Introducing: the Sewcial Bee Sampler Sew-Along!

Today I'm so excited to share some BIG news! Whether you're a first-time quilter, a beginner, or a quilter extraordinaire my friend and fellow AGF design sister Sharon Holland and I are thrilled to announce and welcome ALL to join our very first co-hosted community event, the Sewcial Bee Sampler Sew-Along!



The Details

The Sewcial Bee Sampler sew-along includes a coloring sheet to help you plan out your fabrics, twenty-five fully tested PDF patterns with step-by-step illustrations for each week’s block that we'll be making together, plus detailed assembly instructions for a beautiful finish!



Beginning this Wednesday, February 1st and continuing through July, Sharon and I will be releasing one new PDF block pattern each Wednesday on our blogs. We'll share our own finished block of the week at the same time to offer as inspiration and we'll include any tips and tricks we might discover while making our own. I'm planning to use prints from all of my collections combined with linen and denim, while Sharon plans to feature her upcoming, beautiful line with AGF, Bountiful! The Sewcial Bee Sampler includes twenty-five 12" blocks with added sashing to create a finished quilt measuring 72" x 72".  Once all of the block patterns are released, we'll share assembly instructions, followed by a big quilt top reveal day the first Wednesday in August! To add to the fun, we've joined forces with wonderful sponsors to offer new, amazing giveaway prizes each Friday both on our blog and on our Instagrams throughout the sew-along!

Aurifil  *  Circa 15 Fabric Studio  *  Color Girl Quilts  *  Dritz  *  Fat Quarter Shop  *  Knotted Thread  *  Lady Belle Fabrics  *  Llama Fabrics   *  Maureen Cracknell  *  Needle and Foot  *  Needle in Fabric Stash  *  Omnigrid  *  Sharon Holland  *  Stash Builders Box  *  The Intrepid Thread

Join Us

Half the fun of a sew-along is getting to connect and we invite you all to join in as much as you are able to! Each week you're welcome to share links to your Sewcial Bee blog posts within the comments of my post so we can visit one another other. On Instagram you can find me at: https://www.instagram.com/maureencracknell/ and Sharon at: https://www.instagram.com/sharonhollanddesigns/ where we'll be using #SewcialBeeSampler to create a group for a fun way to stay connected and for all to share in, of course feel free to tag us when you share your Sewcial Bee blocks, too!

So what do you say, will you join us in making a Sewcial Bee Sampler? We hope you will! You don't need to do anything official to join, just let us know in the comments that you plan to! We also created this cute button for you to share on Instagram if you'd like!



And here's a button if you'd like to add one to your blog:

We hope you join in the fun and can’t wait to spend the next several months creating with you all!

♡ Maureen

Hello Boho FUSIONS!

Have you seen Art Gallery Fabrics new division, FUSIONS? They announced these exciting new collections this past Fall and since they'll be available in February, I thought I'd share a little bit more about them today, particularly these beautiful Boho FUSIONS!



AGF's debut line of FUSIONS includes four bite size collections featuring prints from all AGF designers arranged in conceptual themes ~ Abloom, Boho, Ethereal, and Joyful!



I'm so thrilled to have three of my most popular prints from Fleet & Flourish recolored to offer amongst the Boho group in the form of three new quilting cottons, a new knit, and one as Art Gallery's newest substrate, the most luxurious rayon!









It's can't tell you how exciting it is to join fellow AGF designer's Bari J, April Rhodes, and Pat Bravo to create this new collection! I requested a bundle as soon as they could send one and when it arrived I completely fell in love! The colors and style of this Boho group are so perfectly me, I can't wait to sew with them!



How about you, which group from the new FUSIONS division is your favorite? You can see them all right here -- http://liveartgalleryfabrics.com/fusions-agf-studio/  Of course I'll be sure to share the other groups in the days ahead as well, but I'm sure it's obvious as to why these are my personal favorites! :)

Later this afternoon I plan to share on my Instagram a first peek at the super exciting, secret project that's been in the works for weeks now! I hope you stop by and join me!  ♡ Maureen

Etno Herringbone : :

Whenever I'm in need of a quick gift or I just want to make something that I'm certain to finish by the end of an average sewing session, high on my go-to list will always be my Quick Quilt-as-You-Go herringbone pillow covers. There are so many things I love about this particular pattern, but most of all, it's the guarantee they'll turn out beautiful every single time if you simply start with a beautiful stack of fabrics! Yesterday I reached for one of my all time favorite collections, Etno by Pat Bravo for AGF, to make a new set of covers and I love how they turned out!





