Taking advantage of our snow day

Yep, it is snowing in my part of Texas.  I just had to go out and make a snowman.....

This is the Jelly roll race quilt or 40 minute quilt.  I do have a border on it now but am too lazy to take a picture....yep...lazy lazy me.

Here is a you tube for you

She is using scraps.

Monday I was able to make this quilt.  I wanted something to match my

table runner.

Can't wait to get it quilted...but today I am working on a UFO.....taking advantage of the snow.

SEW SWEET SIMPLICITY BOM BY JACQUELYNNE STEVES......

What a fun BOM, Jacquelynne Steves has done a fantastic job with this BOM.  It has been extremely fun seeing everyone's fabrics variations and I am looking forward to hopping over to everyone's blog to see their finished product.

Here is mine.  I wanted a bigger quilt so I added the applique in the middle.

Unfinished top

Middle up close

Finished quilt hanging in my sewing room.  A bit of Spring for this cold winter morning.

   Here is one square quilted.

I hope you enjoyed making your quilt as I did mine.  

Tuesday she is posting contest rules for those of you who have made this BOM and have finished it.  Wonderful prizes as well and I hear tell one of the prizes will be a quilt kit...so don't forget to go by there on Tuesday.

For the last giveaway 

Jacquelynne is giving away an E Book worth $14.95 so be sure to leave a comment.  It is okay if you want to just pass by but this book is so awesome and is so worth the comment.

Then if you go over to her blog she is giving away a large prize package...not a very good picture, more incentive to hop on over there and check it out for yourself.

Look on my sidebar for those participating in the hop, they would love a visit from you.

A LITTLE STITCHING THERAPY

This is a UFO from Virginia....

Lately I have not had time to sew due to my mother being in the hospital.  She is doing so good now and we hope to have her out soon.

That being said, I had time to do a little sewing today so I chose these squares that I just put aside a while back and made a runner for my long table.  I have to say, that little pop of orange just does it for me.

Next on the agenda are ten place mats.

HANDMADE IS NOT ALWAYS AFFORDABLE

I just love this article "Quiltonomics:  The Real Cost of Quilts" by Jennifer Moore

If some of you have time, this is a good article to go and read.

My daughter in law tells me that I am worth more than I charge, not to under sell myself.  I saw on facebook the price one of my friends was selling a baby quilt for and almost choked (I didn't have anything in my mouth either).

So I went to my etsy shop and upped some of my prices.  A few months later a quilt sold.  I was so astounded, even still it was a bargain.

                                     Using Marjorie Busby designs I made these small quilts.

About ten years ago a friend asked me to make them a quilt for their mother.  Said she would make it worth my while.
So I did and I think I even hand quilted it.

 At that time I had sold maybe one or two quilts....and didn't have a clue to the price I should ask.

 So I left it up to her and to my utter shock she only paid me 40 dollars.

 That didn't even cover the cost of fabrics.   I wanted to cry, for days I wanted to cry.  I personally would rather give it away then sell it for that price.  It was my fault for not being more informed and milly mouse about it.

                                                   Number one seller in my craftsy shop.

For my friends, I find great joy in quilting for them so when I tell them a price, it is just that...the price of what they pay me and the price of my happiness of doing it for them.  No regrets

What brought this on???

 Well....I had to get my taxes ready for my husband....I keep all my receipts, the quilts I sell...etc.  I was so happy with the little I made last year until he calculated up my time per hours.

 I have to laugh because he was really being unrealistic because he went by a 40 hour work week and we all know that I quilt when I want to quilt and it is no 40 hours a week.  I also am not doing this to feed myself either, if I had to feed myself I might not be so lax about it all.

 I do it for the love of quilting.  (no pun inteneded)



Here is a video that was in the article above about the price of quilts.  This is here for you in case you do not have time to read the article.


So are we really undervaluing our worth like my daughter in law says?  Then you think, who would pay for them at such high prices and I am not talking 3,000.  As proven in my etsy shop, you can ask for more and there are people who will pay for it and know and appreciate the true value of your work.

This is Cherry Blossom's designs (Bon Appett), I won this pattern.  It arrived on Thursday and I couldn't help but make it.  Don't you just love it on my wall?

I was kinda on the fence about the orange binding but I needed it to pop and boy does it, in just the right way!!

Love this pattern, in fact, I am making two more sets...just need to quilt them.

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The winner of the Sew Sweet Simplicity Giveaway is Susan Griffith

Thanks for all of your sweet comments!

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The winner of my Scrappy Time Valentines is Sandy quilts!  Once again, thank you so much for your sweet comments.