Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Blog Tour & Giveaway
**WINNERS ANNOUNCED! See bottom of this post!**

Hello all! About a year ago I was asked by the nice ladies from Quiltmaker magazine to submit a block design for Volume 2 of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks. What an honor!! This was way before Playdate and Sanctuary were out, so I used Flora & Fauna and designed this sweet little block for the magazine. It's a simple block by most quilters' standards but I added my stamp on it by adding a strip of selvedge to the center piece. You know how much I loves me some selvedge!



It wasn't until last week that I learned that my name made it to the cover. WOOOHOO! Yup, that's me... second name from the bottom... check out the company I'm keeping these days!



I've been paging through the magazine in my spare time (cough, cough) and drooling at the talent within these pages! WOW! My block design, which I've named Flutter, can be made up into a full size quilt, a wall hanging or a table runner by just repeating it several times or mixing in other block designs within this magazine. I turned mine into a pretty cute pillow because, well... I *heart* pillows and it would appear I have a secret mission to fill our house up with fluffy, plushy goodness. I finished my pillow with a selvedge envelope closure just like these. Easy-peasy!



This collector's issue goes on sale November 16th but you have a chance (no, THREE chances!) to win your very own advance copy right here! Just leave me a comment and this Friday the 12th I will randomly pick three winners. I have 2 copies of mine to give away and the good folks at Quiltmaker magazine have offered a third copy for another lucky winner! In addition, one of the winners will also receive HALF YARD CUTS OF ALL THE FABRICS FEATURED IN THIS BLOCK! That's enough to make several of these blocks... you may even get a table runner or a wall hanging out of it. :)

Don't forget to leave a way to contact you if you win. An email address or clickable link is sufficient.

***11/13/10 -- CONTEST IS CLOSED! READ BELOW FOR WINNERS!***

Thank you all for the wonderful comments! This was such a fun contest. We have randomly chosen 3 winners. The 1st winner gets the magazine and fabric bundle. The other 2 will get a copy of the magazine.

#20 TaniLove said...

Ok I've probably entered every drawing you've had in the last year and nothing. I love the block and the fabrics, it would be so fun to win since I'm getting ready to embark on trying to make a quilt for my chickies, I'm not so optimistic but I know they will like it no matter what, for a while anyway ;) Would be so nice to learn some techniques and get started with that fabulous fabric!

#202 Quilter Kathy said...

OMG...a new magazine and new fabrics?!? I would think I'd died and gone to heaven! Surely that is what heaven will be! Love the block and expecially love the envelope enclosure on your pillows!

#284 elena said...

Beautiful pillow. Love Flora collection and this color is energizing, great!!!
Would love to win a copy and of course a fabric lot by you :D

Congratulations, ladies! Please email your mailing addresses to info@modkidboutique.com so we can get these prizes to you. Thank you!!

Sweet Goodbyes

This morning we sent our girls off for their first day of school. It's always bittersweet for me because they are here usually all Summer long (except for their occasional visit to FL) so I am so used to hearing their pitter-patter and their chitter-chatter all day long but its precisely that pitter-patter and chitter-chatter that makes my productivity titter-tatter. So now, more than ever I'm so looking forward to some peace & quiet around here so I can finally hear my own thoughts (and hopefully they'll materialize into something).



Sophie is joining the ranks of the big kids at her school as she enters the 3rd grade. She loves her new teacher, Mrs. Cox, and was happy to see a lot of her old friends in her new classroom.



Sydney thinks she's a big girl now... going to Kindergarten in the "big kid's school" and all... but she'll always be my baby. Here she is with her teacher, Mrs. Cummins.



Of course, I had to take the "first time I sat at my desk" photo. I'm such a sap! But, come on, how could I not? She looked so happy and proud!



The outfits the girls wore on their first day of school are part of a new sewing pattern coming out this Fall, so yes, folks, you are getting a bit of an early sneak peek here. You'll love this pattern as it comes with a myriad of options... you can seriously make about 8 different looks with it! Here are a couple of photos I took last week for the pattern booklet:





Soooo... since we've been doing a heck of a lot of sewing lately here in the studio (in between all the chitter-chattering), we've also amassed a big heaping pile of knits scraps and even some quilting cotton scraps. They multiply by the bucketfuls each day and are taking over every surface of my work space so I'd love to bid a "sweet goodbye" to these scraps and send them off to a good home. I'm sure we'll have more than 1 bag by the end of this week but time will only tell just how many...

Leave me a comment below this post and we'll randomly pick 1 or more winners by the end of this week! (and don't forget to leave a way to contact you, even if it's a clickable link) Good luck!

WDT, Part 3: Orlando
Bernina University

And on with the tour... We spent the next few days in sunny Orlando at the Bernina University 2010 show. I really didn't know what to expect since this was our first time attending but I was certainly not disappointed. Set-up was a snap (a few minutes of our time versus the 2 days it takes to set up a Quilt Market booth). The setting couldn't be any more gorgeous. And there was lots of opportunity for networking. I saw some familiar faces there and met lots of new people.

I spent most of my days doing this...



