Kickin' Stash Kickoff blogaround - March 12 to March 17!

One of the projects I completed during the crazy sewing month of February was my newest pattern, "Kickin' Stash". Actually, I completed two sizes of "Kickin Stash", plus three quarters of a third, but who's counting. The cover quilt is my absolute favorite and is made from 20 of the blocks gleaned from my Scrappy New Year swap - so I didn't have to do as much of the work and I still get an amazing quilt for my cover. Stick with me long enough and I'll teach you all sorts of tricks for being lazy.

You've heard about it enough from me, now it's time to hear about it from those who participated in the group quilts. I've lined up several of the ladies who participated in the block swap experience who also blog to help me debut my new Kickin' Stash pattern with a little blogaround this week, and I encourage you to visit each of their blogs to get their perspectives on what I think is a really fun pattern - but of course the jury is still out. Maybe I'll regret this by Wednesday.

Monday, March 12 - Deb Donovan (Aspen Hill) http://aspenhill.wordpress.com/

Tuesday, March 13 - Kelli Fannon (Seriously....I think it needs stitches ) www.thatlookslikeitneedsstitches.blogspot.com

Wednesday, March 14 - Anna Dzik (West Third street Designs) http://www.westthirdstreetdesigns.com/

Thursday, March 15 - Marianne Nowacki (Hillside Quiltworks) http://hillsidequiltworks.com/

Friday, March 16 - Linda Pearl (The Patchwork Pearl) http://www.thepatchworkpearl.blogspot.com/

Saturday, March 17 - Terri Sontra (Purple Moose Designs) http://www.purplemoosedesigns.com/weblog/

These ladies are all so talented and made this project almost too easy for me, and they are great bloggers to boot, so you're in for a treat. Set your Outlook alarm to 10am (or whenever) every day and see why "Kickin' Stash" is our new favorite scrap pattern!

For the week of the blogaround, I'm offering Kickin' Stash exclusively at Patternspot.com (http://patternspot.com/products/2070) for an introductory price of $7.50, which is a bit of a savings off the $9.00 print price, plus you get it immediately, with no shipping costs, and can instantly start whipping your scraps into a frenzy. There's nothing more satisfying than an emptier scrap bin replaced by a fantastic new quilt!

DaGMT - Day 17 "Spinning Wheels"

I really should take up spinning wool. I hear it's all the rage again, and it would only be one step away from taking up churning butter, which my middle child has suggested would make for a fun winter break activity. I suggested she instead get a job at Sturbridge Village some day and leave the butter churning to the machines God has given us for the love of Pete you 9 year old from 1834 trapped in 2012. She asked if there might be a need for a French chef at Sturbridge once she finishes college. She is an enigma, that one.

Anyway, although I got several things accomplished today, there was some of that dreaded "project so close to done you can taste it...and YET...." wheel spinning. Although Judy was as fab as always and brought me some of the fabric she had after my post yesterday, it was cream on cream rather than white on white, so I couldn't use it. We were both sad and forlorn about the whole thing. Unfortunately it was only noon and I was about to head off to meet with two teachers for conferences, or I'd have gotten out the blender to drown our sorrows.

Then I was off to visit machine quilter #1 with my baby sized "Kickin' Stash" sample, followed by a trip to the fabric store for backing and hopefully another white on white. I did find another white on white which I did not love but by this time I cannot be bothered to care anymore and finished the top, and got the backing put together for my trip to machine quilter #2 tomorrow.

It's lovely to have minions.

Side note - Someday I will invent a machine that creates both backings and bindings magically. I will swim in molten gold forever, and you can all join me because you will have all sorts of time freed up from having to do these mundane quilting tasks. Or you can churn some butter with your free time. Your preference.

I also put the binding on Paige's new bed quilt, which matches the cover girl one Eva will have, except it is in pinks rather than teals. As we can see Eva may be lording her famous quilt over Paige, but Paige is rather enjoying actually being able to touch her quilt at the moment.



Tomorrow I am off to spend the weekend at a local hotel with all of my inlaws for the weekend, and I do not know how I will do as far as project accomplishment from now through Monday evening. But since I started this, I feel I must at least attempt to set a good example. I may need to use creative definitions of sewing, so stay tuned.

But before I go, see that new button right under the DaGMT one on the left side? That will lead you to my friend/twin separated at birth Kelli Fannin's blog - "Seriously....I think that needs stitches" (www.thatlookslikeitneedsstitches.blogspot.com). She's a quilter and nurse and we met when she entered a giveaway of mine last year and I chose her to win because she is me, minus three girls, plus one boy, plus a nursing degree, minus a few years from the look of her photo....but other than that we are the same person. Her blog is way fun, and she's actually doing a giveaway right now of some layer cakes by Moda. Really cute ones too. So check it out and enter!