Twinkle Toes Quilt!!!

 You might recall when I shared the start of this Twinkle Toes Quilt, well today I am excited to share it all finished!!!  And I have to say, this is my kind of paper piecing!!!  I love being able to paper piece assembly line and really speed through the blocks.   So fun!!!  

Twinkle Toes is made from 2 Lori Holt Petite Bundles and a Sparkle Star Foundation Paper pad that I received in my Sew Sampler Box.  It makes for an adorable baby size quilt  (36 x 42) that is just to cute!!  I just love the little stars in the corners and how it makes the squares look like they are spinning.   So fun!! 

And when it came time to quilt mine, I decided an an all over swirl.   I love how it just adds to the swirling effect of the squares.   And my 402 So Fine just blended perfectly in all of of the fabric squares.  Love it!! 

And I love the texture it created!!!   Doesn't that make you just want to snuggle up a wee one ;)  And I was surprised to find that I had a piece of leftover binding from ages ago that was just perfect for finishing off the quilt.  I don't know why I had a scrap binding piece that was 168" long, but I was sure happy to find it in the bottom of my Scrap Binding Bits Box.   

And that is my Twinkle Toes baby quilt.   I have a friend expecting a little girl soon and I think this will just be the perfect quilt for her.   I just love making Baby Quilts, and am super happy I made up this Sew Sampler Exclusive design, rather than letting these adorable fabrics sit on the shelf.   They are just to happy not to be used and soon to be loved ;)

And that is my Twinkle Toes Quilt ;)    And if you love it as much as I do, just grab a Sparkle Star Foundation Paper pad and a Layer Cake and you can whip one up in no time.     I already have another pad and am just trying to pick which layer cake from my stash to whip up another one with ;)   

I hope you all have a Happy Quilting Weekend!!!   

Stacked Squares Quilt and Tutorial!!!

So you might recall at the beginning of last month when I shared a Stack of Log Cabin Chain Blocks and said a tutorial was coming soon.   Well I super appreciate your patience, and soon is now Today!!!   I am so excited to share my newest quilt finish and a step by step tutorial for making your own in multiple size options!!!   This is Stacked Squares and I just love it!!!  

The idea for this quilt came about when I started to notice how many Low Volume Fat Quarters I was starting to accumulate.   You now, those leftovers from a Fat Quarter Bundle that you couldn't quite use as a print fabric because it blended in with the background to much.   So I figured I needed to design a quilt just for them.   And didn't it turn out just so awesome!!!

When I was thinking about a block design , I loved the idea of making some sort of Chain Block.  You all know I just love Irish Chain Quilts ;)   So I stared playing around with making a chain in a quarter Log Cabin format.   And Stacked Squares is what I got from it!!!

And I loved it so much . . . I took some pictures along the way and did some of my favorite Quilty Math and did a step by step tutorial with lots of size options for you all!!!!   Now you can make your very own :)     So let's get to it . . . 

YOU WILL NEED:

Select the size quilt you would like to make and gather the following materials for your quilt.   Both the Print Fabric and Low Volume Background Fabric requirements are giving in Scraps and Pre-Cuts, so you can use whichever you prefer.  

I used a mixture of scraps and pre-cuts in an assortment of prints to make mine.   These were just some scraps a pulled for a pic, but I mostly used prints from Bonnie and Camille and Sherri and Chelsi lines.   They blended great together ;)    The key in your prints is to keep them bright and bold, and if they tend to read one color, that will help them to stand out on the background Low Volume fabrics.   

STEP 1 - CUTTING 

The Stacked Squares Block is 11 1/2" x 11 1/2" Unfinished and 11" x 11" Finished.   You can choose to cut it out one block at a time if you are making for a Bee Quilt or just want to try a few blocks, or you can cut it all out at the beginning, which is the way I prefer to do it ;)   

For a visual to help - here is what you will need to make 1 Block. 

From your Print Scraps cut:

          (1) 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" square from one Print Scrap

          (4) 1 1/2" x 2 1/2" rectangles and (4) 2 1/2" x 3 1/2" rectangles ---

                         **** NOTE - When cutting these 2 pieces, You need to cut 1 of each size 

                                                   from the same Print as shown

From your Low Volume Scraps cut:

          (2) 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" squares

          (2) 2 1/2" x 4 1/2" rectangles

          (2) 2 1/2" x 6 1/2" rectangles

          (2) 2 1/2" x 8 1/2" rectangles

         

So now you see what you need for one block, let's get to what you need to make your whole quilt!!!  

