Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Crafted Ahhh-pliqué - My Turn and a Giveaway

Welcome everyone to my stop on this lovely blog hop for my dear friend Lara's first published book.  I have a feeling there will be a few more forthcoming from this incredible designer who is not only talented, but flipping ingenious to boot!  She blogs at Buzzin Bumble and is a busy bee for sure when it comes to quilting and creating.

We bonded two summers ago, first over a profound love of dogs, and cemented it with Pets On Quilts when she featured her daughter Kaitie's pibble mix.  (Hey! That Pets on Quilts link shows you the new button for this year's show! Such fun!) I have done a couple of projects using Lara's exciting new method of appliqué, with another two in the works.  Here is my second project:

Yes, when I went to take the photo of the finished pillow, there was Miss Bella, stationed at the ready for the photo shoot.  I don't make this stuff up!  I didn't stage that shot, other than plonk the cushion down on the bench in the front entry.

In my corner of QBL my fur kids make frequent appearances, I sometimes muse about various subjects not necessarily quilt-related, sewing doesn't always get done as quickly as I think it should, and I try to find a way to add a smile to your day, sometimes unintentionally, lol.

This is Lara's book; I know you've most likely seen it around QBL these past couple of weeks.  It is available here on Amazon (no affiliation).  HAPPY DANCE, it has sold out, but it will be available May 20 in the US, not sure about when in Canada.  For a short while it was #1--I GRINNED when I saw the screenshot in this post of the #1 banner across her book.  I know her!!!  With the innovative method she's devised, the amount of care and attention to detail she's put into explaining the method and the amazing creativity she exhibits in the projects within the book, it is no wonder that it has sold out.

And, (insert shy red face), I am "in" the book!  Somewhere after that fated Pets On Quilts 'meeting', she emailed me telling me she was writing a book, and asked if she could quote me in the introduction to her book!  Pshaw!  Really? Moi?  And she did!  So I am in print, hanging by a tube-turner-grabber-nabber, ha, to Lara's beautiful appliqué projects.  I had written something about changing my feeling about 'aaack-pliqué' to 'ahhh-pliqué' in one of my blog posts about Fleurs.  I can tell you right here, right now, she certainly has done that.

I showed you my first experiment with this method here when I made two potholders.  I've been using them ever since, love them!  I wanted to show you what happened when I washed them and then dried them in my dryer:

If you check that original post, you won't notice much, if any, difference!  Maybe a slight puckering of the binding, and if you had feel-o-vision (kinda like smell-o-vision), you would notice the soft hand of these now.

Up close and personal:

Look Ma! No frayed edges!!
It really is 'the bomb' isn't it?

I had hoped to make a tree, inspired by Lara's The Walking Tree quilt in her book.  There were two more common bonds:  a love of books, especially fantasy, and a love of nature.  I have long had a deep reverence for trees, so this project really appealed to me.  My tree quilt will be forthcoming, I promise, and it excites me to no end what I am creating!  That is what I really like and appreciate about this book: it has 7 appliqué projects in it, that you can either make exactly as shown, or use them as jumping off points to inspire your own creativity, as I have done with my tree quilt.  Moreover, she gives extremely detailed explanations as to how to get the best results for her technique, all in a friendly tone with humour sprinkled amongst her wise advice and tips.

This cushion is actually a wallhanging, a pattern I bought some time ago because the saying just killed me, as it is so true.  I thought it would be the perfect second project to try Lara's method, as it had more pieces, and a little layering of pieces so I could see how that worked out.  Uh, fantastic?!  I stitched around the appliqués with just a straight stitch, no zigzag or blanket stitch required; in fact, you can get away without stitching around them at all!

I backstitched by hand the words, and Bella's, er the cat's mouth.  Rocco's, aka the dog's mouth was done on the machine as were the tufts in the cat's ears and the whiskers.  I like to think of this as representing my blue-nose pibble, Rocco, and my diva, Bella.

I had fun with the quilting.
Immediately after the bench photo, I took this one, and she was bound and determined to photobomb it as well!
I managed to shoo her away to get some light on the background to show what I did:
There are four pawprints, and a dog biscuit above the word "have", echoes around the animal appliqués, and then just wiggly lines in the lower half.

