blog book tour & giveaway - week three

Yay! I'm so excited to finally be able to share a project I've been honored to be a part of... it's a blog book tour and giveaway on behalf of my friend Cheryl Wall and it's to introduce her latest book, "At Home With Country Quilts"!

Years ago, when I first began quilting, I was drawn to Cheryl's patterns for their primitive style, scrappy patchwork, and appliqued elements. I loved that for a beginner like me, they were totally do-able, with beautiful results. I was hooked, and I now own close to two dozen of her patterns, and three books! You can browse her patterns and books by clicking HERE if you like... but trust me, you might end up spending a little money!

Recently, Cheryl and I were both vendors in the same market and we spent some time visiting. I was thrilled when she asked me if I'd be willing to be a part of her upcoming book blog tour - especially since it meant I'd be able to create a project or two from her new book for my very own!

My first choice was to make a simplified version of "Night Blooms" and I'm so glad I gave it a try!

I love going scrappy, and I love settling down with a project to do a little hand applique and this really fit the bill!

I wanted to stay true to Cheryl's color scheme and I think it came together just right! There were a few nine-patch blocks that made for some happy hunting through the ol' scrap bin...

...and a little applique to keep my hands busy...

I swapped the heart in the basket for a crow image I found in the book since I'm a bit of an old crow myself...

I think that after a little hand quilting to finish it off, this piece will be a great addition to my living room!

The second project I chose to make my own was a portion of "Sunflower Explosion"...

I thought this would be a good chance to challenge myself color-wise, so I decided to try it in brights rather than darks. I used several prints from "Lucy's  Crab Shack" and it was so fun to see them come together.

I made just a small portion of the quilt and flipped one section to create a true flower shape.

 I did my applique by hand and had fun choosing contrasting colors to keep it fun.

I think it completes a really sweet summer set with the matching placemets...

But it also looks right at home on the wall too... yay for versatility! Thank you Cheryl, for such a wonderful design!

And now for the really fun part about my post! Want to win an autographed copy of "At Home With Country Quilts" for your very own? Leave a comment on this post to enter and I'll draw a lucky winner on Thursday, August 8th. If you're a follower of my blog, you get two entries... let me know you're following and leave an extra comment for the second entry. Want a third entry? Pop over to Cheryl's blog and become a follower there too! Let me know in a third comment for a third entry. Just please make sure I can reach you if you're the name chosen! Good luck, thanks so much for stopping by today, and happy sewing!