October Love SALE : :

To celebrate October, the month I love the most, and because my Rock 'N Romance Skull Quilt is one of our very favorites, from now through October I'm offering the pattern for just $5 in my Etsy shop!



The pattern makes a generous throw size quilt measuring 62" x 84", comes with fabric requirements, cutting instructions, half square triangle (HST) & layout diagrams, plus finishing fabric requirements. I love the size! And because it's made using just square cuts of fabric and HST's, it's easy enough for a beginner!





I used Pat Bravo's Rock 'N Romance collection for AGF to create my version. If you'd like to use the same, I found many prints still available here! The combination of bright pinks & purples with all the gray & black was a perfect choice for me, but other's have made it using just grays & black with lots of low volume prints to gift to the special man in their lives and I love those versions just as much!

To get 50% off the pattern, just click on the image below and use Coupon Code: OCTOBERLOVE at checkout!



Thanks for stopping by today & a BIG thanks to all who purchase!! XOXO Maureen

A Skull Quilt Pattern : :

I have never been so excited to share something! My Skull Quilt Pattern is finished and is listed in my etsy shop as an instant downloadable PDF!

This is my very first quilt pattern and I'm really hoping you all enjoy it and all the one's that come after!



Besides being a wonderful Halloween quilt, this design in versatile eough that it will make a very cool boy quilt for any age, as well as being perfect for our music-loving rocker girls!

This bold and fun pixelated, skull quilt pattern is made using simple patchwork and HST (half square triangle) techniques, includes fabric requirements // measurements // instructions for making a generous throw size skull quilt measuring 62" x 84"

15-page PDF pattern includes:

- Fabric Requirements and Cutting Instructions
- HST and Layout Diagrams
- Quilt Top Assembly Instructions
- Finishing Fabric Requirements and Instructions

You can find this pattern for sale in my etsy shop, HERE!

Now that all that hard work is done, I'm treating myself with a new quilt finish -- My Modern Tsuru Sampler just came back from Sew Shabby Quilting and looks better than I could have ever imaged!





Thank you all for your kind words and interest in this very first pattern of mine! You guys are the best!! A special thanks to my friends Pat, Julie, Sondra, Nicke, and Cynthia for helping me pull this off!!

Happy Sewing!!  ♥  Maureen

A Diamond Strings Quilt : :

My Rock 'n Romance Diamond Strings Quilt As You Go quilt is finished! We made several stops on our drive and around town to get these photos to share here today. Yesterday turned out to be such a beautiful day, with the sun shining bright but always changing, casting sunbeams, spots, and shadows on so many of my pictures. In the end I think this is just one of those quilts that's beauty shows best in person, but I tried my best!



This is the second quilt I've made using Pat Bravo's Rock 'n Romance fabric collection. The first was made for Pat to use in her  R 'n R promotional ads & video, and was quilted by the amazing Angela Walters. I haven't seen it finished, in person, but I do remember watching this fun video by Fat Quarter Shop from quilt market and then the shock that followed after hearing my name mentioned! If you watch it be sure to notice all that beautiful quilting!!

Well, after having my skull quilt featured in such a special way, I've been waiting for the perfect quilt idea to strike, one worthy to use up the rest of my R 'n R stash. Then a couple weeks ago while deciding which fabrics to use for my niece Ceci's quilt I kept going back to my stack of Rock 'n Romance and eventually sketched out my new quilt idea.

The rectangle blocks are made using the same technique I'll be sharing in my next tutorial -- combining cotton batting as my foundation and quilt as you go. Once squared up, the large rectangle blocks measure  10" x 18" and the blocks made with both strings and Pure Element solids measure 10" x 14." 





I wanted to create an ombre color-blocking effect using both pink & purple solids at the top and bottom of this quilt, and I love the end result! It made it difficult deciding which edge should be the top, just for picture taking sake, but it doesn't really matter with this pattern. Any way goes!

It's bound using AGF's newest blender, Squared Elements in both Fuchsia and Watermelon. From my Tula Pink Aurifil collection, I pulled a 40wt variegated thread that matches my binding fabric choice perfectly!



Here you can see the pretty decorative stitches I added using several more colors of Aurifil, along with a few of the built-in stitches my Janome offers. I love those special details!





I can't wait to give this quilt to Ceci! Now that this one is finished and Sylvia's Tule Sunset is on it's way to Sew Shabby Quilting, I have just four quilts left to make before Christmas! A "Princess Castle" quilt for Josie, a Superhero quilt for Ben, one for my oldest niece Kiele, and one for my Kaiden who has such grand ideas his quilt alone could take me as long as it's taken me to make the seven I'm considering finished. But I'm excited for the challenge!

This promise to make my children, nieces, & nephews all a quit this year has bettered me in so many ways. It truly is amazing!!

Thanks so much for stopping by today -- Have a great day!!  ♥  Maureen

Next Up : :

Well, sewing together that Sunset quilt back and the two others I need to piece together yet, Tsuru & Rock 'n Romance, never happened yesterday. Instead I listened to music, cleaned the kitchen, cooked an Italian feast to take to my parents house for dinner, and then cleaned my kitchen again. I didn't sew a single stitch!
I suppose all the late night sewing hours I've been putting in finally caught up with me and I needed the break. So for today's plan, besides etsy orders, I'll be making quilt backs and maybe some binding, too.







After I finish those, sticking with my pattern of alternating quilt tops with quilt-as-you-go quilts, I'm going to begin a new qayg with a herringbone pattern in mind. This idea came to mind while making my R 'n R quilt and I think it's going to be another quick one!

How about you? What's happening in your sewing room this week?

Quilt Top Peek : :

My Rock 'n Romance String Quilt As You Go quilt top is finished and I am loving it! I had to pop in to share a quick peek! My backing and binding fabrics should be here this week -- I can't wait to see this one finished!

Have a great day!!  ♥  Maureen

New : :

Oh, what a weekend! Welcoming into the world an adorable new niece, Grace Anne, totally trumped everything else that happened these past few, very busy days! She is SO cute, you can see for yourself right here! She's the little one I made the ABC Quilt for and now I'm thinking some sweet pillows to match are a must do. I was so excited after receiving the news that she was finally here, that I stayed up super late Saturday night beginning yet another new quilt!

I mentioned a little more than a week ago that this particular corner of my Butterfly Quilt had me wanting to work with Pat Bravo's Rock 'n Romance collection once again. Isn't it pretty?



So, this lovely stack had been sitting out since then and when I couldn't sleep I decided to cut just three or four 1" to 2.5" strips from each of the prints.



I pulled out my Pure Element stash, beginning with those solids I had loved seeing together in my Butterfly Quilt, and added to that collection several more PE's that coordnated nicely. I love these colors together -- so warm & beautiful!



This quilt is being made with my niece Ceci in mind, who loves music, singing, & dance. This palette could be a little too dark for her? I guess I'll see as it comes together and I share glimpses with her. I definitely want to be sure she's happy with it. More than anything, that's my goal here with each of these kiddo quilts -- I really want them to LOVE them!



I'm making this one as a quilt as you go, using my batting as the foundation for my strip piecing. It's been a really fun project that's been tough to walk away from once my sewing time is up. I love the way it's coming together!! So if it happens that this quilt is just not the right choice for Ceci well then I'll just have to keep it for myself!



How about you, did you start anything new this weekend?

♥  Maureen