Tuesday, April 9, 2013

April Showers...and giveaway too!

Brings May flowers...... and Pinwheels!
Usually in April I am back working a few evenings a week at the greenhouse... I look forward to seeing all my green thumb friends and all the beautiful colors the flowers bring! It's also time to think about what to plant in the garden and I look forward to my favorite thing of all.... strawberries! They usually start to peek out of the fall leaves around the end of April, by May they are blooming. Shortly after that I have fresh strawberries! But in order to have strawberries to pick, I learned from a good gardening friend how to protect my precious berries, pinwheels!  I usually run down to the dollar store, or Fleet Farm and pick up a dozen or so pinwheels and post them in my berry garden. It works like a charm! It keeps the birds from picking berries too!
So for my mug rug, I wanted to feature pinwheels!  Here's a quick tutorial on how to make three dimensional pinwheels... so much fun!
First I cut 4  3" squares from both my backing and pinwheel fabric.
Then layer background fabric and pinwheel fabric together right sides
Then fold the pinwheel fabric as shown above.

Then fold your pinwheel fabric again, and pin.....

Here are my four pinwheel block sections, ready to sew....

A three dimensional pinwheel block!
I made two pinwheel blocks for my mug rug and offset them
with some 2 1/2" fabric strips. 



Making mug rugs is so much fun, they are quick and easy and make a wonderful gift when paired up with a mug and some treats.  I want to thank Madame Samm and Erin for organizing such a fun hop! So much wonderful inspiration and talented quilters! For my giveaway I will put together a fabric kit to make a fun pinwheel mug rug of your own! (fabric, rick-rack and buttons) I will choose a winner at the end of the hop. Leave me a spring time comment for a chance to win. For a second chance, follow me too!  Want a third chance.... like the Quilt Doodle Facebook page.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Make sure to visit all of today's April Showers participants!
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10th
Hayley @ Mrs. Pickles
Karen @ Sew Much 2 Luv
Mélanie @ Les passions de Cliodana
Cindy @ Quilt Doodle Doodles
Jamie @ Busy Bee Quilts
Judy @ That Other Blog
Regena @ The Distracted Domestic
Amy @ Domesticity and other Ponderous Things
Denise @ My Whittle Adventures
Heather @ a Reformed Heath'n
Marica @ ~Englating~

Happy quilting~

183 comments:

  1. Cute mug rug! All I can say is "quilters minds must think alike". Great work! :)

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  2. this is a really cute project, and a new one to me. Thank you for the great tutorial share, I wanna try it! :-}pokey

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  3. 3-D pinnies are so fun and add great texture - even in a small piece. Too cute to put a coffee cup or treat on!

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  4. I love your pin wheels Cindy. They look fantastic.

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  5. How fun! I love the 3D effect of the flowers. Thanks for sharing your creation with us today.

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  6. What a fun mug rug! Thanks for the tutorial, I'll have to bookmark this page so that I can come back and make these fun pin wheels. Thanks also for the gardening tip. I have to get some pinwheels to put in the garden.

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  7. Hello Cindy,
    your mug rug is great,
    I love the pinwheels.
    I´m a follower since a long time.
    Thank you to give a chance to win !
    Greatings from Germany !
    Andrea

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  8. Love your spin on pinwheels, makes fantastic flowers on your mug rug! Thank you for sharing.

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  9. You just had to mention home grown strawberries.... I'll go to sleep tonight and dream about them. As soon as it gets a little warmer I will be out in my garden watching for mine to wake up. I love spring and your pinwheel mug rug is the perfect reminder to take a few moments and enjoy it.

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  10. very cute!!! thanks for sharing!

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  11. My favorite part of spring is tulips. Cute mug rugs. Thanks for chance to win.

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  12. I like your pinwheels very much. Thansk for the tutorial.

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  13. I love your idea. Finding inspiration is one of the reasons I love to read blogs, it is amazing what people will come up with. Thanks for sharing.

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  14. Really very cute! Thanks for sharing and the chance to win!

