What I'm Working On

 

This is Snow Business by Geralyn Powers on my design wall today.  

I went to a quilt retreat last week and this was one of the projects I worked on.  I took projects/kits that I had stashed away in my closet.  You know....those ones that you want to make but somehow they get pushed behind all the newer projects that are calling your name.  I'm so glad I took this kit with me.  It is still as cute as it was when I first saw it.....back in 2005.  Ummmm......yea.

Join the Oil of the Month Club!

I have to share this wonderful Oil of the Month Club with all my blogging friends!
As I said in my last post, I have recently become affiliated with Spark Naturals Essential Oils.

In order to try all the oils out and not break my pocketbook, I signed up for the Oil of the Month Club.  I am sooooo excited about it!  If you have ever priced good quality oil, you know they can be expensive!  For only $15.99 per month WITH shipping and handling INCLUDED in that price you can begin your essential oil journey!

All oils are 15ml bottles

January – Cassia

February – Peppermint

March – Bergamot

April – Oregano

May – Lavender

June – Geranium

July – Basil

August – Shield

September – Melaleuca

October – White Fir

November – Coriander

December – Respire

You can join the club any month you want but if you begin in August you will receive that wonderful bottle of Shield, which is going to be a great protection for you and your loved ones to help ward off germs and ickies this fall and winter!  If you check the regular pricing of the 15ml bottle you will see that it usually sells for $28.80.  If you join the Oil of the Month Club you get it for $15.99 and remember that includes your S/H!!!  What a GREAT deal!

Also you can use my coupon code: dotsanddoodles on any other purchases for 10% off!

Spark Naturals Essential Oils

For the past 2 years I have been using essential oils in my home and for my family.  Today I want to share a newer oil company that I have recently become affiliated with.   First off I have to tell you that I am a believer in pure essential oils.  Spark Naturals sells pharmagrade oils.

This is from their website:
Spark Naturals  products are Certified Pure PharmaGrade – CPPG™ – a physical standard ensuring our products are of the appropriate identity, strength, quality, purity, and consistency standards used internationally for quality and purity. Our raw materials are tested and authenticated to be of pharmaceutical grade purity. Spark Naturals likes to deal with facts; our goal is to educate the public about health issues, offer serious alternatives and provide luxury products backed by facts – not advertising or business opportunity ploys or gimmicks.  We offer CPPG™ products – luxury products intelligently priced.  CPPG™ is our quality commitment – we will offer only those products for which we can ensure our commitment to true quality – our commitment to luxury, intelligently priced.


I heard about Spark Naturals soon after they launched and bought a few of their oils to try to see how they compared with the ones I have been using.  I have to admit that they are wonderful!

Right now they are having a back to school sale on 2 very popular blends of oils plus you receive 2 roller bottles for only $33.00!  It comes in a wonderful tin so you will always know where your oil is at.
Jeddy's Blend is made up of :Lavender, Sweet Marjoram, Roman Chamomile, Ylang, Sandalwood, Vanilla, Spruce, Rosewood, Blue Tansy, Frankincense, Vetiver, Patchouli & Fractionated Coconut Oil.
It is a blend for those with anxiety, ADD or ADHD.  I have been using it when I feel overwhelmed.  Love it!

The blend, Shield contains the oils:  Clove, Cinnamon Bark, Lemon, Eucalyptus, and Rosemary.
It is an oil to help ward off germs, colds, etc.  It helps protect.  I use this oil almost every day by rubbing a couple of drops on the bottom of my feet.  You just don't know when you are going to come in contact with someone who is sick and none of us want to be sick, do we?!

You can use either oil blend topically or aromatically.  

You can click here to see the other oils and products Spark Naturals sells.  If you do want to buy anything please feel free to use my discount: dotsanddoodles.  It will get you 10% off your purchase!  You can use the code over and over.  

If you haven't tried essential oils but have been curious about them or if you want to try an affordable, good quality oil, please consider Spark Naturals.  I think you will like them!

Knock Knock Knock Knock!

Anyone still out there?!!!!
It has been a long time in "blogland" time of me posting a new post here!

