A Doodle Embroidery Quilt Block ~ Giveaway!

I've got a hoop and I'm Sew Happy for You!

That's right! I've got an embroidery hoop and an I'm Sew Happy doodle embroidery block for You! Amanda over at Itchin' Stichin just started a doodle embroidery block quilt series! This is the first of 20 blocks in the collection! Each finished block is about 6 inches. Cute! When all 20 blocks are complete, she'll show you how to turn them into a quilt! However, you don't have to use the blocks for a quilt. You can frame the little doodlescapes, turn them into a pillow, make a bag, a purse, stitch it onto clothing, give the block as gift for someone who embroiders...you name it, you can do it! She's giving away a block over at her blog right now {enter by the 17th} and she'll have a giveaway each time there's a new block! How's that for happy?! Join me! Here's how to enter ~

The giveaway starts now and ends Sunday June 19th at 9pm pst. {one week!}

You get two entries!

{1} Leave a comment. Easy peasy! Do you have a doodlescape theme idea for Amanda? Do tell...

{2} Tweet about it! Okay...I admit, it's been a long time since I've tweeted! Guilty, I am! So, if you tweet, you'll be getting me back into the swing of things! ;) More importantly, you get a second entry! Be sure to come back and leave a separate comment telling me to fly over there! You don't have to follow me, but be sure to include @bluebirdluxe in your tweet so I'll see it. And I'll love you forever if you include #embroidery and #giveaway! OR :)  you can copy and paste the following:  

There's a #giveaway at @bluebirdluxe for an #embroidery quilt block from @ItchinStitchin! http://bit.ly/llb8UV

The winner will be chosen by Random.org

Good luck and Thank you for entering the giveaway!

Please visit Amanda {blog} {shop} {twitter} {New flickr group}

Eileen ~ xo

{Inspiration Workshop} Kitchen

Today, I'm thrilled to be linking up with Gussy Sews! She has a new feature link-up party every Thursday called {Inspiration Workshop}! Each week she sends out an inspiration prompt and you post what inspires you {yes, I say You, you can link up, too}! I was so excited to find this {which is why I'm posting on Saturday not Thursday}, because sometimes I can get really overwhelmed by all the wonderful things that inspire me. Does that make sense, does that happen to you? So, having one prompt, one thing to focus on and truly appreciate how and why it inspires me is perfect for this moment.  So, on to the {Inspiration Workshop}! This is the second week. Last week, the prompt was "Handmade" and you can see all the lovelies here!

This week's prompt is...Kitchen! :) I do enjoy my kitchen and cooking. I know I'm not the best cook in the world. Though, I follow recipes faithfully {if you say a pinch..I'm ready}. The decor...well...the one thing I know, I know what I want my dream kitchen to look like. I'm so incredibly inspired by Amanda's {Itchin' Stitchin} kitchen! {ohh, Itchin' Stitchin kitchen, is that cute or what?}

{photos by Amanda via flickr here and here}

I first saw that top photo on Nicole's fabulous Confetti Garden! I've been smitten ever since! I fell in love with her cute window with the pompom curtains, because I've had a crush on pompoms ever since I saw this pillow at Angela's Fussy Cut! The cup rack, the beautiful mason jars {♥ & ♥}, the butcher block counter, and that gorgeous farmhouse sink and faucet! I want to be standing at that sink! Look at those painted chairs! So sweet! It makes me want to paint my chairs. Her kitchen is so bright and cheerful, and comfy and welcoming. That's how I want my kitchen to feel. ~ Come on in! Have a seat and join me for some coffee or tea! :)

{photos by Amanda via flickr here and here}

How about those flowers from her garden?! Beautiful! I know I could fill my kitchen with items from her shop and from Drew and Heather's shop, too!

My poor bare little kitchen window has potential, right?! :) I can make this happen! :) I can see cute curtains and a place for my fave cups...I can make a couple of potholders...I can get some herbs and flowers...I'm almost done with my floor mat... {..I just noticed my counter is going in one direction and the top of the blinds are...going in another...I think it's just the photo...hmmm} 

I hope this has given you a dash, pinch, or a smidgen of kitchen inspiration! :) What's your kitchen inspiration? I'd love to know!

Thank you, Gussy!

and Amanda for the kitchen inspiration!

 Eileen ~ xo

ps. If you thought her kitchen was cute, Amanda just started a doodle embroidery quilt block stitch along and I've been inspired to start a little embroidery again! AND I have a block for you, too! I'll see you Monday! :)

What A Wonderful Week!

Remember, just a few posts back I had a giveaway for the Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day?! I can't believe it! I won, too! Or should I say..two! :) 

First, I'd like to thank CaLynn from a case of the Crafties! I entered her bookcover giveaway {she had four!} and I was the lucky ducky who got the embroidered cover! It's gorgeous! AND she has a fantastic tutorial on how to make one, too! CaLynn! I.Love.It! Thank you so much! :)

This is the front...

