Come Cruise N Sew With Me ;)

  So I have gotten a lot of emails lately about Cruising and Sewing!! It is oh so much fun ;) And today I am excited to announce a new quilting cruise in January 2027!!!  So you have lots of time to plan and get your group of friends together to come :)    I am teaching on the Paradise Quilting Cruise  to  Western Caribbean.   So fun!!!!

I will be teaching my Crossing Paths Quilt.   This is a great quilt to get some practice on lots of techniques, while not having to worry about lining up a whole ton of point.   Great for quilting and cruising!!!    Crossing Paths is Fat Quarter Friendly and I know we are all going to have so much fun making this quilt while sailing the beautiful Western Caribbean!!

We will be setting sail from Miami Florida, on the new Icon of the Seas (an absolutely amazing ship)  on January 23rd of 2027 for a week long adventure through Roatan Honduras, Puerto Costa Maya Mexico, and Cozumel Mexico with lots and lots and lots of Sewing while we are on the Ocean .   

So pop on over and check it out.  I would just love to have you come and sew and sail with me!!!  It is going to be so much fun ;)  And if you decide to Cruise and Sew along, be sure and tell them I sent you, so they know I am pulling my weight, tee hee hee ;) 

Merry Go Round for SUU!!

 It's time for another SUU Quilt Share in my favorite Red, White, and Black color combo!!! I decided to make an SUU Fast & Fun Lap Quilts and how great is this Merry Go Round Quilt with the dark (and shiny) background!  I just love how it totally changes the look of the quilt ;)  Merry Go Round is made with a No Waste Lattice method that you are just going to love.  

For this version of Merry Go Round, I used Red and White prints from the Red Hot Fabric Line from Riley Blake.  It is another perfect match for an Alma Mater quilt and paired with a Black Swiss Dot, where the dot is metallic Gold, so awesome!!!  it really just gives the background a whole new vibe ;)  This print is no longer carried, so I am glad I got to play with it before it was all gone ;)  

And as always, an SUU quilt needs an SUU layered applique added to the corner of the quilt. The applique is the SUU Mascot, they are the Thunderbirds :)   And when it comes to a custom applique the sky is truly the limit.  It is such a fun way to personalize quilts!!   You can find the step by step tutorial here for layered applique :)   I have lost count of how many times I have made this particular applique, but I will say, I know make them three at a time so I can really streamline the process :)  

When it came time to quilt this Fast & Fun Lap Quilt  I decided on all over Swirls ;)  I just figured I wanted something to add texture that would quilt up fast, and this is always the ticket for that and adds so much great texture!!    And of course, a black thread was perfect for this quilt.   And you can really see the metallic dot in this picture, isn't it just so shiny!!! 

And that is my SUU Merry Go Round quilt from my Fast & Fun Lap Quilts book !  Merry Go Round finishes at 76 1/2" x 76 1/2" so it is a great size to take to the big game and it has already found a new home with an SUU Alum ;)  I hope you love this quilt as much as I do and if you make your own Merry Go Round quilt, I would love to see it!!  You can share your quilts with me on social media using hashtag #happyquiltingwithmc and #fastandfunlapquilts and tag me @happyquiltingmc or you can email me a picture at happyquiltingmelissa@gmail.com.   

Thanks so much for popping in for another quilt finish!!

I hope you all have a very Happy Quilting Day! 

$5 Pattern of the Month - Double Dutch!!!

 It's a new month and a new $5 Pattern of the Month here at Happy Quilting!!!  And November is all about Double Dutch.  And it is just $5 all month long!!!   

The  Double Dutch 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 November.   This is such a fun quilt to make and is a great technique builder for No Waste Flying Geese.  It is rated Beginner and is Fat Eighth or Fat Quarter friendly, depending on what size quilt you make.  

