Life in the spring always seems to get so busy. It is a good thing though.The kidlets have been spending as much time outside as possible, between the days with rain of course. We recently received this hand-me-down kiddo four wheeler (made by Fisher Price) from my sister and after it got a new battery, my two were off to race up and down our driveway.

They are actually good about taking turns with it and thankfully it doesn't go very fast.

The one who isn't on the four wheeler is driving this fancy schmancy vehicle, again another hand-me-down though this one came from one of hub's coworkers a few years ago. There is no way in the world we'd buy these things ourselves, they cost too much darn money.

The kiddos love them and we are grateful for the hand-me-downs and once my kidlet outgrow them, we'll hand them down to another family.

Monday we had a bit of excitement here. You see...one of the training wheels on Sunshine's bike kept falling off and it did it yet again while she was riding in the driveway as I was getting dinner ready. As the story goes, Daddy asked her if she wanted to try to ride without the training wheels and as is typical with my fearless girls, she quickly agreed. She was so excited when she came and got me to come and see what she can now do.

Either Uncle Tom or Daddy stayed close by and she isn't too steady yet, but as the day wore on she got better and better. Having the seat lowered so that she could put her feet on the ground easier when she wants to stop definitely helped. I fully expected this event to happen sometime this summer, especially since Jammer just took off a few weeks ago sans training wheels and if nothing else, my Sunshine is very competitive, I just didn't expect it to happen this early.

On the quilting front, I was able to finish all of the EMS/Fire quilt blocks on Sunday.

My work schedule got switched up a bit this week and I was able to sew the rows together on Thursday afternoon and the borders when on yesterday.

I even completed piecing the backing and making the binding for this quilt so it is now all ready to be quilted and finished. This quilt is going to be raffled off at the New York State Fire Chief's show in a couple of weeks and the proceeds will benefit the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure. 

I even got some time last night to sew the binding on the front of the Purple Hand2Help quilt. The Quilt Challenge is coming to an end and I need to get these finished up quick. Thankfully this is a baby quilt so the hand sewing will go quick.

On tap for this weekend, besides dealing withe usual laundry pile, is quilting the other 2 Hands2Help Charity Quilt Challenge quilts and get them bound. Penelope hasn't been playing nice again so I'm going to have to quilt these on my domestic machine. 

The weather here expects it to be a mix of sun and rain so we'll be in and out accordingly. At least I've got plenty to keep me busy when we are stuck inside dodging the storms.

As I did last weekend, after the 1st 10 stops on the tour were completed, I made another collage showing all 20 of the state license plate blocks that we've seen so far.

I really love the variety of designs and the final quilt that will be on display at Quilt Market in Houston this fall will be so fabulous. I just wish that I could be there to see it in person.

Next week we will visit another 10 states on the blog tour. You can find the entire blog tour list here. If you missed any of the stops along the way, go back and check them out. Some of them still have their giveaways open for entries, including me (until Midnight, Sunday June 1st), so you still have a chance to win a FQ bundle of American Made Brand fabrics.

Rest up and be ready to hit the road again with us on Monday. There will be more terrific state license plate blocks to behold.

It is Friday again and the last day for this week on the American Made Brand Blog Tour.

Our state hosts today are:

Indiana - {no} hats in the house

Mississippi - Life as a Quilter

Don't forget to enter for a chance to win a FQ bundle of American Made Brand fabrics. My giveaway is open through Midnight on Sunday to go to my post from Monday to enter to possibly win.

You know...by not having to spend any money on gas as we tour the USA on the American Made Brand Blog Tour, it leaves us more money in our wallets to...

...stock up on these beautiful fabrics for ourselves. I'm going to. Aren't you too?

Today we find ourselves visiting the states of:

Ohio - olive and ollie

Louisiana - Fleur de Lis Quilts

During this blog tour there are 50 chances to win a FQ bundle of American Made Brand fabrics courtesy of Clothworks. You can still enter my giveaway here.

So what are you waiting for? Get hopping over and see what designs they came up with.

So where will we be traveling to today on the American Made Brand Blog Tour?

To the states of:

Kentucky - Simply Sandy

Tennessee - Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Each blogger will be hosting a giveaway for a FQ bundle of these fabulous American Made Brand fabrics and you can still enter my giveaway for them too here.

On the road again,

I just can't wait to get on the road again,

The life I love is making quilts with my fabrics,

I can't wait to get on the road again.

