Sweet Home Quilt Along: Week 5 - Assembly & Finishing

Welcome to week FIVE of the Sweet Home Quilt Along, a QAL I'm co-hosting with Sharon Holland, the designer behind the adorable Sweet Home quilt pattern, and Jennifer Jones of Penelope Handmade!





For week FIVE, now that our Sweet Home quilt tops are complete, we'll move on to the final quilting stage! Below you can see the schedule we're following throughout the QAL, but of course we always encourage and want everyone to sew at their own pace!

The Sweet Home quilt pattern is designed by Sharon and is available in her SHOP, for those of you just finding out about our QAL. Throughout the quilt along I've made a total of four quilts, two to keep and two to give -- two made with my new Cozy & Joyful collection and two using the original Sweet Home quilt kit, both from Lady Belle Fabric!

I'll be sending all four of my quilts to Brooke at Lady Belle Fabric who offers an edge to edge long arm quilting service, Lady Belle Quilting, in addition to her amazing fabric shop! This week I'll piece together my quilt backs and will photograph full shots of all of my quilts tops to share next week for the BIG reveal, before sending my quilts out to Brooke!



Since two of my quilts are gifts, I'm letting the recipient decide their own allover quilting design to finish their quilts with. For me, I've been browsing Brooke's long arm quilting patterns, trying to decide on which pattern I'll choose for each of mine!

The Cozy & Joyful Sweet Home quilt that I'm keeping for my family's 2020 Christmas quilt has a background made with my creamy white with red stars print, Snowing Bright!





So far I've narrowed quilting patterns down to FOUR! Three different snowflake options -- Frost (top left), Falling Snow (top right), or Simple Snowflake (bottom right). And one festive option -- Holiday Lights (bottom left). Right now I'm leaning most towards Holiday Lights, because it perfectly mimics my Cozy & Joyful Northern Lights print, but I'd love to know what you think?! It really is so hard to choose!



The second Cozy & Joyful Sweet Home quilt is made with my own Make Snow Flakes print as the background, so it will be exciting to see if this one ends up quilted with snowflakes!



My other two quilt tops are Sweet Home twins, made using the original kit that was available at Lady Belle Fabric. This version is made using a mix of prints by me, Sharon and fellow various AGF designers. It's so perfectly sweet and pairs with this quilt pattern perfectly! 





For this one I've narrowed the quilting options down to three, each adding to the overall "sweet" theme of this quilt -- Ginger Flowers (top left), Tight loops (top right) and Baptist Heart Clams (bottom). Currently it's a complete three-way tie for this one, so I definitely would love some help! The flowers pattern would highlight the garden-y theme that flows throughout the quilt because of the prints I used. The tight loops is just so classic to me and is something I always meant to try myself on my home machine using free motion quilting. The fans + heart combo is adorable, unique and would be a meaningful way to show all the love that went into making these quilts. ALL are such great options!



Beyond making these BIG quilting pattern decisions, sewing together quilt backs, taking reveal photos and shipping these beauties off to Brooke, this quilt along is pretty much a wrap for me! It's really flown by and I hope you've loved sewing with Sharon + ME + our new guest, Jennifer! Today both lady's have lots to share one their own blogs, Sharon has continued adding to her helpful weekly IGTV video series for this QAL on her Instagram and she has an amazing YouTube video for adding faux chenille binding using one of our sponsored Giveaway products, Chenille-It! So be sure to pop on over to both Sharon's and Jennifer's blogs to see their week five posts!



Such an amazing finish, right?! I'm planning to do this myself with at least one of the two quilts I'm keeping and I can't wait! 

As always, I hope these photos inspire your week five photos! I can't wait to see them! Be sure to post your photos on Instagram with our QAL hashtag #SweetHomeQAL, as well as tagging me @MaureenCracknell, @SharonHollandDesigns and @PenelopeHandmade. 

Just a reminder -- that from the hashtag pool we'll be able to see everyone's posts, as long as you have a public account, and from there we can interact and encourage one another! We'll also be using the hashtag pool to choose weekly Giveaway winners!



