Showing posts with label Massdrop. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Massdrop. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

What's-Up Wednesday!: Happy Mail and a Quilt-A-Long Announcement!

Hi peeps! 



Did ya miss me??? 

As you can see above, I started free motion quilting the Citrus Batik Table topper. My Pfaff was also in the hospital, so I got out my old 1990's era Kenmore. It is a very basic machine, having only 14 different stitches, but it is a workhorse and can do the job. I decided to try the 12-weight Aurifil thread I have, in a yellow-gold colour and was going swimmingly when all of a sudden I started getting thread breaks and all sorts of bird's nests of thread on the back. Yeesh! I tried everything I could think of…rethreading the machine, changing the bobbin, changing the needle and cleaning out the dust and lint…but nothing seemed to work, so I put it aside. Then I got my Pfaff back and would you believe, I had the exact same problem. So I did all the same things to my Pfaff and still was having problems. Double-Yeesh!

I have come to the realization that neither of my machines like 12-weight thread. I have unpicked loads of nasty stitches, but even though I will have to change threads and thread colour, I will not unpick the parts that came out looking okay. If this was to be a gift, that would be another story, but as this is just for us, I will let it go. I just have to keep repeating to myself "let it go, let it go". My Virgo self really dislikes things that aren't just right. Ah well….


I got some great Happy Mail over the past couple of months. I bought a bunch of machine parts off of Ebay for my 1948 Singer 15-91 including a quarter-inch foot, Singer branded needles, a walking foot, lightbulbs, magnetic seam gauge, a bunch of bobbins and an springed open-toe foot for FMQing. When they arrived, I was please to see that these parts will also fit on my Kenmore…bonus! 

I also finally invested in a quarter-inch foot for my Pfaff. Both quarter-inch feet have a little metal guide thing on the right hand edge of them that prohibits you from pushing too much fabric to the right of the foot, thereby allowing you to achieve a perfect quarter-inch seam allowance. Yay!



These two purchases were from Massdrop. The fat quarter bundle is called "Enchanted", and even though the bundle didn't include the 'main' all-over design that ties the whole line together, I got such a good deal that I couldn't pass it up. Plus, I can always find that main print at Fat Quarter Shop or Pink Castle(2 of my favourite USA-based online shops).

The 100-count boxes of Schmetz needles were also a steal on Massdrop. I got one box of #14 needles-these are my go-to needles for all-purpose sewing. I also got a box of #16 needles, which are my favourite machine-quilting needles.

Massdrop has very reasonable shipping charges(even to Canada!) and I was really pleased to find out that they combine shipping on multiples of the same item!


I joined a Canadian De-stash group on Facebook and got these two 2-yard pieces for a bargain. I just love those happy purple flowers! I will be using the primary colours stripes for binding on kid quilts. I always cut my binding on the bias, as it is more sturdy. Stripes cut on the bias create a neat finish.


I got these two Mary Engelbreit charm packs for about $10 each from the same Facebook group. The top print doesn't do the whole pack justice…there are so many cute prints in there, in reds, blues, greens and black. I am planning to make one of the free Fat Quarter Shop patterns for charm packs with them.


I also joined a couple of Canada-only swap groups, again on Facebook and these are the fatties I have received so far! The red one at the top right is a Pat Sloan print and I was so excited when it came as I have never had any of her prints and always thought they were super-cute! 

I bought the Simplicity pattern print, bottom right(neat, eh?), and the multi lifesaver print-bottom left, from one of the swappers who was having a de-stash on the other group, and it came with my swap!

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So…now I have an exciting announcement!!!



I will be starting a Quilt-A-Long next week, here on the blog! I contacted Connecting Threads to see if they would like to supply the fabric for me to host a Quilt-A-Long, using a block that I have designed…and they said yes!!! Yippee!!!


The first post will be a photo of the block and fabric requirements for a queen-sized quilt. The blocks are nice and big, at 15.5" square, including seam allowances(15" sewn in), and you will only need 25 of these easy blocks, plus 2 borders, to make a comfy queen-sized quilt! The posts will be about two weeks apart, to allow everyone(myself included!) enough time to complete each step.

You do not have to make a queen quilt, but it would be great if you could participate…three of these blocks sewn in a row would make a nice table runner and four blocks set 2 x 2 will make a nice square table topper.

I will be putting a Quilt-A-Long tab at the top of the blog, to make it easy to find each week's post, in case you don't have the time to make one now, and for easy reference too!

I will be using the Maison de Provence fabric line by Connecting Threads, check it out! Now that I have it in my hot little paws, the rich tones(so beautiful in person) kind of remind me of the spices brought back on the Silk Road by Marco Polo!



