Grow Your Blog Event

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GrowYourBlog2013

Vicki at 2 Bags Full is hosting the Grow Your Blog event. There are over 400 bloggers participating, a lot of them with giveaways.  What a fun way to discover some blogs that are new to you!

My name’s Cathi and I live in downtown Toronto, my hometown, with Mr. Q.O. and our Maine Coon kitty, Baxter who has his own following thanks to the daily Baxtertoons Mr. Q.O. draws. If you’ve visited my blog before, you know I have an incurable case of quilters’ ADD as I always have many projects on the go.

I began blogging back in June of 2007 on a whim as a friend had started a blog and it looked like fun. Little did I know what a great part of my life it would become. The community of quilting bloggers is fabulous – it’s like having a virtual quilt shop to which one can go, chat for a bit, see some stunning quilts, read about new products and make great friendships.

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The New York Beauty quilt top which I’ve dubbed the Tiffany Lamp quilt is the one which I just finished this past week. It is one of my favourites as it incorporates three things I love – curved piecing, sharp spiky points and the opportunity for some continuous stitching. This one was made with a combination of blocks from the three Inklingo New York Beauty shape collections.

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Memories of Smudge is another top, made with the Inklingo Yin Yang shape collection, that is almost finished and is just awaiting its border(s). This one definitely is a favourite with all that fun curved piecing.

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Both the Tiffany Lamp and Memories of Smudge quilts are destined to be large wall hangings, as is this red and pink Winding Ways quilt which was made with one of the Inklingo Winding Ways collections. Getting it out to photograph for this blog post reminded me I would really like to get this quilted and hanging on the wall in time for Valentine’s Day this year.

I frequently am asked by other quilters how I get so much done. My “secret” is printing the shapes on fabric with Inklingo – a brilliant invention which lets us print templates right on the back of our fabrics. Iron fabric to freezer paper, feed through an inkjet printer and then you have perfect shapes every time with both stitching and cutting lines and matching points.

Living in downtown Toronto, we are close to many major attractions including the Rogers Centre, where our beloved Blue Jays play baseball. Is it April yet? I can’t wait for the season to begin!

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While we have not had (and I hope we don’t get) much snow this winter, just a few days after Christmas we were greeted by this sight at a nearby park. Thankfully, it has all since melted.

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I much prefer the look of the city in the summer.

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Now on to the giveaways. Yes, I said giveaways — plural. One winner will receive a mug rug, made from some of these little tumbling blocks. The other winner will receive a $25 Inklingo gift certificate, which can be used towards any Inklingo downloadable collection. The only requirement is that I be able to contact you. If you have a preference, please state it in your comment. When the winners’ names are drawn, I will do my best to ensure that you receive the prize for which you expressed a preference.

While I’d love it if you decide to subscribe to my blog (see the subscribe by e-mail button at the right) so you can see the next photo of my projects and the daily Baxtertoons, it is not a requirement to be entered in the giveaway. While you are waiting for the winners to be announced, you can start printing shapes on fabric now, if you want to. There are free shapes, so you don’t have to buy anything. Please tell them I sent you!

Comments are open until 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, January 31, 2013. The winners will be drawn and announced on this post on February 1, 2013.

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In today’s Baxtertoon, he’s at the blog patch and getting ready to head off to discover some new-to-us blogs after making sure the blog flowers are growing!

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Baxter was licking his chops in anticipation of all the interesting blogs we’re going to see.

Now I’m going to head over to Vicki’s blog and start visiting some blogs.  See you there!

57 thoughts on “Grow Your Blog Event”

  1. I totally love your daily updates on both your progress on your curvy piecing and also Baxter’s busy life keeping up with you! I’m an email follower, and would love to win your tumbling blocks mug rug! I hope you’ll also check out my blog at Amityquilter.blogspot.com.

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  2. Cathy I love your blog – it has been so nice getting to know you – I of course found you from the Inklingo group on yahoo – you are on my google reader – I would love another collection of the inklingo pieces! Now I guess I better head on over to Vicki’s blog and see what she is about 🙂

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  3. How exciting, Cathi. Your quilts are great! My fave is Memories of Smudge. For the give-a-way I would prefer the Inklingo GC, but a mug rug sounds nice, too. Thanks for op to enter your drawing. I am already a happy follower.

