A Soulful QAYG Quilt Top : :

Just about two weeks ago I started this new Quick Quilt As You Go using a combination of Soulful fabric strings and large triangle cuts of my Soulful print, Floral Universe Plum.



This new qayg is so much fun! The large Floral Universe triangles make quick work of these 12.5" (unfinished) blocks and took just a single work days worth of sewing to have this quilt top to share!



This new block is an even faster sew than my go-to herringbone qayg that I so often use since it's such a quick make and because that scrappy look will forever be my very favorite! The simple addition of a focal print with the two directions of the fabric strings is a really fun variation!



I'm so busy these days working on the new studio and preparing for this month's Quilt Market, that I don't have time to put together a pattern to share. Now this morning I've decided that I'm not quite sure that I'm done with this quilt top just yet. Currently it measures 48" x 72" and I don't think I like this size. After looking through the photos I took I last week, I'm leaning towards shelving this one for a little while, and when I have the time I'd like to add one more row of blocks to each side to make a 72" square throw quilt. What do you think?



This full shot gives you the best look. Let me know what you think, I always appreciate your thoughts!

This morning I'm heading out to the hardware store and back to the studio to finish painting the walls again, after a big paint mix-up/set back yesterday. I plan to snap some photos to share with you all soon!

xo Maureen

An Autumn Herringbone Quilt : :

Can you believe it was just last Thursday that I shared this new QAYG idea and by Sunday night this quilt was finished! This pattern is that quick and I'll be sharing the tutorial for it on Monday, if all goes well this weekend.



But for today, I just want to share my pretty, new finished quilt. I love it so much! It's like my own personal, cozy library of Anna Maria Horner fabrics. There is such harmony in her collections, and this quilt includes at least a few strings from nearly all that I have stashed over the years!



The warmth and boldness of Anna's colors feel like Autumn to me, so I backed this one with her soft Folksy Flannel, and named it my Autumn Herringbone Quilt to leave on the sofa for the season.

Keeping with that theme I chose a very Fall-ish variegated thread by Aurifil, my favorite, for all of my quilting and for when I machine stitched on my AMH scrappy binding!





Here in Potter County we are just about a week away from when the Fall foliage is in full flourish. One of our most favorite spots to see the beauty of this season is at a lookout just a fifteen minute drive from our house. I couldn't dream of a better backdrop for this quilt! We figured we were a little early to catch peak viewing time for the vibrant Autumn foliage, but it was worth the try!



The sun was bright and changing fast, and we left with just a few good shots. I wish you could have been there!



Back at home I took a few more close up photos to share just how pretty this quilt is! My favorites are those strings of Anna's extra soft voile & flannel and I love this scrappy binding!







I'm already ready to make another!! How about you, do you think you'll give this pattern a try?

♥  Maureen

A Diamond Strings Quilt : :

My Rock 'n Romance Diamond Strings Quilt As You Go quilt is finished! We made several stops on our drive and around town to get these photos to share here today. Yesterday turned out to be such a beautiful day, with the sun shining bright but always changing, casting sunbeams, spots, and shadows on so many of my pictures. In the end I think this is just one of those quilts that's beauty shows best in person, but I tried my best!



This is the second quilt I've made using Pat Bravo's Rock 'n Romance fabric collection. The first was made for Pat to use in her  R 'n R promotional ads & video, and was quilted by the amazing Angela Walters. I haven't seen it finished, in person, but I do remember watching this fun video by Fat Quarter Shop from quilt market and then the shock that followed after hearing my name mentioned! If you watch it be sure to notice all that beautiful quilting!!

Well, after having my skull quilt featured in such a special way, I've been waiting for the perfect quilt idea to strike, one worthy to use up the rest of my R 'n R stash. Then a couple weeks ago while deciding which fabrics to use for my niece Ceci's quilt I kept going back to my stack of Rock 'n Romance and eventually sketched out my new quilt idea.

The rectangle blocks are made using the same technique I'll be sharing in my next tutorial -- combining cotton batting as my foundation and quilt as you go. Once squared up, the large rectangle blocks measure  10" x 18" and the blocks made with both strings and Pure Element solids measure 10" x 14." 





I wanted to create an ombre color-blocking effect using both pink & purple solids at the top and bottom of this quilt, and I love the end result! It made it difficult deciding which edge should be the top, just for picture taking sake, but it doesn't really matter with this pattern. Any way goes!

It's bound using AGF's newest blender, Squared Elements in both Fuchsia and Watermelon. From my Tula Pink Aurifil collection, I pulled a 40wt variegated thread that matches my binding fabric choice perfectly!



Here you can see the pretty decorative stitches I added using several more colors of Aurifil, along with a few of the built-in stitches my Janome offers. I love those special details!





I can't wait to give this quilt to Ceci! Now that this one is finished and Sylvia's Tule Sunset is on it's way to Sew Shabby Quilting, I have just four quilts left to make before Christmas! A "Princess Castle" quilt for Josie, a Superhero quilt for Ben, one for my oldest niece Kiele, and one for my Kaiden who has such grand ideas his quilt alone could take me as long as it's taken me to make the seven I'm considering finished. But I'm excited for the challenge!

This promise to make my children, nieces, & nephews all a quit this year has bettered me in so many ways. It truly is amazing!!

Thanks so much for stopping by today -- Have a great day!!  ♥  Maureen

Penelope Quilt Love : :

This weekend I finished up two quilts, my Rock 'n Romance Diamond Strings & my Herringbone QAYG! Today, I'm taking them both with me on a little road trip, along with some hope that the sun might shine for pretty picture taking. Wish me luck!!

Throughout the making of my Herringbone quilt I was careful to take lots of pictures for my tutorial, and Penelope was right there with me. Looking through my pictures this morning, they were too cute not to share just a few of them!







She's a little shaggy & ready for a new haircut, but isn't she sweet?! She seems to love this quilt and Lily definitely loves the cozy, Folksy flannel I used for it's backing. Hopefully they'll learn to share!

Well, in addition to my etsy makings and all the quilty goodness I've been sharing here recently, I've also been working on more publication work. This was another goal of mine for this Fall and it's all very exciting for me! So when my friends at Future asked if I wanted to share a special subscription offer to their new magazine Love, Patchwork & Quilting with all of you, I jumped!!

I have a special UK subscription offer of 3 issues for £5 to share, along with special US launch rates for my domestic friends right HERE! All subscription orders placed by the 27th of September will start with issue 1 of the magazine, where you'll get to see one of my favorite projects in print!

Be sure to stop back tomorrow to see a new finished quilt!!  

Happy Monday, friends!  ♥  Maureen

A New QAYG : :

In my last post I shared that I had a new quilt-as-you-go idea that came to me while making my Rock 'n Romance QAYG string quilt blocks using batting as my foundation. These blocks square up to 10" x 18", which works great for the diamond pattern I'm creating for this quilt pattern! 



But I had asked myself, "what if I just keep going to make extra long quilt-as-you-go string quilt blocks?" That could make one gorgeous herringbone, chevron-y style quilt. And, fast! Well, that image was definitely worth pursuing! 

So beginning this past weekend and here & there throughout these past couple of days I've been cutting a 2.5" strip or two from each fabric in my Anna Maria Horner stash. 



So far I have just two, very long string qayg strips sewn together. It's colorful, scrappy, and fun! I love it!!


What do you think?   ♥  Maureen

Quilt Top Peek : :

My Rock 'n Romance String Quilt As You Go quilt top is finished and I am loving it! I had to pop in to share a quick peek! My backing and binding fabrics should be here this week -- I can't wait to see this one finished!

Have a great day!!  ♥  Maureen