There's a party going on and if you all are followers of Quilting*Gallery then you know that Michele is hosting another great blog hop event. This one is a celebration of St. Patrick's Day and this little leprechaun is dancing with joy at all the great giveaways that are going on at oodles of quilting blogs!!! Just click here and you'll be at Michele's Blog Hop Party where you'll find a list of all those who are participating.

Would you like to know what I'm giving away? Well, I wanted to give you a pot of gold.........as in a small pot filled with gold fabrics but I couldn't find a black pot. Sooooo......I went to my box full of thrift shop treasures that I use for making pincushions and I found this little ceramic basket. Then, I cut an oval of a pretty yellow cotton and I gathered it up with some thread, filled it with crushed walnut shells, then pulled the thread tight to secure the shells.  I stuffed it in the little basket and trimmed it with a bit of vintage rick rack. I added three lucky pins like I do to all the pincushions I make. I don't know why, but it's just sort of a "good luck" thing that I do. And speaking of "good luck".........

All you have to do to win this little spring pincushion basket (and the lucky shamrock fat quarter that it is sitting on) is leave your name and an e-mail link (I must have it to tell you if you are the winner) and you must tell me the luckiest thing that ever happened to you. That's all! You can begin leaving your comments now and a winner will be announced on the evening of Saturday, March 23rd. Giveaway is open to all wherever you are!!  May the luck 'o the Irish be with you!!!
Sandi who has Irish roots in that gray hair of mine. LOL!

Nothing hanging on the line but...........

Look!! There's something new hanging in my sewing room!!! ............

I convinced my husband to pose after he finished hanging this chandelier over my sewing room table work area. Hanging the chandelier is something he's been willing to do for about a year but my fabric piles were so high that there wasn't even a path to get to the middle of the room so he could hang it!  But recently, I have been plugging away at organizing my fabric and finally cleared a path so he could hang this lovely chandelier. Here it is after I tidied up a bit............

There's a story behind this light fixture. If you are a regular follower of my blog, you probably knew a story was coming. :-) This chandelier once hung in the Arlington Haus restaurant in Arlington, MN. Shortly after we moved to Henderson, I decided to shop for groceries in the town of Arlington, just west of us so I could see what the town had to offer. I stopped for lunch at the Arlington Haus. The chandeliers were so pretty and while it looks like it's green and pink, it's actually turgoise and pink. Camera did something funny. Anyway, as I waited for my food to arrive, I took my napkin and sketched a little penny rug design based on the design in the chandelier. When I got home, I sketched out a full-size pattern. Then I began making the design in woolfelt. I made several of them in different colors. I entered a couple in the county fair and earned blue ribbons. Here's a little sample of the different colors but all made with the same basic design...........

I called the design "Table Grace" because I thought it would be a pretty little thing to "grace my table". Then I collected different versions of table grace prayers from friends and family. I always intended to put the design into a pattern and include a few of the table grace prayers with it. I just never have quite made that happen. Maybe someday. :-)  In the meantime, these pretties grace my table for the various seasons and holidays of the year. They make me smile. :-)

Oh, so back to the story. You need to know how I got that chandelier..........

One day, about a year or so after my first visit, I decided to go over to the Arlington Haus and take along a couple of my penny rugs and show them to the owner. I thought she might like to hear how the restaurant's light fixture inspired me. I entered the restaurant and immediately thought I was in the wrong place. I saw salmon colored walls and new sleek black tables, chairs, booths, modern light fixtures. Those pretty chandeliers were all gone!!! I was seated by a waitress and after she took my order, I asked if the owner was available as I had something to share with her. Her name is Denise and she came over to my booth and sat down and I shared how the chandelier inspired me. I told her I loved the renovation but I also missed those pretty chandeliers. And then she said........"Would you like to have one of the chandeliers? We're going to be putting them out on our garage sale but you can have one if you want one." Well, of course, I said "yes" and we arranged that I would come back later and pick it up. I couldn't believe I was going to take that chandelier home. Denise said that as I shared my story about stitching that I reminded her of her mother. It was really sweet the way she said it. So, I came home with the chandelier and showed it to my husband. He was actually quite fond of it and thought it would look good in his office. I thought differently. Life got busy and the chandelier sat wrapped in batting in a large box in the basement. I had this idea that it would look good in my sewing room. However, as mentioned, my sewing room was total fabric chaos until just recently. But when my husband could see that he could get a ladder in place and hang it, he got right to it. In less than an hour today, the chandelier was hung and I absolutely love the way it looks!!! Plus, it gives me much needed light that a little ceiling fixture could not provide. I have some more organizing to do and then I can take a few more pics and show you just how cool my room is looking. In the meantime...........

