10-for-10 Giveaway #1 Winner

Happy Saturday everyone!

I'm happy to announce our first winner in the 10-for-10 interview and giveaway series.

Our first giveaway was this Heirloom bundle...









And the random generator picked...



And our winner is Sarah!

I think it's so cool that I'll actually get to meet her in person next week!  Congratulations, Sarah - check your e-mail for a note from me.  :)

Thanks to all who entered - don't forget to check the 10-for-10 page all month long for more interviews and giveaways!

it's official... i'm a dork.

psst - if you are looking for my Finished it Friday post for this week, it's here.

That's right, folks.  I'm a dork.   ;o)

A month or so ago, my friend Aubrey asked me to do a tutorial that she could feature on her blog while she was on vacay and I jumped at the chance.  I wanted to do something small because of the mountain of to-do's I had going on.  Pair that with a long-overdue desire to make something for my square dining room table and, voila!!...my Soul Blossoms table topper.




So, head on over to Aubry's and check it out. It actually went up yesterday.  For some reason I had September 11th in my head, but, as I said in my title, I'm a dork.  So to say the least I was pleasantly surprised when I saw her twitter post this morning.  ;o)

We head to the lake in a few hours for the long weekend . . . cannot wait.

Enjoy the topper tutorial!

Finished it Friday - #6

Oh my word.

I can't remember the last time I've been this thankful to see a Friday.  Maybe today instead of "Finished it Friday", I should call this post, "I Survived to Friday".   Have you ever had one of those weeks?  You know...like this:

• Monday:  Kids start school, new work hours (7 am - 6 pm) start.  Sewing class immediately after work, not stopping at home first.  Home about 9.
• Tuesday:  Day two of 5:50 AM wake-up call.  Half-day grad school orientation.  Work until 6 and meet family at ball practice (where hubby graciously brings me a sandwich).  Oh yeah, and grab groceries en route.  Home about 9.
• Wednesday: Birthday breakfast at IHOP (yes, IHOP - his choice) for the youngest.  Work all day after not sleeping most of the night.  Straight from work to church where, thankfully, they have dinner before activities.  Home - you guessed it - about 9.
• Thursday:  Up again at 5:50 - it's not even light yet!  Class all day with a few breaks to run to the office and catch up on work.  Straight to 5:30 birthday dinner at a local restaurant and a ball game.  Massive storm hits before game, we get soaked on the way in only to have them call the game 30 minutes later.  Guess what time I got home?  

At about 4:00 yesterday afternoon, I decided come heck-or-high-water (and the high water nearly happened!) I was going to get some sewing done.  Maybe the storm was God's little gift to me as my parents, who were with us for dinner and the game, took both boys home with them to spend the night and we got to go home early.  That meant a child-free (read: guilt-free) evening with hubby and my sewing machine.

So about an hour later - and I know that because my auto-off iron shut down right before I pressed the last seams - I had these:










The Ohio Star was a welcome break from the sometimes complicated other blocks I've been working on.  It's simple and clean, yet looks fabulous with these fabrics.  These are both for my friend Charlene, who is in my 12 Blocks of Christmas bee.  They are a day or two late (due in August), but I'm pretty sure she'll understand.

So tell me - how has your week been??  Are you enjoying the interviews?  Has life been so crazy that you haven't read any?  Don't worry - I've not caught up with all the blogs I follow, either.

Both giveaways are still open at the time of this post.  You can always check the 10-for-10 page for updates and a list of the giveaways that are open.  At least one should be open every day in September, and most days two will be open.  :)

Now - enough rambling.  Show me what you finished this week!!  Remember - a finish is a finish.  Quilt blocks, quilt tops, entire quilts.  Handbags, back packs, lunch sacks.  Skirts, pants, shirts, scarves.  Pin cushions, mug rugs, doll quilts.  What did you check off your to-do list??

Can't wait to see your work!

10 for 10 #2 - Cara from Me? A Mom?

giveaway closed

Time for Interview #2!  Today, we'll be talking with Cara from Me? A Mom?




I started following Cara earlier this spring - about the same time she started back to work.  As a fellow working mom, her posts truly resonated with me.  There is something to be said for the balance struggle that exists between work and home, and Cara puts it all out there with a style and grace that leaves me both snickering and pondering at the same time.  A quick glance at her Labels Cloud will show you her fabulous sense of humor...my favorite?  If it's not one thing it's another.  That's a daily saying around my house.  Of course, the I'm losing my mind label isn't too far behind because, well... I am.

