Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Naughty Or Nice Holiday Party - Day 4


It has been fun reading all of your answers. Keep them coming because we have a few more fun days left. Don't forget to go to the following posts to enter: Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3. Good luck!

Here are the general guidelines for this party. Each day we will feature the answers of the questions that we posed to the designers. You will find out about their holiday habits and each day you will have the opportunity to share your thoughts. You will be eligible to win a fabulous bundle of fabric. All you have to do is answer the question on the blog [and/or on Facebook] for a chance to win the bundle of fabric of the day. No substitutions. You can enter on the blog and/or Facebook for two chances to win per day. You have until midnight December 9th to enter and all winners must claim their prizes until midnight December 13th or the prize is forfeited and we will announce a new winner.

Thank you for visiting our website, blog and Facebook page. It has been a great year for the Henry Glass designers. They've been busy working on a big project with the folks at Martingale & Co. The book will be released next fall and we know that you are going to love it. Stay tuned to our blog and Facebook or sign up for our newsletter to receive news about some exciting announcements in the new year.

For this blog party we asked the designers the following questions:

1. What was your favorite gift? Worst?
2. Early or late shopper? Earliest or latest that you've shopped?
3. Favorite holiday drink? Alcohol or none? Recipe?
4. Are you likely one to return a present or to suck it up and keep it?
5. As a child were you likely to make the naughty or nice list?


The Buggy Barn ladies have had a very busy year. You can read all about their antics by signing up for their newsletter and by reading their  blog. You can read about the treats that they are offering to their "good" customers right here.

We wanted to show you a peek at their upcoming line, Bountiful Harvest, which will be out next May. You can view the entire line on our website here.



1.  Our Aunt Mable always brought a new game to play on Christmas Day, and my favorite year, was the year of "Grand Slam".  I loved to play games, I loved to have someone to play games with, and I was tireless in my pursuit to get you to play with  me!  My cousin Dave finally named me "Grand Slam Champ" and he  even made me the t-shirt which I wore with pride: my favorite gift from my favorite cousin…..

2.  I find my best gifts when I'm not looking for them, like when I'm walking past the jewelry counter on the way to the bathroom and see the perfect pair of frog prince earrings for Pam's grand-daughter to go with her "Prince Charming" quilt.  

4.   I don't usually return presents because I know my kids put a lot of thought into whatever it is that's under the tree, so I keep what they give.

5.  I certainly don't remember being naughty!  But I have two boys that have always been terrible about peeking at their Christmas presents!  Just as soon as they  were too old for the "hide them in the trunk of the car" to work, it was a battle every year.  We'd hide them at my mom's, we'd hide them at the classroom at the  Buggy Barn, but every year, the hunt was always on!  Finally, once they were old enough and had Santa figured out, and there were (thankfully!) no more           Christmas Eve wrapping marathons, I still had to color code the ribbon or the wrapping paper and never put names on the packages so they wouldn't know until  Christmas morning which packages were theirs!  It is a tradition that persists, because they still come home to shake the presents and hear me holler at them to get out from underneath the tree!

Let's cross the ocean and ask our next designer the party questions. Delphine Cubitt is an English designer from the Peak District. She is a busy mom of three boys but manages to design in many different industries including the quilting and greeting card industry.

[Her cute boys, twins Alfie and Theo, with their big brother Max. Alfie is the one asleep.]

Rhyme Time is her next line with Henry Glass and it will be available in April. Details of the line can be viewed on our website.




1.  Well now I would love to say something that somebody had lovingly made for me, or something from one of my boys but actually....It's not.. Ha ha it's my lovely cream, Nespresso coffee machine that my big Brother (he's very big he's 6ft 6") John bought me 2 Christmas's ago! I love it, (it even goes on holiday with me) My daily routine would be completely ruined without my lovely latte at 10.00 every morning!

2.  I try so hard to be an early Christmas shopper. I love Christmas, and the build up to it. So every year the first weekend in November (Our Wedding Anniversary) My Husband and I get a heavenly weekend away on our own (Parcel the kids up and send to Granny's for the weekend!) Then we actually spend all weekend talking about the little tikes and finding lots of great Presents that Santa might like to bring them on the big day!!  Every year my intention is to have all gifts bought and wrapped by the 1st December, then I can enjoy the build up to Christmas Stress Free!... I have a lovely image in my head of  being sat in front of the fire, Christmas tree twinkling, mince pie and Mulled wine in hand.........However I have never actually managed this and always still seem to be found rushing around ridiculously busy shopping centres, hot and bothered the day before Christmas!!

