Sunday, April 8, 2012

Kind of a Quickie Post and a Giveaway!

Hi everyone.  I hope that you had a great Easter!  Ours was good although a little different with MIL still in the hospital.  Since my husband's family is Polish they have certain traditions that they follow as far as food.  With MIL not able to cook, it was left up to the rest of us to try to carry the tradition.  I'm not sure how well we did (I don't have a drop of Polish blood in my body so I'm not the best person to cook those things), but we were all fed (it definitely didn't taste as good as my MIL's food though).   BTW, thank you for your wishes for my MIL.  Her wrist surgery went well, although they also found that she broke her thumb on the other hand.  She's in physical therapy, and if her x-rays look good this Friday, they'll change the cast and send her home.

Since it's been so busy the past couple weeks with trips out to the in-laws and my DD being home for spring break, I haven't had a lot of time for my crafty pursuits, but I've gotten a little bit more of Ann done.  Are you tired of seeing her yet?

I'm on the home stretch - I finally made it to the final portion!  Although with all the grass at the bottom it's going to take me a while.  And you'll notice that my people don't seem to have heads (pictures are clickable)!  Since the parts to be filled in are over one thread, I decided to tackle that at the end.  I have a hard time getting any rhythm switching from over two to over one.  I hope to be finished with this by the end of next week, but I think that I'm being a little overly optimistic on that score!!  I know that I'm getting restless for her to be finished though as I've been rooting around in the overflowing stash for my next stitching victim.

I've also managed to get a little bit of quilting in.  Remember these strips:


Well, I managed to get them cut into even smaller strips:


And from there managed to get a few nine patches done.  I started with the colors I didn't like  - brown and green.  Not my favorite combination, but I wanted to get them out of the way:

This is going to be a very scrappy looking quilt.

Then I put together this month's blocks for the Cotton Club.  These are such fun little blocks to make and take no time at all.  I wish that I could get all the blocks at once because they're like potato chips - you don't want to stop sewing them!


So that's about all I've accomplished in the past couple of weeks.  Not as much as I'd like, but life gets in the way sometimes.  I'm anxiously awaiting my Phebe BOM to show up and it seems that I have managed to get a couple other people on board to do the quilt also.  This should be a lot of fun!!

I did have a surprise last week and won a giveaway on Kelly's blog.   I won the cutest pincushion from her:


Her blog is called Undeniably Domestic if you want to take a look.  She has a really cute blog and has the cutest curtains hanging in her kitchen window made out of aprons!  Thank you Kelly!!

I've noticed that I've picked up quite a few new followers and I wanted to say Welcome to all of you and have a giveaway.  I also feel a little bad because I haven't had much time to comment on everyone's blogs with all the things going on with my MIL the past couple of weeks.  I've been lurking but haven't had time to leave comments.  About a month or so ago, I passed by the Salvation Army.  Well, I really didn't pass by, I dropped off donations and ran inside to see what I could find.  While in there I found this:

A flower frog.  Sitting there all by its lonesome.  I already have one like this, but I couldn't just leave it on the shelf, could I?  So I brought it home and would love to send it to one of my followers.  I do have to warn that the base does need some cleaning up which I'm not sure how to do, but it's in really great shape otherwise.  And it needs a new home.  All you have to do is leave a comment that you'd like a chance to win it.  I'll probably include something to be put into it also!  What's a flower (scissor) frog without scissors?  I'll pick a winner next Sunday, April 15th.

Oh, and before I forget, Joanne at Serendipitous Stitching is have an Easter Treasure Hunt.  Follow the link to her blog for all the details.  I took part in the treasure hunt and you can see my clue in the post before this one.

I hope that everyone has a great week!!

70 comments:

doris said...

Pretty please, count me in on your giveaway!

How could we ever get tired of Ann? No chance! And the quilt squares are scrappy, for certain. I like 'em.

Margaret said...

I love Ann! It's quite discouraging -- I can't find my Ann chart. Sigh. I'm sure it's somewhere, but heaven only knows where. Love your quilting projects too. And of course I'd love a chance to win a flower frog! :D You're sweet to have a giveaway. Hope your MIL recovers quickly.

Cari said...

I will never get tired of looking at Ann...she is one beautiful piece. I'm so glad your Easter dinner worked out. Ours did too and we had a great day. Love your quilting work and I too am anxiously awaiting for Phebe to grace my sewing room. This will be a great adventure!! I'd love to win the flower frog...and you really have too many??? This one is beautiful! Hugs dear friend.

tubilinha tiacarminha said...

Gosto do sapo flor,sera´uma limpeza rápida.Eu gosto de sua desconexa,parabéns.

Terri Patillo said...

Ann is coming along beautifully! Good news about your MIL's recovery.