Here's hoping you all have a good Monday. Going to be a rainy Monday here but I love rain, so very refreshing and much needed for the spring that is to come!

Sandi

Did I buy any quilt fabric?

I did not! That's right, I went to Firefly*Quilt*Shop and I did not buy one piece of cotton quilting fabric. And it was Fat Quarter Friday! Instead, I went straight to the batting .....

and picked up a throw-size quilt batt. I have plenty of tops that need to be finished so my goal is to buy the batting and get some finished. That is, as soon as I get some lessons on my new sewing machine. All things in good time. :-) 
It was not just Fat Quarter Friday but it was also the birthday of Dr. Seuss so I had to take a picture of this soft and fun quilt.........

It was also my sister's birthday and I had made one of those furry infinity scarves and sent it to her a couple week's ago. I love all this soft stuff, like the minky in this monkey quilt. I know someone who might like this one but they're not a kid anymore.........

There were so many adorable soft and fun kids quilts that I was wishing I could make one for somebody.  Maybe I'll have to make one for a donation quilt. Didn't think of that when I was at the shop so I'll have to buy the minky next time I visit Firefly. As long as it's not cotton quilting fabric, I can buy it!!

I love the wooly corner at the shop..........

and needed just one bright blue woolfelt square.  I purchased it and the batting and then, new staff member, Amy, rang up my purchase. Just to be sure, owner Janice checked my bag to make sure I hadn't bought any fat quarters. LOL!  She can vouch for my committment to not buy any cotton quilting fabric. There were no fat quarters in my bag!! Thank goodness, Janice, doesn't mind that I am telling everyone I'm not buying cotton fabric. You see, I'm not buying but that doesn't mean you all don't have to buy. You go right ahead. I have ten more months of "not buying" to get through and it could get a lot harder. Then again, maybe not as I have been deep, deep cleaning in my sewing room and I have found some amazing fat quarters and fabrics that I have bought over the last dozen years. There is no shortage of fabric for my projects! And as you know from yesterday's giveaway post, I am even giving some fabric away. I think it's funny that so many of you are lusting after the pink can and the fabric "trash". I am going to search for another mini trash can so I can do this again sometime.
Going to be a heatwave here in Minnesota today. It could reach 50 degrees above zero. Amazing!!!! I might throw open the window in my sewing room and get some fresh air! :-)  Have a good day all!
Sandi

What's on the line?..........a Giveaway!

Giveaway is closed. Winner will be announced late Saturday afternoon. Had no idea this would be so popular! LOL!
That's right! I've got a little giveaway for you today. Taking a break from sharing a quilt on the line so that I can share some fabric. :-)   You know that saying......."One person's trash is another person's treasure?" Well, if you believe that, then you may want the "treasure" in this pink plastic trash can........

