Aurifil Giveaway Winners

It's that time once again where we get to draw some winners!!! This time I drawing for the beautiful Aurifil thread.

Our first winner is

Our second winner is

Congrats to you you both.  I hope you enjoy Aurifil as much as we do here at Qubee Quilts.

Thanks to Auirifil and Lola Pink Fabrics for making this giveaway possible.

Until next time,

Thirteen Questions With Zeus - Ray

Welcome to another fun filled edition of Thirteen Questions with Zeus. Where Zeus and I introduce fellow followers of Qubee Quilts to you, our readers. Here you can learn about other quilters like yourself and know that we are not alone and maybe reach out and find a new quilting friend.

Today Zeus and I would like to introduce you to our new quilting friend Ray Lusk of Star Valley Stitching. Zeus was so happy to meet another male quilter.

• Tell us a little bit about yourself?
  

My name is Ray Lusk. I'm a quilter, sewer, knitter,crocheter and general jack of all trades, master of none. I live in a beautiful area called Star Valley Wyoming. I love animals and have dogs.

• What is your quilting background? (When did you first get started into quilting)

I first started quiltingabout 2 years ago after I decided that there was no reason why I couldn't start working on my "bucket list" my mother had taught us all to sew when we were young so that gave me a little background knowledge to start me off. I went to a neighbor who is a wonderful quilter and she got me started and well,the rest is history. I now do custom machine quilting on my home sewing machine and work a lot with sewing for human atarian aid efforts.

• Have you always been a quilter or did you start out doing something else?

I had been a knitter previously and still am and enjoy them both.

• What inspires you?

I'm inspired by the many colors and textures around me and just life in general.

• What is your favorite color to use in your quilts?

Oh I don't know… The problem is I love them all so my quilts tend to travel the spectrum color wise.

• I was always taught that quilts need to be 100% cotton. Cotton fabric, cotton batting and cotton backing, but now am learning to use other types of fabrics in my quilts. Is this the case for you?

I still am just using 100% cotton for everything. I love colors and textures and the way that some fabric feels. So my stash isn't all similar types or lines of fabric, it comes from all over and I love it. I love patterns and colors so fabric just fills that need.

• What does modern quilting mean to you?

I think modern quilting means the use of more bold shapes and dimensions. But that is just me.

• What is your least and most favorite part of quilting and why for each?

Well this is a hard question… I love piecing and cutting the fabric and the actual quilting. I love watching it all come together and seeing it come out better than I had pictured in my mind. My least favorite part is probably the binding, and I think that is because I'm not the best at it.

• When making a quilt do you follow a pattern or make it up as you go along?

I do a little of both. There are times when I follow the pattern exactly and others when I just grab fabric and go.

• Do you consider yourself a rule breaker in quilting?

No because I don't know all the rules :-)

• How can others find out more about you?

I have a website, or you can email or follow me on twitter :)

• Is there anything else you would like the readers to know about you?

That about covers it.

Zeus and I would like to thank you for spending a little time with us today. It was great getting to know more about you. Don't be a stranger. I hope you can join us again sometime and maybe we could meet your dogs.

Until next time,

Celebrate Christmas quilt-along

It’s time for some quilting fun this Fall. Over 12 weeks, 36 designers will create blocks for the Celebrate Christmas quilt-along. These blocks will be featured, 3 per week, on the Quilting Gallery site starting September 13th. In addition to the blocks, there will be Super Deals for Quilters from our favourite online retailers.

• Featured Designers (quick links to the blocks)
• Super Deal Advertisers (quick links to the savings)
• Blog Posts – Blocks and Super Deals are here!
• Upload your blocks – Flickr Group

Campaign Highlights

• Start: September 13, 2011
• End: December 1, 2011
• Length: 12 weeks
• 36 designers creating 12" blocks for quilters to make.
• Designer profiles, their blocks and a Super Deal for Quilters will be featured each Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
• Quilters can complete the blocks and upload to our Flickr group to share their creations and for a chance to win hand-painted Buttons from Incomparable Buttons.
• Completed quilts and projects made with the quilt-along blocks will be featured in next January’s Weekly Quilt Contests.

