A Little Selfish Sewing

These scrappy patchwork pot holders are just what I needed to make today... and nothing else!

Esmeralda Quilt

Is this not a bright and happy quilt? I started putting this quilt together a few months ago using Amy Butler's Jade Heirloom fabric from her Lark collection as my inspiration. I created several large sized blocks and then kinda sorta forgot about it. I pulled it back out a few days ago and decided to finish it up and I'm so glad I did. It was such fun gathering all the different colors of fabric, melon, tangerine, jade, red, blue and then randomly arranging them around my inspiration fabric into this snappy quilt.                                                                                                          

I had not decided on a binding until after I finished quilting it. With all of the red and green it  had a Christmas-y tone to it, which was definitely not intended! I tried many different colors of binding (orange, purple, gray) and then once I held up the pink geometric print by Dear Stella the whole quilt POPPED and any suggestion of Christmas was replaced with FUN & SASSY! Yeah!

Most of these fabrics are from my precious scrap collection and are now out of print.  I think my favorite prints have to be the Kaffe Fassett Brokade Floral prints. I have several yards of each the jade and red and use them very sparingly but luckily had some good sized scraps so I did not need to cut into any yardage.

The back is large patchwork using Sandi Henderson's Meadowsweet, some Tina Givens and Bella Solid in Aqua. Measures 57" x 43". 

Perfect as a large quilt for the crib, as a coverlet for a twin bed or thrown over the couch for an elegant lap quilt.

It's in the SHOP and ready to ship!

Blue Arabesque

Blue Arabesque Quilt, 62" x 72"

 I'm starting to cut into many of my coveted fabrics lately and I must say, it's waaay more fun using them rather than just letting them sit on a self. Amy Butler uses lots of dark blues and brilliant greens in her designs and I wanted to mix them up and create a deeply colored, dreamy quilt. As I get more quilts under my belt I like to go as big as I can when I'm feeling it. I barely had enough of some of these fabrics and had to raid my scraps for any small bits to make sure everything was Amy Butler and just the right blues and greens.

 I veered only with the Kona Ash for the border and backing and then of course, I used Parson Gray Curious Nature for the binding, quite fitting I think. I am pretty particular about my batting and only use cotton Warm and White. I quilted this on my home machine (Baby Lock, Jane), as I do all of my quilts, in my standard meandering design. I've gotten pretty good at it and so I stick with what I know.

I made various sized blocks and arranged them randomly to give the quilt a casual, carefree impression. 

 Once finished the quilt reminded me of Blue Arabesque tiles I hope to someday have in my Mediterranean kitchen with double ovens, a butcher block island and a farm house sink...someday!

 Measures 62" x 72", large enough to use as a coverlet for a king sized bed or a cozy couch quilt for two! Oh, how I would love to keep this quilt but we have too many quilts at this point so in the shop it goes... 

For the Love of Anna! Jewel Box Quilt.

Jewel Box Quilt

Well, I'm sure it's no secret that I have a HUGE crush on all things Anna Maria Horner. Love, love, love that girl and everything she does!  I created a special quilt just for me a while ago using mostly her flannels and velveteens. So warm and cozy! The amazing thing about her fabrics is they commingle so easily, regardless of color or collection, in beautiful cohesive harmony (kind of how the world should work...).  

I wanted to build the quilt around the Little Folks Square Dance Voile so I fussy cut the small tiles and just began the random patchwork process. Many of these fabrics are from my scrap collection and working with them made me yearn (yes, I said yearn) for her older collections. Oh, what I would do for her Good Folks collection to be re released!!

I tend to prefer to use a solid border so the binding really stands out so I went with Bella Solid in Aqua and then Loulouthi Stockings for the binding.

The really luxurious element is the backing...wide sections of AMH flannel! Oh yes, warm, cozy flannel, mmmmm! I usually save my flannels for the smaller baby quilts but decided that this quilt needed a flannel backing, just because. Measures 40" x 57". A generous size quilt for the crib, a coverlet for a big girl bed or just thrown over the couch for an elegant lap quilt.

