Make-A-List Monday - Progress, and Giveaway Winners!

 

Hi, all!

School is back in session, so I've lost all my excuses for not finishing things! Here are two of my three grandkids (Lilli is WAY too grown up to stand still for "first day of school" pics) this morning as they got ready to go...

Middle school!  How did that happen?  By the way, Emmy is only wearing computer glasses because she thinks they make her look cool.  And Lilli is a sophomore, and so grown up.  I have a couple of days of Nana responsibilities this week while my daughter is out of town, but after that my days will be a lot less full of grandkids.  I'm going to miss them!

Here's how last week's list went...

1.  Deliver the two t-shirt quilts I finished last week.

Done!  My customer was happy with the results, and that makes me happy!

2.  Complete another t-shirt quilt commission.

Done!  If you saw my blogpost last Friday, you know I ran into some problems with an over-protective dog when I tried to get ready to spray-baste this quilt, so it took a little longer to finish than I planned.

3.  Quilt and bind three full size quilts for the quilt ministry.

I didn't get to this one, but it's top of my list this week!

4.  Determine the colors I need for Nathanael's annual quilt.

I didn't get to this, but I did find two pieces of Pokemon fabric that will help me choose colors.

5.  Pick out the fabrics for Lilli's annual quilt.

I didn't even think about this one!

6.  Determine the dominant color for Emmy's annual quilt.

Or this one.  Bad Nana!

I did have a lot of fun spending time with the kiddos several days last week, which cut into my sewing time.  But it's a great trade-off, and one I wouldn't pass up for the world.  So here's what I hope to get done this week...

1.  Quilt and bind three full size quilts for the quilt ministry.

2.  Work on the annual quilts for the grands.

3.  Quilt a baby quilt for the ministry.

4.  Clean up the studio a bit.

5.  Look at some vintage blocks sent to me by my cousin and see what I can do with them.

I'm going to stop there - I don't think I can get to all of that, but it's an aspirational list, after all!  

Now some fun things that happened last week...

Kate, who did a stop on the 12 Days of Christmas in July blog hop, sent Bree two of the Christmas bandanas she did a tutorial for, and Bree loved them!  It was also very exciting for her to get her own mail!

And it has been so hot here - as it has almost everywhere, it seems - but combined with the humidity, it's been so hot Bree didn't even want to spend time outside.  Today, though, after a super windy thunderstorm blew through, the temperatures dropped and so did the humidity, making it tolerable outside.  Bree spent a lot of time rolling the grass, laying in the sun, and unfortunately, cooling off in a nice deep mud puddle that turned her dark brown all the way up to her belly!  But it was hard to blame her, and she had so much fun!

But I know you want to know who will be receiving the kits I had to give away.  There were 64 comments - what a great response!   Oh, and for those of you who asked for Lilli's recipe for the hand pies, I did say that she works without a recipe.  So she said that she guessed it was "start watching cooking shows when you are four and experiment a LOT"!  I did find what looked like a good recipe on the internet, though, and very similar to what we made.  

But those winners!  The random number generator chose commenter #1 (Julie in GA) and commenter #50 (Rebecca Grace)!  Congratulations, ladies!  I'll reach out to you via email but if you don't hear from me (salliesue57 at gmail dot com) email me directly so I can get your kits sent to you!  

And now, I really need to know - - - what are YOU working on this week?

Hugs!

Sarah

Can I Get a Whoop Whoop? Progress, and a Giveaway!

 

Hi, all!

Well, it's Friday once again, and we all know what that means!  It's time for us to get our whoop whoop on.  Are you ready?  Let's go!

*&*&*&*&*&*&*

Summer is drawing to a close - the kids go back to school next week - and soon we'll be hot and heavy into quilting season!  I'm busily trying to finish up some things so I can move into the next season with a clear conscience.  

I started out this week working hard on this t-shirt quilt, a commission for a local elementary school principal.  I got the borders on it, and had planned to spray baste it Thursday afternoon.  But first, I needed to vacuum the floor.  As soon as I started the vacuum cleaner, Bree came rushing upstairs to give that nasty machine a piece of her mind!  And then when I finally finished vacuuming, dodging her all the time, she decided to stay upstairs and protect me from the wicked thing.  Which meant I couldn't lay the quilt out on the floor to baste it, because she would have been all over it trying to see what I was doing!  

