On this day two years ago I wrote my first blog post. I never imagined I would make so many connections with people who love to quilt as much as I do.
I am so thankful for everyone who reads this blog, those who take the time to comment, and for everyone who shares their own quilting journey with me. You guys truly are a blessing to me.
Last year I let my blogiversary day slip right past me. Why, I’m not sure. I think I had a good reason but can’t remember now what that reason was. Hmmm…
This year, we are celebrating!
Today I have a tutorial I want to share with you. It’s a mini quilt I made to help celebrate Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, and Veteran’s Day – all rolled into one!
This mini measures 12-1/2″ x 15-1/2″. It can be hung by the door to welcome your friends or hung in your house. I added a sleeve to the back so I can hang it on my little flag pole in the flower bed – it’s not aย weatherproof quilt, but I figure a day out now and again will make the little guy happy, right? ๐
You can find the tutorial for the Stars & Stripes Mini Quilt by clicking the link or clicking the Tutorial tab at the top of the page. At the bottom of the tutorial page is a link for a PDF version if you would prefer to print a paper copy.
More good news!
In addition to the tutorial, I am giving away two sets of fabric – one each to two readers –ย so you can make your own red/white/blue Starsย & Stripes mini quilt.
The giveaway is open to everyone. It’s my way of saying thank you so much for following along these last two years.
To enter, just leave a comment telling me what you like to do to celebrate your summer holidays.
For a second entry, follow my blog (links in sidebar for email or Bloglovin) and leave a comment letting me know how you follow.
That’s it – easy, peasy!
I will draw two winners on Friday, May 20th.
Have a great weekend – see you on Monday for Main Crush Monday!
I am now following on Facebook and Bloglovin!
Happy Blogaverasary!! Mine is in about two weeks so we began at (almost) the same time! This summer we are taking a special trip and spending two weeks on the coast of Maine (I am in Northern California) All of my kids and their wife and fiance will join us. I cannot wait to have a family vacation – it is so hard for all of us to get together at the same time. This trip has been in the works for months.
Thank you for the giveaway opportunity Beth!
Happy anniversary Beth! We usually spend the summer doing small road trips and lots of barbecues! I folow you through your bloglovin account. Thanks!
I already follow your Blog..thru Bloglovin, Email & Pinterest ๐
Happy Blogiversary! Please keep up the Awesome job & sharing you do! ๐ I love Summer!! We garden & can the vegies…& from our Peach Orchard too..farm Markets keep us busy too! ๐ But this year we are going to visit our Daughter, in NC!!! Yay! & see the Ocean for my 2nd time!
Thank you for chance to win your Give-a-way too! ๐
Lovely ‘flag’ and fabric. I hope to go see an ocean for the first time ever this Summer!
Thanks and God bless! ILuvTheEucharist (at) aol.com
Happy Blogaversary! I follow you via an email feed and enjoy your creativity. Thanks for this pattern. It’s pretty and very patriotic so would come in super handy for the many days of the year. I celebrate my Birthday the day before Veteran’s Day too BTW so could be hung out on my special day too!
And I follow you via Bloglovin.
Congratulations! I have been enjoying your posts and your Monday crushes! Your blog is a fun place to stop and sit a spell. Our favorite summer vacation is the family reunion at the beach. I get to catch up siblings and gift the latest quilt.
My birthday is always celebrated on the 4th with all my family around. This is tradition now, its been happening for so long. Then a dip in the creek to cool off! Love your little flag. It would be fun to make to welcome everyone…..
I like it when I have a full front porch to watch the fireworks on the 4th of July
Happy Blogaversary! I follow you on Bloglovin. Summer holidays are spent grilling, and eating on the veranda.
Summer holidays are best spent outdoors with family, relaxation, and good food!
I am a new Bloglovin’ follower!
2 years of successful blogging is certainly worth celebrating! I have a flag hanger just like yours, and like to make banners to hang outside for the holidays and seasons too. I have weather-proofed my banners to help them sustain the elements with a spray I bought at WalMart in the camping section. I works well! In the summer, we like to grill out, eat out, hike and enjoy anything outdoors. Winter comes too quickly here in Iowa and seems to last forever!
Happy Blogaversary! Very fun mini, just perfect for the summer holiday. Summer holidays are usually spent with family and lots of food.
I keep by email.
In summer I like to sew or crochet on the beach and drink iced tea ๐
I really like their mini quilt. Thanks for the chance to win the beautiful fabrics.
We spend as many weekends as possible at the cabin during the summer. I also love to garden as well.
I am following with bloglovin.
Happy blogversary. Cute mini to welcome your guests. I like to visit with family whenever I can during summer months.
It’s a time for me to visit family. I live in a big state, and I’m the only one in my family here or near here. I have to travel to see everybody, and they usually get together when the kids are out of school for the summer.
I celebrate summer by spending time in my garden with family and friends x
I follow via blog lovin
Lovely mini. We celebrate with barbecues and hiking trips. Nothing like using a long three day weekend to get up into the mountains! Congrats on two years!
