Love Story & Indie Folk Zipper Bags!

Back in September I found this amazing deal for a bulk order of colorful 9" zippers. At the time I definitely didn't need a 120 zippers but I couldn't resist such a great buy. So, when it came time to begin making new items to offer in this year's holiday sale, zipper pouches were #1 on my list!



Inspired by my recent Love Story & Indie Folk Friendship Braids quick quilt as you go quilt, I continued with the same very boho fabric combination to whip up a few dozen bags over the past few weeks, and I LOVE how they turned out!





The front side is the herringbone qayg pattern I teach in my Craftsy class and use so often in a variety of the projects I make from bags to pillows to full size quilts. It will forever be my go-to for pretty much everything! I love sewing using this technique and I love the scrappy style of this pattern, especially when using very thin strips of prints the way I did for these new zipper bags!

Each bag has a cushiony layer of cotton batting, a colorful zipper, denim side loop to add you own embellishments, a Love Story zipper pull and each bag is lined with my Wild & Free Woven Path quilting cotton for a really nice finish!



Each bag reverses to a striping of the same prints used for the bag fronts. I just can't get enough of this fabric combination. I think I'll make a few pillows next!



My Love Story & Indie Folk bags measure a little bigger than 8" x 8" finished and have a boxy bottom making them perfect for makeup, travel, art supplies, knitting & epp project, and more!






I first offered them on Friday on my Instagram in my Black Friday sale and just sold out today! A BIG thanks to everyone who purchased!

Next up I plan to offer a quilted stocking sale made using Amy Sinibaldi's holiday collection for Art Gallery Fabrics, Little Town. They are so sweet, I can't wait to photograph them today to share!

xo Maureen

A Fabric GIVEAWAY!

It's Fabric Giveaway Friday!   

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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, Cotton + Steel, Free Spirit, and 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 special Fabric Giveaway Friday, Lady Belle Fabric is offering the winner a generous fat quarter bundle of my brand new collection for Art Gallery Fabrics, Love Story! This bundle will include a fat quarter cut of each of the TWENTY prints that make up this pretty new collection!!

You're all invited to checkout LOVE STORY, along with a special discount of 25% OFF in the Lady Belle Fabric shop as fat quarter bundles and as half yard bundles! Be sure to visit this amazing shop!!

In addition, Lady Belle Fabric is having a HUGE Black Friday & Cyber Monday SALE!! With up to 40% off  bundles, 30% off precuts, 25% off quilt kits. PLUS free mini quilt pattern with orders over $50, visit Lady Belle HERE --  http://www.ladybellefabric.com/

There is no code needed to enjoy any of these special discounts! Enjoy!!

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Enter to win! 

Here's how,

 
1. Simply leave a comment here in this post! We'd love to know what you plan to stitch up with Love Story? Feel free to share! (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, November 27th!! 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, Florence Taylor! Congratulations, please check for a message from me! xo Maureen 

AGF Quilt Block Tour of Makers ~ A Love Story Moroccan Pillow!

Several weeks ago I was invited to join the Art Gallery Fabrics Quilt Block Collection Tour hosted by my friend, Sharon McConnell of Color Girl Quilts!



I was asked to choose one block from AGF's collection of quilt block YouTube video tutorials to make and share as a finished project today. I chose one of my favorites from the bunch, the Moroccan quilt block!



The Moroccan block is perfect for fussy cutting from a favorite fabric and instructions include two fun techniques -- the a make eight at a time half square triangles and flying geese using the corner triangle method. I chose to make my Moroccan block using several pretty prints from my brand new Love Story collection!



For my Moroccan block I began by fussy cutting a floral cluster from Love Story Soulmate Blooms to be my center fabric and framed that print in Compassion Ruby. Next I made my HSTs and flying geese units using Love Story prints -- Reflection of Love Light,  Soulmate Blooms in teal and Flower Stamp Charm. I LOVE this pretty combination of reds, peach, aqua & teal!



Once my block was complete I added a 3" border in Daring Tribal Sunset to turn my Morrocan block into a pillow!



I basted my pillow top to a layer of Hobbs cotton batting and added lots of quilting using an Aurifil 40wt in Light Beige.

I'm so happy with how my Love Story Moroccan pillow turned out!

My Love Story collection should be shipping to stores any day! I hope you check out the Art Gallery Fabrics YouTube Channel for the Moroccan quilt block video tutorial that I used today, along with lots of other beautiful quilt blocks! Be sure visit the rest of the makers who've joined the AGF Quilt Block Tour to see what each of these talented sewing gals have made!

November 13 ~ Color Girl Quilts @colorgirlquilts
November 14 ~ Karen O’Connor @ladykquilts
November 16 ~ Amy Friend @duringquiettime
November 17 ~ Kate Basti @katebasti
November 18 ~ Yvonne Fuchs @quiltingjetgirl
November 19 ~ AnneMarie Chany @genxquilters
November 20 ~ ME @maureencracknell
November 21 ~ Sharon Holland @sharonhollanddesigns
November 22 ~ Lucy Brennan @charmaboutyou

Happy Sewing! xo Maureen

Denim Patchwork Stockings : :

Making holiday stockings are right up there with my favorite things to make! I LOVE patchwork and unique, dreamy, homey décor with a bohemian feel is without a doubt my style for decorating each room in our home, so why not make holiday stockings with the same feel for holiday decorating!



This week on my Instagram I shared a little peek of the denim patchwork I've spent the last couple of days making, and today I'm so excited to share this new handmade holiday item with all of you!









