This giveaway isn't like most giveaways. I want to quietly celebrate the followers I have. But, that doesn't mean you don't have to work. You have to leave me a comment about Quilting, Parenting, Gardening, or Cooking...or share an old memory to commemorate Way Back Wednesday. Just a sentence or two, a thought to share.
I will not be reading your comments and picking the best one, so feel free to express yourself. No reason to be shy. But, you have to stick with one of the above topics. I will be using random number generator to choose the lucky winner, but I also would love to hear what's on your minds about my favorite topics.
Don't be shy. I'm hoping that some of my lurkers will finally say hello and some of my favorite friends will drop by to share a story. If you can't express yourself in a couple of sentences, then blog about it and comment below and I'll come looking for your thoughts. Or, you can always shoot me an email. But, to be in the drawing, you have to comment below and give me a way to find you in case you win.
And, if you're one of my followers that doesn't quilt, then you won't get the rotary cutter, but I will do something with the strips for you. Can't leave you guys out. Not sure what yet, but I'm pretty sure you'll like it...or you can give it away at the holidays and pretend you spent a fortune on it. Everybody's welcome, no matter what part of the planet you link to me from. And, you have to comment by 09/25/10. That's the day I'll draw a name.
Okay, so that's about it. Except to say thank you all for sticking around. It's been a rough summer and I hope I'm still dropping stuff out there that's interesting, at least once and a while.
Take care, have a great Sunday, and we'll see ya' round the world wide web. Lane
31 comments:
Well, I'd love to win those beauties! However, I'm one of many. Parenting was tough, but one of the most rewarding things I have done. The ongoing reward is the friendship of your adult children, and grandkids! They are the reward for allowing your children to live. Your doll is in a tough age right now, but you'll live through it. You are so good for her with your consistancy.
Lane, I've been happy to follow you for quite some time. You are insightful and funny and compassionate and real. That's probably what I love most about your blog, you are so real. When you are having a bad day, you don't sugarcoat it. When you doubt yourself, you admit it. When you are feeling good, you celebrate it. When I only have a few minutes to read blogs, yours is one that I always skip over to - your life, your mind and your quilting are all very interesting to me.
Anyway, a comment for the giveaway. Just today I blogged about realizing that I am not the liberated quilter I think I am - I am a slave to symmetry.
Or how about this quote On Children by Kahlil Gibran - I have this framed and hanging in my office:
On Children
Kahlil Gibran
Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.
You are the bows from which your children
as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,
and He bends you with His might
that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies,
so He loves also the bow that is stable.
Thanks for the giveaway. I love to play, even when I don't win. I am an optimist and a dreamer...
Well, I'm a lurker. I do quilt, and am always inspired by your quilts. I also love my plants, although most of mine are potted.... I am the mom to a furry 14 year old lab, and I cook when I have to. I love coming to see what you'll be blogging about, and seeing your creations. I almost hesitate to admit to being a quilter, because if I won, I'd love to see what you created with it! ;)
As you might remember in some of my comments---I am a parent to five adult children! My words of "wisdom" concerning parenting is: to not take yourself too seriously, allow the kiddo's to make a mistake, and above all set them up for success every now and then. Allow them to taste victory---then they come back for more!
Hope I win!!!
That's awfully nice of you to have this giveaway, and very thoughtful to consider those non-quilters too. I have been quilting like crazy the last month so I haven't had too much to say on the blogs. It's been a while since I was inspired to quilt, but this class I just took seemed to kick start my desire to quilt. I may not always leave a comment, but I definitely read all of your very interesting blogs.
Lane, you have every reason to celebrate 100 followers. You are a man of many talents and are admired by me and 99 others--at least!
Gardening and cooking (kind of). My husband planted sweet potatoes in the garden last spring and spent the summer wailing and moaning that he didn't think there'd been any blossoms and he feared there would be no sweets come fall. Wait, you say. Growing sweet potatoes in N WI??? Are you guys nuts! Not really. We successfully grew them when we lived in a town about 50 miles farther north than here. So, today, he dug down under the leaves and there it was! The biggest sweet I've ever seen, and he had the biggest grin on his face as well. Baked in the microwave, slathered in creamery butter with a little S&P, and he was in Gardener's Heaven.
I would be honored to win your give away. Maybe my quilting would improve if I worked with things that had been touched by your hands! LOL
I found your blog through a re-post on FaceBook by Bonnie of Quiltville. I really enjoy reading your adventures in quilting and parenting. I am a quilter, too, and I'm also the mother of a daughter who is 9 going on 19.
I love that my daughter is showing an interest in quilting, and I'm having fun teaching her and watching her blossom. I am not, however, looking forward to the high school years. :-)
Hey Lane,
This is a nice give-away. While I'm not in need of these items for myself, I have a good friend who would be thrilled to have them, so I'm sending you a private email about that.
~ Ronda
Congrats on 100 followers! I just became #101 :). I have been reading your blog via google reader, so I never thought to "follow".
