quilted & bound & ready for the wall!

This one is a reminder that I really do like small and fiddly more than I like big and easy, but after putting together a hundred and twenty three pieces into a twelve by twelve inch square, I'm ready to go back to my 2 1/2" postage stamps for a couple of hours. Compared to the pieces in this little beauty, those are huge.

I'm glad Jo chose an easier block for March!

The winner of the Pumpkins is Coloradolady, who wrote:

I never plan ahead, maybe this would fix that problem! This is so cute!! Thanks for the chance and adorable giveaway.

There were so many nice comments, I wish I'd had enough pumpkins for everyone who entered. Today is the last day to enter the Back to Charm School Giveaway, so you've still got a chance to win something fun.

This post is linked to Finish it up Friday over at Crazy Mom Quilts, Sew and Tell, and Can I get a Whoop-Whoop? at Confessions of a Fabric Addict.

Big Brother

On our drive to town yesterday, my teenage daughter and I were discussing the whole idea of Big Brother and how creepy it is that George Owell's idea has become a reality. About an hour later, we heard about Target's Pregnancy Predictor.

Creepy, isn't it? I'm not sure if I believe the pregnancy predictions are as accurate as they say they are. But I've noticed that the ads that pop up when my kiddos log off of Webkinz are all for Sizzix cutters these days. They seem to know that I want one. (Probably has something to do with the fact that the ads are from Overstock.com and I've been on their site looking at the cutters -- nothing eerie about that!)

But if Big Brother is watching me so closely, why am I suddenly getting free formula samples in the mail? You'd think that they'd know that even though I've got four kids, I've never purchased baby formula. And what logic makes them think "Hey, her fourth kid is six now -- she must be ready to pop with #5"?!

I'm guessing they don't know that much about me after all.

checking in with my NewFO and my quilt along square

When Jo posted the patterns for the Quilt Square Quilt Along, I only ordered the first one. If I didn't keep up, I wasn't going to let myself buy the rest. I tend to start these quilt alongs with good intentions, and then I fall behind, and then I move on to something else entirely...

It was a good strategy. I only got this month's block done in time because I really want the rest of the patterns for the year.



I had to take a second picture with something in it beside the quilt just to show you how TINY those triangles are! And there are so many of them.... I wound up scavenging pieces that I'd already cut for two other projects, then cutting them down to size. There are some bits of my drab postage stamp pieces in here, and some bits of my spiral log cabin. But that's okay -- I had extra for the postage stamps and needed to cut more log cabin strips anyway.

Head over to Jo's Country Junction to see everyone else's finished blocks. I can't believe she did this one twice!

My NewFO for February is the drab postage stamp quilt. You can read how I got started on this one in this post.



After making the two drab lap quilts, I wanted a big one for me to snuggle up under. This project is perfect for mindless piecing. And for using up fabric that didn't play nicely with the rest of my stash.

Now that I've got the pieces cut for my March NewFO, I want to work on them both. And I've got a whole list of projects I want to get done in March. There might not be enough days in the months for it all!

Check out the NewFO linky party today at Cat Patches.

Leap Day Giveaway -- Want to Carve Some Pumpkins?

I know -- it's February and not October -- but if you win, you'll have time to get a project done for Halloween!



The Prize: One set of die cut pumpkins, backed with fusible web and ready for you to carve for your own quilt, and coordinating yellow fabric for their faces. The quilt only uses nine of the larger pumpkins, but I'm giving you five each of the two larger pumpkins and two of the little ones. Just because they're cute.



Pumpkin Carving is a free pattern available right here on my blog for anyone who wants to give it a try.

To enter, just leave a comment on this post on February 29. I don't want to make anyone think to hard to figure out time zones so just do it on Leap Day where you are. I'll use the random number generator to pick a winner.

Head over to Such a Sew and Sew to enter the other Leap Day Giveaways, and if you haven't entered already, check out my Back to Charm School Giveaway. Happy Leap Day!

yummy swirls of fabric

Aren't they pretty? I could just stare and drool, but I know exactly what they're going to be and need to start cutting them up.



