Paducah Quilt Week -- 2 -- plus a giveaway game

Good grief! This stomach virus is a miserable, miserable way to spend three days. I thought the first round was bad, but nothing about that compares to this. I recommend that you do your best to avoid getting it. Especially the second time.

Anyway, I've recovered somewhat. Well, enough to walk out to the studio to prepare my Cotton Robin block for the mail. It should have gone out last week while I was in Paducah. (That didn't happen.) Then the virus, which Richard was fighting when I returned, found my system. Again. 

I don't know today's date, but I'm certain that I'm a week late getting the first block out--not a good way to begin. One indication would be the fact that the block for the next round was already sitting on the worktable. I was a good Robineer and did not open the second until the first was packaged, addressed, and sealed. 

The pictures that I'm posting tonight are from a quaint little moonshine brewery. It's a fun little place that Beth and I happened upon. A small group of quilters were rocking on the front stoop and told us that the bar was giving free taste-testings. We decided to drop in. 

I tried the peach flavor and Beth the chocolate. The peach was delicious, but then I heard about the pecan. Shoot! Oh well. When Beth decided that she wasn't crazy about her cup, I gave it a go. Yum! It was difficult to walk out without a bottle of the good stuff. Other pictures are from antique shops, a hotel, and a flea market. Beth is an antique hound! She stepped into every antiquey place she could find. It's fun to dip into places on a whim. 

The bottom left picture in the collage is of an apple masher. I'd never seen one before, so I had to take pictures to show Richard. A little part of me wanted to bring it home, but that was silly because there was no space for such a large piece.

Front view (the side from which you'd be working)

Edge view (looking at
the machine components)

Instead I had to settle for this little item which attaches to a table using a C-clamp. Rich and I tested it and it works! Do you know what it is? Here's a hint: it's a sewing item but doesn't sew. 

Let's play a game! The first one to answer or guess correctly (post your answer in the comments) will get a couple of fat quarters from the small stash that I purchased in Paducah. I hate doing this but I'll have to limit mailing to USA only. Postage is crazy expensive.  

I haven't shown you the things that I bought yet, so I suppose it's time for a reveal. Come back soon to see the yummy colors! 

Winner!

Apparently there many, many aren't many people interested in receiving my selvage scraps. Only four people left comments, but one of those four should win.  Drum roll, please...

Number 4 is the winner! That would be Linda! Here's her sweet comment, which I do appreciate. 

Linda said...

I would make coasters, mug rugs, zip pouches, pot holders, etc. I have started saving selvages for the past few months. Thank you for such a generous giveaway.
Linda "Cookie" Lawrence
Mandeville Louisiana 

Interestingly, Linda lives in Mandeville, which is only about three hours from my home, right on Lake Pontchartrain. So it shouldn't take long for her to get it.

Linda, I've sent you an email. Please send your address so that I can get the selvages out to you asap.

To the hundreds three of you who entered this fabulous giveaway, thank you for your kind comments. Keep entering--perhaps you'll win next time! 

Happy quilting,

Sunday Quilt Inspiration: SELVAGES

Uhm, on Monday? Sorry all. We had a thunderstorm yesterday afternoon, so no internet until, well actually, I don't know. Then this morning I had a doctor's appointment so I'm quite late in getting this post out. My apologies.

The exact selvage pieces offered in the giveaway.

Since I've been offering a giveaway of a bag of selvages, I thought I'd offer a few ideas of how to use them. I may have done this before, but it's such a popular item on Pinterest that there are lots of new projects, so hopefully I'm not repeating any. 

A few selvage quilts...

I hope this inspires you to start saving and using those selvages. There are many more ideas on my "selvage, projects" board.  And don't forget to leave a comment on this post for a chance to win a bag of selvages. Not many people have commented, so you'd have a pretty decent chance of winning. I'll sent them where ever you are.  I'll announce the winner tomorrow.

Forgotten Selvages: a giveaway

I've been collecting a small bag of selvage junk trash edges for several weeks now. I'd read on someone's blog (sorry, I don't remember whose) that she cuts selvages before cutting into her fabric and collects these long selvages in a bag then sells them on Etsy. What a good idea, I thought. Then I thought of another a better way to use them.

Oh, not me, I don't want to start that! I already have enough fabric to keep me in quilts and other sewing for years many, many more years. So I've been collecting them for you! I know, I'm such a good person! I wonder how many yards of selvages I've thrown away in my lifetime. 

Anyway, here they are. All nice and neat, ha! at least somewhat rolled up into little packages and stuffed into a quart zippy bag. (They all but exploded when I took them out of the bag for a picture!) 

The bag is full and I've started another. Before you ask If you're interested in why I'm using this size bag: well, it fits into this size envelope, which I have many, many of. (That's another story.) 

Yep, here we are, a zippy bag full of stuffed with trash selvage edges and a giveaway. All you have to do is leave a comment telling me how you think you'll use them. I can't fathom why you'd buy selvages by the yard when you could buy beautiful fabric, but that's your business. I am just curious about what will happen to my these selvages, which btw are FREE! 

I imagine that by Monday a few people will have come around and left a comment, so I'll announce the winner then.  Good luck!

Mail and mail and more

There have been some nice surprises coming my way of late.  