The "COUNTRY VILLAGE" Quilt-A-Long will start on Wednesday, April 29, 2015.
Come join us!


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It has been a long and stressful month with my Dad being in the hospital. He had 2 emergency surgeries and spent most of his stay in the Close Observation Ward, due to the nature of his medical situation. I am happy to report that he is now back home and enjoying a good night's sleep in his own bed! Thank you so very much for the comments and messages offering prayers…it really means a lot to me that you took the time to tell me you care. Big Huggs to you!


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Sharing is caring!!!
Don't forget that I am happy to share…feel free to pin to Pinterest, post on Google+ and Facebook, and Tweet away! Just please make sure your posts link back to this blog. *If you mouse/hover over the top right corner of my photos, a red Pin-it button will show up and all you have to do is click it to be taken to Pinterest. There is also another red button right beside it for posting to Facebook and Twitter. Or, you could always use the little grey square buttons at the end of this post. 

Thanks for reading and have a great day! 

Quilty Huggs, 

Jacqueline 

PLEASE NOTE: The writer of this blog accepts forms of compensation such as, but not limited to; fabric/notions/patterns/books in exchange for a posted review. All comments/critiques/opinions are completely my own and are not those of the provider. This post may also contain affiliate links and I will receive a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking on my link. Thanks!

Sunday, March 8, 2015

Sum it Up Sunday & Giveaway Reminder!

Hi peeps! 



How are you doing on this fine Sunday? I say fine as it has been warm and sunny here since Friday…I even went out and about in a t-shirt today! Yay!!!

Just wanted to remind everyone that today is the last day to enter my giveaway: A 27-piece fat quarter bundle(some prints shown above) of LUMINESCENCE from the lovely folks at Connecting Threads. Have you had a chance to check them out yet?

Here's the link to the giveaway post:

***GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED AND THE PRIZE HAS BEEN AWARDED***

All you have to do is comment with your answer to the question stated there. You may also have a second entry if you follow me…and tell me how you do! There are follow windows for email and Bloglovin' on my right sidebar. 

Note: if you choose to Follow by Email, Feedburner will send you an email with a link to click. This is not spam. Feedburner needs your permission to send my posts to you. If you don't click that link, then my posts won't be delivered to your inbox. 
Just so you know!


I was at a church jumble sale recently and spotted this quilt. It is a bit rustic, but the colours go well in my living room and I couldn't beat the price…a whopping $2.50!! It is about 50" x 50" and is hand-appliqueed and hand quilted…both skills I can no longer do, due to carpal tunnel surgery on both wrists. 

They were raising money for a clean water well in Mexico, so I was more than happy to support them with a few other purchases too!!!


Yes, this photo is supposed to be blurry and obstructive! I can't actually show you yet as I am working on a block for a Sew-a-Long here on my blog coming very soon!!! 

That leather-bound book above is made by Moleskine and is my go-to block-ideas/designing book. It was the Hubs' Christmas present from his firm, but as soon as I saw it, I had to have it!!! It has a pocket inside the back cover for loose papers, a ribbon book mark and an elastic closure…perfect for taking with me from easy chair to sewing table. I just love it so much…and will have to get another soon, as this one is almost filled up. Thankfully, I can usually find them on Massdrop!

Sharing is caring!!! Don't forget that I am happy to share…feel free to pin to Pinterest, post on Google+ and Facebook, and Tweet away! Just please make sure your posts link back to this blog. If you are not sure, please ask me!

If you mouse/hover over the top right corner of my photos, a red pin-it button will show up, and there is another button right beside it for posting to Facebook and Twitter. Or, you could use the little grey buttons just below my signature.

Thanks for reading and have a great day! 

Quilty Huggs, 

Jacqueline 

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Thrifty tips, happy mail, a new sponsor...and a GIVEAWAY!!!

Hi peeps!



I got some lovely Happy Mail this week! This is the 14-piece Sakura bundle, which was only $23(CA$) plus a modest shipping fee(under $5), from Massdrop

They are having this drop again, now as we speak, so you'll have to hurry on over to pick up yours before they are all gone. 


I just love how it is tied up so cutely…definitely keeping that chevron ribbon for a craft project!


The prints have a slightly muted tone and a beautiful soft, drapey feel to them. These two prints are my favourites, but honestly, it was tough to choose between the other prints included in this bundle.


This is one of the sturdy boxes my purchases came in. There were even some plastic packing balloons inside to keep my purchases from shifting during travel!