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  4. Love your blog of course and the daily check in with Baxter and his toonie. Would love to get another inklingo collection to add to my stash of collections! Thanks for the chance!

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  5. Your blog post is always a highlight for me! I love seeing your quilts in progress and the Baxter pics and cartoons! And if I were to win, I’d definitely pick the mug rug! Thanks for the chance!

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    • I recently became a follower and have been enjoying all your beautiful quilts and the how-to’s. Love the Baxtertoon and The Baxter. We adopted a cat last summer that is part Maine Coon. I could not quilt without my quilty kitties. Thanks for pointing me in the direction of the Grow Your Blog Hop and for the chance to win the nifty gifty … 🙂 Pat

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  6. Cathi

    I’m so excited at the prospect of winning a little piece of your work (ie, mug rug). I’ve been following you for several months and really admire your work. Also thanks for the heads up … I love visiting new blogs.

    Pat

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  7. I have truly enjoyed reading your blog and the Baxtertoons are awesome. I’m so impressed with your piecing. My husband and I visited Toronto a couple of years ago. I have a picture of the Rogers Centre just like yours! We so enjoyed your city and would love to go back – the highlight was our visit to the Hockey Hall of Fame Resource Centre and getting a personal tour. Being from Texas, hockey isn’t the sport of choice around here but is for us!

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  8. I follow you through email and love getting sent what is new on your blog.
    I have a NYB quilt started, very early stages. I would love to try inklingo and see if it makes things easier for me. I’m all for easier 🙂
    Baxter is as darling as ever!

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  11. I to am a follower, and always love your work. Do you hand piece all your quilts I keep forgetting to ask you that? I have two cats on my blog today!!!

    Gill

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  13. I love reading your blog and the daily pictures of Baxter. It was fun seeing him grow up. Your quilts are inspirational!!

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  17. I’ve been reading your blog for a while!
    I love your NYB quilt and I’d love to make one someday!
    gillwatson at mailbox dot co dot uk

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  19. Hi Cathi and Good Morning to you, Mr. Q.O and, of course, Baxter, the world’s most handsome(and photogenic) kitty! (along with my 2) Love the 3 quilts you have posted and in that particular order, as well.Love Inklingo,but a Cathi Original would be “priceless”

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  20. You have a lovely blog and your passion for quilting comes shining through! I once had a beautiful Maine coon cat — her name was April and I often say I should have named her Diana because she was that good at hunting. I hope you’ll come by my blog and visit for my post and giveaway!

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  22. Your quilts are beautiful. I am “sewing impaired”. But my sister quilts. I appreciate the amount of time and work that it is. Baxter is wonderful! : ) I do love cats. Thank you for joining in the party.
    ~Elizabeth

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  25. As one of your subscribers, I enjoy your work so much, amazed by your productivity. I also have a Maine Coone cat who is gentle and sweet and crazy, so I enjoy the photos of yours. What generous offers…how to choose? While either would be wonderful, if forced to choose, I think I’d go with the Inklingo, a curved design. (Teach a man to fish….)

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  26. I also am one of your subscribers. I am fairly new to Inklingo; I only have two of the shape collections so far. I would surely like to expand my collection! I always look forward to reading your blog. I like to imagine a pile of project boxes reaching up to the ceiling next to your chair.

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  27. I am new to your blog. I think tumbling blocks would make an interesting mug rug! My sewing is limited (basic), tho, I do enjoy it!!! Nice tip about keeping the templates perfect. I’d never have thought to do that. Beautiful quilts – just beautiful

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  31. Baxter is one cool cat. i love those ear with the little hair on top. neat character. i have never meet one like Baxter. nice to meet you both. i’m Beth. please stop by my blog when you get a moment. i wish you well. take care. ( :

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  32. Hi Cathi my fellow Canadian blogger. 🙂 Visiting thru GYB. I think one day I probably will quilt something, (have two sewn quilt tops to finish), but for now I love to collect old quilts and use them till they start to fall apart and then mend them and use them some more. Baxter is a beauty! I have three cats in two countries but never had a Main Coon althought, secretely, I always wanted one. Does Baxter have any extra toes? One friend’s Main Coon has all these toes…huge paws, especially in your face first thing in the morning.

