Excitement!! OH YEAH!

I LOVE receiving emails from the winners of my sponsored giveaways!  But this one was really...well... You be the judge!

Do you think she was happy with her winnings? :)

Thearica and Dave,

OMG!!! It came this afternoon! It is so beautiful. The workmanship is exquisite. The choice of woods is fabulous. The wood is so smooth to touch. The lid fits perfectly. The corners are all mitered. It is absolutely fantastic!!! I am so grateful to you and Dave. Please feel free to post this so others can learn about his beautiful work.

Thank you,

Peggy

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Just to remind you all what she won...

It's getting near to Christmas!  Hurry over to Dave at Quilt Boxes to check out what he has in stock!

Versatile Blogger Award!

Kristina over at Farm Girl Transplant and Hilachas over at Muchashilachas both sent me an email letting me know they had passed the Versatile Blogger Award to me.  

I think this is the first award that my blog has received and it is shocking that it got one let alone got the same award from 2 different bloggers!  I try to write about interesting things but sometimes my blog falls short of what I would really like for it to be.  I am hoping to bring lots more longarm quilting to the blog over the next few weeks.

For now, I hope you will enjoy the How Does Your Garden quilt alongs each Sunday that I am hosting as well as the quilt show, Men Quilt Too, that I am bringing live to all of my readers starting on October 1st!

Along with the award comes the rules of accepting it...

1. Thank and link back to the person who gave you the award.
2. Share seven things about yourself on the post.
3. Pass the award to fifteen bloggers that you think deserve it.
4. Lastly, contact all of the bloggers that you've picked for the award. 

7 things about me..... 

1.  My daddy named me.  He also spelled my name the way it is which proved to be very challenging for people throughout my life.  Thearica (which is pronounced Theresa) has been pronounced so many ways I have lost count.  Some people have really messed the pronunciation up so bad that I actually laughed.  And those telemarketers..they are the funniest...they always say, I think we have your name misspelled and after arguing with them for a couple of minutes they finally concede that they actually do have it spelled correctly.  I have always wanted to put my name on my tag but have steered clear of that.  I know people would be wondering what all of those letters stood for. ha!

2.  I was a straight A student all through school until my senior year.  I received a D in Literature while we were studying Romeo and Juliet.  And the kicker to that is, I got married during that 6 weeks!  I thought my senior sponsor was going to kill me...and my mom about threw a coronary!   Instead of having a shot at valedictorian, I graduated 4th in my class!

3.  Learning always came easy to me in school and I know that is why I was a straight A student.  But I always wondered what it would be like to cheat.  So, one day in Miss Hardin's English class I made some cheat notes to use on a test.  I put them between my legs so I could look down at them when I wanted to.  (I didn't need them because I knew the test but that was not the point).. Miss Hardin must have saw me looking between my legs because right in the middle of the test, she asked me to get up and go pick something up off of the floor.  I know my face was beet red!!  I slid forward before getting up so that cheat note would hit the floor.  I NEVER tried that again.. and she did not mention it after class... I really think she knew why I was doing it... or else I would have been toast!!

4.  All through high school my nickname was Fred!  Several of my friends bestowed that nickname on me and it has stuck ever since!  I will be 51 my birthday and I still have friends who call me Fred when they see me!

5.  I can blow my nostrils in and out like a rabbit!  I love lettuce but I don't like carrots. ha!

6.   I have hammer toes!  But so did my daddy.  My granddaddy was sitting in my living room one Sunday afternoon and I had my bare feet on the hassock.  He looked at my feet and said "Well, I'll be John Brown if you don't have your daddy's feet".  I smiled really big!

7.  I love mayonnaise sandwiches!  Sunbeam bread and Kraft mayo!  Kraft mayo on saltines is delicious too!

8.   When I take a shower I always turn the water on ice cold before I get out and let it hit me for a few seconds.  Otherwise, I sweat up a storm when I get out.  My brother is the same way...and I found this out once when he stopped by here on one of his long haul trips.  He stopped for a nap, shower and dinner.  He was sweating up a storm when he came out of the bathroom.  He then said "I knew I forgot something".  I asked him what...and he told me he always turns the water on cold before he gets out!  I laughed and he looked at me funny but then I told him we shared the same thing in common. :)

9.  I like polk salad.  This grows around most barns and can be poisonous if not cooked properly.  Scramble some eggs into it once it is cooked tender and make a large pone of cornbread and hush your mouth cause it is good!!

