Winners - Week 4 and Lots More Fun!

Greetings fellow quilters!  I'm excited to announce the Week 4 Winners in "A Month of Monday Giveaways".  Week 4 was sponsored by Sew It Is quilt shop and Aurifil thread.  Many thanks to both of these sponsors for their generosity.

Before I announce our winners...

My heart, prayers, and thoughts go out to the families that have been effected by the terrible storms in the Central and Eastern United States.  May these families find strength to pick up and move on even though they have suffered loss of lives, pets, and homes.  Thank you, dear readers, for keeping these families in your thoughts and prayers as well.

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Winner Selection:  If you recall in last weeks post, I asked you to help me with these choices: 

Because there were more than 400 comments on the Week 4 Giveaway, I decided to tally up the first 200 comments and, after doing so, it was very apparent that the majority of you wanted to go with Option 3 above -- choose 5 winners!  

Week 4 Giveaway Tally - Choice 1, 2 or 3

Your wish is my command...

5 lucky readers will each win 2 spools of Aurifil Thread and one Mini Charm pack. 

I used Mr. Random Number Generator to choose the winners (to be honest I was very surprised at the grouping of these "random" numbers -- but I went with my first 5 clicks using the tool.)

Without further ado, the 5 winners in Week 4 of "A Month of Monday Giveaways" are:

Winner 1:

Winner 2:

Winner 3:

Winner 4:

Winner 5:

Ladies, Congratulations !!  Please email your mailing information to: karen dot keuka at gmail dot com and I will get your fabric and thread spools out right away!!

Thanks again to Sew It Is and Aurifil for their generosity!

One final note:  I personally couldn't be more thankful for such wonderful and supportive followers. 

The comments and feedback on both the "Bouquet Memories" Wall Hanging Tutorial AND
the "Spring Basket" Pattern Review are heartwarming. 

I do apologize that I cannot respond to each and every one of you - please know that I appreciate your kind feedback. 

I'm still very excited about Week 5 in "A Month of Monday Giveaways".  Bear Creek Quilting Company is giving away a Bouquet Memories Wall Hanging Kit -- including all of the Hoffman fabric you need to make the sample AND 3 large spools of matching Aurifil thread !!   A Fantastic giveaway -- thank you Shari.  Click here to get involved.

Also, if you haven't checked it out, Carrie from "A Passion for Applique" stitched up a stunning rendition of Spring Basket, wrote a detailed review, and is hosting a giveaway of two Spring Basket patterns.  Click here to see my post and follow the link to Carrie's blog to get involved in the giveaway!    Thank you Carrie - I'm still swooning over your work!

Good night all - stay safe.
Karen

Spring Basket: A Review and Giveaway

WOW!  I am just blown away by the beautiful "Spring Basket" mini quilt that Carrie from A Passion for Applique  stitched up. 

Check this out -- isn't it just beautiful?  Oh my it warms my heart!

Image courtesy of http://apassionforapplique.blogspot.com

I have admired Carrie's beautiful applique projects for years, always swooning over her lovely work.

When she shared with me that she was a "tester "of quilt patterns, I knew I would love for her to test and review my new "Spring Basket" pattern.   (You can see my blog post of Spring Basket here).

You must jump over to Carrie's blog, see more detailed pictures, read her review - -  AND - - best of all -- get in on the #giveway of two "Spring Basket" patterns.

Thank you Carrie for sharing your lovely version of "Spring Basket"and hosting a giveaway!  

You are one talented lady -- not to mention a real gem!

Happy Days!

Karen

Tutorial: Wool Applique Basics and a Little Wool Blue Bird

Greetings fellow quilters!

Thank you for stopping by and many thanks for the sweet feedback on the"Bouquet Memories" Wall Hanging and Tutorial prepared for the Bear Creek Quilting Company.

If you're looking for Week 5 in a "Month of Monday Giveaways" featuring "Bouquet Memories" fabric and Aurifil thread please click here.

Today I would like to share a quick tutorial to create the Little Wool Blue Bird that was featured in the "Bouquet Memories" Wall Hanging tutorial.

