Day by Day

Well, it has been a crazy week to say the least.  How are you all doing???   I hope you are well and managing the ups and downs of this virus.    My kids are home from school and start online schooling today.  Yesterday I found out that both the UQSM Quilt Retreat and International Spring Quilt Market have been cancelled, which I totally understand, but still made me sad to miss seeing so many quilting friends.     But hey, we still have toilet paper ;) 

And life still keeps going.    Monday and Tuesday my kids were already out of school for end of term, and my husband had taken work off so we could go up the mountain as a little family vacation.   What a respite this was!!!   With things just getting a little more crazy each day, it was so refreshing to just get away and enjoy some time with family.      And yesterday morning, I was out on the deck and snapped this picture.    A storm was about to blow in and I was a little sad at how grey and gloomy the morning was.   But then, I looked way out in the distance.    I was touched by the idea that even with all the gloom gathering we can always find a light on the horizon. 

I am so grateful for this wonderful world of quilting, especially during these times.  There is nothing like sitting at my machine with some soft music playing to just bring me peace.    And the good news is, I won't run out of projects or fabric :)   It's nice that my normal homebody routine can just keep going on, and my kiddos are even planning some projects, so that will be fun to have them join me!!!!   

I hope you all stay safe and can find some joy in these ever changing days ahead of us.    There are things that are hard and can get us down each day, but I truly believe we can find silver linings, and glimmers of hope.   I never thought I would be grateful for so much social media, but I am so happy that we can all stay in contact, even if it isn't face to face ;)     Let's just take this day by day and see what amazing things we can create in the process!!!! 

Terrific Tuesday Giveaway Day!!!

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

First, we need to announce the winner from last Terrific Tuesday Giveaway!!  

The winner of the Good Times Jelly Roll from Green Fairy Quilts is . . .   Number #1 . . . Congrats Material Girl!!!  I have messaged you :)    

 

   

And on to today's

Today's Terrific Tuesday Giveaway is being sponsored by  Lou Lou's Fabric Shop .    Did you know that Jamie makes a new Lou Lou Bundle every Tuesday . . . here are the latest, aren't they just gorgeous!!!  Along with hosting the giveaway, Jamie is also offering all Happy Quilting readers a special discount of  20% off Lou Lou Bundles with the code happyquilting!!!  Oh, so much fun shopping!!!

And speaking of Bundles, for Today's Terrific Tuesday Giveaway,  Lou Lou's Fabric Shop is letting you Pick any 2 Lou Lou  Bundles!!!  That's right, the winner will get to choose their favorite  2 Lou Lou Bundles that Jamie has in stock!!!   Oh my goodness, how will you ever decide :)   What fun the winner will have this week!!!!   

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 a random hobby you have always wanted to try but never have.  

 ENTRY 2 - Lets show Lou Lou's Fabric Shop some Love!!!!   You can follow them on   Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram.  Or you can follow their blog or  visit The Shop and then share a favorite item ;)   Just be sure to leave a comment of how you showed your Lou Lou's Fabric Shop Love!!!

And that's it ;)  The giveaway will be open until next Tuesday, March 24th, 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!!!

And two reminders . . . 

For those of you making Little Lou Charming Baby Quilts, Thank you so much!!!     You still have a few days left to be entered for the prize, so be sure and stitch up those Little Lou Charming Baby Quilts :)

And two It's the last two days of the Championship Round of the Pillow Fight Contest and voting is open.  So if you haven't already . . . please pop over and vote ;)  

Bloom-Topia Quilt Along - Release 4

Here we are, another release day for the "bloom" blocks!!!! Today is the Fourth Block Release of the Bloom-Topia Quilt Along hosted by the Fat Quarter Shop :)   These blocks are both super fun and easy, and the alterations are just bigger piecing this time!!!

So for Block 6,   We are making 2 Star Blocks that are 12" and I used more prints.   So I really didn't use the piecing instructions from the pattern at all.   Here is what I did.   I cut 16 Print 4"x 4" squares for Half Square Triangles, 8 Background 4" x 4" squares for  Half Square Triangles, and 8 Background 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" squares for the corners of the blocks.   In order to make the fabric layout I did, I had to cut my HST squares on the diagonal once to make 2 Triangles.  Then I matched 16 Background to Print Triangles, and 8 Print to Print Triangles.   Sew a 1/4" seam on the long side, and trim to 3 1/2" x 3 1/2".  Then just layout your star block and sew it together like a 16 Patch.