I used a variety of threads.

I like to bind my cushions, and thought black would frame it perfectly.  This is RJR Handspray, a 5-yard cut from Craftsy bought at a recent sale.  It's got fabulous depth.  Thank you to Judy for putting me onto this stuff.

I had the perfect backing, a lovely gift from a blog reader who goes by Jake.  She does wonderful work for and with animals, and sews all kinds of stuff for fundraisers, as well as quilts for animals going through major surgery, like for cancer, at a vet specialist near her.  Along with bandanas for my three fur kids (you can read the post here), she sent me several other goodies, including this fanTAStic fabric, which I used for the backing of the cushion.

Wanna see it close up?
It's cats and dogs doing yoga!!!! It came by way of my good friend Preeti, to Jake, and now a piece to me.  Full circle.  Love that.

There is a cushion pattern in Lara's book, along with a few other 3D projects that made my mouth drop open in astonishment when I first saw them.  My favourite is the little cottage that is a sewing machine cover for one of her Golden Girls, her vintage sewing machines:  aka Dorothy, Rose, and Blanche!  Yup, we each have a pretty good sense of humour, Lara's being the wittier.

I made my own pillow form to go inside the cushion.

I made a label using the same appliqué technique to adhere it to the backing. I didn't topstitch it but outlined it with the gel pen so it would pop a bit.
Used the Pentel Gel Roller for Fabric that Preeti gave me to write and then to outline the pawprint

There has been some ahhh-mazing projects shown on this blog hop for Lara's book.  The schedule is here.  Be sure to check it out.

I'm so glad I got this project from pattern in a drawer, to finished little pillow on my bench, and I am so honoured to have been asked to be part of Lara's hop.

Giveaways!  TWO!
Lara has generously provided a copy of her book for readers of my blog.  AND!! She is this type of generous spirit: if you have already bought your copy of the book, have no fear; enter still!  She will refund your money if you are chosen.  I don't know, but that just makes my heart swell when I encounter such a giving nature in a person.

Duh, I decided on my walk just now, 4 hours after this post went live, (alone, sniff, as Rocco is on the DL for another 7 weeks), to have a second giveaway.
Brady:  Nana, how come you always say that?
Me:  Say what?
Brady:  You always say 'duh!' ...
Me:  I do?  Oh, I guess I do! Well, because I often do stupid things.
Brady:  intake of breath - You're not supposed to say that!
Me:  Say what?
Brady:  (whispers)  that 's-t-u-' word.
Me:  I'm sorry. You're right. Okay, because I always do silly things!

I'm going to give away the pattern for a second prize!  It is open to anyone, anywhere; I will happily mail it to you.

One last look at the cushion:
Quilt Stats:
Pattern:  Dogs vs Cats by Bloomin Minds
Size: 13.75 X 16.25" after quilting
Fabric:  From stash
Batting: Warm 'n Natural
Quilted: on my Bernina
Threads: pieced with Gütermann; appliquéd with Sew Art International Invisible thread in Smoke; quilted with Isacord 4421 teal and ??15 grey, Aurifil2123, Sulky Blendables 733 4011 30 wt and Essential in magenta

To enter the giveaway, leave me a comment telling me the most generous thing someone has done for you.  Followers of my blog can get a second entry; just tell me how you follow!  I'll draw 2 winners this Sunday, May 22.  Please put your email in if you are a no-reply blogger, or follow the link below the comments to fix this, so that I can find you; otherwise I will draw another person.  I also won't be responding to comments on this post, but I will sure enjoy reading them!
The giveaway has now ended.

I'm linking up with creative Connie at Free Motion by the River and the lovely Lorna at Sew Fresh Quilts.

131 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. I follow by checking your website for new postings.

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  3. When we cleaned out our house in preparation for listing it for sale,a close friend refused to let me dispose of the fabric I loved that wouldn't fit in our trailer. She's stored it for me, so I could make forays back to collect more as I needed it.

