November 20, 2011

Giveaway time!


It must be time for a Giveaway, what with Christmas on the horizon, and my new Facebook page ... and I haven't done a giveaway for a couple of months, so why not?

There will be a couple of winners. Each will receive a few bits and pieces - crochet bag, cupcake pincushion, heart keyring and trivet - something like this:
 
 
Then there'll be this bundle included in the first prize:
 

Do you remember the design below, using the beautiful Martinique range by 3 Sisters?


and this, using Rural Jardin by French General:

 I found I had quite a few Jelly Roll strips left over from these two fabric ranges, so they are bundled together and are ready to be included with the first prize.

And I'm sure you'll remember all the things I made from the delightful Garden Party range by Blackbird Designs.  Last count, I had made 14 different projects. 


Now would you believe there are still some scraps left???  There's enough fabric to cut lots of border squares like on my Fantasia wall-hanging above and plenty of bits and pieces for applique and mug rugs.

So that bundle will be included in the second prize.

Now for some rules.  If you are a "follower" of my blog, you are eligible to enter (from anywhere in the world), so leave a comment below.  If you want to be super nice, you can give me in your comment some ideas of gifts to make for MEN!  I always find it SO hard to think of male gifts, so would love some help if you have a bright idea.  You can have a second entry in the competition if you "Like" my Facebook site.  Leave a second comment to let me know you have hit the "Like" button at the top of the Facebook page. 

The competition will close on Saturday 26th November at midnight (my time).

I haven't designed many Christmas projects in the past, probably because we didn't have Christmas in our own home for much of our 45 years of marriage, mostly travelling to see other members of the family.  However, I did design two small projects this year and one of them was in Handmade earlier in the year and another in Vol 29, No 8 last month:


(It was lovely to share a page spread with my friend, Jenny, with her Daisy runner.)  I called my design "Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh:


I've had quite a productive week, but more of that another time.

Keep an eye out for a free Christmas pattern that I will be making available soon.

Happy stitching!

Val

89 comments:

Quilt Kitty said...

Oh, gifts for men are awful hard. How about a mug rug with some great manly print. I got a good response from a quilt & pillows made with African animal blocks. Love the patterns in Handmade. Tracee xx

Quilt Kitty said...

I'm already a follower on FB. xx

Ana said...

Hola Val,
están preciosos los obsequios del Giveaway, gracias por la oportunidad de participar.
Soy tu seguidora desde hace mucho tiempo!!!
Ideas de regalos para hombre: guantes o una bufanda tejida :)
Saludos,
Ana

Ana said...

También te sigo en Facebook :)

Teresa F. said...

I'm a follower of your great blog, of course. I love it.
Men gifts are always the hardest. A funny apron it's usually my secret weapon.

Teresa F. said...

I liked you on FB.

MyCretanlife said...

Hi Val, what a lovely giveaway. I am a follower of your blog for quite a few months now. As for gifts for men, well they are so hard to think of. Lets see,
A spectacle case,
some sort of bag for bulbs and fuses in the car,
a cushion for his chair in his den/ study.

MyCretanlife said...

I have just been over to facebook aaand clicked the like button. Now I can keep tabs on you over there too.

Anonymous said...

whow what great prizes to win Val,thankyou for a chance

Anonymous said...

Val i have just been over to your facebook page and liked it.Men are hard to make for mybe a toiletry bag or a scarf,thanks Val for a 2nd chance.

lory said...

ciao,ti seguo da molto tempo,ho visto dei tuoi lavori anche nella rivista homespun,bellissimi,partecipo volentieri al tuo giveawai.
un saluto dall'italia lory

Jess @ Scrappy n Happy said...

Men are tricky aren't they? Maybe a manly mug rug or a water bottle holder.
Fantastic giveaway! I am a follower.

Gayle said...

