Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Getting Organized Update

I was going to post last night, but I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off most of the evening and I didn't get to wind down until after 9 or 10. So I am going to be updating my To Do list from this post - http://jillquilts.blogspot.com/2010/09/getting-myself-organized.html - now because things have been marked off. Yahoo!! (And since I am sending this from my email because I can't post through blogger at work, I will apologize in advance for the full link showing (above) and any formatting issues there might be. :(
 
1. Quilt wall hanging for retiring co-worker -  I got this DONE on Saturday and gave it to Karen's employee on Monday and she loved it. She showed another co-worker who came into my office and started to cry because it was so beautiful. I really can't take credit for anything other than the quilting though - I'm just glad that they liked it! :)
 
2. Quilt quilt for Shellie (http://shellcreations.blogspot.com) - I have had this item on my list to get pressed for a couple of days now and still haven't gotten that done. I have been practicing some free motion holly leaves and berries though so I am ready to start it once I get it loaded. I plan on quilting it this weekend to mail off early next week. As long as I can find a box that it will fit in!
 
3. Quilt quilt for Regina (http://thequeenbeesbuzz.blogspot.com) - I really want to get this finished and mailed back to her so that she can have it to work on during her road trip that is coming up.
 
4. Write up last Board meeting minutes for the Guild. DONE!!
 
5. Sleeve help at the Yarn Shop for the sweater - DONE!! This was done last Saturday and I spent a few hours at Lambikin's (http://lambikinshideaway.com) knitting and chatting. Well, I did more knitting and listening! I got 1 sleeve started and directions on how to finish it and I sewed up the shoulder seams on the front and back. The seams look pretty good, if I do say so myself!
 
6. Email local quilt shops for the December Guild meeting - DONE!! And I have 4 confirmations and 1 probably. I will just have to follow up with the shops who haven't responded in a couple of weeks.
 
7. Quilt for Meghan's 16th birthday - haven't touched, but I know which quilt I am going to finish for her - the teal and brown two buck a block quilt. I have all the thangles blocks finished, I just need to get to work on the finishing kit.
 
8. Quilt for Granma's 80th birthday and Christmas - I have a bit of time for this, but I know what pattern I am going to do and I have purchased the fabric. I am hoping (probably in vain!!! lol) that I will win one of these AccuQuilt GO! cutters so that I don't have to spend a lot of time cutting the 3287 strips needed for the pattern all by myself.
 
9. Prep for October 21st retreat - I haven't started this either. I am hoping that once I get some of these other things done that I will have time to cut up some kits.
 
10. Pin cushion swap due Sept 30 but that I would like to mail by Tuesday - Well, mailing by Tuesday didn't happen. What a mess this has turned out to be!!! I got the pin cushion done on Sunday, but I can't show it until it is received. I was hoping to send it Monday or Tuesday so that I could show it off by Thursday. Well, problem after problem has prevented the mailing. First, I got some extra goodies to include and I needed a box for everything to fit into without smooshing everything to within an inch of survival. After looking 4 different places for boxes, I finally went and bought one that worked at a local grocery store and amazingly, everything fit! WOO HOO!!! But of course, this wasn't until last night AFTER the post office had closed. No problem there, they have one of those Automated Mailing machines. I sat in my car and boxed everything up, labeled the box and went into the PO only to weigh the package and have it weigh too much to be able to leave it in the package mailing container!! It weighs 13.6 ounces and the limit is 13 ounces. I was over by .6 ounces!!! UGH!!! Instead of opening it up and removing one of the items, I decided to give up, treat myself to an ice cream from The Dip* and go home. What a night! UGH!
 
11. Prep items for Fall Into Fall giveaway - I am working on 1 thing now. Well, not RIGHT now, but I did last night before I went to bed. And I will tonight when I get home to relax. (Seriously, I need time to relax after all the running around I did last night!) I will probably pick up a couple more things on my way home tonight or tomorrow night and I was going to go through some of my scrap containers and pull out some fabric to have charms in Autumn colors.
 
12. NEWLY ADDED - Super Secret Quilt - After I posted the To Do list last week, I immediately realized that I didn't include the Super Secret Quilt for Barb. Oooppsss! This isn't due until December, but I better get it added to the list now so that Barbie doesn't feel slighted! :-D  (HOLLLLAAAAAA to you, Girl!!! lol)
 
 
I am still trying to decide what things I want to take with me to Shipshewana. I am hoping that I can get a couple of the quilts that I am working on now done so that I can start new things there. I think that Meghan's quilt will be something to take and I am hoping that I can get the prep work done before I go. Maybe the Super Secret Quilt, too. If only Barb wasn't a reader of this lovely blog and I could show pictures of it. I think that I don't want to work on it because I can't keep things a secret and if I get it done, I will want to share it, but that would ruin her surprise.
 
I also want to take a poll. On Friday, the Fall Into Fall Giveaways begin. There are a ton of bloggers participating and you can find the list here - http://fall-into-fall.blogspot.com. I want to know what you readers think of blog giveaways. I know that giveaways are great, but I am more interested in the entering part. Do you prefer the "make it simple and leave 1 comment and that it is" giveaways? Or the "leave 1 comment for an entry and do these extra things for more entries" giveaway? Do you think that it depends on what the giveaway is? For example, a book or pattern should be a simple comment and yards upon yards of fabric (or a GO! lol) should have the option for extra entries? Leave a comment with your thoughts and I will come up with something to draw for on Saturday or Sunday for a small giveaway. It's the least that I can do for those of you who have read to the bottom of this whole post! lol  Maybe I can find something to fit into the plethora of boxes that I accumulated in the last 2 days for shipping the pin cushion in! HA HA HA!
 