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  4. I Follow you on bloglovin.... so love this way of following...... happyness04431@yahoo.com

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  5. Hi Sandra! I know with a certainty that your post here ranks right at the top with the most generous things people have done for me. :) Thank you for all the wonderful things you wrote... I didn't stop blushing throughout! It is really fun to think back about how we first became friends! It was your bubbling over exuberance and strong tendency to make me crack up laughing that drew me in!
    Your funny cat and dog pillow is so cute and I love Bella hamming it up for the camera! The butterfly hotpads look great and I'm glad you put them to the washing test. I'm so happy you took the Crafted Applique' method and let your creativity fly! I can't wait to see the tree you are designing!
    Here's to another great summer of Pets on Quilts too!

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  6. A stranger gave me a big bundle of fabric from her stash ..Because i messaged her that she won fabric on a giveaway.....She almost lost it..... hate to see that....happyness04431@yahoo.com

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  7. Love the pillow and Bella the ham!! Don't pick my name.

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  8. I love this pillow and I love how you represented your fur babies! You have me super excited to give this method a try. June OMG? And I think I'm going to have to talk to Bella, I think she may need an agent. There are cat food commercials (and we won't stop there maybe cat spa commercials) in her future. She was made for the camera. Maybe she was Marilyn in a past life? And super generous act of kindness? I have this super rocking friend that made me this amazing quilted pillow cover for no other reason than being my friend. She could have spent hours doing something else with her time, but instead she chose to send me a little piece of her to brighten my day. When I'm feeling down, my pillow makes me smile. :)

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  9. I stalk, I mean follow you on Bloglovin :)

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  10. I follow and am inspired by you by visiting your website and through bloglovin. I always say that I am the luckiest woman in the world, because I am blessed with the love and generosity of my family and friends every day.

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  11. I met a gal online(who ended up living only a few miles from me) and after only knowing her a couple weeks she gave me tons of fabric before her move out east. But I have had several other wonderful people give me fabric and finished gifts;-) Quilter friends are the best!

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  12. I feel like my life has been filled with generous people and their kindnesses. Just recently my dear friend made me a beautiful sewing machine cover. It is an adorable retro caravan and I love it!

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  13. that is tough, I have run across a lot of really generous people. But recently, my son got married and he and his fiance made all the clothes for the wedding party. except mine. I figured they had enough sewing. It was a civil war theme. Well the pattern for my dress that I chose turned out to very difficult to follow. And I have been sewing all my life. LOL there is a reason Simplicity retired that pattern ten years ago. LOL Any way with all she had to do, she took the time to help me with the fitting, etc with my dress. A true gem to our family. And best of all she makes our son extremely happy.
    quilting dash lady at comcast dot net

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  14. that is tough, I have run across a lot of really generous people. But recently, my son got married and he and his fiance made all the clothes for the wedding party. except mine. I figured they had enough sewing. It was a civil war theme. Well the pattern for my dress that I chose turned out to very difficult to follow. And I have been sewing all my life. LOL there is a reason Simplicity retired that pattern ten years ago. LOL Any way with all she had to do, she took the time to help me with the fitting, etc with my dress. A true gem to our family. And best of all she makes our son extremely happy.
    quilting dash lady at comcast dot net

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  15. My brother helps me with things I can't do myself like plumbing and electrical.

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  16. Someone paid for our lunch the other day and left before we found out. We'll never know who it was!

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  17. I sure enjoyed your post, as I always do, especially the cushion cover you made and photo bombs by Bella! I have to remember that I want to bind the next cushion cover I make because I love how that looks! Cynthia Brunz was so very generous over this last winter to send me a package of her Tula Pink scraps. And I have had so much fun figuring out projects to use them on!

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  18. Also I follow you on Bloglovin! Thanks for the chance to win Lara's book.

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  19. I love your comment about going from feeling like 'aaack-pliqué' to 'ahhh-pliqué' using Lara's method. The pot holders are holding up (hee hee) so wonderfully and the pillow is cute. I am excited to have such a great technique in my arsenal now, too, and won't fear as much the next time I need to do raw edge applique. :)

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  20. Years ago, when my sewing machine was on the blink, a lady at church gave me hers. She had a new one that had all the bells and whistles. But that little Kenmore gave me miles and miles of sewing and quilting. I still have that machine and use it as a back up. It holds such sweet memories, making clothes for my daughter and lots of quilt tops. Thanks for the giveaway. This book looks so awesome and I would love to learn how to applique.

