do.Good blocks and zigzags

today, a few pics of the quilty things i've been up to this week... *edited to add: and a bunch of rambling down at the bottom there*

a wonky star block for an extra quilt the Heal do.Good stitches circle is pulling together for a member's co-worker who was recently diagnosed with cancer.

my two star blocks for our regularly scheduled june quilt. the first is a modified ribbon star block, and the second my own creation... it started off as an ohio star, but i had a few math problems (read: cut the same blocks four times because i thought i could make it easier. ha!) and i ended up with this. i'm currently working on a quilt design that uses a repeated 16" version of this block and hope to have a tutorial to share with you about that soon post-shorts on the line.

speaking of shorts, did you see the amazing prizes and sponsors list yesterday?? i'm pretty overwhelmed by all of the fabulous our little sewalong has received! the combined value of the prize packages totals nearly $1000! it's certainly well above what i thought we'd be able to offer and i'm super grateful for all of the sponsors (you can see all of their links over there on the sidebar as well), the bloggers that will be posting about their shorts, the guest judges, and all of you who have shared about the event!

in the midst of all of this, i'm also taking a quilting class at my favorite place, sewn studio. we're making zigzag quilts using triangles on a roll, something that i only recently discovered existed. for those of you who dislike the math portion of quilting, it's a great alternative. for me, the math part is actually one of my favorites ;) and it's a little hard for me to let go of that, so this is definitely outside of my quilting comfort zone (which, granted, isn't very big).

i've got four out of nine rows completely pieced and the other five rows are sitting in one-block sections on my ironing board waiting to be pieced together. i'm using prints from Curious Nature and Cut Out and Keep, as well as a few moda bella solids. the solid stripes are moda bella feather, which really looks great with these other colors. these pictures don't do it justice.

what else is going on, you ask? a few random things... 

• i'm working on some graphics for my friend Kara's new blog, me and elna
• i've been tweeting! i know, late to that party... but did you know that there are fun twitter chats? like talkin' tuesdays and fat quarterly's thursday chats. super fun! 
• as a result of said chats, i'll be judging a little competition between Ella of throw a wench in the works and Allegory of {sew} Allegorical for an improv mini. the whole thing was inspired by a discussion of Maureen's fabulous improv scrappy quilt. deadline is july 15, so stay tuned 
• i've received two of my handprinted fat quarters from the maze & vale swap. both lovely!! i need to take some pics and share *add to list*

and now i need to leave my somewhat cool house (a/c set to 80 degrees) to go drive in my air-conditioned car to get to my very cool (a/c set at 72 most days) work. sadly, this will involve being in the sauna formerly known as outdoors for brief moments. why must it be so hot? ok, enough carrying on about the weather.

happy friday, my friends! 

shorts on the line: sponsors, prizes!, and rules

$25 gift certificate to Fat Quarter Shop
scissors gift bag from Havel's Sewing (valued over $65)
five yards of super fly from Sis Boom
finch pattern from Clever Charlotte
$40 gift certificate from Sew Fresh Fabrics
interfacing gift bag from Pellon (valued over $50)
three signed patterns from Sew Serendipity
three patterns (winner's choice) from Petite Kids Boutique

$25 gift certificate to Fat Quarter Shop
$100 gift certificate from Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Store
notions and fabric from Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Store (valued over $100)
two patterns from Oliver + S
two yards of fabric from Pink Castle Fabrics

$25 gift certificate to Fat Quarter Shop
eight yards of fabric from Fabric Traditions
fat quarter bundle from Contemporary Cloth
banyan pattern from Figgy's
$25 gift certificate to Zip-It Zippers
three patterns (winner's choice) from Sew Sweet Patterns
three patterns from Wild Olive
precision embroidery scissors from OLFA
$20 gift certificate to Sew, Mama, Sew!
iris pattern from Colette Patterns

$25 gift certificate to Fat Quarter Shop
five yards of fabric (winner's choice) from IKEA
$25 gift certificate to Fresh-Squeezed Fabrics
three patterns (winner's choice) from Owly Baby

Rules

Okay ladies (and gents) the rules are quite simple:
1. Sew (or knit/crochet) a pair of shorts. Adult and child sizes welcome. Anything that shorter than a pant (capris, clam diggers, bloomers, swim trunks) is considered fair game.
2. Shorts must have been completed during the sewalong: July 1-26, 2012. (It's okay if you started early, but they must have been sewn for the contest and finished during the sewalong.)
3. Upcycling and refashion are encouraged, but simply chopping off a pair of jeans won't win you any fabulous prizes.
4. Enter to win by submitting no more than three pictures to the flickr group. Be sure to add a description (links to blog posts are okay), the more we know about what you did the easier it will be for us to be impressed!

