STITCH LINES...... Ramblings on life as a quilter, stitcher, traveler, photographer, gardener and lover of books, cats and fine chocolate....

Saturday, January 25, 2014

Grow Your Blog and Giveaway



I have joined the Grow Your Blog! event, organized by Vicki at Two Bags Full. Hundreds of bloggers are joining in on the fun of finding new blogs and meeting new blogging friends. Whether you are visiting because of this event or not, I hope you'll take a few minutes to look around here, and perhaps even choose to follow me.

For all my new visitors, let me introduce myself. I'm Linda Hubbard, and I live on the east coast of Canada in a  beautiful small city.  I'm a Mom (two young adults) with an "empty nest", and a retired teacher. My blogging adventure  began in 2009, as a way for me to share my hobbies and photography with my friends and followers. I would never have thought then that I'd still be here five years and over 800 posts later! I guess one of the reasons I am still here is that I have met so many wonderful friends through blogging, and learned so much from them. And I can't wait to meet more bloggers through this party! Thanks Vicki, for hosting Grow Your Blog!




I am a quilter and a stitcher, loving them both equally. I'm always trying to find more hours in the day for both!! I teach quilting classes at a local shop and for Guilds around my province.  I enjoy piecing quilts (appliqué is just not my thing) with scrap quilts a particular favourite. Below are a couple of my favs. You can see more of my quilts by clicking on My Quilts under "Looking for Something?" on my sidebar. You'll even find a few tutorials there.

"Blue Northwind". Generous twin bed size.
"Talkin' Turkey". Designed by Bonnie Hunter. I've used well over 100 different reds.

I also enjoy making miniature quilts, this one below is not quite 10" square! I love the challenge of working small... (I know, I know, many think I'm crazy...) Actually "crazy quilting" is another one of my loves!! You can see more of my miniature quilts and crazy quilt projects in the Galleries on my sidebar.

"F8" Miniature.  (Photographers will understand...)  Design by George Siciliano

Detail shot of Crazy Quilting
Gardening is another of my passions. Our growing season here in Atlantic Canada is fairly short, but I enjoy the seasons and spend the cold snowy winter dreaming of next year's garden! Below are a few blooms from my perennial gardens. (Have you already figured out I love blue?) I love nature and it is my favourite "subject" to photograph. You can see more of my nature photography by clicking on the Nature or Wildflowers labels on my sidebar.
 


I am an avid reader, and a serious amateur photographer. There's nothing better than holding a good book or a camera in your hands .. well, unless it's a good piece of dark chocolate!! I love sharing book reviews and my tried and true recipes on my blog too, chocolate and otherwise. I also enjoy good quotes and try to end every post with an appropriate quote. Travel is a passion I wish I could pursue more frequently than I do. My most recent "big" trip was to Prague in the Czech Republic this past July; again check my labels on the sidebar if you'd like to read those posts and see that beautiful city.

I hope you've enjoyed visiting Stitch Lines and I always appreciate comments. (After all, if you don't leave a comment, how will I get to know you?) If you'd like to leave a comment below on this post, I'll enter your name in my Giveaway, which will be drawn on Feb. 15th. If you are not a blogger, be sure to leave your email in the comment so I can reach you if you are the lucky winner. I'm offering one of my stitched and beaded Santa ornaments - your choice! They average  4" - 4.5" tall, the designs are by Mill Hill.  The Giveaway is open to all, and I will mail to anywhere in the world.



Be sure and drop by the Grow Your Blog party to check out lots of other wonderful blogs. Have fun!!
Edit: Feb. 17th - Even though the Giveaway is now over, if you are a new visitor to my site, I'd still appreciate you leaving a comment to say Hi and tell me where you're visiting from. 

Peace,
Linda

"A man practices the art of adventure when he breaks the chain of routine and renews his life through reading new books, traveling to new places, making new friends, taking up new hobbies and adopting new viewpoints."  ~Wilfred Peterson            

70 comments:

Dolores said...

Love that miniature. I haven't seen it before. I hope the "Grow Your Blog" is a success.

Carol D. said...

Hello from a fellow quilter. Love your work and am amazed by the small quilts. Coming to you from the blog party and am a new follower.

Foxhollow Studio said...

So very glad to be a part of this Grow Your Blog Party for the first time and to find wonderful readings like your blog. I hope to be back soon and see what is going on with you. The Santas you are giving away are beautiful and I would love a chance to win one! Please stop by my blog sometime!