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  21. a couple of years ago my computer , cat and I had an incident with water. after a week of drying out my laptop to no avail. I found a new one on my side of the bed. it was a no occasion gift, but something I have used daily since.

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  22. Great cushion! I'm looking forward to trying this technique, but I'll have to wait for the price to come down... £35 when I looked this morning! Gotta love Bella - she certainly knows and loves the camera! Following through Blogger and Bloglovin'.

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    1. Generosity - family converting an old cattle shed so I could have my own private place to sew. It's wonderful!

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  23. in line at the fabric store i told the cashier the candy bar i was buying was my secret addiction the lady behind me asked why i was only buying one if i was addicted; i said because if i bought more i would eat more. she then picked one up and told the cashier to put it on her bill and put it in my bag. that was the only time i have ever seen that lady. random acts of kindness.

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  24. I LOVE your cute pillow. That is sooooo true. Lara's technique is genius and makes applique so perfect. Your work is a great example of that.

    The best thing ever done for me was my children blessing us with grandchildren.

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  25. My son-in-law's grandmother was a quilter. When she passed away, he gave me her wood and glass table top thread cabinet that his father made by hand. I felt honored to receive this generous gift.
    kakingsbury at verizon dot net

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  26. My BFF, Russell, bought me a sewing machine!!! My machine died one day, he handed his debit card and said "get a new machine". Now YOU know why it's FOREVER...it still gets me misty eyed.

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  27. My BFF, Russell, bought me a sewing machine!!! My machine died one day, he handed his debit card and said "get a new machine". Now YOU know why it's FOREVER...it still gets me misty eyed.

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  28. Oh your projects are so great! My good friend threw me a surprise birthday party last November for a significant birthday. I never had a surprise party before and it was so sweet of her to do that for me and invite my other friends. I got gifts of batik fabrics too.

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  29. I was working on a quilt and needed more fabric. Look everywhere couldn't find it anywhere, went to visit mother in law asked her if they were any quilt shops around there were two. Went to one no luck went to the other was talking to the lady asked her if she had any of this fabric told her I been all over looking for more but can't find it. She had it got what I need to finish quilt went to go and pay she told me it was on her.
    Love your progress!

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  30. I was a young mom with three kids in tow heading to the subway system in Washington DC when the plastic bag I was carrying broke spilling the contents of the remaining hotel breakfast on the sidewalk. A sweet couple visiting from England came up to me to help and she handed me a plastic bag from her purse explaining she always carries an extra one in her purse "as you never know when you or someone else needs one." To this day, I carry two extra bags in my purse and yes, I've given them out to help others. It was a small thing but so helpful since I would have had to toss the kids' snacks and lunch if I had not been rescued. Absolutely adorable pet yoga fabric and the pillow is super cute! kthurn(at)bektel(dot)com

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  31. I look forward to seeing your posts by email. kthurn(at)bektel(dot)com

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  32. Love the pillow! We were just talking about the difference between dogs & cats at work yesterday! And the yoga animals - LOVE! I follow you on Blogger.

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  33. I make a LOT of quilts for gifts--seven baby quilts so far just this year. I never ever accept money for my quilts, as they are gifts.

    This has been a very hard year for me so far. My beloved mother-in-law died on January 7. My brother committed suicide on February 1. My sweet son-in-law died on April 8. And all three of their birthdays were in April as well. In addition, there have been a ton of other stresses.

    My wonderful sister-in-law, my husband's eldest sister, sent me a bouquet of flowers. She also made me a lovely soft flannel quilt, just for me, the very first quilt anyone has ever made just for me! I was so touched, and feel her love like a hug whenever I snuggle for it.