And for Block 7, again we are going to piecing 2 Blocks that will finish at 12".  And this is pieced exactly like the pattern, just larger and only 2 blocks.  So for the Print fabrics . . .  For F cut (2) 6 7/8" x 6 7/8" squares, For G Corners cut (2) 4" x 4" HST squares  (trimmed to 3 1/2"),  For G Bow-ties cut (4) 4" x 4" HST squares (trimmed to 3 1/2") and use 2 of 2 different prints.    And that leads us to the Background fabrics . . .  For A cut (6) 4" x 4" HST squares (trimmed to 3 1/2"),  For B cut (4) 3 7/8" x 3 7/8" squares and For C cut (8) 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" squares.   Then just piece according to the pattern.  

So are you joining in the Bloom-Topia fun???  If so, you can download the block pattern  and it is requested for each pattern you download to donate $5.00  to the Make a Wish Foundation :)  This is Fat Quarter Shop's annual charity QAL that is raising funds for an amazing organization.  What a wonderful way for us all to make a difference !!  And there are new finishing patterns being released today for reaching the next donation goal!!! 

And just as a reminder, if you are new to finding the Bloom-Topia Quilt Along, this is the layout I will be making and are the alterations referred to above ;)     I am using a Breeze Fat Quarter Bundle by Zen Chic for Moda Fabrics with Gris Grunge as the background!!! And there are still a few Bloom-topia Quilt Kits and Backing Sets available if you want to make your's like the original ;) 

And like always, Fat Quarter Shop has made an awesome  You Tube video tutorial that walk you through making the blocks.  There are some great helpful hints and you can see it put together step by step!!!   

Be sure to share all of your Bloom-Topia progress on social media with #bloomtopiaquiltalong and check out Fat Quarter Shops post for Release 4 for lots more Block Inspiration!!!

And that's it for the fourth release in the Bloom-Topia Quilt Along!!!!   I will continue to share a new set of blocks on the 15th and 1st of each month. So what do you say, want to come Bloom-Topia Quilting Along??  You are going to have so much fun!!!

And just to make it easy to find . . .Here is a list of all the places to find my alterations

Layout Fabric Requirements Alteration
Release 1 - Block 1 and 2 Alterations
Release 2 - Block 3 Alterations
Release 3 - Block 4 and 5 Alterations

Thanks for popping in today ;)  I hope you have a very Happy Quilting Day!!


Oh and one last thing . . . It's the Championship Round of the Pillow Fight Contest and voting is open.  So if you haven't already . . . please pop over and vote ;)  

Pillow Fight Finals!!!!

After weeks of fun Pillow Fight's we have made it to the Finals, and I am honored for my Low Volume Chevron pillow to be in the Finals!!!!   This fun little game is in celebration of Edyta Sitar's new Pillow Talk Book which is jam packed with pieced pillow goodness!!!

So now it is time to Vote for the finals ;)   Be sure and  pop over to the Jolly Jabber and vote for your favorite pillow this week ;)  It's me and Mr. Domestic and it should be a fun showdown for Pillow Champion ;) 

I choose to make Edyta's Chevron Pillow but I added some 2 1/2" patchwork squares in a low volume rainbow.  I had been saving those squares for just the right project and they sure shined in this pillow!!!    I quilted it with some straight line V quilting to emphasis the chevron.  And I just love it!!!

And that is it for today ;)  I am hoping to do some serious quilting this weekend and widdle down my works in progress ;)  

Thanks for popping in today and I hope you all have a very Happy Quilting Weekend!!!

Tutorial Throwback Thursday - Bonnie Rose

With St. Patrick's Day fast approaching, I decided it would be fun for the Tutorial Throwback  Thursday to share some Irish Chain Quilts ;)  You all know I love Irish Chain Quilts, and have already shared the basic Single Scrappy and Triple Scrappy versions . . . so today, I thought it would be fun to share a twist on an Irish Chain Quilt . . . So for today's throwback, we are going back 5 years to the Bonnie Rose Quilt!!!  And even the name just makes you get excited for St. Paddy's Day ;)

Bonnie Rose  is a wonderful twist on a single Irish Chain Quilt.     And the quilt is super easy to make, so it will go together in a jiffy.   There are basic snowball blocks and even strip piecing for the 9 patches ;)    It finishes at 63"x 75" so it makes a great snuggle size quilt and would be a fantastic wedding present.   In fact, that is exactly what this quilt was gifted for ;)  

And I love that the center snowballs really allow you to take advantage of large scale prints.  It is often hard to put these in quilts as you don't want to chop them up all tiny, but this Bonnie Rose quilt really let's you highlight those beautiful prints!!!   And then you can use all of the smaller prints in the line that coordinate for the chain.  Just perfect!!! 

