Wantobe Quilter Sponsor Day RECAP of our first week.. 1st of 13 ( 12 more weeks to go) may I add!

Saturdays are Sponsor Days..

I thought a recap would be nice of our very first week!

To those who may have may have missed

any of our special days, sponsors and guests!

Well here you are!

All of these companies are worthy of 

the Greatest Latest Best Stamp of 

Excellence, would you not agree?

#1 st giveaway was sponsored from 

The Grace Company also known as True Grit

I like this company, they have a machine that sharpens your blades..

( must have for all quilters, and I purchased it from IHAN

ask her about it)

They were gracious and generous...

for their mats, rulers and personalized cutters were our 1st sponsor..

Madame Samm was the 1st guest 

that 's me Ü

Madame Samm'

All links to their products that they sponsored are on the side bar.

# 2nd Giveaway 

Colonial Needle/Presencia

Gosh how I love Colonial Needle...

they are sew up there generous, warm at heart, 

and my do they know needles and thread...

I switched from Piecemakers whom I had used for years,

Colonial needle introduced me to Pebble needles and John James

and well I am a believer...and many of you know

how strong I feel about Presencia threads,

LOVE LOVE LOVE them..always will, always will...

yep love them...

( psstt we have a few of these to giveaway)

Our guest speaker this day was no other than

 Susan Branch

Yes Susan Branch!

here is her link

Here is Susan Branch

#3rd Giveaway was from

Creative Grid

They measure up, what more can I say....

Looking for any type of ruler, any size, shape,

you will never ever look at any other..

They don't SLIP either..not their rulers,

not their service, not their attention to detail...

Yep! I like them very much!

Our guest this day was Joan

Joan's post

4th Giveaway was from

 Timeless Treasures

Featuring Monica Lee

Their collections, new artists, their prompt

service, and another generous contributor..

Well a joy to be associated with.

Our guest this day was Heather 

and here is her link

come visit Heather

5th Giveaway was from  

Aurifil

Many of us probably started

with coats, or gutterman threads. That was what

was available. Well, when you become a serious quilter,

YOU get introduced to threads like these and well

let me just say your patience will thank you, your needles

will thank you and your machine will purr...

I know it is thread..but it is quality, vibrant

color THREADS! 

Our guest today was Staci

here is her story

Staci's post

THANK YOU, sponsors, guests

but most of all YOU,

YOU who have made a difference...

To our sponsors, guest and yes even ME.

Keep spreading the NEWS...

you will be saying that next week...

JUST saying...

BEHIND THE SEAMS...

 ( you have my permission to copy

all of this and paste to your own blog

just add your own blog address) 

  GET a GOOGLE acct.( free)

 and how to correct NO REPLY BLOGGERS

and how to register..

( sign up with GOOGLE 

( think link will allow you to set up an acct in seconds)

 To get a Google email, you still use your own,

this just allows you to be set up to leave comments to win)

( we have had over 1000+ visitors leaving comments who are what

we call NO REPLY BLOGGERS ( which means I have no way of 

connecting with you)

Here is what you can do:

 All comments made on this BLOG and my other at Sew WE Quilt @ Stash Manicure   are automatically sent into my inbox, ( which is why you get replies from me) if you don't hear from me, I am not ignoring you, I just can't reach you).If you have the correct settings in your Blogger profile, your email address comes with it, allowing me to reply directly to you via email. If your settings aren't correct, you are a no-reply blogger, and I have no way of contacting you. 

1. In blogger.com, click on Dashboard.
2. Select Edit Profile.
3. Check the box for "Show my Email Address."
4. Save changes.
   
   
   That is all you do...
   This will take minutes, which means to YOU. YOU could have won some of these great  prizes this week. YOU didn't but you could have....Ü
   
   
   

   One more thing... To REGISTER IN this Campaign

   
   
   
   

   On the right hand side are a list of bloggers Link to them. leave them a comment to write you back) ...go to anyone of them , give them your name, email, phone number..*( we only call to let you know you won)

   They are all destroyed after campaign.. we do not share them with anyone!

   
   

   Tell them you are a Wantobe Quilter ( if you have no tools or experience ) or a quilter who does not have a blog... If you are a Quilter with a blog you can enter Tues and Thurs. 

   ON M-W-F...enter those days in comments to win...Wantobe quitlers..

   T-T days...this is for Quilters..you must comment to win..

   Follow STash Manicure ..that follower button where all the photos are....
   
   
   Sit back, cross your fingers and Pray...it can't hurt...Ü
   
   
   

   Another one more thing...

