International Quilt Day, and a Contest

So, I've made a few quilts in my day, but nothing spectacular.  However, I know that many of you are quite skilled in the quilting department.  I just had to share the news about the Barn Quilt Design Contest that Accuquilt is hosting.  There are going to be some fantastic prizes.  Prizes?  Did I perk your interest?  As far as prizes go, how about a a $1,000 shopping spree and trip to Omaha NE for the winning design unveiling?  The runner up will be winning a $250 shopping spree. So go on, show off that fantastic quilt that you spent months working on.  
Here's a bit more information about the contest:

Key Dates to Remember

Contest Entry Dates: March 16th – April 9th 

Winner Announcement: AQS Quilt Show & Contest in Paducah, KY (April 25-28)

Unveiling Date: June 22nd

How to Enter: No purchase necessary to enter, entries submitted via the “Submit Your Entry” button on the AccuQuilt Barn Quilt landing page:http://www.accuquilt.com/barnquilt

Prizes

Grand prize winner will receive a prize package consisting of:

- One (1) $1,000 AccuQuilt Shopping Spree ($1,000 value)

- Round trip airfare for themselves and a friend from winner’s home and transportation to Omaha, NE, for an unveiling ceremony for their design on the AccuQuilt offices. 

- Two (2) tickets to the 2nd Annual Let’s GO! Quilt Retreat in Fremont on June 20-21, 2012 for themselves and a friend. 

- Three (3) night hotel stay (one room for three nights). 

- Includes breakfast, lunch and dinner for three days. 

One runner up prize winner will receive a prize package consisting of:

- One (1) $250 AccuQuilt Gift Certificate 

- One (1) ticket to the 2nd Annual Let’s GO! Quilt Retreat in Fremont on June 20-21, 2012.

The top one hundred (Top 100) quilt block designs will be selected by a panel of AccuQuilt’s management from among all eligible entries received. Each of the 100 winners will receive a prize package aggregate value of $25 consisting of:- One (1) $25 AccuQuilt Rewards Points ($25 value)

Also, did you know that International Quilt Day is this weekend?

AccuQuilt and TheQuiltShow.com have teamed up to give you the ultimate experience for International Quilt Day! 

Join us March 16-18, 2012 as we celebrate all things quilting!

*Visit TheQuiltShow.com community for FREE and watch more than 100 shows hosted by Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims featuring the Top Quilting Teachers in the world

*Explore classrooms, unique tutorials, inspiring slideshows, and much more

*Enter the contest to win amazing prizes from companies you know and love—here a sampling of the prizes you can win:

• A BERNINA 550 sewing machine (yes! a new machine!)
• Gammill's Deluxe Chair—perfect for sewing at any machine
• Fantastic assortment of books from AQS Publishing, plus a 1-year membership to American Quilter's Society
• A selection of inspiring quilting books from C&T Publishing
• AccuQuilt's GO! Baby die cutting machine, GO! Value Die, GO! Birds die, and a 6x12 Cutting Mat 
• Bundle of 41 fat quarters from Ricky's Blended Solids collection, compliments of Red Rooster
• Box of silk threads from Superior Threads
• One of five DVDs from Why Quilts Matter
• One of five Stitched: The Movie DVDs

Plus, you'll have exclusive access to an episode of Why Quilts Matter, Stitched: The Movie, and many other sources of excitement and creativity in The Quilt Show community. Simply click here to get started. Enjoy, and we look forward to celebrating with you!  

Accuquilt Go! Baby Giveaway Results

The winner of the Accuquilt Go! Baby fabric cutter is Steph who said "Oh, how fun! I'd probably do appliqued onesies first! Sounds like so much fun!".


I can't wait to see what you come up with Steph, I'll be contacting you shortly.  Thanks to all of you that entered.

 If you’ve been contemplating purchasing the AccuQuilt GO! Baby Fabric Cutter, now’s the time!  AccuQuilt is offering a very special deal to its Facebook Friends!  Receive a FREE GO! Die Set with a GO! Baby Fabric Cutter purchase which is a $112 value!  This set includes two essential dies to get you started on your journey.  GO! check it out! The promotion runs through the seventeenth, so don't delay.

