Showing posts with label prizes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label prizes. Show all posts

Thursday, July 20, 2017

Announcing the Learning QAL

Please join me in the Learning Quilt-A-Long (QAL).

Join the Learning Quilt-A-Long
In this QAL, you get to choose what you want to learn - 'cause it's all about you ;-)

Think of all of the learning that you do while you create quilts and art! What about that new pattern or the first landscape quilt you made? Are you taking a class or participating in a quilt-a-long? This is where you'll link up when you want to share what you'll be learning with the rest of us!
Learning Needle Felting!

Learning with the Growing Up QAL












Twice a month we'll get together - at the beginning of the month we'll share our learning goal for the month in the Learning Goal Setting link-up. Then at the end of the month, it'll be time to share what we learned in the Learning Sum Up link-up.  

I've created a Learning Quilt-A-Long page on my blog. That's where the button will take you. It has all of the details, including the links to all of the link-ups (eventually past and present!). 

Learning all about "value"

Learning to blog (first post)
My own learning goal before the launch of the Learning QAL on August 1st, 2017 is to use MailChimp to send email reminders of the link-ups to anyone who wants them. I've seen other bloggers use it and I love getting that email reminder. As soon as I've figured it out, I'll post the link on my post as well as the Learning QAL page.

Prizes

Each month there will be a prize for those who have linked up to both the Goal Setting and the Sum Up link-ups. I'm going to try to find prizes that are related to learning - a new technique, e-book or something fun about learning. The prize for the month will be announced at the Learning Goal Setting Link-up and the winner will be announced on the next month's Learning Goal Setting Link-up.


Learning Quilt-A-Long (QAL) Button

Feel free to grab the button located at the top of the sidebar. You can also find it on the Learning Quilt-A-Long (QAL) page. (See Related Links below)

What I learned
  • I've really enjoyed hosting the Celebrate - Fêtons 150 link-ups. It's given me an opportunity to: 
    • Reach out to more quilters and bloggers, 
    • Find out about all kinds of events and projects created specifically for Canada 150.
    • Make a few of these Canada 150 projects myself.
    • Learn all about link-ups.
  • I've also learned that I enjoy hosting link-ups but wouldn't want to host one every week. I know my limitations.
  • I get bored very easily! I'm hoping that this link-up will give me the opportunity to try new things - that way I can keep my interest and motivation going!
  • As I mentioned in the Learning Quilt-A-Long page, in the last 5 years that I've been blogging, I realised that learning isn't only about practice - it's also about taking a few minutes to reflect on what I learned.
Related Links

Linking Parties: I will be linking up this post to the following link-ups. Check out what else is happening. Linky Tuesday, Let's Bee Social, Midweek Makers, Needle & Thread Thursday, Off the Wall Friday, Finished or Not Friday, Free Motion Mavericks, Oh Scrap!, Slow Sunday Stitching, Monday Making, Main Crush Monday, Design Wall Monday, 

I hope that you'll help me celebrate learning by joining the Learning Quilt-A-Long (QAL). See you back here on August 1st!
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Saturday, April 01, 2017

Celebrate - Fêtons 150 in April

Welcome to the third month of Celebrate - Fêtons 150!

Let's party with quilts this year! Twice a month this year I will preview some of the great patterns and events celebrating Canada's 150th,
Canada 150 pattern by
First thing - Celebrate - Fêtons 150 in March was a success with 11 link-ups. Including those from the More Celebrations the Quilty Way post (March 13, 2017), there was a total of 16 comments. The draw was based on 27, and number 7 was the winner - which is the link up from Kathy K. Wylie Quilts. It's really great that we have quilting professionals linking their Canada 150 projects. I'm looking forward to trying Kathy's technique and pattern this year.

Canadian Beaver Block - designed by Sew Fresh Quilts





We are also in for a special treat as Lorna of Sew Fresh Quilts is donating one of her quilt patterns to the lucky winner of the April link-up. Thanks so more Lorna!





Here's one of Lorna's patterns that I just completed - the Canadian Beaver Block. It was a joy to sew and quilt (and believe me when I say that I don't find joy in piecing very often!) Thanks Lorna for this wonderful project :-)






What else is happening in the quilting world to celebrate Canada's 150?
Linda Hutchinson's quilt at QuiltCon

Canadian quilts at QuiltCon, Savannah

Did anyone get to QuiltCon in Savannah this year? As I've been reading blogs and magazines about the event, I sure wish I had the chance to attend. It sounds wonderful! Lisa from Sunlight in Winter Quilts posted a few pictures of fellow Canadian quilters' work. Here is an original piece by Linda Hutchinson of the Toronto Modern Guild. The quilt is hand quilted - and with luck we'll see it at Quilt Canada in Toronto this June.

Wonda's Designs - This is Canada

I haven't seen this design anywhere yet. The quilt is made up of 12 panels which can be bought in packages of 3. They can make a lovely quilt or wall hangings. See the link to Wonda's Desings in Related Links at the bottom of the post.

