Plans Change

Yesterday afternoon I got this good size quilt loaded on longarm to start quilting today.

Plans change when the phone rings and it is your real estate office saying they want to show your home. This is the third possible buyer since we put our home on the market in May. The market here is horrible and a darn shame the town has no growth. I'm not holding my breath for an offer. However, changed my plans from quilting today to straighten up a bit.

UPDATE TO THIS POST! I received another call today (just two hours before showing) they cancelled coming.....sigh.

Winner!

Wow bloggets! There were 160 wonderful comments with regards to Sue and her new book! I'm so glad that word is getting out through the blog book tour. There are plenty more stops on the journey and I hope you will enjoy traveling to each blog. Sue's blog "Quilt Times" has all the details of your stops and also included some fun little details about your destinations.

There are a total of 10 chances to win your autographed copy of "Pick Four." This book is available through Martingale & Co, Amazon, your local quilt shop and just the other day they were putting them on the shelf at JoAnn's Fabrics.

In order to have won the copy from my blog it was very simple. I know so many of us just jump from blog to blog quickly and miss out on getting to know the blogger a bit. So I thought it would be fun to have you visit Sue and tell me a little something you learned about her. We had a wonderful time reading the comments and even got a good chuckle out of some who dug in deep into the archives of her past post to get the "dirt."

The name has been drawn:

Kristen said: I'd been reading Sue for a while so I went back in her archives to learn something about her and discovered that she hobknobs with royalty at Royal Ascot and in the Royal Enclosure as if wearing big hats at the races wasn't cool enough!

Thanks for the chance to win - looks like a great book to sew up some charity from my unending, overflowing stash!

Kristen I do hope you faired okay with Hurricane Irene and will be able to contact Sue or myself with your snail mail address. Congrats!!!

Day Two - Blog Book Tour Give Away

It's my turn to share with you Sue's new book. Who doesn't love a new book that is not only for the experienced quilter but for the beginner who is paralyzed by what fabric choices to use?

As the book title reads "Pick Four" I went to my stash and selected my four fabrics. Sue suggest "Find Your Focus" fabric. Because I have a stash of fabric from years of hoarding I was able to pick from my stash. I'm sure you will agree that when you shop for fabric there is always that one fabric that just stands out and says PICK ME!

Sue's book will guide you on your fabric choices since a total of just four are needed it doesn't become an overwhelming task for the beginner quilter. With that said, you don't need just four to make the 12 patterns in the book. You can make these as scrappy or varied as you like!

When I first saw peeks into "Pick Four" at Amazon.com this particular pattern caught my eye immediately. It is called, "Antique Nine Patches." I just had to make it because I had the red focus fabric just waiting for the perfect pattern.

Sue suggest "Find Your Clues" from your focus fabric. I chose my background and two prints and got to work piecing and quilting.

A word on quilting: Thank goodness Sue doesn't leave you hanging with the famous "Quilt As Desired" we see on most patterns leaving us to try our best with magnifiers to see just how the quilt was quilted in the pattern. Am I right? Sue has quilting options! Sue suggested just quilting an allover design on this one. I chose to quilt this quilt with a pattern called, Special Roses.

Here is the end result after a wash, dry and crinkle it is cozy. "Pick Four" is available for purchase from Martingale & Co., Amazon or your local quilt shop. However, there are TEN bloggers participating in this book tour that are each giving away an autographed copy of the book so be sure to visit them. "You can't win a copy unless you enter." (kind of like winning the lottery....you need to buy a ticket!!)

To enter and win a copy from my blog I am asking you to visit Sue's blog and tell me something you learned about Sue. If you want to become a follower of Sue or me great, but not required. I'm guessing Sue will be reading my comments so make it a fun comment about Sue. A winner will be announced this upcoming Sunday morning.

Your stop tomorrow is at Pat's Blog, Silver Thimble Talk for another chance to win!

Win This Book!

Today is Day One of the Blog Book Tour. Be sure to go to Sue's blog to learn more and then skip on over to visit Hazel as she is first to give away a copy! Then remember to come back over to my blog tomorrow for another chance to win a copy here! I'll be writing my post later today and was thinking of some creative way of choosing the winner. How well do you know Sue Abrey at Quilt Times and the author of this awesome book? I'm just sayin.....go on over to Sue's blog and meet Sue!

