Summertime Roses Tote Bag & the Quilty Orphan Adoption Event Winner

Awhile back, I had a spell of being drawn to green fabrics from the Kaffe Fassett Collective.  Do you have that happen, where your eye starts being attracted to a certain color?  Where it might not even be your favorite color, but for some reason, you start liking it everywhere you see it?   

Anyway, that green fabric magnetism sure came in handy when I wanted to make a surprise for a friend who needed encouragement.  I had decided on making a bag to hold some goodies, when I learned that her favorite color is green and that she loves roses and summertime.  From there, it was sort of a no brainer: 

Summertime Roses Tote Bag

Strip piecing and pressing the fabrics.

Choosing the right colors of Kona cotton to use for trims, footer and lining.

Pockets made from leftover strip piecing.

A simple box pleated bottom

I used fusible fleece as the bag interlining and it does somewhat keep its shape.  Since I made this bag, I learned about a really neat product from Daryl, of Patchouli Moon Studios.  Daryl makes amazing bags, of every kind.  She clued me into ByAnnie's Soft and Stable, a thick lining that really holds a bag's shape and is very squishable, but bounces right back.  So I can't wait to try that out the next time I make a bag.  

I used a white, ropy curtain tie-back as the handle.  Found it at JoAnn's.

 

Summertime Roses - love those Kaffe / Jacobs / Mably fabrics!

 

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Quilty Orphan Adoption Event and the Giveaway Winner

Many thanks to Cynthia at Quilting is More Fun Than Housework!  The event is a wonderful new idea she had and I hope when Cyndy holds the next linky party in the spring, that many more people will be ready to take part.  

I've held giveaways a few times where I asked commenters to tell me about their favorite charity quilting causes.  It really makes you more aware of how many wonderful, giving and caring people inhabit Quilty Blogland!  Life is a lot brighter for so many people because of the good you all do!      

Well of course you all are winners in my book!  So I'm very glad I can use Random.org's random integer generator to choose the winner of the Rainbow Zoo Quilt Kit giveaway prize.  Otherwise, I'd never be able to decide.  

Without further ado, here is the screenshot of the winning number:

   
That's you Cecilia!  I've just sent the email off to you and also wanted to say that it was very nice to meet you during this giveaway!

Cecilia wrote:

Cecilia 9/18/15, 9:35 AM                            33

I like to make quilts for Project Linus and also for the NICU at our local hospital. I enjoy making quilts for the children. Thanks for giving away such a great kit.

Cecilia 9/18/15, 9:36 AM                            34

I'm a new follower via email.

Cecilia 9/18/15, 9:36 AM                            35

I've also visited the other blogs. :-)   


A great big Thank You to everyone who commented!  I actually made it through them all, replying and reciprocating LOL, which is a miracle this week.  
Thanks for visiting, because....

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If you are also a blogger, she is highly likely to follow you home!

Quilt Kit Giveaway!, Ad Hoc Improv Quilters, & A Fun, New Linky Party!

I'll talk about the Rainbow Zoo quilt kit giveaway, which is part of the Quilty Orphan Adoption Event, in a few moments...

Rainbow Zoo by Amy Blay

But first, there are some other fun things to share too!  

Ad Hoc Improv Quilters

There is something very exciting going on right now in Quilt Blogland!  It's nothing less than a chance to stretch your wings, exercise your creativity, perhaps be a little daring, and see where it might take you.  

What am I referring to?  Kaja, of Sew Slowly and Ann, of Fret Not Yourself have put their combined talents together and begun the Ad Hoc Improv Quilters group!  They'll be hosting it together, using both of their blogs as classrooms.  Everyone is welcome, at any time, even if you don't know the first thing about improvisational quilting.  Ann and Kaja will be our guides along the way.  

I've been joyfully watching these two wonderfully talented women create their own brand of magic for over a year now, so when they began this group, I was thrilled!  

And so the adventure began... 

One of the first things Kaja recommended was to pick a shape and simply play with it.  So I did.  I picked wedges.  Then Ann talked about breaking up columns and that actually made me decide to try my wedges in a defined column, which i thought I might break up later.  This weekend, I took the Eclectic Elements fat quarter bundle off the shelf, blew the dust off, added in some scraps and set to work.  (Do you have trouble taking apart bundled collections and actually using them, instead of just admiring their pretty selves on the shelves?  I do.)  

