A Few New Bags!

Black Emerald Quilted Hipster

Black Emerald Quilted Hipster, with one large interior pocket and a magnetic snap closure. Created with a patchwork of gorgeous designer fabrics, Amy Butler, Anna Maria Horner Jennifer Paganelli, etc... Measures 13.5 x 15.5 with a long 44" strap. Quilted with a layer of batting. Fully lined with sleek black Kona cotton, no raw edges. Big and roomy, a little quilt on a strap!

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Pink Topaz Quilted Hipster

Pink Topaz Quilted Hipster with one large interior pocket and a magnetic snap closure. Created with a patchwork of gorgeous designer fabrics, Amy Butler, Tina Givens, Jennifer Paganelli, Bari J, and plush corduroy. Measures 12" x 15" with a long 39" strap. Quilted with a layer of batting. Fully lined with a jewel toned mod polka dot fabric, no raw edges. Big and roomy, a little quilt on a strap!

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Clematis Sky Travel Bag

Clematis Sky Travel Bag is expansive and generous. Created with Amy Butler Daisy Chain, Anna Maria Horner Garden Party and Jennifer Paganelli Poodle fabrics. Elegant and vibrant, adorned with deep crimson velvet ribbon. The exterior has heavy interfacing and the interior is created with heavy cotton duck to add strength and durability. This baby will stand up on it's own!. Incredibly spacious with two large interior pockets. Magnetic snap closure. Reinforced straps, fully lined, no raw edges. 22" x 6" at the bottom, 18" wide at the top, 15" from top to bottom. This extra large tote would be a perfect diaper bag, overnight bag, knitting bag or book bag, it's THAT sturdy!

Visit my Mama Roux shop to see even more sassy, vibrant, handmade items!

QuiltStory's Having a Block Party!

I love to participate in fun contests and this one looks tempting! Here's the scoop:

Basic idea: YOU (any and all of you) will create quilt blocks and submit them to QuiltStory's Block Party. There will be three categories in which you can enter your block. Modern, Traditional and Creative.

How to submit: Three weeks from today we will have a linky party starting 12:01 am MST on Monday February 7th through Wednesday February 9th closing at 11:59 pm MST. During this time you will submit your quilt block in one of the three categories, Modern, Traditional and Creative. You can submit up to three blocks.

Categories: You will be the judge of which category your block falls in to, but it can be only one. Modern or Traditional can mean the layout of the block or the fabrics. Creative is referring to a block that maybe has applique, a pieced house block, etc. You don't necessarily need to be experienced to enter this contest! If you are unsure or new to quilting, I'd search through Flickr to get ideas on some quilt blocks!

Prizes: We have got some amazing prizes for the winners of this contest!!

Determining winners: We have fabulous celebrity guest judges to help Heather and I determine the winners. We wanted to do it this way because first a foremost we value these ladies opinions greatly! Secondly we didn't want the popularity of a blog determining a winner based on votes. We will basically be judging on skill and style and we will not be biased in the least! The judges are Twin Fibers, SewSara, Flamingo Toes,Diary of a Quilter and AmyLouWho. Over the next couple of weeks we'll get to know them better and tell you why we think they deserve to be our "celebrity" judges!

Click here for more info and to see all the fab prizes!

Warm Fuzzys

Positive feedback is always nice to receive. Etsy shoppers can leave feedback, whether negative or positive, for the sellers after making a purchase. Mama Roux has been lucky enough to be on the receiving end of some very kind words...looky!

Well-made charming tote! I love it! Friendly seller- thanks SO much!!

This is just fantastic!!! I fell in love with it instantly!! Great quality and wonderful workmanship. Thank you!!

I love my beautiful MamaRoux bag. It is even prettier in person and the construction of the bag is fantastic, too!!

Thanks so much, I love them they look great!!!

Another super purse, thank you!

This bag is deceptively roomy. I fit a cloth diaper, a small package of wipes, my wallet, phone, keys and camera in it without problem. Also, the strap is long enough that at 5'10' and 'chesty' it comes just above my hip, so it's great!

Love! It! I'm a size 20, and this fit beautifully. I've loved wearing aprons lately but didn't have any half-length ones yet. Such a cute pattern and really well constructed.

Super, as always, thank you and God bless!

An absolutely beautiful tote, beautifully made. Have received many compliments! Thanks! I received them 10/8 and they make me smile and will bring lots of happy to my kitchen, thank you!

Beautiful Holiday dishtowels. . . just what I wanted!

THANK YOU to all of my clients and supporters. This whole Mama Roux "thang" has been an amazing experience and I'm looking forward to an awesome year. Keep the kind words a comin'!

