A Wind Chime Pillow : :

With each new fabric collection comes a new free quilt pattern that works perfectly for the theme and prints that make up the collection, for Garden Dreamer that's my Wind Chime Quilt! This pattern was inspired by thoughts of being in the garden, looking up at the wind chimes and spinners dancing in the breeze. It's a simple pattern and I love the movement of these blocks!



To match the Wind Chime Quilt that will be showcased in my upcoming Garden Dreamer LookBook I made a mini version to finish and share as today's pillow!



The pillow front is made up of four 8.5" wind chime blocks, pieced together and densely quilted with a pretty pale peach 50wt Aurifil thread, finished as a cover to fill with a 16" insert. I'd love to make a second one using a different variety of Garden Dreamer prints. I think the next one needs some Bumble Beez & Buzz!



The pillow back pieces are made up of leftover strips and patchwork squares from my other LookBook projects. As usual, I love it just as much as the front!



My most favorite thing about this pillow has to be the Twinklestar Berry binding! The color choice of this print was influenced by one of my favorite garden perennials, the Pow Wow Wild Berry Echinacea Purple Coneflower. I've already made an extra large roll of this binding to use on my next quilt. It's such a vibrant shade of purple and adds just the right pop to this pillow!



I have so many projects planned for this collection! Come January I'll have a steady stream of Garden Dreamer finishes to share here, but first there's more holiday sewing to finish up, including a new Janome tutorial. I'll be back soon with details, if you liked yesterday's Buffalo Plaid Stocking, I think you'll enjoy this one!

♡ Maureen 

Handmade in Buffalo Plaid : :

For me, the most festive holiday fabric has to be the red and black Buffalo Check! I have loved this particular plaid since I was a young teenager working at a local shop that carried mostly Woolrich, the company who created and trademarked The Original Buffalo Check in the mid 1800's. Late last week I decided to make my own modern version of this print for a new holiday stocking to hang and I LOVE how it turned out!



Using a combination of AGF's heavyweight Scarlet Brick Texture Denim with Pure Element solids in Caviar and London Red I made just enough patchwork to finish this Quick Quilt As You Go Stocking!



For the lining I used a lighter weight AGF Denim in Wicked Sky, and my hanger is made out of felted red wool. I'm not sure I'd use the wool again and much prefer a denim loop for hanging, like I added to my previous stockings. I will absolutely be making several more of these, using the same fabrics as soon as they arrive, just with different embellishments.



This was my first attempt at using the very popular Buck Forest print for an ornament to adorn my stocking with. It's not without flaws but what a perfect pair!



This holiday I have enjoyed making all of these new handmade stockings the most of all!

How about you, have you been making handmade to decorate or to gift these past few weeks? I always love reading what you're up to!

♡ Maureen 

Garden Dreamer Sewing : :

Today I thought I'd pop in to share a few more of my recently finished Garden Dreamer projects! I've been working on some very fun sewing for the upcoming LookBook which I'll be sharing in full very soon.

Using all twenty pieces in the quilting cotton collection I had to whip up a patchwork holiday stocking. I love making these so much, how could I not treat myself to one in Garden Dreamer!



Always searching for a way to make use of my collection of knits, I chose to line this one with my Diamond Fragments knit. I love the way this substrate works for lining both these stockings and the bags I've been making lately. While making these projects I've noticed that I'm becoming more and more comfortable sewing with knits, so hopefully I'll be ready to tackle some garments soon enough!



Perhaps my favorite thing about making these stockings are the flower clusters I dress them up with! This one is a combination of Garden Dreamer, wool blend felt, and recycled sari twine purchased years ago from Anthropologie that couldn't be more perfect!



I also made a set of cozy pillowcases using my Twinkle star and Bumble prints in both of their colorways to showcase how well these work for sewing for both boys & girls. This first one features Twinklestar Blue with Bumble Buzz!



And this one is Twinklestar Berry with Bumble Beez!



Such a sweet pairing for bedding! I'm really looking forward to seeing these used in garments, as well!