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  15. What a nice one. I like this one very much so creativ
    Thanks for sharing
    Frederika

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  16. I love your cute 3d pin wheels, I will try the other sort for protecting my strawberry bed, my grandsons will also be amused.

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  17. So cute. Pinwheels remind me of my childhood. This one is so sweet.

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  18. Cindy, Your pinwheels are just too cute! Thanks so much for the tutorial...I will be adding these to some lunch sacks in the coming days... :) Beulah

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  19. Love the idea of the pinwheel. So innovative.

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  20. Cindy thank you for the chance. You rug is too cute

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  21. I love pinwheels so thank you for the tutorial. This is my all time favorite block and I really like these. Your mug rug if filled with beautiful color thanks so much for sharing it with us.

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  22. awww.. too fun!! I have wanted to make something using this technique but never have. Love your mug rug.

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  23. Thanks for sharing your cute pinwheels. We're finally getting some Spring weather here in NC this week - 70s and even the 80s. And the azaleas are starting to bloom.

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  24. cute and original (and a great tip about protecting strawberries). thanks for sharing!

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  25. I love pinwheels and yours are wonderful!

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  26. They are really lovely and bring childhoodmemories back,lol!

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  27. My favorite so far...so different...I love making pinwheels and these are so cute. I love the azaleas blooming and the fresh green trees. Thanks for sharing with us and being so generous.

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  28. Nice mini tutorial! Great mug rug. Thanks for sharing.

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  29. Love the 3D effect....all you need is a lttle wind to blow them around! Thanks for sharing and thanks for the giveaway!

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  30. Love your mug rug and the way you made your pinwheels. Spring is my favorite time of year. When all the flowers start blooming and its not to hot and not to cold. I am a follower

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  31. I LOVE those pinwheels! And thanks for the great tutorial! Most of all, thanks for the idea about using pinwheels to keep birds out of strawberries! I wonder if they would work with chickens? Our chickens won't stay out of mine and I've just about given up. But I'm going to buy some pinwheels and see if they'll do the trick (maybe they'll keep the deer out too!)

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  32. I have a yellow pinwheel in my non existent garden in front, I was thinking of starting a pinwheel garden, I'll have to buy some of the cheap ones to add to it! I love the birds in the spring, I love that mug rug!

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  33. I love the mug rug! Thanks for the chance to win!

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  34. Your mug rug is gorgeous.Thanks for sharing!

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  35. Pinwheels are my favourite block, and strawberries are my favourite treat! I grow strawberries in my backyard, but I didn't know about using pinwheels. I put a netting over them last year and that worked. Dragonflies kept getting stuck under it though. Maybe I'll try pinwheels instead. Your mug rug is fabulous!

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  36. Love those pinwheels! I have the pattern for doing them but have not tried it yet. Yours look so cheerful!

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  37. Love Love Love the dimensional pinwheels - and stripes are way cool.

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    Replies
    1. First, I'd love to try making the 3D pinwheels! Second, spring time comment = Enough rain already. Let's get out there and plant some pretty flowers.

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  38. Your mug rug is so "springy"! I love the colors and thank you for the tutorial!

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  39. I need to try those pinwheels, I love the button.

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  40. Your pinwheels are so awesome. I love your mug rug. Thanks for sharing

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  41. Cute mug rug - thanks for the dimensional lesson - cute family and cute, cute, cute 'foot warmer' sewing buddy. Thanks for sharing.

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  42. Love the 3d pinwheeels, beautiful effect with the stripes!

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  43. Too cute...I love it! Thanks for the tutorial--you made them look so easy.

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  44. How pretty! The neighboring town here has a huge strawberry festival coming up in just a few days! They grow very large sweet strawberries!

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  45. Your mug rug is soooo cute! Love the pinwheels and I'm going to get some for my blueberry bushes too.

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  46. I really want to try this technique and get some pinwheels for my blueberry bushes too.

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  47. Those pinwheels are just darling and your choice of fabric is wonderful.

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  48. Your mug rug is so cute. I love the pinwheels. Great job. Thank you so much for sharing and for the great giveaway.

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  49. Now that is one fine tut....I love how you did your pinwheels Cindy...very cool...lovely mug rug..

