The Fleet & Flourish Blog Tour : : Christopher Thompson

Today's Fleet & Flourish Blog Tour guest is my friend, modern quilter & blogger, Christopher Thompson ~ The Tattooed Quilter. I'm so excited to share his work here on my blog! Christopher's style of quilting is refreshing, contemporary, inspirational -- I could go on and on! He's an absolute master mini quilt maker and I was so hoping to see one made with the Fleet & Flourish bundle I sent him to create with! Combining tiny squares of my prints with Art Gallery Fabric's brand new, super soft, high quality denim from the AGF Denim Studio, Chris made this Appalachian Mountain Mini, inspired by the new Broadway musical, Bright Star and the mountains he calls home. I LOVE it!!





I was very excited to see my Roadside Guides print used as binding! I will definitely be using this print to bind my own Fleet & Flourish quilt projects!



As someone who really loves quilt photography, the photos Chris took of his work inspired me just as much as the work itself! There's so much more to see on his blog, HERE, so be sure to hop on over!

I continue to be amazed and inspired by my friends Fleet & Flourish projects, I hope you are too! Below is the list of participants, I hope you take the time to check them all out!

Here's a scheduled list of the talented folks that are sharing their Fleet & Flourish projects! 

Feb 22nd ~ Amy Friend : During Quiet Time { Blog & Instagram }

Feb 23rd ~ Heidi Staples : Fabric Mutt { Blog & Instagram }

Feb 24th ~ Amy Smart : Diary of a Quilter { Blog & Instagram }

Feb 25th ~ Amanda Jean: Crazy Mom Quilts { Blog & Instagram }

Feb 26th ~ Brooke Sellmann : Silly Mama Quilts { Blog & Instagram } Visit Maureen Cracknell Handmade for a Fleet & Flourish GIVEAWAY with Lady Belle Fabrics!!

Feb 29th ~ Amber Carillo : One Shabby Chick { Instagram & Blog }

March 1st ~ Nicke Cutler : Kiss Kiss Quilt { Instagram & Blog }

March 2nd ~ Nicole Daksiewicz : Modern Handcraft { Instagram & Blog }

March 3rd ~ Christopher Thompson : the Tattooed Quilter { Instagram & Blog }

March 4th ~ Alexis Wright : My Sweet Sunshine { Blog & Instagram } Visit Maureen Cracknell Handmade for a Fleet & Flourish GIVEAWAY with Llama Fabrics!!

March 7th ~ Jessica Stewart : Izzy & Ivy Designs { Blog & Instagram }

March 8th ~ Stephanie Kendron : Modern Sewciety { Blog & Instagram }

March 9th ~ Heather Bostic : House of A La Mode // Citizens of Textile { Instagram }

March 10th ~ Ali Brorsen : Because of Brenna { Blog, Facebook, & Instagram }

March 11th ~ Melissa Kelley : Sew Shabby Quilting { Blog, Facebook, & Instagram } Visit Maureen Cracknell Handmade for a Fleet & Flourish GIVEAWAY with the Intrepid Thread!!

March 14th ~  Maureen Cracknell Handmade { Blog, Facebook, & Instagram }

Be sure to stop back tomorrow for more inspirational projects and an amazing Giveaway with Llama Fabrics! ♡ Maureen   

With Purple : :

Today I ship out the biggest box I could find filled to the brim with weeks worth of secret project making, so much hard work, and most of all excitement & pride. I can't wait to be able to share more with all of you very soon! There's such a wonderful release that comes after checking that final task off a lengthy to-do list. This one called for some celebrating, and insanely enough for me that means more sewing! Well, some carefree sewing for one of my very favorite little people, my niece Sylvia who LOVES her some purple! During a FaceTime chat, with her expert taste & guidance, I pulled a new collection of fabrics from my stash to make her a little baby doll quilt with just enough purple to gain her approval. I promised that if she had her Mama check this blog today when she woke up (Hawaii time) I'd have pictures waiting here to show her. So here I am today, sharing my newest baby doll quilt, with purple!



Since I don't really have many purple prints in my stash, a lavender binding and purple backing fabric was key!





Just like the first, I made this doll quilt in a sleeping bag style to fit one or two dolls comfortably!





Besides being super cute and an enjoyable sew, these doll quilts make great practice for new patchwork ideas. I think this design is destined to become a larger quilt, soon!



Happy sewing! ♡ Maureen

p.s. I love you, Sylvia!

A Littlest Doll Quilt : :

Working from the fat quarter bundle of Art Gallery Fabric's adorable nursery collection Littlest that I stashed quite sometime ago, I stitched up this mini/doll quilt Friday morning for my niece Josie's birthday gift.



