Pillow Party!!!

How long has it been since you had a good old fashioned pillow fight?  I remember the one and only we had as children.  The lights were off in my bedroom that I shared with my sister and she and I along with 2 of our cousins were having a great pillow fight!  We were making so much noise that our mothers came to see what was going on.  When they turned on the lights feathers were floating everywhere!!  I do not remember whose pillow had bursted but we all got into trouble!!  No more pillow fights for us!

Well I found something while blog surfing tonight...No...It isn't a pillow fight...but it is the next best thing to one!!  It is a Moda Pillow Talk Party Blog Hop!!!!!

There are gonna be prizes so you know you want to go see what it is all about!!!

 February 9th … Kathy Schmitz Studios

February 10th … Thimbleblossoms

February 11th … Me and My Sister Designs

February 15th … Laurie & Jessi Jung

February 16th … Sweetwater (thats us!)

February 18th … Deb Strain

February 19th … American Jane

February 20th … Primitive Gatherings

Doll Swap - Updated!!

 LInking up today over at Quilt Story and Fabric Tuesday  and linking up also at Kim's and Get Your Craft On!

Edited to add:  This is the doll that I have made to swap.  I had a doozie of a time with her face and hair... I am no artist as you can well see.  I think she looks kind of magical in a way.  maybe her owner will love her!

 Barbara sent these 2 cuties in!

I will be mailing dolls home tomorrow morning! :)

I have just hosted my first doll swap on the HGTV Quilting and Needlework Forum.  The participant list was slim but that is ok.  It was a trial run to see if anyone would want to do it.

I am afraid that some might be wishing they had joined once they see the dolls that are coming in to be swapped.

Here are the first 2!!

How about you?? Would any of my readers be interested in joining a doll swap?

This doll was submitted by Nancy!

 This doll was submitted by Elizabeth!

One World One Heart 2011 + Door Prize!

Hello everyone and welcome to my blog!!!  I am so glad that you have decided to come for a visit today to see what the One World One Heart is all about!

 OWOH is an awesome event  coordinated by Lisa Swifka over at A Whimsical Bohemian! ....It  a wonderful way to meet new and interesting bloggers from all over the world..AND get a chance to win something very nice!!

I am Thearica Burroughs and I am a longarm quilter living in the awesome state of North Carolina!  Go Heels!!  I was born and raised in North Alabama... ROLL TIDE!!!... and moved here to beautiful NC in 2003!

I am a mother of 2 beautiful young ladies and a grandmother to 2, with a 3rd due in March!! They still live in Alabama so visits are few and far between.  I am married to a tobacco farmer so life on the farm keeps us hopping!

I have been a quilter for over 30 years and opened my longarm quilting business in January 2006!  I also dabble in other crafts but quilting is my main love! 

Although I never took any formal training to learn the art of quilting, I had 2 wonderful teachers!  My grandmothers both quilted and I grew to appreciate all that they made and fell in love with the art myself at the age of 19!  My Granny Ida quilted for pleasure and my Granny Ella quilted for comfort.  Although they both had different tastes in quilting, they instilled in me the correct way to make a quilt.

My Granny Ida's motto was "If it ain't worth doing right, then it ain't worth doing a'tall!"  I live by these words and it shows in my work!  I can feel their presence in my studio everytime I go in there to work and I can see them both smiling down on me as I continue this cherished tradition!

I also love to travel and Sanibel Island is on the top of my favorite list of places to go!  Walking on the beach searching for seashells is really so mind calming!  And watching the sun come up over the horizon is simply...Priceless!!

I love to read historical romances especially those by Diana Gabaldon! The  Outlander novels are awesome!  If you have not read them, you must, if you love historical romance and time travel stories!

hmmmm...What else... I love pigs...collect several!  Mostly pottery and fabrics!  but my friends are always searching for that most awesome gift for me!! It always makes me smile when a package comes unannounced and a little pig jumps out at me when I open it up! :)

Last but not least I am a member of a fantastic group of quilters over on the HGTV Quilting and Needlework Forum!!  I host several swaps and round robins over there and also host a charity fundraiser each year!  We stay super busy over there so if you are searching for a place to share with other quilters...well then... Come on down!! We would be glad to have you! By the way...You will find me as "Quiltaholic" on the forum! :)

Each OWOH participant is giving away a door prize to one of her visitors so I will hush up about myself now because I know you all are about ready to see what you have a chance to win from my blog!