The can is about 10" tall and I have filled it with scraps and some fat quarters that I won't use. If you would like to have this can full of scraps, just leave your name and e-mail contact on this post. I will have my Random Number Man draw a winner on Friday evening. I'll mail the filled can, and some more scraps that I'll pack in the box with it, on March 15th. That'll give me time to add more scraps. You see, I'm cleaning in my sewing room and I am determined to "get a handle on my clutter". If I mail fabric to one of you, it won't be cluttering up my sewing room. Clever, huh?  Note .......... I always offer my giveaways to anyone anywhere, however, this one is only open to residents of the U.S. due to the cost of shipping this heavy little trash can of fabric. For my International readers..........I decided I would do "Four Fine Fat Quarters", for one lucky overseas entry. Tell me if you are from outside the U.S. and your name will go in a separate drawing. :-)
Now, leave your name if you want my fabric trash and then have a great day!!! Tomorrow, I'll let you all know how I'm doing with my personal challenge... "not gonna buy any cotton quilting fabric in 2012". See ya then. Have a great Monday!!
Sandi

And the winners are .......
Chelley wins the Pink Trash Can and Linny from Australia wins the Four Fine Fat Quarters! They have both been notified and replied with their addresses. This was so much fun.......look for me to do it again!

It's Leap Day!!!

In the year 2000, I made a series of small quilts that celebrated a holiday or event for each month in the year. I designed the quilts and taught the classes in the Prior Lake Community Education program and have shared all of them in my Monday "What's on the line?" feature. I don't think I have ever shared this quilt which was also made in 2000. The year of 2000 was also a "Leap year" and I wanted to celebrate so I designed this simple wallhanging. If memory serves me correctly, I taught the class on Leap Day, February 29. And the measurement for the finished wallhanging............29 inches square, of course! Have a good day today! And happy birthday to all of you who were born on this day and only get to celebrate every four years!!!
Sandi

What's on the line?

A breath of spring is on the line today!! ......................

Isn't this one lovely? I adore the pink and green four patches that connect the rings. The fabrics look like they are from the 30's, 40's and 50's and the quilt appears to be "vintage". However, it's machine quilted but not in the typical way that someone would "stipple" a quilt nowadays. So, I am not sure of this quilts age. I only know that it's one of the quilts my folks bought at auction. Oh, and I know I really like this one a lot!! Do you think this one would be called a "Double Wedding Ring" or is it a "Pickle Dish"?

The weather here in Minnesota isn't exactly feeling "like a breath of spring". It was very windy all day yesterday and the big news is that there is supposedly a big snow storm coming on Tuesday!! I'm ready for it. We have had brown grass too long and need some snow so it will feel like winter. The ground needs the moisture so that when spring gets here things can turn green and the flowers will bloom!

Have a good Monday!!!
Sandi

What's on the line?

This is one of the last vintage quilts that I took photos of last fall. It has a soft, sweet spring look to it.................

It's just a simple Dresden plate but, oh, so pretty! It's very worn but still brings a smile. The pink binding is just the right touch for this vintage charmer.  I enlarged the photo and cropped it for the above shot. Below is the original photo taken when the leaves were still green in mid September.

Once again, I wish I had an idea of who made this quilt but it's just another one bought at a farm auction. I picture this one in a small bedroom with white eyelet curtains at the window. They blow in the wind in summer and in the winter you can pull them back and see the frost diamonds on the windows. There's a dressing table next to the bed and it's made from an old table with mismatched legs. The legs are hidden by a pretty cotton skirt made from gathered feedsacks. A small mirror hangs above the table and a satin covered jewelry box holds a locket and other treasures. The room is small but tucked in the corner is an old bookcase painted in a soft apple green. I see a copy of "Gone with the Wind" sitting on the shelf  and postcards from Hollywood stars like Loretta Young and Bette Davis. You may think I'm just imagining all this because I didn't grow up during the 40's. But my mother-in-law did and I have her copy of "Gone with the Wind". And my mother can remember that movie stars would send you penny postcards with their autographs. Over the years, they shared lots of memories and I only wish I written more of them down or recorded them. Now, my mother is writing things down as she remembers the "good old days", and when we chat on the phone and talk about the old days, I take notes. :-)  Ah, yes, simpler times, and simply beautiful quilts.
Have a lovely Monday!  And for those of you here in the U.S.......Happy President's Day!
Sandi