Judging Criteria

All entries will be judged on the following criteria:
1. Craftsmanship: high quality construction, nice finishing
2. Creativity: design, fabric choice, unique style
3. Wearablity: functional, well-fitting
4. Presentation: nice photos, cute styling

Sponsors

Our fabulous and amazing sponsors are, well, amazing!!

Clever Charlotte

Colette Patterns

Contemporary Cloth

Fabric Traditions

Fat Quarter Shop

Figgy's

Fresh-Squeezed Fabrics

Havel's Sewing

IKEA

Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores

OLFA

Oliver + S

Owly Baby

Pellon

Petite Kids Boutique

Pink Castle Fabrics

Sew Fresh Fabrics

Sew, Mama, Sew!

Sew Serendipity (Kay Whitt)

Sew Sweet Patterns

Sis Boom (Jennifer Paganelli)

Wild Olive

Zip-It Zippers

and there you have it, folks! i can hardly believe all of the fabulous prizes, sponsors, guest bloggers, and judges lined up for this event!! and it's even harder to believe that july is next week... eek. i'd better get started on my shorts ;)

june featured sponsor: Contemporary Cloth (and a giveaway! *now closed*)

Contemporary Cloth carries bold modern, organic, hand screen printed/dyed/batiked textiles, and Yuwa Japanese fabrics to add a unique touch to your creations.

and today, the lovely Sondra of Contemporary Cloth is offering a lucky reader three yards of Cloud 9 Organic Cotton Flannel!! (choice of grass, sky, shell or white) i first used this flannel when i made pajamas for my girls last fall, and i can tell you that it is fabulous. (giveaway details below)

what's coming soon to Contemporary Cloth? Cloud 9 Sympatico, many more Yuwa Japanese fabrics, and they'll be adding fat quarter packs, Marimekko remnant packs + hand screen printed textiles soon. i'm pretty excited about new Yuwa myself... *and* here's a little bonus for my lovely readers! use code "ThanksRachael" to receive 20% off your order now through june 30th!! 

if you'd like to know when new fabrics arrive, you can sign up for the Contemporary Cloth newsletter on the main page of the shop. just look for the "our newsletter" button or click the newsletter link below.

find Contemporary Cloth here: shop / blog / newsletter / facebook / pinterest / twitter

the all-important "how to win" details:

this giveaway is open to everyone. if you are a "no reply" or anonymous commenter, include your email address in your comment so that i can contact you if you win.

giveaway closes june 30 at 8pm EST. the winning name will be drawn randomly and announced july 1, here on the blog and via email.

to enter, simply leave a comment (any comment!) on this post. want a little inspiration? hmmm... me too! feeling a little low on it this morning ;) how about your favorite breakfast food? i'd for sure like to know what that is.

if you'd like to up your chances to win (and who wouldn't, right?)... here are *four* things you can do to gain a bonus entry!! for any that you choose to do, just leave an additional comment telling me that you've done so.

1. follow Contemporary Cloth on facebook
2. follow Contemporary Cloth on twitter
3. follow imagine gnats on twitter
4. bonus entry for tweeting about the giveaway!

good luck!!