If you're not familiar with Wool Applique -- please refer to these three "Intro To Wool Applique" tutorials featured on my blog:

Part I:  Intro to Wool Applique 1. Working With and Cutting Wool

Part II: Intro to Wool Applique 2. Thread - Needle - Knot

Part III: Intro to Wool Applique 3. Blanket Stitch

These three tutorials provide the details for preparation and stitching of the Little Wool Blue Bird.

Supplies:

• Download and print the "Little Wool Blue Bird" template from my sidebar or Craftsy Pattern Store (coming soon). 
• The Little Wool Blue Bird was created using "in the Patch designs" wool charms in "Wild Blue Yonder".  I used small sections of two different charms for each the bird body and bird wing.
• Two strands of Aurifil Lana Wool 12wt Thread color #8740 were used to Blanket Stitch the bird pieces.  This was one of the first times I've worked with Aurifil Lana Wool and it stitched wonderfully! 
• Two strands of Aurifil Lana Wool 12wt Thread color #8605 were used to satin stitch the bird beak.
• One strand of Aurifil Lana Wool 12wt Thread color #8605 combined with  one strand of #8 Black Pearl Cotton were used to stitch the bird legs and feet.  
• One small black bead and black cotton thread were used to create the bird eye

Steps:

Below are the steps taken to prepare and attach the bird.  Please reference the tutorials linked above for details.  

• Using the Little Wool Blue Bird template (sidebar), cut bird body and wing shapes from wool using freezer paper as outlined in Part I tutorial above.
• Attach (pin) the bird body in place per placement image above and also referring to Part I tutorial above.
• Prepare needle and thread as outlined in Part II tutorial above. 
• Staring at nape of bird neck, blanket stitch around the perimeter of the bird using two strands of Lana Wool.  
• Stop stitching where the bird wing will be placed

• Position the bird wing per completed image (above) and travel between layers before beginning to attach the bird wing using a blanket stitch.
• Stitch around the perimeter of the bird wing using a blanket stitch.

• When you reach the starting point of the bird wing tie a knot in the thread approximately 1/3" from the background fabric.

• After knotting, bury the needle behind the bird head and through the background fabric (exit near beak) and "tug" the knot between the background fabric and the backing fabric to tie-off
• This tugging a knot through to the background fabric requires some stabilization of the wool piece so you don't distort completed stitches.  You'll get the hang of it - just give it a try.
• The objective is to bury the knot under the background fabric where it will catch on the batting and fabric and never pull back through to the top.

•  After burying the knot - exit on the edge of the bird and trim the thread.

•  To finish off the bird add a satin stitch beak, a small beaded eye and some stitched legs and feet.

If you have any questions, please feel free to leave me a comment or send me an email.

The little wool blue bird is a beautiful addition to most any flower applique piece.

Feel free to use this tutorial for personal use only.

Thanks again for your continued support.

Hugs,

Karen

Week 5: Celebrate Bouquet Memories Wall Hanging and a Giveaway!

Greetings dear readers and welcome to Week 5 in a "Month of Monday Giveaways"!

I'm really excited about this week's celebration and giveaway sponsored by Bear Creek Quilting Company.   The celebration includes a free wall hanging tutorial AND a fantastic fabric kit & thread bundle giveaway all courtesy of...

Before we get into the celebration details, let me share a bit about Bear Creek Quilting Company.

A fantastic online quilt shop, Bear Creek Quilting Company is located in Vancouver, Washington.

You will be amazed at the variety of fabric (yardage and pre-cuts), notions, gifts, books, patterns, kits, and embroidery supplies that are available in the online shop.   Jump over and check it out...

Bear Creek Quilting Company has 25% off all books and is currently throwing a great Clearance Blow-Out Sale!

If you combine the clearance blowout sale with the fantastic shipping policy at Bear Creek Quilting Company you can really save some $$.

On top of the fantastic prices, Bear Creek Quilting Company has fantastic customer service.