PRINT FABRICS - From the Print Fabrics you will need to cut according to the following chart.   And remember, for each 2 1/2" x 3 1/2" rectangle you need to have a matching print 1 1/2"  x 2 1/2" rectangle :)

LOW VOLUME FABRICS - From the Low Volume Background Fabrics you will need to cut according to the following chart.  

And with all your cutting done, you are ready to move on to making your blocks!!  You can choose to make your blocks one at a time, or you can chain stitch each of the following steps to make your blocks in an assembly line. 

STEP 2 - MAKING THE BLOCK

Pair your Print rectangles to matching size Low Volume squares/rectangles.  It doesn't matter which color you pair what size to, as long as the same color prints rectangles are paired with the same size Low Volume square/rectangle as shown.  

Place your Print rectangles onto the Low Volume square/rectangles with right sides together.  Sew a 1/4" seam along the edge of all 8 pairs.  

Press the seam allowances towards the Print rectangles.  Now all of your Low Volume Strip Sets are prepared and ready to be sewn into the Stacked Squares Blocks. 

Layout the 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" Print Square and the (2)  2 1/2" Low Volume Strip Sets as shown.  

Place the shorter 2 1/2" Low Volume Strip Set onto the Print 3 1/2" square with right sides together.  Sew a 1/4" seam along the edge.  Press out towards the Low Volume Strip Set.   Then, place the longer 2 1/2" Low Volume Strip Set onto the Partially Pieced Block with right sides together.  Sew a 1/4" seam along the edge.  Press out towards the longer 2 1/2" Low Volume Strip Set.  

Now we will just repeat the same process 3 more times to create the block.

Layout the Partially Pieced Block and the (2)  4 1/2" Low Volume Strip Sets as shown. 

 

Place the shorter 4 1/2" Low Volume Strip Set onto the Partially Pieced Block with right sides together.  Sew a 1/4" seam along the edge.  Press outwards.   Then, place the longer 4 1/2" Low Volume Strip Set onto the Partially Pieced Block with right sides together.  Sew a 1/4" seam along the edge.  Press outwards.  

Now layout the Partially Pieced Block and the (2)  6 1/2" Low Volume Strip Sets as shown. 

Place the shorter 6 1/2" Low Volume Strip Set onto the Partially Pieced Block with right sides together.  Sew a 1/4" seam along the edge.  Press outwards.   Then, place the longer 6 1/2" Low Volume Strip Set onto the Partially Pieced Block with right sides together.  Sew a 1/4" seam along the edge.  Press outwards.  

Finally layout the Partially Pieced Block and the (2)  8 1/2" Low Volume Strip Sets as shown. 

Place the shorter 8 1/2" Low Volume Strip Set onto the Partially Pieced Block with right sides together.  Sew a 1/4" seam along the edge.  Press outwards.   Then, place the longer 8 1/2" Low Volume Strip Set onto the Partially Pieced Block with right sides together.  Sew a 1/4" seam along the edge.  Press outwards.  

And just like that, you have a 11 1/2" x 10 1/2" unfinished Stacked Squares block!!  Wasn't that just so fun ;)  Now just make as many blocks as you needed for your chosen quilt size.  

STEP 3 - MAKING THE QUILT TOP

Layout your blocks in the following layout. 

When you layout your quilt, be sure to rotate your blocks as shown altering the placement of the original 3 1/2" square so it "stacks" and creates your chain. 

Once you have a layout you like

        Sew your blocks into rows and press the seams in the odd rows to the right and the seams in the even rows to the left so they will nest.

         Finally, sew your rows into a quilt top and press the seams open or in one direction as you prefer.  

