Spring, National Quilting Day, cranky, & a question

Welcome Spring, & Happy National Quilting Day!!!!

Here's the continuation of the story 
of my long, stretched out birthday celebration -
and the quilt shop trip with a friend...

After fabric and cheese and more cheese shopping,
one of the stops on my birthday quilt shop trip
was an antique shop (aka - smoking cat shop,  as it reeked of smoke and every single item in there was smothered in cat hair.)
The smoking cat shop ended up being worth the stop,
because, using up almost all of my remaining birthday$$,
that is where I picked up my cranky:

Happy Birthday to me!!!  Isn't it (or she) a beauty?
A Jones' Family CS, Queen Alexandra, hand-crank model;
manufactured in Guide Bridge, Manchester, England.
(I'll have to come up with a name for it, as that is a mouthful!)

I love it!, though I haven't sewn with it yet, 
as it needs a needle. :(
So, my question is for those who have/use 
Jones CS Family machines:
Does anyone know if (or has tried) the modern Groz-Beckrt dbx-1 needle, 
and is it a compatible replacement on these Jones machines?
(I'd appreciate any insight into using this machine - thanks!)

My weekend plan is to celebrate the beginning of Spring 

by baking some sweets (that must include some dark chocolate :)

&  for National Quilting Day -

by doing some long-arm quilting, playing with fabrics, and 
starting the piecing on the beginning of the needed FIVE baby quilts.

What are your plans?
Are you celebrating the beginning of Spring
and NQD also?
Hope so!

even if you make it a month...not enough time

Bad news:  National Quilting Day has come and gone again this year...
Good News:  National Quilting Month is still alive and kicking!!!!

I spent the weekend with a friend
and we sewed
and sewed and sewed...

I have great intentions...

Self, I say,

don't start anything new

until you finish something already going.

Well, what did self do? 

Self started something new...

Friend and I both had purchased the same kit at one time or another...
We thought we would get together and stitch this up... together, a finished top.
We got together over the weekend -
in honor of National Quilting Day/Month...
And stitch we did.

Until we came to the blue with stars...

Here's the pattern:

Here's the fabric in the kit:

Notice that the stars are off-set,
so anyway you cut it, stars are hacked off through the points.
Even if you cut it on the bias, the stars were still going to be cut off.

Neither friend nor I could put this

blue star fabric into our quilt with the stars cut off.

Here are the bars all finished:

and the sashings:

So, this left me with another started project...

I purchased (on the way out of town) some blue fabric,
and got home to my wool stash...

So, I say to self,

start cutting out little wool stars to applique

and this project will be done in no time!!!

Right???  Right... Right!!!

Happy National Quilting Day!!! & Winners!!!

or as I like to call it...
National Quilting Month!
(Give us a day, we'll take a month!)

My way of celebrating?
Sounds like the same ways that you all will be celebrating:

Cutting, piecing,
sewing, quilting,
hand stitching,
eating, laughing with friends,
a little shopping,
more laughing, more eating,
a little organization...
and, oh, yeah, a little giveaway...
well you get it- a lot of a little bit of things -
all in the vein  thread of this quilting hobby obsession  fun.

But, on to the giveaway:

Thanks, everyone for taking the time to enter -
I enjoyed reading your plans.
Seems like I am not the only one celebrating more than just the day!

Congratulations,

WINNERS!!!

 of my

National Quilting Day/Month Giveaway:

 #2 - the Woolen Cellar -

five half yard cuts from my Civil War Fabric collection,

including the cheddar
(:that I have drooled all over! just kidding, really!:)

#9 - Marlene - Stitching By the Lake -

the four half yard cuts of Fig Tree Fabrics,

 (: also drooled all over - not really :)

#13 - Mary on Lake Pulaski -

the Itty Bitty Primitive Pinwheels pattern/ruler and top fabric kit

(: this one I have my own, so no drool, sorry! :)

Girlies, I will send you an email -

 please respond with your mailing address

 so I can get this loot on it's way to you!!!

(Sorry, everyone else - wish I had more to give away) -

But I hope you have a great National Quilting Day/Month also,

with lots of laughter, accomplishment, enjoyment & Stitching!

Happy Stitching!

giveaway

This month is National Quilting Month!!!

OK, really it is not the whole month,

but the DAY - the 3rd Saturday of March.

The National Quilt Association declared this Holiday

twenty years ago.

But, you know us quilters,

give us a day and we take a month...

I think it may now be considered

a National Holiday,

don't you??!?

How will you "observe" this holiday???

Take off work?

Spring Clean (or maybe just organize your stash)?

Hit the local Quilt shops on your own little shop hop?

Do a charity project?

I might just do a little of all of the above!

And, I am going to celebrate this holiday

by having a giveaway!!!

I have hinted at this a couple of times, so here goes...

in observance of National Quilting Month,

here's my giveaway...

Three chances at a little something from me to you:

1. a bundle of fabrics (from my collection) used in "A Path to the Civil War"

yep, there's some of that cheddar that makes me drool...

2. a bundle of Fig Tree fabrics "Buttercup"-

so peachy-pretty, (I'm making myself a new apron from this!)...

3. a gadget of some sort...

how about the new Primitive Gatherings

"Itty Bitty Primitive Pinwheel"

ruler/pattern for the cutest littlest twister
(& a fabric kit for the top)...

Leave me a comment on this post,

with which of the three gifts you would choose if you won,

and

tell me how you will celebrate

National Quilting Day or Month. *

The drawing will close at midnight (eastern standard time),

March 17th. 

That's two weeks! GO!

Tell your friends (or not!  :)  .

At least tell them "Happy National Quilting Day or Month from me!

*the fine print:

I will email the winners for their shipping address

and send my gifts just after National Quilting Day.  

Don't forget that I need to get hold of you if you are a winner,

so leave your email if you are a no-reply person.

If I can't get hold of you or you don't respond to my email I will re-draw another winner.

Happy National Quilting Month

(I'm going with month!),

&

Happy Stitching!!

giveaway closed - thanks for entering