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Advertisers – Super Deals for Quilters

With the Christmas quilting season fast approaching, the Super Deal advertising is an excellent opportunity for online quilt shops to increase their site traffic and make sales. If you’re interested in being a Super Deal advertiser, pleaseemail me and I’ll send you the information package.

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Upload your Blocks to Flickr to WIN some Buttons!

Incomparable Buttons have donated 36 buttons cards to be awarded to quilt-along participants.

Here’s how it works. You’ll have two weeks from when a quilt-along block has been published to make the block then upload it to our Flickr group. The staff at Button Mad – Incomparable Buttons will be reviewing the photos and choosing one winner for each of our blocks. Winners will be contacted via Flickr mail from Button Mad. Super simple!

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Join me right here on Qubee Quilts, on October 4th 2011 where I will unveil the block I have designed for the Celebrate Christmas quilt-along.

Until next time,

String Qutiling - WINNERS post

Thanks to everyone who has entered to win their very own copy of

The winner was drawn using the Random Number Generator.Our lucky winner is....

Number 33, Janet!

Congrats to our lucky winner! If you didn't win and still want your own copy of String Quilting Today. Head on over to Clotilde to get your very own.

Don't forget that there is still time to enter to win some amazing thread from Aurifil on this post.

Until next time,

Lola Pink Fabrics & AURIFIL - Giveaway

Make up your mind to have no regrets

Recline yourself, resign yourself, you're through

I always get what I aim for

And your heart'n soul is what I came for

Whatever Lola wants

Lola gets,

Lola Pink Fabrics wanted a thread that was strong like their passion, but soft like their emotions and it seems they have gotten it with Aurifil.

Lola Pink Fabrics will be carrying the 50 wt cotton thread in a variety of colors.

50 wt Aurifil thread is great for:

• Hand applique' : Ideal for all types of hand applique' . From needle turning to using prepared shapes, the 50wt is thin and with all the colors available you can match your shape perfectly.

• Hand piecing : A great weight for hand piecing.

• Lace : Wonder for both Bobbin lace & Machine lace

• Longarm quilting : Perfect for creating texture where you don’t want the thread to be a feature. Backgrounds, stitch in the ditch, basting quilts, wholecloth quilting, micro quilting for dense background designs. Match bobbin thread.

• Machine applique' : Ideal when a very fine finish is desired. This weight disappears so your fabric is the feature. Use for a straight stitch, small zig zag, Blind hemming stitch and Blanket stitch

• Machine embroidery : Love it! Great results every time. Use Mako 50wt in the bobbin as well, or your regular bobbin thread – in which case tighten the top tension a little. Use a Microtex 80/12 or Titanium Top Stitch 80/12 needle.

• Machine piecing : Gives a great result with a nice flat seam every time.

• Machine quilting : Use for very detailed machine quilting with a lot of back tracking such as feathers and heavy background quilting . Perfect for quilting that creates texture when you don’t necessarily want to see the quilting lines. Use the same thread in the bobbin. Titanium Top Stitch 80/12 needle

As you can see Aurifil thread is perfectly suited for every quilt project.  


Head on over to Lola Pink Fabrics and pick up your Aurifil thread today!! Now until Saturday, September 17th all Aurifil thread is 20% off.   They have 32 luscious colors in 50 weight cotton mako Large Spools - 1,422 yards (1,300 meters)


Because Lola Pink Fabrics is now going to carry Aurifil thread, I am giving away some of this amazing Aurifil thread to two of my blog readers.  All you have to do is head over to Lola Pink Fabrics , then come back and leave a comment here and tell me something about what they sell.  Could be fabric, patterns, notions, threads or even an upcoming item you will just have to buy when it comes in.  Lola Pink Fabrics is becoming your one stop quilt shop.  When you want the best think Aurifil and Lola Pink Fabrics.  Remember Now until Saturday, September 17th all Aurifil thread is 20% off.


I will draw two winners using the Random Number Generator and announce them here on Friday September 16, 2011! Only one entry per person. All duplicate entries will be deleted! Only blogger comments count as this is posted to Facebook also.



Until next time,

Dolly Meets Dawn

Have you been following  Moda Country Fair?

