Happy Quilting Updates!!!

Today I am so excited to share some new updates to Happy Quilting!!!  I have been working on these in the background for some time and am thrilled to have them completed.  My hope is that it will be much easier to find exactly what you are looking for when you are searching over 14 years of blogging :)   So most everything stars with the new Navigation Bar that can be found directly under the title of my blog.  By clicking on any of these links, you are taken to a page with condescend information that links you to blog pages.    So let's have a little walk through of the updates so you can find what your looking for at Happy Quilting!! 

So let's start at the beginning with the Happy Quilting Patterns & Corrections link on the Navigation bar.   By clicking on the link, you will be brought to a page with all of my newly formatted Happy Quilting Patterns.   This is a great place to see all of the sizes, skill level, and precut friendly listing of patterns.    And if you are interested in particular pattern just click on the PDF or PAPER link of the pattern under the picture of it to be taken to my Etsy Shop listing of it ;) 

The Happy Quilting Patterns & Corrections link is also where you will find any corrections that have been made to my patterns.   The corrections will be shown after the listing of the pattern and will also have a link the the post that goes into greater detail of the correction.   I hope this helps when making your Happy Quilting quilts ;) 

The next section in the Navigation Bar is Free Downloadable PDF Patterns.   Did you know that I now have over 30 Free PDF Patterns that you can download??   And I am adding more just as quick as I can.    And at the beginning of the page, I have added jump links to make it easier to search all of the patterns.   Simply click on the type of PDF Pattern you are looking for to start.   So if I was looking for Free Fat Quarter PDF Patterns, I would click on that jump link.  (but not on this picture below, it is just to show you, you need to click on it in the  Free Downloadable PDF Patterns page at the top of the blog ;)   

That would take you to the listing of all the Free Fat Quarter PDF Patterns.   Then simply click on the picture of the Free PDF Pattern you would like.   So if I wanted to download Flora Bloom, I would click on the first picture and . . . 

That takes you to the Flora Bloom Quilt Blog Post.  From here you can click on any of the Free PDF Pattern links in the post to be taken directly to the pattern and download it for you free.  Super simple and oh so much fun ;)  

The next section in the Navigation Bar is Sew Many Quilt Tutorials.   And sew many is no exaggeration.  I have over 80 Quilt tutorials with step by step instructions and pictures that walk you through every step of making the quilt.  And once again, I have added jump links to help you search those 80 tutorials to find exactly the type of project you are looking for.   You just navigate the same way you did for the Free PDF Patterns, you just get tutorials instead :)  

And the last new section I want to talk about on the Navigation Bar is More Tutorials - Projects, Blocks & Techniques  And I am most excited about this page as it has been the hardest to find things in these categories and now it should be a snap ;)  As you can imagine, over 14 years of writting the blog added up to lots and lots of tutorials on quilt blocks, techniques, and other tutorials that aren't quilts.   This is the place to find them now!!  I hope you have fun surfing through these jump links and finding all of the past free stuff I have shared.   And again, just use the jump links to be taken to the areas you want to peruse.  

And the rest of the sections in the navigation bar have not changed much, but feel free to surf through them to see video tutorials, past quilt alongs, where I will be teaching, and so forth.  Oh, and if you find any broken links, tutorials, ect . . . please let me know.  I try to find all of them, but hey, with14 years of posts and things are gonna slip through ;)  

I hope you love these new updates as much as I do and that they will help you find all that Happy Quilting has to offer you in your quilting journey.  If you have any questions at all, please don't hesitate to put them in the comments or send me an email at happyquiltingmelissa@gmail.com.  I want this to be a place that is a joy to come and learn quilting!!  

2023 was Amazing, Jumping in to 2024!!!

 Wow, 2023 was such an amazing year for Happy 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 this 2024 year :)  So let's take a look at 2023 in the Numbers!!

48 Quilts

  (some are still secrets :)  

9 Projects
                         

 

  

 

                 

9 Free PDF Patterns

Cherry Tree Lane                            Heartfelt                                    Flora Bloom

 

Simply Patchwork                          Stepping Stones                          Cute as a Button

 

Road Home Snuggler                         Thunderbird                             The Christmas Star

2 New Tutorials

Petal Patch                               Kris Kringle

An All New Happy Quilting Pattern Look and 

5 New Happy Quilting Patterns 

 and 1 amazing Fast & Fun Sampler Quilt Along 

And that's Happy Quilting 2023 in a nutshell!!!! So much crazy fun!!!  This year it was a huge step to start having my patterns distributed through wholesale channels and giving them a new look.   It was a lot of work behind the scenes, but I am so happy with how it all came together!!!   And it is just so fun to get to teach all of these patterns now.  

