An Autumn Feels GIVEAWAY with Lady Belle Fabric!

Today a have a special Giveaway to share with you all from Lady Belle Fabric!

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My sponsor Lady Belle Fabric is run by husband and wife team, Rob & Brooke! In their shop you'll find both bundles and single cuts of handpicked fabrics that are fresh, modern, and fun! Designer fabrics include many of our favorites -- Art Gallery Fabrics, Free Spirit, &  Moda, just to name a few! Lady Belle Fabric's goal is to offer the most gorgeous lines of fabric, as quickly as they can! 
   
SHOP  *  Instagram  *  FACEBOOK  *  Pinterest  
 

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We hope you enjoy visiting the Lady Belle Fabric sites! 

For this week's Fabric Giveaway Friday, Lady Belle Fabric is offering the winner their exclusive curated bundle of eight, beautiful Art Gallery Fabrics perfectly named, Autumn Feels! This bundle includes a fat quarter cut of each of the eight prints designed by Bonnie Christine, Amy Sinibaldi, AGF Studio and ME! You can find this gorgeous Autumn Feels bundle available at Lady Belle Fabric as both a FQ and 1/2 Yard bundle option HERE -- Autumn Feels

In addition, Lady Belle Fabric is offering all USA readers FREE SHIPPING throughout this Giveaway! Be sure to visit Lady Belle for all your fabric shopping right here --  http://www.ladybellefabric.com/

Enter to win!

Here's how,

1. Simply leave a comment here in this post! (one entry)
2. Follow Lady Belle Fabric on Facebook or on Instagram! Just be sure to let me know you do by making a separate comment here for an extra entry! (optional extra entry)
3. My followers get a third entry! Just let me know that you do by making a separate comment here to record that entry. (optional extra entry)

4. Help spread the word!! I know that many of you already do, so I thought it would be nice to add that as another way to enter! Whether by Instagram, tweet, facebook, pin, blog, etc... (optional extra entry) 

That’s 4 possible entries! Enter now through Monday, October 21st! The winner will be picked at random and I will announce their name at the bottom of this post here on the blog!

* Note * This giveaway is open to EVERYONE! If you're a "no reply" or anonymous commenter, please remember to include your email address in your comment! 

A BIG thanks to all who enter our Giveaway! Be sure to visit me on my Instagram for a second chance to win this Autumn Feels bundle!

xo Maureen

An Autumn Feels Quilt Top

If you follow me on Instagram you may have already seen this quilt top, but I definitely think it's worth sharing more pictures and details here on the blog and I hope you agree!

This quilt began with the beautiful eight-piece Autumn Feels Bundle that Brooke Becker of Lady Belle Fabric curated for her shop including a few of my prints along with five coordinating prints by fellow AGF designers. As soon as I saw it I knew I had to make a quilt top!



At first I thought I'd make more of the scrappy bear paw blocks that I had just finished making with Enchanted Voyage, which you'll see soon in next week's LookBook, but when the time came to cut into this bundle I remembered a quilt that my friend Heidi Staples had made a few years back, her Big Bear Cabin Quilt, and I knew that would be perfection!



When I made this quilt top I wasn't aware that Heidi had published her Big Bear Cabin Quilt in her latest book published with Lucky Spool, Patchwork USA, which I've since ordered. So, my quilt is completely inspired by Heidi's original quilt that she blogged back in 2016 with adjusted measurements to make a larger throw size quilt top with a scrappy twist!



In addition to Lady Belle's Autumn Feels bundle I added in secondary colorways of several of the prints that I luckily had in my stash, prints from my Autumn Vibes collection, brand new prints from Enchanted Voyage and lots of low volumes. From start to finish, from pulling the prints from my stash to having a completed quilt top, it took me just one full day of sewing to make. I LOVE a quick quilt top and I was so happy to finish just in time for Kevin and I to take it to photograph on a short trip to the lake the next day on his day off, a beautiful Autumn day!



Before this season is over, I have hopes of making some more things with this Autumn Feels bundle and this is absolutely one of those quilt tops that I can't wait to make again, so I may just make another if I have enough fabrics leftover. Brooke also turned this bundle into a simple, stunning patchwork quilt top that you'll have to check it on her Instagram, it's so, SO pretty!

If you love this bundle as much as I do you can find it in the Lady Belle Fabric shop here -- Autumn Feels Bundle, and tomorrow I have a Giveaway planned for Autumn Feels both here and on my Instagram so be sure to stop back!



xo Maureen

An Enchanted Voyage GIVEAWAY with Lady Belle Fabric!