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  34. THANKS FOR SHARING! GREAT POST!
    THINKING OF YOU>BE WELL♥
    msstitcher1214@gmail.com

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  35. Most generous thing? Have had many experiences. Since this is a quilting post- have to say the ladies that have shared their stash with me :0)

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  36. I have been Blessed by strangers & friends alike...so many times..not sure of a"Most" or "Biggest"...but my Kiddos & I have soooo Blessed many times while it was just me & them. God has been Awesome!

    Thank you for chance to win your Give-a-ways...Love your Potholders & Pillow! (My daughter would be thrilled if I made her one..lol..she has dogs & cats..perfectly describes them too! giggle)

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  37. I follow your thru Email & Bloglovin :)

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  38. LOL! Adore the pillow Sandra, DH & I chuckled at the truth of it. Great post!

    Lara has shown me her generosity, with a random act of kindness last summer. She responded to my callout for fabric (I was seeking to expand a quilt). It resulted in a sort of swap, & a friendship I treasure!
    I feel so fortunate!

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  39. I feel that I have been blessed in my life. I am not sure I can pick one "most generous" -but one author and teacher sent me copies of every book she has written AND sent a specially printer fabric panel that she had bought for teaching and didn't use.

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  40. Your humor surely brightened my day! I was smiling throughout the post! Duh!
    My husband is one of the most generous people I know, almost to the extent of being taken advantage of. When I quit my full-time teaching job almost 4 years ago, he bought me a higher-end sewing/embroidery machine. He knew I'd wanted one for a long time, but didn't have any time to devote to using one. I've put many, many hours on that baby and love it (and him) to the moon!

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  41. I am a new Bloglovin' follower of yours! Keep me smiling!

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  42. I lost everything in Katrina, and relocated 300 miles away. We were homeless, and we were renting a very small overpriced trailer in a fishing camp "resort". I joined the local quilt group to meet people and surround myself with creativity- they gave me a quilt shower and donated fabric, supplies, and gift certificates to me. Of course I cried!

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  43. A friend recently knitted a 'twiddle muff' for my MIL who suffers from dementia

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  44. I was at a quilt show and mentioned that I was looking for an older magazine for a project I wanted to make. A vendor said she thought she had it, took my address and sent me her copy. I did not know her. She did not want me to pay her postage or for the magazine. I still think of her and appreciate her for that sweet gesture.

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  45. It is the little things that are nicest to me,like holding a door, saying thank you or please, letting a car merge, etc.

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  46. I follow you with email, like your tales.

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  47. My hubbie does a most generous thing every time we go south to the capital. He drives me around every quilt shop, sitting in the car and reading, no matter how long I take. And if I hurry, he sends me right back into the shop again.
    Thanks for the giveaway. Tarnia.hodges at gmail.com

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  48. When my daughter was a busy young Mum she did the most beautiful smocking for her two girls, and of course I admired her projects. Then she found the time to make me a beautiful smocked night gown for my 50th birthday. I was over the moon!

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  49. Hi again Sandra
    I've only recently found your blog and love it! Following you on Google Friend Connect.

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  50. Your doggies are beautiful but Miss Bella is so regal---so divine----soooooo lovely! I follow you via email...and LOVE every post.

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  51. I guess I'm having a hard time picking the most generous thing anyone has done---but I've narrowed it down to 2...lol...I was in a horrible car wreck with my 3 and 4 year old back in the 1980's. A tractor trailer t-boned my station wagon. I ended up with several broken bones and a concussion and was in a coma for a short while. Mercifully my children were unhurt in the backseat although their coat pockets were filled with broken glass but not a scratch on them. When I finally came home from the hospital several elderly ladies in the community came, gathered up all the laundry--washed and ironed it, brought food and basically kept checking on me. They are no longer "with us" but their memory and kindness will be around a long time. The second thing is when my parents passed away they enabled me to buy a longarm and that has been great therapy for me. Blessings....kathy in WV

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  52. We live in an area with toll bridges, and once someone "payed it forward" paying for my toll...of course it was such a lovely gesture as it was unexpected, and they didn't even know me, the toll taker said they offered to pay for the car behind..wasn't that generous?

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  53. I am a follower...and recent early retiree too...isn't that great? Love your pillow...thanks for sharing the giveaway!