The Lumberjack Quilt

FINALLY, finally, I finished our son's quilt. It was meant to be a Christmas present from 2009. The 3 girls got theirs last year (yes, one was late) and today I was able to give him his. Whew! I knew exactly what I wanted to create for him. It needed to have a rugged, and manly vibe, as he's a rugged and manly guy! He loves the outdoors and goes camping quite often so I thought an assortment plaid flannel would be cozy, kind of like a sleeping bag. I also incorporated some heavy corduroy to add some heft. The back is a twin flannel sheet with a few strips of plaid patchwork. I kept the pattern and quilting very simple and then bound it with black Kona cotton. I call it The Lumberjack Quilt. It measures 54 x 66. He loved it, thank goodness! My husband loved it, too, and asked if I could make one for him...he can expect to see his in about 13 months...I'm running a little behind these days!

Saffron Bloom Travel Bag

Expansive and generous, The Saffron Bloom Travel Bag. Created with Jennifer Paganelli's Flower Power and Sheri Berry's Chinese Take Out fabrics. Elegant and vibrant, adorned with a black velvet ribbon. The exterior has heavy weight interfacing and the interior is constructed with heavy cotton duck to add strength and durability. This baby will stand up on it's own! Incredibly spacious with 3 large pockets, two inside and one outside. Magnetic snap closure. Reinforced straps. Fully lined, no raw edges. Measures 22"x6" at the bottom, 18" wide at the top, 15" from top to bottom. This large tote would be a perfect diaper bag, overnight bag, book bag, or knitting bag, it's THAT sturdy! In the Mama Roux Etsy shop!

The Coquette Case

Cosmetic bags are just never large enough. I'm ususally traveling with one that is so full I can't close the zipper. So...I decided to create a very LARGE cosmetic bag...The Coquette Case. Measuring approx. 12" x 8", it's big enough to hold LOTS of cosmetics OR to carry as a sassy clutch. These have a gathered front adorned with an elegant velvet ribbon and conveient loop handle!

The Boho Coquette Case

Fun and Funky created with Michael Miller's Boho Blossom fabric and a vibrant orange polka dot.

Thistle Leaf Coquette Case

Vintage and folksy, created with Denyse Schmidt's HopeValley and Anna Maria Horner's Good Folks fabrics.

Woodland Bloom Coquette Case

Deep jewel toned fabrics from Paula Prass's Woodland Delight and Jennifer Paganelli's Flower Power.

Visit Mama Roux Etsy Shop for these and even more sassy and vibrant handmade items.

Rise Above

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."

~Martin Luther King Jr.

Have a peaceful and loving day, folks. Rise above and go forward....

Bagna Cauda

Last night we attended an incredible dinner party hosted by some dear friends of ours, Jason and Liz. It is an annual tradition of theirs to gather family and friends to participate in the ritual of "Bagna Cauda". Originating in Piedmont, Italy, Bagna Cauda is simply a "hot bath". A simple combination of garlic, anchovies, olive oil and butter is cooked slowly, melting into a robust and fragrant brew. Traditionally eaten from a large copper pot over a bed of coals, it is also acceptable to enjoy from a candle lit tureen or chafer with a bunch of happy folks standing or sitting around a large table. A rustic and festive dish, it forces one to abandon any preconceived notion of proper table behavior and offers the opportunity to become a bit slovenly. To use the back of your hand to wipe the dripping oil from your chin is encouraged here! The assortment of crisp and tender vegetables enticed us to try everything; brussel sprouts, purple potatoes, baby kale, turnips, boiled eggs, carrots, peppers, radicchio, just to name a few of the alluring dippables. Chewy bread was broken and passed to wipe up any wayward sauce. The entire evening was a heavenly, candle lit haze, filled with the robust essence of garlic that made our eyes water and our spirits thankful that gluttony is still alive and well in Glen Ellen. Mangia Bene at it's best!

(These photos were taken without flash in order to preserve the buoyant, dreamy vibe of the evening.)

Pressed Flowers in Rose Tote

Another creation using the extrordinary fabrics of my favorite designer, Anna Maria Horner. Completely constructed using only fabrics from her Drawing Room line, lovely!

Pressed Flowers in Rose Tote

Pressed Flowers in Rose Tote, with two large interior pockets and a magnetic snap closure. Created with Anna Maria Horner's Drawing Room home decor fabrics. Nice and roomy measuring 17" x 16" with two 27" straps. Fully lined with more Drawing Room fabric, no raw edges. Heavy interfacing and reinforced straps make this a very sturdy bag! A super stylish bag for everyday use as a generous carry-all, sassy diaper bag or fancy knitting tote.

In the Shop!!