The Little Things Make Me Happy

It’s hard for me to believe that the time has passed by so quickly, but in the middle of January, my blog turned two years old. The first year, blogging was very intermittent for me. As my sewing skills improved that year, I cared MUCH more about sewing than blogging about my sewing. Then last year when I got my new machine, and I attended BOTH Quiltmarkets, I worked on trying to be more consistent blogging.

This year, as part of my plan to move my business and craft to the next level, I drafted an actual PLAN. A calendar. With short term goals and long term goals. And targets. You name it, I planned for it. So far, it has been a smashing success! I have blogged at least once a week and I have watching my subscribers slowly tick up.
I told myself that if I hit 50 followers I would have a giveaway. Just because it would be a cool thing to celebrate.

So here’s the rules for entries in the giveaway…you can

1. Follow my blog
2. Leave a comment if you’re already a follower about your favorite post I’ve done
3. Leave a link to one of your other favorite blogs (if you’re already a follower), or
4. Leave a comment about what you’d like to see more of (if you’re already a follower).

One entry per person please! ** BE SURE TO LEAVE ME AN EMAIL OR WAY TO GET IN TOUCH WITH YOU **

Here’s the fun part…the giveaway!

Because I have been blessed with such amazing fabric friends, I have some gorgeous fabrics used to work on samples for them. I have 5 fat eighths of gorgeous FULL BLOOM fabric by the amazing and awesome Bari J. Her book “Inspired to Sew” can be found on Amazon, and at your local Barnes & Noble, or even on her website. She has an AMAZING new line coming out this spring called "Paris Apartment" that she sneak peeked on her blog HERE, so grab this great bundle from her first line before it all disappears forever. Her fabrics are so much fun to work with!





So help me celebrate, spread the word, and enter to win a great little package of fabric. Drawing will be open through Monday (February 28), and I’ll post a winner on Tuesday of next week (March 1)!

Quilt Market Part 2 - Including a GIVEAWAY!

One of the highlights of my trip to market was the opportunity to act as "camera girl" for some interviews that my roommate Bari J. did for Boutique Cafe. She interviewed some fabulous designers, including Pat Bravo, Lizzy House, Amy Butler, and more! The first was the amazing and very gracious Pat Bravo, here is what some of her booth looked like.




Pat designs up to four lines a year, has an amazing pattern line, and her new Grab 'n Sew kits. Talk about prolific!

I was lucky enough to be invited to the second (annual?) Cake Party hosted by Lizzy House as well. Everyone had cake to celebrate her mom's (Cherri House) new book City Quilts (among other things!). It was a great little gathering, with not one cake, but FIVE! I had carrot cake.



Above are Melissa Averinos of Yummygoods and Jana of Izzy & Ivy Designs.

This is the Melissa's friend Unicorn, taking a quick snooze while we all ate cake.



And in this photo are Lizzy, Betz White, and Patty Young...all enjoying cake and nice mid-afternoon chat.


Here are some adorable owls from the Bunny Hill Booth.


I loved these letters that say "SEW WHAT".


These are two pictures from the adorable notions area inside the Riley Blake booth. I LOVE me some rickrack!! Wow, talk about eye candy!




This is a shot from the amazing Kokka booth. I adore the Sleeping Beauty print by Heather Ross on the bag to the left.




These are some of the amazing display quilts that were part of the exhibits in the center of the show. They were part of a series of quilts (I think in a competition) about doorways. These just really spoke to me. The two in the second photo are clearly of Venice, and reminded me of my honeymoon.





Last but not least, I enjoyed an amazing tapas dinner on Saturday night with this group of ladies.



I'm on the far left, then there's Violet, Betz, Bari, Brooke, Michelle and Gina (Cloud 9), then Cherri and Lizzy House (in the center front).

In honor of the amazing time I had at my first, of what I hope to be MANY quiltmarkets, I have two giveaways. Both were part of my wonderful scores at Sample Spree. To enter, you can:

1.) Follow my blog!
2.) Follow me on Twitter (@restitcherator)
3.) You can reply here with your favorite quiltmarket memory, or
4.) You can reply here about why YOU want to go to quiltmarket.

You can have multiple entries, just email and let me know what you did. I'll randomly pick two winners from the entries a week from tomorrow, Monday, June 7.

The first is Pieces of My Heart Pattern and Charm Pack (& more) by Sandy Gervais! It comes in a sweet little Moda drawstring bag, and the pattern is for a 25" x 29" quilt called "Oopsie Daisy" and the bag has everything you need except the thread and backing fabric!



The second is Me and My Sisters Desgins pattern set (including THREE designs!), and fabric to make a pattern called "Happy" shown as #6 on the pattern booklet. It also has the fabric to make the whole top and the binding, and comes in a Moda drawstring bag. It's a nice size lap quilt at 44" x 53"!!



I can't wait to see all of your entries! Good luck, and thanks for sharing my first Quiltmarket experience with me.