Lucy is sporting a beautiful necklace and earrings that I will be giving away on Feb 17th!!  No, Lucy is not tied to the giveaway...sorry... But I thought she made a beautiful little model for the necklace!  Don't you agree? :) 

The beads for the necklace were handmade by Joyce Smith in her kiln in Northwest Alabama.

I am also posting a 2nd door prize to make this even more exciting!  2 winners is always better than 1, right? This is a photo of a candle mat with matching candle.  If you win the 2nd door prize, you can tell me what colors you would like for your mat to be and what you collect or decorate with and I will embroider a design special just for you on your very own candle mat! And you will also get a candle to use on it too!  How is that for the 2nd door prize!

So, there you have it!  After you comment here for my door prizes, don't forget to visit the other bloggers who are taking part in this!  They can all be found here with door prizes of their very own!

Rules for signing up for the giveaway!

1. International friends are always welcome!

2. You only need to leave 1 comment to enter!  No jumping through hoops to be eligible to win! Please tell us a little about yourself in your comment so we can get to know you too!

3. Please make sure there is a way for me to contact you should you be the winner!  "No-Reply" bloggers are ineligible...sorry...  If nothing else, leave your email address at the bottom of your comment in this mode:  myemail(at)mail(dot)com ..This way spam bots cannot pick it up.

4. I will announce the winner on Feb 17th and email them that they have won!  If they have not responded to the email in 3 days, a new winner will be chosen.

Have fun visiting all of the other bloggers participating in OWOH!!

Radical Rooster Update!

OK...my border is on and I have embroidered his name too!

My friend Danielle found the rooster batik for me at the Fat Quarter Shop! I am in love with this fabric! Gonna do more roosters so I can use it for the borders!

I have to tell you a funny...The roosters show on both sides of the batik... and since there is no right or wrong side to them...I got a wee little confused..

when I cut out the top and bottom border and then started to cut the side borders I must have inadvertently turned the fabric over because all of a sudden my roosters were headed in a different direction than they were on the first 2 borders I cut out..

I started looking for a change in direction on the repeat of the fabric but could find none... I was getting mad because I knew I wasn't seeing things!!

Then the lightbulb turned on!!! YEP!... turned the fabric back over and there they were...all lined up to the right...just like they were on the first 2 borders...

had to turn it over one more time to see them lined up to the left on the other side...

Then I started rolling my eyes and laughing!!!! at myself!!!

I have the roosters on the top and left borders facing to the right and vice cersa for the right border and bottom border.

I will be working on the blanket stitching at night when hubby goes to the wood shop to work. I always go and sit with his mom and we stitch together. She cross stitches and I most time knit. Now I have my rooster to work on!

Office In A Closet! - Updated - My office is finished!

 I am linking up over at DittleDattle and Amaze Me Mondays!

 I have been slowly working toward making an organized office in one of my guest bedroom closets.  I can be messy around a workstation so having an office that is out-of-sight is the best thing for me.  But, the way I have it now is too cumbersome.

Well I was just googling closet offices to get some more ideas and look what I found over at EZArchitecture!!

I think I could control my bad habit of making a mess if my closet office looked like either one of these.  Which one do you guys like the best??

I LOVE the wallpapered office!  I can just imagine how happy one would feel when they opened their closet doors to an office like that!!

Updated: Well, as much as I love the happiness of this office, I did not want to spend the time wallpapering inside a closet!  Too much work for me!  and we have our house on the market so I thought better of painting the backside of the doors.  But this is still my favorite of both closets pictured!

Updated: This is the office style that I went with!  And thanks to Walmart, I was able to purchase some things really close to what they used in this office!

 

So...What do you think of my office?? I still have to find a chair that will fit inside once the doors are closed.

Pigs In The House!

Linking this post up over at Beverly's and Pink Saturday and over at Laurie's and A Few Of My Favorite Things!

I received a wonderful gift from my friend Lisa in Texas before Christmas and I wanted to share with you 2 of the sweetest "piggie" gifts I have received!

Every house that loves pigs HAS to have these for their kitchen!  Aren't they the cutest!

Thank you Lisa!!

2 Blocks Finished....

 ............ for Blogger's Block-A-Palooza!!  If you haven't heard about this quilt along head on over to Quilt Dad's blog and check it out!!

