All Things Come to She Who Waits ...

Mode Prize Package

Back on February 8, 2011, Cara Wilson of Cara Quilts  issued a Basics Charity Challenge.  From a personal experience in her town, she asked us, her readers, to drive by a local shelter for abused women & children to find out what they need and fill the need.  There is always something and usually doesn't cost much.  If there was no local shelter, then a donation to the National Coalition Against Domestc Violence or the United Way or the Red Cross would also be sufficient.  A comment on her blog telling her what we did would give us an entry to one of the many prizes she was able to line up with her sponsors.

I was touched by her story but I didn't do what she said.  :-)  Instead, I commented about the quilts I have made and continue to make for a local crisis center for family and children up to age 11.  There were a LOT of comments published and I was only one of a couple hundred.  And I never win giveaways or contests or raffles.

So, it was with absolute ASTONISHMENT that I received an email from Cara saying that I had won the prize offered by Moda.  Oh. My. Gosh.  I was jumping up and down like a kid at Christmas!  :-)  I supplied my snailmail and eagerly awaited my prize.

And waited.

And waited.

And waited.  I waited 3 months.

::sigh::  I figured it was too good to be true.  But, just to make sure that I was giving everyone a fair shake, I emailed Cara to say that I hadn't received anything from Moda .. that I was sure it wasn't her fault but nevertheless, I was disappointed.  She emailed me *right back* saying that absolutely I had won the prize and she would follow up with Moda.

Fully one month after that, a big box from "United Notions" arrived on my front porch.  I was really puzzled because I hadn't ordered anything quilty online or via a catalogue.  But once I opened it, I realized it was from Moda!  Oh my goodness .. there was my prize!!

I got a FQ bundle of their 'Ready Set Snow" line, a roll of Luna Soy Batting (a queen sized!) and a Sewline mechanical pencil!  Wowsers!  :-)

The fat quarter bundle was very, *very*, VERY impressive ... there were TWENTY EIGHT fat quarters!  All of them soooo nicely coordinated!   There were ....

tone-on-tone stripes

tone-on-tone swirls

Christmas trees on different colored backgrounds

snowflakes on white

squares in squares

swirls on white

stripes on white

bias plaid on white

dots on white

  My mind is awhirl with ideas!  I have never, ever had a coordinated collection of fat quarters like this before and I am simply overwhelmed with the possibilities!

The Luna Soy batting ... *especially* in the queen size ... is very, very welcome!  I have a quilt top all lined up for it!

I've used the Sewline mechanical pencil before and truly loved the way the lead was soft enough to leave a crisp line on the fabric but firm enough not to crumble.  It can be removed with one of their erasers or wiping with a damp cloth or being laundered.  I am very happy to have one!

Thank you, Cara, issuing your challenge in the first place.  I hope that your readers were able to help their local charities.  And I thank you and Moda VERY MUCH for my prize package!

I'm just grinning like a fool.  :-)