One year of blogging (and a giveaway!)

UPDATE - GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED - THANKS SO MUCH TO EVERYONE WHO ENTERED

Today it's been a year since I started blogging!  It's so funny to look back at my first few tentative posts and see how things have changed.  20 finished quilts, nearly 30 mini quilts, cushions, and other small projects later (not to mention all those WIPs), and I've learnt a lot.

Blue and green should never be seen?  I don't think so!

These are some of the things I've discovered in the last year:

- Writing a blog is pretty weird to start with.  The more you write, the more natural it feels.  I think participating in Blogtoberfest last year, and challenging myself to write a post every day in October, was the best thing I could have done to help my writing flow.

- I am pretty terrible at predicting what people will like.  The response to items I have made often surprises me (usually in a good way).  This leads me to two conclusions - I probably shouldn't go into retail, and I should just keep making the things that I feel like making, rather than trying to predict what other people will like.

- People are more willing to help you than you'd think.  Any time I've asked for help or advice on my blog, the response has been fantastic.  Similarly, without the help of the people in my real world life, I would struggle to write this blog (or at least to have any photos to post!).

- Quilters are awesome.  I am still constantly amazed by how friendly, welcoming, generous and funny quilters (online and in real life) are.  Next time I travel (somewhere, anywhere), I will definitely have a bloggy friend or two to catch up with (and hopefully introduce me to their LQS!).

- I am a creative person.  A year ago I would have denied this, because I've always seen myself as a very pragmatic, analytical, low-key person.  I'm still all of those things, but I recognise that they are not mutually exclusive with being creative, and that using my creative energy makes life a lot more fulfilling.

Rainbow bright

Thanks for joining me on my quilting journey so far!  I'm looking forward to my second year blogging and lots of new quilts!  Now, onto the thing you've been waiting for - the giveaway!

I have three lovely prizes for you.  The first is small but perfectly formed - a fat quarter of each of these very special fabrics.  These are hard to let go, but I know they will be enjoyed by the recipient, so I'll be happy to send them off to the winner.

Next up is this bundle of Prints Charming for Spotlight fabrics in cool colours...

 

... and this bundle in warm colours.

There are 6 metric fat quarters in each bundle - which adds up to a metre and a half of fabric - definitely enough to make a baby quilt top or be the base for a larger quilt top.  Or, you know, just add it to your stash!

A different person will win each prize.  To enter the giveaway, simply leave a comment, any comment.  If you want, you can get an extra entry for each of the following (just leave an extra comment for each that applies):

- following my blog through google friend connect or a feed reader like bloglovin' or feedly (new and existing followers both count);
- liking my facebook page; and
- sharing this giveaway via your favourite social media (you could blog about it, share it on facebook, tweet about it, whatever!).

This giveaway is open to everyone (including international participants), but if I can't contact you, you can't win. If you are a no-reply blogger, please leave your email address in the comment.

The giveaway will stay open until around 10 pm Sunday 28 July 2013 (New Zealand Time), and I will use the random number generator at random.org to pick a winner for each prize then.

Good luck everyone!  By the way, I usually respond to all comments, but giveaways can be a little overwhelming, so I hope you don't mind if I don't respond to your comment on this post.

Some of you may have heard about the strong earthquakes that have struck Wellington over the last few days.  The largest one, at just after 5 pm this evening, was the strongest earthquake I've ever felt, and has left me and my family (including the cats) a bit jumpy but otherwise fine.  If you are interested, you can find more details here.  Neither my house nor my parents' house has suffered any damage, although I have taken a couple of things down off shelves as a precaution.  This is the first earthquake in my memory that has actually caused damage in Wellington, though it's not in the league of the devastating earthquakes in Christchurch in 2010 and 2011. 

UPDATE - GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED - THANKS SO MUCH TO EVERYONE WHO ENTERED