New Patterns, New Babies and a New Year!

First of all, I am a grandma again! My newest granddaughter came almost a month early and surprised us all. She was just over 5 pounds and so much fun to snuggle! I just had to share a picture along with my new patterns. (It's a grandmas prerogative to brag a little bit right?)

Second of all, We are so very excited to announce our new

Fresh and Fancy Table Runner Club for 2010!

A fresh and fancy table runner for each and every month of the year. It is our fourth series (and of course our favorite so far). Each pattern has a Fancy side with more piecing and/or applique, and a Fresh side, simple and fast using the left over fabric from the front. It's like two table toppers in one pattern. Each runner is approximately 21" x 42". The perfect size for almost any table.

I have used some of my very favorite Moda fabrics for each of the runners. (I may a little biased, but Moda is the best!) January - June are available now and July - December will be available in March.

January

February

March

April

May

June

You can join a Fresh and Fancy Club at your local quilt store, or if there is not one in your area and you want to join online, head on over to Fat Quarter Shop to sign up. Kimberly and the gals have all the fabric kits and patterns to get you started.

To celebrate our 20th Anniversary (yes 20 years!) we are giving away an exclusive Fresh and Fancy Club Membership to a blog reader. The winner will receive the entire years worth of Table Runner patterns as well as a bonus prize, a January fabric kit to get started. To enter, make a comment and tell me what project you are going to start the new year off with. The giveaway ends at midnight on Sunday Dec. 13th, so check back on Monday morning to see who the winner is.

Stop back by for more 20 year Anniversary Celebrations throughout the year. You won't want to miss out, it is going to be alot of fun!

Bonnie

Popping my head in

I had big plans for this week! However, things aren't going quite as smoothly as I hoped! I'm up to my neck in finishing up and shipping out the first half of my new Fresh and Fancy table runner patterns. Some of you may have seen them in the Fat Quarter Shop email today. (Thank you Kimberly!) But more about that next week, when my hands aren't quite as full. I've got patterns to ship, a turkey to cook, and family to see. Did I mention patterns to ship? Better get back to work.

See you soon!

Congratulations to the Winner!

Thanks to everyone for the nice comments and for entering our give away!

Congratulations to the winner!!! Nanabarb!

She said:
"I love the whimsical nature of your block using the aqua and red. I can just imagine the fun a quilt made of Bloom Around blocks with red sashing!"

What a great idea! Make sure you check our blog next week.
You won't want to miss what's coming next!

Bonnie

Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Blog Tour and Giveaway

Welcome to the 100 Blocks Blog tour of the top 100 designers! I am so happy to be a part of it! To continue on with the tour (and win some fantastic prizes), make sure you visit the Quiltmaker blog, Quilty Pleasures every day from now until November 13th.

This is the block I designed called Bloom Around (page 26, in case you are looking for it). I used Simple Abundance and red ric rac, and plenty of easy applique. Perfect if you love quick and easy applique, or if you are just getting started. I was thinking it would be so fun with a red border on it, or with contrasting corners even. So many different things you could do with it.

Did I mention there were prizes? Well, the first prize up for grabs is a copy of the 100 Quilt Blocks issue. All you have to do is leave a comment to be entered to win. Stop back by tomorrow morning to see if you've won. Pretty easy!

Good luck, and thank you Quiltmaker!

Hope for Benson and Claire

Some of our long time friends, the Skinners, are going through a tough time and could use all the help we can give them! Since they explain it so much better than I can, visit the family blog here for more information about Benson and Claire.

To try to help out, I donated this quilt to be auctioned off on the Benson and Claire auction site. (Click here to see the auction for the quilt) You can see this and many wonderful items that have been donated by visiting this link.

Please take the time to visit the auction site and to help in any way you can. Thank you!

A weekend away

Just spent the weekend in Las Vegas with my daughter Camille and her family. It was so much fun! We ate waaay to much...

We laughed and played to much...Went to Donny and Marie, yes I am a Donny fan from way back...

(Eat your heart out Nadine...)

Had way to many projects planned for one weekend... and stayed up way too late...

took lots and lots of pictures (some for a new pattern series of mine that is coming out soon...)

and didn't get to spend near enough time with my sweet little grandsons. Aiden and Canon sang a duet of Families Can Be Together Forever in church on Sunday, and it was amazing. They made Grandma and Grandpa O. very proud.

So to sum up? A pretty great weekend.

Grateful

Last week my mom turned 83. It got me thinking about all that she has accomplished in her life so far. Just one example of her many accomplishments is shown in this picture of her two years ago at Christmas. She pieced and hand quilted, yes hand quilted, 10 quilts all in one year for her ten children. Amazing, simply amazing.

I'm so thankful that she shared her love of quilting with me, and taught me everything I know,

so I could, in turn, pass it on to my 3 wonderful daughters. And hopefully they will pass it on to theirs...

I am so grateful for her,

and so proud of all that these hands have accomplished in just 83 years.

I love you mom!