So then I moved on to this - my second go at the wall-hanging size of this year's 12 Days of Christmas in July quilt.  We made these at our sewing day last Saturday - eleven of my sewing sisters got together before we start up again for our quilt ministry, and this was our project.  I was helping teach people some of the new techniques and didn't get all my blocks finished, so when I couldn't baste that quilt, I made the last two blocks and assembled the whole top.  it's ready for quilting now!

Then I took a cute panel I found at church on Tuesday and turned it into a little baby quilt.  Fortunately we had a great teal at church for the outer border, and I had a gray that matched perfectly for the inner border.  And after I left on Tuesday night, Piper found the perfect piece for the backing.  I'll share a picture after it's finished!

Wednesday Lilli came over and spent the day.  She pressed some scraps for me to cut up, and then we spent most of the rest of the day making fresh peach hand pies!  I say we - what I really mean is that I watched her perform magic in the kitchen without a single recipe.  Don't they look wonderful?  She also made this delicious spiced caramel from scratch, and it was so good I didn't even remember that I had bought vanilla ice cream to go with the pies!

And now - would you like something to whoop about?  I've got a couple of extra kits made up for the Christmas tree wall hanging and I'd love to give them away!  

I will draw two winners from the people who comment on this post.  The kit contains all the pieces cut to make the top that I showed above, and a copy of the instructions.  There's also a candy cane to get you in the spirit!  So leave a comment and be sure to leave your email address in the comments just in case you come through as a no-reply blogger.  (You can list it as "name (at) domain (dot) com" to avoid getting spam.)  I'll draw two winners and announce them next Monday, so don't delay in leaving a comment!

So - - - can I get a whoop whoop?

*&*&*&*&*&*&*

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

Hands2Help Comfort Quilt Challenge 2023 Is In The Books!

 

Hi, all!

We've finally arrived at the end of this year's Hands2Help Comfort Quilt Challenge, and you all did such an excellent job!  At my final count, we had 106 active participants (those who made it all the way to the end of the Challenge), and you all created an amazing number of quilts!  Do you want to know how many?

Isn't that amazing???  Just think of all that love and comfort spread across the world!  I had a sticker on my computer case at one time that said, "Changing The World One Quilt At A Time".  That's what you all are doing each time you donate a quilt to someone.  It feels good, doesn't it?

I have a few more quilt pictures to show you, but before I get to them let's do some housekeeping!  I have a few giveaway winners to announce:

For Emily Bailey's guest post giveaway, which went awry - Connie T. is the winner of a copy of Emily's book!

Karen M. has offered up three prize bundles, which are going to Sheryl K., Rebecca B., and Nancy C.

I had offered up two panels in a previous post, and the two winners are Kathryn L. and Jane S.

And finally, I have eleven more prize bundles, which will be going to: Jamie E., Ann S., Cindy M., Melissa B., Liz H., Ruth C., Diane F., Kathy D., Kathy W., Charmaine T., and Carolyn Br.

Congratulations to all the winners!  Please be patient with us as we get these packages in the mail - I can't testify to Emily and Karen's schedules, but I am out of town until Thursday of this week, so I will be getting these in the mail after that.  

And now for those pictures I promised...

Carol O. made these three beauties - the first one is going to Quilty Hugs, and the other two are being sent to MCC.

And the last of this year's quilts were made by Sandy T., and are all being sent to a group called Wrap The World With Quilts.  Isn't that a great name (and goal)?

And that's a wrap!  Thank you to each and every one of you who participated this year, and to those of you who wanted to, but had life happen and weren't able to.  Remember all the inspiration you've seen and keep making quilts - you are changing the world one quilt at a time, remember?

Hugs!

Sarah

Make-A-List Monday - What to Do, What to Do?

 

Hi, all!

Amazingly, I haven't missed Monday - although Sunday kind of slipped right by me!  If you caught yesterday's blogpost, you may have tried to click on the link to Moira's blogpost and found that it didn't work.  Well, it's working now - so please click here and check out her post.  It's the last guest blogger post for this year's Hands2Help Challenge, and I'd hate for you to miss it - she's having a giveaway, too!

And just for kicks, I'm going to add to the giveaway fun - I've got a couple of panels to share, so just leave a comment  below if you're interested!  (Sorry for the quality of these pictures - I didn't have time to press the panels before taking them!)

But of course, the real purpose for Monday's post is to confess how I did on last week's list....

