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Sunday, July 5

Ric-Rac Border Pattern & Tutorial, Plus Three Yum Yum Buttons Giveaways!

I hope you all had a Happy 4th of July weekend!  
(Or a Happy Canada Day!... or a Happy weekend, LOL)

Sunday, the 28th, was the one year blog anniversary for BuzzinBumble.  I can hardly believe the year flew by so quickly. Becoming a quilt blogger has been an amazing experience, but by far the best part has been the friends I've met along the way.  You all have inspired me, encouraged me, touched my heart, and made me laugh more times than I can count! 


10" Mini Quilt with a Ric-Rac Border around a Redwork Coffee Pot

As a way to say "Thank you!" and to celebrate, I'm sharing one of my paper piecing patterns for a Ric-Rac border.  You will find free PDF files for the patterns, templates and the "how to" tutorial at the bottom of this section.

The idea for this pattern came to me when I saw all the great projects that Amy, from (Amy Made That) creates using ric-rac. (That post is only one example, so check her out!)  I thought it would be fun to paper piece a ric-rac border and frame a mini quilt.  So, I purchased a redwork coffee pot flour sack towel on Etsy.  The maker, Nycole, aka Dana’s Big Sister does beautiful work and creates all hand embroidered items.


A cup of tea and thee... 

The patterns below are meant to be printed double sided, on both the front and back of the paper.  Print them out on very thin printer paper or paper meant for paper piecing.  I find that printing on both sides makes paper piecing a whole lot easier, because you can always see the lines. 
     
To print a pattern, make sure you are set up for portrait setting at actual size.  Print side one.  Then turn your paper so that the same edge goes into the printer first, but so the next printing will be on the other side of the paper.  Print side two, which is simply a mirror image of side one.  All the markings will then be aligned when you hold the pattern up to light and look through the paper. The pattern page for the corners also includes fabric precutting templates.

Here are the PDF files for the patterns and the tutorial.  I hope you like them!







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And now for something else really fun!...

YumYum Buttons Needle Keeper Giveaways for Three Lucky Winners! 

If you didn't know before, you'll get the idea now:  I love shopping on Etsy!  

YumYum Buttons' Black Cat Buttons or Push Pins

Sweet Little Hedgehog Needle Keepers 
  
Bear & Bee Needle Keepers

Aren't these just the most adorable Needle Keepers and buttons?  They are made by Buffy of YumYum Buttons, a crafter I had the very good fortune to meet on Etsy.  When I received my order, I loved them so much that I wrote and asked Buffy if I could purchase another set, but hold off on placing the final order.  I wanted to have a giveaway with them and let the winner choose her or his own design.   Buffy liked that idea and jumped right in, generously offering to giveaway THREE sets of her wonderful needle keepers to three lucky BuzzinBumble readers! 

Would you like to see some more of Buffy's wonderful creations?  Check out her YumYum Buttons Etsy shop!  (You can click on the photos for links too.)  There you will find a treasure trove of utterly delightful covered buttons, craft buttons, push pins, magnets and needle keeper sets.  Buffy has a talent for searching out the greatest fabrics.  She does meticulous cutting in her work, featuring the designs front and center.  The quality and care evident in her craftsmanship show in her attention to detail and the sheer perfection of her final products!  I was so impressed, but on top of that: Buffy is a lot of fun to work with!

Not sure what a needle keeper is?  I'll explain.  It is a set of two fabric covered magnets that hold your needle in a convenient place when you set it aside while hand stitching.  One magnet goes on the front of your work and the other on the back.  They keep you from losing the needle down the cushions or your husband from finding it later with his sock.  They work like this: 
 
Needle Keeper or Needle Minder

To enter the YumYum Buttons Needle Keeper Set giveaway contest, leave a comment sharing a funny joke.  Please keep it clean, so that way everyone can join in the fun.  (Don't worry if you don't have a joke, just leave a regular comment then.)  Also, if you don't hear from me, check back before the giveaway ends, because I will let you know here if I am unable to reach you. (That is something that happens with no-reply commenters or people with yahoo email addresses.) 