Now Closed-Giveaway: Accuquilt Go! Baby Fabric Cutter and Dies

Many of my recent projects have been made easier because of the Accuquilt Go! Baby Fabric Cutter.  It is so much fun to play with, and makes crafting, quilting, and sewing simpler.

I am thrilled to announce that one of my U.S. resident followers will be winning their own Accuquilt Go! Baby cutter, along with three dies of their choice.

To enter simply be a follower of my blog, hop on over to the Accuquilt website, and leave me one comment stating what dies you'd choose, or what your first Go! baby project would be.  Be sure to include your email address in the comment.

Did you miss my Go! baby tutorials?  You can find the Dimensional Rocket Ship applique tutorial here, the Gotta Go! Plastic sack pouch here, and the embellished poopy clutch here.

I can't wait for one of you lucky readers to have your very own to play with.

 Don't forget to receive 22 free patterns just for subscribing by email to Accuquilt.

Once again, this giveaway is open to US residents only, and will be open until October 14th.

This giveaway is now closed.

Tutorial-Gotta Go! Portable Plastic Bag Case

I've got another tutorial for you.  Today I'm going to show you how to make this simple plastic bag storage case....though it could be used for a number of different items, I'll be using it to store old grocery sacks in my diaper bag.  Grocery bags are great to have in a diaper bag, you can wrap soiled diapers in them, or throw wet or soiled clothing in them while you are out of the house.  I'm sure that those of you with pets use them frequently for clean up as well.  No pets?  No babies?  Do you get carsick?  Keep a small case full of plastic bags in the jockey box of your car for those windy roads and long drives.

This small fabric case will help reduce the bulk of the plastic bags, and reduce the noise that they cause when you have to pull them out of your bag to search for you wallet or car keys.

I may even use it for storing extra nursing pads.  You don't really want those floating around in the diaper bag....just waiting to fall out at an inopportune time.

Want to make one?  Keep reading for the full tutorial.

Rocket Ship Applique - Accuquilt Go! Baby Tutorial

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that I am now part of the Accuquilt Go! Blogger incentive program.  Accuquilt contacted me, and asked me to both review their new Accuquilt Go! Baby fabric cutter and dies, and  also share some tutorials with my readers.  I very willingly accepted their offer.

I must say when I first heard from them I was thinking "hmmm...do they know that I've only made a couple of quilts in my lifetime".  I soon discovered that the Go! baby is very versatile, and can help streamline any type of sewing or craft related projects, it is NOT just for quilters.

My Go! baby fabric cutter is lightweight, portable, and extremely compact.  I especially love the fact that it is compact.  I have a small sewing area, and I don't have a lot of extra room to store my "toys".  Clark even refers to it as my "small machine".  One of the things that Accuquilt says about their products is that they are easy to use and very friendly to quilters/crafters that suffer from arthritis or other joint pain that prevents them from enjoying their crafts.  The Go! baby really cuts with ease, and Clark likes to help me by turning the handle as we cut out shapes. 

Not only is it easy to use, but it does everything that it says it will do.  I have used it to cut multiple layers of fabric, felt, and even faux leather (projects coming soon).  So as I'm sure you've gathered, I am very much in love with my new Go! baby fabric cutter, and would recommend it to any and all of you. September is the perfect time to start dropping hints about your holiday wish list.

Click on the badge above to get 22 free project patterns, just for subscribing by e-mail.  Even if you don't have one of their cutting machines yet, these projects are sure to provide you with some inspiration.

Now on with the tutorial.  For this Rocket Ship Applique tutorial, I used my Accuquilt Go! Half Square-4" Finished Triangle die.  When I was selecting my dies I knew that this would be a very versatile die.  Have you seen all of the fantastic chevron quilts out there?  If you haven't there are several tutorials done by Accuquilt bloggers that feature this same die.  I wanted to show the versatility of this die, and focus on the fact that you don't have to be a quilter to use this cutting system.

Go! Half Square-4" Finished Triangle

As you can see the die features clipped corners, and features quarter inch seam allowances.  It really takes so much of the work out of cutting.

Keep reading for the full tutorial on this fun and more dimensional rocket ship applique.