A blogaversary giveaway (or two)

 Teddy's first birthday, September last year. He was such a pudding (he's only fractionally less of a pudding now...)

I cannot believe it's been a year since I tentatively set up my blog (originally over at Blogger and under a different name, but all the archives have been stored over here now). I've learned a few lessons along the way:

Giveaway closed now, thank you so much to everyone who entered!

1. It took me a little while to realise that the only way for me to write a blog was to write a blog for me. By which I mean that I write about things that interest me and make me happy, rather than things that I think might improve my hit rate or anything like that.
2. Blogging has become an integral part of our family life. Whenever something good/silly/bad/photogenic happens, Adam's first comment is usually, "will you be blogging this? Make sure you only post nice pictures of me!"
3. I adore fabric in almost any shape or form, especially spectacular new and vintage prints.
4. I feel much the same about yarn.
5. I've discovered a new passion for hand piecing and expect to discover one for hand quilting just as soon as I get the sunshine quilt top and back finished.
6. Blogging is the perfect way for me to indulge my love of writing - while I love being a journalist, it's so wonderful to have freedom to write about whatever takes my interest or makes me want to speak up.
7. A blogaversary is definitely a good enough reason to make cake. I have plans for coffee cake with my tea this afternoon.

Now, down to important business. To celebrate my blogaversary I have two giveaways - one for normal people (well... normal for fabric addicts), and one for hexagon addicts like me (although feel free to enter both!).  I'll ship worldwide, and this is going to be the ultimate simple giveaway, no following, tweeting, linking or quiz answering needed to enter:

First up, a bundle of four fat quarters, the perfect beginning to a red and aqua quilt. The top fabric is Michael Miller and the one below is cut from a beautiful vintage cotton which I have been hoarding for years. The other two are, to my mind, perfect complements. Maybe the beginnings of a red and aqua quilt like this, this or this? Or just a bit of good old fashioned stash building.

 Secondly, a whole load of 2.5" scraps. Perfect for making 1" hexagons (or using as squares, if you absolutely must, although some of the scraps will need trimming to become perfect squares). This bundle of something like 70 scraps includes 2.5" squares of the whole Boutique by Chez Moi charm square pack, and a load of other scraps from my stash - mostly quilting cottons, but the odd vintage fabric thrown in for good measure.

In order to enter, please just leave a comment below stating which giveaway you'd prefer to be entered in. If you want to enter both, either leave two comments, or one comment stating clearly that you'd like to enter both giveaways. If you wanted to tell me what you're going to use the fabric for, that would be lovely (it makes reading your giveaway entries so much more interesting), but don't feel you have to.

The giveaway will close at midnight British summer time on Wednesday, and a winner will be chosen at random on Thursday.

Giveaway closed now, thank you so much to everyone who entered!

Comments

[sarah]

Hello can I enter both giveaways please?

The fat quaters would be perfect for making something to go in my red leving room, and th esquares to build up my hexagon collection for my charm quilt.

Thank you

Sarah :-)

[x vInTaGe VioLeT x]

ooohh which giveaway to choose?!
well i LOVE red and aqua so can i enter that one please?

thank-you.

[Helen]

Please enter me into the red and aqua giveaway. I have just been told I'll be an auntie in the New Year and my brother and girlfriend don't want to find out the sex. Which is lovely for them but hopeless for aunties to be who quilt!Those colours would make a fab 'non-gender-specific' cot quilt.

I made a larger hexagon charm quilt for my daughter last year - 1" hexes?! *Swoons woosily at prospect* :-)
Lovely blog,
Helen
x

[Clarry]

Happy anniversary :) I've only recently started reading but I'm hooked already.
Can you please enter me for you red and aqua giveaway. I'm building up to my 1st quilting attempt and my little me (he's 5) loves blue and red.
Enjoy the cake, Claire :D
P.S Your Teddy is just adorable x

[Jan]

Happy Anniversary! Can I enter for the the 2.5" scraps? - I have just realised how short of scraps I'm going to be for my charm quilt if I want it bigger than a dolls quilt!

Thank you!

Jan x

[Lynsey aka Swirlyarts]

Oh my goodness - I'm going to be good and only enter the squares giveaway because I really really don't need lots more fabric but those little squares don't count do they?? Congratulations on your 1st year :)

[robin (rsislandcrafts)]

Happy Blogivesary!

Please enter me in both.

The fat quarters would be great for a Dresden plate quilt or pillow. I love working with hexagons :)

[Nichole]

happy blogaversary! i would love to be entered to win the 2.5" squares. thanks for the generous giveaway! :)

[Rohaise]

I've just found your blog via the Hexagon Piece Along group. Happy First Year's Blogging!