The giveaway will close on Sunday, July 12th, at noon UTC.  I'll let the random number generator choose the THREE YumYum Button Needle Keeper winners and announce them shortly thereafter.

I've been having more difficulty than usual with vertigo from the Meniere's disease.  That would be why you haven't seen me blog hopping recently, but I'm hoping to get back into the swing of things this week.  I've dearly missed seeing what everyone is up to.


Thanks for visiting, because...



Click on the pup to leave a comment...
If you are also a blogger, she is highly likely to follow you home!

I'll be joining some fun Linky Parties this week, which you can see
on the BuzzinBumble sidebar.

48 comments:

  1. Happy blogiversary Lara! What a neat border idea. Thanks for the tutorial.

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  2. Love the tutorial. Thanks, I would love the Needle minder. They come in handy. Nancy P.

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  3. Lara, you have shared some great ideas in this post. I had not heard of the magnetic needle holders and think they are very clever. All of your ideas are worth a second look and a try. Thank you.

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  4. I am not funny.lol I am glad to see you back even for just a bit and hope you get to feeling much better. Love the red work, thanks for the pattern. Very clever to buy a piece off of Etsy, I love Etsy as well, you can find so many wonderful things there to buy! I found some low-volume prints in my stash, can you believe that? I also bought an old 1913 White treadle today, so I am going to do some piecing on that. Hope you had a great 4th.

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  5. Lara, lovely border idea.....so clever of you! Thank you for the tutorial....I have pinned it so I don't lose it since my computer is on the fritz!

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  6. Gosh Lara, I have no joke! Not even a corny one. Those needle minders are adorable! I painfully find my needles by stepping on them....I really need one of these!

    Happy blog anniversary - hope you share your quilting adventure for many more years!

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  7. Love that border. Perfect timing as I was ju St requested a red and white quilt. Congratulations!

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  8. What kind of bee can't make up his mind?

    A maybee.

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  9. The YumYum Buttons are adorable and a very clever idea!
    My joke: What do you get from a cow with a lost mind? Answer: Milk of Amnesia!

    Take care of yourself. Vertigo is no fun!

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  10. I love that ric rac border idea. Soooo cute.

    Here's a joke one of the kids told me yesterday. Why did the inchworm bow to the yardstick? Because he was the ruler!! Good luck if you got it! LOL

    I hope you feel better soon. That vertigo is terrible.

    Happy blogaversary. Those little needlekeepers are darling.

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  11. Wow, an anniversary! I see the lovely coffee pot ready, I assume there will be cake as well?
    Amalia
    xo

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  12. Happy blog anniversary Lara! I'm so glad I started blogging too because of the wonderful friends I've made (like you!) Thanks for sharing your cute pattern. The needle minders are adorable and I'm going to go look around :) I hope you get to feeling better soon my friend, hugs!

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  13. Congratulations on a year of blogging, Lara, and wishing you many more. I'd never even heard of a needle holder but what a sensible idea - I could definitely do with one. The biggest joke I ever heard was "you're having twins".

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  14. Congratulation on your blogversary!

    Heard at a quilt guild meeting:
    "My husband is an angel!"
    "You are lucky, mine is still alive!"

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  15. What a super fun Blogiversary post! The embroidery with your ricrac I is so sweet! I too had not known of needle keepers before, but I am sure my husband would approve their purpose, lol!!! Here is just a cute little something from when my 18yo son was about 3 or 4...we had had a busy couple of days, and at nap time I was explaining to him we neede to "catch up on our nap time". He was so puzzled and asked me a couple times what we were doing? Finally he asked " why do we need to put Kepitch (ketchup) on our nap?" It was so funny/cute at the time :) okay, off to etsy to see all the yum yum buttons :)

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  16. What a fun day of celebration! Congrats! :) That's a big deal...blogging is a lot of work. And what a fun tutorial and giveaways. Congrats again, Lara!

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  17. I have laughed at the other jokes on here, but admit I don't have one for you! Your rickrack border is wonderful and I love the redwork embroidery. I've been wanting to do some of that, so will have to check out the Etsy shop you mentioned. Thanks for the giveaway, and happy blog annivesary! I definitely enjoy your blog! Feel better soon!