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  54. A friend once paid my way to a quilt retreat. I think she knew how much I needed it!

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  55. Because our school can no longer afford to pay subs, my coworkers divided my classes so I could have a sick day from work

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  56. Sandra, I love your projects. Whimsical and fresh. I already follow you on bloglovin

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  57. Many years ago my husband encouraged and enabled me to quit my job and do what makes me happy.

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  58. My friends came over to my home to pack me up to move into a new home after my husband keft, They are the best!!

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  59. I just love the description you've given us of both your own adventures with Lara's new method, and your humorous style of writing in general. I'm going to sign on as a follower shortly. Generosity runs amuck in quilty blogdom - one of the most recent episodes in my quilty journey involved a blogging friend who out of the blue donated a big box of fabrics to our newly formed church quilt ministry. We are all blessed to be part of this online community.

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  60. Two quilty friends and I went out for lunch in another community about a 90 minute ride from home. When it came time to pay our bill, the waitress told us we were taken care of! As a local gentleman was leaving, he paid ours, too! We were three giddy old ladies the rest of the afternoon! Love your post today. It was lots of fun to read. The cushion you made is perfectly true! And your friends book looks delightful. Last but not least, what a great picture on your bench! I can't believe your cat hopped right up there and posed all by herself! Well, yes, I can. I know cats well!

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  61. Congratulations on being featured in the book. How exciting! I love the cushion. That saying is too darn cute.

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  62. Love your post. Love your projects. Love your humor. And I know I'll love this technique. With respect to quilting, the most generous thing for me was when my sister-in-law gave me some bits of fabric and sat me down to get me started on piecing years ago. She gave me a lifetime of quilting enjoyment.

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  63. Love the picture of Bella with the pillow. She does crack me up. I follow with Bloglovin.

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  64. Most generous? That is a hard question. Quilty-wise, I inherited my sister-in-law's stash.

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  65. I follow , hang in your coat tails via blog lovin

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  66. Very recently a fun sassy bloggy friend offered to act as a fabric Mule for me if necessary . To order it to her and then post it to me as I live a long way away . I was very touched

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  67. I follow on blog lovin...I love this pattern too.

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  68. I am trying hard to think of the most generous thing someone has done for me in my 65 years. Shortly after we moved into our home 40+ years ago my husband was laid off. We woke up one morning to find a ham on our door step. Our elderly neighbor gifted us the ham for no reason except his generous nature. We adopted him as our grandfather and were very close neighbors until the day he passed. We still miss him dearly but have very fond memories of him.
    xx, Carol

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  69. Once someone bought dinner for my daughters and I. Never knew who it was - and they did it just because.

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  70. My dad gave me a boat for my birthday one year. It was not new or expensive but it was VERY generous of him! I miss him like crazy, he was a great guy!

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  71. A friend gave me a bible because she saw mine was falling apart.

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  72. When we were moving, a couple of friends helped me organize and move my fabric stash (and that is a big job! :-) ) It took a lot of time and they never faltered.
    quiltschon@att.net

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  73. When we were moving, a couple of friends helped me organize and move my fabric stash (and that is a big job! :-) ) It took a lot of time and they never faltered.
    quiltschon@att.net

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  74. I was amused by your blog and have signed up to follow you via e-mail --- expecting to have many "grins".
    quiltschon@att.net

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  75. Great post as always Sandra. Fab that you are mentioned in the book, which looks great btw. My quilting friend Barbara is the most generous person I know, she has unlimited patience and has put my quilting needs before hers on many occasions.... she has helped me when I have stretched myself and been pulling my hair out and would have happily given up in frustration but not when Barbara is there,. True friend. Loving the Yoga pet fabric, absolutely brilliant. Hugs Sue xx

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  76. I follow you on bloglovin and IG 😁 and pretty darn enriching it is tooooo. Xx

    PS, I almost forgot and how could I forget YOUR generosity to me in helping me with my no-reply blogger issues. You crossed the ocean and helped me so much, I will never forget that. You are amazing... 😁

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  77. I follow you on bloglovin and IG 😁 and pretty darn enriching it is tooooo. Xx

    PS, I almost forgot and how could I forget YOUR generosity to me in helping me with my no-reply blogger issues. You crossed the ocean and helped me so much, I will never forget that. You are amazing... 😁

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  78. There is a reason I read your blog...you are so hilarious! Duh!! Recently I was surprised by two people who sent me surprises. My eyes lit up and it inspired me to do the same thing...make a surprise for someone who isn't expecting it!