Wow!!! A wonderful giveaway. I am thinking of making some steering wheel covers. Our summers are very hot here and when you get in the car the steering wheel is so hot that I can't even touch it. I have some fish fabric and I thought that I might put some embroidery in the centre, ( I'd rather be Fishing). The cover would be a circle the size of the wheel and I would put batting in the middle and quilt it first. Hope
you can understand what I am trying to say.

Gayle said...

I have been to facebook and clicked on like. Your site is awesome.

Gill said...

Wow Val what a great giveaway! thank you! I'm a follower of course!
Gifts for men can be so hard - a mug rug is all I can think of

Anonymous said...

Hi Val,
What awesome give aways, thank you for the opportunity to win, so sweet of you.

I love applique and I love embroidery. When the male recipient likes to read, I always make a bookmarker with the topic they like (like sports, outdoor things, cooking etc.). For embroidery the designs are limitless. So maybe this idea helps.

Hug for you from Anita (the Netherlands).

Sue from Cyprus said...

Hi Val

What a lovely Christmas project! Thank you for the chance of winning your lovely prizes. I think that I would make a lap/sofa quilt for a man. In fact, I already have. Used lots of difference check fabrics to make it look manly. My design was simple.... 10 inch squares sewn together, but my dad loves it!!

Hugs, as always, Sue from Cyprus x x x

Sue from Cyprus said...

Val, you already know I'm a follower and I went over to FB and presses the like button. But it's under my daughter's name because I don't have a FB account. Hope that's okay:)

KaHolly said...

Val, such a generous give-away. Love your designs, the old ones and the new ones!

quiltercaroline said...

Hi Val - Love the goodies. Last year I made all of my Christmas presents, those I made for male relatives were bookmarks, mugrugs and desk tidys. I hope you find some things to do. Happy quilting C

Heather said...

Lovely giveaways Val,very generous. Perhaps some masculine style coasters would make a nice gift :)

Lynn B said...

I found your blog last week after seeing your lovely sewing things quilt on another blog, your creations are gorgeous!
My husband asked me to make him a cover for his satellite navigation system, I only made it out of felt and can only imagine what a wonderful creation you would make from your quilt fabrics!
I would love to enter your giveaway and would be thrilled to win.

Best Wishes
Lynn B

Michell said...

I follow you on FB already

Michell said...

I follow you and I am sorry I have no idea what to make for a male

SandyN said...

OOOHHH gifts for men... I always find that hard. Baseball cap, lounge organise for the remote etc.... credit card holder in men's colour/fabrics of course, fishing bag etc. I am also a follower. LOVE your BOM's...


sandyn

SandyN said...

I am now follower of FB...


Sandyn

Vroomans' Quilts said...

I am a follower here but don't do facebook . Men's gifts, here in the cold NE - mittens, hats and knit wool socks. Wallets and key fobs. Car caddy and glove compartment wallet to hold insurance card, registration, repair document, etc..... Lumbar pillows. Flannel or fleece quilt with favorite team logo or colors. Remote caddy for chair arm. T-shirt quilt or even cotton/flannel/dress shirts re-cycled. BBQ apron and mitts.

Michele T said...

This is so sweet of you and a giveaway with two prizes, yay! Men are tricky... I have made a lap quilt, monogram pillow, neck roll, and messenger bag for a laptop.

Solstitches said...

I'd love to enter the draw please.
My mind is a blank when it comes to making things for me. Maybe a gadget case for MP3 or iPod|?
Margaret

Solstitches said...

Already a fan on FB :)

Margaret

Mommarock said...

I just sat down and made up a list of "boy" ideas I guess that includes men too. But it is every sport. Golf for the most part for my husband. My son, video games. For my younger son I am making a pillow to lean against in his bed and play video games with pockets to store his controller, mouse etc. I hope I can finish it by Christmas.

Kim @ Him, Him Me said...

I made my husband a waistcoat with patchwork fronts and he loved it. thank you for the chance to win some of your lovely stuff

Kim @ Him, Him Me said...

I 'liked' you on facebook too.

Marsha B said...

Val, thank you for a chance to win such wonderful prizes! There are lots of good ideas already suggested. How about a fabric basket or tray to go on the dresser to catch keys, wallet, etc? Or a fleece neck scarf? Have a great day!

