Monday, February 10, 2025

Been Cruising and Teaching!!

Sorry it has been a little quiet around here.  I have been teaching the last few weeks and it has been oh so much fun, but also very busy!!  I spent the end of Jan to the beginning of February on the Symphony of the Seas with some amazing ladies teaching my Summer Breeze quilt ;) 



And guess what . . . we even had a quilt top finish by the end of the cruise!!!   So amazing, that is a lot of piecing and isn't it just so pretty!!!  I loved this kit that Stitchin Heaven  put together.  It really was just so delightful and it was so great to see so many ladies get so much done on their blocks.  They all did such an amazing job ;)  Cruising and Quilting is totally the most amazing gig ever!!!

And totally random, but a fun part about cruising is coming back to your room and seeing what amazing creations your room attendant created with towels.  I have seen the bear before but the penguin and the gorilla are totally new to me and so cool!!  


And along with teaching a group of amazing ladies . . . I also got to spend a wonderful trip with my sweetheart!!  This cruise doubled as a celebration of our 24th anniversary and I have to say . . . I  just love this man of mine ;)  


And one day after getting back from the cruise, I was teaching at another beautiful place . . . Bryce Canyon National Park.  Okay, so we were actually at Ruby's Inn right outside the park, but you get the idea ;)  This Quilty Friends retreat is held annually and I have been teaching at it for so many years.  It truly is a favorite of mine ;)  I love that at the beginning of the retreat, everyone brings their finishes from the past years class.  Here is a student's gorgeous Double Dutch finish!!! 


And on the last day of the retreat, everyone shares what they have been working on in classes the last few days.  We totally had a baby Playful Posies quilt finish while at the retreat.  How fun is that!!


And now I am back home, and getting ready to teach this week at  the Cedar Quilt Guild's annual retreat.  This one is my local hometown so I will have a little more time to pop in and out here and share all of the fun :)  Which is good, because I have a lot of posts to catch up on ;)

I hope you are all having a very Happy Quilting Day, Week, Month, and Year ;)
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Saturday, February 1, 2025

$5 Pattern of the Month - Wandering Star!!!

It's the second month of our new $5 Pattern of the Month Feature here at Happy Quilting!!!  Each month, I will choose one Happy Quilting Pattern that will be just $5.00  all month in my Etsy Shop ;)    And February is Wandering Star!!!   


The  Wandering Star 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 of February. 



 Wandering Star is an intermediate skill level pattern with 6 size options and is Fat Quarter Friendly.  The quilt is made with full blocks and then sashing around the blocks (and around the quilt for the Child, Picnic, and King)  to create the interlocking star blocks.     The pattern teaches you lots of techniques including half square triangles, stitch and flip, and no-waste flying geese.  



Need some ideas for your Wandering Star Quilt??  Here are some new arriving fabric collections mocked up . . .  Just to give you some fun ideas of what you can do with this pattern and play with colored backgrounds!!  My favorite thing about this pattern is picking out which prints I will use as the Accent Star and Accent Corner Fabrics.  It really is so much fun to see how much it changes up the quilt!!  

Here is the Queen Size in Chirp by Elano Amo with a White Paper Grunge Background.    Isn't that just so fun with the rust and pink prints pulled out for the accents!!!  I so want to make this version with all of the tiny cute birds ;)  


And this is the Picnic size in Vintage Charm by Dani Mogstad with a light blue background from the line.  Wouldn't this just be so adorable to take on a spring picnic.   Cute apples, florals, and word strips!! I just love pulling one color from the line and making it the background color, it always looks so great :)


And you know I love a good Dark Background!!!  This is the Lap size in  Cheddar at Twilight!!  I used all of the yellow and white prints for the piecing and pulled a beautiful navy's from the line for the background and binding.  Isn't it just stunning ;)   This would be a great lap size quilt for a man cave or if your school colors happen to be Yellow and Navy!!



And for a Valentines Day . . . here is Love Blooms by Lella Botique in the Bab Size with a Pink on White Dot background from the line.   Wouldn't this just be so sweet as a table topper for a Valentines party ;)  So cute!!   



And that is my $5.00 Pattern of the Month!!!   February 2025 is all about the Wandering Star  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 Wandering Star 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 #wanderingstarquilt ;)  I can't wait to see your Quilts!!!


And I am so excited because I just finished a baby size that I will be sharing as soon as I get it quilted ;)  So are you ready to start making your Wandering Star Quilts???  Pop over to my Etsy Shop, to pick up your Patterns grab a Fat Quarter Bundle and get Happy Quilting!!!!   