Can I be entered in both? I'm 332 hexagons into a charm quilt for my daughter so the square would be nice, but then again that mixture of red and acqua is really rather lovely and would look lovely as a quilt!!

Thank you.

[Frieda Z]

Congratulations on your first anniversary of you blog. I hope you have many more. LOL I would love to win the 2.5 inch squares for hexagons.

[Barb]

Hello! I just found your blog from Flickr...your son is so so sweet. I'd love to be entered in both give-aways. I am working on a red and aqua pieced hexagon quilt so the fabrics are perfect. And I'm slowly getting up the nerve to join Melanie's hexagon quilt along. Thanks for the chance to win.

[Melanie]

Congrats on your blogiversary! I may have to be selfish and say, enter me in both! I have the tiniest swatch of that turquoise Eiffel Tower fabric and I just adore it. I'd be thrilled to have a larger piece and I haven't done the aqua and red thing yet.

And the 2.5" squares! Ahhh!!!! I don't have any fabrics from the UK yet for my charm quilt!

You are extremely generous. Fingers crossed!

[ara jane]

happy blogaversary! i love what you say about writing about the things you love rather than trying to cater to hit rate. i think that's the main reason why i love your blog so very much.

and clearly i'd love to win either of your lovely giveaways, but those 2.5" squares are calling out to met saying, "ara jane! wouldn't we look marvelous in your hexagon quilt? can we come live with you?"

[Sandra]

I would love the squares for my hexagon charm quilt. I have about 600 different fabrics at the moment so need lots more to make the 1173 that 1 need to complete a throw sized quilt. Thanks for the give away. I'm keeping mu fingers crossed.

[Katlyn]

How fun! I want to enter both giveaways - I love fabric, not sure what I would do with it but I'm sure something fun.

[A]

I love what you said in number 1 about blogging for you - I started my blog to capture what I was making quilt wise, the fact that I have a few followers is great but its not the reason for the blog. The red and aqua fabrics are fab. I would use them in a quilt that I am making blocks for very slowly that are red and aqua.

[A]

Just as well I am doing 2 posts as I forgot to say Congratulations on your blogaversary and Teddy looks so cute in his new jacket in your earlier post (you should live in my street if he likes trains so much as it is 5 house from a railway line and you can watch the trains from the garden!)
So please can I enter the scrap giveaway too. I would use them for a hexagon quilt of course. I already have one on the go in Tilda red and aqua fabrics(!) in a more traditional style and am trying to restrain myself from starting the scrap one until it is finished but if I won the giveaway I may have to start . . . .!!

[Stacey]

Oh, how fun! I came over from the hexies flickr group. I am compiling aqua and red now to make a quilt - I'm thinking something with splashes of white - like a stacked coin would be fun - I recently painted my kitchen these colors and it needs a quilted something... I'm also getting addicted to these little hexies too:) Happy Blogaversary!

[Jaclyn]

Oohhh 2.5" squares! I would love those. I am going hexagon crazy lately and having pre-cut squares lets me get to the fun part faster, basting!

Happy Blogiversary!!

PS I'm having a little hexie inspired giveaway on my blog too, if you're interested :)

[Valentina]

HI, Jo! I do confess I came running over from Flickr when I read the words "2 1/2" -squares-giveaway", all my mind could register after a 'middle of the night cuddle for my 3 year old/ now I can't sleep' situation... :) And then to see those glorious squares of yours and hearing my heart sing: because I do not recognize any of mine!!! Yeay!!!
Just for this, I THANK YOU!!! it's a midnight serenade worth dragging oneself out of bed for! :)
So, hi, just in case you didn't notice I am a fellow 'Charmer': Valentina from Cyprus, who is a veteran Hexi-addict, that has shamelessly swept all other projects aside to bask in the glorious rainbows of charm hexies... There's the serenate again! :)
So nice to meet you, i love your pictures, I love your writing, I will be back for a proper visit... and Red and Turquoise happen to be my favourite colours! So please enter me for both! :)
Congrats of your bloggaversary!
Happy happy Valentina!
:)

[Angela]

Fabulous! I would love those 2.5" squares. Fabric addict here, but seriously into the hexs right now.

[Anjali (BloreKnitter on Ravelry)]

I would like the fabric for quilts please. Thanks for the giveaway!

[Carbonated Creations]

Fabulous giveaway! I would love to be entered for both. And I would definitely be making hexagons with the squares. The fabric is gorgeous and I would love to do something sophisticated and pretty with it. Thanks for the chance.

