Annnnd the winner is....

The early bird sure got the prize this time around! Random Number Generator chose number three...

3

Min

Max

GENERATE

...as the winner of Diane's Strip Quilt Secrets.

Comment number three is from Mary R. who blogs at Urban Quilter.

Mary watch for an email from me and know I'm your newest follower!

And thank you to everyone who stopped by my little blog spot and entered the give-away. It was interesting to read everyone's comments and learn about the variety of things we do to entertain ourselves while we quilt. Many of us prefer the peace and quiet with only the hum of our sewing machine to keep us company while others enjoy a good podcast or movie. Either way, sewing certainly provides a healthy creative outlet for us doesn't it. 

Strip Quilt Secrets Blog Hop & Give-Away!

Diane who blogs at Butterfly Threads Quilting makes the most wonderful scrappy quilts! I'm always inspired by her combination of bright colors and fabric patterns to design such a variety of patterns. When she published her first book: Scrap Book Secrets, I devoured it, reading it cover to cover and taking note, especially as I read her chapter of Quilt Making Basics. And now she's done it again!!

BOOK TWO!

 

I quickly volunteered to be part of her book release blog hop as I've had this tote of 30's repro fabric strips that I had cut into two inch strips about five years ago to to stitch English Paper Pieced Hexagons. When my book arrived, I literally dumped the whole tote out, mixed up the large variety of colors and patterns....

...and started just grabbing and sewing the strips together.

After a few email exchanges with Diane and then referring to the index of the quilts by strip size ranging from 1 1/2"-3 1/2" found at the back of her book, I decided to make her Vortex pattern as most of my strips were already two inches wide...exactly what the Vortex pattern called for.

So I got busy sewing strips...which as you can imagine provided some easy chain piecing.

I chose black as my block centers and cornerstones. I found the block assembly quick with Diana's easy to follow, step by step directions and am learning to perfect my partial seam. BTW, Diane also offers four alternative quilt sizes (crib, twin full/queen and king) and a coloring sheet for each of the fifteen patterns included in the book.  I love that! So much bang for your buck!

So even though I still have a bunch of strips to sew together:

Here's a peek at what they are looking like as they come together as a finished 9 1/2" block:

A GIVE-AWAY!

This give-away is closed. The winner was announced here.

For the chance to win a copy of Strip Quilt Secrets by Diane D. Knot, comment on this blog sharing with us your favorite "sewing" time entertainment. For example, I often find myself just enjoying the quiet, but will every now and then find a good NCIS marathon or something on Netflix. (Anything that does not require a lot of my attention.) I will draw a winner on Friday, January 11, 2019 and announce the winner here on the blog as I also share my progress being made. NOTE: If you are a no-reply (Right now I have had 26 no-reply comments) so please leave your email so I can contact your for your mailing address. Due to shipping costs, this give-away if only available to US residents. Good luck! 

Also if you missed Diane's blog series highlighting the five main strip techniques highlighted in her book, click HERE to get a closer look at those and learn how much her book has to offer.

BLOG HOP!

I hope you have fun visiting everyone else on the hop and you'll also increase your chance of winning your own copy of Strip Quilt Secrets! Our blog hop runs all week. 

Here are links to all the quilters who are participating: 

Friday January 4 - C&T 

Saturday January 5 - Tanya

Sunday January 6 - Val (You are here!)

Monday January 7 - Lori

Tuesday January 8 - Heather

Wednesday January 9 - Audrey

Thursday January 10 - Susan

Quilted Postcard Swap/Blog Hop

Last month I posted the quilted postcard I sent from Oregon to Indiana...

I created this one for my Kris who blogs at Krislovesfabric. Her prompt was: MAKE.
My postcard note said: "Kris you make very beautiful gifts and I'm sure they bring sunshine to many hearts."

and  the one that traveled through the mail from Michigan to Oregon to little ol' me! 

This one was created for me  by Sunshine'sAddiction using my prompt: HAPPY.
She illustrated that happy transition many us feel as Winter finally turns into Spring.

Well today we are having a Postcard Blog Hop of many of us who participated in the swap.

Here's a list of today's Blog Hop participants to check out. ENJOY!  

Denise @ DottieDoodle

Isis @ Creation d'Isis 

Karen @ Run Sew Fun

Lynette @ What A Hoot Quilts

Laura @ LC's Cottage

Lisa @ Sunlight in Winter Quilts

Marsha @ Quilter in Motion

Michelle @ Creative Blonde

Paige @ Quilted Blooms

Patty @ Elm Street Quilts

Sandra @ mmm! quilts

Susan @ California Fiber and Music

Dione @ https://www.cleverchameleon.com.au/blog/

I specialize in edge to edge pantographs with over 100 designs to choose from.

