Thanks everyone for participating in Quiltmaker’s first ever Blog Tour–and how appropriate that this is our 100th post! It sure sounds like everyone has had a lot of fun discovering new blogs, new ideas and finding new inspiration. And the best thing is these links will be here for future exploration–I know I haven’t had a good visit yet at all the new sites!

We have selected three names for the Big Bundle Giveaways (two from the U.S./Canada post and one from the Outside U.S./Canada post.)

Those three people have been notified by email and, once I’ve verified their shipping addresses, I’ll announce their names here.

Winners of the 100 Block issues are listed in this post–and I think we still have a few names to add there as well. We’ve been mailing the issues out since last week, so watch for your copy soon if you won.

OK–now it’s back to regular work for the QM Staff. We’ve got January/February ‘10 web content to get ready to post next week, March/April ‘10 patterns to write and proofread and more quilty pleasures to plan and get ready for you. We’ll be back to our normal 2-3 posts per week instead of 2-3 posts per day.

Be sure to post pictures of the projects you make from 100 Blocks in our flickr group! Can’t wait to see what you create!

Update 11/17/09: The U.S./Canada winners are:

• Debbi Price from Des Moines, WA
• Valorie Kortus from Loveland, CO

Congratulations–I’m going to pack up your prizes for UPS to pick up!

I have not yet heard from the Outside U.S./Canada winner. I’ll send another email today and if I don’t hear from her by 10 am on Wednesday, I’ll pick someone else.

Update 11/19: It took a little longer because the first name drawn was from the U.S and ineligible, but then emma #46 from Australia was randomly selected as our international winner–congratulations emma and thanks to all for participating!

We didn’t plan for comments/winners in the daily posts, but they’ve been so delightful to read that I’m picking 2 random winners from each day to each receive a copy of 100 Blocks.

from Day 1

• annieofbluegables #11
• sheila carita #24

from Day 2

• jeanne #8
• charmin #42

from Day 3

• becanne #14
• Judy #15

from Day 4

• Donna Joy #33
• Claudia #66

from Day 5

• Shelly #3
• Jocelyn #29

OK, I’m sending emails to all these winners to get mailing addresses. Congratulations to all 10 of you!

There’s a list that we’re trying to keep updated of the winners so far–easier than new posts all the time.

All week we’ve been teasing you in regard to the Big Bundle Giveaway. Many of the contributors to 100 Blocks from Today’s Top Designers sent prizes to be included. SO many sent prizes that we’ve created two giveaways for U.S. and Canadian folks. (For those of you in other places, see this post.) If you live in the U.S. or Canada, just leave a comment on this post by 3 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 16 (MST) to be entered. Tell us how you first heard about this blog tour. The winner will be announced on Tuesday, Nov. 17.

This giveaway includes fabric, books, patterns and more, and each prize has a retail value of about $500. A big thank you to all the donors (we’re going to blog about them next week).

It’s been great to have you along for this wonderful ride! We hope you discovered lots of great new blogs and quilting resources, and we hope you’ll come back often.

Update 11/17/09: The U.S./Canada winners are:

• Debbi Price from Des Moines, WA
• Valorie Kortus from Loveland, CO

Subscribe to Quiltmaker: special offers here.

Find the entry form to win one of the actual blocks here.

Buy QM Kits and other products: special offers here.

Post 100 Blocks projects on a flickr group here.

Sign up for the free Quilter’s Village email newsletter here.

Send us feedback anytime to editor at quiltmaker.com.

If you live someplace other than the U.S. and Canada, this is the Big Bundle Giveaway for you. (If you live in the U.S. or Canada,  see this post to enter. ) We’ve created a pint-sized package of quilty fun just right to ship anywhere in the world. The giveaway includes fabric, books and patterns. To enter, just leave a comment here before 3 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 16 (MST). Tell us how you first heard about this blog tour. The winner will be announced on Tuesday, Nov. 17.

It’s been great to have you along for this wonderful ride! We hope you discovered lots of great new blogs and quilting resources, and we hope you’ll come back often.

Update 11/19: It took a little longer because the first name drawn was from the U.S and ineligible, but then emma #46 from Australia was randomly selected as our international winner–congratulations emma and thanks to all for participating!

Subscribe to Quiltmaker: special offers here.

Find the entry form to win one of the actual blocks here.

Buy QM Kits and other products: special offers here.

Post 100 Blocks projects on a flickr group here.

Sign up for the free Quilter’s Village email newsletter here.

Send us feedback anytime to editor at quiltmaker.com.

Our business involves deadlines, and I was way past my deadline to design something for 100 Blocks. Feeling the crunch, I doodled at my desk one day and came up with Bar None.

Bar None by Diane Harris

I love working with a 12″ format when I’m designing, because it’s divisible by so many numbers: 2, 3, 4, and 6. The possibilities are endless.

Bar None is a very simple block, so I used interesting fabrics to spice it up. Here are a few hints for choosing fabrics in a scrappy project:

1. All the colors should not “match”. If you use blacks, for instance, choose blacks that are different from one another. Sameness = boring.
2. Choose a variety of motifs in the fabrics. Bar None has stripes, polka dots, very graphic letters and a little ditzy print just in the black/white areas.
3. Mix up the values a bit. The blues in Bar None are very light, medium, medium dark and dark-with-lots-of-other-colors.
4. If something sticks out like a sore thumb, add more of it. I learned this in a class with Roberta Horton and it’s been an invaluable lesson.

