A Rapture Making Rows Quilt : :

Happy Monday everyone, I'm excited to have a new quilt to share with you all today!



Yesterday, just before Easter dinner, Kevin and I slipped away to a pretty spot in town to take photos of my newly finished Rapture Quilt. It was such a beautiful, sunny day which certainly made for pretty, yet extra bright photos!



This quilt is made in my "making rows" style of piecing, similar to the approach I used for this favorite quilt I designed for my son Kaiden. Rather than creating an assortment of quilt blocks, I simply make rows in the length of my desired quilt, keeping symmetry and balance. My favorite parts of this one are the strips of solids I added to break up this soft-hued Rapture collection. The ultra sweet color palette is so Springy, such a perfect finish for this time of year!



Inspired by Rapture's Windswept print, I sent this one off to Melissa, Sew Shabby Quilting, to long arm quilt with her loops & swirls pattern. I'm so happy with my choice and am always so impressed with Melissa's work!



This quilt is bound in Art Gallery Fabric's Squared Element in Noir, to highlight the black bits of this quilt that I love so much!



For the back I went with my most favorite Rapture print, Wild Beauty in Pineapple, saving one row of patchwork to add in, as well!





While snapping photos of my quilt against the ashy woods and rock, if I focused in just enough, I could see little peeks of green sprouts on a few of the branches and beneath the layer of last Fall's leaves. It was encouraging to see!



Today we'll be celebrating my son Jacob, who's turning ten! I wish you all a wonderful day & happy sewing!!

♥  Maureen

A Special Fabric GIVEAWAY : :

While I wait for the snow, ahem, to melt to take photos of my newly finished Rapture quilt, my friend Pat and I thought it would be fun to have a special midweek giveaway!

 

 

Pat Bravo is the Creative Director behind Art Gallery Fabrics and Co-founder, along with her husband Walter. In 2004 Art Gallery Fabrics was born out of a desire to bring creative, chic, and modern fabrics to the quilting industry that are not only gorgeous and sophisticated in design, but the quality is like nothing else on the market! Over the years Pat has produced so many amazing collections including Summerlove, Indie, Rock 'n Romance, & Rapture just to name a few! Be sure to check out this sneak peek of her latest, NouvElle, and to visit and follow Pat here, if you're not already!

Blog  *  Instagram  *  Facebook  *  Twitter 

We hope you enjoy visiting Pat Bravo's sites!!  

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Today Pat is offering to two winners, one Half Yard bundle in one colorway each, from her gorgeous Rapture collection! This time the winner's choose their favorite, between Subtle Joy or Citric Happiness! If you visit my blog often, you know that I'm such a HUGE fan of Pat and of all things Art Gallery Fabrics! I'm so very excited to be able to share these gorgeous fabrics here with all of you, and to be able to offer this special Fabric Giveaway today! 

Enter to Win!  

Here's how,
 
1. Simply leave a comment here in this post. We'd love to know what your most favorite print is in this beautiful Rapture Collection?  (one entry)
2. Follow Pat Bravo's Blog, Instagram, or Facebook! Just let me know that you do 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, on Facebook, or Instagram. Just let me know that you do by making a separate comment here to record that entry. (optional extra entry)
4. Help spread the word!! I know that many of you already do, so I've added that as another way to enter! Whether by instagram, tweet, facebook, pin, blog, etc... (one optional entry)

That’s 4 possible entries! Enter now through Wednesday morning, April 23rd. I will pick the winner at random and I will announce their name at the bottom of this post, here on my 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!

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Thank you to all who entered the Giveaway!!

 

From 2,048 entries, Mr. Random says the lucky winners are...

    Comment #1,178 --   *  CurlyGirlMom  *  

    Comment #559 --   *  SIMPLESEW   *   

Congratulations winners, I will be in touch shortly!  

Binding Day : :

My newest Making Rows quilt arrived back home from Sew Shabby Quilting this past Friday (you can see the beginnings of this quilt here, here, and here). It is all Pat Bravo, from her lovely Rapture collection with a few coordinating Pure Element solids. 

It's backed in my favorite Wild Beauty print, with 100% cotton batting. Rather than quilting it with my machine, I sent it off to Melissa for some long arm quilty swirls and loops!

Today I'm ready to bind with an AGF Squared Element in Noir! 