Some of you might remember when I used Etno to make a HUGE version of the Crisscross Diamond quilt that I teach in my Craftsy class, which remains one of my favorite quilts to date. These colors with the combination of geometric and painterly designs is so dreamy!



For these new covers I cut a single strips measuring 2.5" x WOF from eighteen different Etno prints and it was the perfect amount, yielding just a few scraps, to make two new 18" pillow covers.



I was excited to notice the Garden Dreamer Terra Firma in Sunlit yellow plaid binding that I had leftover from the Garden Dreamer herringbone quilt I recently made for my LookBook would work perfectly for binding up these Etno covers. I had just enough!



Today I'm thrilled to be having a new sectional sofa being delivered! We haven't purchased a brand new sofa since my oldest son, now fourteen, was just a few months old, so I am ridiculously excited. I have plans to share our living room makeover here on the blog, which will surely include even more pillow covers. Stay tuned!

 ♡ Maureen

A Winter Garden Quilt Block { Tutorial } : :

Today I'm excited to share a quick tutorial for my Winter Garden Quilt Block, a quilt I first made using Bari J.'s Emmy Grace collection for AGF that I'm currently remaking using as many of my own fabrics as possible! So many folks have asked me for this pattern over the years and I've always said that I would share one once I found the time to remake this quilt and here it is! First I'm sharing the block measurements and how-to, and once all of my blocks are finished I'll follow up with a tutorial for adding the scrappy sashing. Below is reminder of the finished quilt, it's one of my very favorites!



The block pattern begins with a large center square, perfect for showcasing those favorite prints. They're fun to make and sew up quick and I hope you'll join me in making them! If you do, feel free to tag me and to add #wintersagardenquilt and #MCHcollectionquilt or to share your photos with me on my Maureen Cracknell Handmade Facebook page!



One quilt block measures approximately 12.5"square.

You'll need:

• one piece of fabric measuring 6.5" square for the center fabric of each block (my center fabrics are fussy cut from the focal prints from each of my collections)
• four pieces of fabric measuring 2.5" x 6.5" to be added to the sides of the center fabric
• four pieces of fabric measuring 2.5" squares to be add to the four corners
• two pieces of fabric measuring 1.25" x 11" to be added to the top and bottom of the center
• two pieces of fabric measuring 1.25" x 12.5 to be added to the sides of the center

1. Cut your fabrics following the above measurements and lay them out following the image below.

2. First sew the three center fabrics together. Place side fabrics one at a time onto the center square with right sides facing and sew along the 6.5" side using a 1/4" seam allowance. Repeat to add both side fabrics to the center fabric.

3. Sew the top and bottom row of fabrics together as shown below using a 1/4" seam allowance.

4. Finish the center of the block by sewing the top two rows together and them sew the last row to the top two using 1/4" seams throughout. If necessary, square up the center to measure an 11" square before adding the border fabrics.

5. Add the border fabrics one at a time beginning with the top and bottom pieces. Sew along the 11" side using a 1/4" seam allowance. Repeat to add both the top and bottom border fabrics and again to add the side border fabrics.

It's as simple as that! Feel free to comment with any questions you might have regarding the instructions and if you have any questions about the fabrics I'm using! Each week I'll share my newly finished blocks here on the blog and on my social media pages. If you plan to join in, please do let me know! I look forward to seeing your beautiful work!!

♡ Maureen

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 a $20 Gift Certificate to her wonderful shop to one lucky MCH reader!!

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, January 23rd! 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 winner is commenter, Karrie S! Congratulations, you have been emailed!  ♡ Maureen  

Tutorial Making : :

It's been such a busy week! I've been putting the finishing touches on two tutorials that I'll share soon. The first is my Sweet Dreams Pillow, my newest project for Janome sewing machines featuring my Love Garden print from my Garden Dreamer fabric collection with Art Gallery Fabrics and a variety of AGF Denim Studio denims and linen. I used a raw edge reverse applique technique featuring Janome's satin stitch and my Quick Quilt As You Go method to create this beautiful throw pillow that's both fun and easy to make! I'll be sure to let you know once it's uploaded to Janome's project page and I hope you love it as much as I do!