I just had an awesome fabric dying class and think that I might be hooked. But I must must must get some of my quilting projects out of the way before I can pursue another facet of quilting that I am sure to enjoy too!
Here is to another 100 followers!
I mainly blather on about quilting on my blog.
I've no kids so parenting is out!
Gardening is something I won't do (which is why my little garden is now a jungle of weeds). I found some lads to come and do it last year but they let me down this summer and I haven't got around to sorting someone else out and now the summer is over!!! You won't be seeing pretty garden pics of my blog ever.
Cooking - I am a really lazy cook, it hard to bother when you live on your own. However, the very rare times I do do something other than the most basic tuna and pasta or something else like that I can cook. I hardly ever plan it though which is why I end up looking in an empty fridge at tea time wondering what I can have to eat and ending up getting take away!
Good Morning Lane:
I have a link to you in my side bar on my blog so that I know immediately when you've posted something new and interesting.
Cooking - I cook completely from scratch as my husband HATES "Crap from a box" and I'm not too keen on all those chemicals added that I can't pronounce either. I'm going with "if my Grandmother wouldn't recognize it as food then we aren't eating it".
Quilting - I love quilting but have done mostly small projects - baby quilts, table runners/toppers, tote bags and wall hangings. I haven't kept much of what I've made either as it usually ends up as a gift for someone.
Parenting - it's all about stages and phases and some things just aren't worth sweating over. Green hair is just a phase and it will grow out and they will realize how stupid it was 3 or 4 years down the road. HANG IN THERE!
Becky in South Carolina
Thanks for your appreciation of your followers and wanting to celebrate the numbers. I found you through Bonnie Hunter's link and now I check you out before I check out Bonnio! I finish up the "Magie Tiles' quilt for my DH today, it's been fun and he loves the purples, mauves and turquoise, greens and lavenders surronded with black "grout". I'll post a picture later. Meanwhile...I'd love having your give away. Count me as a friend.
Pauline
Hi Lane,
I might as well throw my hat in the ring too. I'm trying to be better when I go to the craft/fabric stores and buy only what I NEED (with particular projects in mind). I suppose I can bend the rules for giveaways!
I've relied on you a lot with my quilting projects. I think I might start getting advice from you about my gardens.
Hi Lane - guess I'm in the "lurker" category most of the time, I always read you first though. I've been a follower since mqb days and wasn't THAT a long time ago?
Quilting has become for me a way to relax, be creative, and practice my patience all in one. I'm having a blast with it! I've nearly finished a queen size monster that's taken me about 6 months, all that's left is to finish up the pillow cases and attach the quilt label. I was thinking the other day about how much patience I've developed as a result of quilting - it's not about a race to the end, but an enjoyment of the process. Every step - even ironing!! And who knew I would EVER love ironing?!
About my gardening - it's indoors and I think my house plants would disagree this summer (it's been a t-o-u-g-h one) but keeping nice healthy plants around just makes me feel more peaceful. Like baskets of fabric make me feel more pieceful. ;)
What a nice giveaway to celebrate your followers and your blog. Please put my name in the hat. Lisa
I noticed you were getting close to the 100 mark the other day! Congratulations! Love reading your blog. Parenting is the hardest job around! I think the key is to spend time and listen to your kids. I wished I had worked less and had more fun with mine when they were young! BTW-I need a new rotary cutter!! :)
Good morning Lane! I found you back on the other quiltblog site and was so glad when that went pfft you came over here so I could continue our virtual friendship. I'm always excited to see you have posted and always enjoy what you share....the good, the bad and the ugly. I love batiks so I hope my number comes up!! Have a great week and congrats on the 100 followers!!
What a cool idea and so much good stuff to read!
I am guest blogging today for Shruti at
http://www.13woodhouseroad.com/
And it's about sewing with a little parenting thrown in.
Lane, I have followed you since MQB because you are interesting, funny and insightful on quilting and parenting. You are in a non-traditional parenting role and yet you have stepped up to the plate and are trying to teach Sydney to be a responsible and respectable young woman and doing a great job. I love WBW and look forward to it every day. Best, Lisa
Love those gorgeous batiks! What a great giveaway.
You know you've opened a can of worms by inviting me to talk about Quilting, Parenting, Gardening AND Cooking (notice, I changed the 'or' to an 'and' because ALL of these things are really relevant in my life).
Quilting: you know where to find my blog ;). Lots of happy stuff going on this week. Stay tuned.
Parenting: routinely kicks my butt. I have zero advice whatsoever because you and Rob were really dropped off the deep end. I admire and congratulate you so much. Although I've been a 13 year-old girl and I've been a parent for almost 11 years, I have ZERO advice for you b/c I haven't been a parent of a 13 year-old girl. Yet. Wait. I do have advice. Roll with the punches. The hormones are going to be quite a ride. You may want to help her to recognize that even though what is going on inside of her head may be chaos, she can choose how she responds.
Gardening: The garden is completely kicking my butt this year. I'd love some help. Are you available?
Cooking: Again, you know where to find my blog ;). I'll be posting two more zucchini recipes this week.
