Today I did my first guest posting; it was for Madame Samm over on her creative blog at http://stashmanicure.blogspot.com . She asked me to talk about my connection to quilting and fabric design. So I did. But the best part is the wonderful sewing basket she’s giving away…scroll to the bottom of the post and you can see it. All you have to say is that you’re a follower of this blog, and you’re in!
Have a wonderful day girlfriends! ♥ xoxo me
What a fun friend our Madame Samm is. That is really cool that you answered her question on your blog Susan. I’m a follower!
Wow what another lovely blog to add to my fast growing collection! Thank you Susan for showing us. I love looking at blogs wouldn’t know how to start one of my own I will leave that to you clever people but I love looking through them on a day when I need cheering up especially! (cos they always do the job!)
Yours is definatly my fave! Keep up the good work! xx
You’ve taken to the whole blog thing like a fish to water. Will hop over and check it out!
More like a cat to water, but that’s OK, every day is a new adventure. It’s like my sewing teacher used to say to me in Junior High when looking over my sewing projects, “how can something that looks so good on the outside look so terrible on the inside?” 🙂
What a surprise to see your post at Stash Manicure today. I loved it. Your connection to quilts and other old-fashioned stitchery is truly wonderful. Embroidered tea towels and pillow cases always make me think of my mother as she was the one who taught me how to embroider. She wasn’t a quilter that was something I learned later in life, but she did keep me inspired to continue to sew.
Great way to start the day – blogs from you and Madame Samm! Thank you! ♥♥♥
Susan … I sew enjoyed your lovely first attempt at guest blogging. Hope to see more. Now that I am subscribed, I hope not to miss a post here, too. 🙂 Pat
PS … I have long been a fan of your fabrics and books and words to live by.
And now that I’ve found you, I’m a follower. I can’t help myself. Your work is lovely and this is just so dang much fun! (excuse my French)
Madame Samm sent me! Love your blog!
Found your blog through Madame Samm. I’ve been a fan of your work for a long time.
Susan, it was a delightful surprise to read your post at Madame Samm’s today. I have long been a fan of yours and about 15 years ago you wrote me a note in response to a letter I had sent to you. I was so honored and flattered. It is still something I treasure and is in my box of special things to keep forever. Your beach street cajun shrimp is one of my “go-to” recipes and is always a hit.
Now I have two children of my own, a blog and have discovered my passion in quilting so we meet again. 🙂 Jennifer Crisp Mathis
So nice to hear from you!
Alot of blogs that I follow do a blog hop every Friday ! Its a great way to meet other bloggers and see what they are up to in their neck of the woods! I will visit Madame Samm ! Congrats as a Guest blogging ! Have a great day !
I so enjoyed reading your post on the stash blog. I almost forgot to leave a comment after subscribing to your blog. So I am back. I just love your type of art work. So quaint and has a vintage look to some which I like. Keep designing.
I was elated to find out that Samm had convinced you to join in the fun. She and I talked about that!!! You are such an inspiration and bring so much to our little community with your drawings and sayings and the Heart that you put into everything. I loved your dish towel story and it brought tears just thinking about when we gave gifts from the heart all the time – and life was not so complicated – it took so little to make us happy then. Thank you for a wonderful posting at Stash and your wonderful blog. Judy C in NC
Thank you! It was fun and I love hearing from everyone!
What a great post, it was so m
Nice to see you joining in the fun.
Your post touched me in so many ways. I have always loved your stuff and have received your newsletter for years. I think you did a great job on your first attempt at guest blogging. My grandmother also taught me how to quilt and hand embroider. We made dishtowels and pillowcases almost every weekend when I went to stay with her. I have one of the quilts on my couch now. I also have all her old sewing stuff in all the old boxes she kept it in.
Wow, finding your blog is like finding an old friend! I’m a long time fan of yours, and am so happy you guest blogged today to bring you back into my sphere! I was happy to add you to my blog reader, and signed up for your Willard Newletter (heard about that when you were on Pat Sloan’s podcast).
What a fun an inspiring post. I love antique quilts too.
I have also been following you for many years through your books, your quilt fabrics and now your blog. I intend to try watercolour painting one day and just love your style – in so many ways! The page is always open to one of your recipes or quotes or paintings in my little book stand on my kitchen counter. It reminds me to cherish the beautiful and I really just want to say thank you for making life a little sweeter!
