Monday, July 30, 2012

Think Christmas Blog Hop & Giveaway

Think Christmas Blog Hop!
Its Time!  
Christmas in July!  
I am so excited to share what I have been doing with all of you.  

This is my first pieced quilt.  Last month I completed a Christmas cheater panel but that doesn't count .  

A special thank you to  Madame Samm for her inspiration and to Lesley, the Cuddle Quilter for hosting.  



Animal skins backing along with a huge fabric ribbon and bow.
So here it is....mistakes and all!
I could tell you how I worked and drew and threw things away, and spilled pins, ripped out stitches and wore out my old sewing machine and cried and pouted and procrastinated but I will not burden you with that.

When I told Linda, my sister that I was making all sorts of mistakes she said, "Oh, well.  You could just write a humorous blog."

I have been so involved in my Christmas blocks this month the family has started singing Christmas songs and thinking Christmas right along with me. And if they are not, I have gentle reminders to Think Christmas.  My friend, Ellen, just closed on her new house.
I went to see it, looked at the bare living room and immediately said, "The Christmas tree will look great...right there!"

Think Christmas!!!



My Think Christmas July adventure has been to learn a new skill: Paper Piecing!
And what fun it has been.
My daughter and I sat down in front of an online tutorial and tried to follow it piece by piece, read the instructions, questioned the instructions, tried the steps, threw up our hands, tried again, changed tutorials and finally...
Got it!
And realized it is sew easy!
You just have to understand the first two steps and the rest will fall into place.

At first it was going to be only one block, 
just a little peppermint I designed .... did it.
Then on an impulse drew up a Christmas tree
and it looked so easy, I ended up doing nine and made it into a Christmas quilt.
I'll get back to the peppermints later.

Here are the details of the quilt:

Squirrels Christmas is 52" x62",
includes my version of a popular children's story
"Twelve little squirrels scampering up the Christmas trees,
One fell off and hurt his knee
Mama called Santa, and said he,
"No more squirrels scampering up the Christmas trees."
"Merry Christmas To All Creatures Great and Small" circles the border.
Twelve squirrels are hanging around but you will have to seek them out.You will find them on the nine blocks with Christmas trees.  Each block is different.
They are quiet little creatures going about their business in the trees, under the trees, skating the slopes or just chattering from below.
And the Christmas trees are decorated in red ribbon bows stitched to the branches. 
 The Squirrel's Christmas Quilt Pattern can be found either on my Etsy site or my Craftsy site as an Instant Download.



Giveaway Details!

Don't Miss out on My Giveaway!
I have an adorable stocking panel Joy.Love.Peace.Noel by Jacquelynne Steves for Henry Glass & Co.


 I bought a panel  for myself to make up
 and a second panel to share in a Giveaway.

Don't Miss Out!
To qualify for the stocking panel make sure you are one of my followers and leave a comment on this post.
The winner will be randomly selected at the end of our blog hop on August 6th.
Check back!



Joy.Love.Peace.Noel by Jacquelynne Steves for Henry Glass & Co



















Here are the bloggers participating in 
Think Christmas 
July 30, 2012
Doodling in my Mind  (You are here)
Quilt Doodle Designs

Hope you are having fun!
I am!
Merry July Christmas!





post signature

117 comments:

  1. OOoh I love the quilts and what a lovely idea to have them all with a squirrel on (never heard of the song myself).

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  2. Thank you, Actually, I adapted the squirrel part from a popular children's book, Twelve little monkeys jumping on the bed. I have grandchildren and the book and song are among our favorites.

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  3. So cute, the squirrel idea was cute and I caught it that it was from the twelve monkeys book. We do that one all the time too. Your quilt turned out great even though you had problems, didn't you learn all along the way? It makes for a great story and you'll never forget this quilt. Thanks for the great giveaway too. Come visit me as I'm posting today too. Have fun and Merry Christmas!

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  4. Darla, thanks for being part of this hop. Mistakes are an important part of quilting. thanks for sharing the mistakes too.
    I have become a follower.

