Tuesday, July 30, 2013

A Midsummer Night's Giveaway


It's the end of July, and to celebrate the exciting conclusion of my very least favorite month (it's hot, it's sultry, it's hot, there is no chance anyone will ever have a day of school, it's hot, the electric bill is criminal, and it's hot), I hereby announce the first annual "QHH Midsummer Night's Giveaway." Pass the gin and tonics - it's almost August! (Tomatoes including honorary Dan Quayle e, blueberries, zucchini out the wazoo, cooler evenings, that subtle shift of light from constant glaring horror to softer angles and clearer blue skies, and the ultimate possibility that school might start by the end of the month.)  

I don't heart August like I heart October, but I do enjoy it more than July for sure. So much more so that I am compelled to share my joy along with you in the form of a giveaway of my friend Jen Eskridge's new book, "Learn to Sew Easy Curves", which just came out this month from Leisure Arts.

Looks like Rice Krispies are a staple at Jen's house too.


http://reannalilydesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/BackCover.jpg
Back cover. Greta is of course dying for the duck bathmat. Thanks, Jen, for giving me project #56 in line.



















 
Now, before you all get all groany and grumpy over the word "curves", even when tempered with the words "easy" and "learn," I am here to tell you that this is not a book about piecing curves in any traditional way, shape, or form. Every project in this book, and there are nine and I want to make all of them, uses a technique Jen calls "faced applique," which I can tell you is an unbelievably fun and freeing and almost foolproof way of making a quilt with curves.

Why can I tell you this? Because I just happened to make a quilt that just happens to be on page 17 of the book. Just saying.

This is Jen's version of the same project, which appears on page 15:

QuickBabyQuilt
The colors are very October. Therefore I love it.

Mine just came back to me in the mail, and when you win or buy this book you will see it on page 17, but for now here it is lying on my lawn with one of my three favorite models.

Nothing like risking a torso-full of mosquito bites just to get in a photo. That's my girl.
Those who are frequent flyers here in Hottieville know that when I love something, I will love it profusely to the point of annoyance. Such is the case with this book. The projects are totally cool, very appealing, pretty quick, and just plain different. Plus, Jen is a classically trained seamstress (ie she has an Apparel Design degree), so not only are her techniques amazing, but in the process of making this quilt and working with the first draft of the text I was able to learn such dressmaker terms as "favoring" and "grading," things that I had really never exactly known how to do properly and made an enormous difference in the quality of my final product. When I was done with this quilt I really just wanted to make more things using this technique, and now I can. And so can you!

I had a lot of fun using some novelty fabric, of which I am not normally a fan, to give my quilt a little I Spy action, also something of which I am not normally a fan. Yay me for stepping out of the box.

Inserts were pieced. The bubbles fabric was from a different line entirely, but hey, it goes pretty well.

This one just needs a Tootsie Pop.

Stupid iphone.
So now the girls are all fighting over it - thank you, trendy owls - but Paige definitely was in rare form last night competing for the prize.

It's a cape!

It's a secret hiding place!

It's a Virgin Mary costume!

It's a jaunty skirt!
It's mine! MINEMINEMINE!
Her BFF is big into owls, so she tried to tell me "I just want to give it to Ella!" but we all know that was the other kind of BFF - a big fat fib. She wants it herself and she knows it, as do we.

So back to the giveaway....now that I hope you are all dying to try this technique. I'm giving away a copy of "Learn to Sew Easy Curves" along with a set of five yummy summer colors of Mettler thread.


So, how do you enter? Easily enough, I promise:

1. If you aren't a follower of Quilting Hottie Haven, please consider becoming one for one entry. That way you won't miss future giveaways, events, projects, and the every time I feel like writing a post fun.

2. In a comment, tell me if you are a follower for that extra entry, then answer the question set forth by my daughters: "What is your favorite summer activity?" The idea that anyone could dislike summer is foreign to them, which I love for them, and even I, deplorer of most things summer, can come up with several answers to this question, including eating steamers by the seashore, watching my girls enjoy simple pleasures of childhood like lazy afternoons on the tire swing, and floating on an inner tube at the lake. See? So easy. You can do it too.