Check out my Long-Arm Quilting page for details.

I offer FREE Return Shipping on all quilts in the U.S.A.

Best of 2017 Linky

I like participating in Cheryl's "Best of" Linky Party as it creates the opportunity and motivation for me to look back and see how my year of blogging has been. 

 My "word" for 2017 was JOY. I started out the year with an ambitious list of goals, but quickly realized I'd take a more joyful, laid back approach to my quilting. Our Winter was overwhelming and Fall was filled with family transitions, which as you know, included welcoming our new grand guy. Wierd how much can happen in a year huh. In review, I did finish six quilts and have been thinking about new ways to be creative in my studio and here on the blog. (Stay tuned) It truly has been a joyful blogging year with each of you as my "virtual quilting community". I am grateful for our friendships. Soooo, with that said, here is my best of 2017: 

First up, My MOST VIEWED post coming in with 696 views was my Classroom Quilt Finish.  Wow! Thank you for your continuous support of me as a second grade teacher.

Next, JACKSON'S MOST POPULAR POST with 717 views was when I asked reader's to take a quiz to determine What Dog Breed are You? I enjoyed finding out how many of you have a dog companion and what breed fit your lifestyle.

Next, is our LARGEST TUESDAY ARCHIVES PARTY. It was dated back in September and had 26 links. It was surprisingly our BAG themed party. Thank you for your continued participation in our weekly Tuesday Archives linky. 

We've had 178 linky parties so far...and many still ahead!

1. Each Tuesday I've posted a quilt theme.

2. I appreciate the time and effort you take to search through your quilting archives for old posts to link under the theme.

3. Thank you for visiting eachother.

 And remember you can find all our past themes in our Tuesday Archives: DIRECTORY Plus, I know Tuesday Archives is not your traditional linky party. As I prepared this post, I noticed that our weekly links have decreased by 50% compared to a year ago. I'm not sure if this is due to the rise in instagram and pinterest usage, but if you have any input to offer about our themes...please  email me with your ideas. And if you are new to my blog,  I'll hope you'll stop by on Tuesdays and join us!

And finally, I'll conclude with My Two FAVORITE QUILT Finishes of the year:

The first one is my Bloom QAL, made entirely from my stash!

The second, is my queen size Raw Edged Flowers and Nine PatchQuilt. 

It's always nice to finish a quilt that has been over a year in the creating isn't it. 

So there you have it: The 5 Best of 2017 here at Val's Quilting Studio. I want to thank all of you who have become my blogging friends over the past years.  I also want to welcome you if you are new to my ol' spot here in blogland. Please take a look around, and if ya are even a little bit inspired by what ya see, I hope you'll follow too. In the meantime, happy holidays to you all and thank you Cheryl for hosting this party. Click on the picture below to check out everyone participating and celebrating:

I specialize in edge to edge pantographs with over 100 designs to choose from.

Check out my Long-Arm Quilting page for details.

I offer FREE Return Shipping on all quilts in the U.S.A.

Thin Mint Crackers (A Blog Hop)

These cracker cookies seriously taste just like the Girls Scouts Thin Mints. 

And this is the recipe that can be found:

BUT!!!!

The double boiler system has never worked for us using the chocolate chips!! 

The chocolate chips have NEVER melted right:

We  always end up throwing the chocolate away.

My husband's "secret ingredient": 

Now this recipe is truly as easy as 1-2-3.

1. Melt a bag of this Almond Bark in a double broiler.

2. Add 1/2 tsp. of peppermint extract once melted.

3. Dip your Ritz crackers into the chocolate and let them set on a cookie sheet.

That's it. OH! And they taste WONDERFUL right out of the freezer!

Happy Holidays everyone! Oh! And if you are new to my blog, I welcome you take some time to look around and follow if you like what you see. I always follow back as it's fun to meet new bloggy, quilty friends. Also I have a give-away going on and have extended the deadline to Monday, Dec. 11th to include all of you fellow Cookie Exchange participants. Click HERE for the give-away.

