Zelda's Fancy Hat: A Sponsor Giveaway

'Tis now the very witching time of night,
When churchyards yawn and hell itself breathes out
Contagion to this world.
–William Shakespeare

My sweet friend Wanda has been organizing her stash. Every once in a while she'll send me a few things from it. It has been heaven! Even though I'd like to use every bit of what she's sent me, I am only one little girl with only so much time available for crafty things. So, I thought I'd share the love with a {sponsored} giveaway.

Halloween is almost upon us and it is, I think, my favorite holiday. I thought this pattern for {one} Zelda's Fancy Hat pattern by Crabapple Hill Designs and {four} fat eighths {all washed, starched and pressed} to get you started, would be lots of fun. The pattern makes the most adorable Life Size Crazy Quilted Witch's Hat 'Pillow.' I love this pattern {and I'm having second thoughts about giving it away. Maybe you shouldn't enter so I can keep it}!

Supply List: {for reference only, not included in the giveaway}
11 fat eighths {9" x 15"} of black fabric
½ yard muslin {for stitchery backing}
White Saral transfer paper
White Prismacolor pencil
2 yards of ribbon or tulle for hat band
#7 or #8 embroidery needle
Embroidery Hoop
Sewing thread
Freezer paper
Stuffing
Embriodery Floss {calls for Weeks Dye Works, but a converstion chart for DMC is available}

As with all of my giveaways, non-blogging and international entrants are welcome. If you do not have a Google account, use the name/url or anonymous commenting options and make sure you leave me a way to contact you if you win.

To enter, leave a comment telling me your favorite holiday.

The giveaway will close at 10:00 pm {MDST} on October 8. The winner will be announced by noon on October 9.

You might also like to enter my other giveaways:
• Guy and Eva Earring Giveaway {closed; congratulations to the winner, Cynthia L.}
• Cutting with the Go! Giveaway {closed; congratulations to the winners, Marcia and Deb}

My Twilight Quilt: Edward's Diamond Heart

You are the only one who has ever touched my heart. It will always be yours. –Edward Cullen, Eclipse, page 195

[Edward] pulled my left wrist away from my leg, and touched the silver bracelet for just a moment. Then he gave me my arm back.

I examined it cautiously. On the opposite side of the chain from the wolf, there now hung a brilliant heart-shaped crystal. It was cut in a million facets, so that even in the subdued light shining from the lamp, it sparkled. I inhaled a low gasp.

“It was my mother’s.” He shrugged deprecatingly. “I inherited quite a few baubles like this. I’ve given some to Esme and Alice both. So, clearly, this is not a big deal in any way.”

I smiled ruefully at his assurance.

“But I thought it was a good representation,” he continued. “It’s hard and cold.” He laughed. “And it throws rainbows in the sunlight.”

“You forgot the most important similarity,” I murmured. “It’s beautiful.”

“My heart is just as silent,” he mused. “And it, too, is yours.”

I twisted my wrist so the heart would glimmer. “Thank you. For both.” –Bella Swan and Edward Cullen, Eclipse, page 438–439

In Eclipse, Jacob gives Bella a charm bracelet with a little wolf charm he's carved himself. Edward, wanting to be represented also, adds a heart-shaped 'crystal.' So, I thought Edward's heart should be represented in my Twilight quilt.

I've been following Cat's Twilight Mystery Block of the Month, although I'm a little behind. I just finished up the May blocks. I decided to do all of her beginner's blocks {which were new designs specifically for the BOM} and put them together in a wall hanging {you can see my May beginner's block here}. Some of her designs for the advanced blocks have been around for a while and I incorporated them into my quilt layout {which went through several different revisions before I finally settled on this one}. Others were new for the BOM, so I decided that I'd do her advanced blocks during their months in the BOM if they were in my layout {and if I hadn't done them already } or if I had already chosen {or made} another pattern, then I would do that instead. Edward's diamond heart is one that I'd already spent a bit of time tweaking a pattern so that it was just right for my quilt before Cat did her design.

I used Shae Merritt's Legend of Zelda Heart Container pattern as a starting point for my block. I enlarged it, drew in lines to create facets and then placed a full, flat heart on top similar to a heart-shaped cut diamond. I did the paper piecing first, completing the entire block before appliquéing the heart in the center. Behind the appliqué, I cut away the center of the block where the seams intersected to eliminate bulk. I used three different sparkly fabrics; white with sliver glitter, white with iridescent glitter and grey with silver glitter {Platinum Fairy Frost}. And the background is my trusty Civil War reproduction fabric {which always makes me think of Jasper} that will be used throughout the quilt.

Here is my layout, with one more block filled in .

Guy and Eva: A Sponsor Giveaway

Jewelry takes people's minds off your wrinkles. –Sonja Henie


I am so excited to announce a really great giveaway for a pretty bit of bling. And who doesn't need a little bit of bling, right? JaiCi at Just JaiCi's Crafts sent me two pretty pairs of earrings, one for me and one to give away. The only trouble is, I can't decide which pair I like best, so I'm leaving it up to the winner of this giveaway. You'll receive your choice of either these pretty pressed gunmetal earrings:

or these delicate sparkly silver beads:

As with all of my giveaways, non-blogging and international entrants are welcome. If you do not have a Google account, use the name/url or anonymous commenting options and make sure you leave me a way to contact you if you win.