[Delphine setting the table ready for Christmas Dinner.]

3.  My Favourite Holiday drink has to be Sloe Gin, maybe because a friend and I make our own and we even get the children involved helping to pick the Sloe's. My friend lives on a farm so we have a lovely day up there, baskets in hand we set off, children usually ahead of us, trampling through the muddy field in search of our Sloe's. When we have mud up to our ears and frozen fingers and toes, we head back to make our Gin. (There is usually home made cake and hot chocolate waiting to warm us up, which also makes the day a great one!) The Children then all disappear somewhere in my friends beautiful old 7 bedroom Farm house, while we get on with the chemistry of brewing!! Actually it's incredibly easy and fun, so here goes!

Recipe:
Sugar
Gin
Sloe Berries or Damsons, plums, actually you could try any soft fruit most would work!
Bottles

Basically in a clean, empty wine bottle, (with screw lid, or you could buy swing top presentation bottles if they are for gifts!) fill a third of your bottle with rinsed, dried, fruit. Now fill the next third of your bottle with sugar, and finally top your bottle up with Gin. now put your lid on and carefully turn the bottle upside down to mix all your ingredients, don't shake the bottle, you don't want jam!! now repeat this process every day for a week, then just once a week up until Christmas. Before the big day, strain your gin through a piece of muslin placed over a sieve.  Now pour the filtered gin back in to your bottle and replace the lid, your Sloe Gin is now ready to drink or give as a gift (Once you try it you might not want to give it away!!)  You are now left with a pile of deliciously gin laden fruit.....We can never throw this away, it's far to tasty, so we chop it all, remove any seeds and stir it in to melted chocolate, we use dark chocolate but I suppose you could uses any! leave it to set in the fridge and then break up in to pieces. Again this makes a lovely gift, (Not for children, it will be very alcoholic) or just keep it for yourself!
To make your Gin in time for Christmas, you need to make it before Halloween, this gives the Gin just the right amount of time to ferment! Enjoy!

[Her adorable eldest son Max opening his presents.] 

4.  Ha ha I love this question and the answer is definitely NO!! I would be so embarrassed ! I am very lucky and get fab presents given to me, but occasionally a dodgy one turns up, I smile as genuinely as I can, grit my teeth then stick it in the attic until the next School Fete, where I can pass it on to a good cause!!! (to all my family and Friends reading this, your presents have always been gorgeous and used!!!) ;-)

[Delphine and her big brother John visiting Santa.]

5.  I would love to say that I have always been on Santa's Nice List, but my long suffering Mum may disagree with this comment! I think that I have always been good at the first signs of the Holiday Season and up until the bid day! I would never risk upsetting Santa and risking being present-less on Christmas Morning! I am sure that I made up for it the rest of the year though!  I actually see this in my 3 boys now, it's amazing how many chores you can get them to do by saying "Santas watching! Are you being good?" Ha ha !!

Today's featured fabric is "Bears & Buddies" by Fresh Designs. This is a flannel line and the prints are adorned with sweet bears and friends. There is a pretty pink version with coordinating prints. Of course, we can't forget the boys so there is a blue version of the line. So sweet. Do you want to win some of this fabric? Tell us what your favorite "buddy" was as a child. Did you have a stuffed teddy bear? A doll? A car?  Good luck.












Remember that you can enter on Facebook as well!

-hg

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Naughty Or Nice Holiday Party - Day 3


Welcome to Day 3 of our party. In case you just started reading, here are the general guidelines for this party. Each day we will feature the answers of the questions that we posed to the designers. You will find out about their holiday habits and each day you will have the opportunity to share your thoughts. You will be eligible to win a fabulous bundle of fabric. All you have to do is answer the question on the blog [and/or on Facebook] for a chance to win the bundle of fabric of the day. No substitutions. You can enter on the blog and/or Facebook for two chances to win per day. You have until midnight December 9th to enter and all winners must claim their prizes until midnight December 13th or the prize is forfeited and we will announce a new winner.

Thank you for visiting our website, blog and Facebook page. It has been a great year for the Henry Glass designers. They've been busy working on a big project with the folks at Martingale & Co. The book will be released next fall and we know that you are going to love it. Stay tuned to our blog and Facebook or sign up for our newsletter to receive news about some exciting announcements in the new year.

For this blog party we asked the designers the following questions:

1. What was your favorite gift? Worst?
2. Early or late shopper? Earliest or latest that you've shopped?
3. Favorite holiday drink? Alcohol or none? Recipe?
4. Are you likely one to return a present or to suck it up and keep it?
5. As a child were you likely to make the naughty or nice list? 