If you plan to make this pillow you'll want to pick up a full yard of my Love Garden panel print to be sure you receive a complete heart to use on your pillow. This print comes in two colorways -- Vibrant and Calm. Both would make lovely pillows!



You can find this print available in my sponsor shops Fat Quarter Shop, Llama Fabrics, Lady Belle Fabrics, and Circa 15 Fabric Studio!

The other tutorial I was thinking I'd share early next week, if you're interested, is the MCH Collection Quilt block pattern I'm currently making. It's the remake of my popular Winter's Garden Quilt made using all of my current collections together, and I thought some of you might want to join me in making this one? So please do let me know!



I just finished two more blocks today featuring prints from Nightfall & Garden Dreamer together and I think they're my favorite ones yet!



I'm really looking forward to getting back to blogging more regularly, last week it was the weather and the kiddos home, this week it's the flu and the kiddos home, but I will be back tomorrow with an Intrepid Thread giveaway, so be sure to stop back!

♡ Maureen

My Fabric Stash Cabinet : :

Each time I go to begin a new quilt using my fabrics, I find myself tearing another half yard or so from the rolls of my prints that I receive from Art Gallery Fabrics.  My main fabric stash cabinet has become such a cluttered mess, that rather than sort through the piles searching for the prints I need to begin a new project, pulling from the rolls is the fastest way to begin.  The other day I noticed just how quickly these precious rolls of mine were thinning out, so I decided that this time I would take the time to search my big cabinet for all of my prints floating amongst the messy bundles. This became quite the project! I thought maybe you'd like to see, so I took some photos throughout the day to share!

The before...   Hopefully this looks much different, in a bad way, to you all compared to the photo above!



Where to being? Well, because I'm such a fan of so many fellow fabric designers and get just as excited today about new lines coming out as I did when I discovered this wonderful world of sewing, designer fabrics, and blogging - and since I've already tried out organizing by color and by manufacturer and by simply separating collections. Now that it's been several years that I've been "collecting" fabrics, I decided it was time to sort the big cabinet by designer.



Above you might recognize two of my favorite -- Pat Bravo and April Rhodes!

The only exception made was my voile stash, these beauties have to stay together!  I've always dreamed of making an ultra luxurious herringbone quilt using nothing but voiles for the top and something equally dreaming for the backing, a super soft plush perhaps. How heavenly would that be? 



I even set the voiles in my cabinet in a way that they're peeking out just a bit further than the other stacks so I don't forget that these are high on my to-make list!



I really enjoyed seeing all of my Sharon Holland prints together! I noticed that I'm missing her Gossamer collection and that I've used quite a few prints from Tapestry, but seeing these together has me so excited about her next line due out in March, Bountiful!



Below, at the center, is my Bonnie Christine collection and a look at my newly stashed bundle of her beautiful Wonderful Things line. I'm making plans for these and will be sure to share more next week!



So what do you think, better? I think it's so much better, definitely worth the time it took, and I found almost everything print I needed to begin my next quilt amongst the mess!



I shared a peek of it yesterday on my Instagram, did you see? I'm so excited about where this "collection quilt" is headed!



I'll be back soon with more to share! ♡ Maureen

Mad for Plaid & Nightfall : :

Since those big, beautiful snowflakes resulted in an early school dismissal yesterday, followed by a two-hour delay for school this morning, I didn't have the productive sewing day I was hoping for. I did however take the time to unbox and admire a special delivery from Art Gallery Fabrics that I'm super excited to show you!

Introducing Mad Plaid, a rich line of plaids with a modern twist to play with from AGF's new CAPSULES division!





As I folded each beautiful print I noticed right away how the variety of colors and designs worked so perfectly with my Nightfall collection, see...





And because I have always loved plaid so much, of course these brand new Capsules have stolen my heart! I'm already thinking ahead to pillow and quilt projects I'd like to make to feature these along side my own fabric designs!



Mad Plaid will be hitting stores a little later this month. I hope you'll enjoy getting to know these new AGF divisions and collections and might feel inspired by these same fabrics that are inspiring me!

♡ Maureen