    Debra

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  5. This is the cutest quilt! Yes, my kids and I use to sing the squirrel song - oh, my!! What a delight with the detail - and your first quilt. Thank you for sharing with us today and for your lovely give away.

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  6. Hi Darla, love the Christmas tree blocks and looks great on the quilt. Thanks for sharing. Susie x

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  7. I love all your Christmas tree blocks. The quilt is lovely. What a terrific first quilt. Thanks for being part of this fun blog hop.

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  8. I love paper piecing, and you did great on your trees! Love your giveaway, my two grands would love new stockings. They tell me that one is never enough!

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  9. Your blocks are lovely. I Especially like your trees! They are so festive. Thanks for sharing.

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  10. Very beautiful quilt. I love the tiny ribbons :)
    I'm the new follower to your blog.

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  11. Oh wow! This is an amazing adventure that you have taken us through, and we are so glad you did! The quilt is fantastic, with the paperpiecing, each block different, the bows and the writing, and the squirrels...very creative and just so darn cute! Thanks for a wonderful giveaway and for helping us start the blog hop with this wonderful quilt.

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  12. Darla, your project is awesome. Than you for sharing today.

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  13. I adore your Christmas tree quilt - thanks for sharing the pics. I'm a new follower by email.

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  14. Love, love, love your quilt!! So imaginative and clever, not to mention cute as can be!! What a fun post to kick off the blog hop! ~karen

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  15. Love your Xmas blocks and the completed quilt. I can't believe this is your first quilt, great job. Thanks for being part of the hop! Have a great day.

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  16. Great whimsical trees!!! :D

    sowingstitches [at] yahoo [dot] com

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  17. Love your quilt, so good to hop with you!

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  18. I think it turned out to be just beautiful! Your artistry definitely shows!

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  19. Congratulations on your first quilt. Your piecing rocks, greens are great with the red ribbon bows -wow.
    Hanging Christmas stockings makes Christmas too. Thank you just love them.

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  20. So terrific and great 1st time paper piecing results. You should be very proud of yourself. I know all of us are.

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  21. Good Morning Darla, can we talk about those drunken pp trees..wow...love the pattern, these are absolutely lovely and you made them into a quilt...well that is just over the top amazing...

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  23. I love your pp trees, they are fantastic. You did a wonderful job! Happy quilting!

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  24. Ooh that looks challenging! I'm not quite ready to try something like that yet.

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  25. The "quirky" Christmas trees are wonderful. What a great idea!!!

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  26. Hi, I am a new follower. I love blog hops because I get to find all kinds of new blogs to follow. Love your quilt. I have tried paper piecing and had a hard time until I finally got the concept in my head then it was easy. It is just so different from regular piecing that I had a hard time getting it. Thanks for sharing your new talent.

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  27. I'm a new follower!
    I love your trees! I'd love a mini quilt of trees!

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  28. Well, Darla, you may have had a bit of a struggle with your paper piecing, but you have come out on top! I LOVE LOVE LOVE your quirky trees. They are fabulous! And the way you've connected all the blocks for the quilt is so awesome! Adding those playful little squirels just tops it all off.

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  29. Darla - I would say if this is your first pieced quilt, all those frustrations were well worth it - I love the wonky trees and the contrasting striped fabrics - just so Christmas-y I can see why your family was singing carols! Just signed up to be a follower - nice blog!

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  30. Love the squirrel on top of the tree!

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  31. I am not sure where to start. First off, your too funny... Love the way you wrote your post. Second, you sound like an official quilter to me. Ripping out, throwing away while pins are flying all over! Welcome to my world!! And lastly those darn trees, are just A D O R A B L E!!!

    I want to make some too...

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  32. That is so cute. I can't wait to see it finished.

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  33. I love your trees - so whimsical and fun! blessings, marlene

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  34. Those crazy trees with the squirrels are just so cute.