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  79. Oh that Bella! What a ham. She sure is a photogenic one though, I have to admit. Your pillow turned out beautifully, front and back. Love the little embroidery details and those button eyes! Glad to see that using Lara's method has changed your mind about ahhhh-plique!

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  80. The most generous thing that anyone has done for me is my parents paying for my college education. cknapp3626(at)sbcglobal(dot)net

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  81. I follow your blog by email. cknapp3626(at)sbcglobal(dot)net

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  82. Hahaha! Aaaack-pplique! That is a perfect description for how I feel about this! Yours looks picture perfect. I am not sure I could do this, but I would love to try if I win! LOL

    sew4given(at)aol(dot)com

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  83. I follow via Bloglovin'. :)

    sew4given(at)aol(dot)com

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  84. There are so many kindnesses that people do for one another....but today I will mention that I have the most wonderful and supportive boss who never fails to tell me how important my contributions are in the work place and that means a lot.

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  85. I follow you on bloglovin and pretty much read every word.

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  86. Your pillow made me chuckle, so cute.

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  87. Hmmmmm.... people are always doing kind things for me its hard to say what is the kindest since kindness is given as a gift.

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  88. I am so blessed. I wish that I am worthy of all the love and kindness that I have received.
    My sister bought me my Janome for my birthday a few years ago.
    You made me the most beautiful mini quilt with OM quilted on it.
    After I "volunteered" to quilt a flimsy sandwich for my friend Zoanna (small home machine, large lap quilt) for her friend Renee who was beginning chemo, she surprised me with a large pin cushion, a handmade card and a gift card to Connecting Threads.
    One day, after a particularly long day at work, I realized that the car was almost out of gas. I had zero desire to go to the gas station. When I asked Paul, he said - just come home Silly. Relax, I will get your car all gassed up. You see I could go on and on.
    But, please do not enter me in the giveaway. I am commenting because I wanted to. And the Crafted Applique book - well, I already won it at Lorna's Sew Fresh Quilts giveaway.
    See, the universe is so kind to me.
    Hugs,
    Preeti.

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  89. One night I mentioned that my feet were sore and achey. Within minutes my husband appeared with a warm foot bath in which to soak my feet and followed that with a foot massage.
    hijoffeATgmailDOTcom

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  90. Most generous thing was a surprise birthday with decorations that encased the whole house. After arriving home from a trip, that was a lovely feeling of being loved.
    I am sooo ready to hear the magic of Lara's process. From 'aaack-pliqué' to 'ahhh-pliqué' is such a great compliment to her method.

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  91. Looks like a great technique. I'd love to give it a try. Thanks so much for sharing.

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  92. My husband has been ill and some friends came over and helped me move my heavy plants outside, my sewing machine and some other heavy stuff. That's pretty generous in my book.

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  93. I follow on BL, love the pillow.

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  94. I've been blessed with people in my life that are very generous to me, but the MOST generous act was when my older brother gave me a one acre piece of land to build my home on! I was freshly married and college had wiped out our savings. We didn't have two nickels to rub together, as they say!

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  95. How do I follow you? I get your posts emailed to me so I never miss one!

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  96. The most generous thing was when my aunt and uncle paid for a trip with my class that I wouldn't have been able to afford.

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  97. The most generous thing that has happened to me lately is that we have been staying with friends for over a week while work is being done on our boat. The schedule has been loosey-goosey, but they've been so kind to let us linger on and on and on...

    I already won this book, over on Red Letter Quilts! I'm so lucky and thrilled! I'm hoping you won't mind if I enter here for a chance at the Dog and Cat pattern? Thanks!

