2022 was Amazing, Can't wait for 2023!!!

 Wow, this has been an absolutely amazing year in quilting!!!   I just love being able to see everything I have created in a year all summed up in one post.   And it makes me so excited for 2023 as I already have lots and lots planned :)  So let's take a look at 2022 in the Numbers!!

68 Quilts 

 (although, around 18 were just quilted this year as the tops were done in previous years, 

 so I am not totally crazy right  :)

3 Projects

This one has a Free PDF as well!!!                                                                                                               

6 New Free PDF Patterns

Sugar Pop N Change                                           Stepping Out

Playing the Scales                                  Steps to Tranquility 

Flying in Squares                                        Stitch To My Lou

3 New Happy Quilting Patterns

1 Amazing Fast & Fun Lap Quilts Book Tour

 and 1 Fast & Fun Lap Quilts Sampler 

Quilt Along Planned for 2023

And that's Happy Quilting 2022 in a nutshell!!!! Wow, what an incredible year!!!   I also got to teach at 11 different Quilting Retreats and I enjoyed getting to come and share my love of quilting with so many fellow Happy Quilters.  I also realized while preparing this post, I need to post about some of that teaching!!!  I will admit, I got a little behind towards the end of the year with the Fast & Fun Lap Quilts book tour ;)   But that just means I have lots to share already in January of 2023   You can see more details about all of the quilts in my Archive Cont. Tab at the top of the page including links to the quilts with tutorials and Pattern PDF Downloads.  (And wow, I have spent the last 6 hours updating that tab, here is to not getting behind in 2023 :)  

And I just want to say Thank You So Very Much!!!   I can't even believe that I get to be a part of such an amazing industry and that I literally just stumbled into it over 10 years ago.  I have shared a lot of trunk shows this year, and each time I share my "how I started out" video, I can't help but just smile at how far Happy Quilting has come.   What a journey and what an absolute joy to be on this journey. I am so blessed to have each of you and can't thank you enough for always reaching out to me.   It means so very much and makes me want to keep Happy Quilting every day :)

And now, It's time to look forward to 2023!!!

So what does 2023 hold in store . . . well, like always, lot's more Happy Quilting, of course :)     I am super excited to g :)  Books are always such a huge process and it is so great to fiet going on the Fast & Fun Lap Quilts Sampler Quilt along which I think will be starting in Feb or March.  (Martingale is closing their doors, so things are a little up in the air right now with printing books, but I am working on it ;)     I have 3 New Patterns all in different stages of completion that I am currently working on and hope to release soon.  I also have more Free PDF Patterns and  Happy Quilting Tutorials planned for 2023.  And I will be teaching at lots of fun places, including on a Quilting Cruise to Alaska.  So ya, it should be a pretty fun year!!!   


And again, one last time . . . Thank you!!!!


So let's wave goodbye to 2022 and bring on 2023!!!!!  Happy Quilting!!! 

Terrific Tuesday Giveaway Day!!!

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

First, we are going to announce the winners of last week's Terrific Tuesday Giveaway!!  

The winner of the Merry Little Christmas Petite Fat Quarter Bundle  from Fat Quarter Shop  is . . . #184  . . . Congrats to sea_n_sew!!!  I have messaged you :)

     

 

 

And on to today's

Today's Terrific Tuesday Giveaway is being sponsored by  Thousands of Bolts .   Thousands of Bolts has incredible prices that will have you super excited!!!  There are thousands of bolts to choose from and all at amazing prices, staring as low as $5.39 a yard!!!   And they have just introduced dozens and dozens of new fabrics to the inventory!!  Be sure to check it out :)    

And for Today's Terrific Tuesday Giveaway,  Thousands of Bolts is giving one lucky winner at $25.00 Gift Certificate!!!  You can get just what you always wanted :)   And good luck picking because there are literally thousands of bolts to choose from!!!!   

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 something new you learned in 2022??

 ENTRY 2 - Lets show Thousands of Bolts some Love!!!!   You can follow them on   Facebook or Instagram.  Or you can visit The Shop and then share a favorite item ;)   Just be sure to leave a comment of how you showed your Thousand of Bolts Love!!!

And that's it ;)  The giveaway will be open until next Tuesday, January 3rd, 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!!!

Fast & Fun Lap Quilts E-Book!!!

I have an exciting new announcement today!!!   Not only can you still get my Fast & Fun Lap Quilts book, but now, you also have the option to get Fast & Fun Lap Quilts as an E-book as well !!! I am just thrilled to be able to now offer this as things are changing at Martingale.