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  35. love your wonky tree. Beautiful way to have little funky christmas! thank's for the giveaway those socks will be great! hope to see you on my turn on sunday, have a giveaway too

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  36. I love paperpiecing and love your quilt,so gorgeous!!.Mistakes are part of sewing.Thanks for sharing.

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  37. Love your wonky Christmas trees. Thanks for sharing.

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  38. Your wonky trees are just too cute! You are just starting to quilt and started with paper-piecing???? Beautiful work and I'm so glad you stuck with it through all the frustration. Thanks for sharing and such a great giveaway!

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  39. Wow! That's your first quilt-love the "wonky" trees-reminds me of some of the real ones I've had! Your adaptation of the 12 monkeys into the 12 squirrels is great. We all learn from our mistakes no matter what our age. What kind of a machine did you get? Thanks for the opportunity to win some great Christmas stuff-that would really motivate me.
    Rosemary
    nellieduclos@yahoo.com

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  40. I love this quilt with all the little squirrels in the whimsical trees, and I like your animal print, gift wrapped backing, too! Good work!

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  41. Thanks so much for all the wonderful comments. I was up until 2:00 this morning finalizing, updating photos, etc. And was getting a little wonky from a lack of sleep myself....and my thumb hurts! Thank you, thank you! And Rosemary, I got a Janome Horizons 7700 QCP and love it! Two of my friends recommended it to me because they had just purchased one. My Sneak Peek post from yesterday shows you just a hint of the machine.

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  42. Hi Darla... firstly, well done with learning paper piecing. Once you get your mind wrapped around it, it's a breeze! I love your trees and the quilt!

    Thanks for the wonderful give-away. I love the artwork / designs of Jacquelynne Steves AKA The Nobel Wife. I'm a new follower, too!

    Happy Hopidays!

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  43. As a follower of your blog, you will have to believe me when I tell you that your first pieced quilt is so darn cute. Good job. Thank you for giving all of your followers a chance to win that darling Christmas panel. Just in time for another great idea for the Think Christmas blog hop.

    Sandi T.
    sandit1@sbcglobal.net

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  44. All I can say is Beautiful. I really like your ideas and what you did with them.

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  45. Your trees are such fun, thank you for showing them to us.

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  46. Such a fun Christmas Quilt. Love your tree blocks. And your Christmas panels are very cute too.

    SewCalGal
    www.sewcalgal.blogspot.com

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  47. Such a fun Christmas Quilt. Love your tree blocks. And your Christmas panels are very cute too.

    SewCalGal
    www.sewcalgal.blogspot.com

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  48. Ahhh!!!! I love it! It's so cute and my favorite part is the fabric ribbon on on the back! So cute!

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  49. WOW! Your tree blocks and the quilt - amazing!!! I originally thought it was a pre-printed panel by an artist, then I read that it's pieced blocks by an artist - you!!

    Congratulations on your perseverance and on learning a new skill or three. You've hit this one out of the park!

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  50. Loved the little trees thanks for sharing your hard work with us!

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  51. I love your trees, so very clever! My Grandmother also tatted but I am self taught because I wasn't paying attention when I was younger, and just wish I had some of her tatting things.

    I also put your name in for the drawing of the tatted snowflake. Take Care

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  52. your trees are sew cute. I'm now an excited follower. Love hops to find new blogs. Thanks for the chance to win the panel.

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  53. Your trees are wonderful, wonky, wacky and darling! Love the bows! Thanks for sharing!!

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  54. I just took up PP this year and love your sweet trees. Thank you for sharing...Judith, Texas

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  55. I follow your blog through feedburner email subscription. Thanks for the lovely giveaway - I just visited J.Steves blog today to see her cute Christmas projects.
    PP still scares me

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  56. i get you thru e-mail and would love to win thanks

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  57. I just stumbled across your blog for the first time today.....I love blog hops! You really do find some great inspiration. Thanks for sharing ;)

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  58. Your Christmas tree blocks are wonderful , good for you learning PP and then creating so many blocks , love them! I am a new follower :-)

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  59. Love your 12 little squirrels quilt! Good luck with your new machine too!

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  60. lovely work!!! thanks for sharing!!