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  18. The queen of paper piecing is back! Making such a pattern surely involves complicated calculations... Thank you for so generously giving us access to it. It certainly makes a gorgeous border to the beautiful red work you purchasee. You've created a beautiful placemat that I find perfect for breakfast.

    I went to look at YumYum Buttons' store and was delighted by her creations. Such pretty little treasures. That's a work of patience. And she chooses stunning fabric. I need a needle keeper myself. My needle often decides to jump from my piece of fabric landing on the floor or, worse, on my comfy chair, disappearing from sight. (My spouse once found one when he sat on the chair... Luckily, the needle was not upright... He didn't find funny my saying that it could have been worse if it sat upright... Well, I did!)
    Thank you both for giving away such useful and pretty tools. I hope you're feeling better now, Lara, or would be soon. Maybe reading a few jokes helps. I certainly could do no harm. I'm still smiling about the angel husband one...

    Here's my joke:
    An elegant woman says with pride to her friend "I change my clothes four times a day!" Her friend answers "I did that until my 2 years-old anniversary. Now I am potty trained."

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  19. Congrats! I have to say those hedgehogs are just too cute!
    Here's a joke courtesy of Cheetah:
    What do you get when you cross a cow and a lawn mower?
    A lawn mooer.

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  20. Thanks for the tutorial and give away!

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  21. Congratulations, Lara! Your blog is lovely. That is a beautiful mini with wonderful embroidery and a very clever border!! Love the idea of a rick rack border. Thank you for the tutorial. The needle keepers are adorable. I will go visit her etsy shop, thank you for the introduction.

    -Soma

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  22. Happy Blogaversary, Dear Lara!! You were just born to be a blogger, I think! (You hit it running full speed ahead like a seasoned blogger!) This ric- rac border pattern is awesome! I actually have some red work fabrics that I can use the border with! And how cute are these needle minders !! Just an adorable giveaway!
    Susie

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  23. Are those needle keepers not the cutest!!! Congrats on your one year! It's fun huh!! Okay a joke, shoot I hang around second graders way too much, but here ya go: Hey, is you refrigerator running? Yes. Well you better run and catch it! Bahhhh....told ya....seven years olds think THIS is hilarious!

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  24. who wouldn't like a yumyum button? They are pretty cute

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    1. Very cute and very useful too! I hope you check back before the giveaway (no reply commenter trouble) and let me know how to contact you. Thank you!

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  25. Happy to see your post in my email, Lara; I've missed you. These needle holders are SO cute! The black cats are my favourite, but then they always have been, thanks to my first darling cat, Raffi, who was jet black all over. Ah that mathematical mind of yours is at it again with the ingenious pp templates, and double-sided, so smart; I'd forgotten you figured that out. Congrats and happy anniversary (seems like it should be more than a year, you're so professional and polished here.) :-)

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  26. The mini quilt is really cute. I love the embroidery.

    I've never heard of needle keepers - those are adorable.

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  27. Those needle keepers are so cute! And the ricrac border is lovely, thanks for the tutorial!

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  28. Happy Blogiversary, Lara! I certainly do enjoy reading your blog and am so glad we are friends! Thanks so much for sharing your rick rack border tutorial. Such a clever and pretty design!

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  29. Felicitations for your blog anniversary! You know what they say ... Time flies when you're having fun! The Ric-Rac border is so cute and had to pin this one with other tutorials. Love the Yum Yum Buttons ... I am sure my husband will like them too ...

    So here is my joke ... well I've got two:

    Knock, knock.
    Who's there?
    Brocken Pencil.
    Brocken Pencil who??
    Nevermind, it's pointless.

    Oh and what did the quilt say to the bed?
    (I've got you covered!)

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  30. Beautiful pattern Lara and congrats on 1 year of blogging!

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  31. Congratulations on your first year of blogging! Isn't blogging just the best! So nice to meet you and hope you feel better soon. Your little ric rac quilt is so cute. What an awesome giveaway too. The needle keepers are super cute. Love the little bee.