Finally I have just a peek of my Garden Dreamer Herringbone Quilt. I offer this pattern in my Quick Quilt As You Go Craftsy Class and it will forever be a favorite of mine. I can't wait to see this one photographed as a whole!



I'm pretty certain I added in every color of AGF Pure Element solids that matched Garden Dreamer that I had in my stash and then I finished it with my yellow plaid, Terra Firma in Sunlit print for the binding. I'm so happy to finally have such a sunny yellow to sew with, it's one of my most favorite colors!



If you're looking, Fat Quarter Shop,  Llama Fabrics,  Lady Belle Fabric, and  Circa 15 Fabric Studio are all selling full collection stacks of Garden Dreamer in a variety of cuts! I'm so excited that AGF releases such beautiful LookBooks to celebrate the launch of each new collection. I'm really looking forward to sharing it with all of you and I hope you love these fabrics as much as I do!

♡ Maureen  

For Kevin : :

For today's post I've partnered with JORD at woodwatches.com to share another Garden Dreamer reusable quilted gift bag, with a little gift-giving inspiration for all of the wonderful fellas in our lives!



My new collection Garden Dreamer is full of sweet & pretty floral prints, but these two plaids are definitely a perfect gender neutral blender!



To make a gift bag that would pair perfectly with the Zebrawood & Maple watch I picked to give Kevin, I chose Garden Dreamer Terra Firma in Sunlit with two AGF Denims for the bag exterior and Twinklestar Blu to use for the lining. This combination must become a pillowcase soon, I love it so much! It made the perfect bag for gifting this beautiful watch!









When JORD Wood Watches reached out to offer a watch for me to share here on the blog with a special discount to offer my readers, it was just too good to pass up! This style of watch is absolutely perfect for my plaid-wearing outdoorsman. I gave it to him early so I could send the gift bag off to Art Gallery Fabrics to be included in my LookBook photoshoot and he's been happily wearing it ever since.



I snapped this photo yesterday while we were outside enjoying all of the beautiful snow we've gotten this weekend! It's not often that there's a perk in this sewing & blogging gig for my husband, so I have to tell you he is pretty thrilled!



You're all invited to enjoy a $25 instant e-gift code when you use this link at woodwatches.com:  https://www.woodwatches.com/g/maureencracknellhandmade now thru December 18th!

Be sure to let me know if you've been inspired to make any gift bags of your own. I have a few gifts left to make and then I'm going to see how many more gift bags I can make to go with them!



Happy sewing & shopping!  ♡ Maureen  

This post is sponsored by: JORD

Wooden Wristwatch

A Fabric GIVEAWAY : :

It's Fabric Giveaway Friday!  

With over 15 years of experience in ecommerce, The Intrepid Thread is a family owned business employing 5 amazingly creative quilters and sewists. Julie, the owner, is dedicated to offering quality quilting fabrics at competitive prices and takes special pride in knowing her customers receive unparalleled service!
  
SHOP  *  BLOG  *  FACEBOOK
 

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

We hope you enjoy visiting The Intrepid Thread's sites!
 

For this week's Fabric Giveaway, Julie at The Intrepid Thread is offering her custom Winter Skies Fat Eighth Bundle, including THIRTEEN hand-picked, beautiful winter sky inspired Art Gallery Fabric prints!!

You can find this bundle available in the Intrepid Thread shop as both a Fat Quarter and Half Yard bundle right HERE!

Enter to win! 