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  61. Your trees are just darling & I like how they all have a different look to them. I'm a new follower & I enjoyed go back to some of your earlier post. I think I would try to try that fabric painting with the sharpies and alcohol. What a neat idea to use with some of my doodlings. Thanks for sharing your many ideas with all of us and the chance to win your stocking panel.
    Sincerely,
    Tricia

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  62. Oh Darla, I love your trees but I love your sense of humor most of all!! I think I'll become a new follower!! I want to see what you come up with ...mistakes and all. I think your mistakes will be the most fun to read about! perfection is boring!! So write about the whole imperfect process for those of us who love your wit!
    Blessings
    Gmama Jane

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  63. Those trees are just so cute! I'm new at paper piecing, so I totally get the frustration part. Looks like you've mastered it--love them!

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  64. paper piecing, one of my favorite things to do. Love your pieces. aurea.gillis@gmail.com

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  65. HELLO!
    LOVE YOUR BLOG!
    NEAT GIVEAWAY+THANKS FOR SHARING!

    msstitcher1948@yahoo.com

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  66. I love your tree quilt! :)
    and the back is great too!
    please do share the link for the wonky tree.
    thanks for sharing
    Marta

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  67. your quilt is amazing, I love it. hugs

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  68. Adorable trees and squirrels - love 'em! Of course, I love Jacquelynne Steves' fabrics, too! LOL Thanks for the chance to win!

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  69. Love your block. Great giveaway. I am a follower.

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  70. Your trees are so adorable!! I love how they cam out!!

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  71. I just love your tree quilt!! It's gorgeous!!!! I'm a follower!! Thanks for all you shared.

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  72. The best thing about blog hops is finding new blogs and I am glad I found yours. I am following now. Your Christmas tree quilt is so cute! I've never tried paper piecing but this might just be the one that gets me started.

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  73. All of your comments are priceless to me!
    Alessandralace, I do not have an email address for you to respond privately so I will respond here. I would share a link for my wonky trees but there is no such thing. The trees are my own drawings. If you send me your email I can email you scan of them as soon as I get them cleaned up and ready. I will try to figure out how to make it a download so anyone can have them. But I was up too late and there is not enough coffee to keep my brain active today so give me time and I will figure it out.

    Many thanks to you all.
    Darla

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  74. When you learn a new skill you really go all out! The trees and embroidery make a wonderful Christmas quilt.

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  75. I love your quilt. What a wonderful group of Christmas trees.

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  76. I'm highly impressed you learned to paper piece through a tut, and that you completed a quilt using the paper pie.cing techniques. Thanks for sharing your talents, and thanks for the giveaway.

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  77. love your paper pieced trees!! I drew some similar to those but decided it was too much work for me this go around ... nice to see what the whole quilt looks like put together. You did wonderful!

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  78. Love the wonky look of your paper pieced trees. Love the squirrel story. Thanks for sharing and the opportunity to win

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  79. Very cute Christmas trees, I like the little bows you put on. ANd the reindeer on that stocking is especially cute. Sometimes mistakes make the quilt even better. I am a new follower.

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  80. Love your trees! They are on my "Try Some" List! Thanks for sharing them and the cute song!

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  81. I have been following you and I loved all the trees you did. Love the quilt.

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  82. Wow! You did an outstanding job. I love the squirrels, I'm a little squirrel crazy myself!! Great job.

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  83. I just love your wonky paper pieced trees. I best describe paper piecing as thinking backwards. I struggled too. Thanks for sharing and participating in the blog hop...it is always nice to find new blogging friends

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  84. Love your blocks-- you did GREAT! Paper piecing is something that I've not mastered at all... need to work on it some more... Thank you for the chance to win the pretty stocking panel-- LOVE it!! :-) Merry Christmas! :-)

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  85. Hi Darla i often return to just read and gaze at your amazing adventures...yours my dear was heart felt...your perseverance was worth it. Very pleased you joined in....loved. Your trees and christmas tale.

