Crafted Applique Book Tour & Giveaway

BuzzinBumble blog

Welcome to the Crafted Applique' : New Possibilities Book Tour !

There's a new book in town !   Lara Buccella,  of  Buzzin Bumble blog,  has written her first book . She has been busier {than a bee !}  for a couple of years, fine tuning her   instructions,  and creating fun applique'  projects for her new book,
  "Crafted Applique'... New Possibilites. "

Lara kindly sent me a copy of the book, and I am excited to share with you how easy and fun it is to use Lara's "Crafted Applique' " method!   ( And, there are 2 giveaways at the end of the  post!)

In the first part of the book , Lara clearly and patiently takes the reader through the steps of her applique'  method , using an ordinary craft product.  The result is applique' with clean edges, which is easier to sew on to projects!  This  applique' won't fray , even after multiple washings. ( See Dana's  Stormy Days  blog! ) Plus, smaller  appliqued details can be added.

Below , is a section of the  Cecropia Utopia applique' , from  Crafted Applique' .
See how detailed and intricate you can make this moth?  Don't you love the edges?!  Lara made this beauty!

Photo courtesy of Lara Buccella, from Crafted Applique' book
Cecropia Utopia is a pillow project in the book !

 The second part of the book has many clever and fun projects to make .... using applique', of course!! These projects are so cute and diverse!    I have fallen in love with the  gorgeous small holiday quilt ...  for Christmas !  { I will be making this quilt before Christmas, so keep checking here!}

So guess what I did after I read  drooled over the projects?  I  got  inspired to give crafted qpplique'  a try! I picked up a WIP,  which had been stalled at the  " making the applique'" stage.  

My Goal:   Try out this Crafted Applique' technique in "real life"

My Project:

 The "All in the Family" Quilt -    design from the book , Simplify With Camille Roskelley .
 I wanted to add an appliqued Mermaid in the center of the quilt.  

Combining two  excellent books!!

I had a lot of  tons of fabric left over from making a child's seahorse quilt {see here}  and  a basket for a little baby girl's nursery .  The fabric line is Spring House by Stephanie Ryan for Moda.

     
I prepared the mermaid  applique' pieces,  according to Lara's directions.  I think the hardest part  for me was pre-washing my fabrics!  Next,  I sewed them easily on to the  four white center blocks of the quilt,  with a regular straight stitch!  I matched colors to the fabrics , with my Madeira Rayon threads.

I am so thrilled with how they feel and  look!!

Miss Mermaid , swimming among the bubbles

Bubbles with nice clean edges 

I am  so happy that I added the mermaid to the quilt!!
Sew.....

What do I think about the " Crafted Applique' " book ? 
                                 It's a Home Run ! 
                                          An   A ++++   
                                                      It really  works !!

• I love Lara's writing style.   The reader gets  to see what she thinks about,   and  what she has learned, along her quilting journey.  It's informative and fun.

• The photos and instructions  in this book are extremely well written. I feel as if I have taken a class with Lara, and then been given all of her notes to take home as my own !  (I LOVE that!)

• I love how it taught me this new method, and  how it inspired me to add applique' easily to another project!  

• And, it  left me with the desire to make projects from the  "Crafted Applique' book!"  I can't wait to start my  Folk Art Christmas quilt from the book!                                                   

Want to see the rest of the quilt?

All in the Family quilt... with a mermaid  - made by Susie's Sunroom

Quilt Details:

Pattern:    All in the Family    by Camille Roskelley  ( in her  Simplify book)

Size:   60.5 "  x 60.5 "

Fabrics:   Spring House   by Stephanie Ryan for  Moda  (from my stash)

               White tonal    from my stash

Block size:  8 " finished

Mermaid Applique':  pattern (Here  , from pinterest) . I used it as a template  and          enlarged it, and used the  Crafted Applique'  preparation for applique' (for smooth edges)

Batting:   Warm and Natural  100% cotton

Quilting:  Random wavy lines

Thread:  Aurifil 50 wt.    #2024 Cream for piecing and #3320  Green (from Color Me Happy     collection) for the wavy lines on top of the quilt.  The green shows just a hint of color.

The back:    I "super sized " the  block - by  multiplying times 5 , to make a 49 " finished block

The flimsy front and back of the quilt

The finished back of the quilt-

I think this makes a really cool back for a child's quilt, don't you?

The  blocks remind me  bubbles that surround the mermaid as she swims.

Bubbles and color

The binding shows pops of  pink!

While I was writing up this post for my blog, another "little" applique project popped into my head.....

Wouldn't this be a darling little "Deluxe Pincushion"... from another fabulous book, "Sew Organized for the Busy Girl", by Heidi Staples (from FabricMutt blog)?!