LesQuilts said...

Hi Val!
Thanks for the lovely giveaways!
I am a follower!
For mens' gifts, I would make pajama pants, as they seem to like loose or no pants!, maybe a special pillowcase, a generous lap size quilt for the couch, a remote organizer, my man would like a basket type organizer, a vest, maybe a jacket or vest from subtle colours, made from a sweatshirt, slippers, robe, maybe a ditty bag.
Hope this helps!
Take care, Leslie

Rita E in AZ said...

I was just reading about a gift Megan made for her husband and shared on her blog here:
http://megsmonkeybeans.blogspot.com/2011/11/fractal-quilt.html
The men in my family love to camp and hunt so I make crocheted hats with camouflage yarn which are very easy to lose and in constant need of replacement.
Your prizes are great!

heleen said...

Hi val. It's a lovely give away. I'm allready a follower. I think for a man I would think of a mugrug or a tie. It's always difficult for them.

Loralynn said...

I can never think what to make for the men in my life! How about a mug mat, or kleenex cozy? I'm a follower.

Loralynn said...

I "liked" your facebook page!

Shebandowan said...

Thanks for the chance to win one of your giveaways. Gifts for men are very difficult indeed. The only different thing I can think of at the moment would be golf club covers, especially for protection of the wooden clubs.

Janet

VickiT said...

Fantastic giveaway Val. What wonderful things I'm sure any of us would love to have. Thank you.

Oh gosh, men? WHY are our guys so extremely hard to figure out for gifts? I have the same problem because he wants 'things' and his 'things' are hundreds of dollars which means I cannot afford them with my money. And then things to make for them are such a struggle to figure out. I have plans to make mine a lap quilt although I've been searching for the perfect pattern since the fabrics were all purchased prior to me getting seriously into quilting. I had NO idea that I created a problem since they are all large print fabrics. oops.

So that's one suggestion - lap quilt. He does all the grilling so some nice long oven mitts and matching apron for him to use would be welcome. Manly aprons and pot holders/oven mitts are a bit tricky to find in the stores and when I do find them, it seems they think the prices must be very high since it's considered somewhat of a specialty item. Never figured that out.

If your guy has an eReader or cell phone, covers for those are a good idea. How about a nice laptop bag? I recently saw a great tutorial using faux leather to make one of those that looked awesome.

Other than those ideas, I'm pretty much out of ideas. Oh wait....one of those quilted foldable square boxes for his desk or nightstand to hold his 'junk' at the end of the day and maybe even a tissue cover that matches the fabric box would make a nice gift?

Ok NOW I'm done.
I have to admit to being a follower for quite a long time now however, I am a quiet follower AND one that likes to follow via email subscription. I haven't found a way to follow you via email so I've used my Outlook calendar to set reocurring appointment reminders weekly to check your blog. Because of that, I never did click the Google Friend Connect before now. I have no done so however so I guess I'm now a 'legal' follower. LOL No more stalking follower status for me eh? haha

VickiT said...

I have also 'liked' your Facebook page.

I'm not sure if you can match up people there but my email address on FB is not the same as the one I use on blogs and my full name is used there of course.

Anne-Mettes Oaser said...

Hi Val.
What a lovely and generous Christmas Give Away.
Thinking homemade gifts for men - I first came to think of a toilet bag and an apron.
I am of course a follower of your blog.

Sharon said...

Hi Val, I'm already a follower. As for gifts for men? Always difficult. Maybe a pillow cover in manly fabric for his favorite chair.

Sharon said...

I already follow you on FB as well. :)

Christine M said...

Thanks for the great giveaway Val. As for a man's present, what about a shorter version of the thread catcher. They could then put their car keys and mobile phone in it. That way they would know where to look for them!

Rosa said...

What a great giveaway.
Of course,I´m a follower .

A gift for men?What a bout mug rag or placemat,coaster ,apron if he likes cook, and a bottle holder,cushion,wallet..?
Thanks for the chance.

