It's a party!

Quilter's Blog Hop Party, that is!  To celebrate the Quilting Gallery's 5th birthday, bloggers around the world are having giveaways.  Click the graphic below to see the list of other participating bloggers, but not until you keep reading to see what is happening in my little corner of the world!

Note that the party doesn't officially start until Monday morning, so if you are visiting on Sunday night, she may not have the list of links up yet.  If not, check back on Monday to join the fun!

For any new readers out there, here's a quick introduction.  My name is Erin, and I have been quilting for about 10 years now.  I adore working with scraps, and I cut my scraps into predefined sizes, using a system very much like Bonnie Hunter's Scrap User's System.  I rarely follow a pattern, either while piecing or while quilting.  I am a hand quilter, so it takes me forever to finish projects, but I do my best to always have something with me as I rush through my busy life to work on while waiting in doctor's offices or sitting on bleachers watching my kids play sports or even just during my lunch break.  In addition to being a quilter, I am a mom to 2 boys and wife to the most handsome man on earth, have a full-time job in college admissions, take and teach karate, am a cub scout den leader, and teach an after-school quilting class to kids grades K-5.

Recently I've undertaken an effort to provide some warmth and comfort in the form of quilts to those were affected by Hurricane Sandy in New York and New Jersey, and I've been so blessed by quilters all around the world, sending enough blocks and completed quilts to donate more than 3 dozen quilts so far.  You can see an up to date list of all the ANGELS who have helped with my project over there on the right under the heading MY HEROES.  Understandably, I joined this Blog Hop so I could give a little something back and to say THANK YOU!

Since I've been working on the Hurricane Sandy Project, there have been quite a few projects that have been moved to the back burner for a while.  The longer they sit there, the more I want to get back to them.  One that has really been calling to me, and that also very much illustrates my quilting style, is my color quilt.  Using 1.5" precut squares of scraps, I have been spelling out color words with scraps of that color.  I have no idea yet how I'm going to put them together, but that is par for the course with me.  Here's what I have so far:

THE GIVEAWAY!

Do you have projects that you look forward to getting back to eventually?  If so, leave a comment letting me know what that project is.  Or are you one of those amazing people who has no UFOs, who always finishes what you start?  If so, leave a comment and let me know your secret!  Either way, I'll enter you into my drawing.  I'm a visual person so links to photos of projects are encouraged, but certainly not required. Just one comment per person, please.  I'll leave the giveaway open until 6 AM EST, Monday, December 17. That's when I get up for work.  It'll help me get out of bed on a cold, dark Monday morning if I have something fun to look forward to other than my job (which I love, but which I love a little less at 6 AM on Monday mornings).

The winner will receive a package of over 150 assorted 2.5" scrap squares,

plus, three approximately half-yard cuts of a fabric that a co-worker brought back from abroad for me (I believe from India) that I love, but can't for the life of me figure out what to do with.

She brought back a yard of each, so half goes to you, and half stays with me.  I'm hoping to be inspired by what someone else does with it.

I will ship anywhere in the world.  Please know that you cannot win if I have no way to get in touch with you, so please, either be a blogger with an email address in his/her profile, or leave your email address in your comment.

I hope you will come back to visit again!  Enjoy the party!