The result from combining these 3 books...  an
 All In the Family Mermaid Deluxe Pincushion

I knew I could  actually make the mermaid super-teensie , coming in at 2 1/4 " long x 1" wide, since I now have the Crafted Applique' Tool in my sewing tool bag!

My Mini Me Mermaid Deluxe Pincushion  on my All In the Family Mermaid Quilt  

This tiny mermaid was easy to apply... using the Crafted Applique' technique!

Was this little pincushion fun to make?   
Guess so.....   another one popped up right after the first one was finished!!

Deluxe pincushions ...a fusion of  Crafted Applique', Simplify, and Sew Organized !!

Deluxe Pincushion Details:

Patterns:   Deluxe Pincushion  by Heidi Staples (in her Sew Organized for the Busy Girl book)   AND    All in the Family block    by Camille Roskelley  ( in her  Simplify book)

I reduced the block size to 4.5  " x 4.5 "  to fit on the front pocket of the deluxe pincushion

Mermaid Applique':  pattern (Here  , from pinterest) . I used it as a template  and          reduced  it ( to  2 1/4 " long x 1" wide) , and used the  Crafted Applique'  preparation for applique' (for smooth edges)

Fabric:   scraps from Spring House by Stephanie Ryan for  Moda

Finished pincushion size:  5.5 " x 6.5 "

I made the backs scrappy !

Thank you for stopping by and seeing my  new projects using crafted applique' . 

Now.... for the GIVEAWAYS!!  Two chances to win !

****** Giveaways are now closed. ***********

Giveaway # 1:  A  'Crafted Applique'.... New Possibilities'   book
  Lara has generously given me a copy of  Crafted Applique'.... New Possibilities to give away to a lucky reader as a prize!

Giveaway #1  from Lara !

                                                             

Giveaway #2:   An 'All In the Family Mermaid'  Deluxe       Pincushion 
  A second  lucky reader will win this  'All In the Family Mermaid' Deluxe Pincushion , made by me!

Giveaway #2  from Susie's Sunroom !

For a chance to win one of the prizes...

*  Simply leave a comment for a chance to win the book   or pincushion !  *

{ If you would like a prompt:    Have you combined books for making a project ? If so... what books did you use together ? I'd love to know! }

Please - If you are a no-reply blogger, remember to leave your e-mail address so that I will have a way to contact you if you win.

The winners will be selected on June 4, 2016,  with two random prize drawings.

Winners are now chosen. The Giveaway is closed. 

If you can't wait to see if you are a winner of the book .... you can purchase the book at these sites now ! 

At:    BuzzinBumble 

        AQS Shop

        Amazon

You will also want to stop and visit the other  "powerhouse"  quilters in the Crafted Applique' Blog Hop!  Here is the calendar for the Blog Hop Book Tour!  

Crafted Appliqué: New Possibilities Blog Hop
May 1^st to June 5^th 2016

Sun	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
1 Lara Buccella BuzzinBumble   Introduce Tour	2 Valerie Smith Pumpkin Patch Quilter	3 Dana Gaffney Stormy Days	4 Lorna McMahon Sew Fresh Quilts	5 Mary Schuberg Needled Mom	6 Heidi Kuntz Red Letter Quilts	7 Alycia Carmin Alycia Quilts
8 Amy DeCesare Amy Made That	9 Sherri McConnell A Quilting Life	10 Lara Buccella Sew Mama Sew Guest Post	11 Christina Cameli A Few Scraps	12 Melissa Corry Happy Quilting	13 Sarah Craig Confessions of a Fabric Addict	14 Soma Acharya Whims & Fancies
15 Valerie Reynolds Val’s Quilting Studio	16 Angela Pingel Cut to Pieces	17 Sandra Walker Musings of a Menopausal Melon	18 Cheryl Brickey Meadow Mist Designs	19 Judy Murphy Quilt Paradigm	20 Yvonne Fuchs Quilting Jetgirl	21 Cindy Pieters Stitchin’ at Home
22 Susie Zlogar Susie’s Sunroom	23 Connie Campbell Freemotion by the River	24 Ruth Bourke Charly & Ben’s Crafty Corner	25 Kaja Zieslar Sew Slowly	26 Ann Brooks Fret Not Yourself	27 Cynthia Brunz Quilting is More Fun Than Housework	28 Holiday
29 Holiday	30 Holiday	31 Jenn Trott-Zisserson Quarter Inch from the Edge	1 Paulette Horn The Way I Sew It	2 Sandra Jansen Studio Sew of Course	3 Christine Sherman Triangles & Squares	4 Darlene Simmons Quilt Shop Gal
5 Lara Buccella BuzzinBumble Giveaway Winners Announced!

See you around at the blog hop!!

I'm off to my sewing room!

