I actually had a chance to meet Lauren in person at an L.A. Modern Quilt Guild meeting a couple years ago. Since meeting, she’s opened this wonderful shop in Los Angeles and from what I’ve seen of it in photos, it looks absolutely gorgeous!

(photo borrowed from Lauren’s blog) Look at all that fabric goodness! And that wall of solids!!

Lauren carries all the great new fabric lines, and in fact, it’s where I shopped recently to pick up some of those Melody Miller typewriters (a few of you were asking!) (oops, looks like they’re sold out now!), as well as a couple of the great new circle prints from Laurie Wisbrun’s Modern Whimsy line.

And today, Lauren has a giveaway for you! A jelly roll of this great new line, Half Moon Modern. If you haven’t seen these prints yet, go take a peek! Lots of great basics in wonderful colors, and a perfect addition to any fabric stash!
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To enter, please just leave a comment here. If you want, you could let me know what you have planned for your next project – I just finished a quilt top, so it’s time for a new project! (I should be working on quilt backs, but that’s not as much fun!) Please only leave one comment per person. I’ll select a winner Friday morning.

I hope you’ll take a little peek at Lauren’s shop, and if you feel the itch to start shopping, Lauren’s provided a coupon for 10% off your purchase until Tuesday, January 16th – just use coupon code FITF10

Comments are now closed. I will select and announce a winner shortly!

You know I like to sew right? On occasion I even like to sew clothing! I’ve been excited about the prospect of making a lot of clothes for Max, but I’ve quickly come to realize how hard it is to find good sewing projects for boys.

And this is exactly why I was so excited to have a chance to review this book. Sewing for Boys is written by Shelly Figueroa and Karen LePage (they also have a very popular pattern company, Patterns by Figgy’s), and is published by Wiley Publishing.

Shelly and Karen have done a wonderful job in creating fun and interesting patterns, and as I flipped through the photo portion in the beginning, I could imagine myself making many of these items to add to Max’s wardrobe.

I kept coming back to this page, and these fabulous Treasure Pocket Pants. I love the contrast side panels, those great gathered pockets, and the fun elastic waist detail. The smallest size for this pattern is 18 months, and even though I knew that would be too big for Max, I had to make them anyway. (As a side note, I’m thrilled that the pattern goes up to size 7 – hope Max doesn’t get bored with these pants before then!)

I’m not very good at following patterns, but I must say, I followed this one precisely (I think!) and I’m pleased to say that I learned some new techniques along the way. I don’t have a lot of experience making clothing from patterns, but even so, these directions were well-written and I found it to be a very manageable project. And I’m so very pleased with the results! These pants are adorable and have lots of great details and finishing techniques that make them look quite professional.

And even though they’re not a perfect fit quite yet, they still look pretty darn cute on him!

I’m really excited about this book, and I can’t wait to try out many of the other projects. Next on my list is the Raglan Tee – maybe a little something to pair with these pants?

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So, do you know a little boy (or girl! many of these patterns would be equally cute for little girls) who might need some new duds? Wiley Publishing is offering a copy of this book to one lucky commenter. Please leave a comment here (one per person, please!) for a chance to win. If you’d like, let me know what’s next on your sewing to do list! I’ll select a winner sometime tomorrow.

Edited to add: Comments are now closed. I’ll be announcing the winner shortly!

The blog tour continues on! Be sure to check out these other sites for more information about Sewing for Boys -

September 5 Made by Rae
September 6 Sew, Mama, Sew
September 7 The Southern Institute & Film in the Fridge
September 8 Elsie Marley
September 9 Noodlehead & Oh, Fransson!
September 10 I Heart Linen
September 11 Anna Maria Horner
September 12 Craft Buds, Pink Chalk Fabric , Prudent Baby , Sew Much Ado
September 13 Very Purple Person, Quilt Story & Sew Sara
September 14 The Long Thread
September 15 Susan Beal
September 16 True Up
September 17 All Buttoned Up & Bolt Fabric Boutique
September 18 MADE & Wiley Craft

A big congrats to #180, Courtney, who said “Ohmygoodness, how could I possibly pick just one? This is the first time I’m seeing this line, and I know that I’ll be anxiously awaiting November (and this time not just for the turkey)! I’d love to get my hands on it sooner!”

Thanks to everyone who entered!

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And now, just so this isn’t a picture-less post, a full shot of my red and purple quilt top, now that I’ve finally sewn on the borders. I had a few request to see the full quilt top, so here it is! I’m really loving this one, particularly the mix of a solid and print for the sashing. I’m quite certain I’ll be doing something similar again in the future!

I am so excited about this new line! I am a big fan of Lotta Jansdotter and her gorgeous fabrics, and am loving the fact that her designs will soon be available in a quilting-weight cotton. This line, called Echo, is being produced by Windham Fabrics and will be available in November.  You can check the Windham blog to see some great projects made with these fabrics.

I was really excited to get a charm pack from Windham Fabrics. When I first saw photos of this line online, I thought I’d want to use these prints for clothing rather than quilting, but after seeing them in person, I now can’t wait for yardage to be available so I can use some for a quilt!

In fact, I’m loving them so much that I decided to see what kind of quilt I could make with the few charms I have. I’ve pulled out a few of the prints and paired them with some fabrics from my stash. We’ll see where it goes!

And now, a little something for one of you! I asked Windham Fabrics for a second charm pack so I could give one away. Just leave a comment here (one comment per person, please!). Do you have a favorite print or color in this new line? I love that turquoise, especially paired with the gray, and I’m quite fond of the crosshatch in brown – looks like a great basic! I’ll pick a winner tomorrow…

Giveaway is now closed. I’ll select and announce a winner shortly!

