Mason Jar Cover Tutorial - A Gift for You For My Blog's 9th Anniversary

Happy anniversary to mmmquilts!

I cannot believe: A. That my first post on this blog was nine years ago, September 18, 2013, at the beginning of my second year of retirement, and B. that I've been retired from the teaching profession for ten years! (C. and that I'm now 62 - egad, feel more like 42.) Thank you for finding me, and reading my posts, for coming back, again and again, for following me however you follow me, for participating in blog activities, and for taking time to write such kind and wonderful comments over the years. I've met so many good people, many of whom I consider good friends, several of whom I've met up with in person, many with whom I've shared email letters, FaceTimed, texted, all wonderful ways to connect with other humans. 

Sidenote, in true SandraJaneQuilts, aka mmmquilts, fashion, I want to let you know that we have Nasir Ahmed to thank for the technology that has allowed us to FaceTime, Zoom and other video-calling apps, as well as given us high-def TV. Yes, I learned about his work on an episode I recently watched in Season 5 of This Is Us. 😊 I have been making sure to tell people his name whenever I get the chance.

So I have two gifts for you, dear readers, today. The first is a tutorial for the Mason jar holder that could even be a pencil/tools/makeup pencils and mascara, etc. holder. The second is for my readers, a discount code for 25% off patterns in my Etsy shop, SandraJaneQuilts. Thank you for your ongoing support of my blog activities and of my Etsy shop! I won't be advertising this on Instagram, just here on the blog, for you! Aaaand, I may have another small surprise up my sleeve later this week just for my followers.

Without further ado, here is an easy little project that can use up a few more of those pesky pervasive strips! It came about because of a request from my daughter, Dayna, who uses a Mason jar for her morning smoothie. It sweats, and even with a coaster underneath, the sides are still wet, so she asked if I could make some sort of coffee cozy-type affair with a built-in coaster. No problem! 

Here it is in use at Dayna's.

Happy 5th Blog-iversary mmm! quilts

Five years ago today, after waffling for months, I finally wrote a blog post and published it. I still recall that vulnerable feeling of having sent something out into the world, where any and all eyes could see it... However, I have never yet not learned, not grown from facing a fear, so that was partly why I decided to just jump into the Quilting Blogland pool... and found the water warm and welcoming indeed. Here's the quilt I was working on at the time of that first post, still one of my all-time favourite makes:

Seaside Rose

I think five years is rather auspicious, so I decided to celebrate in fine form this year, with a blog post that has five sections of five points each:

• Five Favourite Quilting Tips
• Five Favourite Blogging Tips
• Five most popular/favourite Blog Posts
• Five Favourite QBL Activities
• Five Prizes Giveaway

Sounds like fun? Come on in and let's party!

Happy Second Anniversary mmm quilts! Giveaway!

Flash back to September 18, 2013.  I'd already had a dummy blog set up since the Spring of that year.  It took me six months to get up the nerve to publish that first post.  Funny, the subject of that post, Seaside Rose, took 8 years from start to finish, and just this past Tuesday at our guild meeting, as a member of the new executive, it was my quilt for "My Favourite Quilt" we had to show.

The first heavily quilted quilt I did on Avril, my longarm