Giveaway Day winner

Thank you all so much for playing along with me.  I had so much fun reading each and every comment.  You all are an interesting bunch!  After my last "interesting" fact, here's a follow up: since my birthday is so close to the holidays, I have a June wedding anniversary to keep the celebrating even.  Anyway, here's the randomly chosen winner:

C-Joy said...

A Christmas baby -how sweet! My interesting this is that I was married in a bookstore <3 Thanks for participating in the giveaway :)

Congratulations, C-Joy!  Can't wait to do this again!

I have a few fun things to show you soon-- as well as my solution to the annoying buttonhole problems on the AB Liverpool dress.

2009 SMS Giveaway Day!

New people: thanks for coming! Return visitors, thanks for coming back!

It's that time again-- Giveaway Day! Here's what I have for you at the Sweat Shop:

Some fat quarters I've been saving/hoarding from Anna Maria Horner:

Also, a pillow I made. Here's the front (careful viewers will see some AMH in here, too):

And here's the back, made out of super soft corduroy:

It's on a 16" pillow form and it's an envelope back, so I suppose if you hate the pillow you can just use the form.

Now, the details:

I'll leave this contest open until December 6, 2009. To enter to win, please leave a comment, and tell me something interesting about yourself, and then I'll pick a winner. Here's something about me: my birthday is December 23, and I love having it so close to all of the holidays because I feel like everyone gets to celebrate with me!

Thanks for playing!

Grandma Ginny

Yikes, two posts in two days-- and of two completed quilts!
This is the completed wonky/maverick star quilt that I made for my Grandmother-in-law, Ginny. I got a little worried about my youthful colour choices, but as my husband said, "She doesn't need to be reminded that she's old." She's very sweet and very tiny-- so this is a sweet and tiny quilt.
(Cassidy likes it, obviously)
I decided to only use the yellow roses for the centers, and if I would've planned it a little better I probably would've fussy cut something more graphic. The borders are 2.5" squares out of a few different fat quarters I had around here. The border is my favorite part-- Michael Miller Dumb Dot. Sometimes I think there's merit in the old school quilt philosophy of a dark binding (at least, that's always the advice I get-- and usually ignore-- at my local quilt shop)The back has 3 of my leftover stars, some Heather Ross stripes, and some aqua fabric from JoAnn Fabrics that I can't seem to get rid of. I stippled it in pale pink thread, partly for interest but really so I could see where I was going.
Also, word on the street is that I'm getting a NEW CAMERA for CHANUKKAH. Expect better pictures coming to the Sweat Shop soon!

George

I finished this one a while ago, but I gave it to the recipient as soon as it came out of the dryer, meaning I didn't get a picture (click on it to see the full quilt).
Here's one he took for me:
All scraps, and based on this quilt. I stippled it in white, and my favorite part of the quilt is a part you can barely see-- faux bois as binding! The back is red and aqua.
George is a dear friend of mine, who is dating another really good friend. He had a really rough autumn, and I tried to help in my small way.
All I need to add to the Liverpool are the button holes (which I have to do by hand-- gah), and I started another scrap quilt. Pictures of both soon!

the liverpool

Ever since seeing this pattern on Amy Butler's website, I knew I wanted to make it.
I've never bought an AB pattern before, but have made some out of "In Stitches" and the free ones from the website. I broke down and bought it today, along with some fabric that was 50% off:It's Erin Michael's Mod Mum, from Uptown-- the same line that brought those gorgeous paint-by-number birds. I was pleased to score this fabric, especially on sale. I figure that if the pattern doesn't turn out, I can always tear it apart for a quilt. I haven't started cutting yet, but I'm pretty excited. I think I'm going to make the short dress with long sleeves. Pictures soon, I hope!

a giveaway I'd love to win

Yep, it's a Flea Market Fancy giveaway.  Go over and check it out!

sometimes

Sometimes I'm a little late to the game.
Like now, when I decided to finally give the very popular wonky/maverick star block a try:Each of the squares are 5". The centers of half of the blocks (like this one) are made from Dance With Me, I believe it's the Yellow Kayla pattern. The other half will be an assortment of my floral prints. All of the points are scraps-- I realized that mine have gotten a little out of hand lately, and this is good for the littlest ones.
I'm hoping that this will come together quickly, as I want to make this one in time for Christmas. My husband's grandmother, who I adore, was widowed in September. This will be her first holiday season without her husband, and I hope that something feminine and warm can provide a little bit of comfort. I thought this pattern was just familiar enough for a woman of a certain age, but fresh enough to remind her of me.