I just haven't been sewing much this summer so the blog has been on the back burner for some time now.

Plus summer is just busy here in Wyoming!  Everyone who lives here knows how short the summers are.  You try to get outside every chance you have before the cold comes again.  This summer has been full of gardening (not going too good this year), to Big Birthday trips, to family reunions.

I did get a bit of sewing in the last part of July.  These darling babies are my grandkids.  The littlest one is missing in these pics since he doesn't walk yet.  Let me tell you....trying to get 6 kids, 6 and under, to cooperate for pictures was exhausting.  First picture the photographer took, the baby did a face plant on the concrete and cried for the next hour and a half.  The next child, 15 months, just kept getting up and walking off every time you sat her down.  Sigh.  Like I said....exhausting.

I had been wanting to make some clothes for the girls for awhile now so figured this would be the time to do it.  After quilting for so many years, it was hard to come back to sewing clothing!  Just reading a pattern was confusing to me at times.  I found a couple of cute patterns on etsy for the tops and used a pattern I already had for the capris/bloomers.  The fabric is from an Adornit line called Nested Owls that I picked up at the Utah Shop Hop in June.  I love it!
 

Ahhhhhh......I already miss these munchkins!

Quilt Contest---would love your vote!

I entered this quilt over at Quilting Gallery this week.  Would love it if you would vote for me!  You can go HERE to see the quilts and then vote.  THANK  YOU!!!
 

2013 BOM

I guess it's about time I show our 2013 BOM from our LQS.  Again, this year we have the option to make the pieced blocks in 2 different colorways.  This is the pink version.

Here is the autumn colorway.  The setting is a Circle of Nine with appliqued leaves.  Will make a beautiful Fall quilt.

The applique "quilt" is not a true quilt this year.  We are making 3 small wall hangings.  This is the first one.  We have already made the flowers, watermelon and now are making the ladybugs in March.  I am still debating on whether I can save all my blocks and make it into a Season quilt at the end of the year.  I will have to see what the next quarter's blocks look like before I decide.

Along with how to make the blocks each month, we are given more ideas on how to add to our wall hanging.  Here are some placemats, table runner and dish cloth.

Our BOM's are a bargain compared to what I hear about other ones around the country.  We only have to pay for our first month's block ($10) and then if we bring it back finished the following month, the next pattern is FREE!  It makes being home on each second Saturday of each month a must!  If we do miss a month, we only have to pay $7 for the pattern/fabric.  We all try really hard to make our quilts be only $10!

I have a new blog post on http://rippinstitchers.blogspot.com/ if you are interested in seeing our quilt guild's happenings this month.  We didn't have many show and tells but it has been fun getting to know some new women in the valley.

Fons and Porter Freebies!

About a week ago and I was contacted by the Online Media Coordinator from Fons and Porter.  Am I the only one that didn't know F & P had FREE booklets to share with the world?!!!  I was asked if I would review their Log Cabin booklet for them and share what I thought on my blog.

Ok.......sure!!!

I printed the 24 pages out so I could really look at each page.  Can I just say right now that I have always loved Fons and Porter?!  I have even traveled to their store in Winterset, Iowa.  Such a CUTE town!  But this was such a nice treat.....a booklet that is really worth the color ink it takes to print it out!
The booklet tells a bit of history on Log Cabin quilts in the first couple of pages but them quickly turns into a pattern book.  All for FREE!

I count 6 FREE patterns in this little booklet!
This one has really caught my eye and is on my "someday I need to make this" calendar!

All directions are included.  The last few pages talk about binding with piping and Liz' lumpless binding.
So many pictures and great patterns!
This is a wonderful booklet for any quilter.  My daughter has been wanting to make her own Log Cabin quilt for several years now.  I am going to have to share this link with her!  You also can click on the link and sign up to get the free booklet!
http://www.fonsandporter.com/landing/free-log-cabin-quilt-patterns
Enjoy!

You can also go to http://www.mccallsquilting.com/free-modern-quilt-patterns and receive their Modern Quilt Pattern booklet too!