Block designed by Quilt Dad

Block designed by Oh! Fransson

I found the fabric I am using for my quilt from the Fat Quarter Shop!  My favorite place to shop for fabrics!! Always kind and friendly customer service and fast shipping!  This is the fat quarter bundle that I am using... Isn't it lucious!!!

Wee Woodland Cotton Fat Quarter Bundle
Keiki for Moda FabricsWee Woodland Cotton Fat Quarter Bundle includes 32 fat quarters

 

Giveaway!

Have you heard about the AQ/EQ Design Challenge Blog Hop! Well if not head on over to SewCalGal's blog and read all about it.  While you are there you can also read about ways to sign up for the awesome giveaway that is connected to the blog hop!

So hurry over!  Time is a wasting!

Paula's Sewing Challenge!

HEY!!!!!!!!! Head on over to Paula's and link up one of your creations using your favorite color combo!  We need 20 people to link up!!  Please...scoot on over there and link up something that you made!  We all want to see!

When Quilters Come Together.... (updated)

Linking up today over at Kim's and her feature Get Your Craft On!

...... there is nothing they cannot do!

The who and why cannot be told just yet but I wanted to post a progress photo so some of the friends who are helping with this might see!  If all things go well, the story will come next week!  Stay tuned!

And this morning the 2nd quilt to go with the story is ready for quilting! Sorry about the photo being a little crooked.. Hubby exercised with me this morning and his arms were sore. hehe :)

I love working with the color blue.. any and all shades but I do have to say that the teal and turquoise family steals my heart!  I wish I had more of these fabrics to make myself a quilt with later. 

If you have a favorite color that you like to work with head on over to Paula's and enter her bi-weekly sewing challenge!


I am linking up this Wednesday with these fabulous bloggers!

Lee over at Freshly Pieced and WIP Wednesday!

Robin over at All Things Heart and Home and All Things Inspired!

Olivia over at Olivia Renn and Hump Day Linky Love!

It Is Now A Tablerunner!

Linking this up over at Heather and Megan's Fabric Tuesday!  head on over there and link up something you have made using fabric!

**Alert**... My oldest daughter's loss will be one of my follower's gain!!  I asked both of my girls if they would use this tablerunner and my youngest said yes and my oldest said no...SOOO!!!  I will be giving away the 2nd runner once I have them both finished!!  No need to sign up.. If you are a follower on the day I give this away, your name will go in the drawing!!  I will announce the winner on my blog by February 7th!! So, stay tuned!!

I am working on 2 tablerunners today for my daughters as their Valentine's Day gift!  I found the pattern on Kim's blog during the Be Mine Blog Tour that I posted about early last week!

These little boogers take forever to cut and piece but the end result is well worth it!  All of those 1 inch finished pieces makes for a timely journey to create the tablerunner!  I started at 9:00 this morning, took a 2 hour break for lunch, and have just come back downstairs with the completed tablerunner in tow.  So, how long was that??  7 1/2 hours!!  Man, am I slow or what!!! :)

I strayed a little from the way Kim made hers but I really like mine too!  I don't have as many fabrics as it would take for that outside border for it look well done.  It needs at least 13 different fabrics to get the best color combination going and I just don't have that many!  And I did not care for the arrow in brown on top of the heart so I couldn't draw any browns to the border either.

I really like the way all of the robins egg blues play together... From the photos it is hard to see the light blue in the background fabric but it is actually very pretty with those little pink flowers all over it.  And I LOVE that fabric for the final border!  It actually was part of the same collection as the background fabric.

I will be binding it in the solid darker blue to frame it!

I plan on quilting feathers in the hearts and a soft meander in the background.  I cannot wait to finish it but customer work is calling my name for the next few days so it will have to wait it's turn.  I will be back on the weekend with hopefully photos of it at least on the frame!

1 down.. 1 to go.. I have to make 2 remember... :)

I am linking this post up over at the following blogs!  Please go over and visit and link something you have to share also!

And if you are a visitor from the link parties, please visit the rest of my blog and check out the giveaway going on!

Linking up over at:

Freshly Pieced! - W.I.P. Wednesdays!


All Things Heart & Home - All Things Inpsired!

Olivia Renn - Hump Day Linky Love!

 Linking this up over at DittleDattle's Amaze Me Mondays!

Australian Designer / Rebecca Johnson ~~ Sponsored Giveaway~~!!

 And the winner is!!!  Comment # 23!!!  Chosen by Random.org!!