And anything wavy and rounded is perfect for quilting the Bonnie Rose quilt.  I choose to do a feathered swirl as I love how it just flows.    But any swirl or feather or combination of them would just look so pretty on this chain quilt ;)     Oh, and this quilt is put together with basic sashing, so if you haven't tried that before, this is a great way to learn ;)  

And that is my Bonnie Rose Quilt!!!     I hope you have enjoyed today's Tutorial Throwback Thursday!!!    To make your own Bonnie Rose quilt  just click on any of the project name links for the free step by step tutorial.    And when you are done,  I would love to see your Quilts!!  You can email me a picture at happyquiltingmelissa@gmail.com, post it to social media with #happyquiltingwithmc ;)  I can't wait to see your Bonnie Rose Quilts!!!! 

Thanks for popping in today!!!   I hope you all have a very Happy Quilting Day!!!!

Charming Baby Quilts Charm Pack Sale!!!

It's so exciting to start seeing your Charming Baby Quilts pop up in social media!!!   They are so cute and adorable ;)   When you make a Charming Baby Quilt be sure and email me a pic or use #charmingbabyquilt so I can see it ;)   This is just so fun!!!!

And today I was super excited to see this pop up in my feed :)   It's a Charming Stock Up Day!!!    Fat Quarter Shop is having 20% off All Charm Packs for today only!!!  Talk about an awesome flash sale ;)   Think of all of the Charming Baby Quilts you can make!!  And the charm packs I used in the book are on sale too!!!

And if you haven't picked up your copy of Charming Baby Quilts yet, you can order directly from It's Sew Emma, or from Fat Quarter Shop  or if you would like to order a signed copy directly from me, that is an option as well ;)   

And just a reminder, the Charming Baby Quilts Sew Along starts next month as well, and you will need a copy of the book to join in all of the fun!!!!  I can't wait for this!!!!  

And for those of you making Little Lou Charming Baby Quilts, Thank you so much!!!  They are absolutely adorable and I know Jamie is so excited to see so many quilts arrive ;)    You still have 10 days left to be entered for the prize, so be sure and stitch up those Little Lou Charming Baby Quilts :)

And to see more details of Charming Baby Quilts, pop over and check out my Charming Baby Quilts post and enjoy this adorable video the amazing folks at It's Sew Emma and Fat Quarter Shop made!!! 

Thanks for popping in today and I hope you have a very Happy (and Charming) Quilting Day!!!

Terrific Tuesday Giveaway Day!!!!

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

First, we need to announce the winner from last Terrific Tuesday Giveaway!!  

The winner of the A-Door-Naments  Pot of Gold Laser Cut Kit from Shabby Fabrics is . . .   Number #25 . . . Congrats Cheryl's Teapots2Quilting !!!   I have messaged you :)    

    

   

And on to today's

Today's Terrific Tuesday Giveaway is being sponsored by Green Fairy Quilts.  Green Fairy Quilts is your home for pre-cut goodness and they always have amazing sales going on every weekend on a selected pre-cut or notion!!!   And did you know that Green Fairy Quilts has a Deal of The Day, I just love these!!!    Right now, you can save big on Layer Cakes, and Jelly Rolls!!!!  I love pre-cuts!!!

And for today's Terrific Tuesday Giveaway, Green Fairy Quilts will be giving one lucky reader a super cute Good Times Jelly Roll by American Jane for Moda!!   Isn't that just so fun, I love me some jelly rolls!!!! Someone is going to be very lucky this week ;)  

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 besides quilting, what do you do for a Good Time??  

 ENTRY 2 - Show your Green Fairy Quilts love.   You can Sign up for their Newsletter which I highly recommend as it will ensure you catch all of their amazing sales!!  You can follow them on Instagram or Facebook,  or you can visit the Shop and then share a favorite item ;)   Just be sure to leave a comment of how you showed your Green Fairy Quilt Love!!!

And that's it ;)  The giveaway will be open until next Tuesday, March 17th, 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!!!

Upcoming Teaching - Nordic Nights Classes & More!!!

Thank you so much for all of the Nordic Nights Pattern Love!!!  Some of you have already sent pictures of your fabrics and others have already started cutting, so fun!!!   I am so excited to see all of your Nordic Nights Quilts!!!!!

And today I am excited to share some more Nordic Nights fun !!!!    If you live in the Utah Area, I will be teaching Nordic Nights, Desert Rose, and a few new upcoming patterns (sneak peaks!!!) at several retreats in Utah.

First up . . . 

UQSM on April 29 - May 2, 2020 at the Mountain America Expo Center in Sandy UT

The  Utah Quilting and Sewing Marketplace is so fun!!  This is my third year teaching here and I just love it ;)   And they even provide the sewing machines so you don't have to lug yours along and you get to try out lots of great new machines!!!   I will be teaching 4 classes, including Nordic Nights, Desert Rose, and two new patterns (pop over for a sneak peek!!!)   I will also be doing a Trunk Show of my new Charming Baby Quilts book and I am so excited for that ;)    This is going to be such a great retreat, and it is right close to downtown salt lake, so super convenient for travel!!!

