Whirl Into Winter Giveaway!!

The holidays are over and it’s time to Whirl Into Winter with the Quilt Bloggers Giveaway organized by Debi. What a nice way to add excitement to January!!

Between January 1 and January 14 at noon CST, leave a comment on this post and tell me one thing you love about quilting or quilts. Only comments answering this question, left on or after January 1, 2009 will be counted. Please be sure I can get your email address on your blog profile or leave an email address so I can contact you.

Here is my wintry giveaway.


This is a quilt pattern called “Warm and Wintery” by Cotton Way which uses a pack of charm squares. You will get a charm pack “Miss Jump’s Scrapbag” from Moda and a yard of creamy background fabric to get you started on the quilt. To round out the wintry theme, I crocheted a cuddly scarf from Homespun yarn and will send some packets of tea and cider to keep you warm. There’s a little snowman sled just for fun!

Be sure and check out all the blogs participating in the giveaway, AND, leave your comment here on January 1st!!

One thing I love about quilting is that it ties me to generations of women whose creativity produced beauty from scraps. What an inspiration to take ordinary things in life, even the scraps, and make something unique that will bless and comfort ourselves and others.

Thanks for visiting my blog! Do come back again.

A huge thank you to all of you who left comments telling what you love about quilting or quilts. Most comments mentioned the creativity that quilting allows, the love of fabrics, the enjoyment of the process from choosing fabrics to the final quilting, and the joy that comes from giving quilts to those who will treasure them. There was also overwhelming appreciation of the fellowship and friendship that comes from meeting and sharing with other quilters even those who will never be met face to face but who become very dear across miles and even oceans because of a shared love of quilting. I feel so fortunate to visit blogs and share a few minutes with quilters whose tastes reflect my own and those who venture into new areas I can only appreciate!! I hope you will return again and visit with me and brighten my day with your comments.

The winner of my giveaway (randomly chosen by my sweetheart from a bowl full of names) is Barbara, who said that "being creative is my favorite thing about quilt-making." Barbara, I'll email you and will have your package in the mail quickly.

Thank you again to everyone who participated in the giveaway and thank you to Debi for organizing such fun!

Our Savior Is Born

Wishing everyone peace, joy and blessings during this special time as we celebrate the greatest gift of all...the birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

"JOY TO THE WORLD, THE LORD IS COME!"

The Best Laid Plans

No matter how well we make plans, life has a way of changing things. I thought November would be a quiet month of holiday preparation and lots of stitching. We had our wonderful trip early in the month and then started our tree planting and yard projects before winter weather. THEN...my sweetheart got very sick and went the hospital for the first time in his life. This is a man who is very healthy and has gone years without taking a sick day. He spent a week in the hospital but he recovered well and the doctors have no idea what caused the problem and think it probably won't happen again. We are watching his diet and I'm making sure he rests but that hasn't kept him from planting trees and putting up Christmas lights.

It was truly a Thanksgiving for us since my sweetheart was feeling better. We are thankful for the blessings of health and the love and concern of loved ones.

Since then I've been racing to finish Christmas gifts I planned. I did some sewing, crocheting, and other needlework. Projects are completed and wrapped with some ready for mailing. In the midst of all, our great niece was born...mother and baby doing fine. So, the baby quilt I'd planned needed to be finished. Here it is ready for quilting.

I have the squares quilted and I'm ready to quilt the border strips and add the binding. I'm pleased with the way the colors came together and the baby's grandmother assures me the colors will go perfectly in the new nursery.

Today there's Christmas fabric in the washer...I'm hoping to get a little Christmas stitching done for our home...and probably to share as well.

Is anyone else making quilting "to-do" lists for the new year? There are so many ideas in my head and projects in my shelves. I need a plan!! And I must plan time to blog regularly, read blogs and COMMENT...I'll admit I read much and comment little. I know how much comments mean to me and I'm sure others feel the same. One of my resolutions for the new quilting year is to let others know how their blogs touch, inspire and delight.

Have a wonderful day and come back soon!