Marcia W. said...I've read chasingcottons blog for a while now. Rebecca's patterns are so unique, especially sand castles. My current pattern favorites are Curlique Crush and Diamond Bouquet. Thank you for hosting this giveaway.

 Congratulations Marcia!!  I will send you an email and please reply back with which 2 patterns you would like to receive from Rebecca!  


Thank you to everyone who chose to take part in Rebecca's interview and giveaway!  I hope you made your way over to her site and found a pattern that you just had to order! :)

Australia has some fabulous designers and this morning I have a treat for you!!  I would love to introduce you to pattern designer, Rebecca Johnson of Chasing Cottons!  Rebecca has graciously agreed to do an interview here on my blog and sponsor a giveaway for my readers! 

I first found Rebecca's pattern designs while blog surfing one night!  Her Curlicue Crush pattern caught my eye and I fell in love with it!!  This is one quilt I want to make in the near future!  As I read through her blog that evening I knew I wanted to introduce my readers to her awesome patterns because I know you will love them as much as I do!

Throughout her interview you will see photos of her patterns that are available in her shop!

So, without further adieu, I give you Rebecca Johnson of Chasing Cottons!

When did  you begin Quilting?

2 1/2 years ago my girlfriend and I had free tickets to a craft show.  We were excited to go along as I had always enjoyed making things but had NO IDEA what was available. How modern, funky and yet vintage, handmade craft had become. It was there that my love affair for fabric began. Fabric, is like scrapbooking paper...only So So much better!! That day, I took home a few bundles of fabric, a couple quilt patterns, rotary cutter, mat and my first sewing machine.. I started sewing that night, and nearly every day since! Even though the patterns weren't exactly what I was after, they were enough to get me started. I had no idea how to make a quilt. That very first pattern I even changed the design..and I have been designing my own quilts ever since.

 Why do you Quilt?

Makes me happy.

10 months ago I gave birth to my baby no.3. Seconds after he was born, nurses and doctors couldn't get him to breathe properly. X-rays quickly followed and revealed that his lungs hadn't developed properly. After an indescribable 39 hours...he passed away.

It has been a daily, hourly, moment by moment struggle, dealing with the sudden loss of my little boy Chase. After a couple months, I found myself madly sewing, thinking up new pattern designs... Quilting has given me something fun and exciting to think about. Keeps my mind active, has helped me heal and cope with my empty heart and home.

6 months ago I started selling my patterns Sand Castles, Diamond Bouquet, Star Jewels, Rolling Meadows, Curlicue Crush, latest Eden's Garden. At that time I also started a blog, born out of my obsession with fabric, and my love for my little boy Chase. So it started.... Chasing Cottons.

 What is your favourite Quilting Tip?

Don't be nervous to try something new, and find your local quilt shop and sign up for a Sampler Quilt class. A few months after I started quilting, I took a sampler class. It consisted of 20 different quilt blocks, each block taught a few different techniques. So, by the time you had finished the 20 blocks... you had many many different ways to work with fabric. It gave me the fundamentals for so many different types of quilting. Although these techniques may not be the new 'modern' way style... you can incorporate these basics into so many new and different designs.

 What is your design process??

I find a lot of inspiration everywhere. When it comes to designing a new quilt, the fabric is my main source of inspiration. However, my quilt patterns can easily suit any fabric...but that's just where I start. I also find a lot of inspiration from many amazing blogs, flickr, magazines etc. I doodle my designs on grid paper to see if I can get them to work in block forms so they will be easily put together. I pretty much work out the whole quilt before I begin cutting. Then the best part...cutting, sewing, quilting!!

Do you sew other things?

Sometimes. I LOVE quilts, and they are my passion, but over the last 6 months I have gained so much inspiration from other blogs.  I have ventured on into a few quick projects. A dress for my daughter, a couple gathered clutches and currently I'm just setting up a new house and sewing room. So in 2011 I have a few tutorials coming soon. Covers for sewing machines, ironing boards, pillows, kitchen knick knacks, fabric wall art... plus a few new quilt patterns buzzing around in my head.

 Anything else you would like us to know about you??

In the real world, I'm just a stay at home mum with three kids, Tanner 6, Indianna 3 1/2, and Chase, and a husband who is the most wonderful person in the whole world.

Thank you so much for having me on your blog... its been fun to visit!! 

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you so much Rebecca for coming for this lovely visit today! 