I love mini quilts, but somehow have only made one other, my Valentine mini a couple years back.

This one began with a framed fussycut, adorable bunny duo from the Littlest main print, Furry Tales from the Into the Rose Woods colorway.



Next I used the Magic 8 Method for making speedy half-square triangles to create this sweet Sawtooth star block for the center for my quilt.





The rest came together quick! I finished with a large wavy quilting stitch and some yellow & white binding.



The back is finished with a fat quarter of my favorite Littlest's Magical Prairie Moon Panel, so super cute!



I'm quite happy with how this little doll quilt turned out, and so was the belated birthday girl. I'm really looking forward to making many more mini's!

♥ Maureen

Home Sewing : :

I've been talking about making something with a hot air balloon design for months and months now. I had to laugh at all the comments I read last week under my Skull Quilt post, about it looking like a hot air balloon! Especially since I was working on this little wip in between reading them. Hopefully this looks like a hot air balloon house... that is the idea anyways!



With my mind completely consumed with thoughts of our first home, I thought this design was a fun idea! It's going to end up being a new floor pillow cover for the kids. We've been using our Fly A Kite floor pillow so much! So, I think a stack of large pillows will be really nice and cozy for laying around the fireplace this winter.

My husband thought I should have rounded out the bottom corners of the house. Of course, he's right, but has also never sewn curves before, so...



Ever since I made that last Quilted Tote Bag, I wanted to make something for us in a similar color palette.



So, I pulled some of my favorite Pat Bravo fabrics from my stash and got to work.



This is one my new favorite prints! It's Sahara Stars in Blue from the Bazaar Style by Pat. I finally ordered it and think it is so beautiful and dreamy, I love it!!



And, had already ordered a few new Pure Element solids from Moona Fabrics and Art Gallery that were perfect. I am slowly building up my solids stash. Aren't these colors lovely?



Hoping to spend this rainy day making a dent in my stack of wips. Happy sewing!! ♥,  Maureen 

p.s. I just got word that my sponsor Project Anthologies is having a HUGE ONE DAY SALE! Enter coupon code :: happy40 at checkout and get 40% ALL fabric purchases!!! WOW!

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Improv Kite Mini Quilt : :

I haven't seen much sewing time this weekend, besides more birthday crown making, but I did finished my newest, little mini quilt. It's made up from the scraps left over from my Fly A Kite Pillows and what I had left over from that gorgeous Fly A Kite fabric stack. All that's left now are a few scraps and these three...



I kept with the Kite theme again for this project. I am noticing a trend here with some of my projects -- the quilt I made for my sister, my last mini, and on our new aprons. Several years ago, I went through a dream analysis phase after having the same recurring dream for a few months. I was in a field of calla lilies, wearing white, flying a kite. The wind kept changing from calm to strong and I kept holding on. Of course, I had to learn all about it!



I learned that to dream of flying can symbolize a desire to be free from problems and enjoy a more carefree and adventurous lifestyle. The kite symbolizes the same connotations, a desire to be free in your life, except in a more controlled way. Just as a kite is tethered by a string, you fly, but can never let go completely.



Since my sharing post a few weeks back, I've gone through some major ups and downs. I've wanted to share an update here, but decided to wait until I have it all figured out. I've been feeling like that kite for a while now, flying against the wind, getting further away as the wind gets stronger. Well, a week from today I'm headed to Hershey Medical Center here in Pa. Where I'm hoping to finally get all the answers. So many of you have been sending me sweet messages and prayers, I appreciate it all so much. Thank you! I am feeling much better this week, and you may have noticed -- I'm staying extra busy and very motivated to keep on creating! Many thanks to all of you!

Today, I'm wishing you all a wonderful, healthy, and productive start to your own week!! ♥ Maureen

This Week : :

Here's a little peek at some (yes, just some) of the making that has been happening. I've been staying very busy!! I hope to have some finishes to share next week!

Birthday Crowns! With a few new favorites.





Plans! Another raw edge applique project in the works.



Improv Mini Quilt making! I started a new one using the scraps left from my Fly A Kite Pillows. I had a lot of fun with the machine quilting on this one! And, I hand-quilting on the kite strings last night.




Fox Pillows! And lots of them!!



Retro Flowers! This is for the Love circle of do. Good Stitches. It was a challenge for me, it took me forever, and I now I am seeing just how imperfect it is. Rachel? Jacey?