In the on-line blogging and quilting world, there aren't many of us who have an outside job, kids, and the ability to find more than five minutes of down time.  So it's nice to see Cara doing all the things I try to do and succeed.  I mean, really... her Finished Quilts page puts mine to shame!  Have you seen these?

Folky Flannel Double-sided Quilt

Raspberry Delight

The Wonky Quilt

So, maybe there's still hope for me.  She's also going to the Sewing Summit and I hope to meet her in person there.  Perhaps I can talk her into a cup of coffee so we can swap stories on kids, work, staving off insanity...and enjoy some laughs.

So, without further ado...on with the interview!

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If you won $3,000 today and had to spend it today, what would you buy?
Hands down, I'd buy the nicest Bernina sewing machine I could get. I sew on a very basic Janome that I've completely outgrown.

What color scheme or fabric line are you loving right now?
Oh my goodness, I seem to have a new favorite every day. But right now I love all the crosshatch prints that have recently been released. I also have crushed pretty hard on Joel Dewberry's latest line Heirloom. And, of course, I love just about anything Anna Maria Horner puts out.

What is one thing from your "bucket list"?
I don't even have a bucket list. Is that bad? Most days I'm just trying to make it to bedtime. That said, I would love to some day have the financial freedom to pursue quilting with reckless abandon, but I'd probably file that under "Pipe Dream" rather than "Bucket List."

Is there a sewing technique or quilt block that you would like to try?
I've been extremely intrigued by paper piecing ever since I conquered the Flying Geese block. Cathedral windows have also long been on my list to try.

What hot trends do you see coming our way?
In terms of trends for modern quilting, I think we're going to see a shift to a "what's old is new" trend. We're already seeing some of this from the Farmer's Wife Quilt Along. I'm also noticing bloggers who are making more traditional blocks but with modern fabrics.

What kind of movies do you like and do you have an all-time favorite?
These days I like the kind of movies that involve a theater and a babysitter. Before kids, I loved a good independent film. These days just about anything will do as long as it isn't violent, scary or subtitled.

When you’re faced with a lack of motivation, what do you do to get re-energized?
My inspiration comes in spurts so I've learned to just wait it out. My sewing mojo always returns and with a vengeance!

What one piece of advice would you give a new quilter?
Just start sewing. Don't worry about making mistakes or the "right way" of doing things. Just do. It'll all work itself out. Quilting is a journey, not a destination.

What is your favorite finished project to date?
This changes like the weather for me but right now I'm loving my Birdy quilt. It was the result of a modern quilt guild challenge. Without that challenge, I don't think I ever would have put those fabrics together on my own. I love the unexpected combination of colors and fabrics.

You have an unplanned evening alone with no responsibilities – what do you do?
Hands down I'm the most boring person on the planet (but I'm also the mother of three small girls so maybe you'll cut me some slack). I would soak in the tub and slip into some comfy pajamas. Then I'd cuddle under a quilt and order some fabric online, catch up on blogs, flickr, and pinterest, and then hit the sack early and get some sleep. See?  Boring.  Boring, but true. :)


**********

Well, Cara, boring or not, I have a feeling most of us would do the same with an evening alone.  It sure sounded fabulous to me!

I also think it's pretty cool that we're giving away fabrics from Cara's current "crush" - Joel Dewberry's Heirloom.  Believe it or not, that wasn't planned!

Today's giveaway -- courtesy of Cathy at Wondrous Woven Fabrics -- is a bundle of fat-eighths from the line; one each of Ornate Floral Garnet, Blockade Blossom Crimson, Opal Blush, and Paisley Garnet.









I'm going to make you work for today's entry - bwahahahaa!  It's time to start talking.  :)

For your first entry, tell me which of Cara's quilts is your favorite, and one (G-rated) item from your bucket list. 

In addition to that comment, followers of both Cara's blog and my blog get an optional bonus entry - so comment to let me know if you follow both blogs (either new followers or not-so-new!)

Limit two comments per person.  Comments close at 9:00 am EST on Monday, September 5th and I'll draw a winner that day.

Good luck!