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!

Now that's something to blog about!

This came in the mail yesterday, on the back of the envelope it said I Love You.
If you are a grandma, no explanation is needed.
Thanks Aiden, you made my day!

And the winner is...

Thanks everyone for so many sweet comments and so much encouragement!!! Doing a giveaway is really quite fun. We will have to do this again soon.

Congratulations to ....

Nicolestern - "I love the slice of charm....so very cute. as for the "old" pattern that's my favorite, it's not an old pattern at all. i haven't even made it yet since my quilt store hasn't got in the simple abundance line yet...but next week i'll be starting on abundantly blessed. "

E-mail me at bonnie@cottonwaycom so I can send your very own "Lots of Dots" book and Polka-dot pin cushion.

I really wish I could send all of you something, I really do, but since that isn't possible I decided to do a limited time special Buy 2 get 1 pattern for free on my website for those of you who had your eye on something. Let me know which one you want for free in the comments section.

Thanks everyone!

Let's Celebrate with a Giveaway!

New patterns are here!

Slice of Charm is first up, a quick and fun charm pack pattern made from Simple Abundance charm squares. It uses soft edge applique, and is the perfect size for a table topper or baby quilt. Can you imaging this out of soft pinks and greens wrapped around a baby? Yum.

Piecing pillowcases is so much fun, especially when you are redecorating a bedroom or making a gift for a friend. The pattern includes all 4 designs. Choose your favoite fabric and start stitching away!

If you are looking for an easy quilt, this one is perfect for you. It measures 66" x 79" and uses the new Authentic line by Sweetwater.

And what better way to celebrate the new patterns ......than with my first giveaway! What exactly am I giving away? A copy of my new "Lots of Dots" book and a Polka Dot Pin cushion.

It works like this: Enter by leaving a comment telling me which one of the three new patterns (above) is your favorite. You get an extra entry by telling me which one of my old patterns is your favorite, you can find them here at my website at http://www.cottonway.com/. The winner will be announced on Monday, September 21st.

Good luck ladies!

Bonnie