Giveaway! The Fly A Kite Giveaway continues until tomorrow morning, when a new one begins -- this time for Loulouthi! Five yards or ten 1/2 yards to one lucky reader, sponsored by Modern Fabric Studio.



Wishing you all a wonderfully productive day!!

xo, Maureen

An Improv Valentine Mini Quilt : :

Hooray, I finished up my mini quilt just in time for Valentine's day!



I added some black and white binding as planned, although I did mess this part up to tell the truth. I must have been thinking of bunting making while I was cutting, piecing, and pressing my binding because when I finished I had made a double folded role of binding? The type I'd use for bunting making, not quilt binding?? I decided just to work with it and I think it turned out just fine.



I hand stitched it on using some of my very favorite red & white baker's twine. I think it adds a sweet little touch and matches the baker's twine pom pom Heart Felt Garland I made for our fireplace last year.



My favorite part of this mini is definitely the pieced heart! Of course, I'll never get tired of seeing red & aqua together.



The more I look at the reverse side of my mini, the more I like this side, too! It's a little dark, but I'm happy with the way it looks like a simple sketch.



This was a fun project for sure! A nice new little Valentine's Day decoration, but not too themed that I'll need to put it away right away. I think decorating with sweet, red hearts and "love" themed projects is perfectly acceptable all year round, don't you agree? I do still have plans to make this pieced heart pillow by Anna very soon!

Making these improv blocks and mini quilts is some of the most fun I have ever had sewing and making, ever!!



Yes, I quite like these mini quilts! I actually started a new one yesterday that I can't wait to share later in the week!

Happy Monday, friends!

Shenanigans...

Wow! Such a busy week already and it's only Wednesday! Today I have a Dr.'s appointment out of town, but before I go I thought I'd share some of what's keeping me busy and making me happy this week!

After seeing my Mr. Fox the other day, my friend Rachael messaged me interested in a Mr. Fox of her very own. Well, of course I follow her blog and see all the lovely things she makes. It's possible she sews more than I do, as crazy as that may be!! So, we decided on a trade!



Where I received the most perfect 241 bag, made with some of my very favorite fabrics at the moment (Aunt Edna & Washi). I think this trade was definitely tilted in my favor! Thank you so much Rachael!! I seriously LOVE this bag!! You can find more photos here.



This week I also received a little fabric mail! These colorful stashes came from Pink Castle Fabrics and The Intrepid Thread. I went shopping for solids and this is what I ended up with? It's hopeless, I am such a pattern girl!



Our piggy friend, Abner came back to visit! He's gotten twice as big since the last time he stopped by. He did an amazing job cleaning all the crumbs off my kitchen floor. Thank you Abner!



I've been slowly adding that hand stitching to my Little Folks Garden quilt. It's so nice to have a project like this to pick up when we're watching movies. Getting to lounge around with these layers of voile on my lap feels like heaven and the handwork keeps me from eating all the popcorn! Which perhaps is a win for everyone!



And, finally I can add a finish to my list this week! My Valentine mini is bound and ready to hang, pictures to come soon. I decided to use a Seuss black & white stripe after-all, and even made enough to add another project to my list -- Valentine bunting! You know me, I can't cross a project off the list without adding one, too!



So, now you have to tell me! What are you up to???   Happy Wednesday, friends!

Mini Quilt Progress : :

First I need to shamelessly point out all of the changes that I made to my blog last night, just in case you don't notice! hehe What do you think? It honestly felt like it took me forever, but was so long overdue! I still have lots to add/change/update, but I think it looks less messy and much more colorful, so I'm happy. :) And, I want to say thank you for all the well wishes you left me on my Riley Blake news! We're very excited!

Today I have a little Valentine's mini quilt progress to share...



I started quilting it and quickly became very stuck? My plan has always been to piece the quilt top and then to do some sketch-y type quilting with black thread, similar to the way I've done fmq over my applique pillows. After I added the black stitching, it still looked very plain and I knew I needed to add more quilting in all that aqua space. Thankfully Jacey was there to help!



I do like the way the back looks like a simple drawing!



I decided to keep it simple and add some swirly designs throughout the sky.  

What do you think? What would you have done?





I'm still not sure if I should be done with the quilting, but I have some time to figure it out while I wait for my binding fabric to arrive. I look forward to hearing your ideas!

It's starting to look like Valentine's Day in my favorite corner!



I'm off to finish up this weeks birthday crown orders and then work on my Scrappy Quilt! I can't wait to show you how that one's coming together!!

p.s. Tomorrow I'll be having a new fabric giveaway sponsored by Moona Fabrics! Here's a peek. Be sure to stop back!!