*thanks to everyone who entered! the giveaway is now closed*

shabby apple giveaway! *now closed*

today i'm happy to be offering one lucky reader a Shabby Apple $50 gift card!! that's right... $50 to spend however you want. might i make a few suggestions??

and the lovely Shabby Apple folks didn't want to leave anyone out on at least a simple deal, so for the next month you can use the code "imaginegnats10off" to receive 10% off any Shabby Apple purchase.

how to enter:

1. "like" Shabby Apple on facebook and leave a comment here telling me you've done so (required).
2. visit the Shabby Apple site and leave a second comment telling me what your favorite item is (optional).
3. bonus entry for imagine gnats facebook fans... just leave a third comment letting me know you're a fan (optional).

if you are a "no reply" or anonymous commenter, include your email address in your comment so that i can contact you if you win. giveaway closes june 29 at 8pm EST. the winner will be drawn randomly and announced june 30, here on the blog and via email. *at Shabby Apple's request, this contest is open to US residents only*

and there are some winners from the june sponsors group giveaway to announce as well... *insert drum roll here*

the winner of the ombre dots fat quarter bundle from Fat Quarter Shop is #114, Tamie!

the winner of the tramp(online) bag from casa crafty is #463, Lisa Cox!

the winner of the fabrics from Contemporary Cloth is #146, Ana!

and the winner of the lotta scrap bag from Sew Well Maide is #94, Sara!

congrats to these winners and good luck in today's giveaway!

*thanks to everyone who entered! the giveaway is now closed*

handprinted: a fabric swap II

for this round of the handprinted fabric swap from maze & vale, i took inspiration from this pin i repinned from Lucinda, who always seems to have great things on her boards. Teri from giddy giddy made this super adorable dress for her little girl with some freezer paper stenciled fabric and the circles just spoke to me (also, her blog is lovely and you should check it out!).

i did three rounds of stencil-making and painting, and here's what i ended up with:

rounds one (gray) and two (orange) went very well. round three (hot pink) wasn't so successful at first. the print on the bottom left was the first of that round and i was really unhappy with what i had hoped to look like the corner of a very large pink circle on the top (that line was originally much thinner). so i took a little break and thought on the matter.

last night while we were watching tv, Nick mentioned that he thought the smaller dots looked like lava lamps. for some reason, this one comment made me realize what needed to be fixed about that last layer. so today, i finished up the rest of them (and also "fixed up" the first one) with a little lava lamp inspiration.

here are a few more detail shots of the prints:

and all together:

today they'll be headed out in the mail. and i can't wait to see (and show you) what i get in return!!

an evening hike (and a winner)

last night, we took the girls to Rowe Woods, part of the Cincinnati Nature Center, for a picnic and hike. the picnic portion of things went well, and we opted for the under a mile "easy" hike as it was getting late and we were figuring that anything longer would likely not end well. pessimists? maybe. but let's face it, children can be unpredictable. or perhaps more accurately, predictably cranky. hmm... either way, our hike began with smiles. and misplaced bunny ears.

among the flora, fauna, and geese, i managed to get some lovely shots of the kidlets. i just want to squeeze them (in a good way) when they're this darned adorable.

and i could barely believe it when they were still smiling and lovely at the end of the hike. success!! also, i believe this last pic is my current "fave pic of my girls ever"... i love that this one shot sums up their personalities perfectly.

today has been pretty low-key so far. i'm nearly finished with my handprinted fat quarters for the maze & vale handprinted fabric swap (just in time as they're due in the mail by tomorrow) and hope to have some pics for you soon.

and there's a winner to announce!! the winner of the ombre dots bundle from FQS is lucky #54 (and a long-time fan of imagine gnats), Kara-Kara Pumpkineater of me and elna, who said, "Of course I follow FQS on the 'book!" in a separate comment, she noted "Humm... maybe I'd make an apron with dots. An appropriately named apron, at that. :)" i suspect that ms. Kara is referring to one artisan apron ;) i, of course, support that idea! congrats, Kara, and i'll be emailing you :)

the Butlers come to visit

yesterday was a pretty great day. as if my job couldn't be any more awesome and i couldn't love sewn studio any more, Amy Butler & David Butler dropped by for a visit!! David's band, Black Owls, was playing in town (sadly not until midnight and it turns out i'm not *that* cool, being in bed way before that and all) so they hung out with us for a few hours before the show.

to prep, we cut fat quarter bundles of all things Butler and set up books for signing. Amy & David brought lots of items from quilt market with them, including Cameo strike-offs and this amazing Curious Nature quilt.

for those of you wondering, Cameo is due to ship in august... and did you know that David's next collection, Seven Wonders, is due out soon as well?? it's designed to work alongside Curious Nature and includes some warmer ochre and brown tones (or so i'm told). can't wait to see that as well!!