I'll see you back here Friday when I share our next Giveaway with our sponsor, Oliso!

xo Maureen

Sweet Home Quilt Along: Week 4 - Corner Squares & Sashing

Welcome to week FOUR of the Sweet Home Quilt Along, a QAL I'm co-hosting with Sharon Holland, the designer behind the adorable Sweet Home quilt pattern, and Jennifer Jones of Penelope Handmade!

For week FOUR, now that our Log Cabin and Bungalow house blocks are complete, we'll move on to the final piecing portion of the Sweet Home quilt pattern, corner squares and sashing! Below you can see the schedule we're following throughout the QAL, but of course we always encourage and want everyone to sew at their own pace!

The Sweet Home quilt pattern is designed by Sharon and is available in her SHOP, for those of you just finding out about our QAL. I'm making a total of four quilts during the QAL, two to keep and two to give -- two will be made with my new Cozy & Joyful collection and two using the original Sweet Home quilt kit, both from Lady Belle Fabric!

I'm currently a little more behind than I had hoped to be by this week because we've been tackling some home projects in our free time now that the weather is finally a bit cooler. Yesterday I completed one of my Cozy & Joyful quilt tops with the snowflake background and I'm so in love!



My second Cozy & Joyful Sweet Home will have a white with red stars background, but the corner squares are the same pretty, cheery bright red! The corner squares for all four of my Sweet Home's are all done, I just need a few more days to piece them altogether.



Yesterday I made major progress on the twin Sweet Home quilts that I'm making using the original quilt kit that was available at Lady Belle Fabrics. This quilt includes the sweetest peachy coral solid corner squares and a sashing made in an off-white with copper metallic polka dots print by Art Gallery Fabrics.



Again for the corner squares I used the speedy chain-piecing technique. For me, chain piecing especially made working with the tiny pieces needed to make the corner squares a much more fun process, since tiny pieces has never been a favorite of mine. I've mentioned since week two, when we began making Sweet Homes blocks, that if you're new to quilting and/or chain piecing, Sharon has been putting together a super helpful weekly IGTV video series for this QAL on her Instagram that includes video of each step throughout our QAL. This video series is full of helpful information and tips, including on how to chain piece, so be sure to follow Sharon for her helpful videos!





Once the corner squares are finished, my quilt top assembly using the sashing pieces has been going pretty quickly. Just seeing each block and piece laid out has me so excited to see these quilt tops finished!



As always, I hope these photos inspire your week four photos! I can't wait to see them! Be sure to post your photos on Instagram with our QAL hashtag #SweetHomeQAL, as well as tagging me @MaureenCracknell, @SharonHollandDesigns and @PenelopeHandmade. 

Just a reminder -- that from the hashtag pool we'll be able to see everyone's posts, as long as you have a public account, and from there we can interact and encourage one another! We'll also be using the hashtag pool to choose weekly Giveaway winners!



Be sure to pop on over to both Sharon and Jennifer's blogs to see their week four posts!

I'll see you back here Friday when I share our next Giveaway with our sponsor, Hobbs Batting!

xo Maureen

Sweet Home Quilt Along: Week 3 - GIVEAWAY

Happy Friday! Each Friday throughout the Sweet Home Quilt Along there will be a new Giveaway with one of our amazing participating sponsors and today I'm so excited to share our WEEK THREE  Giveaway with a prize from Omnigrid!



Omnigrid is a family of measuring and cutting products. When Omnigrid tools are used together they provide quilters, sewists and DIY aficionados with unsurpassed accuracy and quality. A product concept born of the genius of Peggy and Randy Schafer, Omnigrid products work behind the scenes allowing makers to flawlessly bring their creations to fruition -- See more at Omnigrid!

You can follow Omnigrid on their social's -- Instagram & Facebook and be sure to check out their wonderful PRODUCTS!