Here is the new Enchanted 10-piece bundle offered at Massdrop. We need only about 25 more people to "Commit to Buy" and then the price will drop down to $22.99(CA$). The great thing about "Commit to Buy" is that your credit card/Paypal account is only charged once the price goes down to the lowest and once the drop has ended.


Enchanted is the latest collection by Sarah Fielke…you may know her from her Little Quilts books(I got one for Christmas…yahoo)! 

This drop is limited to only 32 bundles, so you have to get in fast to get the deal! Here's the link.


I recently won these great reusable fabric shopping bags from Teresa of The Green Bag lady fame. She makes these shopping bags and gives them away for FREE!!! She believes we can all do our part and eliminate using plastic shopping bags during our everyday shopping trips. 

There is also a tutorial on how to make them, and if you would like to become a baguette(that's what she calls the makers of green bags for giving away), you can contact her through her blog! If you'd like to win one for yourself, here's the link to Green Bag Lady.


I thought I would share an upcycle I did recently. I love Baker's Twine, but it unravels and gets all messy once you have started using it. I had an a-ha moment when I saw the holes in the lid of a small parmesan cheese shaker.


I washed the empty plastic cheese shaker bottle(the 2-cup sized one), then let it air-dry for a couple of days. I then removed the label by wedging the tip if my kitchen scissors under the label and started cutting. After I had peeled the label off, I gave the outside of the bottle a little scrub to remove some of the adhesive left from sticking the label on. It doesn't matter if there is a little adhesive left over as you will be covering most of it with the label from the spool of twine. Carefully cut the label open then centre it on the clean bottle and tape it securely.


Pop your spool of Baker's Twine into the bottle and thread the tail end through one of the holes in the lid. Snap the lid in place and…VOILA you are done!


I was at Walmart this week and picked up a plastic bin(pink as there were no purple ones…how shocking???), some fat quarters, paper clips and bulldog clips(clearance $1…bonus!) and some very large knitting needles. I had seen tutorial on knitting your old and ugly stash into rugs…how cool is that? 

I will try to find that tutorial again and will share it with you!


I got the pink bin to store my charm packs in. The wicker basket(above) I have been using doesn't hold all of my charm packs, and I wanted them to all be in the same place.


Here's the contents of the bin now…I'll have to find my other charm packs to fill it up!


I then re-filled the basket with my special(hoarded!) fat quarter bundles. There is my Cotton and Steel collection, some Amy Butler Glow and Free Spirit solids.



There is a 'good' dollar store in the Walmart mall, so of course I had to go! I got a glittery pocket portfolio so I can store my notes, ideas etc. for blog posts, some post-flags, a clear box with lid and handle, some plastic bins to decorate(tutorial coming soon), and 2 covered ice cube trays.

I read an article in the paper about herbs that get thrown out after they go bad. Now this really struck a chord with me as fresh herbs are expensive here at this time of the year and they are always going bad before we can use them up.
What you do is: while the herbs are fresh you cut them up with scissors and place in an ice cube tray. Fill the cubes with water, cover, then pop in the freezer, making sure that the tray is level. When you need some herbs, pop a herb cube into your cooking pan. The heat from cooking will melt the water and you will have the benefit of fresh herbs all year long.

You can do this with garlic cloves too. That's why I bought 2 trays…I didn't want the garlic smell to overpower the herbs. I will make both trays with a Sharpie, so as to not get them mixed up.



I have been wanting a box dedicated to storing my precious Aurifil thread. As you can see, the spools have room to stand up straight and there is room to add more as I get them…on sale, of course!!!


I'd like to welcome Sew Sister's Quilt Shop to the QSH! family.

Here's a little about them:

Sew Sisters Quilt Shop is a Canadian Quilt Store dedicated to all things quilting. Whether shopping online or in person at our store in Toronto our goal is to provide you with great service and offer top quality products at the lowest possible price. We have a large selection of quilting fabric, patterns, books and notions - everything you need to complete your unique quilts! Be sure to check out our very large Sale Section with over 400 bolts of fabric for only $7.99/metre!

At Sew Sisters we believe you should buy fabric, not postage – so we offer great rates on shipping.
Orders over a $100 ship for free within Canada!

Shipping Charges


Order TotalCanadaUSAInternational*
$0 - $19.99$4.99$12.99Actual Postage
$20.00 - $100$8.99$12.99Actual Postage
Over $100Free$12.99Actual Postage

Really, you should check out their sale section...lots of goodies there(and only $7.99 CA$ per meter). I even found some hard-to-find Flea Market Fancy by Denyse Schmidt there recently! 

The everyday prices for even designer quilting fabrics averages about $12.99(CA$) a meter…which is an awesome price…and no currency exchange to worry about for Canadians!