While the rest of the family did this...



But they did let me out once in a while, so I can't complain...



The highlight of the show was in no doubt the last day in which Sydney was invited to participate in the 2010 Bernina University Fashion Show. WOW! What a wonderful experience this was for all of us, but especially for my little baby, who had her runway debut and never even broke a sweat (I can assure you the rest of us were way more nervous than she was!)

The Fashion Show lasted well over an hour but we wanted to share a little 6-minute excerpt from the show with you all. This is the portion that showcases the indie pattern designers such as yours truly but you'll also recognize some familiar names like Pink Fig, Lila Tueller, Lucy Morey and Colette Patterns. Enjoy...



(and yes, I know the announcer called Kyoko "Ava"... oh well. She realized her mistake later on and corrected it when the real Ava came out.) ;)

And now for the giveaway! I made a lot of new friends at Bernina University and it totally paid off to stay till the end because after the show, most vendors left behind lots of show samples. The Olfa booth was right next to ours and the nice Olfa lady gave me a couple of Olfa Circle Rotary Cutters which she assured would be ideal for cutting those circles on the sides of my Sun & Surf Tote... and she was right! This tool is downright GENIUS! Down the aisle from us the nice couple manning the Dritz booth gave me a few samples of their 40 mm snap-on grommets, which are the same size that I use for the Sun & Surf Tote. You see where I'm going with this, right?



I would love to share the wealth with one of my dear blog readers by giving away a prize package which includes:

1 Olfa Circle Rotary Cutter
1 Pkg of Dritz brand 40mm snap-on Grommets (you choose the color...I have 8 different colors! And each package contains 8 grommets.)
1 Sun & Surf Tote pattern
3 yards of Patty Young fabric (you choose the fabrics from any of my 4 quilting cotton collections!)

Just leave a comment below and tell me... well... anything! Did you enjoy the video? Do you want your own complete Sun & Surf Tote kit? What fabrics would you choose if you won? Are you enjoying your Summer so far? Have your Summer travels taken you anywhere fun and exciting?

I'll randomly pick a winner one week from today (Monday, July 26). Good luck!!!
Added: please leave a way to contact you in the comments... either a clickable link or an email address. In the past we've had a heck of a time trying to contact contest winners! ;)

Coming Up For Air

Today I did my make-up, styled my hair and drove a car for the first time in over a week. I went to the dentist... for my 6 month check-up.... oooooh, thrilling stuff, really. Twice a year (usually right after the 2 Quilt Markets) I shut myself away from the world for anywhere between 1 to 2 weeks to work on my next fabric collection. I pretty much become a non-functioning hermit. I don't talk on the phone, blog, tweet or FaceBook. I forget to eat, sleep and sometimes even go to the bathroom. It's not a pretty sight but it's the only way I can accomplish the task at hand. See, I'm not an "occasional designer." I've never had the capacity to just go about my daily tasks and collect random ideas here & there in the hopes they will someday become something. Not me. I thrive on intensity, stress and deadlines. Which makes it even the more strange that I'm blogging right now, because I'm definitely not done. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but I'm not there yet. It was that darn reminder call from the dentist that jolted me out of my trance and now I'm trying my hardest to get my mojo back.

Last week (before I descended into my dungeon) I tweeted that I had collected some rather large bags of scraps from all my previous collections and wanted to know if anyone wanted them. These are medium-to-large pieces... some even as large as a fat quarter! And huge, 2 lb. bags full of them! I figured, if I only got 2 or 3 responses I would just give them to those lucky people. But after the dozens and dozens and dozens of replies kept coming in (even 2 and 3 days after my original tweet) I figured that the fairest thing to do would be to do a giveaway on my blog.

So stay tuned. As soon as those print outs are off my desk and on their way to MMF I'll be back!

off to look for my mojo...

Mommy & Me Giveaway

This is the one you've all been waiting for! With Mother's Day fast approaching I thought this would be a great chance to win some lovelies for yourself, your mother, your daughter, your sister, your best friend or any woman that makes your life special.

*****

We'll start with none other than The Vintage Pearl. Erin and I go waaay back to my old eBay children's custom boutique days. Seems we always ended up in the same launch groups and cooperating on projects. I always loved her jewelry (and bought plenty of it for myself back in the day) so you can imagine my surprise when I received an email from Erin offering to make me one of her precious stamped necklaces and participate in this giveaway! I was so happy to learn that her company has grown exponentially in the past couple of years and browsing through her store was an absolute pleasure... pure eye candy if I shall say so myself. Just look at the necklace she made me! *gasp* I am in love with that dainty ampersand... aren't you?



Erin has so graciously donated 2... yes, TWO $50.00 Gift Certificates to be used for any purchase in her online store, and if you've ever browsed her store, you know that you can easily pick something for $50.00... the only problem is what to pick! I know it took me like 2 days to decide on mine (I wanted one of each! heehee). So, leave a comment below and enter to win one of these 2 amazing certificates. And in the meantime, check out Erin's blog, where she is currently running a Mother's Day promotion.