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  50. I think your little tutorial is awesome. Going to link up to this tutorial in my newsletter yhis month. Such a cute. Mug rug!

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  51. Very cute. I love all the spring colors and the strawberries make me hungry for fresh grown fruit. Maybe if the weather in Michigan ever warms up we will have some.

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  52. I am SO waiting for spring - mid-April and we are looking at 10 more cm of snow tomorrow........ aarrrgggggghhhhhhhh. I love the pinwheels - they look so cheery and non-white.. Thanks for sharing
    bonnielarson58@gmail.com

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  53. I am a follower.
    hanks for sharing
    bonnielarson58@gmail.com

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  54. These pinwheels are so cute! love the mug rug!
    I'm glad that spring has finally arrived here! The flowers are popping through and I need to mow the yard already!
    hulseybg at gmail dot com

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  55. Love the pinwheel mug rug, and the tip for strawberries is fabulous!

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  56. Sweet! I love how you made those pinwheels! They are perfect for spring.

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  57. I follow you already and thanks for the giveaway.

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  58. What a fun idea for a mug rug and I'll have to give it a try, thanks.

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  59. Very cute pinwheels, I love the rick rack.

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  60. I have been a happy follower.

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  61. We just love strawberries at out house, unfortunately both kids are allergic, but that doesn't stop them from chowing down on them. Enjoy the fruit of your labors (they are best when eaten warmed by the sun, yummy). Beautiful mug rug.

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  62. Thank you so much for not only sharing how adorable these are, but how easy they are to make! Awesome!

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  63. #2- I am a new follower of the Doodle Blog

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  64. #3- Now following you on Facebook!

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  65. Super cute mug rug and I love the pinwheel idea to keep the birds out of the strawberries.

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  66. Fabulous mug rug - I love the pin wheels!
    Thank you for sharing!

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  67. Love the pinwheels ... I pinned the tutorial :) Also I appreciate the pinwheel tip. Gotta try that this year.

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  68. A springtime comment... how about the joy of watching my two dachshunds chase all the chipmunks in my yard... So much fun!

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  69. Sweet pinwheels and like the 3-D effect too.

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  70. Pinwheels are perfect for an April mug rug, It's windy in Texas ~!

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  71. those pinwheels are awesome! great job

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  72. Thanks for showing your bright and colorful mug rug and the tutorial!

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  73. You are very clever. I love your pinwheel mug rug! It is so happy & festive. Thank you for sharing.

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  74. Thanks for tutorial on dimentional pinwheels. I am going to try the pinwheels in my garden this year. I would love to make your pinwheel mug rug, thanks.

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  75. Cute!! Thanks for a nice giveaway!

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  76. what a great idea - never saw 3 dim pinwheels before!

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  77. I love pinwheels. I have only seen a 3D one maybe twice. I want to give this a try! Great job. I will have to go buy pinwheels for my berries also! Thanks for the tip!

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  78. Love your pinwheels. Thanks for sharing it with us. Now I am going to ty to make one. Got stripes too!!!

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  79. Wow! This is a great rug! I LOVE it. Thanks for the giveaway.

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  80. The pinwheels are beautiful - I, too, love mug rugs!

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  81. Adorable!!!! Can see them all just spinning away!

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  82. Love the pinwheels and thanks for the gardening tip! pbstrand@msn.com

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  83. Love your pinwheel. Thanks for the chance to win.

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  84. Your mug rug is awesome.. Just looking at it helps you think of spring and sunshine...Thank you for sharing...

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  85. Lovely mug rug and thanks for the tip of the pinwheels in the garden.

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  86. I love pinwheels and 3-D is even better! Very clever. I am anxious to see more green outside my window!

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  87. I like your pinwheels. I am not sure from your tutorial--is it both fabrics right side up together? Spring for me is when the daffodils bloom.

    I am already a follower by email.

    senstrings @ yahoo dot com

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  88. Pinwheels where always my fav spring toy. Your mug rug is so cute. Have a wonderful sweet day.

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  89. Great little pinwheels. I loved them as a kid and they are great to keep the birds away from the garden.

