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 Tutorial: Whole Cloth Quilted Journal Covers!

I've been away from this space for a few weeks while family has been visiting and we all traveled to Corolla, NC for our annual beach vacation. While I was away I missed sharing here and today I’m so excited to jump back in with this fun, kid friendly tutorial that I created as part of Janome’s Summer Sewing Camp!

These Whole Cloth Journal Covers are a new favorite make of mine, are a great project to get beginner sewists of any age comfortable with machine quilting and in the end, you’ll have a useful and pretty project to enjoy!



For this set of Whole Cloth Quilted Journals I used my Sisterhood and Blooming Ground Luscious prints from my brand new Flower Child fabric collection for Art Gallery Fabrics. I chose to make these covers whole cloth vs the pieced and stitched patchwork projects you're used to seeing from me to showcase the beauty of these favorite Flower Child prints of mine! I hope that choosing pretty fabrics to make your own journals will be your favorite part of the process!

In addition to choosing the perfect fabrics to feature as the journal cover fronts, you'll need a coordinating lining fabric, thread, Hobbs Tuscany 100% cotton batting and standard composition notebooks.





As a Janome Maker I recently started sewing with the Janome Horizon Quilt Maker Memory Craft 15000, an amazing sewing and embroidery machine full of built-in stitches and incredible features! For this tutorial I used a built-in wavy quilting stitch set at different stitch widths and lengths to give the look of free-motion quilting done effortlessly with my Janome machine!





You can follow this link -- Whole Cloth Quilted Journal Covers to download the complete instructions for my Summer Camp project! While you're there, be sure to check out the full list of Janome 2018 Sewing Summer Camp projects created by my fellow Janome Makers!



I hope you love making these journals as much as I do! Be sure to let me know if you give them a go and be sure to tag me @MaureenCracknell and add #MaureenCracknell & #JanomeCamp18 when you share. If you'd like to make some of your own using Flower Child, you can find these fabrics widely available in your favorite online fabric shop. If you're need of help finding any of my fabrics, you can leave me a comment anytime!



I'm so happy to back in this space, I've missed it! I hope you're all having a wonderful Summer!

xo  Maureen 

A Sweet Dreams Pillow { Tutorial } : :

Happy Valentine's Day!



Today I'm excited to share that my Sweet Dreams Pillow Tutorial is now live and available for download on Janome's Inspire project page!

This project tutorial is for my Sweet Dreams Pillow pattern, 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 hope you love making this pillow as much as I did!

As always, be sure to let me know if you give it a go! Feel free to find & tag me on Instagram if you make & share one of your own, or you're always welcome to share the things you make using my project ideas and/or fabrics on my Facebook page Maureen Cracknell Handmade!

Happy sewing, friends!  ♡ 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

A Reverie Quilt Pattern { Tutorial } : :

I'm excited to share with all of you that you can find my newest tutorial on the Janome Blog today for my Reverie Quilt pattern!




This quilt tutorial features prints from my new Nightfall collection and the Playground collection by Amy Sinibaldi for Art Gallery Fabrics. A combination of simple half square triangles and patchwork in these pretty prints reveal a beautiful quilt design, that is fat quarter friendly, and is so fun to make!



Quilt blocks sew up quick to a cute 9.5" unfinished square, a wonderful size for making both small and large quilts!



You can find this new tutorial on the Janome Project Center page right HERE as a PDF for you to download and enjoy!







I really hope you all enjoy this quilt tutorial! As always, be sure to let me know if you give it a go! Feel free to find & tag me on Instagram, be sure to add #NightfallReverieQuilt or you're always welcome to share the things you make using my project ideas and/or fabrics on my Facebook page Maureen Cracknell Handmade!

Happy sewing, friends!  ♡ Maureen

Reverie Quilt Top : :

Reverie: a state of dreamy meditation or fanciful musing; a daydream.

After a busy Summer with very little quilt-making, along with the awaited release of Nightfall, that's exactly what creating this quilt was for me!



