...drum roll please....

Hello all! I know that some of you are waiting patiently to see who the lucky winner of my blogoversary giveaway is so I will get right to it! I am finally able to say a great big congratulations to: Vintage Sandy!

Vintage Sandy said...
Cara,Happy blogversary!! I'm from NE Ohio and I've only had my blog since Feb. a friend told me about all the wonderful blogs so here I am... love yours and hope to win your giveaway will post you on mine.
March 31, 2009 10:21 PM

Congratulations Sandy! If you send me your mailing information, I will pop your wonderful prize in the mail as soon as I get it! To everyone else- Thank you so much for all your wonderful comments and for entering my giveaway- you truly made my first blogoversary a special one! I have enjoyed reading your comments and for those who have a blog I enjoyed checking them out! Hope to hear from you all again soon and maybe some of you may start your own blog too! If ya do please let me know and I will pop over and visit!

Again I will leave you with some pics of one of my favorite quilts and the spectacular detail from the Quilter Heritage Celebration. This quilt is a Baltimore album quilt - which is something I really would like to do someday. The detail in the applique is just stunning and I love how she personalized her blocks too. I must say that this show gets better every year I attend!

Well, hope you enjoyed the pics- I will be back later to blog more about the show and hopefully to reveal the quilt from the sneak peak last week!
Until then Happy Quilting!
Cara

Wonderful Blogland!

WoW! I must say that I am so overwhelmed by all the bloggy love! It has been so wonderful to see how everyone has started blogging! Thank you all so much for your responses! I just wanted to let you all know I had not forgotten you- I just have several more comments and entries to go through so I will be back soon to give the winner of the drawing!

So while I go through them all I thought I would leave you with a bit of a taste of the Quilter's Heritage Celebration in Lancaster PA. I will tell you all about it when I come back to announce the winners!
See you soon!
Cara

Stithcer's Angel and Heart Challenge

This past week I received a very special parcel! A while back I had joined Helen's Stitcher's Angel swap. I made and sent my gift but for some reason never received one back. My Angel (according to her blog) had some personal issues that prevented her from following through. My name was put on a list on Helen's blog and a very gracious lady became my new Angel! I do not think she has a blog but I know she reads them. Her name is Cristina and she lives in Milan Italy. She sent me the most awesome stitching portfolio (personalized- how cool is that!). Complete with matching button bag and pin cushion. Oh ya and, that's right I said and, she included an Italian stitching magazine, some gorgeous buttons and rick rack and the cutest little zippers in wonderful spring colors!

Close-up of the portfolio

...and the inside-too cute!

I have already moved my applique and stitchery projects to the portfolio! Thanks so much Cristina! You truly are an angel and made my week with your wonderful gifts!

On Thursday, we had our Guild meeting and since it was the month of February tonight was the judging night for our guilds heart challenge. Unfortunately I had not been to a meeting in a while (life just got in the way) so I only found out about it last month and could not get a finish in time. I will however show it as one of my pattern line once it is finished!

Back to the guild meeting- below are the pics of some wonderfully beautiful show and tells and also some of the heart challenge entries. Our guild has some very truly talented ladies in it!!

This is Barbara's paper pieced quilt- stunning!

Sue's Beautiful hand appliqued Baltimore Album- WOW!

Then here some of the heart challenge entries...

...the picture may not reflect it, but this quilt had a lot of texture to it that made you want to touch it to see if it was real or just the fabric- cool!

oh and this quilt is smaller than it looks- about 15 inches probably- such tiny applique and hand quilted! Fabulous!

This quilt was hand quilted and I know for a fact that it was their first quilt! Wow!

...and last but certainly not least...the winner voted by our members

again not bigger than about 15 inches but very intricate hand work- those bullion's were perfect! The hand quilting- just stunning!

Well I am going to go now but I wanted to leave you with the coolest link that I found while searching through some blog sites. Apparently this guild decided to create a unique exhibit for Breast Cancer Awareness and made a bunch of OOAK quilted bras! Yep, you read it correctly Quilted bras! It is so cool! Some of my faves: the political bra, the nurse bra and being a military wife I loved the support our troops bra. Go and check it out! http://www.quiltersofsc.org/artfullbras/artfullbras.htm%20make-make sure you are doing your self breast examinations!