Hi Susan,
I guess I’m your newest follower! I’m so glad to have found your site – actually I can’t take credit for that…..Madame Samm sent me! LOL Thanks for a lovely guest post, and thanks for sharing your talents with all of us. (And I do like kitty talk….my Moses perked right up when he heard you!)
I’m a fan and now you have more. I gave, as gifts, a few of your books to a few of my painting friends. They loved them. Oohed and awed over the books and the whole shop was copying your website! I also want to comment on how “nice” and helpful your worker bees are. I had to talk to one of them when I ordered something once and it was like talking to a girlfriend. Very sweet and helpful. I love your stories and blogs. If I need girl company, I just open your website!
You did a great job! Am so glad that I have now found your blog!
I “tole” paint with lots of ladies who also quilt. Amazing how painting and quilting seem to go hand in hand! They will love Madame Samm’s website. I do as well!
I love her blog…I’m off to visit you there! Enjoy your day! ♥
I am a follower! Now maybe I can be a winner?
I came here by way of Stash Manicure (and not only because of the giveaway, either).
I was drawn here by all those beautiful quilts in the photos, especially one made by your grandmother. I inherited several handmade quilts from my grandmother and I wish she was alive to tell me all about them. I have since passed most of them down to my nieces, telling them how precious these are. (I kept two for me).
I am a relatively new quilter (and former watercolor painter from many many years ago). I just fell in love with your corner of the interwebs. So glad to meet you!
🙂
I ‘found’ you because of your pst on Stash Manicure. I loved to read it, so I ‘ll be following your blog too., I love the quilt in this post as well, great colors too.
Read your guest blog–fun to see the photos of your quilts. Duh, how do I “register” for the drawing? I tried clicking but couldn’t seem to get in anywhere to register…do you know what I’m doing wrong? 🙂
Hi Pat! Can you just click on the little blue bar on the right side that says Join this site?
It was very fun to read your blog post over at Madame Samm’s! I have a fat quarter stack of your Tea Party line and just parted with a few fatquarters during my last giveaway! Lots of people were very interested in winning them!
Susan,
I read your blog on Madame Samm’s blog. I loved it! It was very interesting and I learned about you. I can not find a place on here to “follow” you, but I would love to. I am new to quilting and new to finding blogs to read about crafting and quilting. I would love to be entered into the give away. My email address is tnance@wildblue.net as shown above.
(please remove the spaces) Was told to do this since I am a no reply blogger.
thanks!
To follow my blog, you just click on the RSS Feed over in the right hand column. When you do, read down and you’ll see a tiny envelope you can click on that will email you whenever I update the blog. That will also automatically sign you up for all the drawings and giveaways we have on my blog; there’s a “random number generator” that chooses the winner for us! OK? Hope that helped — the lingo of the computer is the most difficult part for me! So far, I only speak it phonetically…. xoxo
I’m a follower!!! Hope I win 🙂 Have a wonderful (rest of the) day Susan-
FOSB 4-ever
Jacqui
Oh that is sew cute! You did such a great job guest blogging. I just love your fabric design. It always reminds me of home! LOVE!!
Susan, I sat spell bound while I read your guest post today over at Madame Samm’s! You all inspire me to get off my hunch and make my mark in the quilting world!
I was pretty excited to see you as a guest blogger and to learn you have a blog, too!! I couldn’t click on the link fast enough!! You’ve been a longtime favorite of mine. I’m so looking forward to being a follower and to sitting some quiet morning with my coffee and perusing your archived posts. (Uh, oh, you don’t have your archives on your sidebar!). ~karen
Don’t worry, just scroll down and go to infinity . . . 🙂
Hi, I read your guest post at Madame Samm’s blog and have spent a happy hour exploring your site 🙂
I live in England and I’m now your latest follower.
Found your blog through Madame Samm. You have a wonderful blog and I am adding you to my google reader 🙂
Hi!
I read your guest post this afternoon, unfortunately Blogger wouldn’t allow me to leave a message there but I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed seeing your quilt collection! Maybe someday you will post them again with a larger picture. I especially loved the yellow one, it looked like it had squares of embroidery. Thank you for sharing your quilts with us…..
