12 March 2012

My First Giveaway! Happy Spring!

Part of the reorganizing and cleaning frenzy is the purge (or at least it should be, though I often have to remind myself of that separately!). When I went through my sewing studio the other week, I didn't actually purge anything (okay, maybe a paper template or sketch here and there), but I found quite a few lovely things that have been hanging around for a while, things for which I may never find a proper use, so perhaps they should go to someone who can appreciate and use them.

And it may sound trite, but it does seem that "spring cleaning" is one of my usual rituals. Those who know me in person can attest to the fact that I am not the neatest of people. I surround myself with stuff, and am one of those who will fill up any horizontal surface available (and sadly, sometimes this includes the floor!). Therefore, it is crucial that I hit an overload point and dedicate some serious energy to straightening things up after the winter months of clutter!

So, it being March and with St. Patrick's Day around the corner, plus all of the fun photos I've been seeing of folks participating in the Sew Out Loud project and other text-based sewing projects, I thought I would start with this "Authentic" jelly roll from Sweetwater.

Just leave a comment below - and I would love it if you would share one of your spring rituals as well. The giveaway will be open until the end of the day Saturday March 17th (midnight Pacific Daylight Time). I'll announce the winner on Monday March 19th. I look forward to hearing what y'all have to say!!

Happy spring from Portland, Oregon!

THE COMMENT THREAD IS NO LONGER OPEN FOR THE DRAWING. DRAWING WILL OCCUR SOME TIME SUNDAY MARCH 18TH WITH THE HELP OF RANDOM.ORG (once I figure it all out!) AND WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED AND CONTACTED BY MONDAY MARCH 19TH. GOOD LUCK AND THANK YOU ALL FOR PARTICIPATING!
(And please remember, if you are a no-reply blogger, check back here on Monday for the announcement)

43 comments:

  1. I buy plants, usually a trunk full of six-packs that are already in bloom because it feels like instant Spring and they cheer up the entry. When I buy bulbs, either I plant them but they don't come up or they sit in the bag until they rot and that's just depressing.

    Love the text jelly roll - thanks for the chance to win.

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  2. My spring ritual? Hmmm. I tend to buy a couple more indoor plants to go with a handful more bulbs for my outside. We are slowly (and I mean that it is like a snail's pace) adding some green inside and out.

    I LOVE that line of fabric. Thanks so much for the chance to win!

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    1. My ritual is to clean my home from top to bottom. That also includes, doors, walls, windows, shelves, closets, and carpets. It feels so great once I'm done!

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  3. My ritual is to organize everything. I have 3 kids and I go through their closets. I also do deep cleaning!
    lizzyallen123@gmail(dot)com

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  4. Found my way over from Flickr and your awesome Tangerine Tango Challenge quilt. My spring ritual - the happiest one - is packing away my down coat (I live in Minnesota and Wisconsin). Not too much to complain about the winter this year, but I always look forward to ditching the heavy coat. Thanks for the giveaway!

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  5. I get really happy each spring when I do my taxes. Either I get money back (yay) or I have to send them money, which means I must have earned more than I expected (yay)!

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  6. I love to start seeds for the garden each spring. Though I usually do so much too early!

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  7. Spring= baseball in my house! Thanks for the giveaway!

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  8. Spring = deep-cleaning my appartment, then buying flowers and decorating everything spring-y, then... eating cookies while admiring the finished work ;).

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  9. To me, spring is going to Yorkshire with my parents and my partner, we go every year, all of us together. The rolling hills, the daffodils, the lambs in the fields....last year we saw two lambs being born! I cannot wait! Thank you for the giveaway!

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  10. My spring ritual is working on the yard. In Texas it is soooo hard to keep a nice yard so it's the first thing I work on in the spring!

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  11. Every spring I like to clean the house and fix up the landscaping! I pretty much ignore both places the rest of the year :D Thanks for the giveaway.

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  12. My spring ritual is to redo the flowers, prepare the garden and to clean the house. I don't love all the stuff but when it is done it so worth it. Thanks for a great giveaway!

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  13. Cleaning windows and planting seeds! Also setting eggs in the incubator!
    Great giveaway - thank you!

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  14. A spring ritual - well there is spring cleaning but that is really nothing nice, ok afterwards it is. One of my other spring rituals is to store my woolen sweaters and the other winter clothing in boxes in exchange for the light skirts and blouses. (I have a rather small wardrobe)

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  15. My spring rituals are to do some house cleaning, inside & out; plant flowers in the flower boxes (apartment living); and plan & start new
    quilting projects. Great giveaway! Thanks for the chance to win!!!!

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  16. I usually do some housecleaning and planting.

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  17. My ritual is planting. We have quite a bit of snow right up until the beginning of April, so we do all our plant starts inside until the first weened in June. I plan on starting my tomatoes and peppers this weekend.

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  18. I do the spring cleaning thing too, and in addition I rearrange the furniture in my common living spaces. Usually nothing big, but just enough to breath some fresh energy into the space!

    Thanks for the chance, I know exactly what I'd use jellyroll for!

