Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Ort Containers and a Giveaway!

I see another month has gone by with no posts.  Boy does time fly when you get a few years under your belt! I'd be interested to know why that is.  The cause of my absence this time is completely of my own making. I bit off way more than I could chew with a project for retreat.  Fall is our no frills retreat but I generally come up with something for the ladies to use as an ort container.  Last year if you remember it was the coffins.


 This year I made my own pumpkin patch! (click to enlarge)


 A few months back I saw a cute pumpkin pin cushion on Pintrest and I thought to myself, self, that would make an adorable ort box for retreat.  And wouldn't you know it but my own self said ya know, it certainly would be a great ort box.  So I set about gathering some supplies to see if I could make one.  I'm going to let you in on a little secret here...I am not particularly good at sewing.  This project required a bit of sewing, in the round no less so I wasn't exactly sure I would be able to pull it off.  I didn't have any directions to follow so I just had to wing it.  And when I was done I had a passable copy of the original.  Meet Hamish, my very own pumpkin dude.


   Now a smart person would have written down exactly  what she had done as far as how large I cut my pieces of fabric.  But,  and here's another little secret for you...no one has ever accused me of being smart.  So when a couple of weeks went by before I was able to gather enough supplies to make these cuties en masse, I couldn't remember what I had done the first time.  So back to the drawing board I went.  I think I made 6 of these before I got the size correct.  Note to self:  one should write down important information for later use because as one gets a few years under ones belt one tends to forget said important information.  Here's another little tidbit for you.  Making one or 2 of these was fun.  Making 46...not so much.  Big time sucker!  Especially when I had 15 customer finishes to do and one ornament to stitch and finish for our exchange at retreat.  It wasn't that hard it just took a lot of time due to the many steps involved but in the end I did finish the little dears with 3 days to spare and I stitched and finished my ornament and got 12 of the 15 customer finishes finished.  All in all I think I did okay, however don't ask me about my house and the state it's in because it's not good.  But I'm slowly working on getting it back into shape. Thanksgiving is going to be here before I know it and I believe I was elected to have everyone here again so getting the house clean is my next big job.

I made a few extra pumpkins to sell so I could recoup the money that was spent but I also set one aside for a giveaway.  I haven't had a giveaway in forever and I thought this might be just the ticket.   Here is the pumpkin dude up for grabs.


He could be yours if you follow a few simple rules:

1.  you must be a follower of my blog.
2.  you must leave a comment on this post only and you must include your email address or your blog address so I can reach you.  
3.  if you share the giveaway on your blog I will put your name in twice if you let me know in your post.

Everyone is eligible as long as you are a follower including those not in the States.  I will draw the winner on Sunday Morning the 13th of October.  You will have 24 hours to respond to the email i will send after which I will choose a new winner.

I think I will call this post done and leave the retreat report for next time.  Thanks for all the wonderful comments on my Fair results.  I appreciate them.  Thanks also for hanging in there between posts.

Take care till next time!

Julie

42 comments:

  1. OHhh cute! Pick me pick me! I am big on making so many of one thing that I feel homicidal - I feel your pain! I am a follower!

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  2. You did a great job, it's so cute. Please enter me for a chance. I'm a follower.
    codocat@yahoo.com

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  3. He is adorable! Please throw my name in for a chance.
    capecodgirl565@yahoo.com

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  4. He is adorable! Please throw my name in for a chance.
    capecodgirl565@yahoo.com

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  5. Your pumpkin man is absolutely adorable!!! What a great job you did in finishing them all. Thanks for sharing and thank you for the great contest! I would love to enter for a chance. Thank you! I am a follower.
    Pam
    pam1228@aol.com

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  6. I follow your blog! And I love Punkin' dude!!

    Terri P
    pr4gatheringroses AT gmail DOT com

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  7. Posted and shared on my blog:

    http://stitchwraith.blogspot.com/2013/10/punkin-dude-giveaway-at-julies.html

    Terri P
    pr4gatheringroses AT gmail DOT com

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  8. He is so cute and I am a follower.

    vicozwa@yahoo.com.au

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  9. Ohhh, I wish I was part of this retreat...Pumpkin Dude is soooo cute! And you made 46!! WOW!
    Thank you so much for a chance at the give-away
    I am indeed a follower & enjoy your blog very much.
    Maureen
    mgw070 at shaw dot ca

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  10. Major cuteness!!!! I'm a new follower and love your blog! ~*
    thenebbyneedle@yahoo.com

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  11. Cutest box ever!! Please enter me in the giveaway!! I am a follower and have posted about it on my blog. Sure hope I win!! Laura at forloveoftheneedle.blogspot.com.