Today a have a special Giveaway to share with you all from Lady Belle Fabric!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

My sponsor Lady Belle Fabric is run by husband and wife team, Rob & Brooke! In their shop you'll find both bundles and single cuts of handpicked fabrics that are fresh, modern, and fun! Designer fabrics include many of our favorites -- Art Gallery Fabrics, Free Spirit, &  Moda, just to name a few! Lady Belle Fabric's goal is to offer the most gorgeous lines of fabric, as quickly as they can! 
   
SHOP  *  Instagram  *  FACEBOOK  *  Pinterest  
 

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

We hope you enjoy visiting the Lady Belle Fabric sites! 

For this week's Fabric Giveaway Friday, Lady Belle Fabric is offering the winner my newest collection for Art Gallery Fabrics, Enchanted Voyage! This bundle will include a fat quarter cut of each of the SIXTEEN prints that make up this beautiful collection!

In addition, Lady Belle Fabric is offering all of you wonderful readers 20% off your entire order! Be sure to use their coupon code: FALL20 and to visit Lady Belle for all your fabric shopping right here --  http://www.ladybellefabric.com/

Enter to win!

Here's how,

1. Simply leave a comment here in this post! (one entry)
2. Follow Lady Belle Fabric on Facebook or on Instagram! Just be sure to let me know you do by making a separate comment here for an extra entry! (optional extra entry)
3. My followers get a third entry! Just let me know that you do by making a separate comment here to record that entry. (optional extra entry)

4. Help spread the word!! I know that many of you already do, so I thought it would be nice to add that as another way to enter! Whether by Instagram, tweet, facebook, pin, blog, etc... (optional extra entry) 

That’s 4 possible entries! Enter now through Monday, September 30th! The winner will be picked at random and I will announce their name at the bottom of this post here on the blog!

* Note * This giveaway is open to EVERYONE! If you're a "no reply" or anonymous commenter, please remember to include your email address in your comment! 

A BIG thanks to all who entered our Giveaway here and on my Instagram for a bundle of Enchanted Voyage! This week's random winner is commenter, Jay! Please email me at maureencracknell@hotmail.com. Thank you!

xo Maureen

Pure Solids Granny Square Pillows!

Earlier this Summer Art Gallery Fabrics came out with a vibrant assortment of gorgeous new Pure Solids including twenty new colors and I was so excited to get them in my hands to make something for their Pure Solids Fabric LookBook. Take a look at this gorgeous stack!



From these twenty new colors I chose nine to make a set of Granny Square pillows using the quilt block tutorial found in AGF's Quilt Block Collection and I really enjoyed making this block! I can't remember having made this one before, add to that I'm a fabric designer and therefore work with lots and lots of prints, so this project felt like a fun departure for me. Although next time I make this block I'll most likely use some of my own fabrics, I certainly love how the Granny Square looks in all solids. The colors really pop!



To make one or a colorful set of pillows just like mine, all you need to do is follow the Granny Square Block PDF and add an 1.5" border to all four sides to make a 15" square pillow top once quilted and then squared up. I finished mine with an envelope style back, then added binding just as I do to my quilts and stuffed it with a 16" insert to keep it nice and full. Pulling the yellow from the center to add the border and using the same Ruby red in my block as the binding really tied the whole thing together, don't you think?!



I kept with the same pattern for the blue version, using the Lemon Tart yellow again and pulling the bright Cozumel Blue for my binding. Sticking with the same pattern is really what makes these two pillows such a nice pair!





And now you'll have to let me know which one is your favorite!

xo Maureen

A Fabric Friday Giveaway with Fabric Stork!

Today a have a special Giveaway to share with you all from Fabric Stork!

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My sponsor Fabric Stork is an enthusiastic fabric shop filled with love and beautiful fabrics by many of our favorite companies including Art Gallery Fabrics, Hoffman, Birch & Moda, just to name a few! Fabric Stork is run by Nuria a mother, quilter and lover of high quality fabrics and I'm so excited to have Fabric Stork as my newest sponsor! 
   
SHOP  * INSTAGRAM  *  FACEBOOK  *  PINTEREST  
 

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

We hope you enjoy visiting the Fabric Stork sites! 

