And the Winner Is.....

Patty Young is the winner of the Cabin Fever Pattern......just drop me your real address to my email (catherine@queeniequilts.com) and I will drop it in the mail to you this week!!!


And since this is my 100th post.....here's a new giveaway.....Comment on this post and tell me your favorite color and why it is your favorite, and the random generator man will do his magic...and you could win this pattern.....Confetti by Judy Niemeyer.....because I booked a class to teach this one. For those of you that are Judy fans, this uses the same techniques as Touch of Spring and Pepperdish, and is made from (drumroll please) : Bali Pops, yes, that is right Bali Pops!!!!!

This contest will close on Friday, January 11th at midnight!


Happy Quilting!!!!
Catherine

In the Nick of Time

Well, it has happened again. As I write this post, it is throwing it down outside. Serious, ugly big rain drops of the cold variety. Now, I love a good rainstorm, they are great ways to avoid leaving the house, and provide great excuses for sewing, knitting, crocheting and reading, which happen to be some of my favorite activities, so I'll take a good rainstorm anyday. Unless, I have to be out in it, and then they might as well be snow, sleet and ice, because people in California don't know how to drive in them!!! Luckily, before the rain started falling this morning, and after last night's frost evaporated, I got a chance for some outside photos, nothing really new new, but a few new looks.....

1. A Design I will be offering as a sew along in February -- currently called Key Lime after the Bali Pop it is made of, because I simply have run out of idea names...so if anyone has some ideas for a name..... It's a cute wallhanging or baby size quilt at 50 x 50, and I do love this color combo. Shawn did fabulous meandering quilting for me in a verigated turquoise thread, with a lime green on the back. I didn't get a pic of the back, but it is the same print as the border on the front.

2. A Jelly Roll Race quilt that I made in October out of an older collection -- I'm not actually sure what the line is called, it's by Moda, and all of the prints have either breast cancer ribbons, or words like courage, and love on them. Super cute and made for a dear friend as a celebration of the end of her chemo sessions. I finished it with a lovely striped binding which I love (because, really, who doesn't love a striped binding?).

 3. Another view of my Golden Harvest quilt, mucho better in sunlight than in my dark apartment.

4. A quilt made from a GE designs pattern....which I cannot remember the name of, and I gifted the pattern in the BIG MOVE OUT! I made this last summer and it's just been waiting for binding, which I finally located during the big move out. The fabric is from the Serendipity line by 3Sisters for Moda....when I was in my "cottage garden  phase". I was also in a frugal phase at the same time, and pieced the back out of the fat quarters than didn't make the cut for the top. The quilt is actually a large throw, and perfect to snuggle under, except for the fact that it doesn't match anything in my house...perhaps I will gift it to Rachel Ashwell it will be great in her Shabby Chic house (although I am sure she has houses, and does not need it).

5. And some pics of the 3 Ducks in a Row that aren't quite so bright, granted the quilt is bright, so it's still pretty bright, but at least it's not completely offensively bright.

And that completes the pictures for the weekend, for it is raining outside, and it's time to get back to the sewing machine.

Happy Quilting!
Catherine

2013 Finish #1 and Post #98

Yes, we are only 5 days in and I have finished one of my goals (it helps to set those interim goals!!!). This is a new QQ design, which I can't quite share yet, but I was so excited to get it done, that I had to let you know!!!!

Pretty Boring, huh??? I'll do a big reveal as soon as I can, I did this one out of the new G6 Bali Pops from Hoffman, in Licorice, shades of black and white (okay, grey and white)....

And since we are counting, this is post #98, which means we are just two away from my hundredth post, and a new giveaway!


Happy Quilting!!!

Getting Accountable -- Tools

So, how do you "monitor" your resolutions??? Do you make lists? And post status reports in your planner or iPhone? Do you know where you should be at all time??? Do you drive yourself crazy?? That's kinda my style, jump right in with both feet and plan it all in the beginning. It works for me. Otherwise, I just get a little lax, and slowly start eating the wrong things, not exercising, not moving forward.....so, since I have some pretty significant financial goals for the year, it was time to revisit the budgets, check on the expenses and monitor my spending a little more tightly.

So, I went to the place I always go when handling money, my Dave Ramsey Financial Peace Binder. It's years old and tattered. It was once a workbook (before it was online and fancy, it was a softback book that you wrote in, and it wasn't called the TOTAL MONEY MAKEOVER, it was the companion to Financial Peace), but a few years ago (okay, a decade ago) the spine broke, and pages started falling out, so I cut the spine off with a Xacto knife, punched holes in it and put it in a binder. An ugly plain black binder (from before they had the sleeves on the front and could be personalized). This is the binder that I used every time I needed to pay a bill for 10 years...it's old and ratty, and the information is all common sense, and I've read it a bazillion times. But reviewing it and getting clear about my financial goals for the year is always inspiring. Breaking it down to how much to save per week makes you realize that it is doable, and not really as inconvenient as it is in your mind. BUT, the binder, well it's just ratty, and yuck, and there are so many better options out there now, whether it be Dave's Gazelle Intensity Online Program, or mint.com, or even just a simple spreadsheet. Dave's plan is envelope based, which kinda freaks some people out, but it's awesome!!! If there is no money in the envelope, then you can't spendy. That simple. You plan all of your spending at the beginning of the month, and then you just check it all off. And you know me and lists, I heart lists.