we took a few pics with the staff before opening up the event. i was pretty excited that i managed to stitch up an anna tunic yesterday morning just for the event (i know, dork alert)... although i suspect my posing needs some work. i mean, it can't be the shirt's fault that i look like that, right?? i used the buttercup moire print from Lilly Belle, which we just got in at the shop this week. for some reason, the second i saw that bolt i just knew that some if it needed to be a shirt for me.

after we opened the doors, the shopping, signing, and fun commenced!!

some lovely friends stopped by as well... Kara from me and elna (above in the Butler sandwich!) and Heather from olive & ollie (below with the Butlers and me pretending i'm famous).

all in all, it was a superfabulousgreat night. it was really awesome to meet Amy & David... they really are both so lovely!! and i might have even gotten a few things signed :) 

now on to the weekend... i have a date with my sewing machine.

june sponsors group giveaway *now closed*

it's time for the june sponsor group giveaway... and this month, there are four fabulous giveaway prizes for you to win! without further ado, here are the prizes my fab sponsors are offering:

The Fat Quarter Shop was founded in 2003 by Kimberly Jolly. An avid quilter, Kimberly began her shop as a side business while still working a corporate position, cutting, packing and shipping right out of her house during evenings and weekends. From the very beginning, she was committed to delivering top-notch service for every single order and customer. As the Fat Quarter Shop's reputation grew, Kimberly decided to make it a full-time operation. Her husband Kevin joined her not long after, and with his help, lots of hard work, and a tireless commitment, the store began to grow. The Fat Quarter Shop continues to branch out with the best fabrics, exclusive kits, quilt clubs, BOMs, and more. And we will always be driven by the passion that Kimberly founded the store upon, which is always giving you the best products and service!

find Fat Quarter Shop here: shop / blog / facebook / pinterest / twitter

Hi, I am Kelley. I am a mom to two beautiful boys and between all my crafting and cooking and housecleaning, I am a keeper of goats and chickens! I learned to sew when I was very young and HATED it. But as I started my own family and built a home, I discovered that I loved it… Now, it is the main feature of my day. On my blog, I share all that I make and the daily trials of being a busy stay-at-home mom that never gets to stay home… and I have a little etsy shop where I sell accessories made from laminated cottons.

find Casa Crafty here: blog / etsy / facebook / pinterest / flickr

Welcome to Contemporary Cloth! We carry bold modern, organic, hand screen printed/dyed/batiked textiles and Yuwa Japanese fabrics. Several Fiber Artists are on our website also, and their original fabrics add a unique touch to your creations. Our fabrics are waiting for you to use them in any of your sewing adventures! Stop in!

find Contemporary Cloth here: shop / blog / newsletter / facebook / pinterest / twitter

Sew Well Maide is the quilt and accessories design and construction face of Karen Pior. Quilts are my passion. I spend my days designing, constructing and daydreaming about them. My children cuddle up and snuggle into them. I hope you find something in my designs that can envelope your family in the warmth, softness and security that only a lovingly handmade quilt can provide.

find Sew Well Maide here: blog / etsy / craftsy / facebook / twitter / flickr / pinterest

the all-important "how to win" details:

this giveaway is open to everyone. if you are a "no reply" or anonymous commenter, include your email address in your comment so that i can contact you if you win.

giveaway closes june 25 at 8pm EST. the four winning names will be drawn randomly and announced june 26, here on the blog and via email.

to enter, simply leave a comment (any comment!) on this post. want a little inspiration? i'd love to hear what your favorite summer tradition is!

if you'd like to up your chances to win (and who wouldn't, right?)... here are *nine* things you can do to gain a bonus entry!! for any that you choose to do, just leave an additional comment telling me that you've done so.

1. follow Fat Quarter Shop on facebook
2. follow Casa Crafty on facebook
3. follow Contemporary Cloth on facebook
4. follow Sew Well Maide on facebook
5. follow the Jolly Jabber blog
6. follow the Casa Crafty blog
7. follow the Contemporary Cloth blog
8. follow the Sew Well Maide blog
9. bonus entry for imagine gnats facebook followers!

good luck!!

*thanks to all who entered! the giveaway is now closed.*