Another Winner!

Ok, so here's the deal. I picked a winner for the magazine issue give-a-way 10 days ago, but the winner didn't leave her email address nor has contacted me...sooooo I picked another!  Congrats lin.web28@gmail.com  I will be in touch with you to find out where to send it!

Another snow day

Finished the Pixel quilt top.

What did you do on the snowy day?

I was supposed to go in to work yesterday but one of the joys of being semi-retired is having the option not to go in, and not feeling bad about it. So, I stayed in all day and sewed and cooked.

Didn't have chocolate chips but made some cookies using butterscotch and white chocolate chips.  Not quite as good as with milk chocolate chips, but still good.  I don't have a picture of the yummy potato soup I made.

I hope you readers are not tired of Edinburgh Square.  I'm still making those!

I really wanted to see what the pattern would look like made up with a mix of colors and a mix of backgrounds in each block.  Well......it kind of looks like a pixellated picture to me!  I'm continuing on with it and hope it looks more cohesive when finished and quilted.  

I am reminded of one of the three things Angela Walters says to new quilters, "remember the purpose of your quilt."  This will go for a charity for children or for a baby gift so even if the pattern doesn't pull together when finished, I think most kids and babies like bright colors, so it will be fine.   :)

15k Training

7 miles in the cold. Really felt good though. Love winter running. And messing around with the SnapSeed photo app.

Magazine Winner!!

We have a winner!  I took all those who commented and put them in a drawing.  HandwroughtQuilts won the magazine issue.  I assume you wanted to be in the drawing.  Email me at Rachelmh@comcast.net and I'll send the issue to you.

Thanks for all your wonderful comments on Edinburgh Square!

More Edinburgh Square

I've been preparing some blocks for the next quitting class for our Threads of Love group. I had several blocks already made up in blues/teals/grey scraps, but I wanted to show them what it would look like using only two colors.  I have a baby gift quilt to make and the nursery theme is Marvel Super Heros.  I found some fabric on Etsy and started with a few blocks yesterday.

I think it will turn out cute and match the colors of their nursery.  For a beginner it would be easier to use only two colors than multiple strips.  They won't have a stash to pick strips from.

Although I hope someone in the group will make it scrappy.  I'd love to see one made up with lots of different lights and darks.

If you are visiting from McCall's, remember to leave a comment letting me know you want to be entered for the magazine issue give away! Contest closes January 15th!

Guest Blogger at McCall's Quilting

Today I am guest blogging at McCall's Blog.  If you are visiting from their blog, welcome!  I hope you enjoyed reading about my Edinburgh Square quilt that was published in the February/March 2016 issue of McCall's Quick Quilts.

In case you haven't yet gotten your issue, or would like to win one for a friend or family member, leave me a comment below and I'll enter you in a giveaway for this issue. I'll be closing the contest on January 15th, so give me a shout if you want to be entered.  If you make a version of Edinburgh Square I would LOVE for you to send me a picture at rachelmh@comcast.net.

If you enter, just leave your name and comment.  I'll post the winners name when the contest closes and you can then send me your address for me to mail the magazine to you.

Quilts of Valor Block

There are some beautifully designed Quilts of Valor on the web.  I was messing around with EQ today and thought I'd make my barn quilt design into a block I could use in a QOV quilt design.

That's my little barn quilt on my front porch.

Just changing the green to gold.......

....now to decide what other blocks or sashing I can add to make the quilt design.  I don't want a full quilt of these blocks, since they are pretty intricate.  I like to try to add easy blocks to the design.  I could play with EQ for hours, which is pretty much what I did this afternoon.

Other news....I signed up for the Nashville Hot Chocolate 15k in February.  I need a good race to keep me motivated in running.  The hubby will go with me and we'll make it a little overnight trip, and visit with his twin sister and brother-in-law.

This is the medal. Pretty cool, huh?

Happy New Year!

Lots of folks really love the Christmas holidays.  Me, I love New Years Day. I love the thoughts of a new beginning, new goals, new adventures. I've been thinking about my 2016 goals.  So far, this is what I have:

• Create 3-4 new quilt designs (this includes submitting them to magazines)
• Finish the scrappy wonky star bed quilt (a big goal, been working on it for a few years and can never get the motivation to finish, which is unlike me; the blocks are small and take about 30 minutes each)
• Make a widow a Remembrance quilt
• Crochet some slippers or another crochet project
• Run 500 miles; 3x/week, a few 5ks, a 15k, and one half marathon (this is cutting back from last year; this year I want to focus on maintaining my health, not necessarily any new running goals; included in this is to maintain my weight and my current "no running injuries" status)
• Read the bible through
• Read at least 3 book club books and attend at least 3 book club meetings
• Vacation with the husband
• Visit the kids in Edinburgh at least once
• Do an outside project (not sure what - possibly re-paint the faux tile on the screened porch; maybe do a square foot garden; maybe even do a boat garage add on)

I tend to have all to-do type goals but I do want to also have some of another type...

• Live intentionally
• Be kinder
• Try to put myself in others' shoes
• Age gracefully

2016 is a gift.  Let's make the most of it.  Let go of our heartaches, celebrate our successes, and work as unto the Lord.