Craftsy is having a SALE

Did you see that Craftsy is having a 60% off sale all weekend? 

In America this weekend is known as Memorial Day weekend whilst here in the UK it is just known as a Bank Holiday Weekend because it is a three day weekend.  

Memorial Day Weekend is exactly what it sounds like - tomorrow will be a day to honor all US war veterans so come and join Craftsy in honoring the brave men and women who have served in the US Armed Forces. My late father served in World War II so I will definitely be buying a class to honor him even though he passed away over 50 years ago.

For every class sold this weekend, Craftsy will donate a portion of the proceeds to benefit a veterans' organization. Select classes will be on sale up to 60% off! Not just sewing classes either. There are knitting, gardening and cooking classes too. There's even one on how to make croissants. YUM!

Sounds like a good time to go shopping to me! 

See you soon and in the meantime
Happy Stitching
Patti xxx
American by birthand MOUTH
but British in every other way

Welcome and Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

Welcome to all my new followers and I really hope you stay and like my blog as much as I really like writing it.  I hope I have emailed every single person that entered this giveaway - at least I think I have.  I mean it's only polite isn't it!!  And if I haven't well you can just call me dumb - I don't care because I think I really am lately.

DUMB DUMB DUMB!!  I knew that Google were doing away with some stuff besides their homepage but didn't realise that they were doing away with the GFC because, according to an email I got  that is what is happening because Google want us to use their Google+!

What a pain in the ass they are.  I don't want to be dictated to so I'm not going to be.  I'm big enough and ugly enough (I'm not really ugly just FAT) to make up my own mind and I have.  So if you want to keep following my blog, and I really hope you all will, please follow me here

Now on to the winner of my latest giveaway so drum roll please and will number

Carla and she said:

So will Carla please send me her snail mail name and address so I can pass this information on to the really lovely Julie of Intrepid Thread.

Well that's all from me for now except to say

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

It's For The Birds and A Giveaway

I know for a fact that I really have good manners and always say please and thank you as I have been taught.  So, I'm going to start my blog hop post with HUGE 

to our hostess, Mary, and to Madame Samm, the overall chief cook and bottle washer for all of these hops.  Thank you so very much I really appreciate all your hard work.

So it's my turn today.  Bet you thought I was going to show you something with a bird on a quilt block or mini quilt.  Well you would be so wrong!  In fact I am terrified of

real live birds and always have been, even as a small child.  I wanted a Parakeet in the worst way and for my 11th birthday my parents bought me one and I was so terrified of it that they gave it away to the little girl of the lady that cleaned for my late mother because she loved it and I so didn't!!!

But I LOVE sewing them with a vengeance.  So now I am going to show you a few of the things I have stitched and made with birds as the main theme and do hope you like them because I love them all.  Some have been made as gifts and some I made for me, so here goes

This was made as what is known as a
Sweet Bag and was actually
12" x 9" and was such a joy to make
and I put the recipients initials on it

Now we go from BIG to really little and it
is a scissor fob

This was a birthday present for
a Friend and her birth year is in
the middle of the birds and it is a pin cushion

This is my most favorite thing of all and
it was designed by Blackbird Designs
and instead of stitching it over 2 threads
I stitched it with one thread of
floss over one thread of 32count linen
It comes out a quarter of the size it should be

Now for the giveaway which has graciously been provided by Julie of Intrepid Thread 

1.  Go to Julies store which you can find the link to her store here <---link> and tell me in a comment on this post what is your most favorite (or favourite) thing that Julie sells and;

2.  Like me on here with Google Friend Connect please because the more likes I get on GFC (that's Google Friend Connect) the more sponsors I get and the more sponsors I get the more giveaways you get so leave me another comment telling me that you follow me please.

This is what Julie is giving to ONE lucky winner.
It is the cool colorway of Bonjour by Amanda Murphy
in Fat Quarters YAY

This giveaway is ending on Saturday May 18, 2013 at NOON because to have it for one day really isn't good enough.