I taught at 9 different Quilting Retreats and I enjoyed getting to share my love of quilting with so many fellow Happy Quilters.   And 2024 is already lined up for lots of teaching fun as well, you can see the details on my Teaching Tab.

 And for all of the details about all of the quilts from this year, see my Archive Cont. Tab at the top of the page.  And once again, I have spent the last 6 hours updating that tab, here is to not getting behind in 2024, which I believe I said in 2022 as well, tee hee hee :)  

And I just want to say Thank You So Very Much!!!   I never would have guessed when I started my blog 12 years ago that it would lead to being part of such an amazing industry.     Whenever I am asked  "how did you start out " I just have to smile at the journey that Happy Quilting has made.   I am so blessed to have each of you and can't thank you enough for always reaching out to me, sharing your sweet comments, and your beautiful quilts.   It makes me so grateful to be Happy Quilting every day :)

And now, It's 2024!!!

So what does 2024 hold in store . . . well, like always, lot's more Happy Quilting, of course :)      I have new free PDF patterns in the works,  New Happy Quilting Patterns in all different stages of completion, Old Happy Quilting patterns to update to the new look, and  lots of teaching at lots of fun places, including on a Quilting Cruise to the Caribbean.  So ya, it should be a pretty fun year!!!   


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


So long 2023, Yippee for 2024!!! Happy Quilting!!! 

Gingham Cottage - Flora Bloom Quilt + Free PDF Pattern

 Hello Quilting Friends!  Today, I am thrilled to be sharing this brand new Flora Bloom quilt as well as a Free PDF Pattern for it!!! This quilt features Gingham Cottage by Heather Peterson and is a Fat Quarter Friendly quilts, so you can grab a bundle and get stitching!!! And isn't it just the cutest little garden of blossoms :)

Flora Bloom was originally a tutorial I wrote years back, and I have always wanted to remake it. This quilt design works well with prints that read one color, and my original quilt fabrics didn't do that so some of the design got lost. So when I saw all of the happy and bright colors of Gingham Cottage and how each print truly read as that color, I knew it would be perfect for remaking this Flora Bloom quilt ;) And it truly shines in this happy prints!!!

The Flora Bloom quilt is made with super basic piecing. Just some Half Square Triangles and basic squares. It goes together super fast, and you can really speed up your HST's with your favorite HST Trimming tool (I love the Bloc_Loc Rulers :) And I just love how each block allows you to use so many different prints to really make the center "bloom". I matched my corner pieces to the center square, but you can always mix that up as well and have 4 colors per block, or just go totally scrappy :) I made the same size (twin size) as the original but for the Free Flora Bloom PDF Pattern I added lots of size options so you can make from a Baby Size to a King Size.

This quilt really is a fun way to show off the prints in a happy and colorful collection of fabrics. And you will choose one print from your Fat Quarters to be your cornerstones, and wouldn't you know, the rainbow floral worked just perfect for those. And of course, the Riley White background just makes all of those happy colors pop.

And as I mentioned, there is also a free PDF Download of this pattern and I included 5 size options, without any quilt math. The quilt I showed is the Lap size, and I already have plans to make a baby and picnic size :) To get the FREE PDF Flora Bloom Pattern Download, just click here  and download it there ;)

And when it came time to quilt mine, I was thrilled that all of the piecing makes for super straight lines moving across the quilt in perfect 2" increments. That for sure meant I was doing my favorite L and E that just looks so good and adds so much texture to the quilt. And I just love looping across the quilt over and over. So fun!!! I used So Fine 402 and I love how it blends perfectly in the background as well as all the happy colors.

And that is my Flora Bloom Quilt !! I hope you have enjoyed this post. Oh, and if you make your own Flora Bloom Quilt, I would love to it!!! you can share your quilts in any size with me on social media using hashtags #happyquiltingwithmc and #rileyblakedesigns and tagging @happyquiltingmc or email me a picture at happyquiltingmelissa@gmail.com. I can't wait to see your Flora Bloom quilts!!!

Thank you so much for popping in and sharing this quilt finish and PDF Pattern with me today.

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