*****

My second giveaway is sponsored by the lovely Linda Edson of Lily and Ebony (a.k.a. Allegro Fabrics). Linda and I also go way back to the custom boutique days and it makes me smile when I see how far her business has grown. Allegro Fabrics has been a supporter of all my endeavors since the very beginning. They carry my fabric collections and my sewing patterns and a little birdie told me they have recently ordered the new knits and patterns. :) Stop by Allegro Fabrics... it is a lovely place to browse around if you are a sewing aficionado like myself!



Now, about the giveaway... in Linda's own words:

Flora and Fauna daisies are the perfect flower for Mother's Day! When this group came through the door at AllegroFabrics, I knew a dress would be in the making. I love how it turned out; had it modeled and photographed and asked Patty if she would like me to make a custom one for a giveaway on her blog. She agreed! I am so honored.......This will be a custom dress, made in sizes 2-6, sent in time for Mother's Day, sewn by LilyandEbony.
To enter the giveaway, just sign the guest book at AllegroFabrics with Flora and Fauna Dress Giveaway in the message box. That's it! A random drawing will take place in one week. Here is the link to the AllegroFabrics Guest Book.
http://allegrofabrics.com./guestbook.htm
Linda
AllegroFabrics
LilyandEbony Clothing Design

So, there ya have it... what a great giveaway item! How sweet is this outfit?!? It just makes my heart melt! Here's a couple more pictures, because a blog can never have too much eye candy. ;)

*****

And finally, I couldn't let these two ladies have all the fun. Since I love my mom and I know you all must have a crafty lady who inspires you everyday, I am giving away a bundle of crafty goodness. My shipment of WHERE WOMEN CREATE magazines just arrived on our doorstep yesterday and I have set one of them aside for a lucky winner. This lucky winner will also receive 5 full yards from my Flora & Fauna collection. Yes, that is 1 yard each of 5 assorted coordinating designs! (and, if you prefer a different colorway, I can do that instead... I'm easy that way!) ;)



Leave a comment below to win this crafty bundle. Four lucky winners will be chosen one week from today, Friday, April 30th 2010, one for each prize detailed above. Please don't forget to leave an email addy where we can contact you if you win.



**I know a lot of you are waiting patiently to get your signed copy of the magazine. We will be adding them to the website shortly and will announce as soon as they're up there.**

I'm Baaaack!

Thank you all SO much for all your warm wishes regarding our 10th Wedding Anniversary. Jon and I had an AMAZING time last weekend. We were greeted at the hotel with a bottle of wine...



And some chocolate-covered strawberries...



I mean, look at these!



LOOK!!! The printing is edible... it's not a piece of paper you have to rip off! YUM!



The staff was so courteous and attentive. Everywhere we went -- the front desk, the spa, the restaurant, the bar -- we were greeted by "Happy Anniversary, Mr. & Mrs. Young!" and presented with cards and gifts...



They even printed a special menu for us at their restaurant...



At the spa, all we wore were these super plush robes and fuzzy slippers. We felt like royalty! :)



I could've stayed there for weeks! But alas, we had to get back to the real world eventually.

This week has been pure madness for me, trying to catch up with work. On Wednesday evening I had my presentation for the Quilt Guild in Peoria, IL, and it was such a fabulous time. I met some amazing local women and we had such a great time chatting and getting to know each other. This is what my little set up looked like...



Michael Miller Fabrics donated a couple FQ Bundles to give away as door prizes and those were a HUGE hit! They donated the Mezzanine and Flora & Fauna bundles you see on the top of this stack and I supplemented the giveaway with an Andalucia bundle and a couple of sewing pattern bundles. All in all we had 5 awesome door prizes, so congratulations to the lucky ladies who walked away with these bundles of goodness.



And thanks a bunch to all the local peeps who came out to see me that night!!! :)

Well, I'm sure you are all on the edge of your seats waiting to find out who was the lucky winner of my Flora & Fauna bundle, so without much further ado, the randomizer picked.... drum roll please...



Comment #86 out of 237 comments is Sandi from Litchfield, IL
Sandi said...

Gosh, it's so hard to picka favorite! There are so many good ones. :) My favorite prints are dandelions, ta dots and blossoms, and my favorite colorways are the turquoise and stone. So how's that for narrowing it down?!

Have a great time on your trip!

Congratulations, Sandi!!! Please email me your mailing address at info@modkidboutique.com and I'll get you this little bundle of happiness right away.

It's off to work I go... toodooloo

Want fabric?

You guys all know how much I love to blog... I'm a social media junkie! So you know if I stay away from here & twitter for too long there must be some juicy stuff cooking up at the studio. Oh I have so many things to share with you in the coming weeks... new fabric, new patterns, new "secret stuff". I'm even stirring up a fun giveaway and a free tutorial into the mix, mmmm... smells great! So please keep checking for a taste of things to come.

In the meantime, you must check out this interview I did at the True Up virtual offices. Those girls were so warm & welcoming that I felt comfortable enough to share my design process with them... ohhh... some real behind the scenes stuff in there, don't miss it! (Plus, of course I am giving away some fabric there too!)