In the Mama Roux SHOP!

A Quilt for Nina

Mama has a new quilt! I created this delicious quilt using only fabrics by Anna Maria Horner, my very fave designer! I am an avid collector (insane hoarder) of her fabrics and have gathered a fine assortment of flannels, velveteens, voile, home dec, and regular old quilting cottons in shades of plums, golds, pinks and tangerine. 

The random patchwork design on both the front and the back gives this quilt a casual, bohemian vibe, just perfect.

The flannel and velveteen make this quilt extra decadent and oh so warm! The binding is a fabric by Denyse Schmidt which veered from the whole "Anna" theme but the colors were perfect.

Measures 50" x 55" and fits nicely draped across our King bed as a coverlet to crawl under while taking a nice afternoon nap on a rainy day.

Jack thinks I made it just for him, little cutie. A few accent pillows are in the works which will make our bed even harder to get out of in the morning.

Saffron Ash, a Modern Tablerunner

I love Lotta Jansdotter and have quickly gobbled up her fabrics as fast as my budget will allow. I appreciate her clear designs and bold, pure colors. Her Echo fabric line is so brilliant that I wanted to allow the fabrics to speak for themselves by framing them in a dark solid and keeping the design very simple. I adore all of the fabrics but my favorite (today) is the Small Spring Buds in Grey. It is so very delicate and light I am thinking about incorporating it into some baby quilts. Of course I will most likely have a new favorite tomorrow and yet another the next day. Her fabrics make me very happy and that's what it's all about, isn't it?

Saffron Ash, Patchwork Tablerunner. Created with Echo fabrics by Lotta Jansdotter. A modern patchwork assortment that will add a touch of sleek elegance to your dining table, coffee table, sideboard or dresser. Measures 46" x 14". Reversable! Warm and white batting, quilted in a simple random wave design. Backed with Kona Coal.

In the Shop!

I'm at it Again!

Get out of the way, here come the dishtowels! I really went overboard with the dishtowels this time, but I just couldn't help it. These new fabrics just called for some sassy, fancy towels to doozy up the kitchen, guest bath or for an absolutely fabulous hostess gift! I always make extra sets for myself and for giving as gifts. These newest sets are truly dazzling!

Sienna Path

Embellished with Secret Garden fabrics by Sandi Henderson and Metro Living by Robert Kaufman.

Charisma

Embellished with Lark fabrics by Amy Butler

Agave Blooms

Embellished with Echo fabrics by Lotta Jansdotter

Paprika Moon

Embellished with Secret Garden fabrics by Sandi Henderson and Full Moon Polka Dot in Lime by Amy Butler

Cobalt Gypsy

Embellished with Lark fabric by Amy Butler and Innocent Crush by Anna Maria Horner

Mandarin

Embellished with Lark fabrics by Amy Butler and Botanika by Paula Prass.

They're all in the shop, while they last. Thanks for stopping by!

A Few Gift Ideas!

I love to bring a special hostess gift whenever I attend a gathering or party. Sometimes it's the standard bottle of wine but most often it is something that I have made, something from the Mama Roux shop. Dish towels are my favorite little gift to give but a cute tote is also awesome, especially filled with goodies. My newest bag is called the Project Tote, inspired by my knitting pal, Diane. She ordered several custom bags to keep her various projects contained. These bags are so practical and would be just grand filled with crafty supplies as a Holiday gift.

1. Poodle, Project Tote,, 2. Mod Blooms, Project Tote, 3. Water Lily, Project Tote,, 4. Posy Bouquet, Project Tote

My newest dish towels come in sets of 3 and are so plush they would be perfect as luxurious guest towels. I will be making lots more as I tend to go through many of these dish/guest towels during the party hopping season!

1. Verdigris, Dish or Guest Towels, 2. Vintage Rose, Dish or Guest Towels, 3. Garden Damask, Dish or Guest Towels, 4. Daisy Mae, Dish or Guest Towels

All items are available in the shop so head on over and grab a few hostess gifts for your favorite hostess or just for yourself!!

