Sunday, April 14, 2013

April Showers blog hop... & Giveaway!!!



April Showers Snow brings May flowers..
I love Minnesota but I think we skipped over Spring/Summer
& went right back to Fall..
 
I'm inspired right now by pansy flowers..
 
First, I made a sketch..
a doodle really..
 I do love to doodle..
 
I started with a piece of green fabric - roughly 7 1/2" x 10 1/2"
I used the same green for the back as I made the usual fabric/ batting sandwich..
Normally I would pin but because this is such a small project-
I didn't..
I started by making my vines for my flowers to sit on..
I used a lighter green thread to make the vines..
Next, I drew out the flowers & leaves...
I like odd numbers for things..
So, 5 flowers just made cents..
Then, I went on a hunt for purples..
..still hunting..
Sew, I first, cut out all my applique pieces..
then, I ironed them onto the fabric I found..  
and then cut them out..
Then, I started to place them..
& when I got them just to where I wanted them..
I ironed..
 
But, it seemed like something was missing..
I found this fabric & decided I'd use it for my binding..
 
I will say...
It's not very often I use the decorative stitches on
my machine..
I used one to stitch my binding down..
But, it still seemed like something was missing from my garden..
Sew, I added buttons.. :)
I'm really happy with how it turned out..
 
ta da...
do you like it??
 
First, quickly, I'd like the thank Madam Samm & Erin for
hosting such a fun blog hop.. :)
Both of you are such inspirations..
 
MONDAY, APRIL 15th
 
 
 
Now on to the good stuff..
For the Giveaway I'm giving the leftover Pansy fabric,
a package of magnets & a kit to make a mug rug..
^^It will make a mug rug like this one^^
 
What I need is for you to tell me your favorite part of spring?
Personally, I love the rain showers..
They bloom such life..
 If your a follower or new follower let me know
& you'll get an extra entry..
 
Rosie and Gizmo will draw a WINNER on Friday April 19th!!
 
Please if you are a NO REPLY BLOGGER..
please leave a way for me to get hold of you, if you win..
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 





125 comments:

  1. OK - button love for me, but just love you showing your process to end up with such a cute mug rug - very sweet.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Love your mug rug, so Springy! My favorite thing about spring is all the colors. Thank you for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Love your flowered mug rug! I just love all the flowers at the beginning of spring!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Your flowers are absolutely beautiful! Thank you for sharing. :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love your sweet mug rug. Very creative! My favourite part of spring - sunshine, birds, melting snow, being outside!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. It is beautiful! Thanks also for sharing the process! My favourite part of spring is to see all those trees in bloom.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Beautiful! And thank you for showing how you did it. My favorite part of spring - the return of light and the search for flowers in my garden.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I love hte way you made you mugrug. It is very lovely. My favorite in spring is sitting in the garden and listen to the birds.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Its lovely - buttons always give a nice finish to flowers don't they. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  10. thanks for the chance. my favorite part of spring is when it starts to warm up and the flowers bloom.

    ReplyDelete
  11. What a wonderful mug rug and also a great tutorial. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Lovely work and thanks for the chance to win!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Your mug rug is so wonderful. The best part of spring is when the birds arrive to Sweden to nest.
    Thanks for sharing

    ReplyDelete
  14. You are very creative. I lve your mug rug. The best part of spring is seeing my flowers bloom and picking ve

    ReplyDelete
  15. Laura Ann, I love your freestyle working way, it must be so much fun just to do it like you do. I love pansies aswel. What I love about spring are the early bloomers, the ones that surprise you by just popping up in the garden. I can't find the name for them in english/american, in Dutch they are called speenkruid, when you would find them on google, you'll probably understand. Thanks for showing.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Such a pretty mug rug and the patterned binding finishes it off perfectly!
    I love Spring - my favourite thing is the 'greeness' everywhere!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Very cute bolg. It looks like you really enjoy them.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Love the work you did on this. Those are some of the prettiest purples. What a nice mug rug it turned out to be.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Love your mug rug - the purples and green look so good together. My favorite part of spring is warmer days but still cool/cold nights. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Loved reading about your concept to the finished project. Great tutorial. I've become a "FOLLOWER" of your blog!!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Truly beautiful design and execution! My favorite part of Spring is the way the sun brings everything to life...including me lol!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Love the flowers on your art mug and thank you for the tutorial...My favorite part is right after the rain in the spring everything smells so fresh and looks sew clean. Thanks for joining in. Please visit me on the 18th..