Since I didn't have a solid plan when beginning this quilt, just a simple quick sketch of a few rows of pattern ideas, this one became another make-as-I-go 'throw size' quilt, my favorite size to make! With these improv style of quilts, I simply stop when I start running out of fabrics!  

On Saturday I took this unfinished quilt, along with the four others I have finished so far this year and my current Endless Summer wip, and demonstrated my quilt as you go technique at the Potter County Artisan Center Grand Opening. I got a little nervous setting up since there aren't many opportunities locally for me talk about my work, but realized quickly that when it comes to speaking about quilting, I have a lot to say! It was really fun! The experience left me with plenty to think about, and has certainly sparked in me an interest in speaking and teaching more often!

I'm quite the lonesome modern quilter here in Potter County, Pa and realize that if I were to offer sewing/quilting classes that I won't be blessed to see many of you wonderful readers. However, your feedback is always incredibly helpful! So I'm wondering, how many of you have taken a sewing/quilting class? Do you prefer an online workshop forum such as Crafty or Creative bug or do you like to attend face-to-face classes and retreats when you have the chance? How have classes added to your skills as a quilter?

Thank you in advance for sharing with me today! 

♥  Maureen

Quilt Top Snapshops : :

Today, once my etsy order making was done, I pulled out my Rapture quilt rows and got to work, taking lots & LOTS of photos as I pieced and pressed! While I couldn't quite remember the order I had previously decided on for each finished column, in no time at all I had a new complete quilt top! One that might just be even better that my original idea, who knows!

I'm sending this one off to Melissa to add these adorable loops & swirls, a choice completely inspired by Rapture's Windswept print!

This will be my fifth quilt finish of the year and it's only the beginning of the forth month, woohoo! I do love meeting goals and even more, surpassing them!

♥  Maureen

Thoughts on Improv : :

After spending most of March working on both my Winter's Garden and Winter Herringbone quilts to finish in planning with my week of giveaways this last week, it's now time for me to begin some new projects and to revisit some waiting to be finished!



My Rapture quilt is next in line to complete! It began as a second "Making Rows" quilt idea that has changed quite a bit from my original sketch. I so love having the freedom to dream up my pattern as I go without restraint. It's how I work best! Improvisational is the style of quilting that I most enjoy, that feels the most natural & creative to me personally, and is where I'm most comfortable within the quilting genre.



I've been thinking about my approach to quilting so much lately, especially since the request for me to release a pattern or kit for each new quilt I finish has become so common. My unplanned way of making most of the quilts I do is the reason you haven't seen me release many quilt patterns these last two years. Surely that's the downside, the not being able to share more how-to's and offering patterns for sale. If I'm being open and honest today I do need to share, my hope is that even though I don't offer many chances for you to make the same quilts I make, that my creativity, my enthusiasm for producing unique quilts, for photography, and for my love of beautiful fabrics might inspire you to be more adventurous in your own artistry.

Today I would love a little feedback! What would you like to see? More pattern releases, tutorials, more of the same?

And how about you, how do you feel about Improv quilting?

Project Pile Up : :

Last week I had so many projects going on at once, and to give you a good understanding of my situation, I thought I'd share a little project show and tell today! First I should remind you, I've never been one to have just one or two projects going, but after a couple weeks full of many things that kept me more running around in circles and caused much less time for sewing, things got a little busy!













My Diamond & Zigs Zag Minimalista quilt, a new making rows quilt in Rapture, new fox pillows finished with Chromatics Pointelle, pillows to match my flower crowns (more on that this week), last minute Valentine's decorating & crafting. And, that's not all!  Each day on average I have about four Birthday Crowns orders to fill, felt to cut and organize, several new quilt projects in progress awaiting pictures, surprise gifts to make, let's leave out all the computer work, it's endless! Good thing I love sewing so, so much!

So how about you, when it comes to sewing, are you able to stick to just one or two projects at a time, working start to finish? Or, like me, do you sometimes take on too much?

In Rapture : :

I've been waiting a few weeks now for the right time to cut into my Rapture bundle, the latest and incredibly beautiful collection by designer Pat Bravo. As soon as this bundle arrived I had sketched out my plan, but with how unusually busy and stressful these last few weeks have been for me, all of my quilting plans kept getting pushed back a little further and further. In these cold February days, with plenty of white and grey outside the door, it's most definitely easy to feel a little gloomy at this point. And so it became a must...it was time, finally, for Rapture!



rap·ture /ˈrapCHər/ noun 1. a feeling of intense pleasure or joy. synonyms: bliss, elation, joy, enchantment, delight, happiness, pleasure, and more.