10.  I am deathly afraid of heights!  I guess I will never see Ireland or Australia because I am certainly not going to fly!!

Hmmmmmm... YEP! 3 extra and above!!  But I didn't know which ones to leave out! ha! :) 

Now, who do I pass the torch on to??

Who else but 15 of my girlfriends on the HGTV Quilting and Needlework Forum! I would love it if you all would visit their blogs and say hello to them! 

And if you are in search of a great quilting forum come on over and check us out! We have lots of fun together!

1.  Kathi

2. Kathy

3. Nicki

4. colleen

5. Linda

6. Jody

7. Jessica

8. Shey

9. Sandie

10. Bonnie

11. Carolyn

12. Tammy

13. Penny

14. Donna

15. Sherry

Thanks again Kristina of Farm Girl Transplant and Hilachas of Muchashilachas!!

You have made my day!

How Does Your Garden Grow - Sunday Linky Party!!

Here we are for another Sunday linky party to show off those flowers we all created this past week!  I wanted to say again, that I am sorry that I failed to post the linky party last week!  I had a lot going on a few days before and I was just plumb tuckered out and actually forgot all about it! But I am here this week with bells on and ready to see what you all planted in your gardens!

For me, I didn't get any more flowers made but I did get 2 of the 3 blocks shown over the last 2 linky parties added to the quilt top!  I have decided that this one will be a 4 x 4 wallhanging so I am officially half way there...IF you don't count the outer borders.  I am so excited to be this far because I am giddy about the border I will be adding and can't wait to show it to you!

So, are you ready to show us the flowers you were able to plant this week! I know they are beautiful!

LINK AWAY!

Leave the URL directly to your flower post on your blog in the box below.

And please remember to link back here to my blog in your post. Thanks so much everyone!

And remember while you are linking, to visit the other gardeners to see their newest flowers and leave them some comment love. :)

And while you are here, check out the post about the quilt show, Men Quilt Too! ... A quilt show that will happen right here on Pig Tales and Quilts! ... I am so excited!!

Nothing Says Fall Like A Pumpkin!!

I am hosting a block swap on the HGTV Quilting and Needlework Forum with several ladies participating.  I have started receiving some of the blocks and wanted to share them with my readers!  They are all just wonderful!  The only rules were that the pumpkins could not "read" Halloween nor be made with novelty type fabrics.

If all 9 blocks are different, you will see all 9.  If they are different in fabric but not pattern, you will still see all 9.  If they are identical in fabric and pattern, you will only see 1 of the 9.

So, What do you think?

Jennifer (QuilterJen)

Karen (califshrimp)

Colleen (alexemmarose)

Joyce (ladybuggsie)

Debbie (debbieWI)

Kathy (omma5)

Cheryl (AuntieReba)

Ellen (kwilt4u)

Linda (lindaj52)

Kathleen (Kay-Lin)

Chris (QuilterChris)

Chris (QuilterChris)

Ellen (ekbuckeye)

Thearica (Quiltaholic)

Nancy (Nancyc20)

 
Ellen (hotpinkpeonies)

Elizabeth (ELY/SSYS) 

 

Follower In The Spotlight! - Sharon of Coyote Quilts!

 Please say hello to Sharon of Coyote Quilts!

 

Where does one start telling their story? Everybody usually says, 'at the beginning, of course'. Now that would take way to long and you probably get bored before I got to the good parts..... So, I'll start with my quilting journey. 

 

I have always wanted to quilt, but back before the invention of the rotary cutter and mat I didn't even attempt one. I am more of an immediate satisfaction person and knowing I had to draw out all of the shapes, cut them out with scissors and then sew them together made me just shake my head. It didn't matter if it was sewn by hand or machine at that point because it just took way to long. That didn't mean that I wasn't familiar with a sewing machine. I made lots and lots of clothes for myself as well as several members of my family. Along with the clothes I did several types of crafts and of course did the craft fairs. 