What are your tips for choosing scrappy fabrics? Leave a comment here by noon Monday, Nov. 16 and you could win a free copy of 100 Blocks.

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of 100 Blocks!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

The winner is Chris, #26. Congratulations!

It’s been a great week leading up to the newsstand debut of 100 Blocks from Today’s Top Designers! Here is one last list of great places to visit. Click on the links in the list to find ways to win a free copy of this fresh, fun, jam-packed issue.

You’ll find this issue at your local quilt shop, bookstore or ShopQuiltersVillage.com.

The blocks by today’s featured designers are really fun!

Spring Blossom by Peg Spradlin.

If you like foundations, 100 Blocks has them!

Stars Upon Stars by Joen Wolfrom.

If you like applique, 100 Blocks has it!

Spring Snowflake by Kathy K. Wylie.

Southern Blooms by Pat Wys.

And of course there are pieced blocks galore, too. You’ll find blocks to fit any style from country to funky to feminine and more. As a recap, here’s a list of all that’s going on:

Everyone is invited to post pictures of 100 Blocks projects at the flickr group.

We’re giving away all 100 blocks—to 100 winners. You can find the entry form here.

We’re giving away several prizes in our Big Bundle Giveaway. Scroll down and leave a comment in that post to be entered.

These Bali Pops from Hoffman California Fabrics could be yours in our Big Bundle Giveaway!

Today’s Featured Designers

1. Pat Sloan: patsloan.typepad.com
2. Wendy Slotboom: wendyslotboom.com/blog
3. Peg Spradlin: handicraftsbypeg.com
4. Jacquelynne Steves: thenoblewife.blogspot.com
5. Joen Wolfrom: blog.jwdpublishing.com
6. Kathy K. Wylie: kathykwylie.com/blog
7. Pat Wys: silverthimbletalk.blogspot.com
8. Kay Mackenzie: allaboutapplique.net
9. Monica Solorio-Snow: thehappyzombie.com/blog
10. Evonne Cook: clotheslinequilts.com
11. Janet Bate: chocolateismyfavoritecolor.blogspot.com
12. Susan Cook: larkspurlanedesigns.blogspot.com

Also participating today are our friends and generous donors Maywood Studio and Windham Fabrics.

Be sure to scroll down for the Big Bundle Giveaway! Thanks for blog touring with Quiltmaker. We hope you’ll come back often. Watch for a final wrap-up post early next week.

You’ve read all about it–now you want to get your own copy. Keep watching this post to see what quilt shops have ordered this issue.

Quilt shops carrying Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks from Today’s Top Designers: Please leave a comment telling everyone your shop name and where you’re located. You can also add a website or blog address. (Your shipments should be arriving on Tuesday, Nov. 17.)

Get the latest news and special offers from Quiltmaker by subscribing to our free email newsletter. Sign up at quiltmaker.com/newsletters to get the Quilters Village newsletter twice a month.

Sign up by 3 pm MST on Monday, November 16–leave a comment here that you’ve signed up (or that you already get it)–and I’ll pick 2 random winners to receive a copy of 100 Blocks.

Congratulations to #9 Sandra and #13 Nancy.

I like making up the rules as the blog tour progresses!

So far today, as I’ve been reading the comments, no one has used my first “secret word of the day” which was PURPLE. And no one used my second “secret word of the day” which was BATIK.

I did find 6 commenters who have used a form of my third “secret word of the day”: SCRAP! Each of the following people wins a copy of 100 Blocks. (All dates and times are MST and, now that the secret word of the day has been revealed, using it won’t result in more surprise winners.)

Commenting on 100 Blocks Giveaway: Snow Shoo:

• Freddie, #3 at 3:48 am
• Lynne, #4 at 4:26 am
• Mary Flynn, #12 at 6:08 am
• SewLindaAnn, #22 at 8:27 am
• Lisa N, #24 at 8:40 am

Commenting on 100 Blocks: Roundabout

• Helen in the UK, #75 at 4:00 am

Congratulations all!

If you’d like to take advantage of getting Quiltmaker’s regular issues in your mailbox, there are two special offers going on now. I want to tell  you about both of them. Choose your favorite–but you can use only one special offer.

Subscribe to Quiltmaker

Get 2 subscriptions for the price of 1:
This holiday season, we invite you to share the inspiration of quilting with a friend or relative–at a GREAT DEAL! Subscribe to Quiltmaker at our special low rate and give a one year gift subscription to a friend absolutely FREE! That’s 2 subscriptions for the price of 1! (Offer valid in the U.S. only for a limited time.) 2-for-1 sub offer: New Subscriptions or Renewals

Download 21 quilting designs for free:
When you pay online for your subscription you can get online access to our exclusive Quilting Designs: The Quiltmaker’s Collection–absolutely free! You’ll get 21 diverse and original designs to print in any size. (Offer valid worldwide for a limited time. Compatible on Windows PC only.)  Free gift offer: New Subscriptions Only

These special offers cannot be combined.

BONUS: If you subscribe or renew by 3 pm MST, Monday, November 16, leave a comment here and I’ll pick 3 random new or renewed subscribers to win a copy of 100 Blocks.

Welcome to our new subscribers! These special offers will still be good for a while. The winners of a copy of 100 Blocks are:

• Christine, #7
• Jocelyn, #2
• Ray, #1

Congratulations!