How To Ensure Your Child's Popularity

Make some goodies for his dorm's Halloween party!

About Yesterday's Post

For those who are interested, the ornament and box that I showed yesterday are from Vera Bradley. I did a quick search on the Internet and didn't find them on the Vera Bradley website, but did find them on eBay. The link is just to one of the listings available...no affiliation...I have no clue how reliable any of the sellers are.

Not Just for Christmas

The friend who gave me the lovely quilty suncatcher that I blogged about a couple of weeks ago also gave me this gorgeous ornament. The fabric-covered box is just as pretty as the ornament, so I think I'll just display it this way and not on a tree. That way I can admire it all year.

Fun Opportunity

Some of you may remember that I recently blogged about picking a Pay It Forward recipient. The winner is Mary-Frances of Outside the Line blog. I've been in touch with Mary-Frances and she has now posted a PIF post on her blog as well. She is inviting readers to participate, so be sure to go to the PIF post on her blog and read about how to sign up! She'll be so happy to hear from you.

There hasn't been too much quilty stuff going on in my life this past week -- I've been too busy with visiting my son (yeah!) for Parents' Weekend and then a wine-tasting trip with my husband to several wonderful wineries around Seneca Lake (one of NY's Finger Lakes). Now it's back to reality, hopefully with some quilting/sewing again.

(Almost) Perfect

Although I often think that perfection is overrated (especially in quilting),I was a bit anal about matching stripes on this binding...I knew it was going to bother me if I didn't do it, so even though it took a bit more fabric, I matched all of the seams...six or seven of them, if I remember correctly.

Well, almost all...Of course, I couldn't match up the last one, so you don't get to see a picture of that!

Two In A Row

Wow, two triangles in one week...I must either be very anxious to get this finished or else I have nothing else to do in my life now that my child has left my nest...

This is "TR-9, Needles' Point", a beginner-level triangle for which I used my handy-dandy raw-edge machine buttonhole-stitch applique method. The yellow fabrics are much brighter in person...

It Will Do

Not my best work, but it will do. I may take the seam out a bit on the top left of the triangle if it bothers me long enough.

This is "TR-6, Carla's Candle Flame", an intermediate-level triangle that I paper pieced and then added the two top dark orange pieces using the raw-edge machine buttonhole-stitch applique method.

Back To School

This is another one of my friend Moddy's quilts that she's making for family members this year. I just quilted a small meander in the alphabet blocks and then did a larger meander throughout the rest of the quilt.

The blank block needed a little something extra, so I tried my skill at cursive writing on my HQ16....

Greatest Show on Earth

Sit back and take a look at the 2010 Mountain Laurel Quilt Guild Exhibit held recently in Wellsboro, PA. I wish the quality of the photos was a bit better, but that's what you get with YouTube, unfortunately. Anyway, it gives you a taste for what the Gmeiner Art and Cultural Center looked like for most of September...

If you have trouble viewing it here, try this link directly to YouTube.

Unique Selvage Color Windows

Look at the cute color windows on this selvage...

It's from a fabric put out by Moda...

Not a Friendship Star, But a Star from a Friend

Isn't this gorgeous? It's a beautiful suncatcher that a good friend of mine gave me when we got together a couple of weeks ago. She's not a quilter, but she knows how passionate I am about anything quilty.

Easy Does It

The top row of triangles is moving along since there are only a few that are tough. Those will be left for later.

This is "TR5, Michigan Dunes", an intermediate-level paper-pieced block. Remember, if you're using the software to print the patterns, be sure to change the size to the proper 5"x8" for the triangles instead of the default setting of 4.5"x4.5" (another bug in the software that is really annoying!).

Who Wants a Present?

OK, here's the fun that I've planned for today...(warning: long post)

But first, an apology...to all who have commented on my blog for the last 5 months...I'm afraid I've been a bit remiss in replying to everyone who comments (at least to those who have an email addy in their profile) on my blog. Life got busy and replying just fell further down the priority list.

So, in order to make up for that and to reward my loyal readers, I've come up with something as a reward for a lucky person.

Back in December 2008, I was one of the lucky people to sign up for Bree's Pay It Forward post. One of the rules of signing up was that I was to Pay It Forward to three people as well. I was quite new to blogging when I posted my own PIF post and had very few readers, so only one person signed up. That lucky person was Sara; you can click here to see what I made for her.

Since I've only made one PIF gift, I still have two to go. I'm now ready to work on the second one.

So here's my plan -- this is to reward a loyal reader, not someone who just happened across my blog today. THE RULES --

1) For one chance, you have to have signed up as a follower before today, October 1st, 2010. I've already written down the names of those who are on the list.

2) Everyone (follower or not) who has commented on my blog from May 1st to Sep 30th of this year also gets a chance for every comment made during that time.

3) For yet another chance, if you are already signed up as a follower or you have commented in the time period mentioned in rule #2, and if you really, really, really want to have another chance, comment on today's post. Tell me where you're from -- I always find that interesting. (by the way, I will ship internationally). You have until the time I get up on October 10th to comment on today's post.

4) You do not have to have a blog to be eligible. But you must have a way for me to contact you by email or through a blog. If your profile is set as "no reply", there is no way that I can respond to you.

5) The PIF rules state that I have 365 days to send the lucky winner something. That person must also agree to Pay It Forward by making something for three people. Since I want this to be open to loyal readers who may not have their own blog, I will have to trust that they will abide by this. But if the winner has a blog, I'd like to see a PIF post there sometime in the future.

6) I will pick the lucky winner on 10-10-10....maybe at 10:10 AM....

Clear as mud? Any questions...let me know...Good luck...

And thank you again to all who have been commenting and/or following!

BTW...I am still obligated to make something for a third person as a PIF gift, so those of you who are not eligible for this one...stay tuned sometime in the future....