giveaway day winner, and a surprise!

Posted on 12.13.14 by Amanda | mucho xoxo

mucho xoxo giveaway day prizes

A big thank you to everyone who came by and participated in my giveaway. I enjoyed reading everyone’s comments! So many fun ideas, I think I may have added a few new projects to my holiday to-do list :)

Congratulations to BRANDI S. for being the lucky winner!!!

And because I had such a great time this week, I decided to select two additional winners who will each receive a little surprise from me as well! Congratulations to JORDAN L. and SANDI T.! I will be emailing all of the winners momentarily, so keep an eye on your inboxes.

Thanks again to Sew Mama Sew for hosting this week of fun. I hope you all had a good time, and found some new sources of inspiration. I know I did!

Have a great weekend :)

xoxo

*all winners selected using true random number generator powered by random.org

hooray! it’s giveaway day!!!

Posted on 12.08.14 by Amanda | mucho xoxo

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Another Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day is upon us, and I’ve had so much fun entering in the past that this time around I decided to spread the love and get in on the giving!

If this is your first time here, welcome! Please do take a look around and enjoy. Here’s a small sampling of some of my favorite projects.

mucho xoxo projects

1. color-pop quilted stockings 2. boho baby outfit 3. radiant gem improv quilt 4. neon sea breeze mini quilt 5. toddler backpack 6. bunny geranium dress

Beyond having the chance to win all sorts of fun prizes (everything from handmade gifts to sewing supplies), Giveaway Day is a great way to discover new sources of inspiration and support this fantastic online community. In fact, Giveaway Day has become so popular that it now lasts all week!

OK, enough chit-chat, let’s get to the prize! I’ve put together a little package of goodness that I hope one winner will love as much as I do.

The prize includes:

A yummy bundle of 30+ fabric cuts (each approx. 11″ square) from my stash to help you build yours
Mini Hex N More ruler
A little extra surprise, because who doesn’t love surprises!

You can enter my giveaway below. Then make sure to head over to Sew Mama Sew and check out all the fantastic goodies up for grabs!

**THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED**

To enter the giveaway:

Leave a comment on this post and answer the following question: What is your favorite handmade gift to give?
Earn a second entry by following me on Instagram (I’m @muchoxoxo). Be sure to come back and leave a separate comment that you follow (please leave your IG name as well).

*If you are a no-reply blogger (or if you’re not sure), please leave your email address in your comment so I can contact you if you win!

*Open to US mailing addresses only. (Apologies to my international friends. But don’t fret, many of the other giveaways are open to international entries).

*Contest will remain open until Friday, December 12 at 5 p.m. PST. One winner will be chosen at random and notified via email by December 14. Please note that if I don’t hear back from the winner within 24 hours, I will randomly choose another winner.

Good luck, and thanks again for stopping by!

xoxo

**THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED**

orange peel quilt-a-long: appliqué

Posted on 12.05.14 by Amanda | mucho xoxo

It’s time for another Orange Peel Quilt-A-Long update! I’ve made a lot of progress since my last check-in, and have definitely found my groove with this project. Once I figured out my basting technique, finishing the rest of the peels was fairly easy. So with a big batch of peels basted and a nice stack of backing fabric good to go, I was ready to attempt my very first appliqué!

Again, I struggled a little in the beginning. But I found my rhythm and a method that works for me, and I just kept going. I found that my peels sat flatter on my backing and were easier to hold while stitching if I used slightly bent pins. Not necessary by any means, this is just what worked for me.

I strayed a little from Julie’s appliqué instructions and did what I’m calling a modified ladder stitch. Traditional appliqué has you come straight up through the back and catch a few threads at the edge of your piece. I had a very hard time with this! I felt uncoordinated and sloppy. So instead, I came in at a slight angle, went out through the fold/corner, and straight down to the back.

(I did a slightly exaggerated angle here so it was easier to see)

For me, this method was much easier. And the paranoid quilter in me feels like this will be more durable in the case of regular use and multiple washings.

So that’s where I’m at! I’m still not exactly sure what size this is going to end up. Right now I’m just making peels and enjoying the process… I’ll run out of backing fabric soon, and then I guess I’ll know I’m done! Then it will be time to choose my layout and trim blocks :)

Stay tuned for more Orange Peel QAL fun. And in the meantime, hop on over to button-button and take a look at everyone’s progress! You can also take a peek on Instagram by searching #orangepeelqal2014.

xoxo