BFF's bundle up

It's getting chilly outside and so the BFF's now have their new winter/Christmas wardrobe!
Here is the newest BFF paper doll quilt pattern. It is up on my site so you can order right away.
This pattern not only has delightful winter/holiday outfits and hairdo swap-pliqués to mix and match but it has oodles of fun festive holiday trims to decorate the quilt with. All of the appliqués, even the trims, are removable swap-pliqués so you can change them around anytime and they fit any BFF quilt.
Here's a peek at some of the swap-pliqués.



More shopping.......
I just found out about a brand new online shop called Inch worm fabrics.
They carry Kona Bay, Seattle Bay and Moda fabrics. Check them out when you just have to have fabric!
Don't forget to post to the Nov. 19th post to enter the giveaway. Monday is the last day to enter.

delicious with a capital D

I harvested the first bunch of pole beans 2 days ago from my earthbox. They were plentiful, ginormous and delicious with a capital "D". I only planted about 6 or 7 seeds and at this rate they are going to swallow the neighborhood! I love it! There may be enough to harvest again by tomorrow for the green bean casserole for Thanksgiving Dinner.
The bell peppers are running a close second I must have about 9 or 10 peppers so far. Fajitas are going to be on the menu soon. Probably turkey fajitas - LOL

kindness from Quilt Hollow

Thank you to all of the kind visitors from Quilt Hollow and of course to Mary of Quilt Hollow for posting my Winter giveaway on her delightful blog. She has some scrumptious looking brownies on a recent post along with the recipe of course.
Also, to clarify....you can keep posting to the Nov. 19th post to enter in the giveaway. The deadline to enter is Dec 1st, which is the day I will be drawing the winner.
Now I am off to the kitchen to start the grocery list for our Thanksgiving meal and to decide on the holiday desserts and then to dust off my collection of salt and pepper shakers. I know I have some with a Thanksgiving theme somewhere......

new winter giveaway

It's my birthday and to celebrate that plus the new release of my BFF Winter Holly Days paper doll quilt pattern I'm posting a new giveaway for you!
This one will prepare you for the chilly months ahead. There's a colorful pair of festive socks to keep your tootsies warm, a happy snowman mug to fill with flavored coffees, (peppermint, chocolate caramel, chocolate cinnamon almond) and a felt basket with some FQ's of flannel to add to a winter stitching project.
As with most giveaways post a comment to this post Nov. 19th. and you'll be entered but...... if you link my site www.thistledownquilts.com to yours (and tell me where to find it) you'll be entered twice.
I'll be announcing the lucky winner December 1st. Good luck and keep warm.

Hera today - gone tomorrow

First, you need a tool called a Hera marker. Google it and you'll come up with a gazillion results but more than likely your local quilt shop has it.

Just in case you haven't seen this simple technique I wanted to share it with you. This works best on a quilt that is already sandwiched. What's nice about this is that the creases fade away eventually (depending on fabric and humidity) unlike pencil marks.

On the quilt I want to mark, I want straight quilting lines that don't follow a seam line. In fact the quilting will cross the seams. (see pic 1)

Use a long acrylic ruler and place the edge where you want your line of quilting. (pic 2)



Run the Hera marker across your fabric sandwich using the edge of the ruler as your guide. The marker will leave a crease in your fabric.
(pic 3)



You can then quilt along the creased line. If the creased line fades before you finish (hand quilting) then just re crease with the Hera marker. I am machine quilting this quilt and so the lines lasted throughout the quilting process. I have used this easy method for a long time with great results. Give it a try and pardon the bad pun :)

community service quilting

Oh-oh -
I was actually trying to add some strips end to end when I wound up with this LOL -
that's what scissors and seam rippers are for. This is for the accent piping for this quilt in progress. It's a community service quilt.

I wish I could say that I make a donation quilt more frequently than I do, but then I would be lying.
I do try to make and donate quilts or other creations or donate my time to some form of community service. This quilt is going to a local youth ranch with about 25 other quilts made by fellow guild members. It is a bitter sweet project. The fabric that we are using in these quilts was donated by the husband of one of our sister quilters Joan Frantz, that succumbed to Ovarian cancer about 1-1/2 years ago. She was a remarkable woman. She was an Optometrist, and she wowed our guild constantly with her amazing quilts and talent. She won numerous local and national awards for her quilts even though she was a quilter for only about 5 years.



Well, I need to get busy because I have to have this quilted and bound by the 19th....
no problem, it's the least I can do. Thank you Joan.

OH - so cute Doohdles

Check out these adorable rubber stamp sets by Jenny Doh of Stampington & Co.
I just thought they were so sweet and fresh I wanted to share them with you. They would be great to use on wedding shower or birthday invitations.
I love the postcard made with the stamps...check out the stitching accent too.