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

Ruby Star Wrapping : :

Have you seen that the ridiculously talented and adorable Melody Miller and Allison Tannery have a new book? Oh yeah! Ruby Star Wrapping : : Creating Packaging to Reuse, Regive, and Relove! My friend Sukie is hosting a Wrap-Along and I absolutely could not resist joining in the fun!

Melody has a wonderful post all about her new book here, on her blog Ruby Star Rising. Through so many fun and thoughtful projects, this book teaching you that super creative, thrifty and frugal, easy-to-make Anthro gift giving style that I just love! Last year I spent a small fortune on wrapping paper, tags, and ribbons, thinking I could use them to dress up those special handmade gifts. Well, this book really has it all! All those unique and beautiful ideas for gift giving that I find so special and lovely! And what's really, really awesome -- it shows you how to do just that by re-purposing and recycling many items that we all have or have access to!



When I joined in the wrap-along, my first choice project was to create a handy tote bag out of an old button down shirt. So, that's what I'll be doing for when it's my date to share in December! I have just the shirt, and a few dozen others, in mind that I think will be perfect!!

You can find all the details, prize info, and the list of talented blogger's participating in the Wrap-Along in Sukies post right here! To be ready to join in the wrap-along and contest, you can pick up the Ruby Star Wrapping book at Roostbooks, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Random House.

But first, be sure to visit Sukie for a chance to win one in her Giveaway!!

photo by Sukie

I'm adding my Ruby Star Wrap-Along button to my sidebar and I really, really hope you all follow along, join the flickr group, and the link-up party!! You'll have a chance to win some really great prizes, and Sew, Mama, Sew will also have a link-up party at the end of Wrap-along on their site so you’ll have twice the chance of winning something fun!

Don't forget to enter Sukie's Giveaway for a chance to win this amazing book!!

Happy Halloween, friends!  ♥ Maureen

Blogger's Quilt Festival : :

I decided to join in and share one of the quilts I made this year in the Blogger's Quilt Festival!

Blogger's Quilt Festival Stats : :

Finished quilt measures : : 68" x 80"
Special techniques used : : improv piecing and quilting as you go
Quilted by : : me on my home machine
Best Category : : Favorite Scrap Quilt




I chose to enter my Scrappy Improv Quilt because of what it means to me. I shared in my original post how I see this quilt as a "functional scrapbook" of all the many little projects I have made since I began to sew. When I look at it, I can see each of them, which is really special!!

Creating this little Improv Quilter is one of my most favorite sewing sessions ever! And I love seeing her in the corner when we're cuddled underneath this quilt!





I actually just packed this quilt and my others in preparation for our move. Sharing this post and looking back on how it all came together, was just the thing I needed to take the time to do today. I have been so busy packing and trying my best to keep up with everything else, it was nice break. I'm grateful now that this quilt will also be a keepsake for us to have of our time spent together in this house.



Thanks so much for stopping by today!! I encourage you to check out the other entries in the Festival, you are sure to be inspired and still have time to enter one of your own! ♥ Maureen 
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A Handmade GIVEAWAY!!!

 

Another Giveaway? YES! I decided late last week to have a handmade giveaway today for one of my own pillows. There are a couple of reasons I feel like celebrating right now...

1. My blog is very close to having 2,500 followers! And, that is just completely amazing to me! I have in so many ways had the most challenging personal two years of my life, but the most blessed two years all because of this blog, as well. I’m so grateful to all of my readers who follow, subscribe, comment, and share my posts. It's you all who keep me motivated to keep on creating and who are making so many of my dreams come true!

2. Feather Your Nest! Have you heard? It's a new sewing and stitch - along contest on Stumble & Stitches! I have been asked to join in as one of the judges, along with Ellen Luckett Baker of The Long Thread, Amanda Carestio of Lark Crafts, Rashida Coleman-Hale of I Heart Linen, Keli Faw of Drygoods Design Online,  Rachael Gander of Imagine Gnats, Kimberly Jolly of Fat Quarter Shop, Jennet Mae Jones of Feathered Nest Studio, Kristin Link of Sew Mama Sew!, and  Melanie O'Brien of A Sewing Journal. Honestly, having my name listed amongst their names for anything is reason enough for me to feel like celebrating!

There will be some amazing prizes to win in the Feather Your Nest contest. Including $150 gift certificate from Fat Quarter Shop! WOW!!


You can find all the details right here, as well as my very own "nest" being featured today on the Stumbled & Stitches blog! So what do you say?? Will you join in and welcome Spring in handmade style with us? I hope so!!

For my own Handmade Giveaway today, I thought it would be wonderful to get the chance to help "Feather Your Nest" by offering one of my handmade pillows to one of my readers. Last month for my two year Sew-iversary, I shared my new Summerlove Spring Birdie Pillow and asked you all to share your sewing story with me. I received a great response on both my pillow and with your stories, so today, I'm offering one of my Spring Birdie Pillows to one of you! This one measures a 14" square, has three little Summerlove appliqued birds, I will be including an insert, and a few other surprise goodies, too!