 **I know that is a lot of direction in one little picture, so if you are new to sewing quilt tops together, you can see this tutorial for a more detailed and visual description of how to sew the blocks into rows and the rows into a quilt top :)

 

STEP 4 - FINISHING IT UP

And with that, it's time to turn that finished quilt top into a finished Quilt ;)  Time to  Baste It, Quilt It, and Bind It!!!  Which is a whole lot in one little sentence.  If you are new to quilting, you can see my Finishing Your Quilt Series of video tutorials that will walk you through Basting, Quilting, and Binding step by step ;)

When it came time to quilt mine I decided on an all over Loose Feather.   It is super fun and fast to quilt and I love all of the added curves and flow it gives to this super geometric quilt :)

Once your quilt is quilted, you are ready to bind.   Cut the following number of  2 1/2"x Width of Fabric strips to create a binding and add it to the quilt.  I used some scrappy binding leftovers which is also another option ;)

STEP 5 - ENJOY QUILT

And now, just snuggle up with your Stacked Squares Quilt!!!  I just love all of the wonderful Low Volume's fabrics and how they spin around the chain of prints!!!   It is just so fun and I am already wanting to make a second Stacked Squares quilt in a larger size :)  

  

I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial and find it easy to follow. If you make your own Stacked Squares Blocks or Quilts I would love to see them!! You can email me a picture at happyquiltingmelissa@gmail.com or add it to social media with #happyquiltingwithmc   #happyquiltingwithmc ;) I can't wait to see your Stacked Squares Blocks and Quilts!!!

Thanks for stopping in today to share this new quilt finish and tutorial with me.  And thanks for popping in each and every day.  I am just so grateful to have this space to share my love of quilting and it just wouldn't be the same without you all!!!

I hope you all have a Happy Quilting Day!!

Terrific Tuesday Giveaway Day!!

 It's Terrific Tuesday Giveaway Day!! Let's have some fun :)

First, we need to announce the winner from last Terrific Tuesday Giveaway!!  

The winner of the $25.00 Gift Certificate from Thousands of Bolts  is . . .   Number #194  . . . Congrats Sharon!  I have messaged you :)  

     

       

And on to today's

Today's Terrific Tuesday Giveaway is being sponsored by Green Fairy Quilts.  Green Fairy Quilts is your home for pre-cut goodness and they always have amazing sales going on every weekend on a selected pre-cut or notion!!!   And did you know that Green Fairy Quilts has a Deal of The Day, I just love these!!!    And right now, use code "EASTER" for a discount onto of their amazing prices!!!

And for today's Terrific Tuesday Giveaway, Green Fairy Quilts will be giving one lucky reader 2 Moda Scrap Bags!!!  These bags are filled with Scrappy Goodness of some of your favorite Moda Lines, and it will be such a fun surprise to see which ones you get!!!!  

You have two entry chances here on the blog, and please leave a separate comment for each.  All Entries are welcome, including International Entries.   Please just be sure to leave an email address if you are a no-reply blogger ;)  

ENTRY 1 - Simply leave a comment that tells me what is your favorite cereal??

 ENTRY 2 - Show your Green Fairy Quilts love.   You can Sign up for their Newsletter which I highly recommend as it will ensure you catch all of their amazing sales!!  You can follow them on Instagram or Facebook,  or you can visit the Shop and then share a favorite item ;)   Just be sure to leave a comment of how you showed your Green Fairy Quilt Love!!!

And that's it ;)  The giveaway will be open until next Tuesday, April 13th, when I will announce a winner at the beginning of next weeks Terrific Tuesday Giveaway Post :)

You can also pop over to my Instagram and/or Facebook to enter there as well :)  

Good Luck and Have a Happy Quilting Day!!!

Texas Monthly - Month 5!!

 It has been a bit of a wait, (issues with fabric supply) but I am super excited to get back on track with the  Texas Monthly Block of the Month program!   This BOM is hosted by Stitchin' Heaven  and is so much fun!!!    And we are moving on to Month 5 today :)   

And just a reminder . . . if you want to join in any other Stitchin' Heaven Block of the Month programs, you can get your second month free with code "MELISSA1"  There are so many amazing BOM programs to choose from and new ones are being added all the time ;)  Like the new Stroll Quilt, that I already made here and can tell you it is so much fun!!  Or the new My Favorite Color is Moda Quilt.  My plans to start this are still a stack of fabric, hence a BOM is a great way to go :)       

So let's get going with Month 5 and there are 3 blocks this month and we get to do regular piecing and a little paper piecing as well :)  The blocks are all pretty basic and fast and fun to sew.    So let's get piecing!!!  