So, I updated my budget, and got ready to make my envelopes....and what should I find on pinterest but an ADORABLE pdf to make your own envelopes...just like the ones you get from the bank, but with a spending log printed right on them......needless to say, the ones online were cuter than any paper I had in the house (pola dots, stripes, etc)...and since I hadn't allocated myself any $$$ for crafts in January, so I couldn't spendy, I had to make due. I first printed on some astrobrights from the shop -- plum, and vertigo green, and a dark teal, they were really fantastic colors, but you couldn't read your writing on them, so they had to go. I replaced them with these, in shades of sunrise....a new dawning for a new era. I'll go with that, why not???

aren't they cute???

What tools do you use to resolve your resolutions???

Winner Winner -- Chicken Dinner

Does anyone know where that started, it's always sounded completely corny to me, but yet I use it weekly.....

So, without further adue, the winner of the Tokyo Rocco is : Barb (Pink) and Ta2Jewess (Blue). Please send me your addresses to : catherine@queeniequilts.com and I will drop these in the mail to you this week. Congratulations!

Happy Quilting
Cat

Christmas Bonus

Did anyone get something super special for Christmas -- not expensive or extravagent, but special to you? I got a few that were just super special to me not because they were expensive or extravagent, but they were "me". For example, see picture below....it's a Ragnok cart from IKEA, courtesy of Shawn, and is the coolest thing ever. These came out last spring in limited quantities, and there were literally a dozen in southern California. I saw one in the San Diego store literally the day after it came out, but I didn't get it, as it was in grey, and I wanted the turquoise one. What a mistake that was. I went home, sure that I could just order it and have it delivered and I was wrong. I got the "This product is not available online, please contact your closest IKEA store." So, I drove back to IKEA the next day, and they didn't even have the grey one anymore, and they weren't going to get any more. It is a "seasonal promotional item". Needless to say, I was disappointed. In the meantime, Shawn from Rusty Crow Quilts (my friend and co-conspirator on way to many projects) found a grey one in her travels and snatched up the last one in California. Literally, I called every IKEA in California looking for them. Yes, I was obsessed. The magic fairy left one under the tree, and the best part was it came with a coupon for assembly!!!

Isn't it cute???? It's perfect. The baskets are 9x12 -- making it perfect for pattern assembly, or stacking piecing (both of which I did this weekend.) Thanks Shawn. Love you bunches!!!!

 

 

 

I also got these, yesterday, technically they were a Christmas present from the notorious Jared (Shawn's son). He got me a gift certificate for Barnes and Noble, and this is what I bought. Cookbooks, cooking commentary, and a journal. Quite fantastic so far, and if the smell in the office is any indication, dinner tonight will be fabulous (yes, there is a crockpot in my office, with the Pot Roast recipe from said book bubbling along).

 

 

Thanks Jared!!!

 

 

That's the wrapup of Christmas for me, I'll update everyone on the giveaway winner tomorrow, along with what I did on New Years to Organize my finances.

 

 

Happy Quilting!!!



Spirit of the New Year

So, are you superstitious??? I can be, sometimes, not always, not about all of the various wives tales, but some of them, I kinda believe in, like the spirit of the New Year. I have no idea what the origins of this superstition is, I can only tell you that it has been a part of my life since I was a very young child. And it basically goes like this....whatever you want to do for the year, do it a little bit on New Year's Day. So, I have been busy today.....

1. I had lunch with a good friend.
2. I spent time with my family.
3. I organized the garage and removed all of the things that are not purposeful. I plan on doing a lot more of this in the coming year. Streamlining, organizing, renewing spaces.
4. I hit the gym for a workout.
5. I did some knitting (not a lot, but some).
6. I did some piecing.
7. I even did a little quilting on my domestic machine.
8. I took some photos.
9. I blogged (or rather am blogging at this point).
10. I made a to-do list (you know how much I love lists, so you shouldn't be surprised).
11. I prepped a bunch of patterns for mailing.
12. I sent out an order.
13. I order some products for the shop.
14. I visited my favorite stores and spent my free money (that is my christmas gift cards) = free stuff.
15. Did some cooking, and some baking.
16. I spent some time focusing on what I want to accomplish this year.
17. I did some laundry, and some house maintenance (because I have some big plans to buy/renovate a house this year, not because I want to do tons of laundry or cleaning, because that is just a ridiculous idea).
18. I cashed some checks -- (I really hope that this one works, it was a funny idea from a friend of mine when we talked about superstitions). He is convinced this means I will win the lotto, I figure it can't hurt...right???
19. And there are a few things I didn't do --- I didn't write any checks or have any fights or disagreements. I didn't drink any soda (i know, crazy right??). I was careful to not spill anything, and to drive carefully. 
20. I called my Mom.
21. I spoke of kindness and friendship, and the importance of family, because really, isn't that what every day should be about???

So, the superstitious me will say goodnight, with promises to return later this week with results for the giveaways, and some new information.



Happy Quilting!

Cat