My Turn on Bonnie Christine's Succulence Blog Tour!

My day is here! I'm happy to, once again, participate in one of Bonnie's blog tours for her fabrics. This tour features her most current line for Art Gallery Fabrics, Succulence. You'll find all Bonnie's fabrics, including these, available with free shipping at my quilt shop, A Stitch in Time! And, did you know that I'm blessed to be Bonnie's mother?

I love the colors and prints in this line so much that I decided to use it to check off one of the quilts on my bucket list! I have wanted to make a Winding Ways quilt for years, but I just couldn't make myself take the time to do all the precise curved cutting. Hmmm...I do have an AccuQuilt machine, and to my delight I found that they make the Winding Ways die! Oh heaven. AccuQuilt recommends cutting six layers in one pass, but I found that the fine pima cotton that Art Gallery produces allowed me to cut eight! (I can cut at least 9 binding strips in one pass, too, using the 2 1/2" strip die!)

For the AccuQuilt machine, I cut 10" strips, width of fabric, and found that folding them in half fit perfectly on the die. I layered two dark fabrics and two light fabrics, yielding 4 blocks in about 30 seconds! Some people ask me, "Do you waste fabric with the AccuQuilt?" My answer is, "Maybe a little...but I don't waste any time!" And each piece is cut perfectly, with notches for matching together.

This quilt block is 100% curved piecing. Wait! don't leave me! I promise it's easy and I made a short video to show you how easy it is. Click here to view it.

The magic happens in this quilt by making two versions of the same block: a dark center with light corners, and a light center with dark corners. The effect is quite entertaining, to me, because my eyes just won't stay still when I look at it!

I quilted in the ditch to accent the design, and to keep a soft feel. I used one of Bonnie's voile fabrics for the back to make it extra soft!

For now, this one will live on the wall in my sewing room because it just makes me happy...and because it makes me think of Bonnie. Do you have a quilt on your bucket list?

Be sure to visit yesterday's post by Ali Brorsen and see her beautifully sewn projects and her angelic model. Tomorrow's stop is Michelle Cain at From Bolt to Beauty.  See the full lineup, and read more about the blog hop on Bonnie Christine's blog, Going Home to Roost.

Thanks for visiting! Happy sewing and God bless. Maxie

Succulence Fabrics Look Book!

I've been anticipating the release of Art Gallery Fabric's Look Book for Bonnie Christine's newest fabric line, Succulence! My wait is over! The free online book is ready for your viewing pleasure! Inside you'll find lots of inspiration for beautiful quilting projects, bags, clothing and home decor. I love the colors Bonnie chose...rich burgundy, emerald green and warm golds. Take a peek and don't stop until you reach the end, where you'll see the tumbling block quilt Bonnie and I designed as a free download for Art Gallery. Click on any of the photos below to view the book, which has live links that will take you to the sources for most of the projects. And if you live in my neck of the woods, stop by my quilt shop for a trunk show with many of the actual projects from the book!

Click the picture to view the Look Book

As you probably know, Bonnie Christine is my daughter! You might enjoy her blog, going home to roost, filled with lifestyle inspiration, tutorials, free fun stuff and more. You can also read a little about her in the Look Book. (Yes, she's as sweet as she seems!)

Click the picture to view the Look Book

Here's a little peek at that tumbling block quilt, Terrarium, that Bonnie and I designed for her fabrics. In the Look Book, you'll find a link to the free pattern. You can find the fabrics here, with free shipping!

Click the picture to view the Look Book

I hope you enjoy the book and are inspired to create something beautiful today! Thanks for visiting! Happy sewing and God bless. Maxie

The Feathery Bookmobile

This idea didn't originate with me, but it surely resonated with me! When I first saw these beautiful, drapey book-mobiles in a storefront window display,  I immediately saw the resemblance to quilted feathers and knew that I'd love to re-create the look in my quilt shop window. When one of my employees challenged the whole staff to create their own special store display, I knew exactly what mine would be!

The first task would be to find the books...books that I wouldn't feel guilty to 'artistically rearrange'. My husband has a fairly big wall in his antique shop filled with old books. I thumbed through them one by one, choosing books that had outlived their usefulness in the literary world. I found three. Game on!

The mobile was very easy to make, and in just a few minutes I had flowing plumes that resembled the quilted feathers I so love! I found a great tutorial by The Pleated Poppy here. I think they would look great in a library or in a child's room, too! My daughter, Bonnie, and I took the idea to Spring Quilt Market, using her upcoming Succulence fabrics in place of the paper pages from the book!

Sort of brings a new meaning to the bookmobile, right?

Thanks for visiting! Happy Sewing and God bless, Maxie