Double Dutch  has 5 size options.   The Baby and Lap size quilts use a 12 1/2" block and Fat Eighths.   The Picnic, Twin, and Queen/King size quilts use a 20" block and Fat Quarters.   

And like I said, this one is all about building your technique on No Waste Flying Geese.  Each block has 8 flying geese in it, so you make 2 sets of No Waste Flying Geese for each block.  So lots of practice on getting them to perfection.   And because that is pretty much the block, once your units are made, the quilt comes together really quickly!  

And while the cover quilt shows each block with match fabrics, you can totally mix and match your fabrics as well.  Both designs create a stunning finish.   And it is hard to tell the difference in the pictures, but this shows a 12 1/2" block vs a 20" block.  It is just nice when you are making a bigger quilt not to have to make so many blocks ;)  

 

Truly, this is just a super versatile design that would look great in any fabrics!!  And the offset sashing of the blocks makes it look like these windmills are blowing in the breeze.  Just so fun :) 

  

  

And that is my $5.00 Pattern of the Month!!!   November 2025 is all about the Double Dutch Pattern!!!   You are going to have so much fun 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 Double Dtuch 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 #doubledutchquilt ;)  I can't wait to see your Quilts!!!

So are you ready to start making your Double Dutch Quilts???  Pop over to my Etsy Shop, to pick up your Pattern and get Happy Quilting!!!!   

October Sew Sampler!!!

 Happy Halloween!!!   And with the end of the month, it also means Happy Sew Sampler Box Share Day!!  And this month's box is so much better than a pile of candy!!  The theme is Patchwork Prairie  and it is just full of quilty goodness!!! 

I have been eying Melissa Gilbert's newest Evening on the Prairie fabrics for a little while now, so I was super excited to find this gorgeous Junior 10" stacker.  I can't wait to play with these rich colors and beautiful prints!!   Isn't that table runner just stunning, it is going to make the perfect addition to my table for fall!!   

And the notions for this month go right along with the pattern, love when Fat Quarter Shop does that!!  The 5" Square in a Square Foundation paper will be perfect for the centers of those Pie Safe Blocks and I just love this 1 x 6 Add a Quarter Ruler!!  It will be so perfect when working on smaller paper piecing :)   And the Sewing Magnet Mate is going right in my travel case.  I can't tell you how many times I am reaching under tables to pick up dropped pins, bobbin cases ect :)  This will be the perfect little tool to keep me from crawling around on the floor!!  

And were are on to block 7 of this Flowering QAL!!  .  I am using  50 Years of Moda!!!  This month's block was pretty easy and whipped together in no time!!!   And I love the grey background with the yellow, it really just makes the center pop!!    I am just loving these Flowering Blocks!! 

And that is October Sew Sampler Box.  And days just fly by now and it will be the end of November and December before we know it!!   

Thanks for popping in again.  

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

New Works in Progress

 It's always fun to start new projects!!!  These new projects do not have a deadline, so I know I will be working on them for a bit.  But I just love having something to work on here and there ;)  I finished pressing my two stacks of Fat Quarters and thought it would be fun to share!!!

So my first new project . . . After finishing up this crazy fun and crazy busy week  I felt like I had earned a little fabric reward.  So when I was at the Scrap Apple Quilting (Sew Yeah Quilting's sister shop) to drop off the last of the patterns from the trunk show, I picked up a bundle of Tilda's Sunday Brunch.  I have wanted to make a quilt using Tilda fabrics for so long, and this was the perfect way to make that happen!!!  Once I got it home, I knew right away I wanted to make a new Desert Rose quilt with it!!   Desert Rose just happens to be the $5 Pattern of the Month and you have 2 days left to get it on sale, just sayin ;)  

And do you want to see it drafted up in Sunday Brunch . . . .Isn't that just so pretty!!!   I am just so excited to get started on this project.  I have loved the soft beautiful colors for Tilda fabrics for so long and am just thrilled to be making my first Tilda quilt!!   Truly a "Fabric Reward" that will make a stunning quilt ;)  

And my second new project . . . Remember me sharing this new Summer Solstice quilt in all of it's rainbow goodness?   Well, I mentioned in that post that I so wanted to make this with a dark background.  So my sweet friends at Moda sent me a stunning bundle of Cannon Beach by Crystal Manning so that I could make that happen.  