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  90. You may have seen on my blog...I love three dimensional stuff! Your mug rug is so, so cute!
    Padsworth is waving to Wilson!
    Jacque (aka Snoodles)

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  91. Cute as always Cindy. I like the tip about growing strawberries since I hope to do that this year. Spring??? What is Spring??? As you know, we have a storm bearing down on us today here in MN>

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  92. Fellow Minnesotan and happy follower.

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  93. Adoro cataventos e os seu ficaram uma alegria compartilhada.Seguidora.

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  94. These dimensional pinwheels are sew cute. They would be blowing in the spring breezes here today! I would love to win. Thanks for sharing your creativity and your fabric goodies ... :) Pat

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  95. I love pinwheels, I have never tried it this way. It is now on my to try list!

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  96. Now how neat is that?! It says spring for sure.

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  97. Cherries, chocolate, sugar, berries,
    All are sweet and make you merry!
    (Sweet enough?)

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  98. Love your pinwheel block, especially the tutorial. Great idea for using pinwheels in the garden. And sew pretty.

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  99. Sew Sweet! I am going to try your tutorial on your sweet pinwheels. Loving the strip fabric, makes me dream of a breezy day here in south Texas...Thanks for sharing...Judith, Texas

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  100. adorable 3D pinwheels. They take me back to the simplicity of childhood!

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  101. such cute pinwheels, love that they are 3 dimensional. I love pinwheels especially in spring when they twirl and twirl.

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  102. wonderful idea to make pinweels, looks great!
    liebe Grüße
    Bente in Germany

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  103. The pinwheels are awesome! I've never seen a 3D one before! I will have to give them a try!

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  104. Your pinwheels are awesome! Love how they turned out. I've never heard the tip about putting pinwheels out in the strawberry patch to keep birds away. I will be passing that along to several gardening friends. Thanks for sharing.

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  105. I love your pinwheels. I am still waiting to make some.

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  106. I love pinwheels. Very cute mug rug.

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  107. Great Spring mug rug. Love your fabrics. Thanks for the chance to enter your giveaway. I follow your blog through Bloglovin. We bought the firs tfresh strawberries this week in 2 days times my 2 kids have ate 2 contaienrs of them. Very tastey indeed.

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  108. I love your pinwheels. Spring is sprung here at our NH lake. The ice is out and the loons are back. Now it's time to get my kayak out.

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  109. What a great pinwheel and tutorial. My spring comment is "If it thunders before 7, it will rain before 11." Strange but my grandma use to say that and I've found it to be true.

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  110. Oh how fun! I love pinwheels. What a great idea. Your mug rug is very cute.

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  111. Cute pin wheels. Our spring is gone and we are in summer unless you consider 90's as spring weather. But we do have the breezes for those pin wheels.

    thelady at hotmail.com

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  112. I follow via email.

    thelady at hotmail.com

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  113. Great pinwheels! Thanks for the tutorial. They remind me of spring flowers. Thanks for offering the giveaway! I'm a follower too.

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  114. I love pinwheels! I have one in my sewing room. Your block is adorable.

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  115. Very cute!! Thanks for the tutorial

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  116. That's an adorable mug rug! Love it!

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  117. Nothing screams Spring more than pinwheels!! I can clearly remember asking for one every spring when I was a young child!! Thanks for sparking a sweet memory!

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  118. Thanks for sharing your cute pin wheels...I love ric rac on projects.

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  119. I love your mug rug and the colors. The 3D pinwheels add a special touch. Thank you for sharing your project and the tutorial.

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  120. pinwheels are spring ... we used to run in the fresh breeze with them; but my greats really don't have the foggiest notion of what pinwheels are. our spring is lost somewhere along the way ... but my daffs and tulips are up four inches while snow is stacked up and the temp is well below freezing.

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  121. Adorable pinwheels and mug rug, too. What a good idea to put them in the garden. Hmmm, wonder if they work to keep the bunnies out of the garden?

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  122. Good idea to put pinwheels in the garden. You used such bright happy colors.

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  123. Good idea to put pinwheels in the garden. You used such bright happy colors.