The winner will be chosen on Friday, August 2, at 11:00am EST. Good luck and happy midsummer moments!

42 comments:

Living with the Lioness said...

Those owls are so CUTE. And yes, I am a follower and have done DaGMT - even if I did not complete everything I wanted to this year.

ONE of my favorite summer activities (because there are several) is picking fresh fruit and getting farm fresh produce from local growers so I can put up my own corn, pickles and jams ... YUMMY

craftytammie said...

I am a new follower! And my favorite summer activity has to be attending our small town's fair. They have lots of games and races for the kids, and snow cones and funnel cakes.

Michelle Banton said...

You make me giggle out loud! Love QHH. MY favorite summer activity is taking my granddaughter to Day Camp.

Angie said...

Well, I want the duckie bathmat, too! So cute!

Ahh, summer... well, this being the first summer since we built the house in 1994 that we have central air, I've been sewing a lot more than in the past. I've even picked up a project that was started (in my head) in April of 2012. So in addition to the usual summery things like gardening and beach, this year I can add sewing in cool comfort!

Angie

Kyke Mercier-Ciccarelli said...

Lounging around in my hammock with a book and dogs.

clrobbins said...

I'm trying to follow you on Facebook but it's not working for me :/
I like picking tomatoes in the summer. It reminds me of my grandfather's farm and being young.

judabelle said...

You and your pal Jen have come up with some darn cute stuff, as usual. And the models are faboo.
My new fave summer activity is just letting my whole self hang by a pool noodle in the pond! Cool and totally lazy, no treading water required! :-)
J.

BarefootThunder said...

I am a new follower, thanks to Beth Kerr Helfter posting in a QAL.
My favorite summer activity Is quilting. Inside in the AC. when it is too hot to be outside. ♥

madquilter65 said...

I am a new follower, we are both aiming for accuracy. Love your blog! Too funny, I needed a good laugh! My favorite summer time thing is sitting in my garden with my husband just enjoying the nature

madquilter65 said...

I am a new follower, we are both aiming for accuracy. Love your blog! Too funny, I needed a good laugh! My favorite summer time thing is sitting in my garden with my husband just enjoying the nature

Lynda said...

I too am a new follower, there are several of us that are Aiming for Accuracy I think :) and my favorite summer activity ... sitting on the porch in the evenings

Sarah J. said...

My favorite summer activities are dinner at the beach and not having to pack lunches!!! I follow you through my bookmarks because I'm too stubborn to deal with bloglovin.

Marjorie's Busy Corner said...

Cute model!! I am a long time follower...thank you for this chance.

Marjorie's Busy Corner said...

During the summer; I love to get out and sit by the pond with a cool drink and watch the goldfish. Besides that...I am in the vegie or flower gardens when not quilting.

BCT said...

I am an OLD follower. Who could not be.... you are fun to follow, BH.
One of my favorite summer activities is riding around (and around)on the John Deere, teddering and raking hay - in fact, I just came in from doing that!
However, I also love to sit on the porch and sew to my heart's content in the summertime. So, there we have both ends of the spectrum!!!

Gill said...

I'm already a happy follower!
I love to read sitting under my favourite tree and sipping my favourite drink - perfect!

Quilting Tangent said...

Swimming when I get the chance.

Quilting Tangent said...

Just added you to my favorites to follow you.

Emily C said...

I am a follower on GFC and bloglovin. Love the quilt, though curves can be scary. I love BBQ'ing at grannies during the summer.

barbara woods said...

i follow on gfc

barbara woods said...

i love summer because it's warm and you can get out side

Sharon said...

I'm a follower and did DaGMT this year - my most productive month EVER!

My favorite summer activity is going to the beach early, early in the morning (before any tourists arrive!). Breathing deeply that amazing scent of brackish water and wet sand! By noon - too many people - time to go home!

