Winner!

Wow!
A huge "Thank You!" to everybody for their encouraging comments and entries for the basket!
How awesome is it that you can "meet" people in New Zealand, Australia, Israel and even in your own state through blogging about a shared passion!

Housekeeping before announcing the winner:

Deere Driver asked for the tutorial to make the basket.  Ayumi of Pink Penguin has the best one to make this type of basket, hands down.  I added the flower using a handy Olfa Rotary Cutter I got for Christmas from the Hubster. (more on that later)

Pat and Cath asked about the Frixion Pen from Pilot.  Amazon and Overstock, as well as Staples and Office Dept carry them.  I found mine at a LQS, so asking for them by name or asking to have them stocked might be a way to get them where you are.
Sandra gives a timely warning for using them with batiks saying they leave "bleach marks".  Good to know as I'm looking at a pile for a quilt for hubby.

I've fallen in love with the Scrappy Trips Around the World blocks and quilts popping up all over blogland, Pinterest and Instagram.  If you've seen them, can you blame me?

I'm using 2" sq blocks to make mine and they go together so easy...I can sit and put one together and not miss a beat homeschooling two active boys, cooking, or doing laundry!  Easy peasy!  Plus, I get to revisit all my favorites from the scrap buckets.

My first one quickly went to two and the next thing you know...there are six of them!  Just like bunnies!

LOL

I'm trying to keep a darker strip in the middle of the blocks as I go and give the center a "Granny Square" sort of feel.  I think the watercolor effect is so pretty!

I'm working on a sweet little project for a giveaway in February!  These will fiinish up as Needlebooks.  One as an "encouragement, I'm thinking of you, you are loved" gift for a neighbor whose mother just got out of the hopsital from having pneumonia.  My friend and her family spent Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays driving back and forth from Indiana to Georgia to be with their mom/grandma.  It's been a hard holiday season for her and I want her to know how much I appreciate her friendship (going on for over ten years!) and her being such a sweet neighbor.

The other one will be given away in February.  One of the things I wanted to do this year was to make two things each month to give away.  One to someone here I interact with on a daily/weekly basis and one to a friend of mine from the blog.

Thanks for being such sweet bloggy friends!
The winner of the basket is Anjeanette! 

Don't forget you have a chance to go to three quilt shows this week!  The linky parties hosted by Quilt Story, Freshly Pieced and Crazy Mom Quilts are always inspiring and encouraging for any quilter!