foot, is providing $25 gift certificates for two lucky participants!  Bernie has beautiful fabrics in her shop, definitely worth taking a look!!

Kristy from St. Louis Folk Victorian is joining us this year, too!  Kristy designs really beautiful modern quilt patterns - check them out in her shop.  She will be donating 20 PDF patterns, which will be divided among ten lucky participants!

And if you've spent any time at all on my blog you probably know how much I love Lorna McMahon's quilt patterns!  She designs traditional piecing patterns that look a whole lot more difficult than they are, guaranteed to impress anyone.  And Lorna is really sharing the love this year - she's giving one PDF pattern of your choice to every participant who finishes the Challenge!  She'll also be joining us in the Challenge this year - I can't wait to see what she makes!

Many of you not only give it forward with your quilts, but you also help encourage the people who participate in the Challenge by donating giveaway items!  (Quilters are THE BEST!!!)  So here's what your fellow participants have donated!

Kathleen Gansert, a/k/a KatieQ, who blogs at Katie's Salt Marsh Path, is donating a beautiful fat quarter bundle.  Katie's trying to get back into the habit of blogging, so stop by her blog and show her some love!!

Susan Smith of Stitched by Susan is returning as a giver this year, offering a flat rate package stuffed full of generous sized scraps (and everyone knows we all need more scraps, right?  I love playing with someone else's scraps!)

Karen McCutchen has put together some wonderful quilting goody bundles that several of our participants are really going to enjoy!

Carole at From My Carolina Home will send to one lucky winner a selection of 6 batting samples and product folders by Hobbs and Quilter's Dream, Create pouch, 6 oz Best Press travel size, Embroidery Scissors, Spool Keychain, Mini Charm Pack, Selection of Fat Quarters, and because we are interested in a lot of things, a fiction novel Round Robin by Jennifer Chiaverini and 2 Milk Street magazines.

Cindy, who blogs over at Stitchin' at Home, is donating two of her PDF patterns!

Myra, who blogs and creates over at Busy Hands Quilts is donating five PDF patterns from her shop, one to each of five participants!  Myra has a newsletter you can sign up for so you can see the great designs she is always coming up with!

Kate, who blogs over at Katie Mae Quilts, is giving a discount code for all the participants to use during the duration of the Challenge (I'll be sending it soon) and is also giving a PDF pattern download to each of five participants!

Louise, who is lucky enough to live on a boat part of the year, blogs at My Quilt Odyssey, and she is offering a layer cake to one lucky participant!  Be sure to click the link to go to her blog and see the boat where she lives - it's got superior decorations!

Sandra, who has the excellent blog name of Musings of a Menopausal Melon (also known as MMM Quilts) is providing two PDF patterns as her donation to the cause!

Nikki Moshier, who can be found on Instagram as @nikki_moshier is returning as a donor, with some fun and fabulous giveaway goodies.  Her little bundles are always fun!

And Annie, who is on Instagram as @anniesrubyslipperz, has provided the wherewithal for a bunch of giveaway goodies!  Annie's an old blogging friend (long time, not age!) and has supported the Challenge for many years.

We've also had some wonderful Quilt Fairies who are helping us obtain more goodies to giveaway.  And if you want to be included in these, there's still time - just email me directly at salliesue57 (at) gmail (dot) com.

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Such a great array of prizes from so many generous folks!  Despite our record number of participants (264 to date!) it looks like we will have enough goodies to send a "thank you" to everyone who finishes a quilt!   And if you already said you'd donate something, but you don't see your name here, let me know - I have tried to keep track of everyone, but something may have fallen through the cracks...

Be sure to show all our sponsors some love - they really come through when I contact them about the Hands2Help Challenge every year!!  And be sure to check back next week, when the fabulous Susan of Stitched By Susan will be our guest blogger!!

Remember, if you post pictures of your H2H quilts or in-progress shots on Instagram, try to tag me (@fabricaddictquilts) and use the tags #Hands2Help2021 or #h2h2021.  Additionally, you can let your recipients know what you are doing by using the tags @katandcat775 (for Covered In Love), @emsscrapbag (for Quilty Hugs for Happy Chemo), @littlelambsfoundationforkids, #victoriasquiltscanada, and #hometownheroesquiltproject.

Time to get quilting!!

Hugs!

Sarah

PS If you're just now finding out about the Hands2Help Comfort Quilt Challenge, there's still plenty of time to enter!  You can read more about the Challenge by clicking the Page tab at the top of the blog, and you'll find the entry form within that Page.  Be sure to scroll down and fill out the complete form, then click Submit!  You'll get a "congratulations" on having completed the form after you've done it correctly.