Unknown said...

I am a follower and I love the blog.
My favorite thing about summer, this summer in particular, is that August is less than 2 days away! July has been 3 weeks of HHH and a week of being under the weather. A week at our family camp, though, was fun and always eagerly awaited.

Unknown said...

I am a new follower thanks to the QAL!!
Believe it or not my fav summer activity is going out crabbing, with a mess of chicken necks a net and a cooler filled with beer and soda..and a sack lunch!! nothing more fun!!

Anonymous said...

I think I am a follower since I get your emails and stuff. Anyway, today I spent the day sitting on the edge of a lake, reading magazines and spending time with friends. That is one of my favorite things to do in the summer.

Beth Klein

Adventurous Quilter said...

I am a follower after you posted on the A4AQAL on FB :) What I love about summer is that I can have my doors open and let fresh air into the house everyday. It won't make the heating cut in and my electric bill skyrocket, snow won't drift in through the doors and my dogs can enjoy sunning themselves as they please :)

Kelli Fannin Quilts said...

Swimming... blueberries... the farmer's markets that pop up everywhere.. and you know I follow you, you mad summer hater! ;)

Debbie said...

Going to county fairs! I'm a follower via bloglovin. Thanks

Rina Mason said...

I am a long time follower. I am not that fond of summer but do like listening to the cicada and tree frogs when they start singing in the early evening. And I love picking fresh strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and gooseberries from my garden.

Nortiness said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Nortiness said...

I'm a newbie follower via Bloglovin/RSS! But I love the quilt in this post! Gorgeous!! :)

My favourite thing about summer has to be Slurpees! I'm not a huge fan of the heat being that I live in Australia and it gets pretty warm here but I love laying about on the grass in the shade slurping away on some slurpeees! :)

Karen said...

I love camping in the summertime.
Especially sitting around the campfire at night.

Hanke said...

I am a follower by mail.
I love summer for many things, the most important is that you can stay outside the house ;-) I like walking a lot.
The owls are cute, I like the quilt!

Helen McNaught @ AuntyHennys said...

Popped over from the AFA quilt-along :-) love your blog ! I've not done too much curve work in quilts, and I love Leisure Arts books!

So I'm a new follower :-) and although 'Downunder' it's winter ! I would have to say my favourite summer activity is going to the beach. We have so many lovely beaches in Australia, it's almost a national pastime!

I do hope your giveaway included 'overseas' but if not, that's okay - I'll just have to buy the book!

Just Quilt It said...

I love the owls. This could be fun--I don't do many curves. I love working in my yard in the summer. I AM A FOLLOWER!

haddie said...

Love those Owls I am a follower and look forward to seeing and hearing about "things" and Happenings....
Around here my favorite summer activity is riding My motorcycle.. and my husband has found out how much fabric I can get in those saddle bags.. We use his bike for the rain suits and stuff... mine is for Fabric.. lol....

Vicki H said...

I have been a happy follower by email. I would love the book as I always shy away from patterns with curves. I'm sure it would ease the anxiety.

Vicki H said...

My favorite summer activity is taking my grandkids to the park to play while their mom gets some down time.

cyndiofthevortex said...

Sitting by the lake listening to the lap of the waves along the shore while reading a good book and eating fresh green grapes is my idea of a perfect summer day.

Unknown said...

Although I am sure this is EXACTLY the wrong answer, my favorite thing about summer is spending time with my girls. Getting to know them, getting to do things with them, spending time with them, discovering the incredible women they are becoming. The best part is meeting the new, different person that has emerged since the summer before. It may be fleeting but it is what I love most about my summers.

FloJO said...

New follower here, found you through TQPM, Pattern Pastiche, all about scraps . . . well you get the idea, one link led to another, to another and so on until I found you!
Love the ideas on your blog and that book looks soooo inviting too :D. I have read all the Outlander books except for the last one, didn't know they were out on audio. Must look that up too . . . and off I go on another tangent. Cheers,F

Unknown said...
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