One week ago I felt the overwhelming amount of tasks ahead of me as we entered upon the arrival of the new school year for the kids and the return of a regular work schedule for me. But rather than working my way down the ever-growing todo list, I indulged in the making of this quilt. It was exactly what I needed! A little gift to myself, creative, colorful bliss.



I had just designed this pattern, along with a few others,  to consider as one of the free pdf quilt pattern to couple with my next fabric collection due to release this January.  When we chose one of the other options, I swapped out those digital print swatches with Nightfall and several of Amy Sinibald's Playground fabrics, just to see how it might look, and I fell in love with the combination of these dreamy colors and prints!



Making HST's using the method for making eight at a time has become a favorite of mine, you may have noticed! For me, the process of creating using repetitive steps is like a deep meditation practice. With it comes a clearer mind, and more often than not, a release from my problems, worry, & stress, even if for just a little while. A refresh and refocus that feels so good.







I plan to share that goodness in the form of a tutorial for making both these blocks & quilt top, so be sure to keep an eye out!



Finishing all fifty-six blocks and assembling the top took just a couple days sewing time, and by early Saturday evening my husband was helping me take these photos to share!





I should have the instructions finished and ready to share next week.  Until then, I'd love to know if you plan to make one for yourself!

♡ Maureen  

A Diamond Weave Quilt Block { Tutorial } : :

I'm excited to share with all of you that you can find my newest tutorial on the Janome Blog for my Diamond Weave Quilt Block!



This quilt block tutorial is from my Diamond Weave Quilt that I shared just last week, made using a variety of prints from my Wild & Free and Fleet & Flourish fabric collections. Just by separating red, peach, and coral value prints from ones colored navy, aqua, and blue, a fantastic quilt design is revealed!



These simple quilt blocks sew up quick to an 11" unfinished square, a wonderful size for making both small and large quilts!





You can find this new tutorial on the Janome Project Center page right HERE!



I really hope you all enjoy this quilt tutorial! As always, be sure to let me know if you give it a go! Feel free to find & tag me on Instagram, be sure to add #DiamondWeaveQuilt or you're always welcome to share the things you make using my project ideas and/or fabrics on my Facebook page Maureen Cracknell Handmade!

Happy sewing, friends!  ♡ Maureen

A Herringbone QAYG Pillow : :

Last week, after finishing up my Ribbons Diamond Strings pillow - Mother's Day gift, I decided right away that I had to make at least one for us! I had planned to do something colorful and Spring-y for the porch swing, and maybe if I found some extra sewing time, for the pair of rocking chairs on the front porch, as well. Yesterday I kept this pretty pile of fabric and fancy ribbons nearby as motivation to finish up my orders in time to make at least one to share here today!



I could have just stared at these ribbons all day, they are that beautiful! It's impossible to pick a favorite, but the detail on those owls & foxes is pretty spectacular!

Using my Herringbone QAYG method, I quickly pieced together two 8.5" x 16.5" rectangles, adding a 1.5" wide strip of each of the fabrics I selected for my first pillow, added my ribbons, and then joined the two pieces to make a 16" finished pillow cover! Once my pillow top was finished, right away I noticed how perfectly the colors matched this corner of our living room!



To attach the ribbons I simply top stitch, using my straight stitch set at a 2.4 length, sewing close to each ribbon edge, this time using a fun yellow Aurifil 50wt! Adding the ribbons to this QAYG style of pillow, or quilt as you can see here and here, is so easy and it makes such a beautiful, fancy pillow! There's a sheen and amazing detail to them that is really hard to photograph, it's crazy gorgeous!



I finished this pillow with the last of my Canary yellow binding scraps, I love the pop of color!





My camera battery lost it's charge before I could get photos of the back. I used a favorite Sarah Watts print of mine, her Gerbera print in gray quilted with the same yellow Aurifil I used to add the ribbons. I'll be sure to add a photo later. It's so pretty!

Doesn't it look perfect in this corner? I think it has to live here for awhile, which of course means, I have even more pillows to make to now!



I'll be back soon to share those, and then we'll have to have a Renaissance Ribbons Giveaway! See you then!!

♡ Maureen