I'd love to be entered into your giveaway -- my scissors are all in the bottom of my stitching basket. :)

Terri
pr4gatheringroses AT gmail DOT com

Jen Bailey said...

Love your progress on Ann and your quilt blocks are beautiful!! I'd love to be entered in your drawing for the flower frog too, it's really cool! Thanks!

Melody said...

Great find and giveaway! How nice of you to share. You have made great progress on your beautiful sampler.

I'm glad to hear your MIL is doing well.

Thanks so much!

Jackie's Stitches said...

Ann Raynor is looking FANTASTIC! That's another Ann I want to stitch! Your Cotton Club blocks look great too. I've only got two of this months blocks completed but the rest are cut out. I still have last months to deal with too.

PIck me, pick me! Those flower frogs are elusive here!

marly said...

This isn't an entry - just a comment that I will never tire of seeing Ann. The Cotton Club blocks are fabulous! Glad your MIL is on the mend.

Patty said...

I love the flower frog. My grandmother had one when I was a child and I haven't seen one in many years. I enjoy reading your blog.

Deborah said...

I love Ann and haven't tired of her yet! The fabrics on the quilt blocks are beautiful. I would love to win the flower frog.

samplerlover said...

Anne is looking so lovely. It is one sampler that I would never get tired at looking at.

Jenny said...

I love watching Ann come together. It is a really beautiful sampler and yours is looking wonderful. Your scrappy quilt blocks are great too. I hope your MIL will be better soon. I love your blog and enjoy seeing all of your stitching projects.

~*Sharee*~ said...

Beautiful quilting hun; I would love to have a chance to win this beautiful frog..:) I can't wait to see this picture finished; I've never tackled stitching over one..(yet)..LOL

Hugs, Shar

Andrea said...

Oh my heaven's Deb, Ann is gorgeous!!! I LOVE it so much! (Are you using the DMC called for? You've probably already answered me on that, sorry I forgot). Gosh, need to start on her soon!!

Sorry to hear about your MIL being in the hospital. Hope she's on the road to a smooth recovery...

I love that flower frog and would love a chance to win it. I do not own one single flower frog, can you believe it?

Hope you had a nice Easter weekend!
xoxo

Grit said...

Das Mustertuch wird so schön. Ich habe Lust auch so eins zu sticken.
Der Quilt wird ebenfalls wunderbar. Tolle Farben.
Liebe Grüße Grit

Christine said...

Great work on Ann, loving the headless people too, they add a touch of the bizarre! Your quilt blocks are gorgeous too.
Hope your MIL continues to recover quickly

Mouse said...

ooo now where to start ... great news on MIL and long may she continue to improve ... and well done on the cooking front too ....
love the scrappy quilt blocks they are soo cute ...
excellent news on the stitching front and I hope you reach your goal and coooooo what a gorgeous scissor frog .... he would look ever so good next to mine ;)
love the Easter pin cushion you won too soo cute
whoops better stop before I write and essay heheheh
take care and happy stitching :) love mouse xxxxx

Chris said...

Hi Deb!
Glad to hear that your MIL is improving. I am sure that your Polish Easter celebration was wonderful. Yum, kielbasa, eggs, horseradish. My husband's family is Polish.
Ann is looking great. She is a beautiful sampler. I love the colors in the quilt, but you are right. The red and greens are prettier than the browns.
The pincushion is very sweet.
Have a great week!

Pamela said...

Your "Ann: is beautiful! I know what you mean when you have to go from over 2 to over 1. Seems to take a lot of concentration. Looks like you are in the home stretch. The pincushion is very cute.
Please enter me for a chance. Thank you!
Pam

Kaaren said...

You're inspiring me to get out my stitching stuff again, Deb! Love your "Ann".

As for the flower frog, P-I-C-K M-E, please! I absolutely love it, especially the base. My ever-growing scissor collection would look perfect in it!

Vickie said...

Ann is beautiful, never tiring. :) Please include my name in the drawing. I do not own a frog. Prayers sent for your MIL.

Ellen said...

Love Ann, she is looking great! Love your quilting too, all those strips and blocks!

Sure would love a chance to own that lovely flower frog, thank you!

Hugs,

Bertie said...

Lovely post Deb, hope your MIL will recover soon!
Ann looks wonderful, never get tired looking at her! Your little blocks look fabulous, will be a wonderful quilt.
BOM are also lovely and it's such a lovely pastime to stitch these together. Congrats on your win, cute! The flowerfrog is unusual with it's holder, very nice indeed:)

Becky K in OK said...

Oh my, Deb. What a wonderful find. I would love to have a chance to own this beauty of a frog.

Well wishes sent to your MIL from me. My Mom was in hospital in Feb. so I know what you and your family are going through.

Joanie said...

Happy Easter! I will keep your MIL in my prayers.

Would love a chance for the flower frog. Please toss my name into the hat.

