Review & GIVEAWAY!!! - Homestead Blessings The Art of Quilting

Giveaway is now closed! Thanks to all who entered!! Congratulations to Jess and Beverly!!

This month the Homestead Blessings DVD that Franklin Springs Family Media sent us to review was the Art of Quilting!

As with all the Homestead Blessing DVDs, this one was excellent! The West Ladies are so personable and do a great job of explaining things, giving options, and making it all look so easy!

I figured these cold, snowy days were a great time to learn quilting. But I'm also realistic enough to know that a full size quilt would be abit ambitious for us (though I'd LOVE to get to that point eventually), but conveniently, one of the projects on the video is a quilted pot holder, THAT we can do!!

L had another project she wanted to work on first, but A was ready to jump right in. I pulled out my box of fabric, and she chose the fabrics she wanted. I'm sure all who know her will be shocked to hear that she chose purple, hee hee.

I helped her trace the pattern onto the fabric, and then set her to work cutting out the pieces and pinning them together.

At first she wanted to hand sew the whole thing, but in the end she decided she wanted to learn to use my sewing machine (what she'd REALLY like is to be able to use a treadle machine like the West Ladies use on the video, but alas, I don't have one . . .A is definitely my daughter in her love of all things old fashioned! So she settled for using my very basic electric sewing machine.

She took to it quite quickly. Quilting is a perfect first project for learning to use the sewing machine because it's nice straight rows. We're still working on the potholder, but she got her quilt block done, now we need to sew the border around it and then sew the backing (and batting) to it, then actually quilt it. I'll be sure to update, with pictures, once it's completely done (and L's ready to start her potholder now too, so I should at least have progress shots of hers by then).  They're calling for a nasty wintery mix tomorrow, so we should be able to get some sewing done since it won't be fit to go out.

In addition to the potholder, the DVD shows how to make an actual quilt, and shows a few different quilt blocks and talks about how to design your quilt. And they showed some other techniques like whole cloth quilts. It also shows (in the "bonus material") how to make a really easy cobbler carrier using 2 quilted place mats, I'm filing that idea away for wedding gifts and such.

And now for the GIVEAWAY!!! As with the other Homestead Blessing DVDs I've reviewed, Franklin Springs Family Media has generously offered 2 Homestead Blessings: The Art of Quilting DVDs for my readers!! To enter, go to Franklin Springs Family Media and look around, then come back and leave a comment telling me one product you'd love to own! (mandatory entry)

For additional entries do any (or all) of the following, and leave a separate comment for each:

• Follow my blog with Google Friend Connect (if you already do, just leave a comment letting me know)
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• Post about this giveaway on Facebook
• Post about this giveaway on your blog (including a direct link to your blog post)
• "Tweet" about this giveaway

And now for the rules:

• This giveaway will close on February 1, 2011
• Winners will be chosen on February 2, 2011
• Please make sure I have an easy way to contact you. If I can't easily find your e-mail address or post to your blog, I will have to choose a different winner.
• You will have 2 days to reply to me with your address or another winner will be chosen.
• This giveaway is open to US residents only.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of Homestead Blessings The Art of Quilting in exchange for writing this review. No other compensation was received and all opinions are my own. Giveaway items are provided by Franklin Springs Family Media.