Here's how, 
 

1. Simply leave a comment here under this post! (one entry)
2. Follow The Intrepid Thread on Facebook, their blog, Instagram, or sign up to receive their Newsletter. Just let me know that you did by making a separate comment here to record that entry. (optional extra entry) 

3. My followers get a third entry! If you follow here, on Instagram, or on Facebook just let me know 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, December 12th! 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! This week's lucky winner is commenter, Lee! I will be in touch shortly via email! ♡ Maureen  

Reusable Gift Bags in Garden Dreamer : :

When I started making drawstring bags over the Summer, inspired by this tutorial by Svetlana of s.o.t.a.k. handmade, I decided right away they'd be my go-to bag for gift-giving. After all, it takes less time to make one than it does to run out to the store to purchase one. Plus, they just look so special and can be used again and again and again, I love that! So when Garden Dreamer arrived I decided to whip up a couple to both highlight a few prints in this new collection to share here on the blog, and to use for packaging up a couple of Haila's smaller gifts for her birthday next week! I like to quilt my bags, making use of all my batting scraps and so they're guaranteed to last for years to come.

First up is a combo of Garden Dreamer Bumble Beez and Twinklestar Berry to fill with new nail polishes, one of my girl's most favorite things!





These new nail polishes were included in my last month's PINCHme Box, a monthly subscription for receiving product samples to try out. It's a great way to discover new, amazing beauty products and these nail polish colors just happened to go perfectly with these Garden Dreamer prints!







The second bag is a little larger, made to fit a new pair of pretty earrings from Applepear Handcrafted Jewelry! Haila's going to love these Rain Stud Earrings and their pretty packaging inspired this selection of Garden Dreamer prints -- Flower Dance + Terra Firma Humid paired with a little AGF Linen & Denim!







I really fell in love with making these bags and the options are endless! I'm excited to grow a collection of them and I know they'll be lovely to give. I'll be back soon to share one more addition to the Garden Dreamer gift-bag stash!

♡ Maureen  

A Holiday Sample Sale : :

I'm having a special Sample Sale for holiday gift giving! Now through Friday use Coupon Code: FLASH20 for an extra 20% off ANY purchase in my Etsy shop --quilts, pillows, scrap bundles, stockings & more! Here are just a few of my favorites!

















Thanks for looking and have a great day! ♡ Maureen  

A Fabric GIVEAWAY : :

It's Fabric Giveaway Friday!

My sponsor the Fat Quarter Shop was founded in 2003 by Kimberly Jolly. An avid quilter, Kimberly began her shop as a side business while still working a corporate position, cutting, packing and shipping right out of her house during evenings and weekends. From the very beginning, she was committed to delivering top-notch service for every single order and customer. As the Fat Quarter Shop's reputation grew, Kimberly decided to make it a full-time operation. Her husband Kevin joined her not long after, and with his help, lots of hard work, and a tireless commitment, the store began to grow. Over the past few years a few more people have joined the staff! As a team, they continue to branch out with the best fabrics, exclusive kits, quilt clubs, BOMs, and more. And they will always be driven by the passion that Kimberly founded the store upon, 

which is always giving you the best products and service! 

SHOP  *  PINTEREST  *  TWITTER  *  BLOG  *  FACEBOOK  *  YOUTUBE

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

We hope you enjoy visiting the Fat Quarter Shop's sites!!  

For this week's Giveaway the Fat Quarter Shop is offering to one lucky MCH reader these beauties from my Nightfall collection for Art Gallery Fabrics, the Moonrise Fat Quarter Bundle! This prize includes TEN Nightfall prints! You can find this bundle available at Fat Quarter Shop right HERE!

You can find all of my fabric collections, including my brand new Garden Dreamer collection newly available right here at Fat quarter Shop -- http://www.fatquartershop.com/maureen-cracknell-limited-edition-art-gallery-fabrics

Enter to Win!

Here's how,
 
1. Simply leave a comment here in this post! Feel free to share what you'd make with this collection of fabrics!? (one entry)
2. Follow the Fat Quarter Shop on Facebook! Just let me know that you do by making a separate comment here to record that 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 Facebook, Instagram, tweet, pin, blog, etc... (optional extra entry)

That’s 4 possible entries! Enter now through Monday, December 5th. The winner will be chosen 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 so that I can contact you should you win!

A BIG thanks to all who entered our Giveaway. The lucky winner of this Nightfall bundle is commenter Beth! Congratulations, I will be in touch shortly!

♡ Maureen