For this week's Giveaway prize Omnigrid is generously offering an incredible prize pack of wonderful Omnigrid sewing/quilting products shown below! Please note that this prize will be limited to winners within the United States only, sorry international friends.



Omnigrid 8" Rotating Cutting Mat   |  2-1/2" x 8" Ruler  |  4" x 8" Ruler  |  28mm Omnigrid Rotary Cutter

Thank you Omnigrid for this amazing prize!

To Enter: Be sure to use a public Instagram account to post your Sweet Home Quilt Along progress photos throughout the QAL using the hashtag #SweetHomeQAL. Each time you do, you'll automatically be entered into the Giveaway hashtag pool! It's as easy as that, so be sure to share away your blocks and progress pics each week as we work our way from fabric selection, cutting, to making our blocks and finishing our quilts!

We'll announce each Giveaway winner on Monday's late afternoon EST throughout the QAL on each of your host's Instagram accounts at @MaureenCracknell, @SharonHollandDesigns, and @PenelopeHandmade, so be sure to find us to follow! 

New Sweet Home makers feel free to join in anytime, see HERE for details! All our welcome! 

We look forward to sewing with you! xo Maureen

Sweet Home Quilt Along: Week 3 - Bungalow Block

Welcome to week THREE of the Sweet Home Quilt Along, a QAL I'm co-hosting with Sharon Holland, the designer behind the adorable Sweet Home quilt pattern, and Jennifer Jones of Penelope Handmade!

For week three we'll tackle the ten Bungalow style house blocks in the Sweet Home quilt pattern! Below you can see the schedule we're following throughout the QAL, but of course we encourage and want everyone to sew at their own pace!



The Sweet Home quilt pattern is designed by Sharon and is available in her SHOP, for those of you just finding out about our QAL. I'm making a total of four quilts during the QAL, two to keep and two to give -- two will be made with my new Cozy & Joyful collection and two using the original Sweet Home quilt kit, both from Lady Belle Fabric!

Last week and again yesterday, I went out into the yard to pick a few clippings to photograph with each of my blocks. This was the last blooming daisy in the yard!



For my Cozy & Joyful Sweet Home quilts I'm making one with a background in my snowflake print, Make Snow Flurries, and the other background in my red stars print, Snowing Bright. 



Again this week I used the speedy chain-piecing technique to make my Bungalows. If you're new to quilting and/or chain piecing, Sharon has been putting together a super helpful weekly IGTV video series for this QAL on her Instagram that includes video of each step throughout our QAL full of helpful information and tips! Sharon is always incredibly informative and thorough with her instructions, so be sure to follow!



I hope these photos inspire your Bungalow block photos! I can't wait to see them! Be sure to post your photos on Instagram with our QAL hashtag #SweetHomeQAL, as well as tagging me @MaureenCracknell, @SharonHollandDesigns and @PenelopeHandmade. 

Just a reminder -- that from the hashtag pool we'll be able to see everyone's posts, as long as you have a public account, and from there we can interact and encourage one another! We'll also be using the hashtag pool to choose weekly Giveaway winners!



Be sure to pop on over to both Sharon and Jennifer's blogs to see how cute their Bungalow blocks turned out!

I'll see you back here Friday when I share our next Giveaway with our sponsor, Omnigrid!

xo Maureen

A Heart Quilt Sew Along

At the beginning of February my friend and fellow Art Gallery Fabrics designer, Sharon Holland and I announced on our Instagrams that we'd be teaming up to host a fun and quick quilt along using Allison Harris's of Cluck Cluck Sew's Heart Block Patten. I first used Allison's pattern to stitch up a small batch of quilted heart zipper pouch bags and right away I was hooked, I had to make a quilt! After sharing my plans with Sharon, she decided to join me and quickly our quilt along plans were decided!

