Show and Tell...Part One

Hey There!

I finally uploaded some pictures to share, so I'll be doing a bit of show and tell over the next couple posts. :)

First up, remember that first quilt top I started MONTHS ago.  I got the top assembled pretty quickly, it was just fun randomly coming up with a "design", freestyle, like I love it!  But then I was stuck.  I had no idea what to do next.  Well, I knew I needed to put in some batting and a backing and quilt it, but I struggled with how to quilt it in an interesting way.  Well, I never thought up anything wonderfully original, so I just left it sitting there.  Then, while working on sorting and reorganizing the studio, I came across this orange vintage chenille bedspread I'd bought on ebay years ago.  I loved how it looked next to the quilt top, so decided to use it as a backing.  But there was no way to quilt through that thick chenille, so I quilting the top to the batting, just by stitching in the ditch around the patchwork pieces, then I added the chenille backing, and tied it to the top to keep the layers together. 

I love it!  Love the retro colors and how the orange vintage chenille makes the orange in all the fabrics just pop.  I could not for the life of me get a good picture of the entire quilt.  I'll have to work on that on a good sunny day.  Here are pics of it all folded up.

Next up, I'd like to show you this amazing handmade paper that Amy in Australia sent me.  Amy, I could not find a blog for you, so if you blog, or have a website/flickr, please let me know so I can link to you.:)  Amy won a bundle of fabrics from my Free Fabric Friday giveaways.  She so sweetly sent me this thank you.

It was sooooo unneccessary, and sooooo unexpected, but is greatly appreciated.  The paper is amazing, she made it herself--the sweetest part, really!  And it smells so nice!  I want to frame some and hang it on the walls in the studio, and then I thought I might try my hand at a mixed-media collage as well.  I've been wanting to play around with that, and this paper seems like a perfect thing to include in a modern collage.  I wonder if it is okay to scrapbook with?  Lisa has me wanting to scrapbook again.  Anyway, thanks again Amy.  Now you have me wanted to learn how to make my own paper too!

Next up, some amazing goodies sent to me by Emily in Norway.  Emily sponsored a Pay It Forward blog giveaway.  The way Pay It Forward works is the hosting person pledges to giveaway 3 handmade items to the first 3 people that reply saying that they will host a pay it forward giveaway, and it goes on and on.  So I agreed to host a giveaway and so Emily sent me this wonderful bundle. 

She handknit and felted the bag and then included these lovely vintage goodies as well. 

Leah snagged that bag as soon as it peeks it pretty little head out of the package.  I get to keep the trim and buttons.  Thank you so much Emily, it is so perfect and so lovely.  I will be hosting my Pay It Forward giveaway soon.  I want to make the goodies first so I don't have that hanging over my head.  I hope to get it up next week, maybe the following week.  We'll see.

Finally, I wanted to share this incredible package Ana sent to me--all the way from Portugal!  Ana and I met on Flickr--when she joined my Operation Sewing Room Organization group.  She invited me to join the Fabric Addicts Anonymous group after seeing I had issues with fabric!   And she has been one of those amazingly supportive and fun people that I am so happy to have met through flickr.  Ana has also shown herself to be the luckiest girl I know.  She has won 3 of my blog giveaways.  And she won the big Sis Boom Giveaway that I mentioned here on the blog (yup, I was bummed, but happy for Ana, sort of !!).  Seriously, I was happy for her.  Ana, bless her heart, decided to send me a little bundle, and this is what she sent.

Needless to say, I was totally and utterly blown away by her generosity.   I drooled over that bird fabric when she first shared it on flickr.  I can't even believed she shared it with me. I don't deserve this, and would never expect it.  Everything in the bundle is just a treasure. 

To top it all off, I also recieved this amazing Bird themed bundle. 

Can you say CUTE?  Goodness Gracious, full of cuteness.  This was a swap organized by the FAA Flickr Group--If you like fabric and like swapping, you may want to join us?  Anyway, I am thankful for this bundle.  Thank you dear Sweet Ana!!!  Thank you so, very much!! 

I also found out from Ana that I won her blog giveaway last week, so I was able to buy this gorgeous bag from her Etsy shop!  This is the first blog giveaway I have won.  I was totally surprised.  I never win stuff.  I am excited to get this--the fabric is just gorgeous and the colors are so "me". :)

Okay, that is enough showing off for now.  Hope you all are Happy and Healthy and wishing you all a Wonderful Day!

Hugs,

Sheree

Comments

[lucy]

Goodness! You are one lucky girl! And you've been busy too. The quilts are wonderfully done. I like the mix-match of fabrics, lines and shapes.

I hope your holidays will be great. This seems to be a busy time for a lot of people. Hope to hear from you soon!

Cheers!

Lucy

[Stephanie]

That fabric is drool-worthy! Love all of your gifts!

[Penny]

Nice job on the quilt! Very creative!

[Ravenhill]

Hi Sheree!
I am so glad that you and your daughter liked the gifts! Hope that you have fun with the pay it forward! Could I please use some of the photos you took of my things to write about you receiving the gifts on my blog?
Happy holidays to you and your family! Emily

[Lisa thedomesticdiva]

You Busy Bee! Love the quilt!

Looks like you are in Fabric Heaven!

With friendship,
Lisa

[amy]

Hi Sheree,

It's so lovely that you mentioned my paper :D Actually, I don't have any kind of site for you to link to as I've never really got around to setting up a blog! I am finally using that gorgeous carousel fabric I won... in a quilt for my bub-to-be... I will send you some pics when it is done!

Amy

[Lisa]

Did you hug the mailman or what? What a good mail day. I love good mail days. That's so thoughtful of them to send you so many wonderful goodies.

Love your new quilt top too and I think the orange chenille is perfect.

Happy holidays!

[Ana]

I'm so happy you liked my presents, Sheree.
your quilt is beautiful, love that color combination.
Big hug

[Stacy T]

That quilt is gorgeous!! Love the colors!!