A Dress Update

So it's been a few weeks since Jessi started her linen dress, and we have made some progress!!!  Jessi and I were able to figure out the directions to this point.  We pieced the bodice top and skirt pieces together.  This was a few slight curves in the bodice, and big long straight seams in the skirt.   Then the instructions started talking about gathering and we called Grandma for help ;)  

Grandma is so very helpful and I am so grateful she has the knowledge of dress making that is a little out of my comfort zone.  So Jessi and I learned together and I am already feeling more confident (ya know, just in case she wants to make another dress :)   Grandma taught us how to gather the top and bottom of the sleeves and then add a cuff to the bottom of the sleeve that actually fits!!

Jessi was so excited about having 2 sleeves that looked like sleeves, even when they were inside out.   At this point, it was time to go home so we put the pieces aside for another day of sewing.   And that was such a fun day!!  

Once again, we had Grandma to help but this time we were at the Quilt House ;)  Jessi added the sleeves to the bodice and then sewed the bodice to the skirt!!!!   And how gorgeous is this Botany Linen Print from Alli K for Moda Fabrics.  Did you know that Moda Fabrics makes Linen Prints!!  It has been a dream to work with!!!  It just sews up so nicely :) 

All that is left is a zipper, neckline, and skirt hem!!!   We are so close, maybe next time we will be sharing a finished dress ;) 

Stay tuned, for the finish!!  

GO! Looking Sharp Quilt and Free Pattern!!!

I am so excited to share a new finish today!!! Isn't it just so fun!!!   When my good friends at AccuQuilt asked if I wanted to make a project using their new GO! Cactus Medley Die, I instantly thought of pairing it with  the Bear Paw BOB die, I mean, it just has that perfect southwestern feel to it and what better could go with cacti ;)  And I came up with this Looking Sharp throw Quilt!    And there is a free PDF Pattern that you can download right here :) 

I went straight to my green solid scrap drawer and my white solid scrap drawer.  I love that it is so easy to use up scraps with the AccuQuilt system.   And isn't it so fun having all shades of green, I can't believe how many different shades I had in my scrap drawer ;) And who doesn't love a great scrapbuster!!!   

And yes, I busted scraps in the background as well.  We all have lots and lots of Shades of Solid White hanging around, might as well use them!!  You will use up 2 1/2 yards of scraps in white and green for this project, and I am happy to report that I can now close these two scrap drawers!!      The Looking Sharp Quilt finishes at 46" x 62" so it is a great lap size quilt.   

And if you have been following here for a while now, you know that  I just love my AccuQuilt for cutting scraps!!   And especially for applique.  Can you imagine having to trace and then cut out all this applique by hand.   You also attach the fusible before you cut, so it is super easy to layer and stack your applique to the quilt and then fuse it .   Below is a list of the dies I used, see which ones you already have in your die library and maybe add a few more ;)   

APPLIQUE DIE

 GO! Cactus Medley (55687)            

PIECING DIES

GO! Bear's Paw - 14" finished (55461)      

   GO! Strip Cutter-2-1/2” (2” Finished) (55017) - Binding and Sashing

And when it came time to quilt it, I wanted to do something dense because the applique was over the whole quilt and I did not secure stitch around each applique.   Rather I decided to secure stitch it with the quilting.  And because all of the piecing was in straight lines, I was able to do a L and E line.   It's one of my favorite ways to quilt when I have "straight piecing guides" and it also is dense enough to secure all of the applique.    I love all of the texture it adds to the quilt as well.   

And that is my Looking Sharp Quilt.   I hope you love it as much as I do ;)   Isn't this picture AccuQuilt took of it just so great!!!  I love seeing it styled in a home setting.    And if you want to make your own, you can download the free PDF Looking Sharp Pattern Here.   And when you are done I would love to see it!!!    You can share a picture on social media with #happyquiltingwithmc and tag me at @happyquiltingmc or you can always email me a picture at happyquiltingmelissa@gmail.com.  I can't wait to see your Looking Sharp Quilts!!

Oh, and fun little side note . . . if you want to see this shared on YouTube, you can visit the Die Launch video.  It is shared towards the end of the show at 44:25 minutes in :)  It is just so fun to see your projects loved so much, just makes me smile.   

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

Layer Cake Crepe - A Shortcut Quilt!!

Today I am excited to share the Layer Cake Crepe Shortcut Quilt!!!   So if you have been around here for a bit, you know I just love sewing the Short-Cut Quilts  that my friends at Fat Quarter Shop are always coming up with.   I mean, what is not to love about them . . . they are super fun and super fast!!!    So when they asked if I wanted to make the new Layer Cake Crepe Shortcut Quilt I was all over it!!!

And it was so fun, and so fast, that I made 2!!!   The Layer Cake Crepe Quilt is put together in such a creative way!!  You are basically making large 9 patches with your layer cake squares, and then cutting them down the middle to make the blocks.  It creates these fun alternating blocks, a cool modern twist on a disappearing concept!!  And I love that the layout is all mixed and matched, it really keeps your eyes moving!!

As you can tell by the name, this quilt is Layer Cake friendly.   The original quilt is made with Frivolity by Sweetfire Road and there is a kit for it here.   And that got me thinking about Sweetfire Road's gorgeous fabrics!!  So I decided to mix things up a bit by cutting my own layer cakes!!   You see, I had all of these low volume fat quarters left over from my Wandering Star Quilts in Seaglass Summer by Sweetfire Road.  Aren't those low volumes, with the pops of gold just so great!!  Especially paired with my favorite Lead Grunge Background!!    I am so glad I thought of this because I just love the result.  But of course, you don't have to cut your own, and it makes it even quicker to use a Print Layer Cake and a Background Layer Cake (which they make in Grunge!!)  