What a wonderful book! Not only is it filled with gorgeous improvisational quilts, but you also get a unique look inside a virtual quilting bee with each chapter representing one month of a year long quilting bee. You’ll see the fabrics selected for that month, the block design and then the finished quilt along with a few thoughts from that month’s quilter. Also included in each chapter is detailed information on how to construct each block, including fabric requirements, layout and finishing information. I’m especially excited about this book because I had the opportunity to contribute to it, as one of the quilters in this virtual quilting bee.

(photos courtesy of Stash Books)

You’ll find my quilt, Falling to Pieces, in Chapter 4, April. The block for that month is wonky triangles, which are quick and fun to make. And of course this is just one of the many great types of blocks in this book – you’ll also find dresdens, roman stripes, hexagons, and of course (my favorite!) log cabins (among others). I already have my eye on several quilts that I’d like to recreate for myself!

So how would you like to win a copy? The kind people at Stash Books have donated a copy of this wonderful book and it will go to one lucky commenter. Just leave a comment here to be entered to win. I’ll select and announce a winner on Wednesday.

Be sure to check out the rest of the Block Party blog tour at these fabulous sites!

6/21/2011 A Quilt Is Nice
6/22/2011 I Heart Linen
6/23/2011 Tallgrass Prairie Studio
6/24/2011 Oh, Fransson!
6/25/2011 All Buttoned Up
6/26/2011 West Coast Crafty
6/27/2011 Connecting Threads
6/28/2011 Crafty Girls Workshop
6/29/2011 Whip Up
6/30/2011 Pink Chalk Studio
7/1/2011 True Up
7/5/2011 Block Party Bee Blog
7/6/2011 Anna Maria Horner
7/7/2011 Craftzine.com

Update: Comments are now closed, and #248, Alaina, is the winner! Thanks for all the comments! Be sure to follow the rest of the blog tour for more opportunities to win a copy of this great book!

How about you? Do you use a lot of solids? Whether or not you do, I have a little giveaway for you from the lovely Jackie over at Canton Village Quilt Works. This fat quarter stack will either start you on your way to adding solids to your stash, or it will add to your existing solid stash!

I love Jackie’s shop for the great selection of solids – she carries lots of Kona solids (at a nice price, too!) which you can buy by the yard (with a minimum 1/4 yard cut – nice if you want just a bit to start…). She also has a nice selection of precuts, including charm packs, jelly rolls and fat quarter bundles. I’m also fond of the Robert Kaufman Essex cotton/linen blend fabrics she carries – I love all those great colors! [Of course, Jackie also carries lots of other designer fabrics, but since we're talking solids, I'm going to stick to those for today!]

Anyway, would you like a chance to win this summery bundle of solids? Just leave a comment here (just one per person, please!). If you’d like, you could let me know your thoughts on solids – do you like adding them to your projects? And if so, do you have a favorite color? Mine changes all the time, but currently I think I’d have to say Kona Raisin. I do love it as a binding (most recently used here on my picnic quilt!)

Update – We have a winner! Congrats to #602, Jill!!

And now, what you really came here to find out — the winner! I let the good old random number generator select the winning comment -

#319, Erin, who wrote, “The quilt is so pretty – and I LOVE purple, so it would be LOVED in my home! Max is adorable, congrats on 3 years and blessings to you!”.

A big congrats to you, Erin, and another big thanks to all of you who took the time to leave such nice comments!

In some ways it seems like just yesterday that I started sewing and writing about it, and in others, it seems like it’s been way longer than just three years. Thank you to all of you who have stopped by the blog throughout these years. I certainly appreciate each and every one of you who take the time to visit, read and comment. I hope you know how much I enjoy reading your comments, even though I don’t often have the time to respond (especially since Max’s arrival!)

Speaking of, look who else is celebrating a milestone – Max is 8 weeks old today!

Anyway, to celebrate, I thought it would be fun to give away a quilt. How about this one, made from Anna Maria Horner’s lovely Innocent Crush? While I’m not usually drawn to purples, I love the way it looks in this quilt with all the solid white, and I’m particularly fond of that green binding. I hope one of you will be as well!

[You can find the original post about this quilt here, as well as a tutorial to make this quilt block here... you know, in case you don't win, but still want to make one!]

To enter, please leave a comment on this post. You’re welcome to write whatever you’d like, or if you’d like, you could tell me what you’d like to see/read more of on this blog. Please just leave one comment per person! International entries are welcome. I’ll leave it open through the weekend and will select a winner on Monday.

Comments are now closed. I’ll select and post the winner shortly!

I was so happy to receive a copy of this wonderful magazine in the mail earlier this month. You may recall that I mentioned that my Rubik’s Crush quilt would be included in this magazine – I sent the quilt and the instructions off to Interweave several months ago, and now it’s so exciting to see one of my quilts in print!

And it’s in there alongside so many other wonderful projects. This is really a fabulous magazine, packed full of so many (well, 101!) patchwork projects. They’re separated into several sections – gifts, dining, kids, pets, and quilts, to name a few. I’ve been having a great time paging through it and picking out things I’d like to make.

I’d love to give a copy of this magazine away to one of you. Leave me a comment (one per person, please!) and I’ll select a winner on Friday!

Comments are now closed. I’ll select and announce a winner shortly!

So, want to know who won the Flea Market Fancy? How about one more photo of it first (just ’cause it’s so pretty!)

The winner, as randomly selected by Morgan, is number 502, and this corresponds to Stephanie, who said “Here’s two boy names to consider… Owen or Ryan. Both are favorite of mine! I’ve never been lucky enough to get my hands on some FMF… oh, how I would love to win! Mostly want to thank you for sharing a look into your world…your blog and quilts are amazing! Thank for all the inspirations.”

Thanks Stephanie, and thank you all for taking the time to comment! Hope you’re having a great start to 2011!