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  98. I've had many generous things done for me. My sister recently came to my house and steam cleaned all my carpets as a surprise. natalie.k711(at)gmail(dot)com

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  99. It's been such fun to meet new-to-me quilting bloggers as part of this hop. And I look forward to trying the new applique technique. Thanks for the giveaway opportunity.

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  100. I am not used to many gifts, so when I was given a complete FQ bundle of a new collection I was utterly surprised and grateful.

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  101. My BHE (Best husband ever) offered to drive one of my quilts 5 hours in order for it to make the deadline for entry into a quilt show - just because I was busy with long arming customer quilts! Even though his day was equally challenging that day....I've really hit the jackpot!

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  102. I follow you through Bloglovin'

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  103. Love your blog - and living not too far away on the south coast of Lake Ontario. We moved in our house a couple of years back, and the garden needed some TLC, not to mention there were rocks everywhere. I designed a garden with large edging areas to move the rocks to, so that we could actually grow flowers instead of rocks. My Mom (82) and I were moving sod, and digging . . . and the next thing we know, the neighbours with their son were out and working just as hard as we were. It made short work of a big job, and we have got to know some really lovely people - we feel blessed.

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  104. Love the blog. Would love a copy of the book because it is currently unavailable in the UK (well second hand it is nearly £37! Not sure what that is in Canadian $ but it is about $72 USD! I did at one stage see it at over £1,000! Wish I'd taken a screen shot. (I did let Lara know that is was £37.)

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  105. Ahh didn't know I could get your posts by email; I've just signed up!

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  106. oh I love your post and I've signed up to your blog by email !! can't wait to see Lara's book first hand and love your pattern. - so true !! Quilters are the most generous people and I've benefited from lots of them ! one time I needed a five inch square of fabric to finish a project and a sweet quilter sent me a whole fat quarter !! thanks so much for the fabulous giveaways :) daisyandjack@hotmail.com

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  107. I'm the youngest of 4 and the only one to follow in my dad's footsteps and become a lawyer. Without telling me my dad paid for my second semester of law school - it was an amazing and generous surprise on Christmas Day!!

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  108. I had a " pay it forward" when I stopped to get a morning biscuit. I was so touched by the generosity of someone I can never say thank you to.

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  109. thankyou for adding to the giveaway!!

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  110. Quilters are the most generous bunch with their positive advice. Whenever I have asked, on my blog, for advice, I've received it, often explained in great detail and always helpful. I have learnt so much from my online contacts; it's amazing how so many people freely share their knowledge with strangers. I am most grateful to the online quilting community: where would I be without you all?

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  111. I have read your blog so often that I was sure I already followed you. But, no, that wasn't the case! NOW I do!
    I follow you by email.

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  112. I love all the small everyday kindnesses from my BFF's.

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  113. My Mom had a quilt made for me. she said I was always "making" for everyone else, and although she was not a quilter, she wanted me to have a special quilt in my life. After many years, I still treasure it. Your dog and cat pillow is priceless! "Ain't" it the truth!!!

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  114. My aunt helped pay my college expenses. I am grateful for that everyday.

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  115. Love your photobomber kitty! The pillow is purrfect for any cat household...so true. I know just the recipient! Thanks for sharing your cushion and potholders with us.

    bluestarof2(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  116. 134 comments, unbelievable! Cool on Lara, way to go Lara! And cool you're in the book! My sister is famous LOL.
    And you get the "duh" from me LOL. Lin-DUH

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  117. I just found this blog hop this morning, but am enjoying my time checking out the blogs. Where do I find the dog & cat pillow pattern. I just love it. I have two dogs now, but had a cat for many years (she was 22 when she passed away) and I just have to make one of these.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Deborah, you are a no-reply so I do hope you check back here and find my reply. I have no way to email you. You might want to look at my post today, June 6 about how to fix no-reply blogger issues. I got that pattern several years ago in a quilt shop. It was by Bloomin' Minds #152; you can see the info in the one pic. Good luck!

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I wholeheartedly appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment, as they make my day! I answer every one by personal email. :-) Unless... you are a "no-reply" blogger, which can occur for a few reasons. You can get around that by writing out your email within your comment so that I can answer you.