Penguin Giveaway!

If you're new here WELCOME!!! To give you a bit about myself I live in Northwest Iowa with my amazing husband. I love to knit and quilt and am an aspiring quilt designer. Recently I had one of my patterns published in Fons and Porters' Easy Quilts Winter 2014.

I know that there are a lot of postings to read right now with the Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day so I've put instructions for entering the giveaway in bold at the bottom of this post. Please feel free to enter the giveaway and come back next week to learn more about me.

I don't think it's a secret anymore that I love penguins. I was so excited this morning when someone shared on facebook that there was a penguin for sale on ebay. While my first thought should have been asking why someone would sell a live penguin online or maybe that penguins are wild social creatures that need to live in a flock not as a pet. My first thought was CUTE!!!!! When I told my husband I expected him to remind me that our lease doesn't allow pets or maybe that a penguin is an impractical pet, but instead it was to remind me that we don't have room. Imagine our disappointment when it turned out that the penguin for sale is a walking foot for the feather weight. I say disappointment because the foot sold for $700 so I don't foresee this penguin ever coming to live with me. The good news is that if you are also a lover of penguins the little guys on this quilt can come to live with you!

When I was first learning to quilt I took a workshop on the drunkard's path block. Being new to quilting I didn't know that curved seams were supposed to be hard. Ignorance and a wonderful teacher proved to be bliss and I learned that the drunkard's path block is really pretty easy. I wasn't happy with any of the patterns I could find so I created my own. With encouragement from my guild I wrote the pattern for this charming quilt and included the tips that I learned that make curved seams so easy. The quilt finishes 60"x60" and the pattern includes instructions for the angled corners or a square quilt depending on what you want to make. 

Today's give away is for a digital copy of Penguins on Parade and is open to everyone. 

Please leave a comment telling me what name you would give a penguin. Although I don't have any live penguins I do have a stuffed penguin named Matilda. If you want a second chance to win please follow my blog and leave me a comment letting me know how you follow. I'll be announcing the winner next Saturday December 13. 

If that's not enough I've decided to offer my Penguins on Parade pattern half price this week only! (If you buy the pattern and win the giveaway you can choose to give the pattern to a friend or choose one of my other patterns. I have Chrysanthemum in my Craftsy shop and have two more that are almost ready for publication.)

Blogger's Quilt Festival Spring 2014-Original Design

I was so excited to see the Original Design category in this year's Blogger's Quilt Festival. A couple years ago my quilt guild had a workshop on the drunkard's path. I wanted a quilt for my bed that would make me happy whenever I saw it. I've always loved penguins and with a little bit of playing I figured out how to make a penguin with the drunkard's path block. My first drawing felt very busy so I alternated some setting squares and added some fish for variety. The result was a quilt that made me very happy. 

The women in my guild loved my penguins and encouraged me to write the pattern. (The link is available on my sidebar.) I figured most people probably wouldn't want a bed covered in penguins so after finishing the queen sized quilt I made this lap version that finishes 60"x60". Oddly enough I'm still not tired of the drunkard's path and used it for my Bloomin' Onion quilt this year. I know that curved seams aren't for everyone so I'm working at adding instructions to the pattern so that the blocks can be made with applique.

The pebble quilting reminded me of bubbles so I chose to do that around all of the penguins and fish. I love how it really makes the penguins pop.

Focusing on the Finish Line

Last week I was happily working along on the green sweater when I saw another blogger posting about the Ravellenic Games. Immediately I wanted to set greeny aside and cast on a new sweater with the lofty hopes of finishing it in two weeks. My husband knows me very well and knows that at the end of the two weeks I'd have another WIP and would be upset with myself for not meeting the impossible goal. He gently reminded me that I have several projects on the verge of being done and questioned if this really was the best time to start a new sweater. As usual he was right and inspired me to set my own goal. In the next two weeks I will focus on finishing everything that is close to being finished. It won't count towards any competitions, but it's still a good goal.

Writer's Block is still patiently waiting for binding. I also got two tops back from my quilter so now there are three quilts that need binding and labels.

In addition to finishing the green sweater I also need to finish the button band on the brown blob (I ordered more yarn when I ordered buttons for greeny.) I need to finish sewing the ribbon onto the steeked part of the purple monster and add buttons. (I also might need to find a solution to loosening the wrists. The color work on the cuffs have made it so that the sleeves aren't comfortable.) The last thing on the list of things to be finished are my fingerless gloves.

These aren't all of my WIPs. (You'll notice the mystery quilt is no where to be seen.) These are just the projects that are one or two steps away from being finished. Last summer my husband helped me wind up my yarn mountain. The light blue yarn in the mountain is going into the fingerless gloves, the yellow yarn became Omelet (I should probably add a photo shoot of Omelet to my list of things to do in the next two weeks.) The brown yarn became a hat I made for my husband for Christmas, which leave the blue yarn at the base of the mountain. When I finish with this list I get to cast the blue yarn on for Anne's Cardigan.

Penguins on Parade

This post has been a very long time coming. Last winter I took a workshop on piecing the drunkard's path. Not being satisfied with any of the patterns I found I chose to create my own. After a great deal of encouragement and support from the women in my guild and the readers of my blog I have finally published my penguin quilt pattern! 

I can't believe how many penguins decorations I've seen this year. I love that the penguins in this quilt aren't Christmas themed so it's a quilt that can stay out all winter. The blocks for this quilt are 14" making for fast assembly. If you've never made a drunkard's path before don't panic. It's a very easy block and I walk you through how to assemble the sizes for both the penguins and the fish.

I've included a link to my pattern store on my sidebar or you can go here: http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/quilting/home-decor/penguins-on-parade/78070?_ct=iuqhsx-kdyluhiqb-huikbj-fqjjuhd&_ctp=78070.