We All Have Our Hobbies. . .

You pretty much know most of my hobbies, quilting, bluegrass music, reading, gardening, etc, etc. . .and the DH has his also! One of which is classic cars. Driving his '55 Ford, fixing it, planning the redo of his '51 panel van, getting parts for the '51, going to car shows, looking at others' cars, getting parts for the '51, helping with his car club, did I mention getting parts for his '51 ? Oh yes, and building a shop to work on his '51.

This weekend is their annual Winter Wheels Car Show. The car club members put in so much work for this show and it is always a success. It is always the same weekend in January, which is taking quite a chance with this North Dakota weather, but we have found that if it is nice, we get alot of people not only from town, but also from out of town and if the weather is bad, we may not get the extra people from out of town, but we sure do get more local people. I guess people want to just be able to get out ! You know there is a bit of a thrill to be able to get out and about in a blizzard. It isn't a very safe thing to do out in the country, but in town we sure do ( until we get stuck in a snowfilled street) !

Here is a few of us girls' contribution to the Winter Wheels Raffle. I found these classic and antique car fabrics on ebay, we first fussy cut them and we tried to focus on a different car in each block and sewed them up in a simple quilt pattern. Then I quilted it using an all-over antique car pattern. If you click on the picture you can almost see the car pattern in the stitching. The fabric is a bit too busy to see it well in the picture though.

I think it would look pretty good in my DH's classic car, or even on my couch. . . I think I might have to buy a few tickets !

And the Winner is. . . .

And the winner of the Willow Lake Stitches Whirl into Winter giveaway is. . . . . Kathy of Thankful Threads http://thankfulthreads.blogspot.com/ ! The winner was picked by my son who recently returned home from his 2nd tour in Iraq. I asked him to pick a number between 1 and 177 and he said. . . . roll 2 dice, add them together, take that number times a certain number and divide it by this other number and that is your winner ! Well. . . I don't know if that is an Army thing or what. . . but it found me a winner !

Here is Kathy's comment: Happy New Year, Beth! I think a flannel wall or part wall would definitely be the ticket. Thank you for your participation in the giveaway. Kathy

So congratulations, Kathy, I just emailed you about emailing me your snail mail address, and when I have that I will send out your prize.


Thank you, everyone for all your thoughtful comments and helpful suggestions for my future quilting studio. I appreciate all the good advice, and when we get started with this project, will keep you updated with how we are doing !

This was a fun giveaway, and I am already thinking about what I can give away next time !

BEFORE IT GETS PUT AWAY FOR NEXT YEAR. . .

Here is a picture of a tree skirt I started a few days before Christmas, now I need to decide if I should trim and bind it so it is all done for next year, and I could use it for my Challenge this month too. . . or if I put it away till next fall, and then finish it, because then it would be HALF DONE and be a snap to finish ! I could use it for, like, say, the November Challenge. . not sure what I will do, altho I do know what I SHOULD do ( finish it now ! ) wait. . . I think I hear a new project calling me ! ( Shouldn't these New Year's Resolutions last longer than 6 days ? ) You can click on the picture for a closer view. . . . What would you do. . . finish it now or for next year ?

For those of you looking for where to enter the WHIRL INTO WINTER giveaway, scroll down a couple posts to January 1, 2009. ENTER and join the fun !

One Project A Month Challenge

Ok. . . I'm going out on a limb now. . . and joining the One Project a Month Challenge. Sounds like just the motivation I need! If you are interested, head over to http://www.abyquilt.bogspot.com/ to check it out. Now for my first step in that direction. . . I need to figure out what January's project will be !

I have also been enjoying all the interesting comments from all the entries in our current contest below. Thanks to all who have entered! I hope to soon start entering everybody else's giveaway, really look forward to checking out all the blogs !

Here's hoping everyone is having a great start to their New Years. So far in 2009 I have participated in 2 bluegrass jams. . . that is doing pretty good for the first 3 days of the year !

WHIRL INTO WINTER Bloggers GIVEAWAY !

Winter is surely here, and so is this fun giveaway ! Click on the SNOWFLAKE icon to visit more blogs participating in the Whirl into Winter Quilt Blog Giveaway .

If you would like to enter to have a chance to win this Gooseberry Patch Every Day Calendar, and the LAST quilty item that I made in 2008, please leave a comment, and your name, and for fun, and to help me do some planning. . . please let me know . . . " If you were going to design yourself a new sewing room or quilting studio, what is the one thing that it would have to have ? " Hopefully you noticed that the Snowman in the Woods table runner is really a too-fer. . . . one side has cute snowmen and all their woodland friends, and on the otherside has quilted snowflakes ! I know you have seen the snowflakes before in an earlier post. . but these snowmen wanted me to quilt them here too ! and YES it is ANOTHER Easy Striped Table Runner ! ( Who has time to piece ? ) If you do not have a blog, please leave me an email address too, in case you are the winner . Don't forget, you can click on the picture to see a close up ( just to be sure if you want to enter or not ! )

Good Luck, and I look forward to your suggestions !

a n d HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009 !