For this week's Fabric Giveaway Friday, Fabric Stork is offering the winner Alexandra Bordallo's debut collection for Art Gallery Fabrics, Dew & Moss! This bundle will include a fat quarter cut of each of the TWELVE colorful prints that make up this adorable collection!

In addition, Fabric Stork is generously offering a special discount to all of you wonderful readers! Be sure to use their coupon code: MAUREEN for an extra 10% off and to visit Fabric Stork for fabric shopping now thru Sunday 9/8 by midnight EST right here --  https://www.etsy.com/shop/FabricStork

Enter to win!

Here's how,
 
1. Simply leave a comment here in this post! (one entry)
2. Follow Fabric Stork on Facebook or on Instagram! Just be sure to let me know you do by making a separate comment here for an extra entry! (optional extra entry)
3. My followers get a third entry! Just let me know that you do by making a separate comment here to record that entry. (optional extra entry)
4. Help spread the word!! I know that many of you already do, so I thought it would be nice to add that as another way to enter! Whether by Instagram, tweet, facebook, pin, blog, etc... (optional extra entry) 

That’s 4 possible entries! Enter now through Monday, September 9th! The winner will be picked at random and I will announce their name at the bottom of this post here on the blog!

* Note * This giveaway is open to EVERYONE! If you're a "no reply" or anonymous commenter, please remember to include your email address in your comment! 

A BIG thanks to all who entered our Giveaway! I hope you visited me on Instagram for a second chance to win this FQ bundle from Fabric Stork! This week's random winning commenter is Sandra, please check your email for a message from me or email me at maureencracknell@hotmail.com!

xo Maureen 

New Bags!

I 've mentioned before that this year started off rough with me badly injuring my right knee. In between my sprained ligaments healing and reconstruction surgery, there were a couple of weeks where I was able to sew, very slowly, and during that time I had challenged myself to try my best to make a bag a day. I came pretty close to that goal and it was just what I needed to stay creative and feeling somewhat productive. The bag challenge was helpful and I realized just how much I love to make them, which absolutely kept my spirits up during such a difficult time! The bags I make aren't very complicated, which makes them fun. Often times they're made from scraps leftover from larger projects which feels good to use, the construction is simple and they're always quilted. Today I thought I'd share a few of my recent quilted bag finishes!



Inspired by tomorrow's Friday Fabric Giveaway with my new sponsor Fabric Stork for Alexandra Bordallo's adorable Dew & Moss collection for AGF, I pulled a few favorites from my Dew & Moss bundle and added in some colorful prints by Sharon Holland, Pat Bravo and Amy Sinibaldi to make a cheerful new drawstring bag!



I love the way the photo of my fabric pull was arranged so much that I decided to keep the prints in the same order while piecing my bag. Such a pretty ombre effect, don't you think!? You may have seen the drawstring bag I shared last week made in this same style and I should let you know that I've decided to make at least six to display on a vintage accordion peg rack that I have in the shop side of my studio that I've been working on filling with inventory. Besides the zip bags I often make, I love making these non-zip, drawstring bags with handles!



I still haven't sourced or made the perfect drawstrings just yet, but I'm getting closer! For these I used an AGF denim and finished the ends of them with Dritz Fray Check, to seals the unfinished ends of my drawstrings. When the Fray Check dries, which I left over night to dry after they were threaded through my bag, the ends harden slightly and think this may be the way I go from now on. I'll definitely keep you updated on that!



The other three bags I made are zipper pouch bags using my Quick Quilt As You technique. This first one I shared on my Instagram yesterday and received lots of love! I've made several using this pattern that's a modified version of a qayg quilt block I made for my Craftsy (now Bluprint class). I love the combination of the flying geese with fabric strips. This is definitely a pattern I plan to make into a quilt!



The back features prints from my Mystical Land and Nightfall collections combined with a few prints from the Lugu collection by Jessica Swift. I adore Jessica's moths and owls!



The final two bags include many of the same fabrics but this time I used my Friendship Braid QAYG! Each strip is pieced and straight line quilted to a layer of Hobbs cotton batting with an aqua 50wt Aurifil thread that I finally just ran out of. I swear those large spools last forever!



The back is just a simple striping of the same fabrics but this time I used a wavy stitch that comes as a built-in stitch on my Janome. I set the stitch length and width at the greatest options and it goes super quick and looks great!



Now you'll all have to let me know which of these new bags is your favorite? It will help me decide which to make more of for my shop, which I really appreciate!

xo Maureen