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  32. I'll tell you a true story. My oldest sister owned horses. The one horse was slow and always getting behind. She told us that instead of saying giddy-up, she would tell her horse to catch-up. So one day the three of us sisters went riding. My oldest sister, who owned the horses, was way ahead of us - at least 30 yards. I stayed with my little sister (who was on the slow horse) just enjoying the ride and the quiet country side. Little sister was talking about dieting and how she missed having french fries and ketchup and "ChaBam" that slow horse bolted like lighting catching up to my oldest sister. She learned the hard way - don't talk about fries & ketchup (catch up) while riding slow horse!

    Congrats on One Year! I think it's pretty cool to have met you. I really enjoy your blog. I have never seen these needle catchers before - what a clever idea.

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  33. I wish I could think clearly enough to remember a good joke to add, but it was a long day spent with a new friend, and worth the exhaustion. I hate to admit it's been a while for me visiting here, and I'm sad to here things have been rough. I wish you the best health in the upcoming weeks. So many cute things to see, and thank you for explaining the needle holder. I had no idea, and even needed your picture to figure it all out.

    Julie

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  34. Congrats on your blogiversary! I don't have a joke, but one time when my husband and I were on vacation (prekids) he could not find his nice socks and so he had to wear white socks to a fancy dinner. He kept insisting that he packed them but they were not there. It turns out our Yellow Lab ate them both :)

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  35. I'm stopping by from the Let's Bee Social Link Party! Congratulations on your blog anniversary! Your mini with the ric rac paper pieced border is really pretty.

    I've been seeing those needle keepers on instagram. Thanks so much for the chance to win one.

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  36. Congratulations. I love the border, great idea.

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    1. Chris, thank you! :)
      Blogger did not let me know that you commented, so I think you might have a yahoo email address. If you can please, let me know how to contact you in case you win the drawing.

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  37. Congrats and a great giveaway - I am terrible at telling jokes but I do love the prize you are giving away. How about this...
    Wilbur ate the sofa last night. I whipped off the covers to wash them and with the sound of the washer & dryer going I din't hear him ripping into a cushion. In his zeal for the cushion he managed to get sidetracked in some of his chewing to the spongy sofa bit. So now its lumpy on one side. I stuffed it back in its cover and turned it upside down! think anyone will notice?

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  38. Congrats to the anniversary! I love the Ric-Rac border!

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  39. the needle keepers are awesome. Great find! And lucky me if I win. My husband says I am systematically trying to kill him with pins and needles. When he finds a stray he brings it to me, waves it in front of me with no other words, just a pointed look. Sorry... I need a needle keeper, hon. The only joke is on me this week when I finished piecing a center to find out the black fabric was brittle and ripped.
    LeeAnna at not afraid of color email is leeannaquilts at gmail dot com

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  40. Oh, I love these needle keepers! So cute! Congratulations, and thanks for the opportunity to win! I'm not sure if I'm any good at telling jokes, but I'll try....
    A highway patrol stopped a farmer because of his truck's erratic path, and discovered that the cause was the farmer's pig, riding in the cab with him. Of course, pigs don't sit still, so the farmer was having to make him sit down, stop chewing the upholstery, etc. The farmer said that he'd rescued the pig from the side of the road. The highway patrolman told the farmer, "Why don't you take him to the zoo?" The farmer agreed, that was just the thing to do.
    Later that afternoon, the patrol saw the same truck, behaving in the same erratic manner. Fearing that the farmer would cause someone else to wreck, the officer pulled him over again and was surprised to see the pig still in the cab. "I thought I told you to take that pig to the zoo?"
    The farmer grinned, "I did, and we had so much fun that now we are going to the amusement park!"
    (Groan)

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    1. oops I forgot to put my email......quiltnsrep(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  41. The needle keepers are a good idea and also very cute. (I'm not good at jokes on demand.)

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  42. A duck walks into a drugstore and says, "give me a chapstick... and put it on my bill". LOL ha ha ha! Happy blog anniversary! Thanks for the chance to win!

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  43. Wish I had a good joke, but I don't. Love the needle keepers! Wonderful blog too.

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    1. Thank you Regina - what a nice comment! Did you know that you are a "no-reply" commenter?

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  44. Your ric rac border looks pretty and those cute buttons! Joke? I don't really know any English jokes :) Sorry!

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