Those words sound lovely, so much better than their antonyms: unhappiness, despair, gloom, dislike, sorrow, etc.. And the colors of Rapture , SO pretty & refreshing!









Amidst all the cold and the snow, these sometimes dreary days, and the amount of work I've yet to do, I'm extra appreciative to have this project to work on when I need it, to bring me joy, and to keep me smiling this week!



Wishing you all February joys and a lovely new week!   ♥  Maureen

Rapture Quilt Planning : :

Yesterday after finishing a few crown orders I continued work on the two quilts I've recently started, a "Diamond Zig Zig" using AGF's Minimalista and a "Follow the Arrow" quilt with my Blogger's choice bundle for the Fat Quarter Shop. I'm getting close to having finished quilt tops for the both of them, which means it's time to start planning out my next project! I just might love this part the most -- the planning, the sketching, and the beginning!



This time I'll be using Pat Bravo's newest fabric debut, Rapture. With supplies this beautiful I'm bound to end up with something wonderful! I love every single fabric in this collection, especially Pat's Wild Beauty print. These fresh colors with that little touch of black is excellent!



I'll add in this pretty stack of Art Gallery Pure Element Solids that coordinate with Rapture perfectly!



I recently received Pat's very own collection of Aurifil 50wt cotton thread kits that she's designed to match up with her fabric collection colors. Having such an amazing assortment to pull from is going to make for some very fun & colorful quilting!





I quickly sketched out the beginnings of my Rapture quilt earlier this week, a second Making Rows Quilt idea! I can't wait!!



How about you, are you planning to start any new quilting projects this weekend?

♥ Maureen  

You can find Rapture and Pure Elements solids currently available for sale in the following shops -- Pink Castle Fabrics, Fat Quarter Shop, The Intrepid Thread, and Stash Fabrics!

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 this special Fabric Giveaway today I'm teaming up with my very sweet and talented friend Pat Bravo to offer TWO wonderful Fat Quarter bundles of Art Gallery Fabric's Rapture collection -- so beautifully designed by Pat and happens to be my new favorite collection!!  

We've selected the Citric Happiness colorway to offer today, including TEN Fat Quarters of each print in pretty shades of pink, yellow, and aqua blues!

Enter to Win!
 
Here's how,

1. Simply leave a comment here under this post letting me know what you'd love to stitch up with this beautiful bundle? (one entry) 
2. For a second entry you can follow Pat Bravo on Instagram or on Facebook, just let me know that you do 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, on Instagram, or on Facebook, just let me know that you do by making a separate comment here to record that entry. (optional extra entry) 
4. 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... (optional extra entry) 

That’s 4 possible entries! Enter now through Friday evening, December 13th. A Random # generator will pick theTWO winners 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!
                                     

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Thank you to all who entered the Giveaway!!

   From 2,627 entries, Mr. Random says the lucky winners are... 

Comment #1625 --   * Deb (Two Cheeky Monkeys) *
    Comment #584 --   * leestar  *    

Congratulations! I will be in touch shortly! 

Sewing Room New : :

On Sunday, before packing, I wanted to get a head start on crossing somethings off of my holiday sewing list! I started with this full apron using my Wallflowers Charm Pack, the new collection by Allison of Cluck Cluck Sew for Windham Fabrics. I picked out just a few 5" charms for my patchwork top and finished the bottom in a green cotton solid & a holiday print from my stash. I love making aprons and have been wanting to play around with full size patterns, so this was fun!

I also finished up a few more Chicopee quilt blocks! I love this block in these fabrics and was so tempted to keep them for a quilt this time, but patchwork pillows they will be! I plan to finish them up early next week to list in my shop!



Fox pillows, SO many crowns, and some newly ordered packaging supplies completely took over my sewing room last week!







I received a happy fabric mail package from Art Gallery Fabrics including this gorgeous bundle of Rapture, the brand new collection by Pat Bravo. These will definitely become a quilt! They are so, so pretty, my new favorite collection for sure!!





And, Haila made me this sweet, quilt binding Christmas tree, with a little Aurifil Thread tree topper! I love it!!



Happy Sewing!! ♥  Maureen