 

Now, after the rotary cutter and mat was invented all things turned around. For the first 10 years (or there about) I taught myself what I needed to know by following patterns. Following patterns went along with clothes patterns, so this was easy for me to do. As with all beginners I still made mistakes. I think the biggest one was using the lines on the mat instead of the ruler. I had some mismatched blocks! I kept plugging along collecting all the notions and gadgets that was needed for my new hobby and of course patterns and material. 

 

Since that time I have perfected my cutting, can figure out a pattern on a finished quilt and reproduce it, enjoy making half square triangles and flying geese, taken a few quilting classes, and taught a few quilting classes. I think the highlight of my quilting career has been the quilting classes that I have taken with Kaye Wood. I am now a certified quilt instructor with Kaye's 'Starmaker' rulers. Learning how to quilt 'The Kaye Wood Way' is great for beginners and seasoned quilters alike. 

 

Currently I am working on Mug Mat and Wrap combos. On the wrap I embroider a cup of steaming coffee in the center and make it yours by adding your name and the mat is a design of my own that is made 'The Kaye Wood Way' of course! 

 

Along with my feature I am offering up for a 'giveaway', a Mug Mat/Wrap combo in the winners choice of fabric color and personalized. So for your chance to win hop on over to my blog and while you are there please click my follow button so you can keep up with what I am up to!

 

Happy Quilting,
Sharon

 

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Thank you Sharon for such a wonderful story! I can relate to those days gone by before rotary cutters!  I have sat for hours with cardboard templates and scissors.  How did we get along back then??

I hope all of you will head over to Coyote Quilts and say hello to Sharon!  You have to sign up for the giveaway over on her blog. I love comments too so leave me a little lovin' as well!  Who knows... just might have a little giveaway of my own for those who comment here. :)

How Does Your Garden Grow Gardeners ----

I am very sorry that the linky party did not go live yesterday... I was completely exhausted from attending the Ricky Tims Super Seminar and completely forgot!!  I slept most of the day!

I am so very sorry and please accept my apologies!!

How about next Sunday we have a giveaway for those who come and link up!! :)

Double Pleasure Giveaway Winners Announced!

I put everyone's entries on paper this time around and drew the 3 winners we have for the giveaway here....

If you will remember  Tammie of Patchwork Gracie donated a jelly roll of Northwoods Artisan Batik Roll-Up by Robert Kaufman!

And.......

Dave from Quilt Boxes  graciously offered up 2 of his beautiful boxes!!

And here we have our 3 winners!!

 

MoeWest wins the jelly roll!!

LeeAnn wins the darker box with the Star!!

Peggy wins the lighter box with the Churn Dash!!

Congratulations to our winners!!

You all have until Friday, Sept 23 at NOON Eastern time to reply to your winner notification emails.  If you fail to reply, your prize will be voided and a new winner will be drawn.

Thank you Tammie of Patchwork Gracie and Dave from Quilt Boxes!!

Celebrate Christmas Quilt Along!

 I am super excited to be a part of my first ever quilt along!!  My block will be featured on October 26th!

It’s time for some quilting fun this Fall. Over 12 weeks, 36 designers will create blocks for the Celebrate Christmas quilt-along. These blocks will be featured, 3 per week, on the Quilting Gallery site starting September 13th. In addition to the blocks, there will be Super Deals for Quilters from our favorite online retailers.

• Featured Designers (quick links to the blocks)
• Super Deal Advertisers (quick links to the savings)
• Blog Posts – Blocks and Super Deals are here!
• Upload your blocks – Flickr Group

Campaign Highlights

• Start: September 13, 2011
• End: December 1, 2011
• Length: 12 weeks
• 36 designers creating 12" blocks for quilters to make.
• Designer profiles, their blocks and a Super Deal for Quilters will be featured each Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
• Quilters can complete the blocks and upload to this Flickr group to share their creations and for a chance to win hand-painted Buttons from Incomparable Buttons.
• Completed quilts and projects made with the quilt-along blocks will be featured in next January’s Weekly Quilt Contests on the Quilting Gallery website!.

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Advertisers – Super Deals for Quilters

With the Christmas quilting season fast approaching, the Super Deal advertising is an excellent opportunity for online quilt shops to increase their site traffic and make sales. If you’re interested in being a Super Deal advertiser, please email Michele and she’ll send you the information package.

