Happy Saturday Giveaway

Happy Saturday, I am late in posting today, but actually I have been rather busy with Community works today seeing as The Man In Motion, Rick Hansen is coming into town tomorrow and our Lions Club will be presenting a sizeable donation from our small but very active club.
I also have a patient whom I care for part-time when the regular caregivers are unable to take a shift, so I did a short shift this afternoon and it felt so very good to see her once again and spend the afternoon, and when I am there I always have a hand sewing project to work on when I have nothing left to do, so, today the Hexagons I am working on cane out to play with me.  My quilt top is steadily growing albeit slowly as I did not do as much as I thought I would do when I was in Holland.  Here you can see it is growing but like I said not as large as I had hoped only 35 flowers so far. 

Sew - how are your hexies growing, I would love to hear about your hexies or any other hand sewing take-along project your working on.
To this end, please send me a comment on what your working on and how it is progressing, and in return there is a giveaway attached to this request.
Please leave your comment but remember to include your e-mail address so that I may contact you for your snail mail address.  My little giveaway consists of a set of Seat Belt Covers made by yours truly, and a book titled 1003 Great Things About Friends, which I hope someone may want to own?

Isn't the fabric wonderful?  Lined with Dove Gray Corduroy

Don't be shy, join in you may end up being the lucky winner...

I really thank you for stopping by my Blog this evening and I sincerely hope you have a wonderful Saturday, remember like the famous quote from the Forest Gump movie, "Mamma always said "Life is like a box of chocolates, You never know what your gonna get"....... And we all know Mamma's are usually always right, so make time for yourself and enjoy one of lifes chocolates!

13 Sleeps before I finally get myself on that airplane!   I do not understand just where yesterday went, certainly I accomplished much of the "to do before I leave" list. 
I remembered to take check on the hand project I will be working on whilst away, you know those times where there is a lull in activities (hopefully not too many lulls). 
When I discovered my paper pieces had dwindled I decided then and there I had better print more.  I printed off 30 8.5 X 11 sheets of these little jewels.  After the whirlwind day of cleaning the entire top floor where I more or less live for the better part of any given day I decided to give this body an early night of relaxation.  Out came the scissors and the sheets I had printed off earlier and the cutting up began. While all of this cutting was taking place I listened rather than saw many of my favorite television programs.  
Lately, I have maneuvered away from "Law & Order" or "CSI" and even "Criminal Minds" shows to the Food Network and this season of programming has brought "Top Chef", "Chopped" "The Great Food Truck Race" and then the Canadian Food Network shows too, like "Top Chef Canada" and another one with Gordon Ramsey "Master Chef", I sort of lost interest in "Hell's Kitchen" it was nothing but yelling and words used I would rather not hear during my evening of viewing pleasure!  Anyhow, I think you get the picture.  So while watching some of my favorites last night this pile is what I managed to accomplish!  Not bad, eh???

 I still have about 13 pages to cut up, but this was a good start, enough so that I will have no interruptions in my carry along project. 

I have also been slicing my way through many of my fabrics.  So far I have a box filled with strips which, if time permits before I leave I can then cut into 2.5 squares and have all ready to grab and sew.  The only thing I cannot do for my flight is to load up my usual 10 needles with thread to make the progression in sewing smoother.  This time, on the flight over I will just have to rethread each time I run out.    Oh well, hopefully the flight won't be a bumpy one. 
Here is what my project looks like to date.  I confess I haven't devoted much time to it these past few weeks and though I have missed my pleasant evening hand sewing time I was just too exhausted to even consider picking them up.  

In total I have 26 flowers and all surrounded with the white background.  They are colorful wouldn't you agree?
Thats all for today folks.  Do stop by and leave a comment, I would like to get to know those of you who take the time to come and visit.  While it is true this blog isn't strictly about the "Q" in QUILTING, it is as I state in my title  "A Quilter's Sandwich And Everything Inbetween", so drop a comment by introducing yourselves, it is always great to know the names of those your having a conversation with.
No matter where in this wide and wonderful world your living in have yourself a perfectly wonderful day today.  