The e-book is the exact same as the paperback book, sans it doesn't have a cover ;)   It will come to you within 24 hours via an mail from me after you have paid for the E-book Fast & Fun Lap Quilts at my Etsy shop.  (The file is way to large to download from Etsy, so it will come as a google link with access to you specifically that you can download :)  with you.   Think of all of the Lap Quilts you can make  with just 1 Layer Cake and some background fabric, so fun!!! 

                    Aurora                                          Diamond Dash                         Dutch Days

               Keystone Corners                        Merry Go Round                            Puzzle Box

                Three In A Row                               Treasured                                     Jacks

And yesterday, I shared a sneak peek of the 2023 Fast & Fun Lap Quilts queen size sampler we will be making.  You will need a copy of the book to quilt along, and being able to get the   E-book Fast & Fun Lap Quilts is a great way to save on shipping (especially for all of my friends outside of the US :)  I was super lucky to teach one of the quilts from Fast & Fun Lap Quilts at Garden of Quilts last week.  I am so looking forward to this Quilt Along and I will be sharing much more in January :)  

So whether you have the  Fast & Fun Lap Quilts Book  or the E-book Fast & Fun Lap Quilts E-Book  I hope you will consider quilting along with me ;)   And of course, I hope you make lots and lots of Fast & Fun Lap Quilts as well, and when you do . . . I would love to see them!!!  You can email me a picture at happyquiltingmelissa@gmail.com or add it to social media with the hashtag #happyquiltingwithmc and #fastandfunlapquilts ;)  I can't wait to see your Lap Quilts!!!

 Thanks for popping in today!!

I hope you all have a very Happy Quilting Day!!!

2023 Quilt Alongs!!!

It's that time of year . . .when I start to gear up for 2023 and that means gearing up for the 2023 Quilt Alongs I plan to participate in!!!  I am so excited :)  It is just so fun to pick fabrics and imagine how great they will look in a design.

So to start out the 2023 quilt along year . . . I will be joining in the Barn Star Sampler Quilt Along.  And I am making my Barn Star Sampler a Rainbow of Ombre goodness!!!   Eeekk, I can't wait ;)  

 

So, my plan is to do each block in a colorway, so I grouped my fabrics in two's, which essentially gives me 6 colors per block to play with, as you have the light, medium, and dark of each print.  This is a big quilt (80" x 100"), and I am actually planning to make mine even bigger so it finishes at 100" x 100".  (You know I always have to change things up :)   So I am using Half Yard Cuts in 20 different shades for 10 Yards of Prints total ;)   I am also doing the background in varying neutral shades of Ombre, and I have 8 yards of 5 Assorted Neutrals.  

And since I already ordered the book, I could start cutting.   And I am not going to lie, this one took a long, long, long time to cut out.  I mean, a king size sampler quilt is always going to take a bit to cut out, but adding in the ombre factor and making sure I had lights, mediums, and darks in each block just upped the cutting fun ;)  The amount of fabric I had guesstimated, ended up just perfect.  I had to "piece" a few of my cuts but all in very little scrap pieces were left.  So that makes me happy (no need to add more to those bins ;)    I am just thrilled to have this all cut and ready to start sewing in 2023.  I can't wait!!!  

Also, starting in March of 2023 is the Bountiful Charity Quilt Along!!!  This will be my 9th year participating in Fat Quarter Shop's Annual Quilt along and I am just thrilled to be a part of something so wonderful.   The Quilt Along benefits Make A Wish and since 2014, this Charity Quilt Along has helped raise over $650,000 and granted 110 wishes, so amazing!!!! 

The original Bountiful Quilt is made using Corey Yoder's soon to be released Sunwashed Fabric.  This is such a cute line (I might have already done some secret sewing with it!!)   Fat Quarter Shop has Bountiful Sunwashed Kits available for Pre-order now, as well as a Backing Bountiful Kit.    Like I said, I already have sewn with Sunwashed, so I decided to switch up my fabric.  My plan is to use Meadowmere by Gingiber.  I just love the bold, rich tones in this line, and of course, you know I am all about the metallic, so fun!!!   I think this is going to make a stunning Bountiful quilt!!!  The fabric requirements for this quilt along will be released early in 2023 and then the sewing fun starts in March.  Can't wait!!! 

And last, but certainly not least, I am so excited to announce that I have a Fast & Fun Lap Quilts Sampler Quilt Along planned for 2023!!!!    The date of this one is still a little flexible as things are changing at my publisher (more on that tomorrow) but here is a sneak peek of the design ;)    This is going to be just like the Charming Baby Sampler Quilt Along, where I have taken a block from each of the quilts in Fast & Fun Lap Quilts and combined them into a Queen Size Sampler.  It will use 2 Layer Cakes and a Background Fabric and it is going to be so much fun!!!  So if you haven't gotten your copy of Fast & Fun Lap Quilts, be sure to grab it and get ready for some 2023 fun :)

And that is it for the 2023 Quilt Alongs.  Are you going to join in and Quilt Along with me???