Good idea, I’ll post pictures of them…maybe up at the top, where it says About Me, and then click on My Sewing Room, maybe I’ll post them there . . .
enjoyed your guest posting with mme. samm muchly! as a child i made my doll stuff on mom’s treadle and then things for myself and then my sisters when i discovered i could make patterns from newspapers. but by the time i was 11, i was on to other things and only made some of my school clothes, with real patterns.
i’ve browsed your blog, store, and then newsletter page, and wondered whatever happened to my ‘box’ …… gone now and for how long? anyway, i’ve signed up for your newsletter, as i don’t do rss feeds [haven’t bothered to learn how] as i see i can link to your blog from there.
RSS Feed is just rather ugly words for “click here and we’ll send you an email whenever the blog is updated” — if you click on it, there’s a tiny envelope there you can click on, and you’ll be signed up. That way, you’re also signed up for all our contests and giveaways — they have a random number generator in there that chooses the winner for us! “My box?” Not sure what that is?
I enjoyed your post at Stash Manicure, and love the pictures of all of the beautiful quilts and towels. Your blog is a pleasure to visit.
Oh my goodness…I had to drop over here after reading your post on Stash Manicure. You brought so many fond…well, more than fond, just plain delightful, wonderful memories to mind, of sewing with my mom and grandma. Though I didn’t start quilting until 3 years ago when health issues prevented me from doing the intricate needlework I loved so much and have done for so many years…along with sewing clothing for my daughters and curtains for my home. But my sewing machine went into storage for 13 years while we raised grandchildren…needed room for beds. 3 years ago, my machine came home!!! But, that is a story for another day.
Your post reminded me so much of my growing up years. All the embroidery I did on dish towels. There was never a dish dried in our house on a towel that didn’t have a ‘day of the week’ embroidery on them. Mostly animals because that’s what I loved. Sitting at the sewing machine and making doll clothes. *sigh* It was so fun to read your memories and to see the beautiful quilts. Thank you so much for sharing them with us. Well, as you can see, I get a little carried away when I comment so consider yourself warned, because I have added you to my list of favorite blogs that I visit every time I’m able to sit at the computer long enough. I will stop rambling now though and let you go. BUT… I have to share one thing with you before I leave. Growing up I always had a sewing project in my hands. My grandmother whose old beautiful wooden sewing basket I have and treasure, was constantly telling me when she would see me doing needlework on a Sunday, “Nancy Jo…every stitch you sew on Sunday, will have to be unpicked with your nose when you get to heaven.” LOL. I don’t know why, or where it came from and I have never heard it from anyone else, but if she was right, I am in BIG trouble. Big Hugs…
Susan
“Its very nice to see that you have extend yourself for Madame Samm! This is what girl friends do! to help each other out and you did, and a very nice Blog too!
I’m a follower of this blog. Love it. big time.
OH Susan! You probably just opened up a can of worms. LOL! Now EVERYONE is going to be asking you to guest blog. Hee! Hee!
Have a fabulous day! Oh and by the way, I just bought two of your books the other day and got them yesterday. Christmas Joy and Days from the Heart and Home! Love your work. Keep it up!
Loved your guest blog on Stash Manicure…and doesn’t the idea of a sewing basket remind you of times with mothers and grandmothers who used them all the time! Takes me back to great times!
I loved your post on Stash Manicure! Thank you! I just love your art. I see you don’t have a ‘followers’ button on your blog, so I am following you thru the bookmarks on my computer. Thanks again for the great post!
Hey – that was a fun blog! Thanks for introducing me to Madame Samm. I have no idea if I “registered” correctly for the give-away – it looked like it may have already been given away. (How typical would that be for me…)
I feel old! I had never even heard of guest blogging!
I am enjoying being at the periphery of your learning curve. Wish I was learning how to do all these things too!
I too found your blog through Stash manicure. I love your great grandmothers quilt. Just beautiful. I am now a follower of your blog too. I have a feeling I will be finding lots of great new blogs. Think of the learning I will be part of.
I truly enjoyed your post over at StashManicure and appreciate you sharing your journey through crafting!
I have been a follower of yours for years, but just now found out you have a blog through Stash Manicure. I loved learning about your quilt interest and learned something about you. Love your talent!
Oh! It’s so great to find another great blog!! Thanks for the wonderful post at Stash manicure! I’m a new follower! Hugs Ariane
Soooooo glad you were guest blogger on SM!! Lol, I’m a cat person so watched your video – I do hope puss had clean feet before she decided to proof read your sheets! I love your watercolour verses and the ‘penmanship’ is so nicely executed :). Your blog is on my ‘rainy day’ list so I can explore earlier entries while the rain prevents me from doing farm jobs outside. Darn, the sun is shining outside today :P.