If you have never had the pleasure of a visit over at  Chasing Cottons you must get on over there and see what Rebecca has been up to! But don't go just because of this giveaway!  Visit with her because you want to meet perhaps a new friend...someone you can spend time with each week and be inspired by... and by doing so you will be supporting one of the newest designers out there creating patterns for us to quilt with!

The giveaway:  2 of Rebecca's patterns ~~ Winner's choice!

So...What do you have to do to sign up for the 2 patterns that Rebecca is allowing me to giveaway here on my blog?...

It is simple...Just leave a comment here on this post!

The giveaway will run for 1 week..... On January 24th at 10:00 a.m. Eastern time, I will post the winner!!

If you post the giveaway on your own personal blog and someone signs up and tells me you sent them, you will gain an extra entry for each person who comes from your blog!

What's For Sunday Lunch?

Does this not look YUMMY!!

Natalia over at Piece N Quilt posted a yummy looking recipe on her blog this morning and my mouth went to watering!! So, I decided to make it for our Sunday lunch!!  I already had some deboned chicken in the fridge so that made it so easy to just whip out the pan and the other ingredients and get to work in the kitchen making up this tasty treat!

oops...Don't have sour cream, heavy whipping cream, green chiles, or the cheddar cheese!!

HONEY!!! Will you go to to the grocery store for me, pleaseeeee??? And you know he did...yep... Gotta love my honey!  And it is rather easy to "just up and run" to the store when we live 10 minutes from town! ha!

I started putting together the ingredients and spices while he was gone and finished off the recipe when he got back... Now it is simmering and waiting for noon so we can indulge our tastebuds!!

And THIS! is what we are having for dessert!  Yes!  I know... I am dieting!!  But I promise...ONLY 1 slice!!  Hubby can eat the rest this week!  and I DO promise to be good! So stop yelling!

OH!! What's that you say??? Where is the recipe???

Well... head on over to Natalia's via this link and you will find it!  BUT... don't open the page and hurriedly search for the recipe!!  Read the whole post... You WILL be glad that you did! :)

And please comment here and tell us all what you are having for Sunday lunch! :)

My 2010 Favorite Creation!

I am linking up over at Beverly's for Happy Pink Saturday!!  Why don't you go over and link up your favorite Pink post! :)

You can find today's Happy Pink Saturday post here.

AND LINKING UP OVER AT LAURIE'S FOR:

A Few Of My Favorite Things!

If you had asked me 3 years ago would I ever consider doing crazy quilting, I would have said no.  I had never been drawn to it but I did love to look at other people's work.  Although you could give me a needle anytime and I would sit for hours handquilting, taking the time to sew on beads and do the hours of embroidery that crazy quilting takes, never intriqued me.  Until a couple of years ago when my friend Nicki talked me into joining one of her CQ One Block Swaps!  I could not believe just how much I enjoyed using my imagination and creating a piece for a friend.

Of course, that first piece was nothing much to look at.  I wish I could do that piece over but we all have to start somewhere.  My CQ abilities have grown by leaps and bounds over the past 2 years and I thoroughly enjoy creating the pieces I work on.  It is like someone else takes over my body and I am mesmerized by what is transpiring right before my eyes!

Of the few things that I was able to get completed in 2010 this CQ piece for my granddaughter Allie takes top honors of being the best thing I think I have ever created in my life!  I was very proud of what I had accomplished when I looked at the final piece!

My good friend Nicki issued a challenge to the HGTV quilters to create a crazy quilt block using a teacup, 2 fabrics, 2 charms and a piece of lace.  You could use any and all other supplies that you wanted but these things had to be part of your block.  She was going to have 1st - 3rd prizes after the ladies who had made the blocks, voted for their top 3!

I won 1st place!!  The prize was $100.00 which I spent in Nicki's Etsy shop! Ravioleedreams

My block was designed for my granddaughter, Allie. Her birthday was in October and this is her gift from me. She loves ALL things pink...EVERY new outfit she bought for school this year is...pink...I kid you not... We do get her in other colors but if she could wear pink every day of the year, she would be as happy as a little pig in the mud!

Every time we go home, she always talks Butch into getting in her bedroom floor with her and they have a tea party. She has dress up clothes that she wears but she hasn't talked Butch into dressing up yet but he does drink her "tea"...But bless her poor little dogs heart...she makes her dress up in a frilly tutu skirt and ribbons in her hair... Allie is a mess!!

The first photo is of Allie and my grandson parker... As you can see, a rare non-pink moment. :)

 And here is the block that I made for her...