It's not that we're putting any pedals to metal, it's just that this month is going to fly by because we've got a lot to share.  A lot.

Seriously.  A. Lot.

Starting with... there's a big announcement coming on Thursday.  Okay, it's been hinted at, suggested, mentioned in passing before but it's official on Thursday with details, rules, themes and so on.  We're partnering with Spoonflower for a new fabric design contest - Fabric8.

Do you know about Spoonflower?  They're a really cool company that essentially prints fabric and other products on demand.  You can create your own artwork and upload the image, or you can choose something from the Spoonflower Marketplace where independent artists earn commissions from the sales of fabric printed with their design.  After choosing the image, you get to choose the type of product - fabric, wallpaper or gift wrap.  After that's been selected, the order is placed and the nice folks at Spoonflower will make it special just for you.  That's right, it's made just for you.  After the fabric, wallpaper or gift wrap is printed, it's hand-cut, processed and shipped to you.  (Just so you know... I may or may not have purchased fabric from Spoonflower in my prior life.  It's a lot of fun and the designs are really cool - and more are added every day.  Just saying.)

Images: Clockwise from Upper-Left - A Jewel of Fruit by Inscribed_here.  A Nod to the House Bird by Katerhees.  Foliage by Friedbologna.  Floral of Coral, Mint & Black by Catalinakim.

So have you ever wanted to design fabric - see it in print, on cotton, with your name on the selvage?  That just might happen... details on Thursday morning.  If you're curious, Spoonflower has done all sorts of design contests over the years with some truly amazing designs created.  If you don't believe me, here is a sampling...

So Thursday - July 9th.  Be here.

The other big thing to share today is about "Favorite Finds".

A few weeks ago, we asked some of our favorite people to send us a list of five "somethings" that they'd discovered recently and were crushing on.  It could be anything - a sewing tool, shop, song/book/TV show/movie, a restaurant or food, tech toy or gadget and so on.

I confess that when the idea for this came up, I wasn't sure how this would be listed... so-and-so likes these five things, what's-her-name likes these five things, etc.  But when the lists arrived, it quickly became apparent that listing them by subject would be a whole lot more fun.  Since everybody we asked is a quilter and everybody knows that quilters do love food... that's where we'll start.

Big surprise - almost every time something edible was mentioned as a "favorite find", it was a dessert.  Nobody cited a favorite vegan recipe or an amazing source for fermented tofu.  I know - I was shocked too.  Sweet Moda designer Brenda Riddle thought of her beloved Bailey and included Charlie Bears on her list...

And Deb Strain included her favorite comfort food recipe for a Super Easy Cheese Soup that sounds really, really good.

Of course, Deb also mentioned something about peanut butter cups...

The next time you make s'mores, use a peanut butter cup instead of - or in addition to - the chocolate bar.  YUM!

This one made me laugh - only because it shows that most of us don't just hoard/stash fabric.  Come on... admit it.  There's something you love enough that you buy it in bulk when you see it and you worry that the day will come when it's discontinued and you can't get it anymore.

This is how Joanna Figueroa of Fig Tree Quilts explained it, "this is definitely my favorite daily drink. Our local Safeway doesn't carry it anymore so we literally order it by the case from Amazon. It is a black tea with no sugar added, but it has the most wonderful aroma of vanilla and caramel. I drink it hot in the winter and iced in the summer. In fact I have a giant glass of it right now
while I am writing this to you. I take it with me when I travel. If you can find it, you should really try it."

Still... it isn't every day you can say that you know of someone who went to Paris and brought her own tea.

Kate Spain likes Chocolate Chip Cookies and recommends the Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe from America's Test Kitchen.  (I'm sorry but you have to be a member to view the recipe... but maybe you'd like a free trial.)

Janice and Marcea of Abbey Lane Quilts both mentioned sweets.  Marcea loves the Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory -

... and Janice stashes Peanut M&Ms.

Or at least she tries to - and she loves the different holiday color assortments.  Janice is also a big fan of the half-price Route 44s from Sonic... or she was.  While she still likes the soda, she figured out that what she really loved was munching the soft ice.  So she splurged and bought a pellet ice-maker and now she has "Sonic-like" drinks any time she wants it.  Genius!

Sherri Falls of This & That loves Boston Creme Pie - and so does her family.  (Sherri also loves riding her bike so that must be how she stays so gorgeous and young.)

I don't know if the restaurants in Minneapolis serve Boston Creme Pie but if you're looking for a great dessert in the Twin Cities, talk to Doug Leko of Antler Quilt Designs.  He enjoys eating out and the dessert offerings are a make-or-break for him when it comes to how good a restaurant is.

You'll find Karla Eisenach of Sweetwater Designs at McDonald's, having a Coke.  A girl after my own heart - there are days when nothing else tastes as good as a cold Coca-Cola.

Maggi Honeyman - our uber-quilter here in Dallas - loves the recipes by The Homesick Texan.  Lisa Fain is the author/chef and she has an amazing blog and two mouth-wateringly gorgeous cookbooks, The Homesick Texan Cookbook and  The Homesick Texan's Family Table.

Banana Pudding with Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies.

And thanks to Betsy Chutchian, I had to stop at Whole Foods on my way home last night.  (Okay, so it wasn't far from the Bernina shop and I had a sewing machine that needed a tune-up.)  Betsy has a couple of favorites that can only be found there - Seaside Sharp White Cheddar Cheese paired with \olives from the olive bar and Three Wishes Cabernet.  No, I hadn't heard of Three Wishes before she mentioned it, it's the Whole Foods alternative to "Two-Buck Chuck".  (Now, "Three-Buck Chuck.")  I couldn't find the Wishes but the cheese is terrific and the olives... let it suffice to say that given how much I love olives, I really should have been born in Greece.

None of those cheese is the Seaside Cheddar but (1) I couldn't find a good picture of the Seaside Cheddar, (2) I liked this picture - it has cheese, olives and bread, and (3) writing this has made me very hungry.

So what about you?  Do you have a recent find or long-time favorite food that you've always got around, or that makes you feel like you've treated yourself?  Mine really is that cheese board - I'll take that over a lovely dessert.  And good bread - really good bread.  And this oh-so-good tuna from Spain - I have some on hand right now courtesy of Laurie Simpson.  She loves it too.

Next time - everybody's favorite cardio-burn routines!

I'm kidding.

Happy Tuesday!