25 May 2012

SMS Giveaway Winners!

Thanks to everyone who left a comment!  I received some great suggestions and already have plans in the works...it'll be fun!



The winners of this beautiful bundle are...

Blogger Margaret said...
Who doesn't want more tutorials? What a great bundle o' fabric!
and...
Blogger Andrea said...
I love seeing things that inspire me to get behind the sewing machine. Things like titoruals or fun fabrics and color combinations.

Congratulations!!  I will be emailing you shortly.  Thanks again everyone.  Enjoy your weekend and don't forget that everything in my shop is 20% OFF right now.  Sale ends Monday evening.

Memorial Day Sale

Monday is Memorial Day in the states.  To celebrate, I am offering 20% off everything in my shop now through Monday, May 28.

I carry both patterns...


and quilts in my shop.



Use code MEMORIALDAY20 at checkout.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!!

And thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway.  If you haven't entered yet do it now!!  There are a few hours left before it closes.




21 May 2012

SMS Giveaway Day

Welcome everyone!  As most of you know today begins SewMamaSew Giveaway Day.  A weeklong event in which you get to look through hundreds of blogs/websites of giveaways put together by SewMamaSew.



This FrozenKnickers blog is the little corner of my life where I show-and-tell about my sewing/quilting adventures--success or failure!  My Etsy shop is where I sell some of these things.

This go-around, I will be giving away two Fat Quarter bundles of each of these beautiful designer prints.

My three year-old son and his little John Deere were keeping me company...as they often do.


To enter the giveaway you need to answer this one question...what would you like to see more of on my blog?  Only one entry please.  If you forgot something and want to comment about it, please delete your first comment before leaving me another. 

These prizes ship internationally...woohoo!!!

I will be emailing the winners, so if you are a no-reply commenter PLEASE include your email address or I will have to choose a different winner if you are picked. 

This giveaway will stay open until Friday, May 25...PST evening sometime.   

Feel free to browse through my blog.  Check out my tutorials or look through past posts.  And go back to SewMamaSew and enter more giveaways!!

Also, I am offering 15% OFF all the items in my Etsy shop now through Friday; enter SEWMAMA15 at checkout.



17 May 2012

wonky plus quilt

You know how sometimes you have this great plan!  Beautiful product selection.  Speedy and precise execution.  And then you change your mind.  You know, right!?  Because surely I am not the only person this happens to.

The plan was a wonky brick quilt somewhere between this and this.  I chain pieced a border onto all 62 rectangles...

These chain pieced Arcadia blocks turned out so nicely bunched up there behind my machine.

cut and wonk-ified them...

and admired the nice little stack of one of my favorite fabric lines.  Then, as I was sitting and admiring, I changed my mind.  GRRR!  Sometimes I hate it when I do that. 

But with this little dude, Mr. Smiles, sitting next to me I quickly regrouped and moved on. 


Usually, I like the change of plan even better!    These fabrics have a sort of funky-retro flair to them and, although these bricks would have shown off the designs very nicely, they needed something a little more fun.

So, they went from safe and conservative...


 to a little bit bold and funky.


This particular quilt is heading to England to be snuggled around my soon-to-be new baby niece.  Now, how to quilt it?  The best part...I have enough of the bricks left to make another!!

Tip of the day...  Keep an open mind! 




16 May 2012

mothers

During a conference talk on Mother's day a couple years back, a local church leader said something to this effect...

On Mother's Day, women tend to think about all the things they are doing wrong, all the mistakes they make as a mother and what they need to be doing better.  In contrast, on Father's Day, dads think, "Heck yes!  I'm awesome and this day is all about me!"   

I couldn't help but laugh because for me and my husband, that was true.  Since then, I have done better to make a greater effort on Mother's Day to celebrate the joy of being a mother. 

I know it's a few days late.  I have a tendency, at times, to over think...a lot...before I act.  I have been reflecting on the mother I am now and the mother I hope to be someday.  However, as I was doing this reflecting, I realized I am not so far from where I "want to be"...which is always a good thing.

I try to keep my eyes up, looking ahead at the big picture.  What matters most in the long run and focusing on the "milestones".  Then I watched this video and was reminded that sometimes, the most important things are the little ones.  The small, perhaps seemingly insignificant, experiences that help to shape us, our children, and those around us.

 

-- side note --
I told my husband I hate these Mormon Messages because I always cry.  He thought it was a bit bold and perhaps inappropriate to say that.  But there it is.  :)  I really do love the messages, I just can't control the water works. 

I love the sweet tender moments I share with my precious, rambunctious, energetic, entertaining (sometimes a little overly) children that make everyday worth living!

Also, I have a great mother and mother-in-law!  I have been blessed to have such wonderful people in my life...I love you both!

I've debated whether or not to share this here but I have come to the conclusion that it is time.

My mother was recently diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease).  Google paints a pretty grim picture, so I don't research it much anymore.  I would rather be aware, but take one day at a time. 