Can I Get A Whoop Whoop? A Great Vacation Sewing Spot....

 

Hi, all!

It's Friday again, and not just any Friday - it's vacation Friday!  I hope you're ready to get your whoop whoop on - so let's get started....

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We arrived at the beach yesterday (well in advance of the horrible weather currently plaguing the south) to this lovely view!  I'm looking forward to the next few days when it isn't quite so gray and chilly, though.

And while the beach is definitely whoop-worthy, THIS is what I'm really whooping about - the condo had a workstation set up that has been the perfect place to set up my sewing machine!    The table is height-adjustable, as is that very cool stool - which is also a "wobbly" stool, designed to work your core muscles.  I may have to get a setup like this for my studio at home!  And check out that view and all the light!  Can you imagine a better place to while away a rainy afternoon?

And look - I did accomplish something!  These are the first five blocks I made for my vacation project (I finished five more later, but don't have pictures yet.) It is possible to be productive on vacation!

So - - - can I get a whoop whoop?

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And now it's your turn!

What's got you whooping it up this week?

What's making you do a little happy dance?

Share!  We want to dance right along with you,

And it's always more fun to dance with friends!

The party will stay open until Sunday midnight.

Hope to see you there!

Hugs!

Sarah

Make-a-List Monday - A Short Short Week!

 

Hi, all!

Monday is back again, and it's a short week for me! So much to do in two days before we go on vacation, and very little of it involving a sewing machine.  Boohoo!  But there is last week's list to deal with, so let's see how it went...

1.  Finish the border on the current t-shirt puzzle quilt.

Done!  This top is finished.

2.  If the backing arrives, quilt and bind that quilt.

The backing arrived, but no time to quilt it yet!  It will have to wait until after vacation.

3.  Choose giveaway goodies for Sunday's H2H blogpost and write that post.

Done!  It's hard to believe that it's already that time again, but things are moving right along.

4.  Start planning the next t-shirt quilt.  (This should be fun, as I'm hoping to use a design from my new memory quilt book!)

Started!  I've reviewed all the shirts and clothing pieces - golf attire from past years - and it's going to be an interesting quilt.  Next step is writing an estimate, then deconstructing the shirts.

5.  It's that time again - I must do our 2020 taxes. (ugh)

Done!  Hip hip hooray!!!  It will be so nice to go on vacation knowing that this task is finished.

6.  Do some weeding and mulching in the yard if weather permits.

The weeding is done - mulching will have to wait until we return.

I also had one project that I forgot to put on the to-do list last week - a birthday present for my youngest granddaughter, who will turn 9 while we are on vacation...

Because every little mermaid needs a tail!  They will be spending the week with us, so I'll get to see her reaction when she opens it.  I can't wait!

So, as I said, this week is very short - and so very much to get organized to take with us!  This is always my job before we go to the beach - my husband thinks that packing would be done mere hours before jumping in the car, while I am a list-maker.  There's something so satisfying about crossing items off!  But I do have a bit of a to-do list even for this week...

1.  Write Sunday's "Meet the Sponsors" H2H post.

2.  Take photos of the shirts for the next memory quilt so I can plan while on vacation.

3.  Throw a graph book in my bag for catching ideas on the fly!

I'm hoping to come up with a solid idea for this year's 12 Days of Christmas in July quilt-along quilt while on vacation - sometimes just having some enforced relaxation time opens the floodgates!   

So now, the only question is - - - what are YOU working on this week?

Hugs!

Sarah

Hands2Help - Giveaway Winners, and Tips, Tutorials, and Tasty Things!

Hi, all!

Wow do you all rock!!!  As of the time I'm writing this post, 242 people have already signed up for the Challenge!!!  That is AMAZING!  Now, if you're just now seeing this, it's not too late to sign up, and there's still lots of giveaway goodies to be had at the end of the Challenge - so in the theory of "better late than never", hop over here, read about the Challenge, then if it appeals to you, sign up and join in the fun!

And, as promised, there's a giveaway drawing for those of you who have already signed up.  I gathered up some fun goodies....

...and consulted Little Miss Random to see who the winner is...

Elin P. of California!  

Congratulations, Elin! I'll be getting your package out in the mail ASAP (hopefully before we leave for vacation).