And I am using Grunge Cobalt for the background.  Isn't that just stunning.  The beautiful Dark Blue print just makes all of those beachy pastels just pop!!   I am teaching this class in February, so I guess I have made a "kind of deadline" for this one, and that just happens to be when the fabric hits quilt shops as well.  So hopefully I can share the finish right when you all can get the fabric :)  Perfect!!  

So those are the two new quilts I will be working on when I am all caught up on deadline quilts.  (Which is said while giggling, cause that really never happens :)   But I am so super excited for both of these projects and am excited to see them come together!!

What new projects are you working on?? 

It's Here . . . The Flower Child Quilt Kit!!!

 I don't know if you remember . . . but clear back in March I got to share that Moda was making one of their super amazing boxed Quilt Kits from my Flower Child pattern!!  And now, it's finally here and in shops, so exciting!!!      am so

 This Flower Child Quilt  features Elena Amo's new Blossoms and Blooms Fabric and it is just so pretty and soft!!   I even got to make the sample for the Kit so I have already played with these beautiful  Blossoms and Blooms Fabric and can tell you, this Quilt Kit is going to be a treasure :)   The Kit is for the Lap Size which is 63" x 84" so it is perfect for cuddling up with a good book! 

The Flower Child Quilt Kit will comes with all the fabrics you need to make the Lap Size quilt (which includes a Blossoms and Blooms Layer Cake, Background, Accent, and Binding) as well as the Flower Child Pattern and a Modified Drunkards Path Template Set for cutting out all of those yummy curves!!  And if you are new to curves, be sure and check out my Modified Drunkards Path 3 Pin Method Tutorial .  

You can find the Flower Child Quilt kit in quilt shops now!!!   My friends at Fat Quarter Shop took this beautiful picture of my quilt for their Flower Child Quilt Kit!!   And Green Fairy Quilts is also carrying the kit and it is on sale today ;)   I just ordered one myself so I can have it as a keepsake on my shelf ;)  

This is such a fun day to get to share.  I never would have dreamed I would have a boxed quilt kit with my pattern.   Just so amazing to see how Happy Quilting continues to grow.  Thanks so much for sharing it with me!!  

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

Online Trunk Show!!

This last month, I had the wonderful opportunity to  visit the Sew Yeah Quilt Shop in Las Vegas!!  I did a trunk show for their Pre-cut Palooza retreat on October 7th, and then another trunk show for their second retreat (yes, they did back-to-back retreats, these guys are amazing!!) on October 15th.  It was so much fun and I got to meet quilters from all over that had come to sew together.  Just amazing :)  

And when I say trunk show, this was a big super big trunk show!!  I took over 50 quilts from my 30 patterns and shared my design inspiration, tips and tricks, and some fun stories behind my pattern quilts.   So much quilting goodness with lots of Ohhs and Ahhs and of course, some laughter thrown in as well!  And yes, I still need to put all of these quilts away, procrastination much :)  

But the super fun part, was on the morning of the 16th, I did a Live You Tube recording with the guys at Sew Yeah to do a virtual pattern sale at their shop, which also doubles as a Virtual Trunk Show of all my pattern quilts.  I am behind the camera most of the time, which was so good, because for some reason, I was more nervous about being on camera, than I am when I do a live trunk show in front of people.  I am glad you couldn't see my legs shaking ;)  But once I got going, we just had a great time and it was oh so fun to share these favorite quilts of mine!  