    ReplyDelete
  23. love the combination of coloured fabrics, and texture you have given to this piece. great work!!

    ReplyDelete
  24. you had fun with this, didn't you!! It is adorable...thanks for the giveaway

    ReplyDelete
  25. very fun - i really like the FMQ you did.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Your doodles turned into a great mug rug! Isn't it fun hunting in your stash....I always forget what's hidden in there. Love the rain in spring too....cozy and quiet. Thanks for the giveaway!

    ReplyDelete
  27. Lovely job on the flowers! Thanks for the giveaway.

    ReplyDelete
  28. I love your mug rugs! Thanks for sharing with us the tutorial on how you created this wonder! I love them! New follower here via GFC, today is my day also, I hope that you will visite me!
    Marisa.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Pansies! Delighful happy flowers of spring! And happily perched on your mug rug! :) Thanks for sharing, Beulah

    ReplyDelete
  30. Great job. Lovely mug rug
    Thanks for sharing.
    Frederika

    ReplyDelete
  31. I love Pansies! My favorite part of spring is the wildflowers. We had a wet winter blessing us with desert daisies and desert mallow in our yard. My lilacs did great too. I`m a follower.

    ReplyDelete
  32. I like your mug rug with the pansies. I really like that mug too, "Mrs. Always Right"...wherever did you get that? My husband teases me about always being right.
    My favorite thing about spring is hearing and seeing the birds and the flowers blooming.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Thanks for showing what you did Laura ! I may have to try one like yours !

    ReplyDelete
  34. I love pansies too, such pretty little flowers, a lovely mug rug. My favorite part of spring is seeing the bulb flowers come up, like my Hyacinths.

    ReplyDelete
  35. wonderful mug rug and my favorite part of spring is the blooming of flowers and go for a walk with family

    ReplyDelete
  36. I do follow.Thanks for the giveaway!

    ReplyDelete
  37. What a great idea. I think I am going to try something similar. Love these blog hops. Great inspiration! thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  38. Love these small quilts as you can try new techniques. Mug rug is so cute. Thanks for sharing.
    I love the spring flowers

    ReplyDelete
  39. The quilting is beautiful - love that you did that and attached the flowers and buttons. BEAUTIFUL

    ReplyDelete
  40. What a beautiful job you did on your flowers--they're just lovely and one of MY favorite things about spring! The buttons really do add a nice touch!

    ReplyDelete
  41. How beautiful!! Your did a great job on this!
    I am a follower, too.

    ReplyDelete
  42. it is very sweet....a delicate spring like mug rug..love the details

    ReplyDelete
  43. My favorite part of spring is the warmth. My old bones don't like it to be cold.
    I love the free motion stitching on your vines.

    ReplyDelete
  44. Beautiful mug rug. I love watching to see what comes up in the flower beds as the weather warms.

    ReplyDelete
  45. Lovely mug rug and thanks for sharing your process for making it. The mug saying is cute too and you left just enough space between the buttons for it to sit! My fav part of spring is watching as each variety of plant, shrub or tree flower and/or leaf out. The freshness and expectation for the new year. Sorry that you are still having snow this late into what should be your time of greening up.

    ReplyDelete
  46. I like all the birds and flowers of Spring. I alike your mugrug.Very pretty(love the pansies)

    ReplyDelete
  47. Beautiful job on your mug rugs. I love pansies. My favorite part of spring is watching the flowers germinate and bloom. They are such a bright spot after a dreary February and March. I love walking in the woods and checking out the new life.

    ReplyDelete
  48. Lovely mug rug. I love the detail on your flowers and the addition of the buttons.

    ReplyDelete
  49. Your mug rug is sooo cute! I like the flowers and all the little buttons you added. They really add to it. Great job. Thank you for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My favorite part of Spring is getting out in the warm weather and just enjoying the sun.I love looking at the flowers coming up in my garden.

      Delete
  50. It was fun to read about the progression of your creativity. I love pansies, too, and plant a pot of them in the early spring. Best thing about spring is not always having to wear a coat. I love being able to just walk out the door and not have to bundle up!!

    ReplyDelete
  51. Love the pansies!!! Great job!
    I love the Bluebonnets every where here in Texas:)

    ReplyDelete
  52. Love that mug rug!! Definitely saving that idea. My favorite part of spring is the new explosion of colors after a dark and dreary winter. Thanks for the inspiration :)

    ReplyDelete
  53. Your mug rug is wonderful! It definitely says spring to me!
    My favourite part of spring is finally seeing the birds come back and hearing them in the mornings.