1.  Quilt the donation quilt.

2.  Quilt some baby tops to add into the box for Little Lambs.

Done!  After quilting the donation quilt, I loaded four yards of background fabric on the frame, and did a little "chain quilting"...

I think my inspector approves, don't you?

And here's the completed stack, all ready to mail off!  I had hoped to get them out before I left on vacation, but alas, I ran out of time...

3.  Package and mail prizes from last week.

Again, this was a victim of a short week - they will have to be sent out next week, after we return from vacation.

4.  Pick out some giveaway items for this Sunday.

You've seen them above - I'm just a little late posting them, for various reasons!

5.  Finish vacation kits.

Done!  I have 10" squares to make five full-size quilt tops for the quilt ministry, and another batch of 10" squares to make an X & + quilt, if time allows.

So what's on my plate for this week?  Well, not a whole lot (I AM on vacation, after all) but here's what might get done...

1.  Work on the five full-size tops.

2.  Work on the X&+ quilt top if time allows.

3.  Once home, package up and mail the giveaway items and the quilts for Little Lambs of Utah.

4.  Eat lots of good food, get lots of sun, read lots of good books!

We've already gotten a good start on that last one - the weather has been beautiful....

...the food delicious....

...and the wildlife has been friendly!  Meet Fred, the local colorful character who hangs out at the Shrimp Shack.  He walks around the patio like he owns the place!

And now, I really want to know - - - what are YOU working on this week?

Hugs!

Sarah

Hands2Help Comfort Quilt Challenge Week 9 - Meet Our Next Guest Blogger, Emily!

 

Hi, all!

Welcome to week 9 of this year's Hands2Help Comfort Quilt Challenge!  The end is coming up fast, and I know you all have been working so hard on your quilts.  I've seen so many beautiful quilts in progress that I know are going to bless so many lives!!  Quilters really are generous people, and you guys are some of the best!

Today we have another guest blogger, Emily of Aunt Em's Quilts.  Emily is also the champion for Quilty Hugs for Happy Chemo, and has been part of the Hands2Help Challenge almost from the beginning.  She is a prolific scrap quilter, with both free tutorials and workshops, quilt-alongs, tips and tricks, and even a book teaching how to deal with even the smallest of scraps!  You'll definitely want to check out her post and read it carefully - there's goodies in there for everyone!  Just click on the title of her blog in the first line of this paragraph to go there.

And I promised you all that I would announce the winners for last week's giveaway today...

...and here they are!

Danice G.

Karrin H.

Sherry B.

Susan N.

Congratulations to the winners - I'll try to get these packaged up and in the mail to you sometime this week!  

See you next week with our last guest blogger!  Work hard on those quilts - the finish line draws near!

Hugs!

Sarah

Hands2Help Comfort Quilt Challenge Week 8 - Time to Check In, Another Guest Post, and A Giveaway!

 

Hi, all!

Welcome to week eight of this year's Hands2Help Comfort Quilt Challenge!  I've got lots of info to pass on in this post, so be sure to read all the way through, ok?  First off, it's time for another check-in, where you can show off your progress, and cheer others on.  There'll be a link-up for that at the end of this post.  

We've also got an other great guest blogger today - Leanne of Devoted Quilter.  Leanne's been a long-time supporter of the Challenge, and always has something interesting to share.  She's has a huge love for scrappy quilts (and she's even offering a free guide to help organize your scraps!) So pop on over to her blog and check out the great baby quilt pattern she has for you!

Many of you have been emailing me asking for the shipping addresses for the H2H charities.  I don't post these online for security reasons, but will be happy to send them to you if you email me directly at salliesue57 (at) gmail (dot) com.  Additionally, some of you have had issues with the cost of shipping to Canada (which I completely understand!) so if you find that you just can't handle the international shipping, one of our fellow H2Hers has stepped up to offer to be a local collection point in the US for the MCC quilt tops.  She sent this info that she obtained from her local MCC location:

The comforter tops can be as simple as squares sewn together--4", 6", 8", 10", etc., or they can be pieced quilt tops.  Often the comforters go to places where durability is important.  Also, for size, the tops need to be at least 60" x 80" or a little larger, or double size quilts.  No baby, toddler, nap size.  They also accept quilted and bound quilts but are happy to get the tops.  If people have an MCC location near them, they can drop off the tops there, too.

And now I've got some pictures to share that have been sent to me this week by some folks without blogs.

These first ten are from Juanita H, and will be given to her local Friends Group of Victoria's Quilts Canada.

