Blogger's Quilt Festival -- ROYGBIV : :

One year ago today I shared my Bloggers Quilt Festival post, entering my Scrappy Improv Quilt into the Favorite Scrap Quilt Category. My entry was one of only a few quilts I had finished since I began sewing, and was the only finished piece I really had to enter. When my quilt actually made it into the final five voting stage, I was so thrilled! A year ago I wasn't a confident quilter at all. I struggled with following quilt patterns and even more with turning my own quilt pattern ideas into tangible quilts. Entering and receiving such a positive reply was one of the big uplifts I received that encouraged me to keep on trying. This year, I'm excited to be able to enter two quilts into the Bloggers Quilt Festival. Two that I'm really proud of mostly because to me they symbolize the growth and progress I've made as a quilter this year!

First, I'm entering my Butterfly Quilt into the ROYGBIV category. This one started as a late night idea, quickly sketched out, and then Instagrammed!







It's made with lots of fussy cut butterflies from Anna Maria Horner fabrics and Valori Well's Cocoon collection, along with AGF Pure Element solids. My idea was to use the rainbow of color beginning with the earthy, muddy colors to those shiny & bright and all the butterflies to illustrate metamorphosis and growth. More than anything I just wanted it to be pretty, since it's a Christmas present for my niece who's four! Haha











Quilt Stats

name: A Butterfly Quilt
size: 43" x 60"
fabrics: Art Gallery Pure Element solids, Anna Maria Horner Field Study & Loulouthi, and Valori Wells Cocoon
quilting: a dense wavy stitch using Aurifil dark gray 50wt for all the quilting at the bottom, an Aurifil bright, lemon yellow 50wt throughout the center, finished with a bright white 50wt on the top portion of my quilt
backing: Anna Maria Horner Loulouthi Clippings
binding: Pure Element Solids in Crystal Pink, Raspberry Rose, & London Red

Tomorrow I'll be back with my second entry! How about you, are you entering this year?

Happy quilting! ♥ Maureen

A Butterfly Quilt : :

Last Thursday evening, before the busyness of a long holiday weekend and anticipated rain, we took my finished Butterfly Quilt to the church garden for a quick photo shoot. The assortment of red and pink blooms was the backdrop I had decided on before this quilt was even finished, it was so pretty!



This Butterfly Quilt is a request from my 4 yr old niece, Molly, and is one of several I'm making for all my children, nieces, & nephews before the holidays. I'm pretty certain that Molly will appreciate this rainbow of color, as well, so I'm super excited!!

 
It was just about three weeks ago that I had sketch out my pattern and gathered up my stash of butterfly fabrics -- Valorie Well's Cocoon and Anna Maria Horner's Loulouthi & Field Study, along with a spectrum of Art Gallery Pure Element Solids. 



It all came together pretty quickly with some fussy cutting of the butterfly prints, a little playing around with the mix of solids, and the excitement of appliqueing those soaring butterflies. After finishing up my Applique Art Quilt, I knew Molly's Butterfly Quilt would have to have more of those!



I quilted with a dense wavy stitch, which is both fun and forgiving! This time rather then using an Aurifil variegated thread for all my quilting -- I tried something new, still keeping with that multicolored look and used an Aurifil dark gray 50wt from the Tula Pink collection for all the quilting at the bottom, an Aurifil bright, lemon yellow 50wt throughout the center, and finished with a bright white 50wt on the top portion of this quilt.



The binding, which I shared a peek of here, is made up of a variety of AGF Pure Elements from Crystal Pink to London Red. It's scrappy, pretty, & very pink! I think Molly will especially like the pink parts of her quilt!





The back is finished with one very large piece of Anna Maria Horner's Loulouthi Clippings print and I kept my bobbin a dark grey Aurifil to blend in nicely. Those beautiful roses definitely decided my binding choice!!



I can't wait to see Molly with her Aunt Maureen-made Quilt!



♥   Maureen

HOMEmade -- A Butterfly Appliqued Curtain : :

Making a curtain is a super satisfying thing, it always leaves me with a good feeling! Besides being so simple, it's functional and likely more affordable to go the handmade curtain route. Of course, we LOVE that!



I'm hoping at least a few of you understand just how tricky it might have been to take a photograph of a hanging curtain, on a bright winter day, in a not-so-large bedroom, with a not-so-wide camera lens? It wasn't easy and I can't say that I ever really figured it out. When I went through my pictures I was a little disappointed, it looks so much prettier in real life, I promise! Yet my dedication to sharing my first "HOMEmade" project for this new home of ours pressed on, and I really hope you like it!



I only made one curtain and I'm still trying to decide if this window really needs two? What do you think?

This one was made with some simple, large improv piecing of several Pure Element solids from my stash and scraps left over from this qayg project, one of my favorite Summerlove prints Daydreaming in Sunshine (still available at @Hawthorne, Moona, & FQS), and a second curtain layer made up of lots of LillyBelle Garden Rocket in Turquoise.



I love seeing that sweet LillyBelle print peek through! Still the appliqued layer can be lifted or swept to the side, once we choose a Tie-Back, to reveal that gorgeous print. I chose to do it this way just for fun really, I thought the layers would look really sweet and girly, plus I knew we wouldn't reverse the finished drape often.