Cheers,
Robyn
Susan, what a cool blog. Love your fabrics too. Thanks for a great post on Stash Manicure.
I just finished reading your guest post… it is so nice to meet you. I have loved your artwork for some time. And now FABRIC! Thank you for taking the time to share your story with us and for being a part of Madame Samm’s campaign.
A wonderful surprise to see you at StashManicure. Remember your book (sure you do) The Summer Book – From the Heart of the Home. Every summer since the 90’s, I put it in my cookbook holder on my counter. The cheese biscuits and potato pie are still a favorite.
And I am a follower!
Hello Sweet Sue…I Must Fly to Madam Samm’s Blog & Take a Peek! Thanks! Wishing You & Joe & Kitty an Enchanting~Evening! Happy August! xoxo Poof! 🙂
Oh Susan! excuse, me I feel as if I should say Miss Branch, but goodness I’ve loved your products for so, so long that you seem so familiar to me 😉 I’ve followed you on your blog and on facebook for quite some time but am more than thrilled to see you posting at Stash! Who would have ever guessed it was your first time guest blogging 🙂 🙂 You did an excellent job and I can’t thank you enough for sharing your beautiful, beautiful talent with all of us … leave it to dear Madame for getting the best of the best for Wantobe Quilters!! Thank you 🙂
I read your guest blog early this morning, was tickled by your story and jumped right over here to sign up for your blog. I enjoyed reading your ‘Forrest Gump Box of Chocolates’ experiences so much that I had to go back and read it again this evening. I’ve always been one to jump in and try new things so I could really relate to your story. I know I’m going to love reading your blog. Gotta get started. See ya!
What a beautiful job you did in your guest post, Susan! I really enjoyed reading all about your quilting passion. This was a treat.
hi miss susan,
i really loved your story over at madam samms, it reminded me of my own precious grandmothers. my grand would also embroider flour towels and she taught me to embroider. i still have many of them that i someday will come up with a way to display. they are too sweet to use. she also was a quilter, like her mum before her. greatgrandma would use the leftover dress fabric scraps to make quilts. one day when grandma was cleaning thru ggm home she found a shoe box filled with hundreds of hexagon quilt pieces. she continued with them and put them together into a grandma’s flower garden quilt and gave it to me for a wedding gift. its a very precious treasure started over 80 years ago and passed on to me. i have been embroidering and heirloom sewing a very long time and now am learning to quilt. i have you on my yahoo page as i have always loved your creativity. thanks for the wonderful story today.
I love your blog! The recipes, traveling, and decorating are great! I found you through the bunny hill patch!
My Goodness! I just received my Where Women Create issue and lo-and-behold … there you are!! Wonderful article Susan … wonderful! Congratulations!
Nice guest blogging Susan ! I am now following your blog ! thanks .
What a creative lady you are. Just found you thru your post today now i’ve started my Christmas list for hubby-including one of your calendars. thankyou.
I’m following your blog now with google reader.
Hugs,
Faye
I enjoyed reading your post on Stash Manicure. I clicked into your blog and .. behold.. another fun to read blog. I will be checking in regularly from now on. thanks for all the pretties to look at.
I really loved your post at Stash Manicure and have read many, many, MANY of your past posts. I loved seeing the embroidered dishtowels, and wish I knew how to do that. I’d enjoy having some of those myself, but no idea how I’d make them. Maybe I need to read further back in your posts to find out how that can be done. That was a lovely post you did, and I am soooo glad you made it. I’m now a follower, and can’t wait to listen to you chat. I feel like you’re sitting right here talking with me over a spot of tea and biscuits. Man, don’t I sound British when I say that? What should I say, “I feel like you’re sitting right here talking with me while we drink a Coca-Cola and have a moon pie”?
Reading your blog has been a highlight of the summer! Thank you Susan and Madame Samm!!
Loved your blog post! Couldn’t tell it was your first guest post ;0)
I think you did a wonderful job at Stash Manicure. It was one of the most enjoyable ever! (But that could just be because I love your illustrations so much.) And yes, it is a completely beautiful sewing basket!
Hi, Susan! You have a cool blog! Thanks for a great post on Stash Manicure!
I subscribed to your blog by mail for their new publications!
Have a beautiful day and a hug for you!
Wow I follow you both but I came by here first. Off I go to Stash Manicure!