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  12. I love this box)) Thanks for the chance to win.
    lv123@mail.ru

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  13. He is fantastic. I do that all the time, forget to write down measurements; I get so caught up in the excitement and challenge of trying to make it work! I would love to enter but I am in ireland and postage would be crazy, so I will just wish everyone good luck and thank you for showing him to us xx

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  14. Your pumpkin box is great! Sure would love to win it, thank you for the chance!

    Can't believe you actually made 46 of this cute box! Great job!

    Hugs,

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  15. Hamish is a handsome helper! I rarely (maybe once) make more than one of something that has this many steps... so, I can understand why after 46 of them... you have had enough... but, the army of pumpkins dudes sure does look great on the lawn! :-)

    Looking forward to your retreat report... you always create such a fun environment... I remember your pics from last year! :-)

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  16. Cant believe you made so many little pumpkin dudes. I don't think I would have the patience for all that. Well done you! I would love to give a little pumpkin fella a home, I need something nice to hold my orts in instead of a plastic half shell that once contained one of my son's dinosaurs. Pumpkin dude would definately fit that bill.
    I am already a follower and my email is lisavv2675@hotmail.com

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  17. Fantastic pumpkins . Please enter me in the draw . I am a follower and will post this on my blog sidebar .
    stitchinchicken.blogspot.co.uk

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  18. Those are so cute!! Bravo for making so many at once... I don't think I could find the time to finish even 1 of them let alone 40+. I am a new follower to your blog (I was redirected here by a different blogger who posted about your giveaway) and I'm looking forward to going through all your previous posts! Good luck everyone!

    Oh.. almost forgot... I blogged about your giveaway here: http://ambitiousstitches.blogspot.com/2013/10/contest-alert.html

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  19. your container is just the best....

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  20. Swapped out for the correct picture on my blog, For Love of the Needle. Wouldn't want to be putting out bad intel!!!LOL Laura

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  21. How cute! I am a follower and have put a little blurb on my blog to be posted later tonight.

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  22. ciao Julie! these pumpkins are so cute!! thank you for giving us a chance to win one :)
    I'm a follower (via OpenID) and blogged about the giftaway in the post scheduled for tomorrow called "Cat Carousel". I'm having a giftaway too if you want to enter.. :)
    hugs and happy xxx,
    chiara

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  23. I love your pumpkin pincushion~ He is adorable. I would love to be entered in the giveaway. Thanks. Pat

    p.matejcek@yahoo.com

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  24. Those are sweet, sweet, sweet! :)
    And I'd love to be a winner!

    You've been busy, gathering in! Can't wait to hear about the retreat when it happens!!

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  25. they are so very cute! Please add me to the list.

    pdbstitches at gmail.com

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  26. Oh my goodness... Good googily moogily.... This little guy is ADORABLE!!!!!!! Please please please add me to this list... Oh how i would love to make a good home for this little treasure. You have done a great job. I am a follower.
    stitchinpeanut@twc.com

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  27. Oh...I love this little guy! Please add my name to your drawing...thanks so much!

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  28. Julie, I would lve to be entered. I love the pumpkin patch picture! Stevemarty@msn.com

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  29. Oh Julie, He is so cute! I am a follower and I would love to give him a new home!!!

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  30. I have been a follower since before the retreat when your husband made the large spools. Still think about how cute they were! Please enter me. Pumpkin pincushions and ort box would be a great b-day give (Oct 31).

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  31. I am also posting on the sidebar of my blog :)

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  32. Hi it's me cucki ;)
    A happy follower of your blog ..
    Cutest box ever!! Please enter me in the giveaway..
    Thank you
    Love xxx
    cucki.aneeba@gmail.com

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  33. Hello from a new follower! I would love to be entered to win that adorable pumpkin box! AnnieB63@aol.com

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  34. About getting older... I feel your "pain".

    The pumpkin ort container is adorable. Count me in, and I just updated my latest blog post with your giveaway!

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  35. I love the picture of all your pumpkins in the grass!! They are so adorable and I would love to have my name entered for a chance to have one!

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  36. OMG, you've done a fabulous job on these! I don't sew much either but I know I couldn't do anything thing close to this. They're awesome!
    I am a new follower of your blog courtesy of The Grey Tail. I would love to be included in your giveaway. I've posted your giveaway in my sidebar on my blog. Thanks for the opportunity to participate!

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  37. Very cute pumpkin - I am a new follower so please count me in the draw. Love your blog, very cute.

    hugs, Kaye

    http://kittenstitching.blogpsot.com

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  38. oops, forgot my email address:

    KayeDeP@gmail.com

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