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Thursday, January 30, 2025

Square Dance in Urban Folk

 Hello friends!! Today I am am just so excited to share with you a new finish!!! I had never really worked with a lot of Batiks until my good friends at Riley Blake introduced me to Expression Batiks!!! And ya, I have totally fallen in love with them. And all of the new collections that are coming out are just so beautiful. I knew when I saw this new Urban Folk Collection that it would make a perfect Square Dance Quilt for the fall!!

The Square Dance Quilt is Jelly Roll Friendly, so you can just grab a roll and get piecing. And what really makes all of those beautiful oranges, yellows, reds, and tans from the line stand out is the stunning blues in the accent and background fabrics. I pulled this Blueprint Matte print from the line to be the accent of all the interlocking squares and this super dark Midnight print for the background. I just love how it makes all of those warm tones just pop!! Just makes me want to curl up under this tree with a good book!

And while this might look a little complex, the Square Dance Quilt Pattern is truly is a beginner quilt with basic quilting techniques.   The block is super fun to make and super fast, and then you just use pieced sashing (that will totally nest on all the seams) to interlock the secondary squares. And you wind up with a super fun geometric quilt every time! This is the Queen Size quilt, but the pattern has multiple size options so you can make whatever size works for you ;)

And this was quilted with a gorgeous all over swirls leaf design!! My amazing MIL, Barbara did the quilting on this and it is just beautiful. And don't you just love how the navy thread just pops on the all of the color prints. So pretty!!

And that is my Square Dance Quilt featuring the Urban Folk Expression Batik Collection!! I hope you have enjoyed this post and make your own Square Dance 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 #squaredancequilt and tagging @happyquiltingmc or email me a picture at happyquiltingmelissa@gmail.com. I can't wait to see your Square Dance Quilts!!

Thank you so much for sharing this finish with me!! I just love that I have discovered the joy of quilting with Batiks and can't wait to make lots and lots more Batik Quilts in the future. Thank you so much to my wonderful friends at Riley Blake for making such beautiful batik collections!!! 

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

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Monday, January 27, 2025

Andromeda - Finally Finished!!!

 I am so excited to be sharing this new Happy Quilting Quilt !!!   Here is Andromeda!!!   I have had the top pieced and half of the quilting done months and months ago, but it got pulled off the longarm for a deadline project and has been sitting there ever since.   But lucky for me, a deadline always equals motivation to pull a project back out ;)  I am teaching this Andromeda pattern in two weeks and needed the finish quilt for the sample in class.   So yippee . . . It is finally finished!!  


The  Andromeda Pattern can be found in my Etsy Shop in both a Paper version as well as a PDF version.  And it is on special right now until the end of January for the $5.00  pattern of the month ;) The patterns are full color and the paper version is in book format. 


 Andromeda is an intermediate skill level pattern, but I have had beginners make it as well ;)  The quilt is made with full blocks and half blocks pieced together in columns to give the shifted layout.   The pattern teaches you lots of techniques including quarter square triangles, half square triangles, stitch and flip, and tiny no-waste flying geese.  (or goslings;)     


This version of  Andromeda is made with Shimmer by Zen Chic And I just love a neutral quilt!!  There are a few prints in the line that were a little light, but I quilted it with a darker thread so that they would stand out a little more.   This is the queen size.   I love the metallic in this line and the neutral colors again just remind me of the Nordic Night feel ;)  The quilt is Fat Quarter Friendly, so you can grab a bundle and get cutting!!!  And the pattern is so versatile, it would look great in just about any bundle.


I quilted this version of  Andromeda with a lot of custom quilting.  Which is another reason it sat around so long waiting to be finished quilted.   I did beautiful feathers with pebbles in the background.  Then in the blocks, I did small squares and pebbles on the print and left the background unquilted so that stars just pop!!  And I used lots of colors of threads, as I matched and highlighted the blocks ;)  


Andromeda like all of my Happy Quilting patterns, has multiple size options so you can make whatever size quilt works for you ;)   I still really want to make a small version with a color background.  I think it will be just awesome!!  Baby, Lap, Picnic, Twin and King.     



And that is my new  Andromeda quilt!!!     (FINALLY!!!)   I am just so happy to share it with all of you!!  I truly did a happy dance as I got this off the longarm, and as you can see by all that yummy texture, I think it was worth the wait on that custom quilting ;) So are you ready to make your own Andromeda quilt??    If you have any questions at all, please don't hesitate to reach out to me ;)  And when you are finished with your Andromeda 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 ;)  I can't wait to see your Quilts!!!