Enter to Win!
 
Here's how,
 
1. Simply leave a comment here in this post letting me know what you'd like to see more of here on my blog. Or, if you plan to join in the contest, you can let me know what handmade item you plan to make to "Feather Your Nest." (one entry)

2. My followers get a second entry! I thank you all SO much for following!! 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 2 possible entries! Enter now through Wednesday evening, April 18th. 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!!! Happy Monday!

Colorful Christmas News : :

This weekend there wasn't much time for sewing, except for the little bit of time I found late Saturday night to begin one last Christmas sewing project. I had stashed a few more holiday prints last week -- some Colorful Christmas, along with a some Hooty Hoot Jacks. All are Riley Blake, all from The Little Fabric Shop!

I hope to make up a few little bags for my son Jacob with most of these. He is a collector of all sorts of little things and I think he would especially like these Jacks fabrics!



I'm still deciding what to do with my colorful Christmas dresden? I scrapped my original plan and now I am thinking a large floor pillow would be fun to have. I'll be sure to show what this becomes later in the week, or possibly tomorrow!



These little hands will be here for just three weeks! I plan to squeeze and hold and tickle and love on this little girl as much as I can up until that very last moment!! Little hands, there's nothing better!



Did you see the Pink Chalk Studio Handmade with Love Holiday Tutorial contest? About a week ago I discovered it and decided to enter some of my tutorials from the year and guess what?!? I am SO excited that my Holiday Garland Pillow made the top 15!!!



My pillow is in the Deck the Halls category. There are some super great tutorials in the final fifteen, so be sure to check them out! And now it's up to the readers to determine the winner in each category and the grand prize winner. Pretty please take a minute to go vote for your favorites in each of the three category. Voting ends this Wednesday!

Wishing a Happy Monday to all!!!

Celebrate Color { Voting! }: :

Today marks the end of the Celebrate Color event hosted by Rachel of Stitched in Color, along with Emma Lamb, Mollie of Wild Olive, and Shannon of LuvintheMommyhood. As promised it was packed full of color and crafting inspiration, tutorials, and of course, contests and prizes during these past three months. I loved it for many reasons, but mostly for bringing fiber artists of all kinds, be it embroidery, crochet, knitting, quilting, home decor, and clothing all together to share and inspire each other.

I was thrilled when Rachel asked me to put together a little tutorial for a project geared towards little helping hands. As a family, we spent a weekend back in late September, just as the leaves here were turning, putting this Felt Leaf Garland Tutorial together to share here and as a guest post for Celebrate Color.



Throughout September, October, and November I made sure to have at least one item to enter. Carefully choosing what would fit the theme of celebrating with projects in full color.

In September, I chose to add both my Simple Children's Scarf (tutorial here) and my Fall Fox Pillow. I was overjoyed to learn that my Innocent Crush Fox had been chosen as a finalists and ended up winning second place in the Home Decor category that month!



In October, I entered two different items in the Wearable category. Which I truly couldn't believe myself. I am not a garment sewists at all! My only explanation would be that after Rachel's Bloggers Pillow Party, I just felt like I needed to do more than to keep making pillows. I entered my Fall Owl Tote, which I love using, and of course, My Little Red Riding Hood costume. Little Red made the finials in October, and again I took home second!! I let my daughter, Haila pick out her own flannels as our prize for some new pj's!



Now here we are at the end of November, the third final month of what turned out to be such a wonderful event to follow and join in. This month I entered my new Half Dresden Pillows in the Home Dec category and My Little Apron in the Wearables. To my complete shock and amazement, my apron was chosen as a finalist again this month!!!



I am feeling a bit of blissful deja vu, as I was a three time finalists in the Pillow Party, as well. I can not tell you how much this means to me!!! You can all vote for your favorites in all four categories until midnight tonight. Truly, I feel like I have already won!!

Thank you Rachel, Emma, Mollie, and Shannon, for creating such a wonderful event and for all the hard work and time you put into organizing the fun! And, Thank You for voting, friends! ~ Maureen

Bust My Stash : :

Just in case any of you haven't seen... The folks at AccuQuilt are currently hosting a Bust My Stash Photography Contest on their Facebook Page. The prize is so amazing that I had to share!

Here is the photo of my stash. I wish I had time to move things around and submit something a little more creative, but I can barely find the time to sew!

I just received my GO! Baby yesterday afternoon and I have to say I am blown away! I chose the Bird and two different Flower dies to go with mine and I cannot believe the stack of beautifully cut, felt applique pieces I had after just about 5 minutes of cutting with this magical machine. Plus I used only scraps! Yuppers, I am in love! Seriously.

So, when I saw the contest and that for the prize they're offering a GO! Mix and Match Starter Set, I became completely overwhelmed with greed and I had to do it! To offset any bad feeling I had from entering after already receiving my Go! Baby from the generous folks at AccuQuilt -- I thought I'd tell you all about the contest too! : )

I do have an actual project tutorial planned with my Go! Baby cutter/dies, as well as a giveaway for one right here soon! Good luck everyone and stay tuned!!!