And now, I totally have a Live Virtual Trunk Show of all of my Happy Quilting Pattern quilts :)   So if you have wondered how I came up with a certain design, or how a certain quilt goes together . . . this is the video for you!!  How fun is that!!  The Flash Sale is no longer going on, but no worries, you get get the same Happy Quilting Patterns that I share in this video in my Etsy Shop, and they are still $10 for a Paper copy and $8.50 for a PDF ;)  

I had so much fun at the Sew Yeah Quilt Shop and want to say a Huge Thank You to everyone at Sew Yeah who made my trip just amazing!!! And if you haven't before, be sure and visit the Sew Yeah Quilting Online Shop, as they are always having amazing sales, and you will want to follow their Sew Yeah You Tube Channel for more Flash Sales like this one.  So much fun!!  

And now, I best go start putting all of those quilts away ;)   I hope you all have a very Happy Quilting Weekend!!  

Daisy Chain in Unicorn Dreams

 Today I get to share this beautiful new Daisy Chain quilt finish with you featuring the oh so adorable Unicorn Dreams Collection  by Ginger Deverell for Poppie Cotton!!   Daisy Chain is a pattern that was designed based on my mom's love of making flower chain necklaces in the fields of Kent, where she grew up.  It is one of my newest patterns and I am so excited to be sharing this soft version of it today!!!  

This Daisy Chain Quilt is so much fun to make and it is Fat Quarter Friendly so you can just grab a bundle and add your background fabric. Aren't the prints in this Unicorn Dreams Collection just so great!!  I love the soft colors, and they perfectly divided up into Leaf Fat Quarters, Bloom Fat Quarters, and Petal Fat Quarters :)  And because there is so much background space in this quilt (I love the secondary starburst in the background) I decided to use this wonderful Blooms and Berries Canyon Tan print in the background to add some zing in all that space ;)   That is the great thing about lots of negative space, you can really have fun with your background and don't have to worry about your prints getting lost!

 Daisy Chain is an intermediate skill level pattern, mostly just due to the nature of curved piecing!!     But once you get the three pin curved method down, you will be flying through them.  The quilt is made with full blocks and sashing pieces to create the chain.   And the great thing, the pressing allows you to nest everything, so you get beautiful circles all around!!  And the block goes together pretty quick once you have all your units made, so fun ;)   

The  Daisy Chain Pattern  uses a  Modified Drunkards Path  block which allows you to create those perfect circles.    There is a paper template in the pattern but I highly recommend the acrylic templates for making cutting so much easier :)   And these are the same templates used for my Nordic Nights, Blossoming Stars, and Flower Child Patterns, so if you already have the templates for any of those patterns you are all set!!  

Barbara did the quilting and piecing on this one.   And her quilting is just oh so cute!!  She quilted all of the negative space in echoed curls and the quilted figure eights in the leaves and feathers in the flowers.   This really makes the design pop in this quilt and adds so much amazing texture.  Love it!! 

 The Daisy Chain Pattern, like all of my Happy Quilting patterns, has multiple size options, so you can make whatever size you like. This is the lap size, but you can make it from a baby size all the way to a king size ;) 

And that is the new Daisy Chain Quilt! I hope you have enjoyed this post and consider making your own  Daisy Chain Quilt!!! And if you do, I would love to see them! You can share your projects with me on social media with the hashtags  #happyquiltingwithmc and #daisychainquilt and tagging @happyquiltingmc or email me a picture at happyquiltingmelissa@gmail.com. I can't wait to see your Daisy Chain Quilts!!

Thank you so much for popping by and sharing this finish with me and thank you to my wonderful friends at Poppie Cotton for always having such gorgeous fabrics for us to create with!!! 

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

Summer Solstice turns Midnight Solstice

Good Morning all of my quilty friends!!   Today I am thrilled to share a brand new Batik finish with you all! Expressions Batiks have become a favorite of mine to work with. The new collections are just so pretty in all of their beautiful colors and prints. And I just love how happy and bright this new Carnival Glass Collection is. And you all know, I recently released 4 new patterns and I knew right away that I had to remake my Summer Solstice pattern in this collection! It almost gives it a Midnight Solstice look, right!! Such a change up from the original to add so much happy color, and I just love it!