All Around Canada Block Pattern by Along Came Quilting Store in Calgary

This lovely 18" quilt block is the store's block pattern for the Northcott Trans-Canada Block Party. If you're in Calgary this summer, you can pick up the pattern or kit at the store. Otherwise, you'll be able to order it after September 1st.

My husband is going to Calgary in May, so I have a month to figure out how to convince him to pick up this beauty for me!
All Around Canada Block Pattern by
Along Came Quilting Store in Calgary
SeaSew - Canada's 150 Paper Pieced Logo



















This is the official logo of Canada 150. Here's a free paper pieced pattern from SeaSew by Dana Szucs Hayden.

Canadian Critters Series Designed by A Quilter's Home 
Celebrating with the Canadian Critters Series

After seeing this little Canadian Critter - I'm doomed. Celebrating Canada's 150 is definitely going to cost me a small fortune :-)

How can you resits? I'm not sure, since the other 2 critters are just as cute, and it's only March! You can purchase these kits individually or as a Block of the Month... one for each month of the year!!!

Celebrating Canada's 150 Events

I don't think that I can stand any more amazing quilts and blocks right now, so here are some websites to find out what is happening around your area (or places you will visit) this year. The links are all below, in the Related Links section.

Free Parks Canada
Discovery Pass
I have to start with the Free Parks Canada Discovery Pass. This pass will get your group free admission this year to National Parks, National Marine Conservation Areas and National Historic Sites owned and operated by Parks Canada. It's a great opportunity to discover amazing places around the country. Check out the link below for details. You won't want to miss out.

Canada's 150 Site
The Government of Canada has an internet site and an app to help you find events celebrating this special year.

Quilt Shows and Events page at the Canadian Quilting Association Website

 Spring brings with it the beginning of quilt shows around the country. I suspect that every show will have something to celebrate Canada's 150th. Check out what shows are coming in your area. Enjoy!

What I learned:
  • Although I usually attend only one quilt show a year, I know that this year will be different. Although I can't travel across the country to give you accounts of all of these quilting events, I hope that you will link up if you have a post of any of these shows with their Canada 150 exhibits.
  • Aren't these quilt patterns wonderful? I'm not sure how I'm going to resist getting many more of these special designs.
  • With everything that's going on, I posted my April objectives with my March Finishes. That's not how it works. So please bear with me as I repeat my April goals.
My April Objectives:
England Souvenir - to be quilted & embellished

  • My OMG is to quilt and embellish the England souvenir from the World Quilting Travel Adventure and hang it up in my kitchen; 
  • Make more slab blocks, and if I’m really productive, finish a small quilt top for Canada's Big Quilt Bee;
  • Work on and hopefully complete my Art with Fabric project. I'll be posting on the first day - May 15th! No pressure :-)

Related Links:

Here is the button, if you want to add it to your blog!
Quilting & Learning - What a Combo!
Now it's your turn to show us what you are doing to Celebrate Canada's 150th.


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Wednesday, March 01, 2017

Celebrate - Fêtons 150 in March

Celebrate - Fêtons 150 logo
Celebrate - Fêtons 150
February was the first month of the
Celebrate - Fêtons 150 link-up. Unfortunately there were no link-ups (other than my own) but it's not surprising since the link up theme is rather narrow - any post celebrating Canada's 150th or Canada in general.

The post has been read by many, so I really hope that it's gotten you thinking about making something special to celebrate Canada's 150th.

Canada 150 fabric as prizes
February's prize
I will continue to host the monthly link-up as well as giving out prizes. Don't forget that leaving a comment in one of the Celebrate - Fêtons 150 posts will also give you a chance to win the monthly prize. The February prize is 3 fat quarters of Stonehenge Oh Canada fabric by Northcott. I drew the prize winner using a random number generator. Susan of Quilt Fabrication is our winner. Congrats!

As well as showcasing some of the quilting events, patterns and fabrics created specifically to celebrate Canada's 150, I thought that I would participate and make a few of these myself.

The first one, that I mentioned in my last Celebrate - Fêtons 150 post is the Canada's Big Quilt Bee. If you didn't read about it, follow the link in the Related Links at the bottom of this post. 
Canada's Big Quilt Bee logo

Lorna, our own Canadian pattern designer of Sew Fresh Quilts is participating in the celebration by hosting her own SEW FRESH QUILT BEE. So make one or many slab blocks using at least one of the Canada 150 fabrics and then link up on her blog. She will also be giving away prizes! Join in the fun :-)

Here are my 3 slab blocks - I am hoping to make 6 more to complete a small quilt top.
Slab blocks made with Stonehenge Oh Canada fabric by Northcott
12" slab blocks made with Stonehenge Oh Canada fabric by Northcott
Sew Fresh's Canadian
Forest Friends quilt

Sew Fresh's Canada 150 lap quilt
Lorna has also made some lovely quilt and quilt block patterns to celebrate Canada. I purchased her Beaver block below and it's going to be my One Monthly Goal (OMG) for March! The plan is to have it finished by April 1 so that I can show it off at the April link-up. We'll also have a great prize courtesy of Lorna!

