More Wins and Pondering a Dime Store

At the time I published my last giveaway win post, I knew I had some fabric on it's way to me.
I am blown away by how generous and awesome bloggers and sometimes their sponsors are
with their giveaways.  This is my public Thank You to each of them!

First up is some lovely fabric from Ellie Q at Color My World.
The fabric is from Jane Sassaman's Garden Divas collection.

 Isn't this amazing!  I am not always drawn to darker prints, so these are a great addition to my stash.

Thank you Ellie!  I am enjoying the chance to get to know you through your blog.

Next was this lovely bundle from Jenelle at Echinops & Aster.  She was celebrating her 200 followers and 100 posts!   And she is now over 300 followers!  Pink Chalk Fabrics sponsored this giveaway, but Jenelle put this bundle together.  It is so amazingly rich in color.

Since I had a package on the way already from Pink Chalk, I decided to do a little bit of shopping, and picked up this wonderful fabric:

Lily Asbury Teacups, London, Lucy's Crab Shack

My most recent win came through my monthly Schnibbles entry in July.  

Each month Carrie Nelson, the designer of the Schnibbles patterns gives someone from the parade a wonderful prize.  It is random, and I won for the 2nd time.  I also won in January.  According to the blog post at A Quilting Life, my prize was this fabulous layer cake:

Love Julie's fabric, so I am SOOOO excited.  But I also felt kind of guilty, so I reminded Sinta that I won before and maybe they should redraw.  She said no way and to enjoy.

When the package came from Carrie, this is what I pulled out:

The Odds and Ends Layer cake, 4 different sew in labels from Moda, 

This Layer Cake

And this book!  Carrie is so very generous.  

2 Layer Cakes!  A book!  Labels!  Again, I am so very blessed.  

Last topic:  My August Schnibbles.  When I first saw the pattern, I wasn't wild about it.  I struggle with things that are really scrappy.  I thought long and hard about what fabric to use.  I came up with the perfect fabric for my Dimestore, and it was made possible by Miss Carrie Nelson herself!

TA DA!!!!  LOVE these colors.  And I realized after I was done that it matches my couch.

Table runner size.  And would you believe that it is quilted.  Gasp!  My first quilted Schnibbles.  :)

Next step is to choose the binding, and that is where pondering comes in.  I had a lot of leftover 1.5 - 1.75 inch wide strips, so decided to sew them together to make a homemade, scrappy striped binding.  But when I was done, I thought maybe it would make a great border, instead.  So the picture above is without binding.  The picture below is with the possible border/binding along the edge of the quilt.

I love them both!  So now I have to decide how to use it - border or binding.

Here are some gratuitous cat pictures.  I kid you not, Smokey had to plop down on the new quilt within 45 seconds of when I got it laid out on the floor.  Here he is rolling on it.

Relaxing.

Cleaning his back paw.  Ooops, I need to clip his nails.

That is all for today folks and more than enough.  Next post, number 100!  One of the items I won will be part of my giveaway to celebrate.  I like it, but I know someone else would LOVE it.

Blessed Sewing,

Karen