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Upload your Blocks to Flickr to WIN some Buttons!

Incomparable Buttons have donated 36 buttons cards to be awarded to quilt-along participants.
Here’s how it works. You’ll have two weeks from when a quilt-along block has been published to make the block then upload it to the Flickr group. The staff at Button Mad – Incomparable Buttons will be reviewing the photos and choosing one winner for each of the blocks. Winners will be contacted via Flickr mail from Button Mad. Super simple!

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 So, what are you waiting for?? Get on over to the Quilting Gallery and start making those blocks!

My Amazing Weekend!

I have just had the most amazing weekend of a lifetime!  I was fortunate enough to be able to attend a Ricky Tims Super Seminar, with Ricky, Alex Anderson and Libby Lehman in Asheville, NC!!

Ricky demonstrated his Caveman style of piecing and showed us how he designs his Rhapsody and Kaleidoscope quilts!!  Can you say SUPER easy!! I have sat and looked at photos of his quilts and thought just how difficult it must be to put one of these together!  I have asked many times "What is in the water out west that produces such artistic quilters?"   And now thanks to Ricky and his amazing style of teaching, I can create one of these beautiful quilts myself!!

All through the seminar Ricky, Alex and Libby all interjected their quick wit and humor, only adding to the overall fun of the entire weekend!

If you ever get the chance to attend one of these seminars, you will not regret spending the money!  I PROMISE you that it will be given back to you one-hundred fold in a wealth of information!!!  You really HAVE to see it to believe just how uncomplicated Ricky's designs truly are to produce such magnificent looking quilts!!

Take a look at some of the beauties Ricky Tims had on display!

 

 

I have always wanted to meet Alex Anderson!

And her hand quilting is phenomenal!  I really miss hand quilting and this weekend has made me miss it even more!  Alex was a delight to be able to talk to about your quilting past and how you got where you were today. She was genuinely interested in what you had to say!  I loved that about her!

Libby Lehman was a bundle of energy this weekend! Here she is signing autographs with Ricky!  Her style of quilting is fun, fast and easy! 

My brain feels as though it has been fried!!  WOW!! Such a wealth of information to absorb in 3 days!  And LONG days too!  I cannot wait to get in my studio and try my hand at creating my own Rhapsody quilt!!

On Friday night Ricky treated us all to a piano concert!  He also played a Native American instrument as well!  We all sat mesmerized as he played his beautiful music! It was easy to get lost in it all... I actually teared up several times!

I am pulling this from Ricky's website.. I don't think he would mind the advertising plug-- 

He maintains an extensive international schedule of teaching and speaking engagements, is co-founder and co-host of The Quilt Show (www.thequiltshow.com) with Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims - an online, subscription-based TV show for quilters. He presents three-day Ricky Tims Super Quilt Seminars in select cities throughout the United States and holds week-long La Veta Quilt Retreats at his art quilt studio in tiny mountain town of La Veta, CO. In 2010, he and Alex Anderson started a new quilting lifestyle magazine called The Quilt Life (published by AQS).

I encourage you all to check out Ricky's website to see where his seminar is coming to next!  If it is remotely close to you - GO!!!  You will NOT be sorry!! 

A Double Pleasure Is Waiting For You! - Giveaway Alert!!

I know you all have seen the Doublemint Chewing Gum commercials. Double your pleasure...double your fun...

I have had 2 giveaways on the back burner for a while and they both have come in the house at the same time.  I got to thinking about the commercial for Doublemint Gum  and  I decided why not do a double giveaway! 

How did all this come about... Well...

I entered a weekly themed quilt contest on the Quilting Gallery website 2 weeks ago and won first place on the crazy quilt piece that I made for my granddaughter in 2010.  Tammie of Patchwork Gracie donated the prizes for 1st and 2nd place winners...we both received a 25.00 gift certificate.  I went over to the Patchwork Gracie site to check out her shop and decide what I would spend my gift certificate on. I called Tammie to enquire about the certificate and had a lovely chat with her.  While I was talking to Tammie she asked me if I would like to be her September Featured Quilter!  I readily accepted!  And to top it off, if you agree to be a Featured Quilter you win a gift certificate for 25.00 from her shop!  So I now had 50.00 in prizes to claim!