 Last semester I helped one of our dual-enrollment students.  Taking a freshman English, he was struggling to bring his grade up and since I'd taught him twice already, he decided to ask for help.  I was very happy to do so, especially since he came early in the semester and I know he's a hard-working student.  In the end, he brought the grade up to an A. 

 A very grateful young man brought this into my classroom last week as a way of saying thank you.  

I've been spending more of my precious computer time reading and responding to some of my favorite blogs.  One of those blogs, Silly Mama Quilts, was having a giveaway last week, which I happened to win.  The prize?  A nice little bag of scraps!  Yes, scraps!  All sorts of scrappy sweetness. 

 Poor Richard still doesn't get my excitement "over some scraps that most people would throw away."  Well, darling, you don't have to get it....I get it!  In fact, I get it enough for both of us.

There are so many bits and bobs and bix and boggles that I can't even tell you.  Just know that one little bag of oddments can really make a girl ecstatically happy.

But there's more!!! {fake TV announcer voice}  Ramona, our Louisiana Traveling Quilt guru and cheerleader, sent out a small package.  It came in the mail....but it was much bigger than I thought it would be since I expected a small square of quilt label to attach to the back of the Louisiana Traveling Quilt.  My top hasn't made it home, yet, but it should arrive shortly, which means that I'll have a fun project to quilt and bind and label.  And the label is ready and waiting for the top.  

Don't you love all the little pretties?  I'm so loving the journal!  And who can't use a pretty pencil and a Sharpie in an odd color?  As for the lovely note...I can tell you that this one is extra special.  I think I'm going to enlarge the bird photo so that I can snag a few quilting motifs from her.  What, you wouldn't?  

Then the last of the good news: I was nominated or chosen or received by default the Teacher of the Month award for our school for the month of February.  It's the second time in my 25 year career.  (The first time was last May.)  Richard and I went to Marksville tonight so that I could receive the plaque in person.  

All in all, it's been fun to be recognized, acknowledged, awarded and thanked for all sorts of activities.  And, wait, fun activities! Now that's winning all around!

Birthday....Bust :-(

Have you ever known a 4-year-old to have a birthday party in which several other children were invited and no one showed up?  That's what's happened to Fleur de Lis Quilts.  It's sad and disheartening, but I've decided to move on.  


Much of what I write about is for myself: a way of recording my ideas, my quilting story, and events, So in a way it makes sense that I continue in that vein and not let my lack of interested, engaged readers affect who I am or what I write.  People will either read or not.  

On the other hand, I have to admit that it stings.  After all, there were a few people who visited.  They, apparently, just chose not to enter the giveaway.  

Regardless, I have one faithful follower: Kaja, who visits a couple of times each week and leaves her sweet comments.  Since she is the only one to comment on the giveaway, she wins by default!  Congratulations Kaja!  I'll send the New Orleans recipe book and the fabric, in yellow, once I hear from you.


I've already sent you an email and it would be best to respond to that so that I'm sure to get your note.

I hope you enjoy your prizes!

Four Years of Blogging CELEBRATION and GIVEAWAY

I've really enjoyed blogging.  I like writing and having an outlet for some of my work.  I also enjoy reading other blogs, keeping up with what is going on in the quilting/blogging world and, mostly, I love meeting new people.  

This outlet is just as much an inlet for me.  FOUR fun years!

So enough celebrating, let's give something away!  First I have this sweet little recipe book that Richard and I picked up on our last trip to the Big Easy.  The title is Favorite Recipes from New Orleans, the recipes are from some of its famous restaurants and everyone looks and reads absolutely delicious.  Well, I mean, the one or two that I looked at. 

Just take at look at Cherries Jubilee.

And there are beautiful photos of some of those restaurants.  The photos alone would be worth the price of the book. 

And so what about the quilting part of the blog?  Well, there's something for that, too.  I've been taking advantage of the very generous sale at Sew Fresh Fabrics which is eventually closing it's online store.  To that end, they are giving 30% off of all purchases of whatever is left on their shelves.  I've decided to cut some of the fat quarters into 4 1/2 inch squares so that I can play with a few ideas (eventually) and, of course, I thought you'd like a few of the squares.  Since I've barely started cutting on the Studio cutter, I thought I'd let the winner choose a color or two.  It really doesn't matter to me, since I can play with whatever color I happen to have.  
This means we'll have two winners: the first name chosen by Mr. Random Number will win the recipe book, the second will win some 4 1/2 inch squares.

These are the pieces that came in this week, but again, you don't have to choose yellow or green: I have plenty of other colors, patterns, and prints.  If you'd like to do something really scrappy, or modern, or "everything and the kitchen sink," I can do that, too. Four years of blogging should mean, oh, 40 squares, don't you agree?

So what do you have to do?  
Well, heck we're celebrating four years, so let's give you four chances:
                               1. like Fleur de Lis Quilts on Facebook, 
                               2. follow Fleur de Lis Quilts blog, 
                               3. follow Fleur de Lis Quilts on 3rd Revolution, 
                        and 4. tell us which color, print or type of fabric you'd prefer (solids, prints, modern, mix it up).

Surely you know that you'll need to leave a comment for each chance...please do.  And don't forget your email address so I can contact you on Friday, which will be the final day of the giveaway.