Cutting

I like to start out by pressing all of my fabrics.  Then it is time for cutting!!!  I like to cut all of my pieces for all of my blocks at the start.  Just be sure to keep them in piles separate for each block.  

And with all your pieces cut . . . you are ready to move on to the first block.

The Eight Pointed Star Block

First up, draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of your 8 colored squares.   Pair your colored squares as shown.   We will be using the squares on the top of each pairing first.  (Fabric 18, 15, 2, and 16)  

Place a marked square onto the left hand side of a Background rectangle as shown.   Stitch a seam directly on the drawn line.   Trim a 1/4" away from the stitched line.  Press towards the Print triangle.   Repeat for all 4 squares in the first pairing.   

Now we will repeat on the right hand side.  Be sure to match up your fabric pairings as shown in the first picture.   Place a marked square onto the right hand side of the pieced Background rectangle as shown.   Stitch a seam directly on the drawn line.   Trim a 1/4" away from the stitched line.  Press towards the Print triangle.   Repeat for all 4 squares making 4 Flying Geese Units.   

Layout the 4 Flying Geese Units, 4 Background Squares, and Center Print square as shown below.  Isn't that center fabric just so fun!!!  

Place the right and left hand column pieces onto the center column pieces with right sides together.   Align and pin if desired.   Stitch a 1/4" seam along the edge of all the units.   On the center unit, if you take care to stitch directly through the center of the thread X created from the flying geese units, you will get a perfect point on your stars ;)  

Press the top and bottom row outwards towards the Background squares.   Press the center row inwards towards the Print square.  This will allow you to nest your rows.  

Place the top and bottom row onto the center rows with right sides together.   Align and pin if desired or you can just nest the seams.   Stitch a 1/4" seam along the edge of all the units.  Again, stitch directly through the center of the thread X for perfect points ;)    Press the seams open.  

And just like that, you have a super fun Eight Pointed Star Block that should measure 14 1/2" x 14 1/2" unfinished.  

So now you are ready to move onto to making two of the . . . 

Pinwheel Block with Quarter Square Triangles

We will start with those little triangles.   Align the Background triangle onto the Light Blue triangle with right sides together and stitch a 1/4" seam along the edge.   Press the seam towards the Light Blue triangle.   Trim the dog ear from the corner.  Repeat to make 4 Pieced Triangles.  

Now, align the Pieced Triangle onto the larger Dark Blue Triangle with right sides together and pin and stitch a 1/4" seam along the edge.   Press the seam towards the Dark Blue triangle.   Trim the dog ears from the corner.  Repeat to make 4 Pieced Squares.  

Now layout your four Pieced Squares as shown to create a Pinwheel.  

Place the right hand pieces in each row onto the left hand pieces with right sides together  Align, pin, and stitch a 1/4" seam along the two pinned edges.  

Press the two seams open.  

Place the top row onto the bottom row with right sides together.  Align the Center seam and pin.   To ensure a perfect point in the center of your Pinwheel, you can use this little pin trick to align all the points :)  Stitch a 1/4" seam along the pinned edge.  When you reach the center, take care to stitch directly across the bottom of the Fabric V to ensure that perfect center point.  

Press the seam open.   And now your Pinwheel is done and we just need to add the Quarter Square Triangles to the block.   So grab the Background and Green square and draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of the Green square.  

Align the two squares with right sides together.   Stitch a 1/4" seam on either side of the drawn line.  

Cut on the drawn line and then press the seam allowances towards the Green triangles.   

Now draw a diagonal line in the opposite direction of the seam on the wrong side of one of the HST's.

Align the two squares with right sides together nesting the center seam with the green fabrics on opposite sides as shown.   Pin in place and then stitch a 1/4" seam on either side of the drawn line.  

Cut on the drawn line and then press the seam allowances open.  Trim the dog ears from the edges of the Quarter Square Triangle Units.  They should not need to be trimmed beyond the dog ears ;)

Layout the two Quarter Square Triangles as shown below with the Green Triangles on the sides and Background Triangles on the top and bottom.  