Today's Picnic

I quilted Shirley's quilt today. Perhaps you would enjoy a peek of some of the blocks up close; though turned! She likes to sneak it kitties on all her scrappy quilts.

Here's another close-up for fun!

The quilt is trimmed up and ready for binding. It was simply stitched with an all over design. The pattern is from Kim Brackett's book Scrap-Basket Sensations. Shirley used 30's fabrics along with black and white prints. It is very pretty in person and I always say taking a photo just isn't the same.

Be sure to stop in on my blog Thursday for your chance to win Sue Abrey's new book! In the meantime, stop in a Sue's blog to see where all you will want to visit this upcoming week!

Special Gifts That I Must Share!!

Yesterday was spent with my friend Shirley. She gifted me with this sweet little quilt that I just have to show and share!
Here is a closer look so you can see the ric-rac tucked inside the binding. Oh so cute!

She paper pieced this tiny little quilt. It is a wonderful setting; if you look closely there are two different blocks alternating diagonally and then the side triangles and corners.

Shirley also punch-needled this wool rug for me as a barter. Actually, now that I think about it everything I have punch needled has been from her. The top photo shows a rabbit she did for me awhile back.

Here is a little corner of my kitchen area. I put the punch needle rug in the middle of the sifter. It looks absolutely wonderful there.

Pieceful Sunday

My Sunday was spent piecing "Sweet Carolina." This quilt measures 13" x 17". The pattern can be found in American Patchwork & Quilting, Aug 2011 on page 79.

Something I have become irritated with while looking at blogs is all the pop up advertisements! This has been on my mind for quite sometime but today after visiting a blog the stupid ad just kept following as I scrolled through to read the post. I didn't even finish reading and left the blog. I'm just saying....

Busy Week Here at Quilt Hollow

It has been a busy week here at Quilt Hollow so I thought I would share a few photos with you. The above photo is a teaser. In a few short weeks I can tell you how the quilt above came to be and announce a giveaway so you can make your very own!

This is the back of Carol's quilt. I wanted you to see the double hearts edge-to-edge quilting she requested.

Here is just a peek of the top of her quilt.

(sorry photo turned) Valerie requested an all over snowflake design for her Fat Quarter BOM holiday quilt.

Here is a peek of the back so you can see some snowflakes on her snowflake backing. Cute!

This is another one of Valerie's. This is Schnibble quilt called ,"Lincoln" with jingle bells quilting. I want to keep it!

Enjoy your weekend everybody.

Quilt Binding Tip

Today I was flipping through a quilting sales catalog and found an item that automatically folds your binding as you pull it through the gadget. Now you can press it quickly at the price of $25.99.

While I think the invention of many quilting gadgets has been wonderful (especially the rotary cutter) I think I'll save my $25.99 and stick with what I learned way back when I first started quilting on this one.

Fig Tree Quilts "Madeline"

It is a darn shame that this one isn't mine, it belongs to Gerri (no blog). She plans to hang this sweet little quilt in her sewing room.

This pattern is called, "Madeline" by Fig Tree Quilts.

A Finish of My Very Own!!

I finally finished up stitching on the last of the snap eyes and button mouths. The noses are wool. I love this quilt however my guys just don't get it.

The pattern can be found at Farmhouse Threads. The pattern is #906 Let It Snow. While I was visiting the website I found some NEW patterns that are good!

Note to a commenter named MARY: You are a "no-reply blogger" so I can't email you back. You sent me an email asking for this pattern information. I feel bad if you think I ignored you on several of the comments you made on my last few post.

Will You Vote?

This is a peek of the current quilt I'm working on. (I like pictures with my post)

Will you take the time to go vote for your favorite Log Cabin Quilt at The Quilter's Gallery? Several of our blog friends have quilts in the contest and would love your vote!

Going Bananas!

Going Bananas anyone? Actually this is the name of the quilting motif used for this adorable quilt. I've had the design but never a chance to use it until Carol requested it. Can you see the monkeys and bananas? Dang cute!

This photo isn't the best and did turn on me when loading it. The backing of this sweet quilt is minke and so soft!

The top is a simple one with both fun monkey and banana novelty prints and now lots texture.