The Summer Solstice Quilt can be made with Scraps, Fat Eighths, or Fat Quarters. It is a very versatile quilt for cutting, and you can make it as monochromatic (like the original) or as colorful as you like. And I just can't even express how much I just love that the suns and dials  totally pop in all of the happy bright shades of Carnival Glass .

And ya know, a scrappy happy binding is always the perfect finish. I used this Pale Haze Hand Dyed for the background, and I love how the soft blue gives an added umph to the colors. It's not a big departure from a white background, but just enough to make it stand out. And I am already planning on remaking this with a dark background, I can't wait to see that just shine!!  Talk about Midnight Solstice ;)  

And while this might look a little complex, the Summer Solstice Quilt uses basic techniques of No Waste Flying Geese, Half Square Triangles, and a Square in a Square. So you will get some great technique practice and still have an easy time piecing everything together as there are not a lot of points to worry about lining up! And the Sun Block and the Dial Block come together with some great pieced sashing to finish off the chain and add to the points around the sun block. It really is a super fun one to see come all together! Again, this is the Twin Size quilt, but the pattern has multiple size options so you can make whatever size works for you ;)

And this was quilted with gorgeous repeating feathers in the background and arches on the print chain and dial block. All of the Sun block triangles are left unquilted which really makes them pop! Barbara did the quilting on this and it is just beautiful. And talk about so much yummy quilty texture.

And that is my Summer Solstice Quilt featuring the Carnival Glass Expressions Batik Collection! I hope you have enjoyed this post and make your own Summer Solstice Quilt!!! And if you do, I would love to see it! You can share your projects with me on social media with the hashtags #happyquiltingmc and #summersolsticequilt and tagging @happyquiltingmc or email me a picture at happyquiltingmelissa@gmail.com. I can't wait to see your Summer Solstice Quilts!

Thank you so much for joining me today! I hope you are loving these batik quilts as much as I am! 

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

A Star is Born for SUU!!!

 It's another SUU Quilt share day!!  You all know I just love making Red, White, and Black quilts for my Alma Mater!!! And since Homecoming has come and gone, I can now share this A Star is Born quilt from my Charming Baby Quilts Book!!   And yes, It isn't baby sized, I upsized the piecing :)  And I just love it ;)

For this version of A Star is Born, I used White and Black prints from the Fleur Noire Collection from Riley Blake.  It is another perfect match for an Alma Mater quilt and paired with a Blossom Red background, those black and white prints just pop!!!!   I used 7" squares to start instead of 5" squares to make this quilt.   And I so just love the scrappy binding made with the leftovers  :) It truly is my favorite way to finish a quilt!! 

And once again, I added a layered applique to the corner of the quilt of the schools mascot. The sky is truly the limit when doing this fun method of applique!!   And it is so great for personalizing quilts!!  You can find the step by step tutorial here for layered applique :)   

When it came time to quilt this Fast & Fun Lap Quilt  I decided on an all over swirl ;)  Mostly because I can quilt that super fast, and I was on a total time crunch for this one.     And of course, a red thread was perfect for this quilt.  

And that is my SUU A Star is Born quilt from my Charming Baby Quilts Book with a supersized edit!  This version of A Star is Born finishes at 72" x 72" so it is a great size for a lap quilt ;)  Oh, and if you make your own A Star is Born quilt, (in any size) I would love to see it!!  You can share your quilts with me on social media using hashtag #happyquiltingwithmc and #charmingbabyquilts and tag me @happyquiltingmc or you can email me a picture at happyquiltingmelissa@gmail.com.   

Thanks so much for popping in for another quilt finish!!

I hope you all have a very Happy Quilting Day!