Speedy shipping, pretty packaging, and service with a smile make working with the team at Bear Creek Quilting Company a JOY!!

See for yourself, check out the Testimonials web page -- reading through them makes me smile!

OK -- enough about the shop -- lets talk celebration!!

Introducing "Bouquet Memories" wall hanging.  This pretty little wall hanging measures 17" x 23", features 3D flowers, straight line quilting, and a sweet little blue bird to boot!

I had the honor of working with Shari and scouring the wonderful fabrics in the online shop before designing this charming wall hanging for ya'll to enjoy!

You can see the tutorial on the Bear Creek Quilting Company blog by clicking here.

"Bouquet Memories" was appropriately named as it uses the Wild Rose colorway of the beautiful "Bouquet Memories" fabric line by Hoffman of California -- swoon!

I fell in love with the diverse grouping of prints in this line and really enjoyed creating with them.

There are however, two additional colorways available in this line -- and Bear Creek Quilting Company has them packaged up and ready to ship from their online store.  Click here to see the fabric bundles in the online shop.

I was able to crash my thread stash and use a variety of Aurifil Mako Cotton 50Wt threads for the Bouquet Memories wall hanging.

As always, the Aurifil worked beautifully for machine piecing, hand sewing, and straight line quilting the sample.  Lovin' those #Aurifil threads!

Oh, and also on this project, I was able to try the Aurifil Lana Wool 12Wt thread -- it stitched like a dream!

Again - you can find the "Bouquet Memories" wall hanging tutorial on the Bear Creek Quilt Company Blog by clicking here.

There is one little portion of the wall hanging that will be presented on my blog later today -- the Little Blue Bird.

Stay tuned for the Little Blue Bird template and some wool applique stitching basics that will help you duplicate the sweet Little Blue Bird on your wall hanging.

Woohoo!  Now on to the really fantastic giveaway sponsored by Shari at the Bear Creek Quilt Company!!

How would YOU like to win a "Bouquet Memories" wall hanging kit ?

The kit comes complete with the beautiful Hoffman of California Bouquet Memories fabrics AND 3 large spools of Aurifil Mako Cotton 50wt threads in colors that are perfect for the piecing, hand sewing and quilting of the wall hanging.  (Sorry -- my little Redbird and Elan scissors are NOT included ;)

This is the most awesome giveaway to date in the "Month of Monday Giveaways" and here's how to gain your chances.

Chances to Win:

This "Winner Takes All" giveaway is open to all participants -- domestic and internationally!!  That is just so exciting!

Gain one chance to win by signing up for the Bear Creek Quilting Company Newsletter -- not only does that make you eligible for the Week 5 giveaway -- it also makes you eligible for the monthly Bear Creek Quilting Company $25 Gift Certificate.  Click here to sign up and then come back and let me know you did!

Gain one chance to win if you "Like" Bear Creek Quilting Company on Facebook.  Click here to see and "Like" their page, leave a comment and be sure to come back and let me know you did.

Gain one chance to win if you hop over to the Bear Creek Quilting Company blog and peruse the "Bouquet Memories" Wall Hanging tutorial.  Leave a comment there letting Shari know what you like about the wall hanging and then come on back here and let me know you did.

Gain one chance each for "Liking" Aurifil Threads or Hoffman California on Facebook!!

As always, if you follow Redbird Quilt Co. on Facebook, Pinterest, Craftsy, Twitter or the blog - leave comments letting me know - I love to know that you're following me!

Also -- share, share, share and get the word out about the Tutorial and Giveaway !  Think about the great karma if one of your friends win!!   Leave me a comment if you shared.

Well -- that's a wrap -- Week 5 in "A Month of Monday Giveaways" is open.  A winner will be chosen on Monday May 5th at 9pm eastern time.

As always thanks for your fine comments and support -- we're really having fun now!

Many thanks to Shari at Bear Creek Quilting Company for hosting this awesome tutorial and giveaway.  Shari has been a gem to work with on this project and I can't wait to do it again!