Teresa
www.foxhollowtales.com

Farm Gate Creations Incorporating Hummingbird Quilting said...

You do such beautiful work.

Wendy @ Wendysquiltsandmore said...

Hi Linda. I just found your blog through Grow Your Blog and I love it. The quilts and the photos are all fantastic. I'll follow you on bloglovin from now on.

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

It's so much fun to read your post and learn more about you. We love so many of the same things! And what a sweet giveaway! Thanks! Sweet hugs, Diane

Kay said...

You are so talented, your work is just beautiful. One of the wonderful things about the blog party is getting to meet other blogs and see what people can do. Thank you for a fun giveaway too, I love to do cross stitch myself.

canuckquilter said...

I still love your Talkin'Turkey quilt, but that F8 miniature is simply astounding! "Crazy" is good when it produces something like this :)

Accroquilt said...

Hi Linda! Beautiful quilts. And your flowers are beauties. I love blue too. Have a nice day! I'll be back soon!

Dogwood Lane Rambles said...

Have been a follower for a while but I'm visiting from the blog party today. What fun to find new friends. Patrica from dogwoodlanerambles.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

I have known Linda for decades and she is even more talented than her amazing blog would show. I knew a lady who was a "hand model" and Linda would be even better. Not only are her hands beautiful, they work hard and excel at everything they do.She is a night owl like me. JANE

Lorraine said...

Hi Linda! I can see I will be visiting old friends. I started visiting several years back when you were participating in TAST. Good to see you again and YES, I'll be following now. PS - the santas are great. Enjoy visiting all the other blogs too. Lorraine
(GYB volunteer team)....

Anonymous said...

like your crazy quilt and the turkey red one. the flowers are such a pretty blue. Enjoy reading your blog

barbara woods said...

new follower, nice to 'meet' you

Judith @ Lavender Cottage said...

I always like the crafted treasures and gardens you share Linda and would love to win one of your Santas.
Judith

Elita@Busy Needle Quilting said...

Oh, you & I will get along just fine! We both love Blue and have a perchance for unusual Santa heads (I have numerous ones in various mediums on the tree each year!)I love your quilts & those Santa heads are just downright adorable. I'm going to enjoy following you! :-)

Shirlee Fassell said...

Love your work. Just stopping by via the GYBParty!

Anonymous said...

Hi Linda...thanks for visiting my blog. Your blog is lovely and your work is beautiful! Very, very nice! Enjoy blog hopping!

Unknown said...

Your quilts are just beautiful!! Thank you so much for stopping by little blog! I look forward to following you and your creations! xoxo Jen

Anonymous said...

thanks for visiting my blog. You make stunning quilts ♥

Claire said...

Thanks for stopping by yesterday, Linda, and leaving a lovely comment - strokes, eh??
Your ornaments are just exquisite - truly I'd treasure any of them!!
I'll certainly be back again when it's less frantic - I'm still catching up from the GYB party...
So lovely to meet you x

Sheila said...

Hi Linda , I have been following you for sometime and always enjoy seeing your gorgeous photos , your work and your gardens . I am looking forward to meeting you come spring at our guild . Sheila

Anitha said...

Hi Linda, thanks for stopping by my blog.. So glad that i get to know you through GYB party.. Lovely post and the miniature quilt looks awesome! Will be back after visiting other blogs.. Hugs:)

Tisha Dolton said...

I love the red quilt. Amazing.

Thank you for visiting my redwork/ embroidery blog. I have my follow button up & running...

allthingzsewn said...

Beautiful work, and are the flowers from your garden, they are beautiful too. And the photographer ( let me quess) is you. Your a very talented lady. And I would love to have any one of the santa's they are so well done. I just hated to say beautiful again. See a little green here. :) I am following

Theresa N. said...

Your a busy lady stitching and gardening. Love your quilts.
Theresa N
weceno(at)yahoo(dot)com

DebraKay Neiman said...

New Follower. I am having fun finding new bloggers to follow...love sewing and quilting. Greetings from Oklahoma, USA. crystalbluern at onlineok dot com

Wendy said...

Such a lovely blog you have...your crazy block is wonderful...those santa's must have taken a long time to make, they are just stunning...thank you for the chance to win one of them.

sew.darn.quilt said...

