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Thursday, May 15, 2014

Arizona Giveaway....{the American Southwest}

It is my day on the Arizona blog tour!  As I mentioned in my last post, Arizona is a Limited Edition line from Art Gallery Fabrics.  Art Gallery chose 3 designers to share their vision.  Arizona is the vision of April Rhodes!
  

When I was asked to participate in the blog tour, I started brain-storming ideas for my makes.  I have spent some time in our wonderful American Southwest!  When I was a child, my family traveled west to visit my uncle in Los Angeles.  It was a car trip in a huge 1964 station wagon...from Ohio to California.  No air conditioning...mom and dad and three kids...pulling a pop-up camper!  
It was awesome!  We hit all the hot spots along the way...

  
  
that's me with the cheesy smile...at the Grand Canyon.

I learned so much about our western country on that trip...and gained such an appreciation and compassion for the Native American culture.  I recall stopping at a gas station in New Mexico. Almost every gas station had a souvenir shop selling bad knock-offs of Native American culture. A tourist attempted to take a picture of an older woman. She was obviously a member of a Native Tribe, but she ducked behind a post when the man pointed his camera at her.  I was told that she didn't want her photograph taken because this would steal her soul. Even as a child, I knew there was more to these people and their culture than the trinkets being sold on every corner.

Many years later, I traveled again to the Southwest to stay with my sister in Oklahoma.  Her husband was stationed at an Air Force base in Oklahoma and I spent many summers living with her while on vacation from school.

Not only did I learn more about the Native Tribes in the area, but about the women of the prairie.  
I was shocked when I saw my first sod house!

       
This is actually a much nicer version of the sod house I saw!  The one I visited was not nearly so swanky!  
  I could not believe the fortitude of the pioneers who traveled West. These were people who left their familiar surroundings behind in hopes of a better life.  Even as rough as the sod house seemed, it was their home and their piece of land.
 They were Sooners!
  They raced to claim a piece of the "Unassigned Land". Of course, these lands were opened up for settlement because of the Indian Appropriations Act.  Seems like a nice title for an Act that moved the Native Americans from their land to reservations.
The west is a huge expansive area...it's unfortunate a better solution could not be found.   

 Well, I could go on and on about my love for the American Southwest and my appreciation of our Native American people and their culture... 
      they truly are a National Treasure.

I decided on two projects for the Arizona blog tour...

 
 A small quilt...

actually a very large version of an Album Block...

 
 I replicated the Arizona as it appears on the selvedge of the fabric.

 
 it is quilted by machine in the ditch and then hand quilted.
 
I had another idea rattling around in my brain!  
A pillow...similar to this one...

     
But, of course, I wanted it to reflect the American Southwest...
 what is more iconic than the image of a longhorn!


I hope I captured it...

This is the final week of the blog tour!  

Thursday, May 1 - Anna Graham / @noodlehead531
Friday, May 2 - Shelley Figueroa / @figgysstudio
Saturday, May 3 - Julie Herman / @jaybirdquilts
Sunday, May 4 -  Erin Sobon Sundet / @sewbon
Monday, May 5 - Jenna Brand / @howtobejenna
Tuesday, May 6 - Kelli Ward / @truebias
Wednesday, May 7 - Rachel Howard - @familyeverafter
Thursday, May 8 - Delia Randall / @deliacreates
Friday, May 9 - Kelly Costas / @cutcutsew
Saturday, May 10 - Rachel Gander / @imaginegnats
Sunday, May 11 - Devon Iott / @missmake
Monday, May 12 - Mary Dugan / @mollyflanders
Tuesday, May 13 - Shannon Cook / @soveryshannon
Wednesday, May 14 - Penny Layman / @sewtakeahike
Thursday, May 15 - Katie Blakesley / @swimbikequilt

 But you still have a few chances to win your very own fat quarter bundle of Arizona!  

For my giveaway you will have two chances to win....here's what you need to do....
1. Become a follower of Molly Flanders and leave a comment here
and for a second chance
2. Become a follower of my Instagram and leave another comment here that you did!  There is a link to my Instagram on the right or you can find my account under MARYSDUGAN

Please be sure that you are not a No Reply Blogger or leave an email address in your comment.

I will close the giveaway on Thursday May 15th.

Best of luck!  
xo mary