March 02, 2014

An Anniversary Giveaway!

As of today, I have been blogging for a full year! I can hardly believe how quickly a year has passed. I guess it does make sense though - after all, time flies when you're having fun, and I have been having sooo much fun.

"For the Birds" hop
"Say it with Flowers" hop


I have taken on the challenge of making projects to follow a theme with Mme. Samm's blog hops at Sew We Quilt. My next one will be "Flags on a Stick" which runs from March 25 - April 3.


 

I have added to my WIP pile after seeing the cute patterns or quilts posted by other bloggers.
And Sew On BOM by Kristy at Quiet Play
I have participated in a mug rug swap, with my partner living in Australia, and I hosted two giveaways that had me sending projects to Saskatchewan, Texas and Oregon. It has been so much fun to think of things I made living in different places around the world.
One of two mug rugs I sent to Australia
I've even started designing. So far my Craftsy Pattern Store has only one pattern, but soon there will be more.
Portrait of a Snowman
And I have been writing! That was one of the reasons I started a blog in the first place. I wanted to be writing, but with no deadlines and intense amounts of self-doubt, I wasn't writing at all. Now, a year later, I have almost a year's worth of devotions written (I didn't post any while we were in Florida on vacation). You can find them all here on my Devotions page.

So, to celebrate my blogging anniversary, I'm having another giveaway. I shared last week that I was working on some embroidery. This little mini quilt is the result.
The embroidery was designed by Kristyne of Pretty by Hand (a fellow Canadian). Her two samples were turned into a cute bag and a framed piece, but in the interest of being able to mail this to the winner of the giveaway, I made mine into a mini. I don't know if it qualifies as a quilt, since there are no stitches holding the three layers together except around the edges, but it's so small that I don't think that will matter. And I thought quilting would take away from the simplicity of the design.
This gives you a better idea of the size of this piece.
I really enjoyed doing the embroidery. I love the quirkiness of the flowers and how no two are quite alike. I also like how the whole thing was done with only three stitches - stem stitch (which I had never been able to do properly before), lazy daisy stitch and french knots.

It was especially fun to work on such pretty flowers because right now THIS is our reality...
Not a flower in sight. Not even soon to be in sight, judging by the depth of the snow. To give you a better idea of just how much snow we have, this is a picture I posted of our house back in August. See how high off the ground our big living room windows actually are? Right now the mounds of snow keep creeping closer and closer to them. We are lucky to live on a hill up from the road. Many people whose houses are level with the road see nothing but snow when they look out their windows.
To enter the giveaway, and maybe have those pretty flowers to brighten your day, just leave me any comment. I'll keep the giveaway open until next Monday morning (the 10th) so I can link it up everywhere I can think of to celebrate. The giveaway is open to anyone, anywhere in the world.

Thank you so much for reading over the past year and for leaving me so many wonderful comments. It's great to be a part of this quilting, blogging community.

Here's to another year of having soooo much fun!

26 comments:

  1. Allow me to be the first to congratulate you on one full year of blogging. I have been blogging for 6 whole months now and loving it. I also wanted to be writing without deadlines. I so love your devotionals and look forward to the ever week.
    Chris from Ontario

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mother Nature and Old Man Winter need an attitude adjustment. Snow again today in Oklahoma. Tired of winter. crystalbluern at onlineok dot com

    ReplyDelete
  3. Congratulations on your bloggaversary! I am ready for spring to get here with green grass, blooming flowers, and budding trees.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Leanne! Your giveaway stitchery is just wonderful. We are having a very snowy winter here in NS too. Lots of quilting getting done though. Thanks for the chance to win your giveaway and congrats on one year of blogging.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Congrats on your bloggaversary! Your switchers is so pretty, I am way past ready for the weather to turn warm and sunny

    ReplyDelete
  6. yay!! congratulations! It's such a fun community isn't it?

    So sorry about the snow. I so hope we're done with it after our "arctic blast" tomorrow.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Congratulations on your first blogaversary! You have made wonderful projects in your year of blogging, I lock forward to seeing what you do next.

    Hope your snow disappears soon.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Best wishes on your blogaversary - You have had a busy year! I love the thought of some flowers too! Hi from chilly Michigan!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Happy 1st Blogiversary! I look forward to seeing another year of beautiful projects! :) -Brittany

    ReplyDelete
  10. Happy Bloggy Birthday! We are also covered with snow - perfect days to stay in and sew!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I hope you have enjoyed your first year. Congratulations.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Congrats!!! And seriously...that snow is a ton!!! Hang in there!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Congrats for hitting your year!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Very pretty. Makes me want to make this if I don't win. Congratulations!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Enough is enough for the snow, eh? But just think of all that green grass that is waiting to spring forth once it melts. Come on spring! And congrats on your blogiversary and here's to many more to come!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Congratulations on your first Blogaversary :)

    I have been blogging for about 14 months now, am not that regular, but love reading your blog.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Happy Blogaversery.. my 3 year is coming up soon and I like the idea of something you made being the prize for winning... thanks for the chance for some of your needlework! Love that little quilt piece you embroidered a LOT! Already have a space picked out if I am lucky enough :) Kathi P. S. Hope you are staying warm under all that snow!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Congratulations on your blogger birthday.......hope you will continue recording your sewing achievements!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Congrats and well done! Your mini is absolutely gorgeous - I wish I could stitch like that!!!

    ReplyDelete
  20. I'd be inside sewing too with all that snow! I love the mini quilt!
    Sew on~ ~ ~ ~
    Patti

    ReplyDelete
  21. Congratulations on reaching your first blogging anniversary. We still have plenty of snow covering the ground here in NY. Your little quilt looks like a harbinger of spring.

    ReplyDelete
  22. what a pretty little piece! congratulations on a full year (minus florida - lol) of writing! how fun. =)

    ReplyDelete
  23. Congratulations on your year of blogging! Your projects are all so cute. Your mini with the embroidered flowers is really beautiful!

    Susie

    ReplyDelete
  24. Congratulations on your blogging anniversary! I love your Snowman portrait! And your flower mini is adorable!
    xo jan@ Sew and Sow Farm

    ReplyDelete
  25. Congrats on your blogging anniversary! Your embroidery on your mini quilt is just wonderful!

    ReplyDelete
  26. Congratulations on your one year blog anniversary, Leanne! I've just celebrated my 5th and I know how much fun you've had in your first year. You've done some very lovely work. My favorite is your Say it with Flowers = super! I invite you to link to Hexie Weekend, ends Monday midnight. Thanks for the chance!

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for taking the time to leave me a message. I love hearing from you.