Sew Fresh's Beaver quilt block pattern
There's a lot in this post and since it's the beginning of the month, I also need to include my monthly goals for March.
  1. My One Monthly Goal (OMG) is to complete the Sew Fresh Beaver block pattern.
  2. I have 6 more slab blocks to complete this month.
I hope to get more done, but I think that two goals are ambitious enough at this time. As a former boss used to say: "It's better to under promise and over deliver!"

Quilting & Learning - What a Combo!  
Celebrating 150 posts

Finally, I have a special prize for this month. Not only are we celebrating Canada's 150th, but my next post will also be my 150th! WOW! I knew that I enjoyed quilting but I wasn't expecting to love blogging so much. There are fabrics purchased from Mad About Patchwork - one of my favourite online fabric stores. I hope you love them as much as I do....it's going to be difficult to part with these :-)
March's Fabric Give Away
March's Give Away

What I learned:
  • I've learned to stay optimistic about the Celebrate - Fêtons 150 link-up. As much as I dislike advertising, I didn't study business for nothing! Getting the word out there is what it's all about!
  • I am really having a great time finding fun things to include in the Celebrate - Fêtons 150 posts. There are some wonderful things happening everywhere across the country. It's going to be an awesome year!
  • I went to my first official Canada 150 event last night - it was the screening of Ti-Coq by Gratien Gelinas at Library and Archives Canada in Ottawa. The movie was restored and projected using original equipment. How cool is that! I'm really looking forward to attending more of these great events.
Featured Links:

Celebrate - Fêtons 150 posts:
Linking Parties: I will be linking to the One Monthly Goal - March Goal Setting Link-up and the SEW FRESH QUILT BEE as well as these other link-ups. Check out what everyone is up to! Main Crush Monday, Move it Forward Monday, Linky Tuesday, Midweek Makers, Needle & Thread Thursday, Oh Scrap!

Here is the button, if you want to add it to your blog!
Quilting & Learning - What a Combo!


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Monday, February 13, 2017

Announcing a Linking Party with Prizes

Welcome to the first Linking Party for Celebrate - Fêtons 150

 We will be celebrating Canada's 150th birthday for the rest of 2017 and I'm hosting a special party for my 150th blog post in March!

I've been wanting to host a linking party for a while now, so once a month, I will be hosting a linking party to celebrate our planned, WIP and completed quilts and art quilts that are related to Canada and to our 150th birthday.

You don't have to be Canadian to participate! We are a polite, inclusive and fun loving country. When there's a party, the more the merrier!

Since this is the first linking party, I am re-posting most of the information found on the Celebrate - Fêtons 150 page. I've planned the party, subscribed to InLinkz and this is your invitation! This first linking party is my first ever - so please excuse me for any errors or omissions that I have made or may commit!

I hope that you'll join me in the festivities. I wish I could share food with you, (my favourite part of any party!) but instead there will be gifts. One prize for every month and a larger prize for the 150th post at the end of March! I'll post this month's prize before the end of the linkup - promise!

Here is the button, if you want to add it to your blog!
Quilting & Learning - What a Combo!
Some of you may be familiar with the art quilt on the button. Fireworks in July was one of the first landscape art quilts that I created in my Landscape Art Quilt Challenge. It was sold at a silent auction for a Workplace Charity event and is now beautifying a cubicle! Isn't it amazing when your quilts leave the nest to have lives of their own?!

I'm going to skip the "What I learned" section of my post to keep these linking party posts short.
So please join me in the celebrations and tell your friends! I've linked up to: Main Crush Monday, Monday Making, Linky Tuesday, Let's Bee Social, Midweek Makers, Needle & Thread Thursday, Off the Wall Friday, Fabric Frenzy Friday, Moving It Forward Monday, MOP Monday,

Here are the details:
  • The link will be open on the first of each month, until the last day of the month. 
  • You can link as many different, current posts as you wish (planned, WIP and completed quilts and art quilts), as long as it has something to do with celebrating Canada's 150th, or has something to do with Canada (that leaves it wide open!)
  • Include a link in your post to the month's linking party (which will be part of my regular blog).
  • Check out some of the other blogs and don't be shy about leaving comments :-)
  • On the last day of the month, the link will close and I will randomly pick from the links and the comments. Please make sure that I can reach you, otherwise the prize winner will have to be re-picked. 
  • Then, on the first of each month, a new linking party will be created and the process will start all over again! 
Fixed the link-up. Thanks InLinkz for your great help! This first link is my own. Please join the party :-) Bought prizes for the first Link-up. See my next post for a clue - Canada 150 Quilting Events and Projects.

Feb 25 update Here is the prize - 3 fat quarters of Stonehenge Oh Canada by Northcott. This first month of the link-up has attracted many readers to the two Celebrate-Fêtons 150 posts, but so far no one has linked up with posts celebrating Canada's 150th or just something Canadian. I realize that it can take time because it's a pretty specific theme and not everyone is presently making those types of projects. For this month, I will draw from any link-ups (if they happen) as well as comments from both Celebrate-Fêtons 150 posts.


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