Today we welcome Leanne Anderson and Wilma Sanchez to our party. Let's start with the terrific designer Leanne Anderson of The Whole Country Caboodle.

 [Leanne and her daughter Kaytlyn's in front of their first collection, "In Cahoots"]

[Snowman Tea Time Mug Rug is one of our newest patterns made with fabrics from 
"The King's Arrival" collection from Henry Glass.  Great little holiday project...quick and easy.]

1.  My favorite gift as I look back was probably the worst as well.  I got a pair of burgundy crushed velvet bell bottoms when I was in middle school, with an olive green strip inset down the front of each leg.  I really thought I was the coolest kid in all the school...hmmm, hopefully my style has gotten a bit better!!

2.  I do some of both...I think it's fun to get some things done ahead of time, then wait until the end to really get into the spirit of Christmas.

3.  Mimosa...Orange juice and champagne.

4.  Oh I suck it up and keep it most of the time!

5.  Well, if you talked to my parents, I'm sure they would say the naughty!  I could easily find trouble when I wasn't even looking for it, but I worked hard at making the nice list the month of December.

Note from Leanne:  Christmas is my favorite time of year.  I love to see my grandchildren get excited about what is coming.  We talk about Santa...believe in the magic of what he stands for, but our main focus is to celebrate the birth of Jesus and the promise He brings to those who believe.  

Our next party guest is Wilma Sanchez is the talented designer behind Racoon Illustration and her latest line is "Fairies of the Earth." You can keep up with Wilma on her blog here.



1.  I have two favorites.....my first I got when I was 6. My first bicycle. It was a perfect green (still my favorite color...and coincidently the color of my bicycle today) It had the cutest white basket to carry all my stuffed animals in....I remember riding it around our tiny apartment all Christmas morning! 


Abby my darling Norwich Terrier was my other favorite. She lived a happy 14 years but died this summer...will be in my heart forever. 

My worst gift was a secret santa with a classmate...I got a used game of checkers with missing pieces. I was 8 and very upset and cried.....but my parents made me understand that perhaps that was all that child had to give, possibly his/her favorite toy....a good lesson at an early age. Maybe the beginning of my passion for all that is repurposed, recycled or second hand.......


2.  I'm both early and late shopper.....A lot of my gifts are handmade so I start making early on.....or I plan way ahead of time.....However if anything has to be store bought, I may leave it for last minute......but I will shop very early in the morning or late at night to beat the crowds.......

I have a few gift that I wait until after Christmas to buy to take advantage of the sales. I still have family that lives in Dominican Republic and they celebrate the Arrival of the Three Kings. So gift giving is January 6th. 

3.  My favorite Holiday drink is called "Coquito" which is a coconut flavored eggnog. The combination of rum and coconut milk  always brings me back memories of home, at my parents, for the Holidays. The recipe will be posted on my blog sometime soon. 

4.  I rarely return any gifts. To me, it's the thought that counts. I will exchange clothes for a different size but that's about it.  However, I do regift , if i know that person will really like and use it!


5.  I  always made the  Nice List ....too nice sometimes , my brothers would get away with murder. 

Today we have a big offering of QuiltSoup's "Anything Goes Basics" line. We are offering a variety of special cuts of this fun line that's not normally offered for sale. We are going to choose TWO winners today. The first winner will win the fat quarter bundle and the large squares while the second winner will win the roll and the small squares. All you have to tell us what or if you've made any gifts this year.






Good luck!

-hg

Monday, December 2, 2013

Naughty Or Nice Holiday Party - Day 2 & pdq Club!



Thanks for coming to our party. Didn't you just adore Mary Jane's "horse" yesterday? Don't forget to go to her blog and enter her giveaway. She is giving away TWO block of the month Tour Des Jardins kits.


Here are the general guidelines for this party. Each day we will feature the answers of the questions that we posed to the designers. You will find out about their holiday habits and each day you will have the opportunity to share your thoughts. You will be eligible to win a fabulous bundle of fabric. All you have to do is answer the question on the blog [and/or on Facebook] for a chance to win the bundle of fabric of the day. No substitutions. You can enter on the blog and/or Facebook for two chances to win per day. You have until midnight December 9th to enter and all winners must claim their prizes until midnight December 13th or the prize is forfeited and we will announce a new winner.

Thank you for visiting our website, blog and Facebook page. It has been a great year for the Henry Glass designers. They've been busy working on a big project with the folks at Martingale & Co. The book will be released next fall and we know that you are going to love it. Stay tuned to our blog and Facebook or sign up for our newsletter to receive news about some exciting announcements in the new year.