In hopes to not confuse folks joining us, we decided to have Sharon's blog be the landing page for all the QAL details since Sharon is the author of the instructions for how we stitched Allison's wonderful Heart Blocks into finished 52" x 61" throw size quilts. You can visit Sharon's blog to find ALL the info you'll need to sew a Heart Quilt just like ours anytime! Makers have been tagging Instagram QAL posts with the #agfLOVEquilt, since Sharon and I are both AGF designers making quilts using a combination of our prints, where you can easily follow along to see the beautiful heart quilts being made! Additionally, Sharon created this adorable Heart Quilt maker badge for those joining in to use, as well as an Instagram story highlight reel full of wonderful, helpful videos that make creating this quilt a cinch!



For my Heart Quilts I chose a combination of favorite prints from Amy Sinibaldi's new Mayfair collection + several Foresta Fusion prints that include three new prints by ME! I love this bundle so much that I collaborated with Lady Belle Fabric to carry both a ten-piece fat quarter bundle and Heart Quilt Kit including these same gorgeous prints! For the background of my first Heart Quilt (yup! I made two) I used the AGF Pure Solid in Snow. The crisp white against these saturated, jewel-tones make the colors really pop!





As I worked on sewing my Heart Blocks it was the perfect way to showcase and introduce each of my three new prints in the Foresta Fusion collection! AGF Fusions are a group of ten prints from various Art Gallery Fabric designers that have been recolored and "fused" together to create a new themed collection. I always look forward to adding these newly colored prints to my own stash and the catalog of prints that I've designed for AGF!

First I introduce to you, Mystical Woods Foresta, now available in this gorgeous teal that I originally designed for my Nightfall collection.



Next up is Stay Humble Foresta in my current favorite dusty pink shade, originally designed for my Soulful collection.



And lastly this is Simple Defoliage Foresta, a minty green modern pine trees print that I created for Autumn Vibes.



I hope you love these three new prints as much as I do!

I'm so happy with the fabrics I chose for my quilts! Together these prints created such a romantic looking quilt top, just perfect for Valentine's Day!

This first quilt top is headed to Brooke at Lady Belle Quilting as a gift from me to her, that I'm certain she'll finish with her amazing edge to edge quilting. I can't wait to see her quilt completely finished!



Below is a first peek at both of the quilts I made. Notice I used a different background for the one I quilted myself, a creamy two-tone blender print from Sharon's Spirited collection called, Bright Star Washed that I absolutely adore. It's much warmer than the solid snow, is equally lovely and is extra meaningful to me since it's a print designed by my wonderful quilt along partner!



Below you can see the subtle design on Sharon's beautiful print a bit better, as well as my binding choice, a print deigned by Katarina Rocella for Foresta called Timber that reads as a stripe here and really brings out these amazing Foresta Fusion colors!



For the backing I used my Mystical Woods Foresta print in this pretty new teal that I introduced above. As always Hobbs Tuscany Cotton is my go-to batting, and to finish my quilt I used the built-in wavy stitch on my Janome Memory Craft 15000 set at the highest width and length setting. I don't premark any lines to guide my quilting, I just eyeball to keep the stitch running straight and spaced semi-evenly as I quilt. I love the organic, twisting stitches and the texture it adds to a quilt!



If you're as smitten with my Heart Quilt as I am, be sure to visit Lady Belle Fabric to snag the Quilt Kit or a Foresta Mayfair Mix Up Bundle before they're gone!



I'd also love for you to visit my QAL partner Sharon's blog to see her sugared gum drops and candy inspired Heart Quilt that's super sweet, plus the incredible bonus project she made with her leftover HSTs! Here's a just little peek!



I'm working on making a new batch of zipper pouch bags from my HST and heart quilt scraps that I'll have for sale later this week. Even after making two quilts, I'm not quite ready to move on from these gorgeous fabrics!



Sharon and I had such a great time making our quilts and hosting this spontaneous QAL! It was just what I needed to get me energized to sew again after the holidays and spending most of January designing my Fall 2020 collection. We send a BIG thanks to those of you sewing along with us! If you weren't able to in real time, you can jump in anytime using #agfLOVEquilt when you share and be sure to tag @sharonhollanddesigns @maureencracknell and @cluckclucksew so we can see your beautiful hearts!

xo Maureen