A Prairie Home Quilts

Rachel at p.s. i quilt is having a giveaway for a $50 gift certificate from the Fat Quarter Shop.

I normally don’t enter a lot of giveaways–only if it’s something I’d really like to win–like the OttLite I recently won.  The $50 gift certificate is something I’d really like to win.  So why am I telling you all about the giveaway & therefore decreasing my chances to win? Because I get another chance to win by blogging about it! Go here & leave a comment or 2 or 3 for your chance(s) to win.

Michele at With Heart & Hands was given the opportunity to give away a copy of Freddy Moran & Gwen Marston’s new book on her blog.  Michele says the book has 70 new & innovative designs.  Seventy?  Really? Wow.

The subtitle is:  Freewheeling Twists on Traditional Quilt Designs.  It looks and sounds like fun.  I really need to get more gutsy with my piecing and do some “freewheeling” I think.  I do love the bold, bright colors that Freddy is famous for.  Go & leave a comment here for your chance to win.

This is a photo of my contribution to the Inklingo Projects Blog Giveaway called Welcome Spring! Naturally my sample isn’t finished yet — I need to quilt & bind it.  I hand pieced mine, but this can easily be sewn by machine.  I’ve sewn some of the Inklingo Drunkard’s Path curves by machine for another DP project I’m working on & I can say with confidence that they sew up very nicely by machine.

The winner of my giveaway will receive fabrics printed with the Drunkard’s Path pieces to  cut & sew to complete this 18″ x 18″ block.  It can then be used as a wall hanging or table topper.  I’m including the binding & complete instructions.  My LQS was out of the purple batik, however, so I purchased some pink for the giveaway.  Head on over to the Inklingo Projects Blog to sign up for the giveaways!  There are some other great projects being given away also.

I’ve been working on things these last two months but just haven’t had the brain power to put together something coherent to post. I’ve been silently creative / creating. My mom and youngest son are currently undergoing tests for cancer. Well, my mom is actually still waiting to have her biopsy scheduled after much shuffling back & forth and needless hassle from doctor’s office staff & waiting on insurance approval, etc. My son is waiting on the results from his blood test. His cancer scenario is less likely; but you know, when it’s your kid, you worry. Mom’s is a little more scary as she had breast cancer previously in 1998.

Anyway, that’s why I’ve been remiss about posting and about showing you my OttLite that I won. I love it! Everyone needs one. When I first received it, I had it set up behind my chair that I hand piece & quilt in.

But because I use (a very dilapidated) magnifying lamp when I’m doing hand work & the light from it was canceling out the natural lighting of the OttLite, I decided to put the OttLite over by my sewing machine. I have to say, it’s wunnerful. Everybody needs one.

I won the OttLite Giveaway that Joan @ Quilting on a Budget was having!  I’m soooo excited!  I cannot wait to get this!  Thank you ladies for your well-wishes.  *smile*  Oh, and thank you OttLite!  I’ll post more about the lamp when I receive it.

I’m off again for more house sitting.  No computer access again, still, whatever.  I am getting some quilting done so it’s a good thing, I think; but not having computer access is putting me farther behind on some computer work I need to get done.  I’ll share more about the quilty things I’ve accomplished hopefully this weekend.

Last week while I was house sitting, I was able to use 2 of the Ottlites that Sonia has in her quilt studio. WOW! What a difference they make in being able to SEE. There are many things I do with a magnifying light but I was able to do some of those things without the magnifier using the Ottlite. I can’t afford a new one on my limited budget at the moment; but as I was hopping around quilter’s blogs today, I saw a giveaway for one! There’s still time to enter the drawing at Quilting on a Budget’s Ottlite giveaway! Apparently Ottlite generously donated the lamp for the giveaway. How cool is that? Hoping to win. . .