I have no idea why that song is running through my head this morning but it is so I thought it would a an interesting way to start this morning's post for the American Made Brand Blog Tour.

Thank you to everyone that left the sweet comments about my New York license plate block yesterday. It was fun to design and I'm looking forward to working with these awesome fabrics again soon.

Today's detours along the AMB highway takes us to:

Rhode Island - Seaside Stitches

Vermont - Quilter in Motion

If you didn't see my post yesterday revealing my block for this tour you can read it here. And remember to enter for your chance to win an 8 piece FQ bundle of American Made Brand fabrics courtesy of Clothworks or a stack of 6 inch of these lovelies sent from me.

Have fun checking out today's creations. I'll see you along the way.

P.S. I tried to keep up with the replies to your comments on my post from yesterday but when the emails started coming in faster than I could type, it was time to cry "uncle". I am reading each and every comment so please keep them coming but please know that I just can't reply to them all during this giveaway.

Welcome! One of today's stops on the American Made Brand Blog Tour is my state of New York.

The email asking if I'd be interested in participating in this blog tour arrived the day before I headed to MQX East last month and to tell you that I was thrilled is a huge understatement. Thank you so much goes out to Clothworks for this opportunity.

Once I got back from MQX a stack of pieces of each of these gorgeous solid fabrics awaited me.
I really love the theme behind the brand...A Farm to Fabric Movement which means that every part of the process of producing this fabric happens here in the USA. That is definitely something worth celebrating.

A New York Beauty block was one of the 1st ideas I came up with and truth be told, this is the very 1st paper piecing I've ever done, aside from my 2 practice pieces that is. I used the colors of Light Aqua, Aqua and Dark Aqua to represent the water that is such a big part of this state... from the Hudson River to the ocean surrounding Long Island to the Finger Lakes upstate and Niagara Falls, just to name a few.

The horse (also my 1st try at applique) represents all the horse breeding farms and racing history here. Not only does New York have Aqueduct and Belmont Park but it has the famous Saratoga Race Course which this year will be celebrating it's 151st season.

For your chance to win, leave me a comment telling me which variety of apple is your favorite. 

My followers get a 2nd chance to win, just tell me how you follow.

Are you a No Reply Blogger?  If you never get replies to the comments you leave on people's blogs then yes you most likely are. Just make sure you leave your email address so that I can get in touch should you win.

The giveaway will remain open through Midnight, Sunday June 1st.

Also remember to visit my blog tour partner today:

North Carolina - A Stitch in Time

Thanks for stopping by. You are welcome back anytime.

P.S. My giveaways always produce hundreds and hundreds of comments and it just isn't possible to reply to all of you but please know that I read and truly appreciate each and every one.

As I was drafting the American Made Brand Blog Tour posts for this coming week I got to thinking.

I wonder what all the blocks will look like once they are sewing together into a quilt. Then I thought...why wait? I could get a glimpse of that now so I created a collage of all 10 blocks from the 1st week.

I like, I like! To see all the posts from last week with the links to each blogger that created the blocks click here. I think I'll do this at the end of each week for the duration of the blog tour. Good idea? I think so.

The American Made Brand Blog Tour is on the road again today with 2 more stops on this road trip through America.

Today we will travel through the beautiful states of:

New Hampshire - Park Hill Farm

Virginia - Pat Sloan's blog

Each quilter along this no gas required road trip is hosting a giveaway courtesy of Clothworks' American Made Brand fabrics and 50 people will each win one 8 pc FQ bundle of their new solid fabrics.

So remember to enter for your chance to win. Now I'm heading off to check out today's state license plate block designs. I'll see you there.

The blog tour will take the weekend off but I hope to see you back here on Monday because it will be my day to share the license plate block that I designed and created for my state of New York.

The road trip continues today on the American Made Brand Blog Tour.

 So far this week we have visited the states of Delaware, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Idaho, Alabama and Massachusetts. I don't know about you, but I am loving all the fantastic state themed license plate blocks I am seeing. I can't wait to see what is next.

Today we visit the states of :

Maryland - Spring Water Designs

South Carolina - The Crafty Quilter's Closet

Plus don't forget to enter the giveaways on each blog tour stop. There are 50 chances to win a 8 piece FQ bundle of American Made Brand fabrics.

 My days to share is Monday, May 26th. I hope to see you back here then.