We don’t have any of those holidays here in the UK but hanging a welcome sign out is cute and would be appreciated anywhere in the world. Congratulations on your blogiversary.
I signed up to follow you by email. Love your Welcome flag. Thanks for sharing with us!
We like to cook out on the grill for the holidays!
I follow you by e-mail. Love this pattern!
Happy Blogiversary!. We love spending time with family during all of the summer holidays. For memorial day, we go with my dad to the cemeteries to decorate all of the graves. Love spending time with him, remembering those we have lost, and hearing his stories of days gone by. Sounds kind of morbid, but it’s really enjoyable.
I celebrate the summer the same way I celebrate everything…I quilt ๐ I might add some pool time. Happy Blogaversary, Beth!
Happy Blog Anniversary!! I do love reading Blogs! I made a Barn Quilt for our garage when I was recuperating from an illness. I would love to make this for my yard! You are awesome!
I love celebrating the summer holidays with family. Any excuse to get together. ๐
This is darling! I follow your journey with Bloglovin.
Happy Blogiversary, Beth! I only discovered your blog in March and love it. Thank you so very much for taking the time to create the Welcome quilt tutorial. I’m looking forward to making it and hanging it on front door. How I celebrate summer has changed dramatically over the last couple of years. In a month today, it will be two years since I moved from Australia and made North Carolina home. When I was in Australia, I was a teacher and summer for me meant holidays! That included 6am walks or bike rides down at the beach, to beat the heat! That would be followed by any chores that needed doing, then hibernating in the air conditioning quilting or knitting!
Now I am about a five hour drive from the beach, which is not a problem. Summer mornings are spent having breakfast and/or coffee on the back porch listening to the dawn chorus and watching squirrels and birds. Night time means sweet tea on the back porch watching the fire flies magical dance in the trees, watching the occasional possum pottering around and seeing quora of deer (yes, I did look up what to call a group of deer lol) in the back yard. The beach has been replaced by early morning walks with the dogs down by our creek or along the walking trail by a bigger creek…..to beat the humidity more than the heat!
It also means trips up into the breathtakingly beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, (we live in the foothills) which I used to see photos of on Bonnie Hunter’s blog and dream about maybe seeing “some day”. Stopping and watching thunderstorms, enjoying the scent of summer rain, whether I’m at work or home (one of the advantages of being self employed lol)
Congrats on your blogversary . I love to spend the time in the garden with family and friends
I follow on Blogger.
Holidays are a good excuse to spend time with family.
I follow on Bloglovin’
I like to have visits with my kids and grandkids in summer.
Wishing you many more years of blogging happiness! thank you – I follow you with blog lovn!
I love to celebrate by doing something active w/ my husband and family – usually hiking or canoeing! thanks!
I follow you by email!
Happy anniversary! I love your tutorial and especially the idea of putting it outside!
We like to BBQ and relax-no pressure.
Happy Blogaversary! We don’t really have anything consistent with any holidays, we just go with the moment and enjoy!
I follow via bloglovin.
Congratulations on two years of blogging!
I follow by e-mail. We like to celebrate Holidays with family and friends, usually with a barbecue. Love the mini quilt. Thank you for the pattern.
I do follow you, by e-mail. Of course I do! I love to have backyard bbqs with my boys an friends. Of course, it’s back deck, because I live on a hill and there would be no place to put the grill on the grass! It’s relaxed, few dishes, and just fun. July 4 is one of my favorite holidays all year.
And thanks for the chance to win the fabrics to make one of these flags myself, and for the pattern, in case I don’t win!
Congratulations on your 2 nd anniversary! Thanks for sharing your pattern- very cute! I follow you by your emails.
I like to put out red,white and blue decorations and have a party with great food and desserts!
Happy blogiversary!! I love reading your blog, Beth! That is a very sweet mini quilt in one of my favourite colour combinations. Thank you for the tutorial ๐
-Soma
I love to spend time in my garden
Email follower
I follow on Bloglovin
We always Go somewhere for a picnic on July 4th
I follow your blog via email. Thanks!
Happy 2nd Blogiversary to you! I like celebrating the summer holidays with family and friends – as long as we’re together, it’s a great day. Thanks for sharing your blog with us.
We love to be with family and friends outdoors on picnics +simple outings in summer! Thank you for a great tutorial+giveaway!
Happy to follow you on BLOG LOVIN’! Happy Blogaversary!
I follow you using my Feedly reader – congrats on your anniversary I just had my 9th in April believe it or not!
my husband and I are lucky to be able to travel most anytime of year our favorite areas continue to be the Rocky Mountains from the very north in Montana to the south in New Mexico.
I follow you by email.
Happy blog adversary. I love your mini. We have barbecues to celebrate the summer holidays.
We celebrate summer holidays with family and friends, cooking out, swimming and just enjoying each other’s company. Thank you for posting this cute tutorial. I am going to start cutting fabrics for it today! Congratulations on your blogiversary.
Happy Blogaversary, Beth!! I love your Welcome quilt and the tutorial looks like fun. Quick question – what kind of camera do you use and what editing software or app do you use? I need to change mine. Thanks ๐