Yesterday was Camille day at the fair and she offered up the cutest little apron pattern I had ever seen.  The moment I saw it I had to make one, but I had my honey do list to get done first.  I hurried through the last as fast as I could just so I could get this super quick apron done.  Thanks Camille!!!! 


Knowing me, like you do, I had to change it up a bit and make it my own and I did just that.  I was not about to quilt and then cut out the apron myself.  So I put Dolly to work doing it.  I loaded the apron pattern into my embroidery software, added the quilting and cutting, sent it over to the machine and let her go to work.  It took me all of about 15 to program the design and stitch out.  How cool is that?

Dolly hard at work making an apron

Dolly getting ready to cut out apron

Dawn!!! Isn't she a beaut? 

Side profile.  Reminds me of a mug shoot.

Dawn is sure to liven up our kitchen and make washing the dishes more fun.  She would also make a great housewarming gift or just brighten up your own kitchen.

Me and Dolly are just having way too much fun!!!

Wonder what Dolly and I will stitch up next?

Until next time,

Clear Mini Piping Foot

 Clear Mini Piping Foot

The clear view allows you to see the piping and to see exactly where you are stitching.

To make the mini piping, select a 1-2mm cord and snap on the mini piping foot.  

Wrap the cord with the strip of fabric and place the cord under the presser foot with the seam allowances to the right and the cord under the groove on the underside of the foot. The groove feeds the cord. Select center needle position straight stitch.  Use a stylus as needed to hold the cord in place.

I would love to hear if you have ever placed piped binding on a quilt before and what are your thoughts about it

Zeus the next big quilter!!!!

Anytime I'm not in my sewing chair Zeus likes to sit in the chair and keep it warm for me.  I'm going to teach him to push fabric under the machine next.

*Please note that this post is using the foot and machine that I use at home.  If there is a similar foot for whatever brand of machine you may be using. I would love to see the results!

Until next time,

String Qutiling - Giveaway

 Here's your chance to use up all of those scraps you have been saving up over the years!

In quilting terms, "strings" are merely long and narrow fabric strips. This book will show you how much fun it can be to sew your strings together to create beautiful patterns for every room in your home. You can choose to cut your strings straight and neat, or go for the scrappy look and cut your strings at an angle. There are so many different ways the projects can turn out! Patterns are included for wall quilts, bed quilts, runners and more! Includes 9 exciting projects, 7 can be made by a beginner!

If you would like to add String Quilting Today to your own quilting library head on over to Clotilde and pick on up today.   This book is also available as a PDF!

Connie Ewbank designed all the projects in the book.  She is a former quilt shop owner and currently teaches quilting for local guilds.  She also teaches local and regional meeting of the Embroiderers' Guild of America and the American Needlepoint Guild and is a Gulf States Quilting Association circuit teacher. 

Nancy has sent me one copy of this awesome book to give away to you, my lucky readers.  To enter just leave me a comment on this post.  Please tell me about any string quilts you might have made in the past. 

I will draw one lucky winner using the Random Number Generator and announce them here on Wednesday, September 14, 2011!

Only blogger comments count as this is posted to Facebook also.   If you are new to my blog and sign up as a follower on the right hand side then you may enter twice. Just leave a separate comment for each. Please only new followers.  Anyone that is not a new follower of my blog and signing up twice will be disqualified.
 

Until next time,

Quilt-Uberfest !?!?

O.k. call me slow or I will just chalk it up to the fact that I was in the hospital and they did something to my brain while I was there, but I just got why Scott is calling it Uber-Fest.

I was lucky enough to be chosen to participate in Scott's Quilt Along. I will be designing a super easy modern quilt block along with 16 other star classed bloggers. Look for my block right here on Friday, October 14th.

Here is what Scott had to say about the upcoming Quilt-Uber_Fest his post this morning.

Coming up this October, 16 bloggy friends and I are going to present to you a Block-a-day Quilt-Uberfest for the fall and winter seasons approaching…..and you are going to love it!! We are all working with an upcoming line called Sleeping Beauty by Nel Whatmore for Free Spirit Fabrics. I sent each blogger 2 or 3 prints from the line and 1 or 2 woven stripes or shot cottons from Kaffe Fassett’s lines and told them they could add one fabric of their choice. I thought that would combine the individuality of each designer with an overall cohesiveness to the quilt. When the quilt is finished, we will be donating it to a charity for auction, and we will definitely let you know about it!!