It's day 3 of the American Made Brand Blog Tour and so far we've seen 4 awesome license plate blocks representing Delaware, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Idaho.

Today we will visit 2 of New York's neighboring states:

Alabama - green Quilts

Massachusettes - A Quilting Jewel

Plus remember to enter to win 1 of 50 8 piece FQ bundles of American Made Brand fabrics.

Happy touring!

Did you see the great license plate blocks created that represent Delaware and Pennsylvania yesterday on the 1st day of the American Made Brand Blog Tour?

If you missed them, you'll definitely want to go back and check them out. Plus you can enter for your chance to win 1 of 50 8 piece FQ bundles of American Made Brand fabrics from Clothworks.

Up today for day 2 is:

Georgia - Butterfly Threads Quilting

Idaho - Quilt Taffy

Rev up your engines and get on the road with us. Today is the start of the American Made Brand Blog Tour.

We are touring the entire United States in the order that the states joined the union. The 1st stops on this tour are:

Delaware - Blue Striped Room

Pennsylvania - Cheryl Lynch Quilts

Not only will you see great inspiration on this trip but at every one of the 50 stops along the way, you'll be able to enter to win a 8 piece FQ bundle of American Made Brand fabrics courtesy of Clothworks.

Plus rumor has it that many of the designers are adding to this prize with some goodies of their own, items representing their state.

Seven years ago today our lives were changed forever, we were 8,727 miles away in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam to finally bring our Jammer home. This was the 1st photo of us together.

Look how stinkin cute he was! It still makes my heart skip a beat.

Progress has been made the past few days on some projects. Yippee! On Wednesday I worked on the EMS/Fire quilt that will be raffled off during an industry trade show next month. There was lots of chain piecing happening.

By the time I left to pick up the kidlets from school, I had completed the Red frames around all the focus blocks.

Plus I was able to complete a couple of the blocks so that I could show my boss. This quilt is going to turn out great and I hope that it raises a lot of money for the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure.

Yesterday was another sewing day, after I got back from grocery shopping that is. By Jove, I think I've got it! This was only my 2nd attempt at paper piecing and I'm really happy with the way it turned out.

Here is a sneak peak at what all the paper piecing practice is for. As you can see, this is really small. It will finish at 3 1/2" high. Sewing the inside curve on an arch this tiny wasn't easy!

This bit will be part of my New York license plate block for the American Made Brand Blog Tour that starts on Monday.

The entire tour schedule can be found on the above link and I will be sharing my creation on Monday, May 26th. You won't want to miss this!

Today I hope to finish up this block and I'm hoping to finish the EMS/Fire quilt top by the end of the day tomorrow. So what are you working on this weekend?

Sending the "You've won" emails is always so much fun. I love to make someones day and today I got to do it not once but twice.

This morning I get to announce the winners of the Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day bundle and my 500th post bundle. First up the Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day winner. The lucky new owner of this adorable half yard bundle of Salt Air fabrics is...

 

Terri Ann said...

I'm taking July off to go on adventures and spend more time with friends and family! Thanks for hosting this giveaway, I'm also hosting a SMS giveaway, check it out!

I like her thinking. Spending more time with friends and family is always a great idea. Congratulations Terri Ann.

Now on to the winner of my 500th post giveaway. That lucky person will receive this copy of Simply Fat Quarters and the Costume Clubhouse charm pack. This morning I was happy to inform:

 Happy Cottage Quilter that she won!

Happy Cottage Quilter said...

I am a new follower of your blog :-) Congratulations! I hope you enjoy them. Emails have already been sent to both ladies and as soon as I hear back from them, their goodies will be whisking their way to their new owners.

Thank you to all who participated in my giveaway and left comments. They were fun to read even if I wasn't able to reply to all of them. Unfortunately though there were almost 300 comments posted, 35 of them were from No Reply Commenters so they didn't have a chance to win. If you never get replies to the comments you post on blogs, it is because you are a No Reply Commenter and you really should fix that. There are plenty of tutorials on line, including one of mine, to help you solve that problem. While it is great to read what you write, it doesn't help you win any giveaways.

As for what you all wrote, some of you have great vacation plans for this year and some of you are sticking close to home which certainly isn't bad either since you'll have more time to sew. I'm planning on doing both. Whatever your summer plans include, I hope that it is a bright and sunny one for you.