A Fabric GIVEAWAY : :

It's Fabric Giveaway Friday Monday!

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Another Giveaway? Why, YES! I just couldn't resist joining in and celebrating with Sew Mama Sew's Giveaway Day!

For my own Fabric Giveaway today, I thought it would be wonderful to offer a custom bundle of Art Gallery Fabrics! I selected 11 Fat Quarters from my own stash in pretty shades of purples and blues!

Enter to Win!
 
Here's how,
 
1. Simply leave a comment here in this post letting me know what fabric collection you're dreaming to get your hand on? (one entry)
2. My followers get a third entry! Whether you follow me here, in your reader, or on Facebook, just let me know that you do by making a separate comment here to record that entry. (optional extra entry) 
3. 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 tweet, facebook, pin, blog, etc... (one optional entry) 

That’s 3 possible entries! Enter now through Friday evening, December 7th. Mr. Random will pick the winner and I will announce their name at the bottom of this post!
 
* 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 so that I can contact you should you win!
                                        

Good Luck everyone!!! Happy Monday!

* * * * *  UPDATE  * * * * *

Thank you to all who entered this past weekend's Giveaway!! 

 

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  From 1,356 entries, Mr. Random says the lucky winner is...

Comment #3 -- Lisa Lisa, who said,

"I would really love some Indie by Pat Bravo! It's on my Christmas list :)"

Congratulations!!! I will be in touch shortly!

Put A Fox On It : :

Wow everyone!! I have to first THANK YOU all today for being so sweet and supportive in light of our HOME news!! I am a nervous ball of emotions, as you can imagine. I can't wait to share all the details, photos, and decorating ideas as this all plays out. Right now we're looking at closing sometime within the next 6-8 weeks, so I'm going to be super busy...but still sewing all the while, maybe with a few decorating inspiration posts, too?! It's going to be fun, I promise.

So yes, this post is inspired by the silly genius that is Portlandia's Put A Bird On It! That hilarious video actually became a running joke around here between my husband and I. Well that, and the amount of pillows we have! It's ridiculous, and I love it! I am certain that my crazy pillow making will never stop, it's true, and putting birds on things is likely to continue, as well. But today is all about cute little fox things! Want to see?!

It's been quite a while since I made a fox pillow. I love simple applique projects, especially when making pillows, and this adorable fox design is always a fun one for me to make! 



I actually chose an image from my fox pillow making for the front of one of my new mini Moo business cards!



It's one of my favorite fox pillow pictures ever and now it lives on about 300 of these cute, little cards!



On the back is just a list of my sites and contact email. I do plan to share a post sometime soon including what I had ordered a few weeks back to prepare for making, selling, and blogging full time. I was so bad about carrying and giving out my business info before. But not anymore! It really helps to have cards that you love and that represent you well!



While in fox making mode, I decided to make my very first quilted version. Reaching for a few prints from my Simply Color Layer Cake from Southern Fabrics. I love the bright colors and leafy designs in this collection by V and Co., and have been wanting to make something combining blues and orange for a while, so this was perfect!



I added my felt fox applique to the pillow front, and backed it with a layer of soft batting.



I think it turned out cute?! Haila and Jacob both love it, so that made me happy. It's always nice to find things to make that work for both boys and girls. I'm hoping someone will snatch this up from my little etsy shop! SOLD, woohoo!



The back is finished with more blues and orange, in some of my favorite Full Moon Polka-dot from Moona and a little more Simply Color.



So, that's the extent of me "putting a fox on it" for now. Today, I'm off to work on a new, very special quilt top. More on that soon, but first -- I had to make one of these! I just couldn't stop myself!!

LOL!! Happy Thursday, friends! ♥  Maureen 

p.s...my HUGE Willow Giveaway continues HERE today! And, I have a new custom bundle Giveaway beginning early tomorrow, around 7-ish (est)!! Don't forget!

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Color Inspiration : :

Several weeks ago when I had my Handmade Giveaway and had asked what you would like to see more of here on my blog, one of the most popular responses I received was for me to share more of my thoughts on color choices and how I put fabrics together.



