Instagram -->

Come and see me sometime on:

Friday 29 March 2013

I'm in another Blog Hop YAY!!!

I asked really late to join this blog hop but Erin emailed me last night to say a spot had opened for me on April 9, 2013 and I can't wait to show you what I've made.  I think I might try and arrange a giveaway at the same time too as April is my birthday month so it seems only right to give at least one of you a present doesn't it?  I'll let you know what you can win on April 9.  See you then and don't forget about my Bee which is below this post we have one more space left for it.  I have a great tutorial for it and the blocks finish quite small and you can use a Charm Pack (or part of one) to make it too.  

UPDATE:  Sorry the Bee is now full. 

See you soon
Patti xxx
American by birth and MOUTH
but British in every other way
Pin It

Tuesday 26 March 2013

I am so excited about this

because it is the very first Bee that I have ever headed and I really want this to work so pelase come and join me.  What do you think of having a bee with Japanese X and + blocks? Because I really love them and I have only done them in solids so far.  Now I have headed up exchanges in cross stitching before but this is the first quilting bee I have ever headed.

These are what the Japanese X and + blocks look like using scraps of printed fabrics:


To belong to his bee all you have to do is email me at patreeshal@gmail.com and let me know you want to be in this quilting bee.

Not a lot of rules because I don't like loads of rules anyway:
1.  You MUST be committed to starting and finishing this 1 year Quilting Bee
2.  I will only take 12 other bloggers/non bloggers who want to be in this QB (that's Quilting Bee)
3.  You must be able to mail internationally because I, personally, live on this island called United Kingdom (or England) and have to mail internationally
4.  I have started a group on Flickr and if you click on the the first Flickr you will be taken there.

All you have to do to join this Bee is please email me at patreeshal@gmail.com and secondly join the Flickr group.  So in the words or when I was a kid Easy Peasy Japaneasy!

See you soon and
Much Love
Patti xxx
American by birth and MOUTH
but British in every other way
Pin It

Saturday 23 March 2013

Google Followers + The Winners

Now there has been a lot of talk about Google stopping their reader.  I know a lot of people are going over to other readers but I don't think I want to thanks.  There are currently two ways you can follow my blog:
1.  You can follow me by using GFC
2.  You can follow me by email

and I think that's enough ways.  I could go on Bloglovin and if you guys would prefer it please let me know and I could change my mind, I mean I do it so often that what's another change?  Nought!! (that's nothing to you Yanks)

I am also on Pinterest <---link which I am an addict of and NOW for the winners Ta Da!

The winner of the Ecolux light is:

No. 47 come in your time is up - no not really you aren't in a dingy or pedalo and as chosen by Mr. Randomizer


Who is Lori and this were her comments:

I am a follower.
and
I would name her Betsy. I would love to win the Ecolux light!

So Betsy is what my lovely machine is going to be called.  I didn't chose I let the winner chose but there were a heap of names I really liked so it was easy to let it be by chance.

Now the second winner for the fabric was somewhat harder because I had to keep on using Mr. Randomizer until I got a British or European commenter.  Don't worry I looked through all 97 entries to make sure I had all your numbers written on a piece of paper so I wouldn't miss whoever came up first.  I really should have asked you to put UK somewhere in your comment - so it took me longer to do - no biggie.  Anyway the winner of the lovely fabric is (after about 20 or so goes on Mr. Randomizer):

Who is 


I would call her Jenny, don't know why, it just popped into my head!
and
And I am a follower :o)
I will be writing to both winners letting them know the good news.  Thanks one and all for entering and also for suggesting such awesome names.  I have to admit my favorite was Agnes so maybe I could call her Agnes Betsy and then she would be able to get into the best private schools around. Well my cousin Allen's ex-wife said that unless I gave my Gracie two names she wouldn't get in to the best private schools so we called her Gracie Amelia after Gracie Alan and Amelia Aerhart.  Gracie Amelia was so fitting for her (she was our Yorkie and passed away last June and I miss her inordinately) as she was as funny as Gracie Alan had been and as brave as Amelia Aerhart.  
George Burns: Say Goodnight Gracie.  Gracie: Goodnight!


See you soon
Patti xxx
American by birth and MOUTH
but British in every other way

Pin It

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Wednesday 20 March 2013

MEET MY MACHINE BLOG HOP DAY 4 & GIVEAWAYS

It's my turn for the blog hop and I'm really excited.  Firstly thank you all for coming to my blog to hear about my sewing machine and what else I treasure.

Q. Please tell us about your sewing machine(s). How long have you had it/them? What do you love about it/them? Any critiques about the machine(s)?
I have a Janome TXL 607 which I purchased about 6 months ago and I love it.  I saw it at Lu Summers house and I figured if it was good enough for her then it would definitely be good enough for me and I LOVE IT.  It does everything I have ever wanted a sewing machine to do.  I had a Janome Jem Platinum 720 and it didn't have what I wanted so I sold it and purchased a Husqvarna Sapphire 870 which I bought second hand from a dealer and really didn't like at all.  I couldn't see over it - no I'm not short I'm vertically challenged, and I even bought a new (well to me anyway) Ikea table which was about an inch lower than the one I was trying to use but I still couldn't get on with it.  It's no good if you can't see what you are sewing and I had such good service from the person I bought the Husqvarna from that even though the company was up north I still bought the Janome from him.


Sorry I took this photo at night so it isn't great
but if you look very carefully you can see my Ecolux Light underneath
What do I love about it?  Well I can see what I'm sewing on the same table the Husqvarna was on.  It stiches straight stitches beautifully and to be honest I haven't tried anything else but I'm sure when I do try something else it will perform beautifully. I came with all kinds of feet and a large(ish) attachment table to go with it and I use the attachment all the time.

It's our granddaughter's 10th birthday tomorrow and she has been sewing on my machine for ages so I have bought her a Singer 4205 but although it has an electronic foot pedal it isn't electronic like my machine and the only way to make it go faster or slower is by the foot pedal so I think she will continue to use my machine for a while and I shall use this one when she is here as both machines are going to be living here when she gets it.

Q. What's your FAVORITE feature of your current machine?
The thread cutter on the machine.  I just love it.  You just push this little button and voila the thread is cut beautifully.  Another thing I really like about it is that I can have the needle down all the time and I don't have to keep programming it in.  It just does it every time I take my foot off the pedal.  It also has a feature where you can take out the foot pedal and press a start button and it just goes by itself at whatever speed you have set it at by the slider thingy.

Q. Do you have any critiques or issues with your current machine?
My one critique is that although I have only had this machine a little while the needle threader doesn't work or else I'm doing something wrong.  More likely than not it's me!!  But all the same it doesn't work and my eyes aren't the same as when I was 20 that's for sure.

Q. Does your machine(s) have a name? What is it?
She so should but she doesn't - sorry about that.  I had a name for my first car but I have never had a name for any of my sewing machines and there have been quite a few over the years.

Q. What's your favorite machine accessory or doo-dad?
Boy is that an easy one to answer.  It's without doubt and I don't even have to think about this one .....  it's my Ecolux Light which is superb.  I can even sew at night when the room is quite dark.  I even use it during the day - well the sun hasn't exactly been shining here of late.  Just look and see her in action:


With the Ecolux Light it just lights up the
whole throat.  LOVE IT!!!
It lights up the whole entire area and I thought the light on the Janome was good - forget it.  There are lots of things I could do without but not this light that's for sure.   It is THE BEST thing I have ever bought, besides my machine of course.  And if you look very carefully you can just about see the strip.  It is realy small and so easy to fit onto any machine.  Yes I am singing it's praises again because I love it so much and what's more if you have more than one machine you don't have to buy the whole kit again just another strip as you can just detach the plug thingy from the light and re-attach it to another light.  And no I DO NOT work for the company - I just love this light.

Q.  If you could have any machine at all, let's say you win one for free tomorrow, what would it be?It would be another Serger (Overlocker).  Dummy here sold hers when she got the Husqvarna thinking that it would be capable to serging too.  Boy am I ever sorry.  I want one again and will have one sooner or later because I really miss being able to serge all the raw edges.

Q. Show us your sewing space!
Ummm I would but it's in a bit of a mess sorry.  I can show you where I store some of my stash and stuff hope that will do.


I have around 8 of these filled with fabric I'm almost,
but not quite, ashamed to say.  And I love it all.
Now for the two giveaways.  The first one is only for the U.K. or Europe and it is from Backstitch who sell Klona (do not confuse with Kona) Solids.  They are amazing to use and I have gone on about these too.  Look I like what I like and I like these.  They are wider and cheaper than any other Solid Colours and are as heavy as Kona are.  Alice has said that she will give 2 meters of fabric to the first winner.  She will give you either 2 meters of one color, or 1 meter of two colors or 4 half meters of four different colors - the choice is yours.  Alice only sells quarter meters in packs but I'm sure if you wanted a delicious pack of fat quarters I'm sure Alice would let you put some money to what she is very generously giving as a prize. 



The second one is from the Kim Stewart who invented the Ecolux Light and she will ship Internationally.


What do you have to do to win either of these great  giveaways.  Easy Peasy - 

1.  Leave me a comment telling me what you would call my sewing machine
2.  Tell me you are a follower or become one and let me know please

Rules/Fine Print (because there must always be some!):
  1. Ecolux ONLY is open to International respondents
  2. The fabric is only open to UK and Europeans ONLY
  3. If you're a no-reply blogger, make sure to leave your email in your comment... no way to contact you = you can't win!
  4. Contest closes March 22, 2013 at midnight GMT (That's Greenwich Mean Time) 
  5. Winner announced shortly thereafter!
Good Luck all of you and I hope you think up a good name for my main machine - rather like my main man who trying to sleep beside me right now whilst I'm typing on this computer.

Here is the hopping schedule:
SUNDAY, MARCH 17

MONDAY, MARCH 18

TUESDAY, MARCH 19

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20

THURSDAY, MARCH 21

FRIDAY, MARCH 22

Please go and see all the Hoppers because you never know what you'll learn or win.

See you soon
Patti xxx
American by birth and MOUTH
but British in every other way

Pin It

Monday 18 March 2013

I'm a day late but not a Dollar Short!!!

I am pretty sure I emailed everyone last week and welcomed all my new followers.  If I didn't then I am really sorry and would like to welcome you all now.  I am so excited to have so many new followers because you guys totally ROCK!!!  Thank you all so much I really really appreicate you all - OLD and NEW.  THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH.  Okay I think that's enough grovelling for now.  But don't worry I will start again on Wednesday.  One can never grovel too much can one?  How do you all like this British stuff I have gotten into - you know the 'one' stuff.  The Queen talks like that all the time so I've decided that as I'm in her court so to speak I'd better start talking like her!!  Don't worry it'll never happen - I can't get rid of this Yankee accen't no matter how hard I try.  Okay I get it - you know I'm not really trying.  And you are so right I'm so not trying but saying 'one' with an American accent sounds really good.  It sounds like I'm trying.  According to DH I'm very trying!

I'm so sorry guys but this wonderful blog hop started yesterday and I didn't have time to post about it.  Can't think what I was doing but I sure wasn't posting on here that's for sure.  I think, if I remember correctly, I spent the whole day sleeping :-(  What a complete waste of a day I hear you say.  You are all so right as well.  It was a total waste!!

Sew at Home Mummy


Here is the hopping schedule:
SUNDAY, MARCH 17

MONDAY, MARCH 18

TUESDAY, MARCH 19

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20

THURSDAY, MARCH 21

FRIDAY, MARCH 22

Please go and see all the Hoppers because you never know what you'll get.

As you can see I am going to be posting my Hop on Wednesday and yes there will be two giveaways.  One will only be for the U.K. but the other one I will post internationally you will all be happy to hear.  See you all on Wednesday.

Hugs
Patti xxx
American by birth and MOUTH
but British in every other way

Pin It

Thursday 14 March 2013

And the Winners ARE.....



and the reason I can do this is because I have a Mac laptop and along with the Operating System comes a little program called Grab which lets me grab a whole screen or a portion of the screen and there we have it.  I grabbed a portion of the screen and saved it on my desktop and then got them in here as pictures.  I love this OS!

And the names to those numbers are:
You're too funny. I am a follower too.
and
I follow through GFC! I like 30 prints to make baby things and I have a new granddaughter! I love Chocolate cake with chocolate icing. I am a March girl myself and will think of us both not eating the cake. Sick of diets but that is my life. Come visit me!
So if you would both please email me your full names and addresses I will have your prizes in the mail in the next few days. 

Thank you all so much for entering and I am having another giveaway starting on Wednesday the 20th when I shall be participating in another Blog Hop which is called "Meet My Machine" and if you could all please put this Blog Hop on your blogs I would really appreciate it big time.

I am also going to be organizing a Quilting Block Bee which is going to be so much fun because I've done this block and it is really easy and so much fun to make so keep a watch out because I shall, hopefully, be publicizing this tomorrow.

Huge Hugs to you all and thanks again for entering into my little giveaway and blog hop.

See you soon
Patti xxx
American by birth and MOUTH
but British in every other way
Pin It

Friday 8 March 2013

Beat the Winter Blues – Quilters’ Blog Hop Party

Blog Hop Party with Give-Aways

Yep I'm having a party and it's not even my birthday until next month.  There will be balloons and cake and party favors (ok so no favors sorry guys) but there will be A GIVEAWAY (otherwise known as presents or a take home bag of sorts).  Cake is my most favorite thing in the whole world.  Well almost my most favorite thing, my DH and children and grandchildren really come first and then it's CAKE and PRESENTS (but CAKE first).  I mean what's a party without cake and presents!!! Everyone loves presents, especially me (as well as CAKE - can you tell I'm on a cakeless diet?)!!!  I'm just a kid at heart really.  Anyway this is a full CAKE and PRESENTS quilting party organised by non other than Michelle who has this GREAT website called The Quilting Gallery which I really love and she always organizes GREAT parties with loads of blogs participating.  

So what do you have to do to get into the swing of this party.  Not a lot really.  All I would really like you to do please is follow my blog, please - look I'm asking nicely for once and not being demanding at all and then let me know in a comment how you are following me.  And then this will be yours (I will mail anywhere in the world) well for one of you really or maybe even two can get the same.  Yep why not!!  Let's give this giveaway to 2 people and that way we shall have double the fun (if you're American like what I is I am not referring to DoubleMint gum).  Both giveaways will consist of:

A Selection of Aurifil Threads
the BEST threads in the world
for Quilting 

An Assortment of Reproduction
1930's Prints


After you have been here and are done and dusted with me why not go back to Michelle and see what other goodies are on hand from other Bloggers that you could win.  I'm going to that's for sure, seeing as I can't have any CAKE!!! Shucks!!!  I LOVE CAKE!  I HATE DIETS but I hate being fat more.  So no cake for me until my birthday and then I shall have all the cake I want for that one day.  Ummm it's Mother's Day here on Sunday (here=England) so maybe I will have a little bit of CAKE then.  If I do I'll let you know and even take some pictures so you can share in my CAKE of which there will surely be some as we are going there for TEA and no I don't drink tea at all and my (ok OUR) three and a half year old grandson Oli's favorite food is CAKE!!!
Yet again I almost forgot. This party is ending on March 14, 2013 (that is this year people) at about 21:00 my time which is GMT (Greenwich Mean Time which is here in England where the sun DOES NOT SHINE) and I am five hours ahead of NJ (that's New Jersey to the uninitiated) and from whence I hailed (no NOT a cab - I did not hail a cab) and 8 hours ahead of LA (where my brother and his family live).

Thank you so much for visiting with me - it really has been my pleasure to entertain you (at least I hope I have) and I will answer every single comment that is made.  I love getting comments from you guys.  And I was going to show you my latest production - no I haven't had a baby - I'm much too old but it is a quilt and I shall start hand quilting it very soon (by hand no less) and it's the very first one I have ever made and I love it and hope my darling daughter-in-law loves it too because it's for Chloe and I'm only around a year late but I can't wait to share it with you all.  So this will be all until next Friday - thank you so much for stopping by and GOOD LUCK one and all!

Lots of Love

Patti xxx
American by birth and MOUTH
but British in every other way

Pin It