Thanks again for sharing this Andromeda Quilt with me!! ???  Pop over to my Etsy Shop, to pick up your Patterns before the end of the month as a new pattern will go on sale on Feb 1st :)      :)  

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

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Friday, January 24, 2025

Hope and Future Quilt

So along with making the Raindrops Quilt I shared Yesterday, I also got to make this gorgeous Hope and Future Quilt for Fancy That Design House  ;)   I just love Stephanie's gorgeous panels, and I really love making Panel Quilts because the panel does all of the hard work and all you have to do is add a pretty border!!   The Hope and Future Quilt is also made with Stephanie's new  Things Above Collection.   Isn't is just so gorgeous!!!  

The Panel that Stephanie designed for this Things Above Fabric Collection is just so lovely!!  Not only is it just beautiful in the colors and florals, it is very inspiring as well.   It was just what I (and a loved one) needed to read this morning ;)   And just fyi, it should be in stock any day now :)     


And you already know from yesterday that I just love, love, love the prints in this Things Above Fabric Collection!!!   I bet you couldn't guess that that purpley-magenta print is my favorite ;)   But seriously, this is such a great compilation of colors, and they are just so bright and happy!!!     The quilt is made with yardage and the panel and finishes at 65" x 75" so it is another great large lap size to cuddle in!!  

And when it came time to quilt it, I decided on an all over loose feather design.  I think it just adds to all of the florals in the panel without being so busy that it takes away from the words.   And ya,  402 Pearl was the perfect thread, as always ;)  I just love seeing a quilt come to life with quilting.  The texture and snuggle factor just makes me smile!! 


And  that is my Hope and Future Quilt ;)  I am so happy that I got to make this quilt!!   And it went together super fast, thanks to the awesome panel :)   This would be a fantastic weekend project for sure and would make such a beautiful wedding gift!!!  


Thanks so much for popping in and sharing this finish with me today :)   

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

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Thursday, January 23, 2025

Raindrop Quilt

 I was so excited when Stephanie, from Fancy That Design House, asked if I could make a sample of her Raindrop quilt ;)   I just love Stephanie's beautiful fabrics and her quilt designs are always so fun and original!!!  And how cute is this Raindrop quilt !!!  It is made with Stephanie's new Things Above Collection and I just love it!  

Stephanie is not only an artist with her fabric, but also with her pattern designs.  I just love the random layout of the raindrops and flying geese.   I am always designing with symmetry, so I really enjoy getting to create something a little asymmetrical to get me out of my comfort zone.  


I just love all of Fancy That Design House fabrics, the colors and prints are always just so happy!!!   And I love how bold the colors in Things Above are and how she paired them with all of those tiny flying geese in soft teal.   So striking!!     The Raindrop quilt uses yardage and finishes at  62" x 74" so it makes a great large lap size to cuddle in!!  

And when it came time to quilt it, I wanted to add to the raindrop effect, so I did wavy vertical lines with tiny loops to look like water droplets across the quilt.   I I just love how it gives so much flow and texture to the design and it was nice and quick as well, double bonus!!   And you all know my favorite 402 Pearl was perfect for this quilt ;)


And  that is my Raindrop quilt ;)  I am so happy that I got to make this quilt!!   It really was super enjoyable to make and went together super fast, (once all of those little flying geese were done, tee hee hee)   A great project for sure!!!  


Thanks so much for popping in and sharing this finish with me today :)   

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

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Tuesday, January 21, 2025

Piece and Quilt Sampler QAL - Month 10

 It's Month 10 of the  Piece and Quilt Sampler Quilt Along and can you believe it, we only have 1 more month to go!!!  Thanks to Fat Quarter Shop for hosting this awesome quilt along from the Celebrate with Quilts book!! And here are all of my month 10 finishes, that's a lot of HST's :)   

I think this is my favorite picture of the Rainbow of Ombre goodness !!   (see plan here)  Isn't it just so fun to see all of those happy colors together ;)  And ya, I figured out at some point how many HST's we made for the border, but now, I just know there are a lot.   I listened to several chapters in my book while trimming them all ;) So fun!! 


So ya, that is Month 10 of the Piece and Quilt Sampler  Next Month is the last month of our quilt along and we will be putting it all together!!!  I can't wait :) 

Thanks for popping in today ;)  Have a Happy Quilting Day!!
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Monday, January 20, 2025

Butterfly Whirl in Serenity Blooms!!

 Today I am super excited to be sharing this beautiful new Butterfly Whirl quilt  with you featuring the oh so beautiful Serenity Blooms Collection by Ginger Deverell for Poppie Cotton!! And I am so excited to share this quilt!!!  I just love the  Butterfly Whirl Quilt Pattern and I have so wanted to see it done with a dark background!!!   Didn't it just come together so great!!!  