For this blog party we asked the designers the following questions:

1. What was your favorite gift? Worst?
2. Early or late shopper? Earliest or latest that you've shopped?
3. Favorite holiday drink? Alcohol or none? Recipe?
4. Are you likely one to return a present or to suck it up and keep it?
5. As a child were you likely to make the naughty or nice list? 
1. What was your favorite gift? Worst?
2. Early or late shopper? Earliest or latest that you've shopped?
3. Favorite holiday drink? Alcohol or none? Recipe?
4. Are you likely one to return a present or to suck it up and keep it?
5. As a child were you likely to make the naughty or nice list?


Today, Jill Finley is our guest and she is going to have some fun answers to the party questions. Make sure that you go over to her blog too. She is giving an extra bundle of fabric away there. We are going to show off her pdq* Club [PRETTY DARN QUICK] project for "November" too. It is the perfect gift to make because it is so festive and an easy project. Here is the link to all of her other projects in the series. We know that you'll find something great to make as a last minute gift or two.

1.  As a kid I always loved getting snow things—like sleds or new skis and boots.  We had a lot of family fun on the ski slopes.  And the sledding was monumental—we lived on a hill and the road was long and steep.  Sometimes in the winter when we got a great snow storm, we would just not plow the road, so it was perfect for sledding.  (Only problem was that cars couldn’t drive up.) Dad would get out the snowmobiles and shuttle the sledders from the bottom back up to our driveway.

[Jill's family doing their annual Gingerbread Houses.]

2.   I am definitely a late shopper!  One year I actually tried starting early—several problems arose:  I forgot what I had purchased and where I had stashed it, and I just kept shopping, the more time there was, the more I spent!  So now I just do my shopping a few days before Christmas.  Our wedding anniversary is on the 17th and we usually would go out—and do our shopping!

[Jill and her mom with daughters Talia and Sarah on their way to the Nutcracker - an annual event.]

3.  Hot chocolate!  If  you are spending all that time outside sledding and building snow forts, you have to have hot cocoa!   No alcohol here—we have plenty of fun without it!  Now if you want really great hot cocoa, this is what you do:

Heat together on the stove in a large pot:
4 cups milk
4 cups half and half
1 cup cream
Stir it contanstly so it doesn’t burn.  When it is steaming, and almost to a boil, add in a large package of chocolate chips.  Stir until they melt.  (You may want to add a few more or less, depending on your taste.)
Add a dash or two of salt, and 2 teaspoons of vanilla.  Stir and enjoy!  (you can add flavorings like orange extract or peppermint or cinnamon, etc)  YUMMM.

4.  It depends what the present is, and who it is from.  Sometimes it is just not worth the effort and pain to return it!  We often make homemade gifts, and they are really not returnable!  (Not that you would want to!!)

[Grandkids with new jammies.]

5.  Well. . . .if you were to ask my mom, I am quite sure she would say I was often on the naughty list.  I know this because she would frequently remind me and others who might be listening how “difficult” I was.  I think she was always a little amazed that I turned out to be a “normal” adult.  At Mom’s 90th birthday party, she said a few glowing comments about each of my siblings, and when it was time to tell about me, she told the story of when I was so naughty that I stood in the corner ALL DAY rather than say I was sorry.  I was only 6.  

I wasn’t really that bad, just, as they say, a willful child.  I think I have done a few good things since then.  Let’s hope so! Mom is gone now, and every day I am grateful to her for all she taught me—even though I was “difficult.”


HG: Thanks Jill. Your answers were fun. Now we want to show off the next pdq* Club [PRETTY DARN QUICK] project. It is an easy and beautiful project and you can download the pattern here. If you make this project [or any of the pdq Club projects, make sure that you show us! We love to see your versions. Just e-mail us here.








Jill styled this shot to make her sofa look so festive and comfortable. We love the reds and greens that she used in the pillow.


Today's featured fabric is Weekend Retreat by Jan Shade Beach. This fun line boasts beach balls, kites and sail boats. Jan has designed a couple of beautiful quilts to go with this line and they are available as free downloads on our website.




In addition to the fabric bundle that is featured today, Jill has generously offered a bundle of her gorgeous Poppy Patio line to give away as well.


To win these two scrumptious bundles of fabric, tell us what sewing notion you have on your wish list?

Good luck!