..and this is the back! :)

These treats above are from Rachael of Blue Mountain Daisy, who was the winner of my giveaway! She turned me into a winner! She was so kind to send me some beautiful fabric from an Australian designer, Saffron Craig! The fabric is from the Magical Lands collection! There's only one way to discover Magical Lands...and you enter here! :)  She also sent this beautiful Australian quilting magazine {Australian Quilters Companion} and it features specialty rulers! Yay! More ideas for my creative grids ruler! Rachael! Thank you so much, you are a sweetie and I really appreciate it! {I'm crazy about magazines and it's so fun to get one from another country! I always love Living Etc. and Donna Hay! I never know what's difficult to get outside of the U.S.}

...and the lovelies, Erin and Amy, from the Sewing Summit emailed me...I Won! :) Oh my gosh!! Erin and Amy, thank you, thank you! I'll post more this week!

 

If you haven't heard of the Sewing Summit, it's a modern sewing and blogging conference held this October in Salt Lake City, UT! It's a wonderful three day event filled with classes and seminars and opportunities to meet, mingle, and sew with a community of fabulous sewists!..I so want to go! :) Are any of you going?! I know a lot of you went to Alt Summit or Quilt Market {I still have no idea how one goes to quilt market, I think it's invite only}! That must have been fun!

I hope you're having a wonderful week, too!

Eileen ~ xo

in the works

I told myself I'd only keep my w.i.p.'s on the right corner of my side table. You know, just to keep the progress under control and to remind myself not to start a new project before finishing the last. Those sneaky w.i.p.'s! I take my eyes off the left and a floor mat and quilt appears out of nowhere. I do recall chain piecing and okay, I do recall saying a few weeks ago that it would only be there overnight. Putting those little blocks on top of everything else in the corner just seems like a pile of fabric on floor waiting to happen. So, it shall stay for now.

I did put my floor mat blocks down and I think it's going to be a cute little summer mat in front of the sink! The area's currently mat free {I say that as if I usually have a spring, fall, or winter mat, which by the way, I don't} so a little home decor sprucing is in order here. I love the fabric! It's California Dreamin' by Jenean Morrision! I used one charm pack for the mat. I've wanted to make something with this hourglass block design for a long time. A quilt project with another of Jenean's designs will definitely be in the works one day!

I mentioned in a previous post that I joined a quilting bee!

The QUILTING newBEEs! Yay! I'm a newBEE! :) I've never been in a quilting bee, so this will be quite fun. There are twelve members to a bee {although I think ours only has eleven active members...wanna join?}. Each member has a designated month. For their month, that Bee member is the special host. They choose what design they would like for their quilt. They send out fabric and instructions to the other eleven members and they each make a block or two and send it back to the host. From there, the host will assemble and finish their quilt! I'm excited that I get to be a part of making twelve beautiful quilts! This is the second round for the QUILTING newBEEs. That's our new group icon, designed by Marci of Marci Girl Designs and the bee is pieced by her mom! I would love to learn how to piece like that! Cute! One of my favorite flickr quilting bee's is Ringo Pie! What an amazing group! Talk about inspiring! There was a photo in that group that gave me an aha! moment on what I was doing wrong for Shannon's fabulous sketchbook project {..that I fell flat on my face with last year}. I saw what I was trying to do, but at the time I didn't know that that's what I was trying to do... to be continued...

What projects are on the corner of your table? {please, tell me I'm not alone} ;)

Eileen ~ xo

{Sew, Mama, Sew Giveaway Day} and the winner is...

Rachael from Blue Mountain Daisy!

Congratulations!

I'll be sending you your Creative Grids ruler and Fiskar's Rotating Cutting Mat! I can't wait to see what you make!

I'd like to say Thank You to everyone who came to visit from Sew, Mama, Sew and to all of you who entered this giveaway! I'm overwhelmed by the response! You love tools as much as I do! Yay! ;) I had a fabulous few days visiting the giveaway list {and still have more to see}...and the one thing I've learned is this ~ on the next Sew, Mama, Sew Giveaway Day {and I already know what I want to give you next!}..I'm taking the day off so I won't miss any sites! :) It was absolutely fun to discover so many new inspiring blogs! I have many wonderful quilt and sewing blogs on my blogroll that I just adore {and I'll be updating}, and I have soooo many fabulous design and lifestyle blogs that I love, too! It's quite a variety! I get my inspiration from each and every one {I hope you take a peek there, too}! I thank you for stopping by and I hope to see you here again soon! For everyone who entered, I promise I'll come back to your blogs and to everyone in my reader...I promise I'll catch up on your posts! ;)

Thank You to everyone at Sew, Mama, Sew! This was quite an amazing project to organize! If you haven't already, visit their About page to meet the team!

Eileen ~ xo

♥ Some of you have asked where to buy the Creavtive Grids ruler. I found mine at my local quilt shop. You can get it at my Amazon astore {link in the sidebar also}, Soft Expressions {super duper fast delivery, lots of different rulers!}, and your local quilt shop may carry it, too. If not, check Creative Grids U.S. or Creative Grids U.K. for shop locations. I bought the Fiskar's cutting mat at my local JoAnns {don't forget your coupons!}. If I had a giveaway in the near future for another ruler, would you be interested? :) I want to try some new ones out, too!