And then in the summer I am teaching at the Panguitch Quilt Walk on June 10th - June 13th!!!  This is a wonderful retreat right next to beautiful Bryce Canyon, and if you have never visited this National Park, pairing it with a Quilt Retreat is just perfect!!!!   Again I will be teaching my Nordic Nights and Desert Rose  class and I am so excited!!!  

And then it turns to fall, and Utah is absolutely gorgeous!!!  And in September, I am teaching at back to back retreats, and it is going to be incredible!!!  I am teaching at the Utah Quilt Guilds Quilt Fest in Layton Utah on Sept. 16th and their registration will be open soon.     

Then a quick little drive down the I-15 to Thanksgiving Point in Lehi Utah to teach at the Garden of Quilts!!!!   And I am so very excited for this!!!  This is the second year of this amazing retreat, and I am honored to be included among some absolutely amazing teachers ;)   The Garden of Quilts is Sept 16-19th and I will be teaching on Friday and Saturday.  I get to teach my Nordic Nights Class, my Desert Rose Class, and a New Pattern Class (another Sneak Peek!!!)      

And there might be a few more added before the end of the year ;)  Just check back on my Teaching Page to see where I will be!!!

I hope I get to see some of you in class!!!!   Have a Happy Quilting Day!!!!

Nordic Nights - Last Day of Sale!!!

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!!!   I have received so much quilty love for this new Nordic Nights Pattern and Templates ;)   I am just so happy that you all love it as much as I do.  It is such a fun quilt to make, and I can't wait to see all of your Nordic Nights Quilts!!!! 

I just wanted to pop in today is the last day they are on Introductory Special!!!   The PDF Patterns are just $5.50 and the Hard Copy Patterns are $8.00 and the Templates are $6.00!!!!     All can be found in my Etsy Shop :)   

And just in case you missed the Big Nordic Nights Reveal post, you can find all of the details about this new quilt, the pattern, and templates right over here ;)  

Thanks again for all of the quilty love!!!!!      And just a note, if you order past 2:00 MST today, you order will go out on Monday ;)   My niece is Annie in her school production of Annie so we are headed out of town to watch her play!!!    But I will get all orders before then shipped today, and others first thing when we get back :)

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

Tutorial Throwback Thrusday - Kings Crossing

So the other day, my kids were randomly flipping channels and found the end of the first Harry Potter movie.  And of course, we all love Harry Potter, so we watched to the end of the film.   And as Harry, Ron, and Hermoine all stood in King's Cross Station, I was reminded of this Kings Crossing Quilt, that I named after it, because the quilt kind of reminded me of railroad tracks and train turntables.   So I figured for it would be fun to share Kings Crossing for today's Tutorial Throwback  Thursday!!! 

Kings Crossing is a wonderful geometric pattern that has some awesome secondary patterns.   And while this looks a little complex, it really is suitable for beginners with lots of strip piecing to speed things up.    And it is a great way to learn to make On-Point quilts.   The block sizes are large, so you don't have to sew to many together in a row, which means you  don't have to worry about stretching to much.   Also, the blocks also have sashing, which is awesome to learn how to do on point.    So really, it is a great quilt to start with if you have never made an On-Point quilt before!!!   It finishes at 72" x 72" so it makes a great snuggle up or picnic size quilt ;)

And you all now how much I love making these classic  3 Color Quilts for my Alma Mater.  This Kings Crossing Quilt  was donated to SUU a few years back ;)   The great thing about 3 color quilts is all you have to do is pick 3 pieces of yardage and you are ready to get cutting!!!   And there are endless 3 color combinations that this would look great in.    And I used a small dot, but really any basics including  Solids, or even Grunge would work.    And you could totally do a print as well, I would just keep it on the smaller scale ;)   

And when it came time to quilt my Kings Crossing Quilt I went for some super fun custom quilting, since I knew it was going to be hanging in a booth at Quilt Market.   But this quilt would look just as great in an all over design as well.   Anything with lots of curves always looks fun with a good geometric pattern!!  

And that is my Kings Crossing Quilt   I hope you have enjoyed today's Tutorial Throwback Thursday!!!    To make your own Kings Crossing Quilt  just click on any of the project name links for the free step by step tutorial.    And when you are done,  I would love to see your Quilts!!  You can email me a picture at happyquiltingmelissa@gmail.com, post it to social media with #happyquiltingwithmc  or or add it to my flickr group here ;)  I can't wait to see your Kings Crossing Quilts!!!!!

Thanks for popping in today!!!   I hope you all have a very Happy Quilting Day!!!!