You have three opportunities to enter. Please leave a separate comment for each entry.
1. Leave a comment telling me which earrings you'd like if you win.
2. Become a follower at JaiCi's blog and then leave a comment telling me you did.
3. Check out the Guy and Eva catalog and then come back and tell me what your favorite piece of jewelry is.

For anyone who would like to book a party {in-home or catalog}, JaiCi is also offering a jewelry credit for free piece of jewelry from her in stock merchandise {in addition to all the great free merchandise and discounts you get from hosting a party} if you mention that you saw her giveaway on my blog. You can contact her via e-mail and she'll give you all the details.

The giveaway closes on October 6th at 10:00 pm MDST. The winner will be announced by noon on October 7th.

You might like to check out my other giveaways:
• Zelda's Fancy Hat Giveaway {closed; congratulations to the winner, JaiCi}
• Cutting with the Go! Giveaway {closed; congratulations to the winners, Marcia and Deb}

Cat's Twilight Block of the Month: Block 4

He ... touched the silver bracelet for just a moment. ... On [it] there now hung a brilliant heart-shaped crystal.

"... I thought it was a good representation. ... It's hard and cold." He laughed. "And it throws rainbows in the sunlight."

"You forgot the most important similarity," I murmured. "It's beautiful."

"My heart is just as silent," he mused. "And it, too, is yours."

–Bella Swan and Edward Cullen, Eclipse, pages 438-439


I have my May beginner's block done. Both the beginner's and the advanced blocks are representations of the crystal {that we all know is really a 5-carat diamond. Well, all us us except for Bella, who wouldn't let Edward give her something that extravagant . She's a little ridiculous sometimes} heart Edward gave her. I used this really cool iridescent sparkle fabric that is hard to get a good photograph of and just looks speckled in a scan. The fabric is called Crystalline Solid and I got it at JoAnn's. They have it in pink and purple all the time, but the white is only in stock occasionally. I found it in ivory one time, but that must have been a special run because I haven't seen it since. But I digress. Sorry. The shiny fabrics distracted me.

I love the simplicity of the beginner's blocks. I'm doing them all at 3" {pattern reduced to 60%} and I'm going to make a wall hanging of them.

The advanced block is a faceted 'crystal' heart. I am putting a crystal heart in my quilt, but I'd already put a bit of work into a pattern for my own version before Cat had hers finished, so I'm working on that now, and I'll post it separately. I'd seen all of Cat's designs and her layouts before she started her Block of the Month, but by that time I had finalized the layout for my quilt and didn't want to change it. Again. So I decided that if her pattern was one that I was using in my quilt, I'd work on it during the month it was the BOM if I hadn't already done it, and if I wasn't going to use hers {although, I have to say they are all very good! I love Cat's work}, then I'd do my own version of whatever was the BOM. I felt like I needed a little break from paper piecing. It is very time consuming, and I wanted to feel like I was making progress on a few things. But I'm really in a Twilighty mood these days and want to get a few more blocks for my quilt finished, and hopefully catch up on the BOM before my quilting mood changes.

Click on the BOM button to go to the May blocks post.

Cat's Twilight Block of the Month: Block 3

It didn't matter to me that we were surrounded by our extraordinarily dangerous enemies. As the clock began to toll out the hour, vibrating under the soles of my sluggish feet, I knew I was too late – and I was glad something bloodthirsty waited in the wings. For in failing at this, I forfeited any desire to live.

The clock tolled again, and the sun beat down from the exact center point of the sky.
–Bella Swan, New Moon, pages 1-2


I haven't worked on anything Twilighty in a while. I've been listening to the audio books lately while I have been working on other things, so I thought I'd dust my paper piecing skills off and see what I could get done. The April blocks {yes, I know I'm waayyy behind} are representations of the New Moon book cover. Everybody is scratching their heads over the parrot tulip that graces the cover. It is a really far stretch to relate it to anything in the book, so I won't even go into that.

I'm doing all my beginner's blocks at 3" {I reduced the pattern to 60%} and I want all the images to really pop, so I'm using my stash of Fairy Frost. I scanned the block, so some of the shimmer is lost. I used Hollyberry for the red {I also used it in the apple for my beginner's block one} and Snow for the white. I really like this stylized version of the tulip. The pattern is really fast and easy, too. I finished it in about an hour.

The advanced block is a more literal recreation of the book cover. I got to be Cat's pattern tester for this block. You can see my first block here. The finished block comes out at 5". The dots {while awesome for other stuff} are a little distracting and my seams pull just a little. Then I reduced the pattern to 80% {see also: ideas-that-sound-great-in-my-head-but-are-a-little-tricky-in-the-execution } and made four more of these to use in our quilt for Stephenie Meyer. I did three other parrot tulips blocks {enlarged to 120% for a 6" finished block}; one for a book cover banner, and two more for my own twin Twilight Quilts {have I mentioned ideas that sound good in my head but are a little crazy in real life?}.

I know I've posted about this block before, but since it's been a while since I've done anything Twilighty, a re-run will have to do.

Here is a little index {mostly for me} of each of the blocks that have been released to date. I've got a little catching up to do .
Block 1, February: Twilight Book Cover
Block 2, March: Charlie
Block 3, April: New Moon Book Cover
Block 4, May: Edward
Block 5, June: Bella {with bonus pattern}
Block 6, July: Jacob
Block 7, August: Edward & Bella
Block 8, September: Edward, Bella & Jacob