Oh - and don't forget - the Week 4 Giveaway is open until Monday April 28th at 9:00pm eastern time.  If you haven't already -- be sure to click here to get in on that fantastic giveaway!.

Have a joyous and blessed Sunday all!
Hugs,
Karen

Favorite Things Friday #2

It's another beautiful Friday in the Finger Lakes Region of New York, USA.

The lake is calm, the sun is shining, and the day brings hope for a lovely weekend.

I'm thrilled to share a sneak peek of a cute little wall hanging prepared for the Bear Creek Quilting Company.

I had an opportunity to use #Aurifil Lana Wool on this project and I'm really excited about it!  It will quickly become one of my favorite threads for Wool Applique.

Oh the beautiful things that we can create with a bundle of fabric and thread.  See the bundle shared with you two weeks ago by clicking here and stay tuned for the big reveal later this weekend ;)

Also, be sure to check out Week 4 of a "Month of Monday Giveaways" on this post.  It is open until Monday, April 28th at 9pm Eastern time.   A fantastic giveaway sponsored by Sew It Is and Aurifil.

Many thanks to all that are participating in the giveaway -- it's so much fun to read all of the responses and get insight into your thoughts about how the giveaway should be split -- thank you everyone for your feedback and welcome new followers!!  

Have a wonderful day!

TGIF!
Karen

Week 4 Month of Monday Giveaways - Thank You!!

Hello dear readers -- we're starting Week 4 in a "Month of Monday Giveaways" and this week we're celebrating YOU! 

Yes... I want to take the time to say "Thank you" for your support and encouragement.  Your sweet comments and feedback mean the world to me -- thank you, thank you!

To help ME celebrate YOU I have two fantastic businesses chipping in for a spectacular Week 4 Giveaway.

First, allow me introduce you to my dear friend Cindy from Sew It Is.  

Cindy is one of those angel friends that fall out of the sky and into your stash world when you're really not looking for an angel or a friend... but you ARE looking for fabric!!   

...and the story goes... I was shopping online for a specific line of fabric when I came across this shop not far from home - never having heard of this shop I picked up the phone and dialed.

When I realized where she was located I told her I could be there via horseback in 30 minutes!! 

Yippee!!   Since that day our friendship has grown, and she has been a constant source of encouragement -- not to mention a great source of fabric at fantastic prices!!

Cindy's Shop "SewItIs" is located in Endicott, NY, but a majority of her fabric business is done via her online shop at www.sewitis.com.

You must click over to the shop and check out her fantastic prices on the newest lines of Moda, Henry Glass, Andover, Hoffman - - Batiks, Cottons, Novelty Prints, Wide Backs, and others.

Here are a few of my favorite fabrics...

Sweet Serenade by BasicGrey for Moda -- $8.00 a yard -- WOW!

original image from www.basicgrey.com

and how about Little Black Dress 2 - another BasicGrey fabric for Moda...

original image from www.basicgrey.com

and for those of you that followed my Redbird and Berries Quilt on the Moda Bake Shop you know that I fell in love with Grunge by BasicGrey for Moda -- Yep -- Cindy fell in love with it too!! 

SewItIs has a fantastic lineup of Grunge fabric all at $8.00 a yard.   How about a pretty little chevron quilt with these colors!

One thing I failed to mention, the clearance section at SewItIs is fantastic -- REALLY great prices on quality fabrics, pattern, books and tools.

SewItIs offered to sponsor the Week 4 Giveaway with Moda Mini-Charms  - not 1, not 2, but 5 (yes five) Moda Mini Charms - - oh the cute little things you can make with these!! 

For some cherries on top of this ice cream, we have another fantastic Thread Pack of Aurifil Mako Cotton 50 wt thread to give away.

Aurifil is sponsoring this giveaway with a Thread Pack of "Everyday Color" by Me and My Sister Designs.  You can read Barb and Mary's great introduction to their Everyday Color Aurifil Thread Pack on their blog post here.  

Those of you that know me know that I use Aurifil Mako 50Wt thread for piecing, quilting and hand applique.  Little lint, few breaks and great looking results!!  Love Aurifil thread...