I'm happily joining everyone else in Carol's:

December 5 

Creatin’ in the Sticks

Creative Latitude

Gray Barn Designs

Domestic Felicity

Pieced Brain

Quiltscapes

Ms P Designs USA

Cynthia’s Creating Ark

December 6

 Sew Incredibly Crazy

Freemotion by the River

Moosestash Quilting

One Old Goat And Her Little Farm

A Little Bit of Everything, from Mike & Alisa

Hazel’s Daughter

Patchouli Moon Studio

Bumbleberry Stitches

Selina Quilts

Brenda’s Blog

December 7

 Quilt Doodle Doodles

Kris Loves Fabric

Life in the Scrapatch

Home Sewn By Us

For The Love Of Geese

Stitch Days

Val’s Quilting Studio

Tu-Na Quilts

It’s A T-Sweet Day!

Just Let Me Quilt

Carol, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for organizing this event for all of us!! You Rock!

I specialize in edge to edge pantographs with over 100 designs to choose from.

Check out my Long-Arm Quilting page for details.

I offer FREE Return Shipping on all quilts in the U.S.A.

Honey why is this quilt all ragged on the edges??

Huh? OMG!! This quilt has been sitting on the couch in my studio for the past 2 1/2 years!! I never realized that the binding wasn't sewn down until I heard that question from my husband.

Seriously, the binding was on...just not sewn down. How does that happen? Anyhoooo....I packed it up and it provided the perfect hand sewing this past two weeks while I was at our daughter's and I had a homemade quilt to sleep under every night. Doesn't get better than that does it. And now to celebrate this long overdue finish, I pulled some dotty fabric remnants from my stash and paired them with this Mary E. magnetic notepad as a Happy Mail Give-away for one of you. 

(THIS GIVE-AWAY IS CLOSED)

Just comment to share what your favorite Christmas Cookie is?

And speaking of cookies...next week this Blog Hop begins:

On Dec. 7th I'll be sharing our simple but oh so yummy version of the Girl Scouts Thin Mint Cookie.

I'll announce the winner of my Happy Mail Give-Away Monday, Dec. 11th.

I specialize in edge to edge pantographs with over 100 designs to choose from.

Check out my Long-Arm Quilting page for details.

I offer FREE Return Shipping on all quilts in the U.S.A.

Best of 2016: Thank YOU!

My week with my grand-guy has come to an end. We found ourselves buried in snow and limited by outside temperatures that only sway between -4 and 15 degrees. We made the best of  it as we enjoyed inside pajama days filled with hot chocolate, movies, naps,and lots of play time! It's such a joy to watch children's personality emerge.  This little guy is funny, kind and so easy to have around. 

 So now with him safely back with mom and dad some three and half hours away, I awake this morning grateful to have one more day of the year to write and link a post thanking you and celebrating the "virtual quilting guild" I have found here in blog land with you.

My Five Thank Yous to YOU:

New this year, I hosted my very first swap! This was soooo fun!!!

Thank you for participating! Amazing to think we collected and traded 6,800 eye spy squares.

Should we do it again this summer?? Comment to let me know your interest.

Thank you for saving your change with me. 

Each July I host our Annual Piggy Bank Challenge and it's always been fun 

to see what quilty treats our accumulated change can buy us. 

FYI: February finds us at our mid-point check-in already!

I myself am off to empty my own change purse after I publish this post.

Also, thank you for your continued participation in our weekly Tuesday Archives linky.

We've had 142 linky parties so far...and many still ahead!

1. Each Tuesday I've posted a quilt theme.

2. I appreciate the time and effort you take to search through your quilting archives for old posts to link under the theme.

3. Thank you for visiting eachother.

 And remember you can find all our past themes in our Tuesday Archives: DIRECTORY

I'm grateful that when Blogger lost my follower list, so many of your commented and emailed to help me rebuild my list and thus help me to not loose touch with everyone from my little spot in the world.

Annnnddddd...of course, I enjoy your continuous support and enthusiastic acceptance of my favorite little photo bomber: Jackson! He's received more virtually sent belly rubs this year than any other!

It truly has been a fabulous blogging year with each of you as my "virtual quilting community".

My 2016 "Word" was FABULOUS...

...and what a Fabulous journey 2016 has been. I wasn't going for the kind fabulous that exclaims, yet the kind of fabulous that finds you just working to be the best you can be. To be happy, creative and content in your own shoes. To notice all the things in  your daily life that make it good. And well, I truly find that with your friendships and your own blogs, that I have accomplished this. I sit here and reflect in gratitude this morning upon my own growth as a quilter, blogger and well, overall middle age lady! 

I blog because it's one of those things that allows me to:

Thank you for a fabulous 2016 blogging year together!

I appreciate you.

Linking with everyone at: