Grand Finale winner!

Puddles of Grace is our Day #12 winner of the Flannel Days fat qtr. bundle. Colorado is the perfect place for a flannel quilt. Enjoy!

Thanks to all of you who have commented this year on my blog. I truly appreciate your time and enjoy reading every one. If you haven't won a KT giveaway so far, don't despair, there's lots more coming your way in 2012. I just received a huge box of strips from Moda that I'll HAVE to share from next year's Christmas line, Holiday Medley. Quilt shops will be introduced to all the new collections for the holidays in Jan., so watch for a sneak peek in February.

Robert had to work Christmas Day, but I enjoyed brunch with my son and his girlfriend after church, then my parents came over for dinner after R got home. I made an easy crock pot Chicken Marsala that Pam Buda shared with me. So simple but a little more elegant that your normal chicken/pasta dish. Everyone loved it! For dessert, I made a banana cream pie - R's fav - but added a little twist with a layer of dark chocolate on the crust before adding the bananas and pudding. (Just sprinkle mini dark chocolate chips in a still warm crust, let sit a few minutes and spread with a knife.) I think it helps keep the crust from becoming soggy and who doesn't love the addition of chocolate to anything??  All in all, a very quiet, but wonderful day. Today, I've puttered around all morning, picking up after having a grankid for a week. I always seem to get a burst of organizing energy each year after Christmas. As much as I love all the decorations and special holiday decor, I'm always ready to return to "ordinary time" as my sister says, doing some major cleaning and purging. It's an instant lift for me. Since Moda and our other main distributors are closed this week, it's a time for us to catch up at work, too. Seems a week is never enough!

Here's the Chicken Marsala recipe. It would great for a New Year's celebration, too!

6 boneless chicken breasts
1/2 cup butter
1 pkg. Good Seasons salad dressing mix
2 cans Golden Mushroom soup
1 cup Marsala cooking wine
1 large can mushroom stems and pieces, drained or 1 1/2 fresh mushrooms, sliced
8 oz. tub cream chees with chives & onion
1 lb. pasta - linguini, penne, etc. cooked according to instructions
Parmesan cheese shreds
 Place chicken in crock pot. In a large bowl, soften butter and cream cheese. Add seasoning, soup, wine, cream cheese and mushrooms; mix well. Pour over chicken; cook in crock pot on LOW 5-6 hours. Serve chicken and sauce over hot pasta sprinkled with shredded parm cheese. Add breadsticks and a green salad for the perfect dressed up dinner that's everyday easy. Yum!

KT Countdown to Christmas Day #12 Finale

Okay, my Friday post didn't upload automatically - sorry. Here it is on Sat. - last day of Countdown to Christmas. Day #11 winner of the Bird's Eye View BOM is kshackabq. Thanks for following my blog suring this busy, crazy time of year.

Now, Day #12 of Countdown to Christmas. Just one last chance to comment and you could open your mailbox to a fat 1/4 bundle of Flannel Days fabric. I've really enjoyed working and playing with it - it's so cuddly soft and yummy. Winner will be announced Monday Dec. 26th, so make a Christmas wish and hit enter!

It's not too late to ask for an Alaskan Quilting Cruise for Christmas. Pam and I are so excited about our Great Girlfriend Getaway in August 2012. There are lots of emails flying between Kansas and Illinois full of plans and surprises, so don't wait to book your spot!

Have you ever been on a quilting cruise?

KT Countdown to Christmas Day #11

I'm so glad to have discovered the random number generator early this year so I don't have to select a winner. All of your comments have been so fun to read - thanks! In answer to one comment, the Mini Table Treats are each 17" round.

Congratualtions to Jayne from TX - we'll be sending a dozen MTT patterns to you next week! Please email your address to ktquilts@twinvalley.net.

Two more chances, ladies, to win a KT prize. For today, I'll be sending a lucky someone the very first, signed copy of our new BOM, Bird's Eye View. It will literally hit the presses on Monday after Christmas, so the winner will have to be a little patient :).

The winner of Thursday's giveaway will be announced along with Friday's winner on Saturday. I'll be out of town with the granddaughters overnight and we'll be very, very busy....or so I hear.

Don't miss Friday's final prize - especially if you like soft, fuzzy stuff.

Countdown to Christmas Day #10

Congratulations to the winner of the Perennials fat 1/8 bundle, QuiltinginMinn. Maybe this little bundle of fabric will help inspire you to get your personal creative space in order. I can't imagine having to move!     


A dozen Mini Table Treats patterns are up for grabs today for a mere moment of your time and a comment. With the additon of Frost, Pinwheel and Spoolin' Around, there's a different motif for almost every month of the year! All of the MTT are available on our website (or will be soon!) for just $5 each. They are a great gift idea since it only takes about 3 hours and $15 worth of materials to make each one.

Thanks for all the suggestions for my glaring windows. Someone asked what I see out that window, so I took a shot of my grandaughter, Aleece, playing in the newfallen snow here yesterday. She ran and played with Gus until he was begging to come back inside. I didn't enjoy the weather quite so much. My car doors were frozen shut so we were truly snowed in and couldn't get into town. Lots of hot chocolate and movies saved the day so I could work for a few hours.

Are you a cold weather gal? What kind of outdoor activities do you look forward to each year? I love watching the snow from my comfy chair with a quilt, a book and a cup of hot tea. How about you?

Countdown to Christmas Day #9

Monday's winners of the Primitive Quilts magazines are Grandma M and Ronnie. Hope you enjoy perusing all the wonderful projects.

Today's prize is a fat 1/8 bundle of Perennials fabrics. It blends especially well with the new Sandhill Plums with the rich plum/purples, greens and golds and classic KT reds and blues. While taking pictures of the prizes, I decided to share my design space with you. Here's the Perennials bundle sitting on the loveseat in the corner of my studio where I relax, read quilting books and magazines, and edit patterns. We used to have a twin bed in here for the grankids, but this little sofa bed from IKEA takes up so much less space and is comfy, too.

Here's a look at where I work, designing quilts and gazing out the window - writing this blog, too. Note that I had to cover the window with an old quilt on stretcher bars to keep the glare down. How ironic that I wanted a big window to be able to see out, but the sunshine glares on my computer screen so much, I have to cover it up! I'm checking into having the window tinted or glazed to cut the glare and prevent sun fading, too. Any suggestions?

Countdown to Christmas Day #8

The winner of Sunday's KT tin with mini charms is Melody. Congratulations! Hope you enjoy playing with a little bit of KT - actually over 100 different prints.

We had a great weekend even  though I'm dragging today. Late nights, lots of laughs, too much rich food. Wonderful memories! Robert and I received gift certificates to dinner and tickets to our local community theatre, which we enjoy. Plus some gourmet beer and snacks for our Christmas Eve alone - fun stuff! My daughter, Nicole, found a beautiful cashmere scarf for me to go with my new winter coat and bought R an MP3 player he's been coveting. The best gift of all was a picture of my 3 handsome sons, all together for the first time at Christmas in 5 years. The bestest part was having all 4 of my kids and grankids together - all night/day. We had a blast. Wishing you all this much fun for Christmas this year.

Today's giveaway is the newest issue of Primitive Quilts with our Starry Flight quilt on the cover. This one makes flying geese even easier with raw edge applique triangles for a fun, frayed look and feel. I actually have 2 to share with 2 lucky winners. We haven't advertised on our web page, but we have a few more of these kits left, if anyone is interested.

I think these sisters do a great job of putting together a beautiful magazine. Thanks for allowing me to be a part of a couple of your first issues.

How about commenting on your affection/addiction/allergies to wool projects today? I'm hooked, how about you?

Countdown to Christmas Day #7

Carrie P. (who takes a drive in the mountains each year) is the winner of the Sandhill Plums strips. Thanks for hanging in there ladies (and gentlemen). Halfway there with a fun little treat for you today - a KT tin filled with 4 mini charm packs.

My 4 kids, their spouses and 5 grandkids all spent the night at the building for our Christmas slumber party. Gotta get the egg casserole and apple french toast in the oven soon.

The little kids are already asking to open presents.

See you tomorrow for another KT giveaway. Lynne

KT Countdown to Christmas Day #6

Ladies, thank you so much for sharing your favorite Christmas gifts with me. I teared up reading several and can totally relate to the statement that it's who gave you something and how they did it that makes it even more memorable.

It's just a week until Christmas, so we need to keep moving along on our Countdown. Congrats to Lesley (pine hutch is favorite gift) who won the set of 3 QM 100 Quilt Blocks magazines and Debbie (homemade vanity) who will receive the 6-pack of charm patterns. Thanks for commenting!

Day #6 brings a bundle of Sandhill Plums assorted strips. Moda generously sent a box of leftovers after cutting swatches for their salesmen so we have lots to share. With strips between 2" and 7", it's like getting several Jelly Rolls!

Share one of your favorite family holiday traditions here, if you wish.

I'd love to know how you celebrate the season.

See you tomorrow!

KT Countdown to Christmas Day #4 & 5

Day #3's winner is Laura from Phoenix - congrats and enjoy the tin full of Warm Memories. I loved reading all your comments about your favorite holiday treats. I'm inspired to try several - I know the grankids would really enjoy the candy cane cookies. My weakness is dark chocolate, so any cookies made with that and I'm off my diet. Breads are a close second - banana, pumpkin, cranberry, cinnamon rolls - mmmmm......

For Friday, we're going to do Day #4 and 5 (since I goofed on Wednesday). We can't let this Countdown to Christmas run over the 25th! Soooo, the 2 prizes for today will be a set of 3 QM 100 Quilt Blocks (issues #2,3,4) and a six pack of my favorite charm patterns - Summer Joy, KT Classic, Signs of Fall, Churn Dash, Cockscomb & Deck the Walls.

As I was shopping for the last couple of gifts on my list today, I remembered some of the most wonderful gifts I've ever received for Christmas. One of my all time favs is from jr. high when my parents gave me a rabbit fur jacket with leather sleeves. It seemed so cool and outrageously extravagant for the time (and not very politically correct now) and I wore it for years until the fur was almost all rubbed off. As a young Mom, my favorite things were the homemade ornaments and cards from my kids with glitter, Cheerios, buttons or yarn. I still have them and get them out each year. Recently, the best gift ever was my studio at the cabin. I really will take a picture soon and post it for you all to see where I work. I'm still rearranging and tweaking.
What was one of your favorite gifts and why?

KT Countdown to Christmas Day #3

Wednesday 10:20pm
Dang, dang, double dang! Just checked in to see how the comments for today were going and you weren't there! My post from last night didn't automatically go up this morning (I'm sure due to user error) so here it is for Thursday. We'll double up down the line to catch up. I've had quite a day - dentist, shopping, editing/printing/stuffing/shipping patterns and a big date night with Robert. We went to a Clint Black concert in a small old movie theatre converted into a stage that is just the coolest venue. Haven't really listened to his stuff for several years but sang along like it was yesterday. Sorry again about the delay on Day #3, but had a great excuse for just now getting home :). Merry Christmas to me!

Day #2 winners of a Quiltmaker 100 Quilt Blocks magazine are Happy Cottage Quilter, Jan and icraftnqlt. Congrats, ladies. Santa will have your prize delivered and under the tree in a flash.

For Day #3, we have a Moda Jelly Roll tin stuffed with 22 assorted Warm Memories fat 1/8's. Interested? Just comment here about your favorite holiday treat (I need some inspiration for our Christmas get-together this weekend).

  

KT Countdown to Christmas Day #2

Carol and LKDrum are our winners of Day #1 Primitive Quilts magazine. Please send your mailing addresses and I'll get Robert right on it. I warned him about the daily giveaways in our countdown and his response was, "Well of course you're giving away stuff right now since there's nothing else going on..." Aren't husbands so understanding? My 10-year-old grandson Cooper's reply to Grampa now is "Can you spell sarcasm?" Gotta love it!

Okay, for Day #2 in our Countdown to Christmas, more magazines - 3 of the newest Quiltmaker 100 Blocks! Three lucky quilters will each win a magazine if they comment by 10pm tonight. Here's a look at my block with Sandhill Plums and Cattails fabrics. It's so much fun to transform a traditional block with a gazillion pieces into a simply doable raw edge applique version. My daughter, Nicole, turned 30 this year and selected this block (30 of them) in a really scrappy quilt as her birthday gift. I just hope I can finish it before she turns 31!

Do you buy this magazine for the eye candy & inspiration or actually make some of the blocks? Watch later during the Countdown for a set of Issues #2,3,and 4!

Countdown to Christmas Day 1

Once again, congratulations to all the winners of the Sandhill Plums strips and the stack of 1300 charm squares. We'll be boxing up and shipping off the goodies on Tuesday when Robert's back in the office. Thanks so everyone who came by to visit. To keep the holiday spirit soaring, let's keep giving away good stuff! For the next 12 days before Christmas, we'll be offering a few more chances to win something for your stocking. Check in each day, leave a comment by 10pm CST and cross your fingers and toes that the random number generator will hear your plea.

For Day #1, my true love did not give me a partridge in a pear tree (thank goodness!) but uncovered 2 more of the Fall 2011 issue of Primitive Quilts and Projects magazine. It sold out early, so here's your chance to win one to complete your collection. It just happens to be a bonus that our Summer's Last Bloom quilt made the cover. The winners will receive a magazine and a few fabric squares to get started on the quilt.

Do you subscribe/purchase Primitive Quilts magazine?
See you Tuesday, Lynne

Moda Blog Hop Winners will be Merry, Merry

Wasn't the Moda Merry Blog Hop just too much fun? I've had a great time peeking into my fellow designer's lives to see what they were up to this holiday season. So many creative, generous women all working together for the best fabric company - period.

Congratulations to Sarah Z, Shelley and Brenda! The 3 of you will each receive a bundle of Sandhill Plum strips - assorted widths from 2" to 6" - to enjoy before the fabric arrives in quilt shops in February. Thanks to everyone who commented during the Moda Merry Blog Hop. I love reading all your comments and appreciate your support.

It's not too late to have a little surprise under your sewing machine for Christmas. Join us for Countdown to Christmas beginning Monday for a little treasure each day for 12 days. There are odds and ends of KT finds from magazines and fabric scraps to precuts and patterns. I've even been cleaning out the back room and found a few cool things leftover from our quilt retreat days. Join me here Monday morning for the first day of fun.

After a couple days of "The Cruds", I'm back in action today, ready to decorate for our family Christmas - next weekend! No need to panic since the tree is already decorated under a big bag in the back room with just a little fluffing required. With our 12 foot ceilings at my design studio building where we gather, a queen quilt works as a wonderful wall quilt. A pile of Christmas quilts is ready to set the holiday theme and act as a backdrop to the festivities. Now, just a few last minute gifts to find, packages to wrap, cookies to bake, beds to make....I'll try to remember to share a few pictures this year. See you all Monday, Lynne

And the winner is....

The wait is over - finally! Congratulations to DebrafromMD! The random number generator gods have smiled on you today. Thanks to Debra and everyone who so faithfully commented over the past 2 weeks. It's been so fun reading all your comments and overwhelming to have over 1000 for one giveaway. Some of your names appear so often I feel we should be chatting on the phone! Thanks again for following my blog. But don't despair if you didn't win today. Beginning Monday, we're starting a 12 Days of Christmas giveaway - something new each day for 12 days. I've been gathering up all kinds of things as I clean and organize and would love to share with all of you - issues of Primitive Quilts, 100 Quilt Blocks, APQ; odds and ends of KT fabrics; a tin full of mini charms; a bundle of patterns - so much good stuff!

Sorry this post is so late today but the bug that's been going around bit me yesterday and I've been slow to start this morning. Better now than next weekend when all the kids/grandkids will be here for Christmas. It has made me feel warm all over, though to announce the winner of the Grand Finale 1300 KT charm squares. Hope you all come back next week to countdown to Christmas. This is just so much fun!
Lynne

Deadlines, deadlines...

There are only 2 days left of the Moda Designer Blog Hop. Make sure to visit Camille of Thimbleblossoms, Kathy Schmitz at her blog, Edyta of Laundry Basket Quilts, Kate Spain's blog and Lisa Bonegean at Primitive Gatherings to see what's going on in their quilting worlds. I'm sure these creative ladies have a whole lot of fun in store of you.

You have one more chance to comment to win the 1300+ KT charm squares (see previous post) before the winner is announced tomorrow. Good luck to everyone!

And, tomorrow is the deadline to comment for a chance to win the new Sandhill Plums strips - there will be 3 winners! - here or in previous Moda Blog Hop posts. So much to giveaway this season!

But it's not all over yet! Check back on Monday to see what I have in store for the KT Countdown to Christmas! I've been cleaning and organizing and finding all kinds of interesting stuff  to share. That starts Monday, December 12th.

Moda Designer Blog Hop

Hello! and welcome to another edition of Moda's Designer Blog Hop. At market, we all decided to share the bounty as a holiday "Thank You" to all the quilters out there in blogland. Four or five designers will host one day this week, so make sure you stop by each and every one of them. Along with me today are Joanna at Fig Tree, Julie of Cosmo Cricket, Lucie from Summersville and Liz at Paper Pie. Some of us have been around Moda for a while, some are brand new - how fun to get to know everyone thru a blog hop!

As for KT, our world is all about Sandhill Plums right now - stitching, writing, editing patterns, etc. We're thrilled to share some bundles of this brand new line for our blog giveaway this week. Just comment here before Friday, Dec. 9th, 10pm. to be eligible to win an assortment of strips (3-6" wide) of Sandhill Plums. No one else will have it until February!

Somehow, I'm out at the cabin and my link for the recipe and quilt block are in town. It's 18 degrees here, so I'm not too keen on getting out again tonight. :)  I'll post it as soon as I can tomorrow.

Okay, it's a sunny 24 this afternoon so I've ventured out to post the link to my recipe and quilt block. I've used the block for a couple of upcoming projects with just a few changes. It's been fun to play with. Hope you enjoy playing with all the block, too.

http://www.unitednotions.com/LA_KT_BLOCK.pdf


Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to comment on my previous post for our Grand Finale Charm Giveaway. Enjoy the blog hop and have a happy, happy holiday season.

Moda Designer Blog Hop

It's a cold, damp Monday here in Kansas. A perfect day to stay home with a hot cup of tea and cruise over to my fellow Moda designer's blogs. Hop on over to Minick and Simpson, Anne Sutton of Bunny Hill, Barb Groves of Me & My Sister and Deb Strain of Saltbox Studio today to kick off the 5-day Moda Designer Blog Hop. There's a block pattern and recipe at each website to download - free - as our little holiday gift to you. I'm sure there will be a few other surprises along the way, too.

Join me back here tomorrow for a chance to win something Sandhill Plums. And stay tuned for the BIG WINNER revealed on Friday of more than 1300 charm squares (see previous posts).
Happy Blog Hopping!