A Mini Quilt Challenge

A Table runner for me! I was so excited to hear of Amy's Mini Quilt Challenge. I truly do not create enough quilts for the simple fact that I assume that they have to be BIG! I have made a few table runners in the past, which are, in essence, mini quilts! I decided to make something for myself, my kitchen needed a little pizazz.

The inspiration for this table runner came from the red fabric which is from the Artful Home fabric line. I had made window valances for my kitchen over the summer and had about a half of yard left over. I raided my scrap bags for coordinating colors in lime, turquoise and browns. I did not want it to look like a Holiday accent so I added lots of turquoise and brown.

I decided to include a Star of Virginia in the middle to balance everything and add a classic element to the random patchwork design. I used straight line quilting at various angles for a modern flair.

Backed with Greenfield Hill and bound in a bold black and white. This table runner will add a nice touch to my antique sideboard in the dining area.

Thank you, Amy, for inspiring me to do a bit of mini quilting for myself. Take a look at all the other mini quilters who joined the challenge!

Another Random Patchwork Quilt, Brandied Pear

I have an infatuation with Sandi Henderson's Meadowsweet II fabric line. It shows up in many of my creations. I started a quilt about a year ago (blogged here) and then stashed it away and forgot about it. Thankfully, I organized my studio a few weeks ago and stumbled upon the "disappearing nine patch" blocks. Ok, I was not really wanting to work on a traditional "dnp" quilt (been there, done that) so I decided to create a random patchwork incorporating the existing squares. I LOVE how it turned out.

Brandied Pear

Random Patchwork Quilt

56" x 62"

I was able to use lots of fabric bits from my huge scrap stash. Look closely and you'll see lots of old favorites: Chocolate Lollipop. Midwest Modern, Belle, Lotus, Meadowsweet, Hope Valley, County Fair, Drawing Room, Good Folks, etc... and several new favorites, as well.

I was a bit unsure about what binding to use with this cheeky quilt. I considered a dark solid, a black and white checked, but then I pulled out my yard of Ty Pennington's Papercut in Chartreuse and it just popped against all the pinks. The bright white and bold chartreuse brings out the hint of green in the quilt and adds a bit of elegance. Perfect!

Brandied Pear, large Random Patchwork Quilt. This gorgeous quilt will brighten your day! Created with a wide variety of awesome designer fabrics in a random patchwork design. Backed with Kona Bone and more of the same fabrics. Bound with Ty Pennington's decorator weight Papercut in Chartruese. Batting is Cotton Warm and White. Machine quilted in my "random wave" design. Washed with mild soap and tumbled dry for that crinkly, soft touch. Measures 56" x 62". Perfect for adding a sassy touch to the couch, bedroom or as a twin bed coverlet in a little girls room!

In the Shop!

Country Picnic Tablerunner

I have to admit that I love, love, love Denyse Schmidt's fabrics. I became a fabric addict after her popular Flea Market Fancy was here and gone so I never had the chance to jump on that bandwagon. I climbed on around the time that County Fair canvas made an appearance and I was hooked! I bought what I could, when I could and took advantage of some awesome clearance sales. My stash of County Fair is slowly dwindling and that makes me sad. I sometimes throw a swatch in here or there just to stretch it out. I keep all of my "Denyse" fabrics in a separate basket, as I do with all of my Anna Maria Horner fabrics, they're just THAT special. I have loved all of Denyse's fabric lines, even the underrated Greenfield Hill, it's so classic and sophisticated. This Country Picnic Tablerunner blends several fabrics lines creating a charming home accent with a vintage vibe.

Country Picnic Patchwork Tablerunner, created entirely of Denyse Schmidt fabrics. A charming assortment of swatches from various fabric lines. Adds a cozy, vintage touch to your dining table, coffee table, sideboard or dresser. Measures 40" x 15". Reversible! Warm and white batting, quilted in a classic stippling design. Backed and bound with more Denyse Schmidt fabrics.

In the Mama Roux shop!