The first couple months after her diagnosis were especially wearing on her, and the rest of us, emotionally.   She was going through her own sort of grieving process; shock, anger, depression.  I must say though, just within the last couple weeks she has been smiling again.  

She now has a motorized wheelchair which allows her to get around by herself.  She is spending time outside.  She had her toenails painted bright green (she was absolutely shocked at herself for choosing that color, but it is fun and refreshing...just what she needed).

We have a long road ahead of us, but I know God doesn't leave us alone.

Happy Mother's Day to everyone, mother or not!  Enjoy the small moments that make up the journey we call life.  :)

27 April 2012

way out of my comfort zone!


I'm doing it!!  I'm running in a Ragnar Relay.

Let me rephrase that.

I'm participating in a Ragnar!  I'm not what you would call a "runner" per say, but I can run and I'm just crazy enough to do this!!  I'm scared out of my pants but so extremely excited.

Washington State
Blaine to Whidbey Island
July 20-21, 2012

My sister works for Ragnar but is SOOO busy (she really is amazing!) that she has asked that I be the team captain...whatever that means.  :)  Thankfully I have her to answer all my questions!  Because, lets face it, I have never run one and I have no idea what I am getting myself into!  But that's part of the excitement!!!

Here's the catch...I need more team members!  We have six and need six more. Do you run?  Do you know of someone who runs and would like to join?  Registration closes on 15 May so we need to get moving on this!

Ragnar is an overnight relay where teams run nearly 200 miles.  There are super-crazies that have 6-man teams but, since I want to live, I am putting together a 12-man team.  Maybe someday I will be just crazy enough to do a 6-man...we'll see.  Each member of a 12-man team runs 3 legs, spread throughout the 200 miles.

It will be so fun to connect with you guys in a non-sewing way.  Like, real life...face-to-face!

Check out their website!  They offer great resources like training, course maps, checklists, and more!!

Have questions?  Want to join?  You can find my email in my Profile.  Or, just leave me a comment with your email and I'll get back with you on the details.

This will be so fun!  It will push us to our limits while we enjoy beautiful western Washington.  There's no better way to enjoy the scenery then by being in it!

21 April 2012

DIY: half-square quilt

Yay...I love tutorials!  Today I am going to show you how to make this quilt using half-squares.  This is a great project to use up scraps...love those kinds of projects.



I upped the size of this quilt from the 27" x 32" in my shop to a wee bit larger 36" x 36".

Keep in mind:
  • fabric measurements are based on 44" wide fabric.
  • WOF means 'width of fabric' (side to side -or- selvage to selvage)
  • use a 1/4" seam allowance
  • always stitch right-sides-together
What you'll need:
98- 2.5" x 4.5" printed fabrics (slightly generous on both measurements for trimming purposes)
2/3 yard neutral fabric for background -- cut into 15- 1.5" x WOF strips
backing & batting (abt. 40" x 40")
basic sewing/quilting supplies

How you'll make it:
1.  Stitch together two of your printed fabrics along the long side.  Press and repeat with remaining 96 printed fabrics.  Trim blocks to 4.5" x 4.5".


2. You will end up with 49 half-square blocks.  The quilt top has seven rows with seven blocks in each row.  Lay out your blocks how you want them to be in your finished quilt.

edited to add...  When you lay out your blocks, alternate the direction of the first block in each row -- so the seam line is vertical-horizontal-vertical-horizontal.  Use this alternating pattern for the blocks within each row as well as.


...whew, now you've got it all.  Enjoy!!

3.  Stitch the right side of the first six blocks in each row...



...to the neutral strip using the string piecing method as shown below.  Press seams and trim.



4.  Stitch blocks together so a neutral strip is between two blocks.  Press seams.



5.  Stitch a neutral strip to the bottom of the top six rows.  Press toward the neutral.


6.  Continue stitching all rows together along the long sides.  Make sure there is a neutral strip between each row!

7.  Stitch one neutral strip to the right side of the quilt front and one to the left.  Press toward the neutral and trim.

8.  Stitch one neutral strip to the top of the quilt front and one to the bottom.  Press toward the neutral and square up corners.

QUILT TOP COMPLETE!!


I really like how this quilt turned out with these Heather Bailey prints.  So bright and cheery.  I'm waiting on my solid fabric for the back to show up but I'm anxious to share this tutorial so why wait?  I'll be sure to post completed photos once it's all done.



14 April 2012

my next project


I was asked about putting together a pattern for my half-square quilt that is currently in my shop.  Since a tutorial for this quilt has been on my to do list for a while I decided this was the perfect time to get it done!

As I began auditioning fabrics none of the combinations really sang to me until I came across a few of these Heather Bailey prints. Then, of course, decided to make the front completely from her prints.

Not yet decided on the back but I'm thinking maybe a solid...we shall see.

Tutorial coming soon...yay!!!