I started my own stocking assembly line using the pattern I created last year by tracing one of my favorite extra-large sized stockings purchased several years ago before I had learned to sew, to use as my template. I pulled out my collection of AGF Denim Studio solid smooth and printed denims, first I sewed together strips and then added my patchwork using my Quick Quilt As you Go method to create these double-sided stockings that can be hung whichever direction you choose!



Each stocking is lined with my navy & white Wild and Free Woven Path quilting cotton and the hanging loops are made with a thick & sturdy heavyweight AGF denim!



With each stocking comes a beautiful denim + fabric + felt flower cluster with handmade denim twine that I made, as well. I had so much fun making these and love how they turned out! Each is finished with a vintage ricrac loop so they can be easily removed to double as a pretty ornament, as well!









You can find these new quilted denim patchwork holiday stockings and my other handmade gift items in my Etsy Shop https://www.etsy.com/listing/492775063/quilted-denim-patchwork-stocking

I hope you love them as much as I do!!  XO Maureen

A Bountiful Sewing Day -- Bountiful Holiday Blog Tour!

The Bountiful Holiday Blog Tour started November 1st, organized by my good friend Sharon Holland to get you inspired for holiday sewing with her beautiful Art Gallery Fabrics collection, Bountiful! Sharon + Me + ten wonderful, talented designers have joined the tour to share fast, fun, inspiring projects! Here's the list of names and dates so you can catch up,  join us and follow along!

11-01  Mathew Boudreaux  Mister Domestic

11-02  AnneMarie Chany  Gen X Quilters

11-03  Brooke Sellmann  Silly Mama Quilts

11-06  Blair Stocker  Wise Craft Handmade

11-07  Silvia Sutters  A Stranger View

11-08  Peta Peace  She Quilts A Lot

11-09  Sharon Holland  Sharon Holland Designs

11-10  Heather Andrus  Quilt Story

11-13  Maureen Cracknell  Maureen Cracknell Handmade

11-14  Anjeanette Klinder  Anjeanettek

11-15  Alexis Wright  My Sweet Sunshine Studio

11-16  Katie Skoog  The Simple Life Company

I couldn't decide on just one Bountiful project to make and share today, so last week I had myself a Bountiful sewing day! I went to my studio early and spent the entire work day sewing with this pretty collection. My to-make list included a variety of pillows and bags and I'm so happy with each of the things I was able to make!

Each of the four finished projects I have to share today started with cutting several 1.5" x wof strips from the dozen or so Bountiful prints I had in my stash. First up is my Bountiful Shine Pillow -- a mini remake of my Soulful QAYG!



For this 18" pillow I separated the Bountiful blues from the coral and yellow prints to create this pretty diamond pattern that looks to radiate from the center!



For my second pillow project I used more of the same narrow strips to create one of my Herringbone qayg pillows, adding in AGF denims and keeping like colors together to create a pretty rainbow order pattern!







Using up the trimmed away length scraps from my two pillow projects, I stitched up two Bountiful zipper bags in the perfect size for art supplies or cosmetics. The pattern used for this first one again is my herringbone qayg pattern with a fun yellow zipper and tassel detail.



This Bountiful bag reverses to an identical pattern on the back side. I picked up a dozen or so of these tassel keychains on clearance when I was shopping last Spring and they have been perfect for adding to my new zipper pouch obsession!



This next bag and final Bountiful project is a larger size bag with boxy corners perfect for carrying larger items such as notecards and markers or a hair brush and hair accessories. I love using up scraps when making these zipper pouches & bags and experimenting with different quilt patterns & sizes. They are so much fun to make!





I LOVED my Bountiful sewing day! If you haven't yet added this collection to your stash, you can find it available in my sponsor's shop Fat Quarter Shop, Lady Belle Fabrics and Fabric.com + Sharon has organized two Giveaways for the holiday tour -- one on her blog Sharon Holland Designs at the end of the tour, thanks to Fat Quarter Shop: Bountiful Harvest Giveaway, and one on Instagram for sharing maker's posts of your favorite tour projects. Pop over to Sharon's IG for chances to win there!

Be sure to visit Quilt Story to see the pretty Bountiful dress she made and to stop by Anjeanette Klinder to see tomorrow's inspirational project! I can't wait!

Thank you so much for stopping by and I hope you enjoy my Bountiful projects! xx Maureen

Friendship Braids QAYG : :

For my Flower Child Quilt Market booth I made four pillow samples, one including a new quick quilt as you go pattern inspired by friendship braids.  Immediately after finishing my Flower Child pillow I knew I wanted to make an entire quilt using this pattern, combining prints from my new Love Story collection with Pat Bravo's newest, Indie Folk!





This is such a beautiful block with these pretty saturated prints, and it’s so fast! This block is assembled in very much the same way that you would construct a qayg log cabin pattern, but for this one I sewed the fabric strips working my way from the top to the bottom of each rectangle cut of batting which gives the illusion of woven strips, just like a braid!



To make this quilt top I used all twenty Indie Folk quilting cotton and several Love Story prints cut into strips measuring 3" x WOF. Once each rectangle cut of batting was covered with fabric edge to edge, I trimmed away the access fabric and added the trimmed block to my pile. I spent all of yesterday morning and afternoon stitching up blocks and this morning I had enough to piece together this new friendship braid qayg quilt top to photograph and share today!









Isn't she pretty? There's no way I'm done with this new quick quilt as you go just yet! I'm waiting on a new can of basting spray to arrive so I can back and bind this one to add to my shop, and I'm tempted to begin another right away with a little twist, using just Love Story this time! This will be such a great quilt pattern for using up those scraps, too!

Let me know what you think of this new qayg pattern, and if you have any questions feel free to ask in the comments! Happy sewing!

xx Maureen