Improv Bee Blocks & a Birthday Set : :

This month Jacey asked the Love circle of do. Good Stitches to make our bee blocks scrappy and improv and in citrus-y greens, yellows and oranges. After all the large scrappy improv blocks I made for my scraps quilt, I was so excited to see that request -- this was definitely up my alley!



I pulled what citrus-y colored scraps I had left in my scraps basket and got to work. Hanging them out of my way, in the hallway as I finished.



These went out yesterday and I'm so, so happy to have them finished this early in the month! That's a first for me!



The Birthday crown and pillow sets for my nieces and nephews have continued again this week, too! This time I made a special Birthday set for my nephew Owen, who loves all this Star Wars and Superheros!



I don't think I have ever seen Star Wars fabrics for sale? I assume they have some, but since I had these adorable Superhero fabrics in my stash already I thought it would be perfect. I picked these up a while ago from The Little Fabric Shop.

I do love this shade of aqua blue for boys!



I finished Owen's crown in a similar shade of aqua blue felt and I had the word "KAPOW" in mind when I added the details. Can you tell?



These sets really are super fun to make and definitely something I plan to try to offer in my etsy shop this Fall when I am making my handmades full-time.



Now I just have one last Birthday crown and pillow set to make this month for my niece Sylvia (I know, it was a busy birthday month) and since it's raining here today, I think I might even get to that last quilt top. Wish me luck!!   ♥ Maureen

Busy Weekend : :

It has been a very busy weekend here! But I stayed up late sewing Friday night and had about three hours all to my self Saturday afternoon to try a little more improv. yay! After the wonderful reaction I received from my first improv piece, I realize that's going to be a tough one to top! I want to make a mini quilt, something much more simple and fun for Valentine's Day, to hang where our advent calendar used to be. 

What do you think?



I was inspired by Rachel to try my first curve! And, I used some scraps left over from a little Valentine's Day pillow I made on Friday with this pretty stack of reds and pinks.



Here it is -- my first finished Valentine's Day project! I have a few more ideas, too. We had a lot of fun last year with this holiday! Since we moved just a few short days after Christmas last year and didn't take the time to do much decorating, once February came along, the kiddos were all about it! Paper hearts and garland everywhere, little hearts to keep us warm, and I can never forget that celery stamp project!

If you'd be interested in a little tutorial for this pillow, just let me know! I took lots of pictures hoping someone will say, yes!



In other news, I just received a package of Daisy Janie's Tilly and I have to say, I am seriously in love with this fabric!! I was happy to make a few things for Jan's Quilt Market booth back in October, and as a gift she sent me two gorgeous bundles. One for me and one that I'll be offering in a giveaway here soon! The yellow floral is my absolute favorite...



I also received these new notebooks. Aren't they pretty? One of my goals is to be much more organized with my orders, ideas for projects, and ideas for this blog this year.



The first thing on my list is to turn all of my hanging wips, into some exciting new finishes!! I guess I better stay busy, there's a lot of them!



And now, a giveaway winner!

Thank You to all of you who entered this past weekends giveaway! From the 828 entries that came in before 10pm, Mr. Random says our lucky winner is comment # 229, Lucy @ Charm About You!!! I hope you enjoy your winnings, I will be in touch shortly!

Wishing you all a warm and wonderful start to a new week!

A Sponsor GIVEAWAY : :

First today, I really need to say how overjoyed I am by the amount of sweet words you all left me yesterday on my Improv Block! Thank you all so much!!! Creating that block on a whim like that was the best sewing decision I've made. It made me realize that "just going for it" is what this year should be all about and showed me what I can do with my own quilting. Plus, making it was really so much fun! And, that feels so great, too! Thanks again, friends!!

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It's time for a new fabric giveaway!

My sponsor The Little Fabric Shop has a fabulous selection of Designer prints, patterns and trims! The shop is run by Angie, a stay-at-home mom who has dedicated her life to loving her children to pieces, and to providing a reliable fabric service at The Little Fabric Shop. Angie loves fabric and wants everyone to have the opportunity to fall in love with fabric too. Her goal has always been to provide beautiful designer prints at reasonable prices. New fabric collections arrive weekly, so be sure to visit The Little Fabric Shop! 

 

Website * Blog * Facebook

 The Giveaway Prize : :

This week Angie is so generously offering a Just Wing It Layer Cake by Momo for Moda Fabrics, to one lucky commenter! This layer cakes includes 42 10 inch fabric squares of the complete Just Wing It collection. Isn't it pretty? I love the fresh and bright colors! It's just perfect for some fun Spring and Summer sewing!




   
Aren't they beautiful!

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Enter to Win!

Here's how,

1. Simply add a comment to this post. (one entry) If you want, you can let us know one thing you hope to try/make this year! (one entry)
2. Follow The Little Fabric Shop on their facebook page. Just let me know that you follow "like" them by making a separate comment to record that entry. (one entry)
3. Followers of my blog or Facebook page get an additional chance, as well! Just let me know that you follow me by making a separate comment to record that entry. (one entry)

That’s 3 possible entries! Enter now through 10 o'clock pm (EST) Sunday, January 15th. I will announce the winner this Monday morning in a new post here on the blog.