I've been thinking about this ever since. It's a challenge for me to explain exactly where inspiration comes from. The easiest answer would be to say "from EVERYWHERE" and that would absolutely be the truth, although not very helpful. So... I decided, the best way for me to share my thoughts and reasons for choosing colors would be to break it down to the individual bundle and/or project, in a new blog post dedicated to just that. Just as I was doing with my Color or Tuesday Inspiration posts.

Vintage Tea Time * Pompoms * Triangle Quilt * Pyrex Cup & Saucer * Fabrics
Houses Quilt * Black & White Quilt * Bedroom * Scandinavian Print
Blue Bowls * Print * Chevron Block * Catherineholm Platter

Today, I thought a great place to start would be my most recent stashed bundle that I had put together for The Intrepid Thread fabric shop.



It's a stack of golden yellows, spring greens, aqua blues, shades of gray, and black that was very much inspired by one of the things I love to collect -- Vintage Pyrex.







I love my collection and collecting things in general. The colors and prints in each of these special pieces inspires me in many ways, just as the mosaic above does -- bursting full of more kitchen collectables and quilt-y goodness! 

How about you? What's inspiring you these days? What colors are you loving together?

p.s. Be sure to stop back from my new fabric giveaway beginning tomorrow morning! Here's a peek!!

A Fabric GIVEAWAY : :

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It's Fabric Giveaway Friday!

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My sponsor The Intrepid Thread is a family owned and run business. In their shop you'll find Fat Quarters, Half Yards, Yards, and Yardage, as well as patterns and embellishments. Their designer fabrics include many of our favorites -- Art Gallery Fabrics, Anna Maria Horner, and Riley Blake Designs just to name a few! The owners work extremely hard everyday to bring their customers the best fabrics,
at the best prices, with high quality customer service!
  
SHOP  *  BLOG  *  FACEBOOK
 

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We hope you enjoy visiting their sites!! 

For this weekend's giveaway The Intrepid Thread is offering a custom bundle including 10 Fat Quarters of Art Gallery Oval Element and Pure Element fabrics! This particular bundle was designed by me, which is always such a treat!! This stack of golden yellows, spring greens, aqua blues, and shades of gray is one of my most favorite color combinations! I've already ordered a bundle for myself. 
One of you is going to be very lucky!!

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The winner will receive one Utterly Inspired by Maureen Part 2 bundle (Julie really knows how to make a girl feel special :), including 10 fat quarters for you to use to create something beautiful! I know you will!!
 
You can find the bundle available in both fat quarters and half yards in The Intrepid Thread shop, and right now there just so happens to be a HUGE sale going on!!

In celebration of Market The Intrepid Thread is offering 20% off using Coupon Code  : :  MARKET20 : :
-- beginning today and running throughout Sunday. There are a few rules, so be sure to read those here!

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Enter to Win!

Here's how,
 
1. Simply leave a comment here in this post. I'd love to know what your own favorite color combination is right now? (one entry)
2. Follow The Intrepid Thread on facebook, blog, 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! Whether you follow me here or on Facebook, just let me know that you do by making a separate comment here to record that entry. (optional extra entry)
 
That’s 3 possible entries! Enter now through Monday morning, May 14th. Mr. Random will pick the winner and I will announce their name in a new 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 so that I can contact you should you win!
                                        

Good Luck everyone!!! Have a great weekend! And, Happy Mother's Day to all you wondering Mama's out there!!

Color Inspiration : :

Purple &

Images via Purple & on Pinterest or --

Purple House * Paper Quilting * Round Purple Pillow * Living Room * Anthro Bedding

Daffodils * Lilacs * Console Table * Yellow Room

Patchwork Duvet Cover * Spring Flowers * Cupcakes * Tape & Threads

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I noticed just after the holidays that my fabric stash is seriously lacking two things -- purple and solids. Since then, I've been keeping my eye out for pretty purples (and solids). I just stashed these Art Gallery fabrics from Moona Fabrics and they have me wanting more!



Don't they look so pretty in the sunlight? It definitely makes me think of Spring!



Slowly I hope to add many of the purples below to my stash -- they're all Art Gallery Fabrics by Patricia Bravo, and they are all so gorgeous!



How about some more Purple & in the form of a music video? What? Yup! Check it out, Art Gallery Fabrics put together the cutest little video to showcase their new Poetica line. I love it!