Place the top QST onto the bottom QST with right sides together.   Align, taking care to match the seams on the corners and pin.  Stitch a 1/4" seam along the pinned edge.  

Press the seam open.   Now grab your Pinwheel and layout the two blocks as shown.  

Place the Quarter Square Triangle Blocks onto the Pinwheel Block with right sides together.  Align the Center seam using the pin trick to align all the points :)  Stitch a 1/4" seam along the pinned edge taking care to stitch directly across the bottom of the Fabric V for a perfect center point.    Press the seam open.  

And now you have a beautiful Pinwheel Block with Quarter Square Triangles and absolutely perfect points!!!  It should measure 6 1/2" x 9 1/2" unfinished.  

So now you are ready to move onto to making the . . . 

Panhandle Block

And we are back to Paper Piecing!!!  So grab your Add a Quarter Ruler and Folding template, and make 4 copies of the Panhandle Block Paper Piecing Template.  

And we have done a lot of Paper Piecing by now, So I will just skim over that part.   But if you need a refresher course on Paper Piecing, see the Month 2 post ;)     For each of the 4 Units, you want to Trim the original seam line, Stitch the 2 piece onto the seam with right sides together, Press outwards towards the Background rectangle, and then repeat for the 3 piece.   

Once all of your Paper Piecing is complete, trim the 4 Units along the Outside Line to create your 4 perfect Flying Geese Units.  

Now layout the 4 Units as shown with the darkest purple on top moving to the lightest.    Then place the Second Unit onto the First Unit with right sides together and the Fourth Unit onto the Third Unit with right sides together.   Align the edges and pin if desired then stitch a 1/4" seam along the two pinned edges, taking care to stitch right through the center of the thread X for perfect points.  

Press the seams open.   Then, place the First Pieced Units onto the Second Pieced Units with Right Sides Together.    Align the edge and pin if desired then stitch a 1/4" seam along the pinned edge and through the center of the thread X.    Press the seam open.  

And now you have made a beautiful Panhandle Block that should measure 5 1/2" x 14 1/2" unfinished.  

And now all your blocks are made!!!!  All that is left for this month is to take those blocks and sew them into into Two Block Sections!!  So for 

Section 1

Layout your Eight Pointed Star Block and the Indian Paintbrush Flower block from Month 2 as shown below.  

Place the Flower Block onto the Star Block with right sides together.   Align and pin the edge.   Stitch a 1/4" seam along the pinned edge taking care to stitch through the thread X and at the bottom of the Fabric V for perfect points.  Press the seam open.  

And Section 1 is complete!!!  Super easy :)  

And that leaves us with 

Section 2

And to start this section, the first thing we need to do is trim the adorable Bluebonnet Panel that came with this month's fabric.   You will need to trim the panel to measure 8 1/2" tall and 9 1/2" wide.   This means you will just be trimming a little off the edges, so simply center your ruler and on the panel and trim.   I made sure when aligning top to bottom that the Stock Number on the panel was outside of the 8 1/2" mark so it would be trimmed off when I rotate the panel to trim the final side.  

Layout the trimmed panel, the Panhandle Block, the Pinwheel Block with Quarter Square Triangles and the Indian Blanket Flower Block from Month 2 as shown. 

Place the Pinwheel and QST Block onto the panel with right sides together.  Align and Pin the edges.  Stitch a 1/4" seam along the edge.  Again, if you take care to stitch directly along the bottom of the Fabric V at the seams, you will ensure perfect points.  

Press the seam allowance towards the Panel.  

Now, place the Panhandle Block onto the left side of the Center Pieced Unit with right sides together.  Align and Pin the edge.   Then place the Flower Block onto the right side of the Center Pieced Unit with right sides together, aligning and pinning the edge.   Stitch a 1/4" seam along the two pinned edges, taking care to stitch through the thread X and at the bottom of the Fabric V's for perfect points.    Press the two seams open.  

And you are done with Section 2 and that means you are also done with Month 5!!!!

Wasn't  Texas Monthly Month 5 just so fun!!!  I know I sure liked it :)

If you have any questions on this tutorial, please don't hesitate to email me at happyquiltingmelissa@gmail.com or leave a comment.  

Hope y'all enjoy making this month's blocks! 

 Looking forward to Next Month!