Hello friends!!
Sorry for the long silence but since all the patterns for the QAL were shared, I felt there was no need to keep flooding your inbox with messages and reminders :)
I mentioned that I wanted to run a final giveaway, and I am planning to do it at the end of January, so read more info below!
Before that, however, I want to share few additional pieces of information that may be of interest:
- I cannot announce what the prizes for the final giveaway will be (or how many) because I contacted several companies to sponsor this giveaway and only one answered until now :( Probably is the excessive email exchanges over the holidays, so I will keep trying. I want the final giveaway to be as interesting as possible, so I hope that by the time I draw the winners, other sponsors would reply!!
- I will not run a QAL for next year, for two main reasons:
- I lost my sewing/quilting mojo (QAL fatique? too many WIPs?)
- it takes too much time and monetary investment from my side to run a QAL... as a scientist I am putting together a full post that will disclose all the data and information from the 2018 QAL event... from what I earned in patterns sold, to what I spent in mailing prizes, from the time I spent creating the pdf patterns, to the time spent linking up pictures on the blog. Full disclosure to whatever I can trace and remember! I want to share this not to discourage people to run events like this, but to show that while they are "free" they are not "free" to run! They are extremely fun and inspiring, but I had my fair share of people criticizing the rule of having to share the finished picture to get the next pattern for free, or complaining about having to buy a pattern to get back in the free run. While these are just a minority of comments, if in the future I run an event and get the complains, I will be able to redirect people to a fully detailed post so maybe the will understand what goes on behind the scenes of a free event. So stay tuned if you are curious to learn more about the behind the scenes!!
It has been extra fun and inspiring seeing the more than 700 (SEVEN...HUNDRED!!!!) blocks created by all of you...
So share a single picture with all the blocks you created for your own quilt, and get an extra entry for the final giveaway!!
Note that you don't need to have 11 blocks... if you made just 2 or 3, that's fine too... as long as there are multiple blocks in one picture!
The blocks do NOT have to be stitched together, but if they are stitched in a top, you get an extra entry...
and if they are in a finished quilt, you get another extra entry!! :)
So:
- (1 entry) picture with multiple blocks (two or more!)
- (2 entries) picture with multiple blocks stitched together
- (3 entries) picture with multiple blocks in a finished quilt!
I will draw the winners on January 31st, 2019, and the way to share the picture is as usual (either in the linky or email it to me directly). Note that ALL 700+ entries will count in the final giveaway, because I want to thank you all from the first block shared to the last!!!
I wish you all happy holidays, and talk to you next year (with some reminders and hopefully announcements for exciting prizes :)
Until next week,
Happy Stitching!!
Have a Merry Christmas!!
ReplyDeleteAnd I'd like to say how much pleasure (and frustration too!) these blocks gave me; I have totally enjoyed the BOM I have participated in -- and your rules were plainly set out at the beginning of each BOM! I for one had no problem with buying a pattern if I didn't do the work needed (frustrated with myself maybe, but it was certainly more than fair for you!!
Thank you again for all of your amazing work!
Pleasure and frustration is the best combination as it's a sign of a challenge that promotes growth! I am very happy to hear that you enjoyed the patterns, and yes, while rules are always clear at the beginning, some people don't really read through them so they enjoy complaining afterwards! :) but that's just a small minority, just look at the amazingness of blocks shared in the linky above!!
DeleteMerry Christmas to you too!
I have enjoyed being a bystander for your BOM. Other things just kept getting in the way after the first pattern was released. I know how much goes into doing such elaborate BOM and admire those who go for it. I can understand where you have to take time for your own projects and life, perhaps.
ReplyDeleteHi Alida,
ReplyDeleteFirst, I would liken to Thank you for hosting this QAL. It's my second one with you and I have learned so much. Both have given me the confidence to try something new. My results weren't always stellar but you provided a safe, encouraging environment with which to try and grow.
As for your "rules" . . . All I can say is thank you!! I can't tell you how many BOMs and QALs I've participated in and the quilts are still not finished. Both of yours are completely finished. I couldn't be happier.
I wish you the best for your future and thank you again for all your time, support and encouragement. You're one in a million.
Merry Christmas and happy New year!!
Thanks for the kind words of support and for sharing your experience! I agree that the rules encourage to get things completed which is something I myself have been struggling with other events! Happy to hear that you are enjoying your finished quilts!!
DeleteA happy new year to you too!!!
Normally a "lurker" here, but I just had to say that it is hard for me to understand the attitude that things are "free." Nothing is free in life and this is one of the things that is driving me crazy right now--someone pays for everything! Thank you for your generosity and I think it's good that you are telling everyone what it costs...you aren't the first who has stopped doing free BOMs because the cost in your time and effort (and then the people who complain when it's FREE!) just starts to take a toll. Thank you for those of us who appreciate that!
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking the time to comment! With today's culture of easy access to so much information and things online, it's easy to just assume that free crafty events are easy to run, until you decide to run one your own and then the actual time and cost comes to the surface! I don't want to scare anyone to run these events or discourage people, as they are an extremely fun and interesting way to connect with like minded people that love this amazing form of art... however, I want to be open regarding what goes on behind the scenes, so that anyone can make informed decisions (and comments).
DeleteI appreciate all the kind words and support that this blog post triggered! It's great to see that the majority of people get where I come from and I will be happy to come back once I get my sewing mojo and renewed designing energies!! :)
Ciao Alida,
ReplyDeletegrazie di tutto il tuo lavoro...blocchi molto belli !
Purtroppo non ho finito il quilt, mi mancano parecchi blocchi, ma al più presto ti mando la foto di quello che ho fatto !
Auguroni di buone feste. Emanuela