[Christina]

Happy Blogaversary! I'd like to enter both giveaways please. I'm working on a hexagon charm quilt right now and those 2.5" squares would be perfect! Also I really love the combination of red and blue/turquoise right now, so lovely. Thank you for the chance to win.

[Catherine]

oooh - happy blogaversary. Will you discount me if I confess that I would LOVE the fat quarters but am unlikely to quilt with them (I have a 1/4 finished oh-so-tasteful white and cream scrap quilt languishing somewhere) but will make bags out of them - I am hooked on making them and my 3.5yo daughter (fortunately) is equally hooked on acquiring them (as are all my children's friends, who always get bags with their birthday presents in them). Those FQs would make some gorgeous girly-and-yet-not-pink bags.

[Andrea @ The Train To Crazy]

I'm glad you write for you! I started out blogging writing for others and am glad I'm at a place where I just blog about things I'm passionate about.

And I'd hate to take the fabric from someone who really wants it. I've got two quilts in line but the fabrics won't work for either and so the fabric would likely sit in my stash for a while (something I'm trying to get away from!)

[Liz B]

Love those red and aqua fabrics! Congrats on successful blogging, and thanks for the chance at winning your very generous giveaway.

[Carmen]

I was lured here by the promise (of a chance to win) 2.5" squares from the Texas Freckles Hexagon Flickr group - they're so pretty! Congratulations on your blogversary!

[~ yolanda]

Hello - I saw your giveaway and now have book marked your blog. I would like to 2.5" squares as I am learning to handpiece hexies - however I would like the red/aqua fat quarters more!! I think your offer to win both is very generous but please enter me in the fat quarter give-a-way only and leave the little squares for someone further along in the hexagon piecing project.

[Jen Gough]

Hey-

Great giveaway! I would love to enter both! I currently working on making hexagons...not sure what I will make in the end but have been loving the process of sewing those hexagons up! Thanks!

[Greta]

Hello, I popped over from the hexagon flickr pool. These are both amazing giveaways. I can't wait to see your finished quilt. Thanks for the great giveaway.

[Meg]

Happy bogaversary! Please enter me in both... I love the red/aqua combination and I've been very inspired by all your hexagons so I'm working up the courage to try my hand at them!
Love your blog!
Cheers!

[Victoria Siddons]

Ooooo yes please! I would love to enter both giveaways as I love both sets of fabrics and would love to make something to be proud of!

[Quilting mama]

Please put me down for the hexagon scraps - I'm making a hexie quilt made up of a piece of each fabric in my ( late) mum' s stash - it would be lovely to add in some newer fabrics too. Great blog - I read it and it gets me back to my sewing box!!

[Quilting mama]

And can I enter the fat qtr one too please? I've a pile of red and White fabrics - having jjust had a baby boy acqua would be a great accent for the playmat I have planned. Down with pastel baby stuff!

[Jen Nixon]

Oooh! I'd love to enter the first giveaway! The top fabric is my favorite - I collect French related things (because I find them aesthetically pleasing, mostly, and I enjoyed learning the language and culture in high school) so I'd probably try to find a way to use that one for something I could display! the others would probably end up as part of baby clothes (pregnant with twins!) or part of a quilt!

[Leah]

Happy Bloggiversary and what a generous giveaway.

If it's not too greedy could I be entered for both giveaways?

With the red and aqua fabrics, I'd add them to a charity quilt I'm making, and then conversely the squares would be used in a quilt I'm making for my daughter.

[Bumpkin Bears]

ooo I just saw about your giveaway at Twitter. I have been wanting to try quilting for some time now, so your Blog has inspired me. I am sure I could come up with some fun for the fat quarters, I adore the aqua and red together. So please enter me for the first one. Thanks so much for your kindness in this giveaway. Hugs, Catherine x

[Sara]

Hi,
I'd love to enter both giveaways - the vintage fabric is adorable, and I love making hexagons. Happy anniversary!

[ClareBears]

ooh I'd love to enter both!

though the fat quarters are beautiful!

[cate]

what a lovely giveaway! happy blogserversary! i would dearly love to win either, the red / aqua for a quilt as you suggest or the scraps for my ongoing hexie quilt...

[Sasha]

Ooooh very nice giveaway! I would like to enter both please, I am fast becoming a fabric addict and novice quilter... I keep siphoning off fabric from my grandma's cupboard without her noticing but must stop soon!

[Claire]

Lovely fabrics (but even cuter baby!). Am half way through a red quilt and was thinking red and aqua for the binding, so winning the fat quarters would be awesome. And I suspect those gorgeous squares might be the spur i need to
start piecing hexagons. Your blog is great, glad I've found it.