Janet said...

My hubby loves wool shirts and I used to make them for him regularly. Maybe I should try that again.... Thanks for a chance at your giveaway. I am a follower.

Marcia W. said...

I am a follower. My mother just finished a beautiful deer themed throw quilt as a Christmas gift for my niece's husband. It's elegant and manly, and fits the style of their home. She's made others that the male recipients actually like and use (one was John Deere tractors). Thanks for the giveaway. Love your designs and those scraps.

c said...

i am a blog follower, and would be honored to receive some scraps, no matter how tiny, I put them to use
and appreciate you VAL.

Marcia W. said...

We liked you on FB as Marcia and Margaret and left a comment - the butterfly. mlwright29(at)hotmail(dot)com

Rosi said...

Felicidades son bellos obsequios del Giveaway, muy originales en hora buena, saludos

Linda said...

Wow you have some nice stuff here. I just found your site. Nice give aways. For my husband I made a blanket. He loved it. What about gulf club covers, Bar-B-Q apron and mitts, fishing vest. Hat, scarf and gloves. I am a follower.

Linda said...

I liked your face book page.

sunny said...

What awesome prizes. I hope I win one!

Jo said...

I am a follower of your blog. Gifts for men are always tough, especially after they hit the age of 9 or 10. I try to make something that fits in with their presen hobby, or current fav team. My DH has some fun theamed PJ bottoms I have made him about motorcycles, and classic trucks.If they golf you can make them club covers or a nice golf towel and bag for the golf shoes.My home at one point with 3 sons and DH was over flowing with baseball caps and welders caps so I made them each thes cap holders which were so simple It was basicly 2 long strips of fabric with interfacing between then I sewed some plastic pinch clips from the Dollar store on to it and put a grommet in the top for hanging and all the hats were able to hang up. thanks for having the giveaway

Jo said...

I liked you on FB

BillieBee (billiemick) said...

I'm a follower.

BillieBee (billiemick) said...

I liked you on FB and left a comment.

Dot said...

What lovely prizes...and it would be so nice to have something that you actually made!

Guy gifts are hard. My husband's favorites, besides the usual snuggies and lap quilts and such, are a bedside and armchair orgamizer that keep his remotes, phone, kindle, and what-nots accessible. He also really likes a fabric box or tray with holes in the sides that sits on his desk. He comes in and throws his watch and change in it, he can lay his phone in it and the cord fits through the hole and it charges overnight.

Dot
Dminshall67atyahoodotcom

Dot said...

Oh, and I "like" you, too!

Dot
Dminshall67atyahoodotcom

Quiltin' Sandy said...

Hi Val, thanks for the lovely giveaway. I am a follower. :)
What about an armchair caddy for holding the remote(s) and TV guide, etc?

Quiltin' Sandy said...

I like you on Facebook, and left a comment.:)

EvaLyn said...

I have been going to your blog regularly for several years now. You do such beautiful work. My son in law loves different teas so I had toyed with the idea of making him a masculine type tea pocket that he could slip in his wallet or - if too big for a wallet, just keep in his desk. Just an idea.

EvaLyn said...

I "Liked" you on facebook too!

Rian said...

hi, I will follow you (or did I already), anyway, following......

Rian

Rian said...

Hi Val,
I like your facebook too.

A gift for a men: something to put his mobile phone in., or a sort of bag for his glasses (hope you understand it, at the moment I forgot the english words....)

Cold Dutch greetings

Maddy said...

I hit you like button on FB too.

Maddy said...

Now men! Personalized lap top bag cover, bed socks for their cold feet, hot water bottle cover, glasses case,bbq aprons. Draw sting bags for garden tools. Well l hoped that helped.

Alicia said...

hi i love to enter your giveaway, i'm your faithful follower.
This year i´m going ro make for the men in my family some embroidery caps in cross stitch with some phrases like "i rather be fishing" and others I´m thinking on

Joy Belle said...