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  86. I love the little Christmas trees, especially with all those animal print tree skirts, LOL.
    I've not done paper piecing, though I have done foundation piecing. I believe they are very similar, you just don't have to tear away the paper on foundation piecing.
    I follow by email.
    Thanks for the giveaway.

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  87. I love the little trees. I've never heard the song before, but it is cute. Thanks for sharing and for your giveaway. I'm a new follower.

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  88. Ohh I just love the squirrels and the trees...wonderful quilt. I also am learning pp and you r right I keep going back and rechecking to see how I did the last one...lol You did wonderful and I will check back. It is a wonderful prize and I am a new follower....sgriff57@comcast.net

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  89. Love those little trees. Great quilt. Remember the galloping horse rule, and don't sweat over it.

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  90. Adore your Christmas Trees. Would love to win the panel. I'm a new follower.

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  91. Hiya! I am a new follower. Love the squirrels in the trees. Wanna see the peppermint too. Thank you for having the giveaway. Blessed be, hugs!!!

    playamom57 at yahoo dot com

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  92. What a fantastic quilt! So original and so lovely! I am becoming a new follower.

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  93. Gosh! Your quilt is amazing! You just watched a video on how to paper piece and then went and designed your own? How wonderful! Love your trees and love there are squirrels as well. I love the little guys. hehe. You did a super job and thank you for sharing it with us.

    Thank you for a great giveaway and a chance to win a cute stocking panel.

    usairdoll(at)gmail(dot)com

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  94. Love your trees!!! I don't see any mistakes...what are you talking about??

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  95. My sister-in-law and I have a thing about squirrels! Love it!

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  96. Love the blocks and the quilt. especially the squirrels. It is gorgeous and so much fun.

    Bonnielarson58@gmail.com

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  97. I love these tree blocks! I always heard the song as monkeys jumping on the bed! Cute squirrel version too.

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  98. I'd love to win your stocking panel.
    Thanks,
    Peggy
    peggy_verdongibbs@att.net

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  99. Those trees are so cute. I love how each one is a bit different. I especially l.o.v.e the wonky one bending over. Adorable!! Thanks for a chance to win the Christmas Panel. and for sharing your quilt blocks

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  100. This quilt is so wonderful - I just love it. Hope I win. Sharyn

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  101. I think you have created a really lovely quilt. I like paper piecing- it is fun to see the patterns come together so nicely with crisp points that you can't get any other way. I also love the topsy turvy trees. Thanks for participating in the blog hop- There are some fun things being creating in this Christmas blog hop.
    Warmest regards from Western Canada,
    Anna

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  102. I think you absolutely created a wonderful quilt with all this paper piecing! Really adorable, and really lovely. Love the touch of the squirrels in each block! Thanks for sharing. New follower.

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  103. Wow! Yes, you are OFFICIALLY a Quilter !! You jumped right in and you made it ! Thanks for sharing with us and Keep Quilting !!

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  104. Oh my I love the Christmas tree blocks, they is beautiful, the stockings are adorable also. You do such beautiful quilting work. Thanks for the giveaway, it's awesome.
    ncjeepster@aol.com

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  105. HI! OH!THESE ARE SUCH NEAT BLOCKS-LOVE THEM!
    THANKS FOR SHARING!

    msstitcher1948@yahoo.com

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  106. Love your wonky trees - they remind me of Dr. Seuss. Thanks for the chance to win the pretty panel.

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  107. I love your trees. I have never heard of the Squirrel's Christmas story. Thanks for sharing.

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  108. Your tree is adorable!! and the poem made me smile!! May I have a copy of it?

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  109. Love your tree quilt. It is wonky and that makes it humorous and fun and casual. Love the colors you used, and that it is paper pieced? isn't it? A wonderful accomplishment to be enjoyed for decades to come.
    Hgus

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  110. I love that quilt. I would like to find the pattern its awesome. Nice work too
    Janice

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  111. Hello Darla,
    I love your christmasquilt, absoutely gorgeous!!!
    Liebe Grüße
    Bente in Germany

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