Giveaway....Giveaway....Giveaway

This is my 499th post and so today I'm going to launch my 500th post giveaway and also share my first ever quilt with you.  My 500th post will announce the winners of the giveaway goodies.

In 2004 when I decided to make a quilt for the first time I had absolutely no idea what I was doing.  I did know what I wanted to do, however.  I wanted to make a wallhanging to represent the sea and I had been inspired by seeing some examples of stained glass work.  One piece was a very modern design hanging in a craft shop in Mousehole, Cornwall, the other was a much older stained glass window in a church in Penzance, also in Cornwall. Without consulting any quilting books I decided how I would make my wallhanging and steamed ahead.  Here it is:

My trusty Singer sewing machine expired while I was attempting to stitch together the pieced top, a layer of something springy from the upholstery factory shop and the length of curtain lining that I used as backing.  This led to my first visit to the Festival of Quilts where I purchased a new machine and then rushed home to experiment with the array of embroidery stitches it offered.
"Cornish Seas" finished I proudly hung it in the wall of my bach where it remains. For all its faults I'm very proud of it and of all it has led to.  One day I might make "Cornish Seas II".

You very politely read through that but here's what you are really after - 

my 500th post giveaway!

There are three quilty gifts up for grabs.

1.  I am very pleased to tell you that Keira at the lovely Kiki's Craft Corner in bonny Scotland has agreed to sponsor this giveaway.  She will send one lucky winner either

a Fat Quarter Bundle, 

a Charm Pack 

or 

4 x Out of Africa thread sets 

and you get to choose.  

Head over to her website, have a look at all the gorgeous things Keira has there and leave me a comment saying which you'd like to win.  Sounds easy eh?  Many thanks to Keira for her generosity.

2.  The lovely people at British Patchwork & Quilting Magazine recently sent me a copy of their latest "Inspirational" publication to giveaway to one of you.  It's all about strippy quilts. 

For a chance to win this great book which has 14 super projects and features in it please leave me a comment about the first quilt you made.

3.  Finally, I am going to send one of my lovely followers the tea cup rug I made for the tutorial on quilt as you go (but not the cup and saucer I'm afraid!), you don't need to leave a comment for this one, I'll just choose from my "followers" list using the random number thingy.

So, to make it clear:
You can enter all the giveaways or just one or two.
1.  Leave me one comment about your first quilt for one chance to win "Inspirational Strippy Quilts".
2.  Leave me one comment giving your choice from the Out of Africa threads (list the four colour sets you'd like)/Charm Pack (e.g. Dogwood Trail) or Fat Quarter Bundle (e.g. Bundle 7 - blues) for one chance to win those goodies from Kiki's Craft Corner.
3.  Be a lovely follower.
4.  If you'd like to spread the news about my giveaway on your blog or Facebook please leave me a comment with the link to your post and I'll give you an extra chance in the giveaways as a thank you, the more the merrier.

I'm away from my computer for a few days now, visiting my parents and revisiting my inner Essex girl!  I'll announce the lucky winners in my next post, my 500th (who would have thought I had that much to say?!!), which will be on 14th November 2011 so entries remain open until then.
Good luck everybody and thank you to you all, those who have been with me since post number one right through to those who have recently joined me, your comments make my day, day after day.