Cara

More Shop-hopping with the Quilt Buddy!

So on the second day I was out visiting the Quilt Buddy, we headed on over to The Country Loft for their annual Quilt show. This show was awesome! On display were some beautiful quilts from their vast list of classes as well as some made by students and instructors. In the front of the store they had all the quilts that were on sale for Sew For The Cure. I purchased an awesome fall wall hanging. All proceeds from the sales of these quilts went to the Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. What a wonderful way to raise money for a cause that is dear to my heart! The Country Loft itself is the cutest thing ever! It literally is a cottage and has this gorgeous white picket fence surrounding it. Inside is beautiful displays of quilts, wall hangings, and their projects mixed in with antiques and prims. Out behind the store they had a gorgeous little courtyard that was decked out in the other quilts. Too cute! They also support a lot of local pattern makers and of course their teachers (see here , here and here). If you ever wanted a variety of classes to take this store has it! Oh my! I am contemplating going to see Stef just to take one of their classes! LOL!





One of my favorite Quilts on display was this Dear Jane quilt (finished!) and it gave me new found inspiration and I wanted to head home to work on my blocks to get here too! The Country Loft is actually having this as a class to support and help you accomplish this awesome quilt.


All in all, the visit to The Country Loft was awesome! I spent most of my money there as they had a great variety of things I wanted. Of course when we headed back to the car to go to Rosie's, lookie what we saw...

I could not, of course, resist getting my fix! Then we loaded up and headed off to Rosie's Calico Cupboard in search of more goodies!

What another great day of shop hopping! It of course was made even more fun by the fact I was by the side of my bestest quilt buddy! : ) Unfortunatley this is where the journey ended, as I was on the plane back to the East coast the next day. Thank you Stefanie for having me for a wonderfully awesome quilt filled weekend!

T.T.F.N.

Well, I finally got the pics downloaded from the quilt show in Lancaster...They are not as good as the goodies pictures as they are from my Blackberry but it will show a little of what I saw! There was this one quilt that I loved the colors and of course was in awe of the beautiful hand quilting....



Oops!! : ) LOL I realize as I add these pics I did not take a one of the whole quilt!! Oh well, the pictures will give you some idea of the beautiful work! Another quilt I absolutely would love to make a copy of is this beautiful Irish Chain! I love everything about it-but especially the applique!

While there of course were tons of vendors but I could only get to a few. This is because I had headed there with kids in tow and some were just very crowded (and of course I was one of those people who had a stroller ; ) ). I did however manage to get to the Rebecca Barker booth and I am in love with her work! It is so inspirational! You can see a few of the selections I got in the "goodies" pic to the right...I had more but I sent them to my best Quilty bud in her latest parcel. I also found Blackbird Designs newest line...At Waters Edge. Got some fat quarters that I absolutely think will need to have some yardage purchased! My daughter also picked out the puppy wall hanging pattern. This was at a neat booth called Rachel's of Greenfield. She was so happy to see it and said "mommy, I want that one for above my bed.Can you make that and can it be like my quilt on my bed?" How could I resist!LOL! So I have yet another project waiting in the wings and believe me, she will not let me forget it either!



The other great part of this past few days is that I recently purchased Electric Quilt 6!!!!!! All I have to say is WOW and you will understand.... but while at The Quilter's Hive, I also saw that they had received the new Moda line, Prairie Paisley. OMG! I went nuts! I had to of course get some. So while looking at the bolts, and not being able to pick just a few favorites, my will (and the kids patience) broke down and so I bought the jelly roll. I do however now have a specific pattern in mind for this jelly roll and will dig it out later this afternoon. Here is a pic of my scrummy fabric purchase...
Well, I noticed this morning that I could not find anything in my nook so I am off to have a clean out and see what I can do to organize myself again!

Happy Quilting!
T.T.F.N.