   
   
   OHHH for all those BLOGGERS out there who want to participate..
   There is all kind of information HERE you can put on your blog and collect names..
   if you do that and  tell your peeps to mention your name ...if they win you win...
   
   
   ( you will have to send those names to madamesamm@cogeco.ca 
   and please not 1 at a time..put them in one email maybe every day..., this way
   you can be sure we won't miss them) 
   
   
   I think I covered everything now? NOD your head YES! 
   
   
   

    AND YES YOU CAN WIN MORE THAN ONCE!
   we ship the lowest rate possible
   ( takes longer to get to you but we have 
   everything insured)
   
   

Forgive me if I don't reply today and tomorrow..
I will be reading them all...but unless it is URGENT
put that in your subject line...
I will try to get more FABRIC CUT today and tomorrow...
But I am reading and smiling...

Is that good for YOU?
Nod your head YES? lol

#5 Winner of our Wantobe Quilters Campaign

Congrats QUILTER

Cornwoman you WIN...

IHAN too!

Cornwoman is a brand new follower too..YEAH!

Please send your particulars 

sew I can send this lovely package s

from Aurifil off to you...

Oh and as you can expect, there will be more

giveaways, every day in fact for at least

12 more weeks..

( I said 3 months...there are 13 weeks in them

and yes we have that much stuff) 

Thanks to Aurifil, our guest today 

( or rather yesterday....Staci)

and YOU for still being part of all of this...

ps. sponsor day today recap.

rest Sunday....

( it is never too late to join in ...just find yourself a quilt sponsor

there are some on our list there) 

Wantobe Quilter Guest #5 is Staci, on why ....

Hi There!  I’m Staci.  I blog at The Confused Quilter.  I'm very excited to be here!

Why do I Quilt? Madame Samm asked me... I’d like to share my reasons with you. 

When I was a little girl my mother had a cedar chest.  To me, it was a treasure chest, full of handmade doilies, afghans, vintage clothing, and this quilt that was always carefully folded at the bottom. 

On the rare occasions when my Mother brought it out I was just fascinated by the brightly colored little pieces. To me, this quilt was magical.  Even as a little girl, I always said I would finish it.  And, I always said, “Someday I will make a quilt of my own.”

The butterfly quilt was started around 1930-1931. My Mother, my Grandmother and my great Grandmother all worked on this quilt.  My Mother was about 8 years old at the time, my Grandmother 25, and my great grandmother 45.  The butterflies were pieced by hand; the muslin parts were pieced on a sewing machine, presumably by my great Grandmother.  The three of them worked together on the quilting.  Only about a quarter of the quilting has been completed, and to this day the quilt remains unfinished. 

This photo of my grandparents was taken in 1924.  Rose, just 19 here, was quite a glamour girl.  Take a look at those finger waves and long string of beads! The corner has been lost, but on the right, you can just see someone holding a baby.  That baby is my mother. 

My Grandmother in 1924.

This is my great Grandmother Edith. (seated on the right)  It is the only photo I have of her.  It was taken around 1932. 

My Great Grandmother in 1932.

This little girl is my mother, Edythe, about the time the quilt was made. 

My Mother around 1930-1931.

She was considered a tomboy because she was more interested in using her father’s machinist tools than learning the domestic arts from her mother.  Something must have stuck though because my mother grew up to be an accomplished seamstress, a fine housekeeper and an excellent cook.  She never lost her love of good tools and was always happy wandering the aisles of the hardware store. 

My mother spent much of her life in poverty and endured great hardships.  I remember her as a quiet, serious woman who was fiendishly difficult to please.  She never told me how she came to have the quilt, why it was never finished or why she kept it, moving it with her for over 50 years.   She only talked with me about it one time.  She said she vividly remembered the day the quilting was done, and that it was, “A Good Day.”  I think she kept it because it was a link to a time in her life when she felt loved and safe and happy.  I think, for her, the quilt represented Hope.

This is my very favorite part of this quilt—the stitches made by my 8 year old Mother.  She stitched on just one butterfly.

Here is the best part—the back!  Take a look at that knot!

(The stain is rust from a pin)

When I married and left home I took the quilt with me, and now it is my turn to move it from place to place.  My husband is a soldier, and this quilt and I have moved with him 15 times now, across the US, and the world.

When my daughter was in her teens, we attempted to continue the hand quilting using the traditional rocker stitch, and discovered that we just could not do it.  Let me tell you: the rough, budget batting in this quilt just does not ‘needle’ like modern batting!  Those ladies must have had strong fingers!  I’m thinking of giving it another go using the stick-and-stab method, and possibly a pair of pliers?? ; )  Will I ever do it?  No idea!  For now I am glad the quilt was never finished because it would have been loved and worn out and I never would have seen it.  If I had never seen it, would I have started quilting? Scary thought!