Many thanks to both SewItIs and Aurifil for their generosity!

How about these beautiful Everyday Color threads !!  Woohoo -- just beautiful.

**** This Giveaway is now Closed ***

Now for the giveaway chances...

I would love for you to jump over to the SewItIs Online Store, check out the fantastic prices, then jump back here and tell me what peaked your interest. 

While you're at it, if you're a Facebook user -- stop by SewItIs on Facebook and follow -- there is an extra chance for that.

I know many of you have already chosen to follow Aurifil on Facebook and on their blog Auribuzz -- but if you haven't done so yet - go for it... and leave me a comment for one or both.

Ahhh -- and we can't forget to share can we??   If you choose to share this giveaway on any social media -- be sure to leave me a comment for each one -- nothing like getting your friends involved in a fantastic giveaway!

One last option for a chance...  Help me decide how to divide up this giveaway.   Leave me a comment telling me one of these three Options (1, 2, 3):

1. 1 winner takes it all
2. 2 winners (1 winner for the 5 mini charms and 1 winner for the Aurifil Thread Pack)
3. 5 winners  (each winner getting a mini charm and 2 spools of Aurifil Thread)

I just can't decide -- so I'll let ya'll help me with that.  Thank you!!

There ya have it -- Week 4 in the "Month of Monday Giveaways" is now active.  It will be open until Monday April 28th about 9pm Eastern Std Time.

Have a wonderful week everyone -- Sew Happily!!

Being grateful....
Karen

Winner - Week 3 and some Quilting the Garden Fun!

Week 3 in a Month of Monday Giveaways sponsored by Quilters Corner in Ithaca, NY has come to an end.  I want to thank each and every one of you for your support and kind comments on my blog and the Redbird Quilt Co Facebook page.   I'm really looking forward to teaching and sharing the fun of wool applique with others.

If you live locally and would like to sign up for either the "Spring Basket" or "Family Tree" class consider signing up with a friend by May 7th and you'll receive 20% off the class fee!  That's a $9.00 savings.

Be sure to review the Quilters Corner Newsletter for more information.  Click here for class details for "Spring Basket" and here for details for "Family Tree Pillow".  I look forward to seeing you there!!

If you don't live locally, the "Spring Basket" pattern can be found in my Craftsy store by clicking here... and Family Tree is a free download from the Moda Bake Shop -- click here to view the recipe.

Just a couple of quick shares before we announce the Week 3 Winner --  last week I met with my good friend and mentor Debbie, and my sister and mentor, Janet, to continue work on our "Quilting the Garden" by Blackbird Designs BOM.

Debbie made this beautiful quilt a few years ago and a few of us convinced Debbie to share her experience and input with us monthly as we make our own version of Quilting the Garden.

Here are a few shots of our last get together (we missed our friend Bonnie during this session - but I guess a retreat in Texas was just a little more fun than meeting with us girls... ; ))

Janet and Debbie looking at next month's block on Debbie's finished quilt:

The next few shots are blocks that my wonderfully talented sister has completed -- WOW !!

The house block - Isn't it beautiful (I apologize if the color is off -- darn computers ;)

Spring!!  Did I mention that my sister Janet is the only one that is on target with her blocks?  She is amazing!!

 And here are a few other details in some of her beautiful blocks !!

 Love this birds nest!!  Woot!

Thank you Debbie and Janet for letting me share our fun with others... hugs..

OK -- now the moment we've all been waiting for... there were 99 comments on last week's blog giveaway so Mr. RANDOM number generator choose as follows:

 And the winner is:

Yay!  Congratulations Piroska B!!  You are the winner of two beautiful wool charm packs!  I'll be sending you an email soon.

Many thanks again to everyone that played along -- and to Quilters Corner of Ithaca, NY for sponsoring such an awesome giveaway!

Stay tuned Tuesday for Week 4 in a Month of Monday Giveaways --we have some more fantastic prizes!!

Hugs all,
Karen