I know all about life getting in the way.

Nancy M said...

I can understand leaving the over one for later....but don't know if I'd save them ALL for the end! You got a quick lesson in Polish cooking, huh?? I'm sure it was great for a first timer. I'd love to win the flower frog, I don't own a single one, although I look at the antique stores when I go. I've only found tops and this one looks interesting with the bottom. I'm sure Carl would come up with a way to handle the bottom and I could put it on display in my new craft room!

Vonna Pfeiffer said...

Wow Deb, Ann is gorgeous! Not long now :)
And that quilt that you are doing...I'm jealous, but in a really good way!
I'm sorry to hear about your MIL, I hope that all mends quickly and back to normal soon.
No need to add me to the drawing, but I know some lucky duck is going to love that frog :)

Me and My Stitches said...

Ann looks great! And I really love your little 9 patches! Hope your MIL is able to go home soon. We need to catch up one of these days!

Carol B said...

Ann is looking awesome!

I've been thinking it's time to get myself a flower(scissor) frog, and winning one would be great. Thanks for entering me in your giveaway.

BrendaS said...

Deb --
I hope your MIL heals quickly and is home before you know it!

Nice progress on Ann, the colors are just beautiful.

As always your quilts/blocks are gorgeous! Multi-talented:)

I'd love a chance to win your scissor frog. Thank you:)

Susan said...

Tired of Ann? No! I don't stitch traditional samplers, but I love the look, so I stitch them vicariously - keep the pics coming. Nice work on the quilt blocks - even the colors you don't like too much. That pincushion is adorable!

woolwoman said...

Deb your Ann is wonderful - it's making me want to get mine chart out and dust it off and get started. Did you use DMC? Love the 9 patch blocks - very nice but of course all your quilting is gorgeous. I would love a chance to win the pretty frog. Hope you had a nice easter in spite of the issues with having to fill in for your MIL - hope she is better soon. Have a great week! mel

The Attic said...

I am a follower and have posted your giveaway on the sidebar of my blog. Thanks for hosting this giveaway.

Judy
Attic Raggedys
judy@atticraggedys.com

Zhenya and Nika Aksutin said...

Your crosstitch is beautiful! Great work! Hello from Russia, and welcom to my blog too!I would love a chance to win the pretty frog. Nika

Sherry said...

Ann is already a beauty! I can't wait to see her in all her glory! I hope your MIL is healed up soon. I'm sure the dinner was wonderful.

Yes, I would love a chance in your giveaway. Such a lovely frog!

Carol R said...

Lovely stitching and quilting! Generous giveaway - we all love scissors frogs. Please enter me into your draw.

Chocolates4Breakfast (Terri Malinovich) said...

Ann is beautiful and you're making great progress! I have to agree about the greens and browns - not my favorite colors either (no surprise there, I'm sure) but I know that once it's all put together, it's going to look wonderful.

As much as I love that frog (haven't seen one, nor do I have one like it) I'll pass on the giveaway. Hopefully someone who doesn't own one will win it!

Teresa S. said...

Seems to me that you are getting quite a lot done, even with all the busyness going on!
Please throw my name in for that unusual frog!
Have a great week!

mckinney37397 said...

would love to win the flower frog

diamondc said...

Drbbie: Ann is almost done I look forward to seeing the finished and framed project.
I send well wishes to your Mother In Law.
Get better quick.
Catherine
P.S. I love flower frogs.

Phyllis said...

I would absolutely love, love to win the flower frog! I don't have one! Fingers crossed! I follow your blog and enjoy reading and looking at your stitching.

Nancy said...

Ann is beautiful! Hope your mil continues to improve! No need to enter me in your giveaway.

Catherine said...

Continued thoughts and prayers for your MILand her continued recovery.
Love seeing Ann, and it's funny, the first thing I noticed was the lack of heads, but then I continued reading and understood completely about the rhythm.
I like the browns and greens together. It can be so hard to work on something when the colors aren't your favorite, can't it?
A by sweet pincushion and your frog find is beautiful! Please count me in for a chance!! Thank you!

Anonymous said...

I hope MIL continues to improve and I will never tire of that beautiful sampler...please, keep sharing!

And, thank you for sharing the giveaway. I do appreciate that you linked my blog and I am so glad that we have found each other and will share our creativity for a long time to come I am sure.

Best wishes, Kelly

unDeniably Domestic

Mary said...

Deb, your Ann and the nine patch blocks look great together - was that intentional? Love how the colors in one complement those in the other.

Over one stitching is becoming more of a chore for me too, so I do understand leaving the heads until the very last.

What fun - a flower frog!

Rugs and Pugs said...

Deb ~
Your sampler is amazing! I haven't stitched anything large in decades!
Hope your MIL continues to improve.
Please enter me in your give-away. Pretty please?
Belated Easter greetings.
Pug hugs :)
Lauren

krayolakris said...

