Her comment:

I like My Girl – and it would nicely match my daughter’s room we are currently redoing. ALLISON.

Michelle I will create your wall hanging this week and get it mailed out by Friday!

Thanks for all who entered.

I came up with an idea to make a quilted name wallhanging. They are surrounded by a pieced border and machine quilted. I write the name in the center with free motion quilting and then stipple around the name. I absolutley love how they came out. They are approximately 10X17 inches and would be perfect hanging over a crib or bed or on a child’s door. They are listed in my etsy shop.

I would love to make one especially for you so I decided to host a giveaway!

There are seven different styles including this fun bubble print.

The giveaway is easy and you have two ways to win. For one entry all you have to do is go over to my etsy shop select a style you would like best. Leave the style name in the comments along with the name you would want written on it and you will be entered. For a second entry go to my etsy shop and pick the style you like best. Post the link to the wallhanging on you blog or on facebook. Come back and comment letting me know you posted it and you will be entered a second time.

I will close comments on Friday night at 8pm MST, February 26th, 2010. Winner will be announced Saturday morning.

This is my first tutorial so please bear with me. If something is confusing leave a comment and I will try to clarify.

First thing you need to do is pick 3 fabrics to make the skirt out of.

You will not be able to use fat quarters on this skirt because you will need the width of the fabric to make it.

For the top piece you will need to fold the fabric and cut 13″ of the width of the fabric. The measurements are for a 5T, if you want to make a larger size I would increase it on this layer.

Fold the fabric in half that you intend to use for the middle pleated layer. Cut 2 pieces 4″ wide.

Fold the bottom layer fabric in half and cut 7″ wide.

Sew the two pieces of the pleat layer together making one very long piece 4″ wide. Fold this layer over and iron. Begin folding pleats. I made mine 4″ long.

Pin the pleats and baste together. Set aside.

Iron bottom layer in half.

Lay the top part of the skirt face up. Layer the pleated layer making sure the raw edge lines up with the edge.

Place the bottom layer on top matching the raw edges. Pin into place and sew. I sew this with an overlocking stitch, but you can use a straight stitch.

Cut on each edge to cut off selvedge and to even up.

Iron open making sure the seam allowance is ironed toward the top piece.

Fold skirt in half and sew. Again, I use a overlock stitch here but you could use a straight stitch.

Fold and iron on top edge. First at 1/4″ and then again at 1 1/2″.

Sew ironed edge making sure to leave a 2″ gap to thread elastic through.

Pick out a coordinating ric rac or ribbon. Sew it on the skirt just over the pleated layer making sure to sew down the seam allowance.

Measure elastic to the size that would be comfortable for your child. Insert elastic through the waistband using a safety pin to pull it through. Sew elastic together once you have it threaded through. Close 2″ gap in waistband.

Enjoy your cute skirt!

Be careful though, they are so easy to make you will make a lot of them.

If you love to shop etsy.com and love to help out others in need this is a wonderful time to do both. Craft Hope is donating all proceeds from sales on their etsy site to Doctors Without Borders in Haiti.

If you have are crafty and want to donate something you can contact them as well. Such a wonderful cause.

If you are interested in any of them you can find them at A Stitch of Mine.

It is my creative area and an area I love. I have long since wanted it to be more organized. One day I was checking out blogs and strolled across this one. I fell immediately in love with this shelving. I knew that it would be a great help in my office.

I showed the picture to Bill. He thought it was a good idea but since neither of us own the tools to build it or even have the know how we put it out of our mind. I also emailed the post to my parents.

On Christmas morning I received this item. I was so excited.

I started cleaning off my table right away. Unfortunately they couldn’t hang it until the next day. Once hung I knew I wanted to fill that bottom shelf with boxes made from this tutorial I had been saving for a year. I couldn’t get the cardboard to work out how I liked so I have been using plastic canvas to keep them sturdy and I like it much more.

It really has made a huge difference in my office. Thanks again Mom and Dad!

Just leave a comment letting me know you would like to have them. I will draw a name at the end of today to see who will receive them.

I love how they came out. I followed the tutorial onthis bog. I had been putting that part of because it felt daunting but it was pretty easy once I tried it.

The skirt is an adaptation of this pattern. The current way I make them is pretty far removed from this pattern but it will allow you to sew something similar if you are interested.

Life is hard and lots of things happen that can bring you down. I am working each day to focus on the good things in life.

I don’t have the binding done yet and it hasn’t been washed but I hope to get that done tomorrow.

I have her presents, I have the stuff for her cake, I have her crown ready, but I am not ready for the reality that Kimmie is going to be 6 in just 2 days. It seems unreal that she is already 6.

She has been counting down the days for over a month now. She is so excited! She is planning all the things she is going to do when she is Queen for the Day the Birthday Girl. A child so in love with tradition, I should expect nothing less.

She can either lay it on her bed and lay on it or she can hang it on her bedpost and wait for the tooth fairy.

I mailed off my quilt partners quilt a while back and she posted that she liked it. I am so glad. I am not sure why but I was very nervous that she might not like it.

I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is a Christmas themed quilt which will look fabulous on my walls from Thanksgiving day until after Christmas. She included lots of goodies too! 4 fat quarters,3 of Christmas fabric and one of birds, which I adore. Handmade Christmas greeting cards, a spool of ribbon with snowmen on it and a scrapbook with pages she pre-scrapped!

Hard to see in the picture above so here is a picture of the stars she quilted in the sky! I love this!

Thank you so much Solidia! I love everything and will treasure the quilt for years to come.

Several hours after I finished the first one I wondered how it would look if the blocks were divided by color and so I whipped this one up. By the way, this one came together in just 2 hours thanks to the fact that my lovely assistant Paul wasn’t there to “help” me. He has developed a new skill of getting up on chairs and I think it is fair to say that it isn’t my favorite milestone.

Clearly I have two doll quilt tops that I love. I am going to have to figure out how I want to quilt them and then which one I am sending to my swap partner and which I am keeping for myself.

I got the info on the swap partner and saw some quilts they like. I was floored at the amount of talent out there and I felt very inferior. I know I am a good quilter but I am still learning so much each time I quilt. I hope that my partner will be happy with the results.

I think that this quilt is so amazing!

Or this beauty!

Or any of these.

I haven’t looked at a quilt from the huge flickr group that I haven’t thought was amazing! I am so thrilled to be doing this swap and I was even more happy this afternoon when I finally got inspiration for the quilt I am creating.

To my partner, thank you for taking the time to make me something special. I know you will come up with something wonderful. I forgot to put on my swap sheet that I LOVE Christmas, but I do. A sweet doll quilt to hang up in during the holidays would fun too. Have fun, be creative and know I will love it.

Here is Mimi in her dress.

Kimberly’s cupcake dress

Thank you to Everyday Chaos for posting this tutorial. We love it!

Love the design! Must do! Now I just need to go through some fabric and see what I can dig up. Or I could take a trip down to the quilt store. I am sure they have something lovely.