Hi Val, I have been checking your blog on a weekly basis now for some time. I absolutlely looove all that you do. It is so generous of you to have giveaways.

Now onto the men in my life. I have found they prefer something practical over something decorative. My guys like blues and greens, but not browns. When my father turned 70 I made him a lap quilt with picture transfers using pics from his life - pet dog as a boy, the house he built and still lives in, a wedding photo of his, mine and my sisters. He loved it (so did mum).

So like everyone's ideas - lap quilt, book cover, bookmark, 'junk' box, etc.

Blessings to you and your family, Joy

Anonymous said...

Hi Grandma!
A new giveaway!
Maybe you could make some Bible or Computer cases!
Crispian

whistlebet57 said...

Thanks for the opportunity to win a gift. This is fun. I have found that the one gift the men in my life like are homemade Jams, Rubs, and Baked goods. My Brother does not need anything, but when he gets my james and jellies he is estatice. Also my son loves me to make him Finish Pasties. The saying "The way to a mans heart is through his stomach" is true with the men in my life.
thanks, Elizabeth

whistlebet57 said...

I "Liked" you on FB
Elizabeth

Fiona said...

VAl what a lovely Christmas giveaway.... such fun.... I have struggled for things to make for men... but I thought I might do some wine bottle holders and manly coasters....

Fiona said...

... and to let you know I have 'liked' your facebook page...
Hugz

Ruth said...

What a fantastic giveaway! I would love to win. Men are very hard to find gifts for. One idea (not very good) is to make a trash bag for their truck or car. I made one for our truck and really like it. It's made out of used denim jeans and it attaches with a strap that has velcro on the ends. I just undo the velcro and take the bag out to empty. Our is large because we travel a lot, but a "custom" bag could be made for a specific car or truck so it will be handy and will hang properly.

arlette said...

Hmmmm, let's see, men are always hard to please, so I'll go with soaps, candles, pillows and ties, I gave it and it was succesful :), thank you for the giveaway and I'd love to win :D

arlette said...

Hmmm, I forgot to tell you I'm already your follower, in both pages Blog & facebook), yay!!!, thank you for the chance

Anonymous said...

I love your creativity...but creating for men is difficult.Pillows are good...anything made with denim...a laptop carrier or e-reader cover would be good.I am going right now to facebook and 'like' you!!
ashmore dot cheryl at yahoo dot com

Cheryll said...

Thanks Val for a chance to win a great gift pack! Looks fantastic! I am a follower so I'm eligible and my fingers are crossed. As far as gifts for males... that's a hard one...but knitted wool socks never go astray. Mens feet need to be warm!

Jofrid said...

I am a follower, and I would love to enter your give away. For male present, mabe a pillow to rest on. Hugs Jofrid

Janelle said...

Hi Mum
You've had a great response on your giveaway! So many great ideas for men. My favourites are the bin bag (plastic lined would be good!)for the car and the baseball cap holder. I can imagine how useful that cap holder must be for some people! My ideas are a pencil case and library bags, although the pencil case idea is probably better for younger 'men'.

Janelle said...

You already know I have liked you on Facebook!

Vickie said...

lovely to have a chance in your giveaway (blogger has not been nice to me)..now with them men--I am I guess what you would call the lazy gifter-I give vouchers,unless of course the male is a reader..personal bookmark..or glofer..personalized hand towel..hope you sort something out,oh and yes I already am a liker of your FB page,cheers Vickie

Vesuviusmama said...

Yikes, what time is where you live? Am I entering on time? I am a faithful follower, but haven't had much time to follow anything these days.

Vesuviusmama said...

And now I LIKE your FB page. As for gifts for me, I'm at a loss. My hubby is all about technology which I find BORING and impersonal. Oh well.

Zully López-Romero said...

Hola!!! Tú sorteo está precioso. Un regalo para hombre puede ser un buen libro, un sweter, una colonia.

Gracias por tú sorteo!

Zully López-Romero said...

Hola! I follow you in facebook.

Gracias