Cute! Right? I'm sold and very excited to be offering the Purple & Blue colorway of Poetica right here in a new giveaway beginning Friday! Be sure to stop back!!

How about you? What color(s) are you loving these days?

Happy Wednesday, friends!!

Half Dresden Pillows : :

Even though I am on vacation, I just can't go without sharing what I've been up to here. It's become such a regular part of my day now, one that I really look forward to, that I just can't help myself!

Friday, the day before we left Pa, I finished up these two pillows for my Aunt. They are gifts for her two best friends that she exchanges gifts with each Christmas. She asked for blues, green, and yellows for both of them, and I hope they are a big hit!



Have any of you stitched up a dresden yet? It's quickly becoming one of my favorite things to do! I have a dream of turning all my stashed Anna Maria Horner fabrics into a dresden quilt just for me.



I striped the other side with coordinating fabrics.



And finished the back off with a couple of blue prints that my Aunt picked from my stash.



How about you, what have you all been working on? I'd love to see!

Shades Of Blue {and A Giveaway Winner} : :

As promised I have three new Bottled Rainbows Quilt Blocks to share today! My shades of blue.



This was challenging for me. I never realized before starting these blue blocks, how little true blue I actually have in my fabric stash and how little blue I use in my projects. This first, Indigo block is made up of the blues I have actually used. Since I think naming things always makes projects a little more fun and special, here we have ::

My Starry Night Block in Indigo.



My Snowfall Block in Ocean.



A a new favorite, my Flower Branch Birds in Turquoise.



And jusy for fun, some recently thrifted blue! I adore the pattern on these glasses. Isn't it sweet?



I also started collecting Pyrex in early Summer and have been meaning to share my pieces with you since. This is my new Snowflake Blue Mixing Bowl set. It's in beautiful shape and I absolutely love it!

How about you, is there anything you collect? Besides fabric, yarn, or craft supplies -- that's a given. :)


And now, we have a giveaway winner! 

THANK YOU to Pink Castle Fabrics for sponsoring a wonderful giveaway!! Thank You to all of you who entered! I know that not winning is not much fun at all -- my apologies for that! So, good news -- I'll be hosting a "Quilt Market Weekend Giveaway" right here beginning this Friday for a gorgeous stack of Amy Butler's new Lark Collection!!! So, be sure stop back! I think a new giveaway is such a wonderful way to end each week, I hope you think so too!

So without further ado, from the 748 entries that came in before 10 pm, Mr. Random says our lucky winner is comment #375, Melissa!!! I hope you enjoy your winnings! Both Pink Castle Fabrics and I will be in touch!

Thanks again and Happy Monday everyone!!!

Tuesday Inspiration : :

Purple + Green + Yellow + Blue

Photos via Pinterest

I really never buy purple anything for myself (for my daughter yes), but me? Nope, never. So I really surprised myself last week when I saw this lightweight, cream fabric with shades of purples, yellow, greens and blue at the fabric shop and had to bring it home. After I pulled some coordinating quilting weight cottons from my stash, right away I started sewing.



Using this palette and my new Simple Scarf Tutorial from last week, with just a few measurement adjustments, I made myself a new Fall scarf.



It's not very heavy and I like that. I'm not ready to layer on the wool until after the leaves have fallen. And, this way I can reach for it in the Spring again. The front is just an improv patchwork piecing of some of my favorite fabrics in these colors. I kept the width of the front 9" and kept piecing until the scarf length measured about 73". The back is made up of two pieces of the lightweight fabric sewn together to measure 9" x 73". I sewed the front and back pieces together right sides facing each other using a 1/2" seam allowance all the way around, turned it out, pressed and stitched all the way around again -- when finished this scarf measures 8" x 72".

It's not something I'll wear everyday. But making scarfs whether by knitting or sewing is just
so easy, quick, and satisfying it's just nice to do every once in a while, wouldn't you agree?



I'll be entering this scarf in the Wearables category of Celebrate Color. Which makes me giggle because I know that I am not a very good garment sewist. Regardless, it's fun just to join in! You should too!!!

How about you? What color combinations are you loving these days?