I added a quick Butterfly applique to match my girl's bedding!



Machine stitched with an Aurifil 12WT in a brown, and a hand-stitched loop-de-loop with pearl cotton floss.



It was a lot of fun to make this curtain and is definitely not the worst thing in the world to finish something and the only struggling part be the photographing that comes after!



When we first moved in I loved all the white shutters on the windows so much, I was rather opposed to having curtains on most of them. It was so lovely to see clearly outside! But now that we're deep into the winter months it's feeling a little bare. If I find time and a stronger urge in the weeks ahead, a few more windows in this home might just get a treatment after-all -- we'll see if I improve!  ♥, Maureen

Sketch Finishing & Beginning : :

On Saturday morning, even though Friday night my children all promised me we would sleep in if I would just let them stay up a little later than they have been on school nights, we were all up just after 7. I woke up thinking that my plan had backfired - BIG time! They needed more sleep, I was promised more sleep! But we started our day, ate breakfast, and decided we would spend the morning drawing together while we wait for the sunshine.

I was wrong. It was perfect. And, although I wasn't sleeping, I looked around at my children creating next to me and down at the paper in front of me, and it truly felt like a dream world!

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Cocoon Sketching : :

Just as soon as the rest of my fabric arrives, I plan a fabric parade post! Hooray!! The only reason I asked about sharing it is because I went a bit over-board this last month, yes I'm feeling a tad guilty and even a little embarrassed about how much. Retail therapy at it's finest! 

Well, my gorgeous bundle of Valori Wells Cocoon has been patiently waiting for some action for a while now. Aren't they pretty?! 



When I placed my order with Sprightly Fabrics, I had this very specific idea in mind for a fussy cut mini quilt. Well, last night I finally got out my pencils and sketchbook, sat down, and sketched it out. Oh boy, it felt really, really good, to just sit and draw.

I had to look back through my archives to see when or if I ever shared a drawing here, and all I found was this post from March of 2010! How funny that the next post was the first time I started sewing, which of course explains why that was the one and only drawing shared!



Drawing was my whole life before I had kids. Since I was a small child I wanted to be an illustrator. For Disney when I was really little, then for Top Cow when I was a young teenager, and then for myself when I was a bit older. For the last couple of years before I had Kaiden, I was really into portrait work. Then I become a Mama and I just stopped. For the most part, all the drawing I have done since has been for my kiddos and their cousins and their friends.



I knew the day would come when I would just feel like drawing again. Honestly, I was sure it would be when my littles were all in school. I was right!



I'm a little rusty, but boy did it feel good! I've had this idea since I hung that swatch from Julie up on my wall.  Finally getting it out on paper felt really good, too. It's such a meaningful drawing for me right now, with what I'm going through. Drawing brought such comfort, just as it always did before.



I stashed a little more of my favorite Cocoon print from the Intrepid Thread, and have plans to turn this idea into something sewn today. Well, just as soon as I fix my botched tote bag from yesterday! Yes, I ended up going with a tote after all. I decided on something I could finish and hopefully sell. Then I messed up the lining at the very end. In my scatter-brained state, I must have measured wrong and so I need to re-do it. So much for a quick finish, right?!



As for my Cocoon sketch, I plan to finish it when my drawing partner is home and ready, but this is how I left it for now. I'm excited to begin to share this side of myself here and to see what happens when I start combining my love for sewing with my drawing. I hope you'll enjoy it, too!



Today I'll leave you with a sweet and fitting quote from Hans Christian Andersen -- "Just living is not enough," said the butterfly, "one must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower."  

And wish a happy Thursday to all!!  ♥  Maureen 

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Butterfly Garden Pillow(s) : :

Remember this? From about a week and a half ago. or so.

It was inspired by this Chevron Patchwork Lampshade. I LOVE patchwork anything and am really drawn to these colors lately. Before the lampshade was even shipped, I put this block together. I knew it would become a pillow, no surprise there, right?

And, I knew that block would become a butterfly with some sketch stitch details.

My plan was to make a few more scrappy patchwork pin cushions out of what remained from the block. I started piecing my scraps together, and instead -- I ended up with yet another pillow!

A surprise pillow! That I actually like better than the butterfly pillow I was envisioning all along. I love when that happens, don't you?

For the moment, for picture purposes and until I find a new base for it, I made a temporary spot for my new shade. Do you remember this chair? It was kinda-sorta supposed to be mine, but my cat sleeps in it all day, every day! At least now I have my new lampshade -- please tell me you see the likeness to my pillow design?

And, two new pillows!

Although, I think these are actually headed to my etsy ((smile)) and I can't decide if they are Blogger Pillow Party worthy? I really want to submit something special this month -- since it is the last month and I have had a pillow chosen for the final nine every other month and have yet to win. Oh, and have you seen the prize? Check it out and then you'll really understand why I am stressing over choosing the right pillow. LOL

Let me know what you think! o.k. And, be honest! I have a couple more weeks to make something else.   

: ) Maureen

p.s.  My Sketch Stitch Owl Pillows are being featured on My Owl Barn -- have a look!

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