Happy New Year!

But I Have Some Business To Attend To First

It's the new year and I want to get right to work on all the quilts I am dreaming of making in 2009! But first I have to take care of some business matters. I entered a few blog giveaways and contests near the end of last year, and actually won some really great stuff!


The first package arrived a few days before Christmas. It was from Kathy at Lizzie Jane. It contained these really cute snowmen patterns. I want to make the little snowman wall hanging. I am sure we will have winter until the end of March around here, so I will have lots of time! Thanks Kathy!





Then this box came from Nynke, the dutch purple rabbit. I didn't have to do anything to get this wonderful gift. Nynke just sent me something because that is the kind, sweet and generous person that she is. It arrived just in time on Christmas Eve and was loaded with all kinds of goodies. There were fabrics, some of them hand dyed, I think, some chocolate covered gingerbread cookies and hagelslag or muisjes as they are commonly called. These are little bits of chocolate memories from my childhood. We used to sprinkle them on bread for breakfast! There were also some little bottles of beads which I will put to good use when I do more fibre postcards! There was also a chocolate Sinterklaas and a little Purple Rabbit! There was even a ball of wool so that I can make something for my kitties! Nynke thought of everything!

I also won this quilt in Freda's Hive giveaway! Isn't it beautiful? The workmanship is impeccable! Can you see the label? It says 'One of a Kind from Freda's Hive. I will treasure it and hopefully use it to keep one of my grandchildren warm one day. Thanks Nanette!

And now I can show you some mindless piecing that has kept me occupied over the past few days. I decided to clean up some of my scrap boxes. I am using precious space to store a lot of little pieces of fabric that I should probably just throw out. But who can do that? So I have been making the most of my stash. I used anything that was at least 2in. wide and 5in. long. I plan to do a scrappy wallhanging with some sort of medallion, (an appliqued winter berry thing) in the middle. I got the idea from ems scrapbag and from another blog, but I can't remember which one at the moment. If I find it I will edit this post so I can show it to you.

I am not using a specific pattern, but I guess it could be called rail fence. Each block is 5in. by 5in. unfinished. (4 1/2in. square finished) I have about 15 left to do. And then of course, the applique part. But I love hand applique, so that should go quickly!

Oh, I almost forgot. If you don't already know of the 'Whirl into Winter Giveaway', just click on the snowflake on my sidebar. That will take you to Debi's site where you will find 60+ bloggers who are participating in the giveaway! Good luck!