Renegade Craft Fair

I'm getting very excited to attend this fabulous fair again. Last year I had a blast! This is a FREE TO ATTEND craft, art and design spectacular with over 200 of the nations finest indie- craft talents setting up shop that weekend. Enjoy all sorts of incredible handmade goods from jewerly, clothing, ceramics, stationary, bath products, housewares, etc... If you're in the San Francisco area that weekend you really need to check it out....handmade is the best!

Thanksgiving Day Greetings

For each new morning with it's light,

For rest and shelter of the night,

For health and food, for love and friends,

For everything Thy goodness sends.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

I'm a Birthday Girl!

45 years ago this picture was taken...you do the math!

Totes, Totes, Totes!

Trumpet Flower Tote

Trumpet Flower Tote, with two large interior pockets and a magnetic snap closure. Created with gorgeous designer home dec fabrics. Amy Butler Love, Nigella and Anna Maria Horner Drawing Room.

Lantern Bloom Tote

Lantern Bloom Tote, with two large interior pockets and a magnetic snap closure. Created with gorgeous

designer fabrics from Laura Gunn's Lantern Bloom and Poppy Collection.

Catalina Shoulder Tote

Catalina Shoulder Tote. Pleated tote created with designer fabrics from Catalina,

Bari J. Art Journal, Amy Butler Nigella and Valori Wells.

Willow Corduroy Tote

Willow Corduroy Tote, with two large interior pockets and a magnetic snap closure. Created with plush, deep green corduroy and gorgeous designer fabrics from Amy Butler's Daisy Chain, Laura Gunn's Poppy Collection and Joel Dewberry's Gensing.

Khaki Corduroy Tote

Khaki Corduroy Tote, with two large interior pockets and a magnetic snap closure. Created with plush, khaki corduroy and gorgeous designer fabrics from Jennifer Paganelli, Amy Butler and Kaffe Fassett.

Everything is in the shop!

Inspiration...

I'm having a relaxing day today. I hope you are, too.

The Vagabond Travel Bag

I love tote bags and I have created quite a few, in all shapes and sizes. I've noticed that BIG bags are usually preferred, the bigger the better and it has been suggested (many times) that a zipper closure would be just grand (ugh!). BIG bag, no problem. Zipper closure...OY VEY!! I have always been terrified of zippers, and for good reason...they're a pain in the tokhes, seriously! Well, I have been practicing and practicing the fine art of installing a zipper and even though I think I have mastered it, I still think they're a pain. BUT, in order to create the perfect travel bag a zipper was a must. The Vagabond Travel Bag features a heavy duty sports zipper, which is pretty cool. It also has three large pockets and it's quilted with batting, muslin and heavy weight interfacing. This is one sturdy and durable bag, indeed! Measures 23" wide at the bottom, 18" wide at the top and 17" from top to bottom. In the shop, ya'll!

The Vagabond Travel Bag

Elegant and sassy, created with Centerpiece in Gray fabric from Summer Soiree by Paula Prass. A scattering of flowers against a cool gray background and topped off with a wild zebra stripe!

Festive Holiday Totes!

I just love the clean lines and pure colors in the fabric line At Home For The Holidays, by Heather Mulder Peterson. I'm not really into the usual characters seen on most of the Holiday fabrics. I prefer "down to earth" and simple holiday designs, so this line really drew me in. I mixed in a few other random designer fabrics as well. The jumbo ric rac adds a little jolliness! Everything's in the Mama Roux shop...jingle, jingle, jingle!

Festive Holiday Totes

Another fabric line I took a liking to is Adoring by Sandy Gervais. Very rustic and simple colors and design. Absoultely fabulous paired with my Oatmeal dishtowels!

Rustic Holiday Dishtowels

Girl From North Country

Michel Stong is the gal behind Girl From North Country, where she blogs about local, national and international artists, events and happenings. She is an amazing woman, writer, illustrator, designer and mother, just to name a few of her attributes. We became fans of each other's Facebook fanpages and discovered we live in the same neck of the woods, Sonoma County, CA. She then asked if she could feature Mama Roux on her blog and maybe even submit it to Handmadeology, a website that is dedicated to the handmade movement. Of course, I delightfully agreed. Who doesn't yearn to see their name in lights, right? (did I just say yearn?)

Holiday Home Accents

These festive items are only the beginning of my Holiday Home Accents. There will be more to come! All are in the Mama Roux shop. 'Tis the season to be jolly!

Festive Holiday Patchwork Banner

Patchwork Pinwheels Tablerunner

Festive Holiday Dishtowels, set of two

Bloggers Quilt Festival - Gemstone Quilt

I am so happy to be entering the Bloggers Quilt Festival, finally! I just put the finishing touches on my Genstone Quilt today. I had been working on this quilt for several months, in between creating items for my Mama Roux Shop. I wanted to make a cuddly quilt for my family (actually, me) for the upcoming winter season. I decided it HAD to be made out of Anna's Folksy Flannels. I purchased my stash from Melanie at Above All Fabric. She has such a great selection AND great sales! Check out her shop, seriously! Anyway, back to my Gemstone Quilt. I wanted it to be fairly hefty and I considered using two layers of batting but decided against it. The finished quilt is plenty substantial and the added weight of the binding (wide-wale eggplant corduroy, oy vey!) contributes to the overall sturdiness of this baby. Quilted in a very loose meandering design to keep it soft and supple. Measures 55" x 45", perfect for keeping folded on the back of the couch for quick access. I plan to make a couple of Folksy Flannel throw pillows for the couch as well. I won't be surprised if I just start sleeping on the couch every night.

So kick off your shoes, grap a cup of tea or glass of wine and hop on over to the Festival and/or the Flickr group and gaze upon all the other quilts, so far 500+ and counting. I'll be looking at all the beautiful quilts on my laptop while cozy under my new quilt...can't wait!

Now We're Cookin' With Sass!

I'm such a domestic diva sorta gal. I love being home, sewing, cooking, listening to music and just hanging out in the kitchen. Our house is usually Holiday Central, meaning I'm in the kitchen cooking up a storm. I'm also a jeans and t-shirt kinda gal, so that's what I wear when I'm doing my thing. A sassy apron is the perfect accessory to fancy things up so I don't look like a total slob! Check out the Mama Roux shop for more Home Accents. The holidays are fast approaching so be prepared...it's a Good Thing!

Coco Framboise Flouncy Apron

Garden Party Hostess Apron

Zinnia Path Flouncy Apron

Fifties Kitchen Hostess Apron

Bluebird and Vine Flouncy Apron

Pumpkin Henna Hostess Apron