The Bargain Lover’s ClubPrice: $18.99 per month 
If there is one thing we love more than any other at Sew Sisters it is a great bargain!

Join our Bargain Lover's Club and we will send you 8 fat quarters every month for only $18.99. The postage is included for Canadians - others please enquire about shipping rates. All fat quarters will be great quality quilters cottons handpicked from our sale collections. You may cancel your membership at any time.



The lovely ladies at Sew Sister's have generously offered to give away an 8-piece fat quarter bundle from their wildly popular Bargain Lover's Club

Please note this giveaway is for Canadian and USA addresses only.

To enter this giveaway, please leave a comment describing your latest upcycle

I will pick a winner at noon(PST) on Monday, February 23, 2015.

EDITED TO ADD:
-It is not a requirement of this giveaway to follow me, but it sure would be nice if you did!!!
-Sew Sister's Quilt Shop and myself are not responsible for lost or stolen mail from this giveaway.

**Giveaway is closed and prize has been awarded. Thanks for participating!**

Thanks for reading and have a great day!

Quilty Huggs,

Jacqueline

Sunday, August 10, 2014

Sponsor Sunday and Really Ginormous Hexagons!

Hi Peeps!

Disclaimer: this post contains affiliate links.


Sale ENDS on August 11, 2014 at 11:59 PM MT time
Just a little reminder that the Craftsy classes sale ends tomorrow! Get em while it's good! 

I picked up Playful Piecing Techniques by Camille Roskelly for only $14.99, and will watch it once the weather turns cooler. I love, love that you own your purchased classes forever! 

There are also some great deals to be had in their Clearance section!
Here's the link: Craftsy

Don't forget, if you own a website or blog, you can join the Craftsy Affiliate Program and earn a little cash!



Fat Quarter Shop is offering 20% off all their Riley Blake prints, but only until Midnight August 14, 2014. I can see some chevrons and dots in my future!

You can click through to Fat Quarter Shop with my button, top left.




Paper Pieces has their Fan Quilt kit on for a huge 30% off. This includes the die-cut paper pieces you will need and the pattern for making the quilt. Use your own fabric to create a one-of-a-kind treasure. 

Don't forget, you can combine you savings and use my "qsh20" code to get 20% off the rest of your purchases!


Riley Blake Designs have launched their latest fabric line: Hope Chest, a salute to the always-sweet 1930's reproduction prints. Available in yardage and pre-cuts and in stores now.


There's only 6 hours left to take advantage of Massdrop's Aurifil thread box in useful neutral colours. Twelve large spools, there are two collections to choose from. They ship FREE in the USA and only $8.28 to Canada.


Use the below link to join this awesome deal!!!



Massdrop is also offering two different bag-making kits from Sew Sweetness; the Aragon bag and the hugely popular Airplane bag. Both kits come with all the supplies(just add your own thread) needed to make a bag(or two) of your choice. At only $39.99, I am getting both! They will make awesome Christmas presents. Only 3 days left to get in on this drop, they ship Free in the USA and $8.28 to Canada.


Use the below link to join this awesome deal!!!




This is one of the latest projects on my growing to-do list. Haley, of The Zen of Making, is a quirky gal and I really enjoy her blog. This Giant Hexie Flower Lap Quilt she designed is one of literally hundreds of tutorials she has posted. 

Here's the link: Giant Hexie Flower Lap Quilt

Head on over and share some hexie love!!!



I picked up some poster board from the 'good' dollar store and made my template, as per instructed. Then, using my rotary cutter, and an old blade, I cut out the 7 hexies needed for the centre and the petals. The giant hexies measure 15.5", point to point.


I cut out my fabrics using yardage(adding a half-inch seam allowance around all edges to fold over the poster board), but you can use seven different/co-ordinating fat quarters. I cut out 4 of each colour, as I plan to make four of these giant hexie flowers. The difference with mine is that I am going to appliqué each giant hexie flower onto a background and make a queen-sized quilt. Go big or go home, I say!!! 

Wish me luck…please!...as I have never attempted such a large hand-applique project. Eek! My Clover Clips and stick of fabric glue will come in very handy.


This is my background fabric. It is an orange and white diagonal stripe.

I hope you will enjoy the above offers. I am able to offer demos, tutorials and giveaways only because of my sponsors and it would be great if you could support them. Thanks!

Thanks for reading and have a great day!


Jacqueline



Sunday, August 3, 2014

Welcome: Sponsor Sunday!

Hi Peeps!




My generous sponsor, Fat Quarter Shop has lots of sales going on right now. Did you know that they have OVER 700 items alone in their sale section???