    ReplyDelete
  54. I'm a new follower! Wow - thanks for the great tut!! Is this the best hop or what?! So many great ideas for quick gifts!! Love your sweet rug!! Thanks for the chance to win, too!!

    ReplyDelete
  55. Thanks for sharing!!! One of my favorite things about spring is that the daylight gets longer (I live in Alaska). After a winter of night, I am SO glad to be back at 14-hours-of-sun days... coming soon, 20-hours-of-sun days!

    ReplyDelete
  56. My pansies are blooming and yours are so pretty! Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  57. Way a great mug rug. I love spring because everything is so fresh and new. Thanks for the chance to win.

    ReplyDelete
  58. HOw fun! Love the buttons!
    My favorite part of spring is the fresh air and being able to dig in the dirt in the garden!

    ReplyDelete
  59. How beautiful! As for my favorite part of Spring...I'd have to say flowers. The daffodils and daphne and now my lilacs are beginning to bloom...it's like a feast for the eyes (even if some of them make my nose drip!) pbstrand@msn.com

    ReplyDelete
  60. Hello, I really like your mug rug adding the bottons was a great idea. My favorite part of spring is seeing all the flowers popping up. Thank you for the giveaway!

    smjohns63(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  61. I love pansies so I really liked your mugrug. My favorite thing about spring is seeing all the buds on the trees and the flowers starting to come up all to the chorus of birds singing. The loons are fun to listen to at this time of year too.

    ReplyDelete
  62. Beautiful pansies. Many neighbors are planting them finally so I get to see so many beautiful colors .

    ReplyDelete
  63. I love all the colors that come with spring :) I also love the mug rug you made :)

    ReplyDelete
  64. I really love your mug rug......the flowers are beautiful....my favorite part of spring are the flowers...in fall we planted 160 daffodils......I think they all came up...that is all we can plant that the dear won't eat....what a great giveaway....

    ReplyDelete
  65. I always love the spring rains if we happen to get any, otherwise its the flowers! Thanks for sharing your wonderful mug rug. Very nicely done. I have bee a follower for a while.

    ReplyDelete
  66. I love the fresh smell and the fun flowers that bloom right away. I like your mug rugs. These are my mom's favorite flower.

    ReplyDelete
  67. Lovely mug rug! I like nature coming to life in Spring.

    ReplyDelete
  68. You designed and stitched a beautiful mug rug!!!

    ReplyDelete
  69. I wish for half the talent to design like this. It is awesome. Just popped in due to the hop. Think I will hang around and follow for a while.

    ReplyDelete
  70. The buttons just make your lovely mug rug sparkle-I love it. Thanks for the chance to win you adorable prize.

    ReplyDelete
  71. Uma obra de arte com certeza!Ficou muito interessante com os botões,parabéns.seguidora do BRASIL

    tiacarminhapezzuto@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  72. I like that winter is far away! (Not so much this spring tho'). The buttons were the perfect finishing touch on your mug rug. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  73. You do such Awesome work!!! Love your blog!

    My favorite part of Spring??? ONLY one part? Wow....guess it's when our Peach trees (280 of em here) Bloom!!! Amazing sight!!! :)

    ReplyDelete
  74. I love the flowers, and watching everything start to bloom. Its so awesome watching everything come to life

    ReplyDelete
  75. i would love to win thanks for the chance

    ReplyDelete
  76. What a nice springy rug mug, thanks for sharing. My favorite thing in spring is all the new flowers coming up and you can start a garden...

    ReplyDelete
  77. YES I like you mugrug very much, so-o-o beautiful!
    Liebe Grüße
    Bente in Germany

    ReplyDelete
  78. I am a new follower and thank you for the lovely give away..

    ReplyDelete
  79. I love the flowers and great job on your mug rug!!

    ReplyDelete
  80. I look forward to the warm sunshine!
    Love your mug rug -- just beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  81. I love your rug, very nice and quite pretty. My favorite part of spring is when it starts to warm up and the flowers are blooming, before the heat of summer hits.

    ReplyDelete
  82. Your rug is beautiful! I love all of the little embellishments you used. Thank you for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  83. Love all the details on your mug rug... so pretty!! I like the warm days to take long walks!

    ReplyDelete
  84. Love the combination of things you put into this rug. Machine art, applique, buttons and the binding. Great job.