-hg

Sunday, December 1, 2013

Naughty Or Nice Holiday Party: Day 1


Welcome to the party! Thank you for joining us for a week of fun and giveaways. Each day we will feature the answers of the questions that we posed to the designers. You will find out about their holiday habits and each day you will have the opportunity to share your thoughts. You will be eligible to win a fabulous bundle of fabric. All you have to do is answer the question on the blog [and/or on Facebook] for a chance to win the bundle of fabric of the day. No substitutions. You can enter on the blog and/or Facebook for two chances to win per day. You have until midnight December 9th to enter and all winners must claim their prizes until midnight December 13th or the prize is forfeited and we will announce a new winner.

Thank you for visiting our website, blog and Facebook page. It has been a great year for the Henry Glass designers. They've been busy working on a big project with the folks at Martingale & Co. The book will be released next fall and we know that you are going to love it. Stay tuned to our blog and Facebook or sign up for our newsletter to receive news about some exciting announcements in the new year.

For this blog party we asked the designers the following questions:

1. What was your favorite gift? Worst?
2. Early or late shopper? Earliest or latest that you've shopped?
3. Favorite holiday drink? Alcohol or none? Recipe?
4. Are you likely one to return a present or to suck it up and keep it?
5. As a child were you likely to make the naughty or nice list? 

Let's see what the designers have to say. First, Mary Ellen Von Holt of Little Quilts is sharing her holiday thoughts with us. Make sure that you follow us on your favorite social media platform. Mary Ellen will be continuing her tea towel program at her store and each month she will be sharing a version made with Henry Glass fabric.


1.     Favorite gift when I was a child was a shiny black Schwinn bicycle. I was so surprised as my family really could not afford that kinds of gift with 4 children all about 12 months apart
Worst gift – never really got one except maybe in a gift swap one time with a stitch-in group! Maybe many have had that experience!


2.    I’m a late shopper – often on the 23rd or 24th of December, when the prices are the best! Earliest was one year I found the perfect gift for a friend in January, but then misplaced it for about 6-8 months!


3.    Favorite Holiday drink is …a nice glass of cabernet!...also like Constant Comment tea. A favorite recipe is a cream cheese and olive spread. Soften a brick of cream cheese and stir in a small jar of sliced green olives and pimentos finely chopped. Shape into a ball and chill for a bit or place on a plate with Triscuit crackers. Nice colors for the holiday with the green and red…everyone loves this!


4.    I’m not likely to return a present..sometimes they go into what I call “the present closet” to be re-gifted. Often times give these things to Goodwill too!


5.    I always made the nice list as I was the oldest of four children … other there were boys … who easily made the naughty list lots of times!

Thanks, Mary Ellen, for the fun answers. We look forward to the tea towel inspiration. Mary Jane Carey of Holly Hill Quilt Designs is up next. Make sure that you visit her blog today. She has an AMAZING giveaway happening. Mary Jane giving away two Tours des Jardin quilt kits. Wow.





 1.  When I was 3 years old I got a Hop-a-long Cassidy outfit and a cardboard horse you could get inside.  I thought that was the best present in the whole world.  I "rode" that horse everywhere.  As an adult, my favorite gifts were the ornaments my Mother sent every year.  She would always include a small box that said "Open before Christmas" and there would be an ornament inside.  My Mom passed away several years ago, but every year when I decorate the Christmas tree I come across the little boxes with her handwritten tag and the ornament inside.  It is something I will always cherish.



Worst gift - I always seem to get scented candles when I go to group Christmas parties.  I am extremely allergic to them so it's not a great gift for me. 


2.   One year I had all my shopping done and the presents wrapped by Thanksgiving.  But about 5 years ago my husband, myself and our two daughters decided that we wanted our Christmas to be more about family and less about presents so I haven't done much shopping since then.  It really takes the stress off of the holiday for me.  We spend more time cooking together and that has been so enjoyable.  
3.    I can't say I have a favorite holiday drink.  We mostly get local apple cider (not the hard variety) and that is our Thanksgiving and Christmas drink.


4.   I return things. I know if I gave a gift to someone and they didn't like or wouldn't use, I would want them to return it.  It doesn't hurt my feelings in the least.

5.   Always nice.   

Thank you to Mary Jane for playing along. Remember, tell your friends to come to the party! How can you win? First, let's take a look at today's featured fabric ... and Sew On by Fresh Designs. This is an adorable line featuring sewing elements. There are mannequins, thimbles, sewing machines and scissors. You can view the entire range and the PDF free pattern downloads on the Henry Glass website.









To win a bundle of  ... and Sew On, tell us what your favorite holiday gift was. Good luck! Thank you to Mary Ellen of Little Quilts and Mary Jane Carey of Holly Hill Quilt Designs for sharing their memories with us. 

-hg