F8 is spectacular! All your creations are just lovely :) I'm a new follower from Saskatchewan.
The collection of Santas is very sweet.
Thank you for the chance :)

Erica said...

Your quilts are beautiful, as are the photos. The mini-quilt is really neat and I would never have guessed it to be so small if you had not said something. The stitched Santas are fantastic!

Dasha said...

Linda, your quilts are stunning! I love F8; so many pieces in such a small quilt. Awesome. I have been umming and ahhing about doing one of Bonnie's quilts, but have resisted, as I think I will get bogged down, and never complete it. Lovely flowers too.

Anonymous said...

Hi Linda, popping over from N Ireland, your patch work and stitching is beautiful..I also have the oriental poppies in my garden. Beary wishes Amanda x

The Attic said...

That crazy quilt is gorgeous. I LOVE the Santas! Nice to meet you. Thanks for visiting my blog.

Judy in Colorado
judy@atticraggedys.com

Tiffany said...

Nice to meet you Linda and love the pictures all of it is beautiful.

Spice up your Life said...

Hi Linda! Thanks a lot for visiting my blog. It's pleasure to meet you. Your quilting looks absolutely amazing. love to see more of them!

Monique (A Half-Baked Notion) said...

It was so great to rediscover your blog via Vicki's GYB, Linda :) Though I no longer stitch and seldom quilt, I very much enjoy seeing the beauty created by others and am now following your blog. Your Santa ornaments are quite exquisite!

Anonymous said...

Hi, Love your work. I did see the Santa's in January and they are just beautiful, could 't stop looking at them, so much fine work. I also saw the minature quilt, awesome. So glad I found out about your blog you make me want t to do more. I don't blog but enjoy seeing what your doing next. Thanks

Unknown said...

I have been following your blog for a bit and enjoy it thoroughly. Love your Santa's. They are beautiful.

Lynne said...

Oh, what a lovely blog! I'm so happy to have found you!

Anonymous said...

Linda, thanks for stopping by my blog earlier today--I do appreciate it!

Your site is beautiful...I especially like the close-up of your header quilt--such gorgeous colors.

I have a long history with cross stitch and have dabbled in quilting a couple of different times but, these days, I spend most of my recreational time on photography and photoshop endeavors.

Your giveaway Santas are so amazing, it is hard to settle on just one--but, finally, I declare that St. Nicholas is my favorite--probably because he reminds me of my own dear husband.

Shroo said...

Wow.... yeah, really - wow! I'm no quilting expert, but I think it's safe to say that you're some kind of awesome stitching genius! I'm sort of at a loss as to what impresses me most - the full size quilts (which I would carry EVERYwhere with me!) or the miniatures? I mean... wow.

I also love the way you guide your reader through the art of quilting and highlight other artists as well - that's really fascinating. And the photography too? You must stop being so epically multi-talented - you're putting the rest of us to shame! *grins* (NEVER STOP!) Honestly - thank you for guiding me to your blog, it's a revelation and a joy! Best wishes from Shroo:)x
www.artyshroo.blogspot.co.uk

Christine M said...

Hello Linda. It's lovely to meet you. Your quilts are gorgeous. I'm visiting from Melbourne, Australia.

Cath said...

Here is what I love about your blog.....Your quilts are beautiful, your garden flowers are beautiful, your photos are beautiful and your beaded santa's are gorgeous.
Cath @ Bits 'n Bobs

Elizabeth Edwards said...

love Santa Claus. i enjoy your circle design on the quilt ... gorgeous colors. nice to meet you. GYB ... i'm Beth from E. Lizard Breath Speaks. hope you are enjoying your week. ( :

Kathy said...

Wow, Linda...lots of comments when there is something to win!! Great idea and I hope that it is successful. (I'll pick up my Santa whenever it is convenient unless you would like to deliver. :)

Veronica Roth said...

Hello my fellow Canadian blogger, crafter and gardener. We have so much in common! I'm a Master Gardener here on the West Coast and gardening is my passion too. I try to grow all sorts of things here in my little city garden. Also, I was born in Prague and carry both a Canadian and an EU passport and live in Europe for part of the year. I love your quilts. I've only made one or two and only the regular square kinds but I have it in mind to make a crazy quilt from a bunch of creamy tapestry type bits. I'm looking forward to getting to know you. :)

Cheryl @ TFD said...