    ReplyDelete
  85. Very creative. My favorite of Spring are the daffodils, even saying it makes me smile. Jane

    ReplyDelete
  86. Sew many different ideas and techniques.Love your buttons and how the flowers were created. cute.

    ReplyDelete
  87. Very pretty. I love the evolution of your mug rug. I like all the new blooms of Spring. Thanks for sharing and for the giveaway chance.

    ReplyDelete
  88. I like how your mug rug turned out too. Thanks for the little tutorial on how you did it. Here in southern California our winter is similar to spring in most climates. Spring brings lots of blooms, warmer days and the end of our "rainy season". We can't complain (but we do anyway). Fall in your neck of the woods is my favorite time of year. I'm hoping you will get a late but beautiful spring and summer!

    ReplyDelete
  89. Your flowers look so beautiful on your mug rug...love it!

    ReplyDelete
  90. Pansy's are my favorite flower, but even they don't work well in this lovely Minnesota weather...sigh.

    ReplyDelete
  91. Love how you took us thru the process of what turned out to be a really pretty mug rug. I don't know if I'd use it as a mug rug or use it as a piece of art in the sewing room. My favorite thing about Spring is sleeping with the windows open and listening to the little frog that lives outside my window. It reminds me that life is awakening after a long slumber.

    ReplyDelete
  92. Pansy's were my grandmother's and my mom's favorite flower. :) love your mug rug. I am in Minnesota as well and yes I think we missed summer more snow coming ;(

    ReplyDelete
  93. I don't like it I love it! Its beautiful! Very awesome design! I love seeing everything turn green again! Thanks for participating and inspiring us!

    ReplyDelete
  94. I'm already a follower and always enjoy your blog post! Thanks for the giveaway and a chance to win!

    ReplyDelete
  95. I love to see the flowers blooming in Spring! Your pansy mug rug is adorable -- the buttons seem to be the perfect finishing touch!

    ReplyDelete
  96. I love the pansies, like me they turn their faces to the sun, the best part of April are the longer evenings.

    ReplyDelete
  97. Those pansies are so pretty. Thank you for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  98. You were right, the buttons add just the right touch! That is lovely, thank you for sharing. My favorite part of spring? Opening my windows and airing out the house!!

    ReplyDelete
  99. lovely and I love pansies sew creative

    ReplyDelete
  100. What a beautiful & creative pansy mug rug. I love Pansies. I love lots about Spring. I lov ethe flowers blooming and to see everthing turning green and coming back to life. I also love seeing the wisteria bloom in the trees as I ride down the country roads.

    ReplyDelete
  101. I'M A DAY LATE VIEWING YOUR LOVELY MUG RUG...ME AND THE IRS HAD WHAT I CALL A SHOCKING DAY, HENCE THE ALL CAPS. WHEN I GOT MY BILL I NEARLY WENT INTO "TAX SHOCK", BUT TODAY I HAVE A PLAN, I'M GOING FORWARD AND YOUR MUG RUG WAS THE FIRST LOVELY ITEM ON MY VIEWING LIST. THANK YOU FOR PUTTING SOME "PRETTY" IN MY LIFE TODAY!
    BLESSINGS
    GMAMA JANE

    ReplyDelete
  102. Beautiful mug rug! Pansies are so cheerful.

    ReplyDelete
  103. I just love happy pansies and your mug rug is beautiful! Love those buttons too. I love having the days get longer in anticipation of summer.

    ReplyDelete
  104. Very pretty. I hear that buttons on mug rugs are for the cookies.... Looks like you are ready for a treat! Thanks for sharing.

    I love the warmer weather in spring.

    ReplyDelete
  105. Very lovely idea and it turned out gorgeous. I am a beginner so I appreciate that you shared your process as well. Thanks so much for the inspiration. My favorite part of spring is when the mesquite trees bud and the hummingbirds return; it means its garden planting time. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  106. My favorite part of spring is watching all the flowers emerge from their winter sleep. Always nice to see old friends again.

    ReplyDelete
  107. Ooooh! SO beautiful! thank you so much for sharing with us!

    ReplyDelete
  108. Thanks for sharing your process and beautiful mug rug! Favorite part of Spring has got to be that it's the beginning of baseball season.

    ReplyDelete
  109. Your pansy mug rug is very pretty! I love pansies because they bloom so much and are so hardy. My favourite part of spring is seeing my garden start to grow. I have perennial beds surrounding my patio.

    ReplyDelete
  110. I'm a follower. Thanks for the giveaway.

    ReplyDelete

Please Leave me a Message.. I would love to hear from you!!