Special Gift

A package arrived yesterday all the way from the U.K.! My friend Sue (Quilt Times) made this table runner with matching coasters, along with a matching chicken. I've never owned a chicken, and certainly not a matching chicken! She also sent some Yorkshire tea bags. The table runner is extra special because she used blocks from my book. How sweet is that?!


And isn't the quilting beautiful?

Check out this little dude. He's so cute. I'm going to have to think of a name for him. Any suggestions? He wants to live in my sewing room so the cats won't eat him.

Thank you so much, Sue, for such special gifts!

Kim

Thankful

With Thanksgiving approaching, I thought it would be an appropriate time to let you know how thankful I am for the friendships that have developed as a result of this blog and others. Quilters around the world have been so generous and kind, and I'm thankful for the opportunity to get to know so many of you. Your talent and creativity always inspire me. Your stories enlighten me, make me laugh hysterically, and sometimes bring me to tears. So I just feel like telling you today that I appreciate all of you. For lots of different reasons.

One of my sweet friends, Mary (over at Quilt Hollow), recently sent me a little quilt that she knew I would enjoy. She told us about the quilt here, but I had no idea that she made the quilt for me. It was such a surprise to open the package and find this adorable little quilt with most perfect quilting! To give you an idea of how tiny the little blocks are, the entire quilt is 18" x 20". The broken dishes blocks are only 2 1/4 inches! And the buttons are microscopic!

Pardon the pins -- I'm still auditioning for the perfect place to put it. Right now I'm thinking it may be a wallhanging.

Isn't it adorable? I love the quilted flower motifs in the pieced blocks and background blocks. She always does such amazing work. If you haven't visited her blog, you'll definitely want to do that. She shares so many projects of her own, as well as a lot of her customers' quilts. You'll enjoy the inspirational pictures!

Thank you so much, Mary. I love the quilt and will always enjoy and treasure it.

I hope all of you have a special Thanksgiving.

Kim

Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Winner

I forgot to tell you that if you don't win a copy of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks, you can find it at the newsstands on November 17, maybe even earlier. Be sure to visit Quiltmaker's blog, Quilty Pleasures, daily until November 13 for more information, inspiration, and fun stuff! Of course, you can visit after November 13, too -- there's always something interesting going on over there.

Thank you so much for playing along and for leaving such nice comments. I haven't been able to respond to all of them yet, but I'm working on it!

My husband has been relieved of his duties as random number generator. When I asked him for a number from 1 to 72, he offered 96! An online random number generator gave me a reasonable number without the attitude. It's 24. If I've counted properly, Stephanie is the winner of the Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Collector's Edition! (Stephanie, please send me your mailing address and you'll have it in your hands very soon.)

Don't forget to visit Quilty Pleasures tomorrow!

Kim

Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Blog Tour

When I was asked to submit a block for Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks, I knew it had to be a block made from 2 1/2" strips. What else? I had just bought several pieces of Holly Taylor's fabric collection, Frosted Memories, and couldn't wait to use it. I decided to use it for my sample block. You'll find my block, along with 99 others, in this single publication!

To celebrate its release, Quiltmaker is hosting the 100 Blocks Blog Tour. Follow it daily November 9-13 at Quiltmaker's blog, Quilty Pleasures, for inspiration, ideas and daily give-aways. They're even giving away the blocks featured in the magazine! Different blogs will be listed every day, so be sure to visit them all -- there may be a special prize at the end of the week.

Some lucky person will win a copy of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks here, too! Just leave a comment. I'll announce the winner tomorrow around 8:00 p.m. CDT.

Don't forgot to look for Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks from Today’s Top Designers in your local quilt shop, or purchase it at quiltmaker.com/100blocks.

Happy touring!

Kim

Who's the Winner?

Thank you all for leaving a comment about Lesley Chaisson's book, "Charmed, I'm Sure." To determine the winner, my husband served as the random number generator. I asked him to think of a number between 1 and 29. His choice may sound a little predictable, but since he didn't know why he was choosing the number, I'm going with it!

If you'll come back tomorrow, I'll tell you about this.

And I'll give you the scoop on an exciting blog tour where you can find lots of ideas and inspiration, and win some really cool prizes!

Are you wondering if I forgot about the winning number? It's 7! Congratulations, Terry! If you'll send me an e-mail with your mailing address, your book will be on its way soon.

Thanks for visiting!

Kim

Charmed, I'm Sure

The very nice people at Martingale & Company sent me a copy of this book to share with you. Charmed, I'm Sure, by Lesley Chaisson. This book is full of ideas for using all those 5" charm squares we can't seem to get enough of. Some of the projects use full 5" squares, so there's no trimming! The projects range in size from table runners and wall hangings to bed-size quilts, the largest measuring 81 1/2" x 105 1/2". The quilts are made from a wide range of fabrics, so you'll find lots of inspiration for choosing charm packs.
There are several applique' projects, including this lovely table runner. Lesley has provided full-size templates, and was even thoughtful enough to reverse the templates for fusible web applique'. I love this quilt!

Even the sun rays in this sweet little bag are made from charms!

Lesley has used many different styles of charms for her quilts, including seasonal and holiday prints, but encourages the reader to try different fabric combinations. It wouldn't be difficult to think of ten different fabric styles and colors to use for this quilt.
Some of Lesley's instructions provide special cutting techniques for odd-shaped pieces. I'm fascinated by the pieced blocks in her Muddy Waters Table Runner (not shown).

Another beauty.

There are lots more projects in the book including one of my favorites, "Acorn Dance," which features an acorn motif and a twisted ribbon-like border.

If you'd like to win a copy of Lesley's book, just leave a comment about it here by Friday. I'll announce the winner on Saturday, around 6:00 p.m. CDT.

Thank you, Martingale & Company, for sharing the book!