Time for a Blog Give-Away!

I'm a little late arriving to the blogging party, and I'm amazed by the wonderful things I've seen and read. The Blogger Reading List is the coolest thing since the rotary cutter. It's like having my favorite quilting magazine delivered to me every day! I can't wait to get home from work to see what everyone is doing, sewing, and chatting about.

As promised, I'll be giving away a copy of my new book, Scrap-Basket Surprises, published by Martingale & Company. Just leave a comment to enter. Just any old comment will do, but it would be great if you could tell a little something interesting about yourself. (Now would be a good time to come clean about how many UFOs you're "working on," or tell about your favorite fabric hiding places!) If you mention the give-away on your blog, you'll be entered twice. Come back Monday afternoon to see if your confession was worthwhile!

Bali Pops and Another Sneak Peek

I'm so bummed that these weren't available at the time I was making my Bali Sea Star quilt! They would have been perfect! Did all of you know about these and just neglected to tell me? They're unbelievably gorgeous. In case you haven't heard about these, either, they're 2 1/2 " strips of Hoffman batiks made in Bali, Indonesia. I love batik fabrics, and really love that I can get them in pre-cut 2 1/2" strips.
And here are a few more closeup pictures of quilts you'll find in Scrap-Basket Surprises.

It's a beautiful weekend here. I've wasted the entire day, but it felt SO GOOD! Hope you're having a good day, too.

A Very Cool Quilting Table

My friend Karen e-mailed pictures of her new quilting table, and I just had to share them. She needed a new quilting table, so her husband Rod made her one. He made it! He used aspen with a natural stain. Here's a picture of the front.
And here's a picture of the extension that folds down when not in use.

This is my favorite part. For the drawer pulls, he used antique thread spools that belonged to his mother. Aaawww, how sweet is that? He cut them in half and anchored them with screws.

And check out the drawer dividers! Yard sticks cut in half!

And a pull-out extension to support the quilt.

Karen told him what she thought her perfect quilting table should be, and he just threw it together. Okay, he didn't really throw it together -- he spent lots of time thinking about how he was going to throw it together -- but he did it!

If you like the table, you can leave a comment for Rod here. I'll make sure he gets it, and he'll be so thrilled. And Rodney, if you're reading this, stop foolin' around and get busy building MY table!

Hanging Out at The Quilting Station

My husband and I ventured out Saturday afternoon and wound up at The Quilting Station in Pace, Florida. (I know! I didn't even have to beg, whine, or threaten to max out the credit card!) He took a few pictures while I visited with Ellen, the shop owner. I have to remember to ask her about her heritage -- she has the cutest accent. I tried to talk like her when we left the shop, but it sounded a little like Gomer Pyle impersonating Ingrid Bergman! Here are a few pictures of the shop.
Nicely lit and spacious classroom.

Here are three of Ingrid Whitcher's quilts. She teaches classes here on curved piecing. She's amazing! The small one on the bottom doesn't show up well, but it's embellished with all kinds of treasures.

Ellen and I got tickled when my husband was taking our picture together. (I'm not telling what we were laughing about, and I hope Ellen doesn't either.)

Lots and lots of sewing machines! Ellen and her husband are authorized Brother machine dealers. AND they do custom embroidery and longarm quilting!

I wonder how many spools of thread are in these cabinets?

Cool notions. Tools to help you do almost anything easier!

I really enjoyed spending the afternoon there. If you're in the area, stop by The Quilting Station on May 16. Ellen is hosting my book signing. She'll have lots of copies of my new book, Scrap-Basket Surprises. If you drop by and visit with us, I may even tell you what we were laughing about. Maybe.

Sneak Peek

Here are some close-ups of a few of the projects you'll find in Scrap-Basket Surprises.

I hope you'll check it out soon at your local quilt shop.

Have a wonderful Easter!

Moda Jelly Rolls

On April 27, I will be giving a lecture/trunk show for the Pensacola Quilters Guild using quilts from my new book, all made from 2 1/2" strips. Even saying it makes my knees a little shaky! I'm not nervous at all about one part of the presentation, though. Lissa sent me a package with the most wonderful variety of Moda Jelly Rolls that I'll be giving away as door prizes! The picture (below) doesn't come close to representing the beauty and quality of these fabrics. I want to unroll all of the bundles and play with the fabrics, but experience has taught me that I can't roll them back up as neatly as the smart people at Moda. (I'd really like to know how they do that.)

Anyway, here's a picture of the Jelly Rolls: Nostalgia by April Cornell, Gypsy Rose by Fig Tree Quilts, Objects of Desire by Sandy Gervais, and Urban Couture by Basic Grey.

Aren't they gorgeous? If you can't make it to the meeting, don't worry -- I'll be saving one of these for a special blog give-away. Thank you so much, Lissa. I hope the big guys at Moda know how lucky they are to have you on their team!