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  19. Thank you for this great giveaway! I start planning and dreaming of our gardens and rearranging my flowerbeds. I also go to rabbit shows and they start in the spring and I look forward to seeing friends that I haven't seen since last fall. I love spring!!

    sandyb720 at gmail dot com

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  20. What a great jelly roll!! Thanks for the giveaway and the chance to win! I love Spring! I get the cleaning bug too! I actually just finished rearranging and cleaning our living room, as well as organized some closets this past weekend. I also have to spray for spiders. every. year. Yuck! I can't stand those things in my house. lol. I also love spending every minute I can outside, doing whatever! It gets too hot in the summer, but spring is perfect for just soaking up the sun!

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  21. I adore Sweetwater, just discovered them recently and bought the Reunion Jelly Roll for my sister-in-law. Winning this would certainly help ease the temptation to keep that one for myself ;) In Spring I love getting into the garden and planting new herbs, always so rewarding! Thanks for this generous giveaway--

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  22. yep, spring cleaning - its so fresh and nice to open up the house and clean everything up and out :) thanks for the giveaway and enjoy your spring !

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  23. Its already spring here in Indiana! Well, it's more like summer with 70-80 degree temps. My thing is cleaning. I want to get that cooped up all winter smell out of the house, and everything fresh and new. The back and front doors go open, and what the wind doesn't blow out one end, I pick up with the vacuum. Oh, and a new drying pole is getting installed outside asap to hang everything up, even my unmentionables. No more machine drying for me!
    Thanks for hosting a giveaway!

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  24. Thanks for the giveaway. One thing I happily do every spring is get outside and start tidying up my gardens. The first bulbs are blooming and I'm having fun!

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  25. Spring = rearranging all furniture and clean clean cleaning with all the windows open to smell the spring air. However, here in P-town it doesn't really happen till summertime ;)

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  26. Spring! Ahhh - so glad it's early here in southern Manitoba. My ritual - cleaning up dog poo in the yard from our two poochies, Carter & Cowboy. Always feels good to get that little chore out of the way!! ;)

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  27. My spring ritual? Going through all of the closets, drawers, etc and purge with a run to Goodwill afterwards. Of course, then since the snow has melted--all of the prep for the yard.

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  28. My spring ritual is to clean every window in the house till they sparkle. I collect crystal "sun-catchers" and another part of the ritual is to clean my crystals (in contact lens cleaner) till they sparkle, rehang them in my window and wait for the sun! Thanks for the chance to win.

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  29. Plants and cleaning! Thank you for the chance to win!

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  30. Gardening! Clearing out the weeds that have taken over and planting flowers and vegetables.

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  31. One of my spring rituals is to clean all of the windows. Thanks for the chance to win.

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  32. My spring ritual is to go through all my winter clothes, donate what I didn't wear this season and pack away the rest until winter sneaks up on me again!

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  33. My spring ritual is to make big plans about organizing my house and making my flower beds in the front yard look tidy... and then I don't do any of it. Or I start but never finish.

    I do randomly organize various rooms throughout the year, and I'm hoping that if I buy me some cute gardening gloves for myself and keep them by the front door (instead of in the garage, which I can't open because the door is too heavy), I'll get out there and attack the flower beds.

    Oh wait! I do have a ritual I actually do. I swap out our denim "winter quilt" for the lighter cotton "summer" quilt on our bed. And this year I'll be replacing all the space heaters with fans soon.

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  34. SPRING = cleaning the house! AZALEAS!!!!!

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  35. My spring ritual (which sadly won't get to happen until late April/early May around here!) is to wash all of the outside windows that I can reach. We have a glorious view of the mountains, but it's always obstructed by handprints and dog nose prints and tons of dust on the outside. It always feels good to get that done, and the house seems fresher.

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  36. windows, yes - and just some serious fresh air - open windows and doors. and the changeover in kid clothes from winter to spring/summer means an overhaul of bedrooms most years. that is always a good thing!

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  37. I think my only spring ritual is adding new, spring additions to my closet. Cute, lightweight, and pastel clothing? Yes!

    sblake1[at]student[dot]framingham[dot]edu

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  38. Thanks for the great giveaway! Spring ritual - wearing a shamrock on a green shirt on St. Patrick's Day.

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  39. Spring means gardening outside, pulling weeds, and servicing the lawn mower for that overdue first cut. And, it means resting while handquilting. In the sun, it's 80F here in N.Florida. Thanks for the giveaway - lovely jelly. alternate email mlwright29(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  40. I buy pansies, petunias and tomato plants and vegetable and herb seeds for the garden.

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  41. My family and I go pick dafodills in Felida, Washington. Two sisters planted them in the early 1900's and sold them when they came up in the spring. The family that owns the house continues the tradition! It is so fun, and I just love filling the house with my favorite flower. The kids love running through the dafodills! Thanks for the chance to win, what fun!

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  42. watching the flowers come up! my crocus got drowned in the recent hard rains, but the daffodils are sticking in there and blooming well.

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