I hope you have a very Happy Quilting Day!!! 

Terrific Tuesday Giveaway Day!!!

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

First, we are going to announce the winners of last week's Terrific Tuesday Giveaway!!  

The winner of the $25.00 Gift Certificate  from Lou Lou's Fabric Shop  is . . . #  . . . Congrats to mangozz!!!  I have messaged you :)

    

 

And on to today's

Today's Terrific Tuesday Giveaway is being sponsored by Fat Quarter Shop.   Fat Quarter Shop is amazing and they never cease to amaze me with everything they have going on at their shop!!!     And did you know they have a 24 Hour Flash Sale  and Precuts of the Week!!   You can also save big on the Basics of the Month!!!!     This month Blossom Basics  by Christopher Thompson for Riley Blake Designs are on sale!! (These are one of my favorites, time to stock up!!!)   Also, Gypsy Quilter Products are on sale for the Notion, and all  Wendy Shepherd Patterns are on sale for the Pattern.   Save 20% off of all of them for the whole month of December!!  So great ;)  

And for today's Terrific Tuesday Giveaway  Fat Quarter Shop is giving away this festive Merry Little Christmas Petite Fat Quarter Bundle by Bonnie and Camille for Moda Fabrics!!!  I used this fabric in my Christmas Stroll quilt and it is just so cute (and there are still a few kits available for it!!)  I just love Christmas Fabrics, they just make me smile and you can never have to many Christmas Quilts!!!! 

 

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 your favorite Christmas Song :)   (Mine is Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas :)  

 ENTRY 2 - Show your Fat Quarter Shop love.   You can follow them on   Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, You Tube or at their Blog.  You can Sign up for their Newsletter which will ensure you catch all of their amazing sales, or you can visit The Shop and then share a favorite item ;)   Just be sure to leave a comment of how you showed your Fat Quarter Shop Love!!!

And that's it ;)  The giveaway will be open until next Tuesday, December 27th, 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!!!

Stepping Out Quilt and Free PDF Pattern

Today, I am thrilled to be sharing this brand new Stepping Out quilt as well as a Free PDF Pattern for it!!! This quilt features South Hill Fabrics by Fran Gulick. I just love piecing curves, and this is a great quilt to start learning them if curves are brand new to you!!! It's perfect for beginners and experts alike :)

  Stepping Out is a Fat Quarter Friendly quilt. I have added multiple size options to the Free PDF Pattern, so you can make the quilt that fits just perfect for you. All you need is a stack of Fat Quarters, and some background fabric and you are ready to get stitching. I just love these beautiful South Hill fabrics!!! The prints and colors are just marvelous, and they just pop on the Silver Blossom background. And I pulled the adorable "friends" squirrel print from the bundle to use as the binding, so cute!!

This Stepping Out Quilt  is made with Modified Drunkards Path Units and No Waste Flying Geese.   I love using my Modified Drunkards Path Templates to make cutting the curves a breeze!!   (I have actually done several patterns and tutorials with these, and they will all work with the one set of templates :)   And if you are new to curved piecing, or just need a refresher course, there is a step by step tutorial right here on cutting and sewing the curved units :)   So great!!!    Oh, and there is also a No Waste Flying Geese Step by Step tutorial as well :) 

I just love the way this design matches the prints together into one big block, really allowing each print to just shine!!! And you can't help but shine with all of those stars popping from the background and prints. I made the Lap Size version, that finishes at 56" x 70" so it a a great size to snuggle up in.

But like I said, there are multiple size options in the Free PDF Pattern , so you can pick the size project that is just right for you. To get the FREE PDF Stepping Out Pattern Download, so you can make your own, just click here and download it there.

When it came time to quilt mine, I decided on an all over combination of echoed paisleys and swirls. I just love how it adds so much curvy goodness in the quilting to go with the curvy goodness of the piecing. And the texture is so yummy, lots of quilting, but still great for snuggling up in.

And that is my Stepping Out Quilt quilt!!! I hope you have enjoyed this post. Oh, and if you make your own Stepping Out quilts, I would love to see them! You can share your quilts with me on social media using hashtags  #happyquiltingwithmc and #steppingoutquilt and tagging @happyquiltingmc or email me a picture at happyquiltingmelissa@gmail.com. I can't wait to see your Stepping Out Quilts!!

And that is all for today :)  

I hope you have a very Happy Quilting Day!!!