Thanks for hosting this give-away!

Gayle said...

Hi Deb - please enter me in your great drawing! And thanks for the advice about getting The residue off of my glass jars!

Mary Joan said...

Hi Deb
I just love your Sampler and can't wait to see the finished result. I hope your MIL mends quickly.
What a great find! Although I have never herd it called a flower frog before! It's a great idea to use them for scissors. I remember buying one for my mother when I was young. Oh, how I wished I had kept it, after she passed on.

Take Care, and Happy Stitching

Mary Joan

Brigitte said...

Ann is a great sampler with such vibrant colours that every stitch must be a delight. Your will miss her when you finished stitching her, lol.
Great new blocks for the Cotton Club.
Hopefully your MIL's fractures will soon be completely healed so that she can get rid of the cast finally.

Anne said...

I could never tire of seeing Ann! She's beautiful!! All those cheery colours! Lovely quilt strips too! i hope your MIL is okay now and that your dinner went alright! Cute pincushion you won! It's adorable! I would love to be entered in your generous giveaway! What a magnificent frog!!

Simple Pleasure said...

You continue to make wonderful progress with Ann...keep that needle flying!!! I love the colors you have chosen for your quilt...you have a keen eye.
I trust your MIL is well on the road to full recovery. I think it is wonderful that the family banded together to keep the traditions of Easter.
Please enter me in the drawing...the frog is very unusual!
Busy Hands...Happy Heart
Patricia

Giovanna said...

I'd love to be entered in the draw, please - thank you so much for the opportunity! I hope things get better with your MIL. And your WIPs are just lovely!

Wendy said...

How generous of you! I am a follower and would love to be included in your draw. Thank you!

Charlene ♥ NC said...

Ann looks like she's coming along soon, so what did you find in the stash for next? Scrappy quilts are some of my favorites - love the colors! Thanks for the chance to win the cute frog - the only kind any of us want to have around!

Anonymous said...

Beautiful blog and thanks for a chance at this very pretty frog!

Gina :)

x s t i t c h (at) r o g e r s (dot) c o m

just remove all the spaces etc!

Melissa said...

Oh Ann is looking so pretty! You're getting so close although I do understand that grass bit could take awhile!

Lots of lovely quilt pieces. I'm sure you'll have quilt tops zipped up in no time.

Gosh that's a gorgeous flower frog. I would love a chance to win, Deb! Thank you for sharing!

Loraine said...

Hi Dear Friend,
Ohh what a wonderful post! I love seeing progress on Ann, and I think I have to do this one someday...Do you get sick of me saying that? I seem to love everything you do!
The quilt blocks are turning out great. I love the colors.
I hope your MIL is doing well, and can come home soon, and that you have recovered from Easter.
I'll write more later. I love the frog. Count me in!
Hugs.

Karoline said...

Ann's looking gorgeous and your quilt blocks are lovely.

Glad to hear your MIL is doing well, I hope she has a speedy recovery

Myra said...

Ann is just fabulous! I love all the colors in this one.

Sarah Beth said...

Hi sign me up please. I've been wanting on for my scissors and Googling everybody elses

Poussy Stitches My Love said...

beautiful blog, bisous de France

Siobhán said...

Oh my gosh, I can't believe how far along you are on Ann! She looks fantastic. Your quilt WIPs look great, too. That Chippewa 9 Patch looks like a lot of fun.

Carol said...

Lovely progress on Ann, Deb!!

Glad to hear you enjoyed a lovely Easter. I've often wished my family had some neat ethnic traditions for holidays. It must have been interesting for you to learn all those Polish traditions when you married.

Enjoy your weekend!!

Juels said...

Deb, you're so funny! You have been a busy girl over the past few weeks! And everything looks amazing. I spied some Mason de Garance in those strips. Isn't it such lovely material? I received my pattern for Phebe, but am trying to resist the temptation to sign up for the BOM. I may give in now that I see you are mentioning her again. And, finally, such a pretty little flower frog you are offering us a chance to win! Thanks, Deb!

Alicia@ eco friendly homemaking said...

I am new to your blog and am so glad that I found it!! Hope that your mother-in-law will be home soon.

Poussy Stitches My Love said...

Le temps me permet de revenir voir tes réalisations ... Merci de ta fidélité, de gros bisous bisous ...

Diane (di) said...

Had to pop in here and let you know that Ann looks amazing and I'm cheering you on big time Deb. The 9-patches are looking good too, but my oh my the Cotton Club blocks... love!

(hope your MIL is feeling better, too!) :)

Cathy Lloyd said...

You haven't had much time for your crafts? Are you kidding me? Looks like you've been having lots of fun to me! Beautiful projects! And I hear that you have enabled Cari! Kudos! XOXO