Thanks for visiting and commenting at my blog! I'm still a long way from getting around to everyone who was at the party. You have a great blog and we have several interests in common. I'd love to have a chance to win one of your cute Santas!

Sarah and Dan said...

I love gardening too- come on Spring, get here already!

Southpaw Stitcher said...

Hi Linda. Thanks for visiting my blog. So happy to meet you via the GYB party. I love all of your quilting, especially F8 (I get it). I'm a new follower, too. If I should be lucky enough to win your drawing, I'd like the St. Nicholas ornament. Thanks!

Angie in SoCal said...

Oh, Linda, such pretty projects on your post. I just love that talking turkey in red - glorious! And those flower photos - wow. I'm so glad I stopped by.

Sheryl said...

Hi Linda, Returning your visit. I really like your work and even your header! I have added myself as a new follower. best wishes from Spain.

Unknown said...

Oh I love your crazy quilt piece. I've never heard of anything like that before but then again I'm not a quilter. I can appreciate all the hard work that went into it and all your other wonderful pieces. It has been nice meeting you.

Hugs
Caroline

Anonymous said...

Linda, dropping by from the GYB party. Enjoyed seeing all the pictures of quilts fro the show. Loved your miniature quilt. Stop by for a chance to win my nifty fifty giveaway.

Anonymous said...

I am a new follower via Bloglovin'. I found your blog via the Grow Your Blog party. :)

Poppy said...

Hi Linda,

Can't wait to see what will be blooming in your beautiful garden this spring! It was really nice learning a little more about you and your wonderful hobbies and interests.

Have a lovely week!

Poppy

A Scattering said...

Hi Linda! Thanks for visiting my blog earlier during GYB. Your work is beautiful! All of your giveaway pieces are lovely but Santa Claus is my favorite.

Is your friend here in Woodstock complaining yet about how much snow we're getting this winter? I'm originally from Newfoundland so I'm n stranger to an old-fashioned winter.

Cheers! Elaine

Pamela Gordon said...

Hi Linda. I'd wondered where you'd been lately and see I missed this post somehow. I love your quilts and photos, as you know, and am pleased to call you a friend. Your give away Santas are really sweet. I'm happy to see how your blog has grown! Pam

Kathy H said...

Your blog is filled with wonderful projects and photography too. Looking forward to reading your posts.

Diane E W said...

Nice to meet you. Love what I see, signed up to follow. Love your Santa's. hope I win one for my tree next year

Maggie said...

those Santas are adorable and so intricate! Did you design them yourself? All of your work is beautiful.

Patty Sumner said...

Hey Linda... Just stopping by to visit with you as I told you I would.. Wow, what some beautiful handiwork in those quilts..I admire anyone who can sew like that.. amazing.. I love to garden too.. The pic of the flowers is just beautiful.. the santa's are some special work too. I had a great visit.. Blessings!

Kim Stevens said...

Thank you so much for stopping by my place. I have to say I'm quite in awe of those that can quilt. I have some pieces from my grandmother that she started and never finished, one day....I'll try or have someone else do it for me.

Love your Santa ornaments...and I'm following you back! :)

Judy Cooper Textile Artist said...

Greetings from St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada. Your work is lovely! Great photos! Thanks for sharing and the giveaway (cute Santa's).

Unknown said...

I love your crazy Quilt, it is one of the prettiest I have ever seen and your santa ornaments are too cute. Who wouldn't love to have one, or two or three. LOL Thanks for the chance to win one. Jackie

macmillanmarie said...

Your quilts are beautiful and I love your photos - they are stunning. Thanks for sharing.

Wendy said...

hello, nice to meet you! Your quilts are lovely and the F8 is amazing!

Patty Antle said...

Love your crazy quilting. So pretty. It's all so pretty. Love your Santas too! So nice to meet you!

Anonymous said...

Hi Linda,
Your quilts are beautiful, the photographs stunning, book reviews helpful and your writing is marvelous. I really enjoy reading your blog despite not being a quilter, photographer or writer but I do know we share singing together.
Kathy
kathy.malcolm@gnb.ca

Rowyn said...

Hi Linda

Thanks so much for your comment on my blog. I am pleased to have now found your lovely blog - your quilts and stitching are beautiful.

I will definitely be following along in the future, and taking a better look around.

nicolesender said...

Greetings from the Pacific Northwest. I enjoyed visiting your blog. Your beaded Santa ornaments are awesome!

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