While we talked I asked Tammie if she would like to do a sponsored giveaway on my blog by sending 2 of the jelly rolls like the one I was going to take as part of my prize allowance.  I would keep one as my prize and then give away the other and she agreed!  So, Patchwork Gracie is now my newest sponsor!

I chose this Northwoods Artisan Batik Roll-Up by Robert Kaufman as part of my prize winnings.  

 

And now you all have a chance to win the very same roll-up!  How about that!  As the photos shows... there is one for me and one for you!!

...Reminds me of the Tootsie Roll commercial and that silly old owl!  How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie roll pop?  ahhh ONE... ahhh... TWO! :)

OK... I have commercials on the brain today! ha!

I also have to show you this but it is hands off... This is all mine! mine! mine!.... This is the remaining part of my prizes from Tammie... I just love this batik!  I am thinking on something along the lines of a quilt that says "Welcome" since the pineapple is a sign of welcoming people into your home.  Isn't it gorgeous!

Thank you so very much Tammie and Patchwork Gracie!

So... How do you get a chance to win this lovely Roll-Up???.....   screech.... halt.... hold on there good buddy.......

I did say this was a double giveaway didn't I! :)

Up next for your double pleasure is Dave from Quilt Boxes!!  Dave has been one of my blog sponsors for some time now and we have been working to get some more of his

boxes over here to give you a chance to own one! 

But wait!!  This is a double your pleasure giveaway right??

Dave has sent over not one but two boxes to be given away this time!!  How about that!  There will be 2 winners for Dave's beautiful boxes!! He has sent 2 of his 4 inch boxes in different woods and design. These are so beautiful!

 

Dave will have an appearance on Oct 1st in Altamont, NY at a show sponsored by the library and Desolation Road Studios so he hopes any upstate New York fans will stop by.

And look at what's new over at Quilt Boxes! isn't this so cool!

OK!!  How about all of this for double your pleasure, double your fun on this awesome weekend!!!

Listen up... there are things to do to be eligible to win any of these 3 fantastic prizes!

The first name that random.org chooses will win the Roll Up from Patchwork Gracie... The second winner will win the darker box with the Star from Dave at Quilt Boxes...and the third winner will win the lighter box with the Churn Dash design, also from Dave at Quilt Boxes! 

You must complete the entire mission in order not to foreit your prize...

1. Comment here to be entered in all 3 giveaways.  This first comment will serve for all 3 prizes.

2.  Follow my blog if you don't already and post to let me know if you do and if you are a new follower.

3.  Go to Tammie's website, Patchwork Gracie  and send her an email to let her know you appreciate her generosity.  The link right here will take you to her contact page.  You will see her address and right below that her phone number.  Her email is right under her phone number.  It is small but it is there.

While you are on the Patchwork Gracie website, look around... You might just find something that you cannot live without!  And I am sure Tammie would appreciate any and all purchases!  Not mandatory.. but you never know when something might just strike your fancy!

4.  Now it is Dave's turn to shine...  Hop over to Dave's blog and read up on what he has going on.  Leave him some comment love and then come back here to let me know you went over.  Be sure to tell him how awesome he is for giving away his beautiful work! 

I think Dave's link to the comment box is dark like his background.

Click right beside of the title to his post and a new page will open...you will find the comment box at the bottom of the post on that new page. 

Dave has a new Art Fire Shop so go over there and see his new creations!  Think CHRISTMAS while you are there!  I can't think of anyone who wouldn't love getting one of Dave's boxes as a gift during the holidays!  Again, not mandatory that you buy anything but hey, it doesn't hurt to look!

Dave wants you all to know this:  
Everyone should be sure and sign up for his news letter (top right of his blog) which gets you entered in all of his giveaways and gets you exclusive coupons from his Art Fire store!

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That's it... 4 things to do to be entered to win one of these 3 awesome prizes!!  And you must do all 4 to be eligible so don't forget one! 

These merchants offer up really nice prizes so it is worth the little extra effort to be signed up for a chance to win!

The giveaway will run until next Sunday evening, September 18th, at 7:00 p.m. Eastern time!  After that I will close sign ups and draw 3 winners!!

Good luck everyone!!