* Note * This giveaway is open to EVERYONE! If you're a "no reply" or an anonymous commenter, remember to include your email address in your comment so that I can contact you, should you win!

Thank you all and a huge thanks to The Little Fabric Shop!!!

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 Good Luck and have a great weekend!!!

New Year's Sale Stashing : :

Happy New Year, friends! With this new year comes some major house cleaning sales in our favorite online fabric shops! I thought I'd share the ones I'm noticing today...



Moona Fabrics Sale - For a limited time, get great deals on LouLouThi and Innocent Crush by Anna Maria Horner, DeLovely by Cosmo Cricket, Coquette, Hyperreal Garden, Bespoken,Nature Elements, Lace Elements, Bohemian Soul, Oval Elements, Modern Affair and Dreaming in French by Art Gallery Fabrics, Meet the Gang by Marissa and Creative Thursday, Desert Bloom by Jane Dixon, England Swings by Rebekah Merkle, Just Wing It! by MoMo, Grand Bazaar by Patty Young and many others. This awesome sale is limited to stock on hand. They're clearing the shelves for some fabulous collections coming in this Spring!!

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The Intrepid Thread - Julie always has an amazing selection of sale fabrics in her shop. Currently she's offering great deals on Meet the Gang by Marissa and Creative Thursday, Loulouthi by Anna Maria Horner, Little Apples by Aneela Hoey, and Moroccan Mirage by by Khristian A. Howell for Anthology Cotton Quilt Fabric just to name a few!

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Cotton Blossom Farm Fabrics - has a a very colorful sale section with the gorgeous and bright Gypsy Bandana Collection by Pillow and Maxfield currently on sale!

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Pink Castle Fabrics - Brenda's shop always has a great reduced sale section full of variety, as well! I noticed some colorful, graphic Riley Blake prints, some Sweet Mary Jane in pretty Spring colors, and some super clearanced Joel Dewberry in her shop this morning!


Brenda is also hosting a super fun event -- A Bust Your Scraps Quilt Along! What’s that? You don’t have scraps? You are still new to quilting? No worries! The Pink Castle Fabrics shop scraps are OVERFLOWING! Brenda will be making bundles for sale and giveaways!! Visit Brenda here for all the details!

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The Little Fabric Shop - Prepare yourself for some serious cuteness! Angie's shop is jam packed full of the cutest fabrics around, including her sale section! In The Little Fabric Shop you'll find Riley Blake, Moda, Michael Miller, just to name a few!! 

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Skye Reve Fabrics - Natasha is bringing in the New Year with a coupon code sale! Use code "NYE2012" TO GET 20% OFF! She has new arrivals including Ruby by Bonnie and Camille, Sugar Hill by Tanya Whelan, and The Woodlands by Khristian A Howell to name a few. And a great Sale section on both her website and etsy shop!

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Happy New Year and Happy Shopping!!!

Tuesday Inspiration : :

Black + Orange + Halloween

Photos via

* Halloween Print * Haunted House Cake * Pumpkin & Owl * Felt Plushies * Spider Cake 

* Tree Pumpkins Bookshelf * Mice On Stairs * Vampire Pumpkins * Halloween Bunting 

* Cookies * Leaves Print * Plates On Wall * Orange & Black Cake *

or Pinterest

Remember our tablecloth from last week that mysteriously looked like it had been chewed upon while packed away in the garage? Well, it's come a loooong way since then. Literally. Most of the damage was done to the outer black and white check gingham border, with almost all of the adorable pumpkin appliques still in perfect condition. After a good, couple of washings, I cut each applique out and salvaged what solid black material I could and got to work.



I begin piecing using those appliques, coordinating thread, my new Riley Blake Halloween Fabrics, and a very festive bundle of gorgeous orange and blacks.



I knew I wanted this runner to be on the large side, wide and long. I chose not to use batting because of the size. I didn't want it to look like an awkwardly shaped quilt sitting on our dinner table.

Soon I was finished and faced with my first dilemma -- how do you photograph projects this huge, in action? It's not easy!



These are my attempts at full shots. eek! If you notice all the marking on my table you'll understand the need for it to be this large. I have a lot of things to hide on this really old, very used table of ours!



Do you see why I just had to save it, aren't these appliques sweet! They really are my favorite part. Plus, the original tablecloth had been with us for many Halloweens and reminds me so much of when our boys were just little things. We had a Halloween Party (or several) every year.



And here you see my second dilemma. Lily hair. I've shared many times how she loves to lay upon my sewn things. Well, white long cat hair, on black fabric, on our dinner table, has me quite frazzled and annoyed and our lint rollers being refilled daily. Grrrrr!



Does she pick the cute kitty pumpkin applique? Nope.



Quite fittingly she has chosen the little devil pumpkin applique to be her spot of choice. Of course! I am kinda, sorta wishing I would have just made a quilt now instead.  

How many days until Halloween?



I'm really not sure if me and this table runner will make it?! As for Lily? Yup, she's safe! Lucky for her, she does ridiculously adorable things like sleep outside my sewing room door like this.

Maybe I can convince her that she makes a much better doorstop than a centerpiece, hmn?


I plan to enter this new Halloween table runner in the Home Decor category of Celebrate Color and to make a new, matching bunting with the fabric scraps and remaining applique pieces.

How about you? Are you doing any Halloween sewing these days?