Happy Wednesday!
 

* At The Dip, the kid who waited on me knew my order and said that he had missed seeing me there lately...  Woo hoo that I haven't been there in a few weeks, but Good Lord!!! He KNEW my order!!! At least I can say that I walked up to the window instead of staying in my car and going through the drive thru!! 

14 comments:

Regina said...

I dunno - I get a bit tired of the "jump through these hoops" giveaways and the "follow me"... although I have found a few new and interesting blogs, I often stop following some because there is no good stuff beyond the giveaway. I also feel guilty for following just for the entry. I think I like the "answer this fun question" type better - it's easier for the blogger to track and keeps everyone on even footing. I don't twitter, I don't intend to start twittering or tweeting or whatever, and it also seems like lots of people are going that route for extra entries. OK -rant over. I am probably commenter #1 so won't win anyway, right! :-P

Cheryl Willis said...

I did see on one blog that number one was the winner so hang in there!
I don't mind doing a comment to get my foot in the door, I also don't mind signing up to follow for a second chance.

I personally don't re-blog (re-post) the give-a way.

Answering a question is OK too.- have fun-

I have my pincuhion ready to mail and am way short of the 13 oz!cw

PunkiePie (Jen) said...

I agree with Regina. The jumping through the hoops gets a little tired just for a pattern. If it's for a BIG thing (like the GO), I can see doing it. I don't mind answering a fun question but at the same time, it shouldn't be a requirement either.

Simple is better. :)

Anonymous said...

I believe in the KISS principle (Keep It Simple Stupid) and like the even field of one comment per entry. I don't blog, don't twitter, and really don't think drawing a bunch of new people to a blog just because they want to win something is fair to those who read on a regular basis. Answering a question is fun because of the variety of answers you get.

I'm looking forward to seeing what you did for the pincushion swap. There were so few of you in it, any chance it's headed to someone I know here? She was excited to participate, can't wait to see what she receives.

Libby said...

HMMMMM! I like the "one comment per entry" cause I'm kinda lazy!! I understand if it's a really big prize asking people to blog about the giveaway. But, really all the "like this on FB" "join this flickr group" blah blah...but I guess if you really want to win, you will do it. After all, it's free!
I do like it when the blogger ask you to leavea comment answering a question...then I feel better than just writing "I want it"

Babs said...

I'm with the others. Keep it simple. One comment (or a fun question). Keeps the playing field level and fair for all. I too am finding that I end up following blogs or getting FB updates on things I don't really get into.

HOLLLLLAAAAA!
-BBB

P.S. The guy @ the Dip totally thinks you're HOTTT!!! LOL

Babs said...

Oh - and the next time I see you, I want to hear you say "Shipshewana" 5 times fast without cursing ;)

InfinityQuilter/Knitter said...

He knew your order?!?!? What to comment on...that he's likes seeing you or that you seem to be getting ice cream a lot!

Good progress on your to-do list.

Giveaways - I think it's cool that you have extra chances by doing more comments, but I wouldn't like it when I'm the one holding the giveaway...way too much to keep track of.

elizabeth said...

JILL GREAT LIST OF THINGS TO DO. AS FOR THE GIVE A WAYS I AGREE WITH EVERYONE ELSE. SIMPLE IS BETTER MOST OF THE TIME, BUT IF IT IS SOMETHING BIG A FEW SHORT QUESTIONS WOULD GIVE MORE CHANGES. AS FOR THE ICE CREAM GUY, I USE TO WORK AT FRISCH'S AND I KNEW ALL THE REGULARS BY NAME AND WHAT THEY ORDERED. IT SHOWS HE IS GOOD AT HIS JOB AND LIKE BABS SAID MAYBE HE LIKES YOU ALSO

elizabeth said...

JILL BY THE WAY I LOVE GIVE A WAYS BUT I KNOW MY CHANGES OF GETTING THE PRIZE ARE VERY SLIM. I DONT WIN STUFF

QuiltSue said...

I love giveaways as they offer the chance to win something that I might not buy for myself. When I have held them I do ask people to comment/follow/blog for up to 3 entries, as I love getting new visitors and readers and have made some good friends that way, but I don't do FB or Twitter, so it's a little unfair to include those. I have seen some where you have to do so many things, you know, go here and do this, come and tell me you did, go there and do that, come and tell me again, etc. I really can't be bothered with those so I don't enter them.

Sorry, this is a very long comment, it wasn't meant to be.

Ted and Donna said...

I'll have my usual, pardner! LOL

Sitting at the RV table watching hummingbirds eating from the feeder attached to the window. Butterflies are flitting around the purple flowers next to the patio. So beautiful here.

Gina said...

THat's still a LONG to do list. Best of luck with it.

Whenever I've done a giveaway it's been comment and that's it. I'm not interested in reblogging or people having to become my follower. To be honest I like to keep them for my regular readers and not have them run the risk that someone new who never read my blog before and probably won't read it again win instead. ( OK that sentence ran better in my head than in print). I know there are professional giveaway enterers out there as I keep coming across blogs that just list that weeks giveaways. That said if people want to blog about any giveaway then that's their choice.
Love and hugs Gina xxx

Jen said...

I normally just leave the comment. If the prize is good and the blog has substance, then I may follow. I hardly ever repost though. I love the "One Day" Giveaways. And if I win a prize from someone I don't follow, then I feel so appreciative that I follow them and faithfully read and comment on thier blog just to show how thankful I am. All the above rules are null and void in a a GO! giveaway.