Now please go and visit the other blogs that are taking part in this and they are:

Tuesday, May 14

http://www.intheboondocks.blogspot.com

http://mychellem.blogspot.com

www.thimblemouseandspouse.blogspot.com

www.quiltingandsewingarts.com

http://Sewgratefulquilts.wordpress.com

www.aquiltingsheep.com

http://tricia-ramblingsofaquilter.blogspot.com

http://sewmanyyarns.blogspot.com

www.moosestashquilting.blogspot.com

http://bethstrand.wordpress.com

http://quiltoo.blogspot.com YOU ARE HERE

http://teatimecreations.blogspot.ca/

http://secretlystitching.blogspot.gr/

As Warner Bros would say

THAT'S ALL FOLKS 

but I do hope that you have enjoyed my turn on It's For The Birds and I did tell you I was really polite - just look at all the please's in this one little email!

I hope to see you soon 

Patti xxx 

American by birth and MOUTH 

but British in every other way

Oh Dear It's Been Over a Week

I know the hours turn into days and the days into weeks and then I realise it's been over a week since I last posted anything.  Sorry but haven't been doing much, if any, sewing.  Been on my big fat arse watching TV and moaning about my mouth.  DH moans about it all the time, my mouth that is, but I had a tooth taken out this past week and my mouth hurts as much as before I had it taken out.

I have been pinning a lot on Pinterest though.  I LOVE Pinterest a lot.  Most of my boards are about quilting, well what else would they be about?!?  I mean ---- just think what else besides quilting, my grandchildren and watching TV and sleeping would I be interested in.

I have quite a few boards but my favorite boards are the ones where I keep free Quilt Alongs from various quilting bloggers.  They are all so good and I will do them in the future but I needed a safe place for them and what could possibly be safer than Pinterest.  Nothing.  With all of these photos I have linked back to my Pinterest folders so you can easily find them in the appropriate Folder and all the current tutorials are there too

Here is the first one

This is the first one in the series
and can be fond at the start of my Pinterest
Folders and was designed and made by
Little Musroom

The second one is

A Virtual Quilting Bee
Yes I know it says that on the above photo
and is by Amy Smart who's blog is
Diary of a Quilter
and can be found here

Number 3 is

is by Alyssa Lichner who's blog is called
Pile of Fabric and you get 2 blocks a month
Tutorials on how to quilt them
and the Folder can be found here

No. 4 is

This is Bloom Bloom Pow
by Lee of Freshly Pieced
all of the different QAYGs can
be found here

No. 5 is here

Is one of my favorites and is called
Supernova and it was also a QAL by
Lee of Freshly Pieced and all of it
can be found here

No.6 and the final one is

is by Charise of Charise Creates
and is called
Vintage Block QAL and
can be found here

I have quite a few other folders on my Pinterest including a really good, well I think it's good, Tutorial Folder full of lots of different tutorials from all over the web from various blogs.

I don't think I will ever get over the generosity of Quilting Blogland.  It is just so completely different from the stitching world to which I used to belong.  You guys share so much for free instead of always charging for your patterns and these are not either small or mediocre patterns but really GREAT patterns that you guys could so easily sell and yet you give them for free.  Your generosity is beyond anything I have ever experienced before and I really want to thank you from the bottom of my heart.  So from me to you selfless quilters a HUGE

See you soon 

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

I am caught up

I am finally caught up with the Granny Block Bee <--LINK YAY!!!  Here are the Granny Blocks I have made that will be mailed on Tuesday - we have a Bank Holiday <--LINK here in England this weekend so the Post Office isn't open on Monday.

These are for Liz

and these are for Yvette

My DH even said he loved the black and white ones - they were just laying on the ironing board because I knew I couldn't mail them and they are way safer there.

Don't forget that if you want to get the Craftsy class that Camille Roskelley did which is just superb it will be offered on the side of my blog at half price forever.

Also don't forget about the Tote Swap that is also on the left hand side of my blog and it's coming up real soon so please sign up for it.

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