For me this quilt is a tangible link to the past -- to my Mother, my Grandmother and great Grandmother. This quilt represents Hope, Comfort, Peace and Home.  It is also a bridge to the future.  Counting the feeble attempts my daughter and I made with the hand quilting, FIVE generations of women have worked on it.  Truly, we stitched together across time.   Five women who share a love of fabric, color, and sewing. 

This Quilt is Why I Quilt.

Thanks for letting me tell my story.

Happy Stitching!

Staci

(If you would like to see more photos of this quirky quilt, please visit my blog today. )

Editors note: ( that is me Mdm Samm) 

My dear Staci...I loved your story

what it means to quilt for you and your family..
Well a story we all need to hear and smile about
Theirs, yours ....a legacy will continue..

GIVEAWAY today - in honor of all the stitches your family 

has done....

Aurifil has sponsored 

12 of their top threads...

( enough threads to do you years

big spools...) And these are elite threads
value over $100.00

Their link is on the side bar there

under Aurifil...it will take you to their site..

And

Fons and Porter sponsored this fall magazine..

I thought I would highlight a future guest here 

Kathy Brown who is known for her 

BED Runners. 
I have made a few of these...

LOVE THEM....

Take a peak at their link again on the side bar.

( Fons Porters link) 

A simple quilt with a daisy applique...and you

can use these threads to make that happen. 

click to enlarge

SEW calling all  WANTOBE Quilters...

( those who really do not  have 

any quilting tools..YOU may have threads..but not these THREADS)

and also must have a blog sponsor if you do not have one..

go to the side list of bloggers and contact them ...

always mention who your sponsor or team wantobe blogger is...

Sew how to do you  WIN?

#1 go visit Staci at her blog 

Here is Staci's blog

Follow her, tell us you did..

#2 Follow us, tell us you are..* you are aren't you...

And mention in your comment 

"Yes I am a Wantobe Quilter" and any other verbiage

you may want to include...

Thanks go out to AURIFIL, and Fons & Porter,

Staci our guest blogger today and YOU for being

here with us on day 5.....

of our 3 month campaign..

( giveaway closed now..winner has been picked) 

4th winner of the Fat Quarter Bundle from Timeless Treasure is....

Congrats QUILTER

 Deonn you WIN...

please send your particulars 

sew I can  send this lovely package 

from Timeless Treasure off to you...

Oh and as you can expect, there will be more

giveaways, every day in fact for at least

12 more weeks..

( I said 3 months...there are 13 weeks in them

and yes we have that much stuff) 

Thank YOU Timeless Treasure

and YOU for still being here.! 

Comment problems and access to blog///some solutions

If any of you NEWBIES to BLOGGER are still having problems logging in to our site 

....please do this today....go to www.BLOGGER.COM

and on the left side you will see HELP Forum...go to SOMETHING IS BROKEN

and tell them this....subject line should read:  Google account will not let me access at blog www.sewwequilt.com

and then tell them what you have done ( copy and paste your information what you have done) someone will help you..but you will have to keep checking ok...

In the meantime..if you see something that you want to enter let me know and I will manually put you in ok?

my best mdm samm

madamesamm@cogeco.ca

And to those of you who cannot find where to comment look below..

One of our followers sent me this re: switching Browser from Internet Explorer to Google Chrome http://www.google.com/chrome/  I personally prefer this one ...

here is what this lady had to say..

Hi Madame Samm. I had several issues with Internet Explorer/Google/Blogger. It wouldn't let me login and would just throw me in a loop....if I remember correctly....taking me back to the login screen. I remember being unable to post comments on other people's blogs as a result of this. I switched to Google Chrome for internet browsing and I haven't had an issue since and that was months ago!!! I'm not sure what issues some people are having, but I thought I would just let you know what issue I was having and what fixed it for me. I hope this helps some folks out!!!

( thanks follower x)

IT IS NOT YOU>>>>visit this link...there are many who are having the same problem

http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/blogger/thread?tid=23d3f4f78c11f24d&hl=en

Wantobe Quilter Guest #4 Heather and her perfect point squares.

Hello! I'm Heather and I blog over at quilt.cook.keep. I'm so thrilled to be featured on Stash Manicure today! I met Madame Samm during a Mug Rug Swap on flickr. She was my secret partner. Can you imagine having to sew a project for her? I was quite intimidated. And absolutely unnecessarily. Madame Samm is a sweetheart and very gracious!