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And now, as part of our annual Hands2Help celebration, it's time for our Tips, Tutorials and Tasty Things link-up!  The idea behind this is that we all have our favorite sewing/quilting tips, go-to tutorials, and of course, we ALL like to eat!  So if you have some or all you'd like to share, write up a post (blog or Instagram) and link it in the party below.  Visit all or some, it's all good - but there will be a lot of great info there, and it's a good way to get to know some of your fellow H2Hers!

Here's my tip - a little video showing how to make a pretty quilt swirl for a picture!  Ever since #quiltswirlwednesday became a thing on Instagram, I've been practicing, and now it seems to work pretty well.

And here's another tip.  Two years ago, I did a "frequently asked questions" post for Hands2Help that had a lot of great info in it.  You might want to take a look at that post if you have time.  The only significant changes are at the end, where it talks about Jack's Basket, a charity from 2019.  If you are interested in answers to those questions for this year, you can email me directly!

For tutorials, I'm going to point you towards Sew Fresh Quilts!  This year I made my granddaughter a Harry Potter quilt using the quilt-along free block tutorials and it was so. much. fun!  

I also made a reindeer quilt using one of her free tutorials from an earlier quilt-along - aren't they adorable?

Lorna is so generous with her skills, and shares many free tutorials, but she also designs the cutest quilts and sells the patterns in her on-line shop.  All of her blocks are traditional piecing, not paper-piecing, so if you can follow a pattern, you can make these (says the paper-piecing-challenged queen!)

And finally, tasty things.  This year during lockdown we discovered a world of food and cooking.  One of our favorites, and oh so easy, is ramen.  Not just the 25 cent plastic bags, but fancy, delicious ramen that looks like you got it in a restaurant.  We still buy the Maruchen packets for the noodles, but then the changes start.  Use 2 cups of real broth or stock (I like the boxed versions) and add shredded meat or tofu (a great way to use up leftovers), veggies (the whites of green onions, fresh mushrooms and shredded carrots are good to add at this stage), and bring it to a boil.  Toss in the noodles and boil for two minutes, or until the noodles are as done as you like.  At this point, you could add shredded fresh spinach or kale if you like. Put broth and noodles in a bowl, and top with fresh cilantro, sliced green onions, chopped nuts, sesame seeds, or if you are feeling really fancy how about a soft boiled egg?  Here's a really easy way to make soft-boiled eggs in an instant pot - I don't usually soak them in the marinade, but I do ALWAYS release the pressure immediately after the cooking time is done, and dump them in an ice water bath before peeling.  They turn out perfect every time!  Our local noodle shop runs about $15 for something this gorgeous - and you can make it yourself for next to nothing!

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Now it's your turn!  As you can see, it doesn't have to be anything fancy - but someone will appreciate what you have to share!  I'll leave the linky party open until next Saturday, 3/27.  

And be sure to come back next Sunday and Meet the Sponsors!  We have some great sponsors this year and I know you'll be excited.  

Hugs!

Sarah

Can I Get a Whoop Whoop? Baby Steps...

 

Hi, all!

Friday has rolled around once again, and that means it's time for us to get our whoop whoop on!  Are you ready?  Then let's get started!

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It's been a week filled with finishes, near-finishes, beginnings, and ongoing results.  First, a near-finish...

This t-shirt quilt top is finished and just waiting for the backing to arrive!

And then a finish....

Our new shower door was finally installed!  We've been trying to do this since the end of December, and after a multitude of problems, it's finally done.  Now at least I don't have to worry about getting stuck in the shower when the door won't open.... 

And now for the beginnings!  My youngest granddaughter has a birthday coming up while we are on vacation, and since we will be together at the beach, I started this...

Her very own mermaid tail!  The child swims like a fish, and is fairly certain that all she needs in life is a mermaid tail to be happy.  So of course, Nana will provide!

And finally, and best of all, as of the writing of this post, 215 people, from 45 states, 6 Canadian provinces, and the continent of Australia, have signed up for this year's Hands2Help Comfort Quilt Challenge! And that is AMAZING!!  But wait - you say you haven't signed up yet?  Why not?  Jump over to the Hands2Help 2021 page (up under my blog header picture) and fill out the form contained in the post.  Do it before Saturday afternoon and you'll be in the drawing for the signup giveaway, too!  But if you miss that deadline, don't think all is lost - you can still sign up and participate after that, all the way up to the end. And there's giveaway goodies for the finishers, too!w

So - - - can I get a whoop whoop?

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And now it's your turn!

What's got you whooping it up this week?

What's making you do a little happy dance?

Share!  We want to dance right along with you,

And it's always more fun to dance with friends!

The party will stay open until Sunday midnight.

Hope to see you there!

Hugs!

Sarah