This Butterfly Whirl  quilt is such a fun one to make!!!  It is all done with traditional piecing and you make butterflies in 3 different sizes.    I paired all of these beautiful Serenity Blooms prints with  Country Confetti Blue Ribbon Dark Blue  background and it just makes those butterflies pop!!  They really just make me smile because it was exactly what I was hoping for with a dark background!!  

And even though it might not look it, Butterfly Whirl it truly is a great beginner quilt and perfect for experts alike as well!!   The cutting takes a little bit, but it is Layer Cake Friendly, so that saves some time.   And the piecing goes together quick with nested stitch and flip corners and it is so fun to watch all of your butterflies come together.  And once your butterflies are pieced, there are wonderful step by step instructions for piecing the "whirl" of butterflies.  

 
The quilt finishes at  84" x 84" so it would be wonderful on a bed or to snuggle up with :)   Because of the "whirl" in this quilt, it only has one size.  I tried to make the math work for smaller sizes, but it just didn't want to play along.   So this is a one size fits all kind of pattern ;)  

Barbara did the piecing and quilting on this one again :)   She is really saving me when I have a few to many projects on my plate to get to ;)  Thanks mom!!!   And isn't her wandering feathers around the butterflies just so cute ;)   And I love the custom quilting on the butterflies.  Just so charming!!! 

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

Thank you so much for popping by in today!   And  thank you so much to my wonderful friends at Poppie Cotton for always creating such gorgeous fabrics for us to create with!!! 

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

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Tuesday, January 14, 2025

Charm Pack Chili - A Shortcut Quilt!!

Today I am excited to share my newest finish, the Charm Pack Chili quilt!!!   When my wonderful friends at Fat Quarter Shop  asked if I wanted to try out their new Short-Cut Quilt pattern I was all over it because ya know . . . fun and fast!!!   And this Charm Pack Chili quilt was just that, so fast and oh so fun to make!!!  


The Charm Pack Chili quilt is put together in such a fun way!!  You make 2 sets of four patch blocks, and then slice a sliver from the center with this awesome Creative Grids 1 x 12 ruler  and then put the opposite blocks back together.   And you come up with this super fun design when it all goes together!!  The pattern comes in 3 sizes, (table runner, lap, and twin) and I made the twin size so that it would be a nice large quilt to snuggle up in.


As you can tell by the name, this quilt is Charm Pack friendly.   I used a Things Above Charm Packs by Fancy That Design House for Moda.   And I just love that this is so happy and bright.  I am making this quilt for a good friend who loves to camp, and I figured the vibrant colors would just be perfect for that, as well as the fun sunshine's and raindrops print!!   I paired it with a Shabby Grey background because I love how it makes the colors pop, while still not being white so it will hide the dirt a little more (cause ya know, camping quilt ).   But of course, This would look awesome in any fabrics as it is just so happy ;)  You just need to grab some Charm Packs and you will have it whipped up in no time.  


When it came time to quilt it, I decided on an all over loose loop de loop.  Again, I want this to be a warm quilt to snuggle in, so I went with thick batting and easy quilting so it will be super snuggly.   It is also nice because it is super fast to quilt.     And I just love that my favorite 402 So Fine Thread blends so great, in all the prints!!! 


And of course, between the thread and the design, it adds some really awesome texture to the quilt!!!   Doesn't that picture just make you want to snuggle up in this and take a nap in the sunshine :)    And the twin size finishes at 68" x 83" so it is a perfect size to do just that ;)  


 And that is my Charm Pack Chili quilt!!!  If you would like to make your own Charm Pack Chili 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 Charm Pack Chili quilting inspiration as there are a few bloggers making this quilt!!! 


Thanks for popping in today and sharing this new quilt finish with me!!!

I hope you have a very Happy Quilting Day!!
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Thursday, January 9, 2025

Dragon Fruit BOM - Month 3 (a little late)

  Well, I am a little late on sharing my Month 3 of the Dragon Fruit Block of the Month, but everyone knows the week between Christmas and New Years doesn't count :)   This awesome quilt along is hosted by Fat Quarter Shop and I had so much fun piecing the blocks this month (especially the purple ones :)    


 This month we made the following 20 Paper Pieced Blocks and then sewed them into the 9 patches above.  And I know those Log Cabin blocks take a second with all of that tiny piecing, but they look so cute when they are done I can't help but love them!!     I just love that we get to use Tula Pinks gorgeous fabrics each month on these blocks.  Can't wait to see what we do this month ;) 



Month 3 is done and I can't wait for Month 4 to arrive!!! I love that I am working on my Paper Piecing Skills and I can really see improvement with each month.     And that is it for Dragon Fruit Block of the Month - Month 3   

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

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