And the next three are from Linda M.  She didn't say where they were being sent, but I'm sure any of this year's groups or her local groups would be happy to get them!

And last, but not least, I've got another giveaway for you!  And how do you enter, you ask?  First of all, be a participant in the Challenge (we're up to 173 people officially signed up now!); then link up or leave a comment here telling about your progress on your H2H quilts; and visit Leanne's guest post and leave a comment there.  Each will count as an entry in the giveaway.  I have four of these to give away today...

Look at all those pretty colors!  Definitely something every quilter can use, right?  So get going - I'll leave the giveaway open until next Saturday morning (5/13) at 8 am CST, and announce the winners next Sunday.

Don't forget to link up and share your progress, or leave a comment!

Hugs!

Sarah

Hands2Help Comfort Quilt Challenge Week #6 - Meet Our Next Guest Blogger, Bonnie!

 

Hi, all!

Wow!  You guys are blowing me away with your progress reports from last week - it's thanks to generous quilters like you that this Challenge is such a great success every year.  And I love seeing that you are finding local places to donate, also!  It's amazing to know that your     quilts are helping others, isn't it?  

This week we have another great guest blogger - Bonnie from Institches With Bonnie.  Bonnie always has something fun going on in her studio, like this beautiful scrap quilt....

I'm looking forward to reading her post about her ideas for charity quilting, aren't you?  You can get to her post by clicking on the name of her blog at the beginning of this paragraph.

And now I'm sure you are all excited to hear who won the Your Nest Organizers we shared last week, so without further ado, here's the list...

Elizabeth K.

Teri L.

Karen C.

Vicki S.

Ann D.

Condy B.

Kathleen McC.

Sue T.

Erin D.

Mary Ann G.

Kat P.

Judy B.

Pat P.

Sandra W.

Congratulations to all the winners!  I'll be prepping these to mail out this week - if your address has changed since you signed up for the Challenge, please email me directly at salliesue57 (at) gmail (dot) com and give me your new snail mail so I can get your goodies to you!

Keep up all the good work with your beautiful quilts - isn't it wonderful to know that there are people out there who need them, and will love them as they deserve?

Hugs!

Sarah

Hands2Help Comfort Quilt Challenge Week #5 - Another Guest Blogger, Time to Check In, and A Giveaway!

 

Hi, all!

Five weeks in!  Can you believe it?  Seems like we just started this year's Challenge, but things are rolling right along.  We've got several things going on this week, but let's start with the most important one first. 

Today we are welcoming another guest blogger - Nann from With Strings Attached!  Spend just a few minutes on her blog and you'll realize she's a prolific quilter - but she's also a librarian.  Librarians have a special place in my heart, especially these days.  Some of my best times as a child were spent in a library, and many wonderful times at story hour with my grandkids since then.  Nowadays I use the library digitally more often than not, but I appreciate the work that librarians do even more nowadays.  So hop over to her blog and check out her post for today (and take a look around, you'll see what I mean about prolific!) and then come back for the other important things!  You can find her post by clicking the name of her blog at the top of this paragraph.  And guess what - - - Nann has a giveaway too!

Now for the second important item!  Today is our first check-in date, which gives you a chance to show off your progress, even if it's only a picture of your fabrics, or your pattern/design!  You can link up below to a blogpost or Instagram photo, whatever your heart desires.  If you aren't able to do that, leave a comment below letting us know how it's going.  We all want to cheer each other on!

And now for the third item - let's have a giveaway!  The wonderful folks at Your Nest Organizer sent me fourteen of these awesome organizers to give away!

Look at how much that holds!  All those little things that get pushed around on your workstation, now all corralled in one location.  Imagine how easy it will be to find them now....

And it comes in lots of gorgeous colors, too, each one named for a different bird.  (Birds have nests, yes?) You can see more about these great organizers on the company website or on their Instagram page, @yournestorganizer.

And just how do you enter the giveaway?  I'll be choosing fourteen winners from the people who have signed up to participate in the Challenge.  You also get your name in the hat an additional time when you link up your progress or leave a comment on this post or Nann's post.  (When you leave a comment, please add your first name and last initial at the end of your comment so we can definitely identify you!) 

I'll leave the giveaway entries open until midnight on Friday, April 21st, and announce the winners next Sunday, April 23rd.  

Now link up and show us your progress!

Hugs!

Sarah

PS - If you still haven't signed up, and want to, click here to go to the sign-up post!