I chose part of a beloved poem as inspiration.  It has influenced what I've done with the piecing so far and I hope that it continues to do so. 

Ha, ha, this isn't how I meant it, but that could be the Scrappy Quilter's Credo.  Soma, if you read this I know you will recognize the lines from Sense and Sensibility. Any other Jane Austen fans out there?   In the movie adaptation, Alan Rickman read these words with such deep feeling that I doubt I'll ever be the same. 

Back to the experiment:  Without intention, my random wedges began to take the form of a tree trunk as I sewed, so I went with the flow.  Who knows where this is going to take me for the quilt, but it sure was fun!

I showed my husband Jim and asked him if he thought it looked like a tree trunk and he said "Sorry; I'm just not seeing it."  ...  :O ...?  Nope, he was not being facetious.      

Here it is, on the design wall, next to my blocks from Deana's wonderful Americana Quilt Along:

Improvisational Wedges grew into a tree

This next photo is a visual aid for poor Jim.  heh heh heh

If only that tree was wearing a red striped shirt.
Photo background from rgbstock by micromoth

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Coming soon to a fabulous blog near you!

A New Linky Party!  Starting Thursday, October 1st

Starting on October 1st, there will be a new linky party on Thursdays, hosted by Zenia, of A Quilted Passion.   If this party is anywhere near as fun as Zenia is, it will be a ball!  Just the name cracks me up.  I hope to see you all there on Thursdays!

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Quilty Orphan Adoption

This post is all about sharing fun events and Cyndy's Quilty Orphan Adoption Event is no exception.  It runs from October 18th through the 20th on Cyndy's blog Quilting is More Fun Than Housework.  

Too many quilts, too little time?  This is a great linky party for all of us who would like to give away a quilt project that we're no longer jazzed about, but which someone else would love to take over.  So grab this chance to rid yourself of guilty, quilty dust collectors and make someone else happy at the same time!  Be sure to visit all the linkers because this is also a great place to pick up a new project too.  

Rainbow Zoo Quilt Kit Giveaway

I'm starting my giveaway today.  How would you like a chance to win the makings for a fun baby quilt, from the pattern, to the fabrics?  

The pattern is called Surprise!  Some people call it a peekaboo quilt, but no matter the name, little children love them.  

There are probably enough fabrics for a pieced quilt backing and binding included in this bunch too.  The fabrics are from the Rainbow Zoo collection, by Amy Blay.  You could, of course, use the fabrics in any way you please.

I bought them all when I saw the most adorable quilt made by YC Quilter, on The Quilting Board.  The photos below are of her finished quilt, used with her permission.  She did a wonderful job with her Surprise quilt and she tells me it is still much loved.  

Rainbow Zoo Surprise! Quilt by YC Quilter

Rainbow Zoo Surprise! Quilt by YC Quilter -
I've even included the fabric for the Children of the World square

Rainbow Zoo Surprise! Quilt by YC Quilter - close up of the sweet border

I'd like to give the kit away as a boost to someone who has done charity quilting.  This particular quilt does not have to be sewn for charity though.     

 I'm starting my giveaway today and running it for one week.  I will announce the winner on Thursday the 24th.  Shipping is free and international friends are welcome to enter too!  The winner will be picked using a random number generator.  Please forgive me if I am unable to reply and reciprocate to all the comments.  Sometimes I just can't keep up with giveaways.

To enter the giveaway here's what you need to do:

1st Chance: Leave a comment below and tell me about a charity quilting cause dear to your heart that you have sewn for.  

2nd Chance: If you follow BuzzinBumble, you get a second chance in the drawing.  Just leave a second comment and tell me how you follow my blog.  

3rd Chance: You can earn a third chance in the drawing by visiting Kaja's, or Ann's, or Zenia's, or Cyndy's blogs (any or all) and leaving them some comment love.  If you did that, just leave a third comment here on BuzzinBumble, letting me know about it.   If you have not visited their blogs before, you are in for a treat! 

That is up to 3 separate comments and 3 chances to win!  Good luck!  

PLEASE remember, if you are a new visitor and have a yahoo or AOL email address, or if you are a no-reply commenter, I will probably not be able to contact you. If I am unable to contact you before the drawing, you will miss the chance to win.  :(  If in doubt, please leave your email in the comment.  Or check back, because I will let you know below your comment if I cannot reach you.    

This was a long post, but thanks for bearing with me because...

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