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  124. Good idea to use pinwheels in the garden. You use such bright happy colors.

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  125. Can see my grandchildren outside with the wind blowing pinwheels. So colorful. Sweet! Thanks for sharing. Karen
    itskarenk at yahoo dot com

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  126. Cute mug rug! I like your 3 dimensional pinwheels. Thanks for sharing.

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  127. I can't wait to start turning over the soil and plantig some veggie seeds! awolk at rogers dot com

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  128. I am going to try this type of pinwheel. I know several pregnate ladies that would probably like a baby quilt!

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  129. Pinwheels are so joyful and springy! You mug rug just made me smile!

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  130. I love pinwheels and your dimensional pinswheels are awesome! Thanks for taking the time to show us how you made them! Thanks for participating and inspiring us today!

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  131. I always love putting my pinwheels in the garden in the spring!

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  132. Love the pinwheels! so great you gave us a tutorial. I may have to make some of these.

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  133. Very nice - simple but with a twist. Love it. Spring time inspires gardening and growing!

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  134. I think of Pinwheels and I automatically think of Spring! I remember running through the park with my pinwheels chasing my sisters and watching the pinwheeels turn.

    Now it is my turn to watch my little grandson do the same with his little sister. They run and laugh and end up rolling on the grass having so much fun.

    A pinwheel mug rug would remind me of Spring everytime I used it. What a great idea! Thanks!

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  135. Your pinwheel mug rug is so cute. Great tutorial! Spring is a little slow getting started here but my flowers are starting to bloom. Good idea with the pinwheels to keep the birds out of your garden. I am going to pass that on to my mom.

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  136. The calendar says its spring but it hasn't really arrived here in Iowa yet. Your pinwheels are very nice, thanks for sharing.

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  137. your mug rug is adorable. thanks for a chance to win.
    I love getting our garden ready to plant. and the ideas we have this year are really making me want to get my hands dirty. LOL

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  138. Oh, how cute! I love the rick-rack & the 3-D pinwheel tute is great! Very nicely done.

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  139. Your pinwheels are stunning! I love them! Thanks for showing us how you've created. Your mug rug is really original, I love it! I just discovered your blog through this blog hop and now I'm following you via GFC, my day to participate in this blog hop is on April 15.
    Have a nice day!
    Marisa from
    http://passionetcouture.blogspot.ca/

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  140. love your pinwheel flowers mug rug thanks for chance to win

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  141. What a clever way of making pinwheels - even more pinwheely than the typical block. Is that a word? It is now, I guess! I can definitely see some of these in my future...

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  142. The pinwheels are cute. Thanks for sharing how you made them.

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  143. This is such a cute, springy mug rug! I like the bright stripes on your pinwheels. Thanks for the tutorial!

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  144. What bright Springy pinwheels. Love them! Thanks for sharing with us.

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  145. Beautiful mud rug! I am loving this hop

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  146. I love your mug rug. This is such a great idea!

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  147. What a great way to make pinwheels! They are so cute and really say spring.

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  148. A lovely creation. Thank you for sharing. :)

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  149. MMM, new technique! Love to try it :) Thanks so much!

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  150. Isn't he a sweetie? Sure hope he doesn't catch cold with the snow and tooo cool weather here in the Midwest.

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  151. The robins in the yard tell me spring should be here, but Mother Nature is giving us snow! The pinwheel mug rug is very cute & definitely says "SPRING" to me. I would show it to the robins so they realize it really is spring in Wisconsin!

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  152. Your 3D pinwheels are awesome! Super cute mug rug! I think everyone loves pinwheels, brings out the child in all of us. Thank you for sharing, great job!

    Thank you for a neat giveaway and a chance to win.

    usairdoll(at)gmail(dot)com

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  153. These are so cute! I love pinwheels, will have to try making them :)

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  154. I love your cheerful 3D mug rug!

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  155. Beautiful and cheery, thank you so much for participating!

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  156. I love your pinwheels! The colors are great.
    nicolesender(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  157. Your mug rug is so lovely - I love those pinwheels - thanks for the great tutorial too.

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