Givaway Day!!

It’s Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day!  Thank you to SMS for organizing a whole week to visit amazing blogs from all over the world.  If this is your first time reading my blog, I’m so happy you are here!  If you are one of my cherished followers, welcome back!!

So what am I giving away?  Again, not my sweet Yogiboy!!  He’s a keeper!!  LOL!!

I’m giving away this awesome fabric panel!

It’s bright, modern and cheerful!  and would make a great wallhanging or table runner  or baby quilt!!

So what do you have to do to enter?? First, you have to be a follower to enter, so if you aren’t following my blog already, just click on the “Join this site”

button on my sidebar and follow those directions! Then leave a comment on this post, and tell me you are a follower AND what your favorite new quilt pattern is !! If you are a “no-reply” commenter, you must include an email address in your comment.  I will ship internationally!! 

This giveaway will be open until May 10th. A random winner will be notified via email!

So, how did you celebrate Cinco de Mayo yesterday?  My sons and theirs girls came over for margaritas and fajitas!  Yogi wanted in, but no spicy food for his little tummy!!

Hat Trick and a Sweet Tea Cozy!

Bee was on Saturday at Suzanne’s house!  I did finish up my Hat Trick there by sewing down the binding. 

I’m not adding  label because I want to be able to use both sides of it on my table.

I love this Moda collection by Kate Spain called Honey Honey.  I like all her collections… they are always in my colors!!

My dear friend Linda, who lives in Haymarket, about 5 minutes away from the new house we’re building,

took the time to go by the lot and took photos of the building progress and emailed them to me so we could watch the progression from Italy!

So, I wanted to make her something as a little thank you!

She is a tea drinker and so I made her a bee skep tea cozy!

Super fun and easy as pie!  I cut strips of various widths from 7 different yellow fat quarters.

Cut the batting bigger than you want the finished size to be.  Add the strips one at a time with the stich and flip method.

Repeat this process for 2 sides.  I added 2 more layers of batting to make it more insulating! 

I fused a door shaped black scrap on each side and blanket stitched the edges.

Trimmed it to 1/2” larger than finished desired size.  Cut lining this same size.

Stitch around the shape on outside the do the same with the lining but leave a space open at the top for turning.

Then, with right sides together, align the bottom edges and stitch all around. 

Turn it right sides out and push the lining into the shell and top stitch around the bottom. I added some little bee buttons and a flower on the top made with a yoyo and a button.

Done! Time for tea! With honey!! 

(Oh, and Yogi wants a cookie!)

Ciao, Bella!! I’m Baaaaack!

We just got back from our 23 day visit to Italy! It was wonderful!  Amazing!!  But it is also great to be home, again!

I think the next time we go overseas, it will be for a much shorter time!!

Three weeks is a very long time to have your dog be cared for…

and to be away from your family…

and away from your e-life of email, blogging, texting….

and away from your car, and routine, and favorite foods and shows…

I tried to post from Italy on my iphone, but could not get it to go through!!

I did not find any fabric stores anywhere…

So, how could one live there???  LOL!!  But I did find this one store in Milano that sold machines and other appliances, but no fabric!

But there is no comparison to the ancient beauty there!!

I am not a pasta lover, but my DH sure is… so he had pasta every day!!

We got very hooked on the cappuccinos, the bruschetta, cheeses, wines…

I’d hate to know how much $$$ we spent there on still water to drink!!

Many times, while everyone was taking photos of paintings and murals…

I was taking photos of mosaic floors… so many good quilt designs!!

My dear friend Linda, was so kind and took photos of our house site and sent them to me so we would know how the construction was going!!  The walls get formed next!! 

Trying to get back to normal here!!  Yogi seems happy to be back home with us!  He was well cared for and loved by my son and his wife in the city! 

He even lost some weight without my DH feeding him all the time from the table!!

The first Schnibble for the new year is Hat Trick and is due May 1st!!  So, today I am sewing on it!  YAY!  Bee is day after tomorrow, and I want to have it all done except the hand sewing on the binding so I can do it at bee!

What are you sewing on these days?