Before I start my Homework...

I decided to do a little sewing. This is what I came-up with for the fall mini-swap. I hope my partner will like it.

What do you think about the crayon panel? I just printed a colouring sheet from the internet and kinda made it my own for this project. I think it came out alright.

For the actual pattern, I just took random strips from my scraps I got from my grandma and sewed them in no order. If it looked ok, then I just made it work. I only ripped one seam out! I think that's a success. It's about 17 X 18 right now, but I need to square it up so it may be less than that.

Now I need to decide how I'm going to quilt this little beauty. I think I may choose a decorative stitch and sew around the borders? What do you think, simple but elegant.

This is the backing fabric. I got it from a LQS... it was a FQ on for $2!!!

It's a lot brighter than the front but I think it's kinda cool in a warm fall kinda way lol! I think I'm going to do a pieced binding. I can't wait for this to be done... I just may want to keep it for myself lol!!!

Mary had a little fun on her blog, so I decided to try it out too...

It's a Wordle! I use to do these with my old blog and for a grad committee that I was president of last year! Aren't they fun.

I WON!!!

I was so excited to get an email this morning telling me that I had won a copy of the 100 blocks magazine from Quiltmaker!


I won my copy from Handicrafts by Peg they said my copy should be in the mail on the 16th, so after then, the countdown will be on! I can't wait to get this. I am actually thinking about making a sampler quilt from only the blocks in the magazine. I don't know which fabrics I'll use yet but I'm sure I'll think of something!

I was so determined to win one of these too! I entered my name in almost every draw they had! I'm so excited!! Thank-you so much Peg... I can't wait to make your beautiful block

It's Giveaway time!!!

Inchworm Fabrics is having a great giveaway!!! You can visit their store to see what they have for you to buy or you can visit the Inchworm Fabrics Blog . The best part is, she has her Aunt Barb from Bejeweled Quilts in on the action. You can actually win a quilt that Barb made!!! Check it all out, because it's worth your time.

Have you gotten your recipe in yet?

I just submitted my recipe for the Quilting Bloggers Quilting Cookbook!



just click on the pic for all the info you need!!

It sounds so great, I can't wait to have my copy come. I'm just so excited!!!

In the next 7 days...

I have...

2 Stats assignments,

1 major presentation and

1 final exam!


In the next 14 days I have

1 major presentation

1 stats assignment

and my sister's stagette!



It's going to be a busy couple of weeks and in week 2 I hope to get all the Christmas stuff sewn and ready to turn so I can do the decorative stitching on the outside...

I know, I know... may the force be with me and all that crap lol!

My Ruffled Squares Quilt

This is a pattern I designed all by myself! I actually am thinking about creating it into a .pdf and trying my hand at selling them?!

What do you think??? Maybe I'll just offer a free one from here lol.

It's obviously not completed yet... and all I have to say is I really hope those colour catchers work. I'm scared to death to wash this thing. I still have a while to go for that though... I mean I don't even have the top finished. I still have 3 borders to sew on. Then to sandwich and quilt!

I used Fresh by Deb Strain for this one... but I think I'm going to make more of these in different patterns!



I really love the tulips in this pattern. My Grandfather always grew tulips so I'm thinking about calling this pattern "Walter's Flower Garden"
On my 'design chair' It's kind of hard to spare a while wall in an itty bitty apartment! I'm actually going to have to wait until I move to finish this one because I don't have anywhere large enough to baste it!

Crayon Quilting

I'm going to make a Crayon block in my fall mini... I think it'll actually be the focus. I'm not sure what I'm going to draw. I may try to applique some stuff on to it too.

It can be washed in cold water and then tumbled dry on low. Do you think that'll meet the requirements??? I'm hoping my swap partner will like it.

I have a really nice fat quarter picked up for the backing... and I may use some of my fall win from Comfort Cove Designs as borders. I'll let you know what I come up with!


This is a picture I found of someone using crayons in quilting... it's quite beautiful right?!

In addition to my first post today...

I am going to post about my old blog,

Adventures of a Small Town Girl in the City... is now made private. I did this because I'm not going to keep it up anymore. I really like posting on my sewing blog and sew that's what I'm gonna do!

I did have one section of that blog that I've been diligently keeping up with for almost a year now and that's Mandy's Reading List 2009...

What I decided to do was import all my old posts into a new blog and just link it to this blog. That way, if you want to read it you can, but it won't be part of my everyday blogging. I usually only finish 1-2 books per month so it won't even be updated weekly! I've added a link to it in the first sidebar to the right... it's right under my "about me" section.

I have called the new blog "That's Sew Mandy: Reads". I really love reading so, I'll do a little review of my favourite books. Please don't take it for a professional review lol!!! I'm just a girl who loves to read.

I have about 20 books blogged about already and I continue to add to them as I finish. I also keep a list of them in the sidebar with a grade on them. This is mostly for me to remember how much I enjoyed the book but you may like to gauge it for yourself.

A Long, Long Time Ago...

I won a contest... and like a bad blogger, I forgot to tell you all about it!

I won a 'Name my New Cooking Blog Contest' at Comfort Cove Designs. You can read about it here. I was so excited and because the blog author and I practically live in the same city, she even came by my house to drop off my prize!

My house was a dirty state, I was in the middle of the "oh my gosh my parents are coming" cleaning and like a terrible hostess, I never even invited her in.

We spoke briefly on my door stoop and she was on her way again. I have to say that she is a lovely person!!! I wish I could take some of her quilting classes locally. Because I'm moving in December, I guess that's not going to happen :(

I digress! These are some photos of my loot

I just loved the little box to place some buttons in...

The Recipe Cards are beautiful and so is the card that she had for me :)

I loved the fall fat quarters... I'm thinking about what I can make with those. I think it'll be something for me....

But my favourite, is the sewing caddy! I'd really love to have a pattern for this! I keep it by my machine when I'm sewing and I put my scissors and seam ripper in it. Sometimes I keep extra pins in it too... and because the top is plush, I sometimes use it for a pin cushion... I still don't own one of those lol! I guess one of these days I'll make one!