And, no, they're not all going into the same quilt! My daughter was really questioning my judgement when she saw me open the box.



Have you heard about the Leap Day Giveaway? My giveaway will run from midnight to midnight, so make sure you check back and enter.

design wall Monday

My design wall, which isn't an actual wall, is full this week!

I'm making good progress on the second little quilt for the Quilt Square Quilt Along --




I've got Do Not Put Your Elbows on the Table from Back to Charm School cut and machine stitched and all ready for the hand stitched portion. (If you don't have a copy of that book yet, make sure to go enter my Back to Charm School Giveaway) --



And I had to make a test block for Never Leave the Table Before the Other Guests. --



Would you believe that those gorgeous blue and gold blocks are only 3" square? I'm going to start ransacking my stash for gold and mustardy yellow prints as soon as I get the chance.

I've also been cutting stacks and stacks of squares for the Cheddar Bow Ties and my March NewFO --



All while I wait for fabric for two new projects!

To see more projects, head over to Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times.

waiting patiently

The fabric for my big new projects should be here by the end of the day on Monday, so I'm finishing up -- and starting -- a few last things before it gets here and I plunge in.



I've got the last squares cut for the drab postage stamp quilt and I'm sure I mean it this time. I cut six hundred 2" squares out of the thousand I'm going to need for another project. While I was messing with the two inch strips for that, I cut a bunch of pieces for cheddar bow ties. And I finally got started on this month's square for the Quilt Square Quilt Along. Those bear paws are so tiny!

Weekly Stash Report

Fabric Used this Week: 0 yard
Fabric Used year to Date: 14.5 yards
Added this Week: 8 yards
Added Year to Date: 28 yards
Net Added for 2012: 13.5 yards

To see more weekly stash reports, click over to Patchwork Times. And don't forget to enter the Back to Charm School Giveaway.

Back to Charm School blog hop and giveaway

I buy different quilting books for different reasons. Sometimes I want to learn a new technique. Sometimes there are enough great projects in the book to justify buying it -- and now and then, it's just one project that I want really, really bad.

And there are the books I buy because they're total eye candy and I want to haul them around the house and drool over them. Back to Charm School is one of those books. If Mary at Country Threads hadn't sent me a copy to review, I would've absolutely bought it for myself! You could win the second copy they sent me, so make sure you read down to the end of the post to find out how to enter.



I can see myself making fourteen of the twenty quilts in the book. Just look at these little baskets!



I'm already making Do Not Put Your Elbows on the Table, which combines machine and hand piecing. The directions just made it seem so possible...and I had a charm pack with no plans for it.




Next on my to-do list from this book is Never Leave the Table Before the Other Guests. I was sucked in by the fabrics in the photo -- and then I read the pattern and realized that each 16 patch is made from two charm squares -- they're itty bitty!




Other things to love about this book? The instructions are clear and easy to follow. If there's a particular technique involved, like the set in seams in Leave Your Napkin on the Chair if You're Coming Back to the Table, or the hand piecing for
Do Not Put Your Elbows on the Table, it's explained right there in the pattern. And did I mention how cute those pattern names are?



Although the patterns are written for charm packs, the instructions for each one include a "making do" section that tells you what you can use instead. Sometimes you do need 5" squares and sometimes it's 2 1/2" strips or scraps of a certain size. For a scrap quilter like me, that's very helpful!

Want to win your own copy of Back to Charm School? Ten other bloggers are also hosting giveaways, so there are lots of chances to win!

To enter my giveaway, just leave a comment on this post before 11:59pm Friday March 2. I'd love it if you wanted to follow my blog, but with Google Friend Connect going away soon (not for my blog, but I don't know how that will affect my readers), I know lots of you are changing what you follow and how you do it. No one needs the extra stress right now! I'll use the random number generator and choose a winner.

Good luck!