I’m a follower too! From all the wonderful remarks I’m reading here about Madame Samm’s blog…I’m going to go make myself a cup of tea and go for a little visit to her blog! Thanks for introducing it to us Susan. BTW….just love your stash! All quilters love stash, it’s just an understanding we have of each others addiction! LOL ! FOSB 4~Ever! ~ Doreen ~
Hey Susan….how are the pumpkins in the compost pile doing? Take pictures!!!!
OK, so far we have one spaghetti squash, I think there’s an acorn squash there; and the little round green things . . . I do believe we have pumpkins!
Hoot Hoot !!! Great! It’s going to give you such a wonderful feeling seeing one of the pumpkins on the front steps to your porch during the fall and know that it came to this world all on its own…not intentionally planted! Gotta love it! Enjoy!
Hi, Susan! What a fresh, inspirational, nostalgic, fun designer you are! And such a great way to kick off Mme Samm’s wantobe campaign! I have just signed up for your newsletter and RSS feed, can’t wait for more! Best wishes – Deonn
You have been a favorite of mine for years. Love it that you are getting into fabric.
There isn’t enough…..kidding! Your post on Stash Manicure was great. How fun to find another lovely blog to follow….got to it through yours.
Susan, you have no idea how much I enjoy your blog. I certainly wouldn’t have known that you were doing the guest blogger thing if you hadn’t said so. Great job. You have given us so many new places to visit and so many creative ideas. Thank you.
Hugs XX
Barbara
Susan! What talent you have in not only fabric and sewing, but also in your gift of writing. I so enjoyed your blog today. I’ll be a regular reader of your blog just like I am at Madame Samms.
I am a follower of this blog and a follower of yours, for many years. I am truly enjoying your blog – it reminds me of your wonderful books~
I loved your post at Stash Manicure, and I am so glad that I found your blog!! What a delight to read — loved the pictures of your quilt collection, and loved your stories!! Thanks so much! I signed up for your RSS Feed!
Love your beautiful quilts! I love following your blog. Enjoyed your guest post also.
I’m so glad I came upon your post via Madamme Samm. I’ll favorite you and keep in touch
Thanks for hosting the giveaway. I have joined your rss feed.
I hopped over here from Madame Samm’s. What a lovely blog you have! Your post today was fun to read, too! Thank you for sharing it with us.
I’m a follower … How fun!!!
Oh Susan (great name, huh??) – I just love reading whatever you write about, and I am just amazed that you didnt know you could draw when you were younger! You have such a wonderful talent, and I just love the designs of your fabrics. I get your Willard sent to my inbox, and love reading it. I want to join your Blog too, and become a Follower, but I couldnt find the spot to do it…is it me? Can anyone help? Hugs n Blessings from Sue in South Australia x
Hi Susan! Just go over to the column on the right, near the top, where it says RSS Feed and click on it…look close, you’ll see a tiny envelope that says something like “Get Susan Branch Blog delivered by email” — click on that, sign up and every time the blog is updated, you’ll get an email alert…you can either read it there or come to the blog. The other thing is that when you’re signed up for that, you’re also signed up for all our contests and giveaways, because we have all our drawings done with the random number chooser that comes with it. Happy Downunder Day! xoxo
I’m a follower…because reading your words always makes me smile!!
Hugs!!
I’m a follower! My first blog to follow!~ Love the photos! So makes me feel part of your world! Thank you, Claudia
I am a follower of this blog, “Drunk with plenty’s blessed mirth”.
I have to say for a “California girl” you sure took to being a New Englander Susan. I say that with tears of joy for you, and yes for me too! For years (I am in my 50’s) I have always wanted to visit the “islands”. I finally made a bucket list of things I want to do…. oil paint, visit Martha’s Vineyard, write a cookbook etc. I am so glad to say this month I am making my FIRST trip to the Vineyard. Hubby and I and another couple are taking one of those AAA tours (I know not the “best” way to experience the Island but we are a bit short of funds) and one of my “bucket list dreams” will become a reality. Who knows maybe the bus will go past your home. I pay you the highest compliment when I say “Welcome Home” fellow NEer. I am full of pride for our bit of Heaven and thankful that you found your house, home, love and respite here.
Many thanks for wonderful hours of joy!
Ginny Sargent
It’s a fine way to experience it…it’s always good to get the lay of the land…then you’ll know exactly where you want to go when you come back next time! Have fun!