Yikes It's Friday, Again!

Darn if it isn't Friday again, already a week since I bought the new computer , I cannot believe that this week is coming to a close and while I have been extremely busy I really don't have much to show for all my being so preoccupied with other things not quilt related other than very late in the evenings when my whirling topsy turvy day ends, I get to relax and now habitually I pick up the makings of my hexies.   The size of my hexagons are 1.5" and I am enjoying the process very much.   So far I have only 300+ done.
  When I first began making these I thought I might need 1,000 but now I am thinking possibly 1,500 to 2,000 might be a better number to shoot for, afterall these are very tiny.  Seeing as I have no definitive plan in mind for these little beauties, I can make as many or as little as I choose, but, I really think that I could challenge myself if I make a huge amount and then go for something nice and large to accomodate all of the fabric colors and textures.  
While I have you thinking about hexagons, take a look at the Worlds Biggest Hexagon Quilt.  Thats right,  the BIGGEST in the world, according to the Guiness World Book of Records, it is official.  This was such an interesting project event and if you have not read about it, you might be interested in reading all about it here. 
Once the exhibition was closed this BIG quilt was cut into 115 smaller quilt segments of various sizes which  were to be bound and when that process was finished these were to be presented to various organizations. 
I have continued to pare down my scraps and slowly but surely these are being reduced in their bulk to ziplock baggies all labeled with the various sizes, and I have also begun to roll strips of various sizes to make my own jelly rolls.  Once this entire scrap organization is finished for the piles I currently have on the go, it will be time to go and visit Quiltville, Bonnie Hunters site and chose some of her fantastic patterns to use them up.  Ahhh gee, really I go and visit a lot and there are so many of Bonnie's patterns and techniques that hold my interest and teach me something new I didn't know before learning it from Bonnie.  
Once upon a long time ago I was interested in "Traditional" type quilt patterns like the  

Double Wedding Ring or, 

or the Traditional Log Cabin

however as I progress my learning and understanding of the history of quiltmaking, I begin to think otherwise and Bonnie Hunter helps me to see the possibilities.

I recently discovered a fantastic web-site bearing the title Quilt Patterns Through Time which will indicate where some best loved and well known quilters/authors believe many of the patterns emerged from in History. 

This web-site Womenfolk.com is full of information to the student of quilts, quilting techniques, patterns, color, designs, etc. that if you have never visited this site, believe me it is well worth the visit, it will take a very long time to explore the whole site  and time and time again go back and continue to be amazed at the information in those pages. 
AND IF you really enjoy the historical, then you might also enjoy this web site, the NY FASHION CENTER where the history of Fabric and Textiles is laid out so well for the reader.  

While clearing up the fabric cupboard I discovered some 
old texts given to me an aunt who on learning that I had become pregnant thought I might like to learn how to sew garments and save money at the same time, these were published 1973, and spoke only to the subject of sewing/needlework and no mention in either of these texts of quilting.  

I do remember at that time in my life I really knew very little of the Art of quilting or of quilts other than my paternal grandmother made quilts as necessary bed linens for her large and burgeoning family. Had I grown up near to her I am certain I would have been taught this art form even though I know she would have called this a necessity and not considered it to be a hobby or even an art form.
Don't forget to stop by and visit at The Quilting Gallery - and cast your vote for your favorite Scrap Quilt in the Scrappy Quilt Contest going on this week.  Voting is open today until Sunday - hurry on over and vote for the quilt you like best.
Now I still have some reports and items to put together for my International Lions Convention in Ottawa this weekend and still find a little time to get in more cleaning.
THANK you for taking the time to visit today, have yourself a wonderful Friday, and if you leave a comment I will be sure to respond using the comments section of my blog for you to see.  REMEMBER I still have the PAY IT FORWARD GAME GIVEAWAY on the go, National Pay it Forward Day happens to be on April 28th this year.