Here is the line up of Fantastic Peeps!

Oct 1 John Adams
Oct 2 Kaye Prince
Oct 3 Karen Linton
Oct 4 Konda Luckau
Oct 5 Amy Lobsiger
Oct 6 Ryan Walsh
Oct 7 Scott Hansen
Oct 8 April Rosenthal
Oct 9 Cara Wilson
Oct 10 Amanda Jennings
Oct 11 Susan Sobon
Oct 12 Jan Peoples
Oct 13 Erin Singleton
Oct 14 Charlie Scott
Oct 15 Emily Cier
Oct 16 Rachel Locke

Each day you can go to their site and find an 12” finished original block designed for you to create and work with the others into a sampler quilt or make many single blocks of your favorite into a one block quilt….or create a two block quilt…or a three block quilt…you get the idea! We have a Flickr page all set up and waiting for you to share with everyone else your version of our blocks.
So get ready…pick up the sauerkraut and kielbasa at the market and your favorite stein of beverage and get ready to Uberfest with us starting October 1st with my friend John and then check out all the rest of us! We plan on having PDF’s available for all of these as well so you can download them as needed..

Here is a sneak peek at the upcoming fabric that I'm going to use in my block. I've added the orange from my stash. I think it will work great with this line and sometimes you need a solid to break up all the business.

Until next time,

Athena & Dolly

I would like to introduce you to Athena & Dolly.

Athena, the Greek goddess the arts & crafts, wisdom, war, industry, justice and skill. She was the favorite child of Zeus. She had sprung fully grown out of her father's head.

Since I have a dog named Zeus I found it very fitting that I name my new, drum roll please.....



I give you Athena my new sewing table. She is a big girl at 60" wide x 55" deep.

Another picture of Athena so you can see just how grand she really is.

Then I also got another new toy because what sew table would not be complete with out a new sewing & embroidery machine.

I have nicknamed her Dolly because she is a triple DDD (Designer Diamond DeLuxe) & another big girl at that. She will embroidery up to 14" square. Oh my. I guess you might call me a size queen :-)

I just like this picture. It's shows off Dolly's beauty.

I must say when I sat down to sew the first time I almost had an orgasm because it was just that incredible. Zeus even gave her kisses. If you have never sewn on a machine in a sewing cabinet I strongly suggest you try it.

All kidding aside. After what I have been through this last spring of being in the hospital for 10 days with pneumonia and almost dying, I thought I needed to treat myself to something nice because we only live once & I cannot take my money with me when I die. I might as well enjoy it. This has truly brought my quilting Mojo back.

Until next time,

My New Favorite Foot - Three Hole Yarn

Three Hole Yarn Foot

Decorate your project with different types of decorative cords or yarn using beautiful wide HUSQVARNA VIKING stitches and the Three Hole Yarn Foot. This foot will easily guide the yarn through the openings in the front of the foot back through the groove under the presser foot. The decorative yarn will be stitched over creating a beautiful braid embellishment A 3D effect is created as you stitch over the decorative yarns.


Create your own unique trims with all the beautiful decorative stitches on your machine. Plus, there are 4 newly created stitches especially for this great decorative foot. You may find the stitches on the HUSQVARNA VIKING web site.

This is similar to the seven hole cord foot but allows you to work with much thicker yarns. The foot comes with a threader making it easier to thread the holes.


The Three Hole Yarn foot can be used with any yarn that will flow freely through the holes in the foot. Take your foot with you as you go shopping for yarn and try them out for “fit”! Don’t choose yarns that are “nubby” or fuzzy. They won’t work well and may get “stuck” in the foot

Simply thread the cords through the foot using the threader, select a decorative stitch and sew! (You may need to use a stabilizer under the fabric)


Try with simple stitches like the 3 step zig-zag stitch, then experiment with other fancy stitches!

I would love to hear if you have used this foot or have made anything using it. I wish I could see what you have made from this foot in person, but I can't, so Flicker will have to do.

Please note that this post is using the foot and machine that I use at home. Let me know if there is a similar foot for whatever brand of machine you may be using. I would love to see the results!

Until next time,