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  33. Hello! I’m visiting through the blog party, and, well, I’ve been picking out the quilters first! 🙂 Your quilts are beautiful and so is Baxter the kitty!

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  34. The Winding Ways quilt is my fave! I see a big one of those in my future someday…. and if I win your giveaway – I definitely want the mug rug! Happy Day to you, Baxter and Mr Q.O!

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  35. Such a fun blog hop. It is great to meet you and see your work. I never tire of seeing quilts. Thank you for a lovely giveaway too, I would prefer the mug rug please.

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  36. I am so glad I stopped by for the Grow Your Blog Party! Your blog is amazing, and your quilts are stunning! I am a beginner quilter, so I have a lot to learn yet. Your quilts are inspiring!
    Hugs,
    Terri
    artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com

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  37. Hi Cathi,
    I found you from Grow Your Blog event. So glad I did. I’m now a follower. I would love to enter your giveaway too. Thanks for offering it and sharing your blog.

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  39. Cathi I love your blog and visit daily. I am also a big Inklingo fan have been forn the start. Now if there was just a few more hours in a day I could get to visit some new blogs

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  43. I’m an early Inklingo fan (as well as one of your fans) and a recent subscriber. Love seeing what you do with Inklingo using your fabulous color sense. If I win, I would like either, but the Inklingo certificate would be more useful. Thanks

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  44. Cathi,
    I love your blog, but you already know that. 🙂 Thank you for participating in the blog hop and for this giveaway.

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  45. Hi Cathi,
    I enjoy your blog every morning. We are having a very cold time here in the country and are snowed in at times. A good excuse to work on my quilting. Thanks for offering some giveaways. Have a wonderful day.
    Dianne

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  46. Hi Cathi,
    Once I found Inklingo I checked your blog out on occasion and became a follower not long before the “Grow Your Blog” event started. I am amazed at how many projects you have on the go. It is really nice that when something new appears, either a new collection or a block someone is interested in (one of the latest being the Twisted Hexagon) you whip up a sample. Without your tutorial I would not be making Twisted Hexagons as I had to check it out more than once when piecing my first one. I enjoy the cartoons and pictures of Baxter too. I would love another Inklingo Collection so would like the GC if I am lucky enough to win my choice but would be happy with a piece of your work as well if the mug rug were to come my way. Thanks.
    Beth

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  47. Cathi, the pink & red winding ways is so cute. The pattern reminds me of shamrocks, if it was green and cream it could be for St. Patrick’s Day. I’m so glad I subscribe to your blog, you teach, inspire, motivates and Mr. QO keeps me entertained with his Baxter toons. I would covet something hand made by you.

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  48. Cathi, it is always a joy to see what you are working on each day. I do like getting each post come through my email. It makes viewing quick and easy. I would love to win either prize. If I have to pick, how about the Inklingo certificate. Thanks for sharing.

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  50. Cathi, your quilts are amazing, and have made me perserver and finally get my inklingo printing wired…everyone of your tutorials are so easy to understand and i always look forward to a Baxtertoon… Thanks for the inspiration !

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  51. Hello Cathi
    I now subscribe to your inspiring blog via email.
    It’s exciting when another post pops up on my email.

    I’m just starting on my quilting journey so I was intrigued to learn about Inklingo – makes so much sense to me!

    I would love you to pop over and see me too and enter my GYB Giveaway!
    Enjoy the party
    Hugs
    Shane ♥

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  52. Cathi – I don’t visit your blog often enough, and Baxter is growing up so fast! I hope you and Mr. Q.O. are both well, and maybe some day I’ll be back to blogging too.

    By the way, have I mentioned your quilts are beautiful?

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  55. Have slowly made my way through the GYB Party – being a quilter myself, I’m gonna’ love looking around here! Beautiful stuff I’ve seen already…going back in for more. Happy creative Tuesday – Tanya

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  56. I came across your blog on the GYB hop! I’m not familiar with Inklingo, but I’d love a mug rug! Your quilts are gorgeous! Tell Baxter I said hi!
    DeniseB
    deniseb777ATgmailDOTcom

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