A little while back, it was my turn in my on line quilting bee, Bee Vintage. We had been at this bee for several months, and I wanted a way to use up all those little scraps we tend to accumulate. I came up with this tutorial to make the task a little easier. (My bee friends even considered it fun!!) I hope you like it!

Do you cringe at the thought of sewing together 100 2 " squares? Yeah, me too. But here's an easy peasy way to do it. We're going to use Quilter's Grid  QG is an iron on fusible, with a convenient 1" grid printed right on it!

First thing you want to do is tidy up your piece of QG. You don't want any extra hanging out because it is a fusible and will gunk up your iron.

 For demo purposes, I'm going to show you how to do this on a smaller piece of QG. Mine measures 6x6, and I'm using 2" squares (this block is made of Vintage Sheets). Next step, lay out your squares on the grid, and follow the directions that come with the fusible. (I use a hot iron with no steam, pressing, not ironing. You may want to test on a scrap first. The first time I did it, my iron was screaming hot, and it melted everything!)

 We're ready to start sewing. Fold your QG, with the right sides of your fabric together. Fold directly on the grid line. Remember, we have 2" squares here, so fold on the second grid line over.

 Sew it down. A scant 1/4 inch seam here.

 Now's a good time to check the accuracy of our 1/4". My left edge (where I just sewed) comes in at 1 3/4 - just where I want it!

 Once you have all your rows sewn together (let's call these the vertical rows), it looks like this:

 And this:

Take a sharp pair of scissors or snips, and snip the seam allowance, just down to the stitching line. If you snip the sewn line, no big deal, it will get covered up when we sew the horizontal rows. Remember, again, snip every other row.

 We snip into the seam allowance, so we can press the rows in alternating directions, so the next set of seams will nest nicely. And I'm totally embarassed about the state of my ironing board cover and as soon as I'm finished posting this I'm going to make a new one!

Mmmm. Alternating pressing.

Mmmmm. Nesting seams.

 Okay, sew your horizontal seams now and give them a nice pressing. It should look something like this:

 And when you flip it over, it looks like this!

 If this is your test patch, check your size again. My middle guy is

1 1/2" ~ perfect. (And if yours isnt' perfect, ain't no big thing.)

 So, here's my bigger one, all pressed on my grungy ironing board. Since the entire 20" wouldn't fit, I laid it out and pressed it in stages.

 The big block with the vertical rows sewn.

Just snip and sew your horizontals and.....

Ta da! The finished block. Look at how pretty those points are!

Please stop by my blog and say hi and let me know if you have any questions. I hope you'll give this a try!

Thank you Madame Samm for having me here today. I am excited. 

Well dearest Heather....how do you do? 

THAT Ü

Love this tut and adore you, sew thank you for 

being #4 guest here at Sew We Quilt @ Stash Manicure.

* hope you get a new pc soon..she lost everything just recently

but still had her blog online...

Next....

GIVEAWAY for QUILTERS DAY..

( this means you are a quilter...if you do not have a blog

give your data name, phone number, email,

 to someone who either has our button on their

blog or someone on our blog roll)- side bar...

Those who have Blogs enter yourself with I am a Quilter

or something in the verbiage....

Ok, missy perfect points..I am sew impressed...Aren't you all too?

YOU can  win this fat quarter bundle with this delightful pattern..

By Monica Lee Designer and 

Timeless Treasures

who generously supplied us with yardage, upon yardage of two of their most celebrated

new designers..( You will meet her  on another day) 

Look at the pattern Monica supplied ...

Do you know why I loveeeeeeeeeeeeee this..?

 I'm telling you anyway....

My first car was a Volkswagen bug in white with a black stripe.

I ride a blue scooter, my husband is a cyclist...

...and psst I just love appliques...

OHHH and look a pillow too...

Here is her entire collection..pretty yes? 

Sew would you like this Quilters?

Go to Heathers BLOG our guest today..

 and follow her...come back..tell us

you did that ( we will be checking)

and follow us here...

Leave a comment

"I am a Quilter" and whatever else you would 

Winner announced at midnight each night...

Good luck Quilters...

Big thanks to Heather, you can make a mug rug

with me anytime.. To Monica and Timeless Treasures

and YOU for still being part of all this..

YOU certainly have the Madame Samm

Stamp of Excellence..

( think I better make one) x

ps. when a winner is chosen through our tech software
I do check to see if you have followed our guest blogger that day,
I do check to be sure you are a follower here..
(confirming that ONLY wantobe quilters and quilters
will win any of our sponsored prizes)
Isn't that nice to hear!
Thought you would like to know that bit of tidbit!