Also, that rotary cutter is a nice prize. I'm still using my first rotary cutter. I got it 20 years ago (yes, really, and I used to use a wooden yard stick to cut with. If I nicked the wood, it would dull the blade.) and love it, but a new one would be really fun!
Thank you for a super fun giveaway.
xo -El
Hi Lane,
Just so you know I am one of your new followers (102)and I am new to 'lurking' since the summer which I have really been enjoying. My dh thinks that I am addicted but that is far from the truth (I think). I love to quilt and I love fabric (that would be my addiction!). My projects are always gifts for family, friends and charities - this gives me the most pleasure! Thanks for your generosity - the fabric you have chosen is beautiful, I love batiks. micheletimms@gmail.com
I think I have 'known' you since MQB days too. Good to see that you are continueing to grow as a quilter and a parent. It is always fun to see what others are willing to share.- be good cw
Congratulations! It is funny, I saw a post above from a friend. We were in the same fabric dying class yesterday. Let me just give you some advice--if you can ever take a class in dying, by all means,do! Just be warned that you may suddenly desire to dye fabric, and the heck with cutting, sewing, and stitching it back together! Wow, how fun it was just playing with color. I LOVE to play with color and this class reminded me of that and that I should play more in my projects, and not always fall back to the old standards, or buy fabric from collections where the choices are already determined. That is great for those afraid of color, but I need to start trusting my sense of color more often.
Happy Quilting and I hope the next volleyball game is a victory, too.
Oh, congrats on your followers...I see you are now over the 100 mark!!
I have a great story on finding a fabric that I could not even find from the maker....I wanted it for a quilt I am going to start. It is AMAZING what kind of information you can find out there without really asking for it....now, I know I have your attention......I'm doing a post on this very thing Tues....... :)
I love your blog, your quilting, your parenting, your life....just like an old friend I am better because you are in my life.....
Hello Lane, Your blog was one of the first blogs that I followed. We have so much in common and yet we are so different. We both love dogs, sewing machines, quilting, kids, cooking and gardening. Not necessarily in that order. :D
When I was two years old about 50 years ago my first experience with a sewing machine was my mother's treadle. I would play with the pedal. The little drawers full of goodies fascinated me. I started hand sewing doll blankets and poorly fitted doll clothes in elementary school. I took home-economics in high school. In 1981 my mom sold me a 1960s Brother zigzag machine for $40. I sewed on that until 1991 when I saved enough club points to get a free new Singer machine from Zellers for 500,000 points. When my dad passed in 1997 he left me some cash, I promptly bought a White Superlock Serger and a Husqvarna 500 computer sewing machine. I didn't really start collecting machines until about five years ago when I picked the domestic automatic to sew leather and other heavy weight fabrics. Sewing machines continue to fascinate me.
Enjoy way back Wednesday.
Nothing like a contest to flush out all the lurkers, eh?
Thanks for sharing your life with us. As a wife, a mom, a quilter, gardener, and full time worker, I appreciate your candor. It's good to hear that I'm not the only one with battle scars.
Not to scare you away, but the parenting thing is only going to get worse.
TWO of my favorites are quilting and cooking. They both allow me to open up my creativity box as much as I want to and express my personality through each one!!
I know it's a day late for the jelly roll and that's fine. I just found your blog and LOVE it so I'm a new follower. I took my first quilting class because I needed something for ME. My husband, kids, and I were moving into my mother's house and she had me so stressed and depressed, I almost couldn't function. I saw mom the morning of the class and said, 'gotta go somewhere.' She said, 'me too'. And.......there we were, in the same class!! We had great fun and 11 years later I am an avid quilter. lol
I'm following Lane....Charlie sent me...grin.
Billie in TX
Hi Lane! I've been sewing since the 1960s and made my first quilt in 1976. I find it interesting that 1976 is the year quilting entered a huge resurgence, based on the fact the US was celebrating its bicentennial. I'm proud to be among the few who learned to make a quilt with a cereal box, pencil, scissors, and a hand-sewing needle and thread. It really makes me appreciate the notions we have today.
Thanks for the chance to win! I appreciate your generosity.
Wow - Nice blog and equally nice giveaway.
Hmmm - quilting - I always wanted a quilt but my mom was a seamstress and didn't quilt. As an adult I would admire quilts, but couldn't afford the price. Skip forward many years later, I marry my husband and guess what - his mother is a quilter. She taught me to quilt, and I love it. I hope that one of my girls will take to sewing..I would love to continue the tradition.
Cooking - This is a love hate for me. I hate cooking mundane things like meat, veg, potatoes. However, I love experimenting with new recipes. I love baking!!!!!
Children - I love my children. I have two teenagers and one adult child who is married with children. What I have discovered is..regardless of the year differences..some things remain the same. I am still facing the same issues with my kids as I did my oldest daughter. I find if you listen, and don't flip out over some of the things that your kids do or say....they will always come to you and talk to you. Communication and trust is everything, not to mention love. nlundeen at catt dot com
Charlie sent me :D very nice blog.
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