Tuesday, December 1, 2009

balance (and a giveaway)

I didn't mean to worry anyone being gone so long. Thank you for the e-mails of concern, I'm fine - really. Real life has just taken more time than usual and stepping away from the computer gave me some breathing room.

Sewing also took a backseat for a long time while I recuperated from being ill most of October. Chris left his job of 13 years and started a new one (a very positive, but stressful change). We then took a wonderful trip to New York (without kids!) in early November. By the time I'd caught up with kid stuff, laundry and just getting back in the groove of being home, a lot of time had gone by without any completed projects. And really, this is a craft blog. If I don't have any projects to post, there's no point in my blathering on. Now that I'm back to sewing a bit, I'm trying to find a good balance in my life - between the "real" stuff and the time I spend here and visiting other blogs. Seems I haven't figured it all out just yet.

But enough about that. I'm glad you're here and to prove it, I have something for you:


I bought the majority of fabrics for this quilt about 2 years ago - the summer before I started blogging. I loved them, but couldn't decide on a pattern to use. They sat in a pile all this time - reminding me of one more thing I needed to finish. As the months went by, I sort of fell out of love with them, but I didn't want to just put them in the stash by color since they went together so nicely. Friendship Braid is the pattern I finally settled on (from Quiltmania magazine) and got to work cutting and sewing.



I was so happy with how it all went together technically - very proud of those matched corners! However, even when the top was pieced I didn't love it anymore. I had enough of one fabric left for binding and a good green in my stash for the solid backing. The only thing I had to go out and buy was the batting. (It's one of the new bamboo battings which I liked working with very much, but it is expensive compared to my usual cotton batting.) Jan even gave me a great idea for the quilting. It reminds me of a moving blanket:



So I'm pleased with how it turned out. It's a nice size for a baby or a small lap quilt (approximately 44 X 51). But I don't LOVE it for me. I think it should live with someone who will love it.

Here's the deal: Leave a comment and I'll put your name in a hat on December 14th. It will go to the name that gets pulled that day. I'm hoping that will give me time to get the winner's address and mail the quilt before the deadline for USPS cheap shipping for Christmas. Keep in mind that I make NO GUARANTEES this will arrive by the holiday. And if you live out of the country, I'm sure it won't arrive in time.
So go put your name in and thanks for being patient. I'll try to figure out how to make this whole blog thing fit into the rest of my life.
p.s. "Hello" to my local quilting friends! I told you finding this wouldn't be so hard : )


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24 comments:

Carol said...

I really like it. As usual, everything you make is wonderful!

Amy in SC said...

Adorable! This drew me out of lurkdom.

Stephanie said...

hot damn! what a fun thing to see first thing in the morning. :)

I love this, please throw my name in your hat. Thank you!!

Shinny said...

I think it is lovely! Please put my name in the hat. I live just over the border in Wisconsin, I could just meet you half way and save the postage. ;)
I also want to go flea market/thrift shopping/rummage saling with you and Poppy next summer, ok?

Diane said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Diane said...

UNBELIEVABLE! What a generous giveaway! It would make a cheerful lap quilt that I'd use daily. Fingers crossed, Diane

Amber said...

It's gorgeous Wendy - and glad to see you are back - I know how you feel about real life taking over...Glad to hear you are feeling better and job stuff is always so stressful but I'm glad it's working out good. And how fun - a trip to NY without kids! Hope you have a wonderful December - filled with peace and rest :-)

Anonymous said...

Love the colors. Glad you are back and sewing. Miss your blogs. Geri

Geri said...

Love the colors. You did a beautiful job on the quilt. Glad you are back. Geri

Mary Pat said...

Having seen the quilt in person I must say the quilting is eye catching. Put my name in the hat!!! Mary Pat

Mary Conley said...

Having seen this cheerful treasure up close & personal, I am charmed. It is a mix of 30's repros with Zingy, NOW fabrics that make it visually compelling. And how amazing that you are willing to part with it! If my name gets picked (unlikely since I haven't won anything much since a pair of roller skates in 5th grade), I think it would have to go to Diane, who would love your eye for fabric (and probably even the bambooishness/comfort-zone of it).

Kristen said...

Ohhh, I'm SO telling Twitter about this quilt!!

mle bb said...

put my name into the hat what wonderful work! my e-mai is bruzzinie@net.elmhurst.edu

Kristin said...

Oh...I love it! I think it would be great for the little one or maybe even the one due this May! And I'll pick it up from you...no need to ship. :)

Kristin

Peeved Michelle said...

It's gorgeous. I think it would look great in my baby's room, or my toddler's room, or on my glider...

peevedmichelle at yahoo dot com

annemarie said...

How beautiful - my fingers are crossed - would love this quilt.

Rebekah said...

glad to hear that things are starting to feel normal around your place again!

I love this quilt and the zig zag quilting pattern that you used. It does remind me of a moving blanket (I used the same pattern on a zig zag quilt for Jon a few years ago)

Anonymous said...

Hi, I just had a baby boy (after three girls) on 11/17. this would look very nice for him, not so girly. Please add my name to your hat.

Terri
tlmurphy61 at yahoo dot com

Anonymous said...

Why would you have to excuse yourself for not being here all the time? Especially when you came back with such a beauty! Plus I know you've been hooking up with Bb and that make sme happy.
Paola

Amy in IN said...

I think it's a lovely quilt, but I understand the feeling of falling out of love with the fabric. For me that sometimes happens if the project sits around for awhile taunting me (I have far too many unfinished projects to count). I like the pattern you settled on and you really did do a great job matching all those corner!

Anonymous said...

Wow, I saw it in person, all actual 1930's fabrics- such precision piecing and quilting.Please put in Mary Ann's name-from the piecemaker group for the drawing.

Margaret T. Zenk said...

Glad to see you back. Please consider me as a recipient. I hope you had an enjoyable break. Sometimes our creative outlets end up causing us extra stress. Great job!

Laura said...

I LOVE the quilt. Please put me in the drawing. Thanks for the opportunity.
dykstra.laura@gmail.com

Susie Sunshine said...

THANK GOODNESS my replacement computer arrived and got hooked up before this is over!!!!
If I win this baby, I'll safety pin it to my clothing day and night for the added warmth and beauty it would provide.

I am so cold. Why do I still live here?!