Thursday, August 29, 2013

Busy City Give-Away

Move to the side of the street: the ambulance is coming through!

I had such fun spending an afternoon trying my hand at a brilliant and adorable new pattern designed by the talented Alex Ledgerwood, of Teaginny Designs.
Busy City is a  paper-piecing pattern of 35 different vehicles and other "city" elements--perfect for creating a super quilt for a little boy who loves cars! The pattern includes a CD of the templates in two different sizes.
 I clearly remember first seeing Alex's original Busy City quilt several ago when I met her during a KC Modern Quilt Guild meeting. It was so mind boggling and creative that it was unforgettable and I'd always thought that she should make it into a pattern.
Well, now she has! The pattern was just published by Shea Henderson and the Empty Bobbin Sewing Studio, another Kansas City MQG rock star! Since I've done some pattern testing for Shea in the past, I knew that this pattern would be top notch in every way.
 The cars, trucks, houses, etc. are separated into 3 categories depending on sewing intricacy. I decided to choose two out of each category to try. The car and trash truck were indeed pretty simple and easy to sew up! Even a beginnin paper-piecer could handle these, for sure.
 From the moderate group, the trailer truck and front-end loader took a little more time but still were not difficult to make if you understand the basic principles of paper-pieced blocks.
 The final, more difficult selections, included the cherry picker and, my personal favorite, the ambulance. There are some tiny little pieces in these 4"x6" blocks, making them a bit more challenging and time consuming to make, but the went together without a hitch! Making the larger size blocks would be a little easier, I guess, but, oh how cute are the small ones!
To make the twin size quilt, each small block will be surrounded by background fabric to create the 12-inch blocks making up the quilt. The pattern also includes instructions for making a baby size quilt design as well as  cute pillows.
Alex generously supplied me with an extra pattern to give-away to one of my readers!
 To enter the giveaway, just leave me a comment telling me what kind of car you drive! (Be sure that there is an email address attached to your comment.) 
Me? I just upgraded from a P.T. Cruiser to a Nissan Armada...lots more room for grandchildren! 

I'll randomly choose a winner on Saturday morning. This give-away is now closed and the winner has been contacted. Thanks!


57 comments:

  1. These are so cute!! I had seen that pattern and was thinking I definitely needed to purchase it. But winning it would be so much cooler. I have a long history of driving Hondas. Right now I have a Honda pilot. Yes, room for grandchildren...

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  2. How cute are THESE! You are going to have the most wonderful quilt when you have finished! And wouldn't it make great bunting? I have a soft spot for bunting at the moment! I am driving a Peugeot at the moment....it reminds me of our last holiday in France!

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  3. WOW, what fantastic blocks! I drive an old saturn 4 door.

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  4. What a cool pattern I have been asked to make my great nephew a vehicle quilt so how cool it would be to win this. I too love Hondas and at the moment drive a metallic blue Honda Jazz.

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  5. Oh Carla! These are too adorable for words. I drive a Chevy Cruiz

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  6. These are looking fantastic I will use them all in my beautiful villas in Tuscany. Thanks for the sharing.

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  7. Very cute! I know two small boys (my grandsons) who would love those turned into anything!

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  8. What a great pattern - it reminds me of the Richard Scarry books my children and I loved!
    I drive an old Landrover!

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  9. Fun pattern - for little boys or even big guys who love "implements of destruction" (as my husband calls 'em!). And I drive a Prius!

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  10. So cute! I drive a Buick Lacrosse. After years with a "soccer mom" minivan it feels like a sports car!

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  11. I drive a Honda civic which I love

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  12. How cute! I would love to make one of these! I drive a BMW X3 small SUV.

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  13. I recently traded in my 13-year-old Nissan Maxima for a 1-year-old Honda Accord. Really happy with it. Thanks for the chance to win your great giveaway.

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  14. Oh how cute are these! I drive a Chrysler Grand Voyager (known as a Dodge Caravan in the US I think?).

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  15. I'd love to make one of these for my grandson! I drive what I call my granny car, a white Buick something or other. Sorry, memory lapse, LOL

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  16. Love the chance to win. I, also have a honda pilot for my grandchildren.

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  17. I drive a Subaru Forester. My boys would have loved a quilt with trucks on it when they were young. We used to go and watch construction sites for entertainment.

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  18. I love this pattern! My son is obsessed with trucks!
    I drive a Honda odyssey, but someone would like it if I drove a trash truck! :)

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  19. Oh my gosh! Paper piecing is next on my "to master" list and these are so perfect for me! Having three boys I'm naturally drawn to any type of vehicle themed quilt. I drive a Chevy Malibu and the back seat is covered with my very first quilt as my dog is my most constant passenger.

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  20. I think this pattern is so cute! Perfect for my boy and boy on the way! I drive a Buick Enclave.

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  21. This is wonderful. :-) I drive a red car! It's a happy little scion.