But I was on the using up scraps kick, which had me recalling the 5 quilts I made for my wonderful friends at Moda as samples (I will be sharing them all very soon)  with their new Groove Fabric by Emily Van Hoff.  As you can imagine, making 5 quilts with one fabric line left me with a few scraps ;)   So I figured, why not make a second Layer Cake Crepe Quilt.  Especially as these prints are so large, they fit this design just perfectly!!  I figured these super Groovy Fabrics needed a super fun background, so I paired them with Bella Solid Turquoise and I just love how bright and happy it makes this quilt!!

When it came time to quilt these, I opted for more fun and fast!!  So the first one I did an all over loose feather!   But for a pop, I decided to use a Gold Thread.  I love how it just shines on that background!!   And the loose feathers can also have a very "sea" feel to them, and that makes me super happy!!

And for the second quilt, I wanted to keep with all of the groovy fun, so I did an echoed Loop de Loop, and really varied the echo to keep things different.   I love the way it turned out.   And it is hard to see in the picture, but I used a rainbow variegated thread, just to add that extra groove!!  It turned out just so happy!

Then some scrappy bindings, (because truly, scrappy bindings are the best!!) and these two quilts were done!!   The Layer Cake Crepe Quilt finishes at 70 1/2" x 86" so it is a perfect twin size, or a great snuggle quilt :)   It really would make for a wonderful gift, especially if you need to whip it up in a hurry!!   

 In fact, this groove quilt was a graduation gift for one very "groovy guy"!  And those are my  Layer Cake Crepe Quilts!!  If you would like to make your own Layer Cake Crepe quilt you can find the Free Pattern Here   And as a special bonus, Fat Quarter Shop even has a You Tube video that walks you through making the quilt step by step.  How great is that!!!  Oh, and be sure to pop on over to the Jolly Jabber for lots more Layer Cake Crepe quilting inspiration as there are a few bloggers making this quilt!!! 

Thanks for popping in today and sharing these new finishes with me!!!

I hope you have a very Happy Quilting Day!!

$5 Pattern of the Month - Swirling Leaves!!!

We have made it to Summer!!!  And with the new month of June we have a new $5 Pattern of the Month here at Happy Quilting!!!   And oddly enough, it is all about Fall!!   I know that seems weird, but all of the beautiful Fall Fabric lines are coming out right now, so I figured what better pattern for this month of June than Swirling Leaves .  And it is just $5 all month long!!!   

The  Swirling Leaves Pattern can be found in my Etsy Shop in both a Paper version as well as a PDF version and both versions will be marked down to $5.00 for the month June.   This is such a fun quilt to make and with big 30" blocks, it comes together quicker than you would think it would ;)  It is rated Beginner Friendly as well as Layer Cake Friendly.  

 Swirling Leaves  has 6 size options.  And like I said, these are big blocks, so trying to change up the size of the quilt can get a little creative.   That is why 3 sizes have borders, and 3 do not :)  You can really create a stunning Fall quilt in whatever size works best for you!!  The pattern is great for mastering your half square triangles and chain piecing.  

Need some ideas for your Swirling Leaves Quilt??  Like I said, there are so many amazingly rich and gorgeous fall fabric lines coming out right now.  Here are some new arriving fabric collections mocked up . . .  Just to give you some fun ideas of what you can do with this pattern!!  

Here is the Queen Size in Acorn Hollow by Basic Grey.  This is one that I totally want to make as I have been wanting to remake this quilt with a light background.  And you know I love Grunge and this Basics White Grunge has just the perfect touches of green to add to this beautiful fall palate.   Don't you just love this soft take on Fall!!   I know I sure do :)   

And  it's always fun to play things up with a colored background.  Rich Yellow's make for such happy Fall Quilts.   This is the Lap Size in Pumpkin Spice by Simple Simon and I just pulled the two yellow prints from the line and used one for the background and one for the binding.  Isn't that just so sweet!!  You know I am all about that Plaid binding ;)  

And if you are a fan of the "down and dirty" Primitive Gatherings new Pumpkin Spice Gatherings line will make a stunning Swirling Leaves quilt!!!  This is the King size which is the same blocks as the queen, but we added a border ;)   And I pulled a great love volume from the line for the background, I just love how it makes all of those vibrant fall colors just pop!!  Wouldn't this just be a stunner on your bed come September!!  

And just like the original, you can never go wrong with a dark background!!!  How goregous is this picnic size quilt in The Awe of Autumn by Sandy Gervais!  Once again, I pulled one color from the line to use as the background, border, and binding (lovely browns) and then used all of the pretty soft shades of fall in the piecing.  Isn't that just a stunner.  Makes me want to curl up with a book under a tree when the leaves are falling ;) 

       

And that is my $5.00 Pattern of the Month!!!   June 2025 is all about the Swirling Leaves Pattern!!!     I really think you are just going to love making this quilt ;)        And of course,  if you have any questions at all, please don't hesitate to reach out to me ;)  And when you make your Swirling Leaves 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 and #swirlingleavesquilt ;)  I can't wait to see your Quilts!!!

So are you ready to start making your Swirling Leaves Quilts???  Pop over to my Etsy Shop, to pick up your Patterns  and get Happy Quilting!!!!