Linking up at:  Let's Bee Social @ Sew Fresh Quilts  and
                    Fabric Frenzy Friday @  Fort Worth Fabric Studio  and
                    Can I Get a Whoop Whoop!  @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict  and
                     TGIFF @ Crazy Dutch Bird Quilts

A Clambake Quilt

The Clambake Quilt

Ding! Ding!  Ding!
I found a winner -a fun and easy way to make the popular clamshell quilt!

The Clambake quilt pattern  

                                                           
The design is by  Camille Roskelley  , " Thimble Blossoms".   ( available here), and also  at the Fat Quarter Shop ( here ).

Camille's pattern had me hooked  when I saw it was Layer Cake friendly, and no curves!
She featured this pattern with the new Bonnie & Camille fabric " Vintage Picnic", but I have  stashed  curated a  huge  nice selection of their "Hello Darling" fabric, and thought the Clambake quilt would work well with that gorgeous fabric . 

Hello Darling ( B & C by Moda)  has  the ultra-cute strawberry fabrics in five colorways!

Five colors of Strawberries!!

My March OMG was to make the flimsy top 

In early March, I wrote in  my blog {here}, stating my  OMG,  One Monthly Goal for March, but I realized that I forgot to link up the blog post at Red Letter Quilts!  O.M.G. !!

I still won.... I did accomplish my goal!

Lay out of the basic bricks

I had sixteen different fabrics to lay out.  I wanted LOTS of strawberries in my quilt!

Now I was joining the rows together

And before I knew it, I had the flimsy top of the quilt all sewn together!

They look like clam shells now!!

It was time to decide how to make the quilt backing.  Do I use up my precious stash of leftover Hello Darling fabrics,  or do I make something else  for the back of the quilt?  

Fortunately,  I had started  viewing the Craftsy Class by Camille, " Pre-Cut Piecing Made Simple, " where she teaches us how to make her Swoon block.  I officially  *heart* everything that Camille makes now !    I have seen the Swoon quilts out there, and always wanted to make one.  Now was my chance to try a Swoon block out!

 I chose the green strawberry fabric , and the red floral fabric for some pop and jolts of color.  This is a 24 inch finished block.
WOW!   SWOON! SWOON!  

This is my first Swoon Block!  

I noticed that  somebody else began to swoon, too......

Whiskers , on her first swoon block!

Well, there was no turning back at this point... I had room on the quilt to make a total of four Swoon Blocks.

I used strawberry fabrics for each center fabric

And , I needed a label.  I just love these strawberry star points!

I only had room for the inner star of the Swoon Block.... so I made up a scrappy star!

And here is my finished Clambake Quilt!
 

Quilt Stats:

Patterns:    Clambake  and Swoon Block    by Camille Roskelley of  "thimble blossoms"                                                                                                          (here)
Size:  70 inches across x 76 inches high

Fabrics:   Hello Darling   by Bonnie and Camille for Moda    I used 16 fabrics of the line
              White on white tonal fabric from my stash

Batting:  Warm and Natural  100% cotton

Thread:  Aurifil  50 wt.  color #2024  my favorite for piecing

Quilting:  I made fine,  Serpentine  "S" lines , on the diagonal, approx 5 inches apart 

I used my walking foot to quilt the curvy  diagonal lines ,  from edge to edge, using Aurifil 50 wt thread. I set my Viking Topaz on the largest S shape stitch, and  followed the edges of the clam shells to make the diagonals.  

Things I like about these two  patterns:

• The size of the "rectangle" for  each clam shell is 7.5 " across x 4.5 " high.  This allows the design of each fabric to really shine through!
• It was fast and fun to piece the clamshells
• There is a mini Clambake pattern available, too!
• Camille's directions are excellent 
• The Swoon blocks are addictive!!

                                                                              

See all of the strawberry fabrics!

The quilting - Fine lines of the wavy s line on the diagonal

I love the back as much as the front !

I like the way the FINE lines of quilting create  diamonds , as seen on the back of the quilt. 

April- FINE challenge

                                                                   

  I am linking my Clambake Quilt up to the Le Challenge blog, for the April "Fine" challenge.   

"Fine" Quilting lines

And, since I am allergic to seafood,  this is is close as I am going to get to a "fine dining" ,with clams ,meal!!  Hop on over here to see the other entries.

I am enjoying my quilt , laying over top of the railing, in the back of my kitchen.

Whiskers likes to lay on the fourth step, while we eat dinner and clean up.  She likes "hiding" behind the quilt.  I think it must be warmer there with the quilt.  Plus, she may be or may not be a little bit spoiled!

I'm off to my sewing room!

Linking up at:   Can I Get a Whoop Whoop   @  Confessions of a Fabric Addict    and
                       Fabric Frenzy Friday  @  Fort Worth Fabrics     and
                        Let's Bee Social  @  Sew Fresh Quilts   and
                       Le Challenge - Fine @  Le Challenge