I could do some serious damage to the Hubs' credit card, for sure! Yikes!!!

All you have to do is click the Fat Quarter Shop button on my left sidebar to be instantly connected.

They also have a page of links to FREE quilting patterns offered by various fabric manufacturers. You can find it here.



Today's 24 hour Flash Sale focuses exclusively on US College Spirit fabrics. They are on sale for a whopping 40% off, which makes them only $4.30 a yard!



The August 1st post on the Jolly Jabber(FQS's blog) was for their FREE Wishes BOM. This month's block is Mrs. Taft's Choice and is super easy! 

Here's the link.

They are holding a fundraiser for the Make a Wish Foundation, and have raised over $60,000 of a hopeful $100,000, so far. If you can, please donate to help these kids. You can find the info at the above link.


This is such a cute block. I love, love the Wishes by Sweetwater fabric line.




Paper Pieces has their weekly sale up and running today.


They have 20% off some of their great English Paper Piecing books. I am going to grab this book I've been wanting for a looong time!


You can sign up for their weekly newsletter here. They offer a weekly special, info on new items and sometimes free patterns.

Don't forget, you can purchase the sale books and still use the "qsh20" coupon code for the rest of your purchases! 

You can click through the button on my left sidebar to get to the store directly!


You all know I love Massdrop and Aurifil thread. Well this is the newest Aurifl 'drop'. You get 12 large spools of Aurifil 50-weight thread in all neutral colours.

There are two great collections to choose from. The above is Mark Lipinski's choice. Pat Sloan also has a nice collection. Regularly priced at $130.00. The box will be $79.99 plus shipping(which, as I recently found out is very reasonable!). 

They are priced at $84.99 now, but if you 'commit' to join(you will find it under the green JOIN button), then you will get the lower price. I did this with a computer wrist bar last week.

Use the below link to join this awesome deal!!! Then just search: Aurifil thread.

Only 5 days left!

I hope you have enjoyed this summary of sales going on. I plan to have Sponsor Sunday on a regular basis.

A flange border tutorial is coming next post.

Please feel free to comment and share with your friends!


Thanks so much for reading and have a great day!


Jacqueline

Thursday, July 31, 2014

Fun Finds at the Dollar Store, and Giveaway Winner(s)!

Hi peeps!


I had some fun at the 'good' Dollar Store recently, though I have to admit that our Dollar Stores up here are actually $1.25 stores!!! 

I needed a container to fit my arriving-any-minute Clover Clips. I ordered 2 x 100-pack, so was thinking I needed a largish box to with them in. Got 3 small rolls of Washi tape too!(The box I bought was way too huge, so I found another in the house. The above box now holds my extra 1" hexagon papers!)


I got this 10-pack of slide-seal freezer bags as I am wanting to make the below bag. At $1.25, they were a steal, compared to the Zip bags I have in my kitchen drawer. As these come from the Dollar Store, I wouldn't use them for food storage, who knows what they are really made of.


The tutorial calls for 6 bags, and I am planning to make two-one for my EPP supplies and one for my embroidery stuff. I plan to only use 4 bags for the EPP one as I think 6 will make it too bulky. Six bags are fine for my embroidery stuff(minus my larger hoop).


Got some Happy Mail!! I am really impressed with the calibre of packaging on my first purchase from Massdrop. My Clover Clips were in a nice, sturdy box with a clearly readable label. The shipping costs were VERY reasonable for something shipped to Canada from the States.


WOW!!! This is the latest Massdrop deal:

Aurifil 12-weight thread, 10 small spools ONLY $29.99!! Regular price $50!!!
Use the below link to join this awesome deal!!! Great for quilting and machine-embroidery.






I love how these Clover clips look like candy! They will come in sooo handy when I tackle sewing the plastic bags into my Busy Bags!



And now for the giveaway…drumroll please..ta-da!!!

The winner of the $35 Gift Certificate to Fat Quarter Shop is:

Saskia S.!

I have emailed her and hope she gets back to me soon!!!

Thank you so much to my sponsor, Fat Quarter Shop. We have other things in the works, coming soon!


I was thinking that having only one winner wasn't fair, gotta pick one more, please, Mr. Hubs!!(I had him pick two numbers between 1 and 24)

I will be sending a 6-pack of craft clips, and four spools of Connecting Threads' Essential thread to:

Debbie C.!

I had to email her via her YouTube account, as it was the only way to get a hold of her!

The above gifts are not sponsored, just a little prezzie from me!

Please remember, if I can't reach you, you can't win!

I just want to thank everyone that follows this blog and those who entered my giveaway. There will be more in store!!!

Quilty love and huggs,

Jacqueline