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  22. This is wonderful. :-) I drive a red car! It's a happy little scion.

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  23. I have a little boy who would adore a busy city quilt! I drive a Honda Odyssey and we are full!

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  24. I drive a ford explorer and have a little boy who loves cars and trucks!!

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  25. I drive a RAV4. Although my 3 sons are a bit too old for this quilt, I hope to have grandbabies in the future. Thanks for the chance to win this cute pattern!

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  26. Those are darling!!! I drive a Suburban which is great for driving grandchildren around.

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  27. I love that quilt! I drive a Hyundai Sonata, my first car with a sunroof. :) thanks for the giveaway!

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  28. Very cool paper piecing patterns, thanks for profiling this awesome book. I drive a Toyota Carolla.
    carli the quilter At gmail (dot) com

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  29. So cute! I drive a corolla, but I wish I drove a big blue truck.

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  30. Those are wonderful! Thank you for sharing.
    I currently drive a big ol' boring mom Honda mini-van.
    But my very first car was a vintage VW Fastback (in "Seafoam Green". My true love was my next vehicle: Classic Vespa scooter that I had painted metallic purple (it was the 80s, what can I say?).
    Thanks for the giveaway and bringing these patterns to my attention.

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  31. What a cute set of patterns! I drive a Chevy Equinox, the Grammy Mobile, and my husband drives a Chevy Silverado pick-up, Papa's farm truck.

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  32. I'm driving a 2008 Chevy Malibu...hubby drives a GMC truck!
    gailxs @Hotmail.com

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  33. I drive a Jeep Wrangler!.. Soon it will have a spare tire cover that says "Life is good"

    I'd love to win this book. Are the wheels machine appliqued?

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  34. Chevrolet Tahoe and two grandsons that would love this quilt!!

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  35. Mini Cooper S. What a great pattern. Grandsons would love it!

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  36. I drive a Corolla to work, but we have a Odyssey as the family car since we've got three kids. :D

    I love this pattern!

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  37. I love this pattern. I drive a somewhat vintage BMW.

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  38. I drive a boring gray Honda Accord - reliable though! Now that I have a little grandson, I think I need this pattern :)

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  39. What an adorable pattern! I'm a grandma, too, and I hang on to my Sienna van because there's plenty of room when picking up the kids at the airport for a visit home.

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  40. I have a Honda Accord...BORING...but the most reliable car I've ever had. 105K miles and going strong.

    Busy City is adorable! I know several little boys who would love a quilt with all those cool vehicles.

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  41. Love this pattern - my little boy would love to have this as his quilt on his bed. Going to have to show this one to Grandma. I drive a good ol' Honda Odyssey!

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  42. How nice that you have a new car! We're still driving our plain-Jane Nissan Rogue. Milk toast. Wish I still had my Bug! Cute pattern. I happen to know a boy or four who would like a quilt made from these vehicle blocks. Thank you for the chance to win.

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  43. I drive a toyota Highlander. No mini van for me yet! SUV all the way :)

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  44. Love this pattern! I drive a Mercedes B200 - it's like a little tank and I love it!

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  45. So cute! I drive a Subaru Tribeca; I gotta have my all wheel drive, plus room for all of my boys and our beast of a dog:)

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  46. I drive a Volkswagen Golf. It's old but cheap and it works for my short distance drives. I'd love to have a Mercedes, though. :-)

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  47. I have to get that pattern now that I have two great nephews! It is so cute and I have long admired the original. I drive a Saturn SUV. I don't get too emotional over cars....just need something reliable.

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  48. what an amazing pattern! i don't own a car, so i "drive' my two legs.

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  49. Wow! You've been one busy lady! I need to break out my pattern and get started. . .after the Mirror Ball challenge piece. . . Thanks for the inspiring blog post!

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  50. No need to include me in the drawing, but I did want to tell you how cute these are! I've seen her work, too, but didn't know she'd put it into a pattern. WIll have to go and look that up. Great giveaway!

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  51. what a fantastic pattern! that Alex is one talented lady!

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  52. This pattern is amazing! I drive a subaru outback. thanks for the chance to win!

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  53. Love this pattern, so cute! I drive a Buick Enclave, which also has lots of room for grandkids. Thanks for the giveaway!

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  54. I definitely want this pattern! When my brother passed away (five years after his wife had) I inherited their grandchildren. Last summer my niece presented us with the one and only boy after she and her brother had produced five (!!) girls. He loves model cars and trucks; this would be perfect for him!

    I drive a Dodge Caravan so that I can transport all of "my" grandchildren!

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  55. Have admired this from afar - Australia that is. Love it! Have downgraded from a Toyota Camry to a Mazda Neo as petrol is so dear in Australia and I travel to my parents - 4 hrs away - quite a bit. Then I rescued a greyhound. She does fit in the car but does not love it.

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