Tutorial Throwback Thursday - Read With Me!!!

It's  Thursday and that means another Tutorial Throwback feature.  And since my kids started school this week (where did the summer go??) I thought it would be fun to do a little Back to School throwback. And what says school more than reading??   So today's tutorial spotlight is the Read With Me Quilt!!! And I just love this quilt!!! 

In fact, I love it so much, It had been hanging on Jocelyn's room wall from this photo shoot up until just recently.  (she got a new desk and I needed that wall space.)    Jocelyn is the little one in the middle with the Cindy Lou Ho pigtails ;)   She was 1 1/2 in this picture and she is now almost 8 and it just came down, so it had been up there for quite a while!!!  I have tucked it away so that she can put it up in one of her kiddo's rooms someday.   It is a favorite of hers and so it seemed like a good idea to save it :)    And I have to say, I might of gotten a little weeping typing this and seeing how tiny my baby girl was.   I know we all say it, but really,  they grow up to fast.   

Okay, lets talk about the quilt, so I don't fall apart at the computer ;)   Read With Me  is made with a jelly roll and some white and black solid.  And of course, you can't find the Noteworthy line by Sweetwater anymore, but really, any jelly roll would look awesome in this.  You use 7 of the Jelly Roll strips for the binding, and that is where I put the low volume strips.   You want to use the bright bold prints for the books so they stand out ;)    

 And I have seen this quilt is so many different jelly rolls and so many different versions.   Bookshelf quilts are so popular and this one is so fun to make!!!    I love when I get emails with a picture of the Read With Me quilt and then a special little note that it was made for a grandchild who loves to read, or a friend that is a librarian, or a special teacher to go in their classroom!!!  Everyone just touches my heart :)  

And what makes my version pop is the quilting I choose to do ;)  I decided to really go all out on the "once upon a time" idea.  I quilted a castle up one side and a bean stalk up the other side.  Then the sky above and the grass and flowers below.   I had so much fun quilting this, and did it all on my domestic machine!!  So ya, it is totally doable without a long arm.    But my favorite thing about the quilting, I included book titles on all the books.  My kids sat down and picked their favorite books to read and to have read to them, and we included them all in this quilt.   Which is a big reason why it is such a treasure at our home ;)  

 And you can make it a treasure in yours as well.   I love that every Read With Me quilt I have seen, each creator finds a way to make it their own!!  Whether that is changing up the quilting, changing up the book layouts, or even changing up the applique ;)  Quilters have sent me pictures with  put a favorite quote from a book, listed favorite books, listed children's names,  the sky is the limit.  And each one is so special and so fantastic ;)   And if you are new to applique and want to know more about changing it up,  You can check out this free step by step video  that walks you through the different types of applique and how to do it ;)   

And that is my Read With Me for this Tutorial Throwback Thursday!!!  It finishes at 58" x 73" and is oh so much fun to make.   Really, those bookshelves come together in no time.  I spent more time on the quilting then I did on the piecing ;)   And I just know if you do make this quilt, it will instantly become a treasure for your home or for someone special who just loves books!!!  

I hope you have enjoyed today's Tutorial Throwback Thursday!!!    To make your own Read With Me Quilt  just click on any of the quilt name links for the free step by step tutorial.   And when you are done, I would love to see your quilt!!  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 Read With Me Quilts!!!

Thanks for popping in today and have a very Happy Quilting Day!!!

15 Bindings means 15 Works in Progress!!

So I posted back here how I make my bindings first and that allows me to know how many current WIP's I have.  And this morning I counted 15 bindings!!! ( I also have 5  "just enjoy the process" projects that don't have bindings made yet, ya a little crazy :)   And sadly, a few of those bindings towards the bottom are the same from that earlier post,  oh dear. 

But it isn't quite as crazy as it seems.   7 of those bindings are all quilt tops that are already done and just waiting to be quilted!!!  2 are at the long arm studio and not pictured (the same two bindings that are still on the bottom of the pile :)  and these 5 just need backings made so they can be moved over to the long arm studio.  So a lot of quilting, but it will shrink the pile of bindings drastically as soon as I get my quilting groove on :)

And that red binding on the top, it is actually being put on a quilt just as soon as I am done typing here!!!  So that one is super close to being done and done, and I can't wait to share more of it next month ;)  It's a Shortcut Quilt and you know how I just love those!!!

So of course, because I was so close to finishing so many, I added another project to the list yesterday and dropped everything to work on it ;)   And could you blame me, it uses V & Co.'s 12 new Ombre Colors and I have been so waiting to find just the right project for these gorgeous fabrics ;)   I spent 2 hours yesterday figuring out the best way to cut them out to maximize the Ombre Effect and I can't wait to share it.   But it is going to be a bit as the project is for a blog hop in November, so ya, didn't need to be at the top of the list to work on, but sometimes, I just can't help myself!!!

Please tell me I am not the only one that totally drops so many projects to start another one because you are just so excited about the fabric and need to cut it up like yesterday???     Can I say "squirrel" much ;)  

But it's all good, because School Started Yesterday!!!!  Suddenly I have time to sew, and sew, and sew some more, and that stack of bindings is going to get super small, super soon. 

Here is to a very Happy Quilting Day!!!

Terrific Tuesday Giveaway Day!!!

It's Terrific Tuesday Giveaway Day so let's have some fun :)

First, we need to announce the winner from last weeks Terrific Tuesday Giveaway :)

The winner of the Fat Quarter Pack of the new Zen Chic Spotted 2019 collection from Olie and Evie is . . .  Number #100 . . .   Congrats Susan!!!   I have emailed you :)   

 

        

And on to today's

Today's Terrific Tuesday Giveaway is being sponsored by Fat Quarter Shop.   Fat Quarter Shop is amazing and they never cease to amaze me with everything they have going on at their shop!!!     And did you know they have a 24 Hour Flash Sale every day with 2 Flash Sales on Tuesdays!!   And not only do they have a daily deal, they have a Fabric Basic, Pattern, and Notion of the Month!!!!    And this month you will score big on all of them!!!  All Blossom Basics are on sale and this basic is just so great!!!  Also, All Pellon Products are on sale for the Notion, and All Coriander Quilts Patterns are on sale for the Pattern.  (and she has so many fantastic patterns!!!)    Save 20-30% off of all of them for the whole month of August!!  So great ;) 

And for today's Terrific Tuesday Giveaway Fat Quarter Shop is giving away a Beautiful Moda August Basics Bundle curated by Fat Quarter Shop with 12 Fat Quarters all a variety of wonderful Moda Basics in beautiful colors ;)   I just love how awesome basics are for blenders and backgrounds, and even all basic quilts!!  So fun!!!  

You have two entry chances, the second being optional, 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 a favorite school time memory??  (Today is the first day back to school and I am so excited for my kiddo's!!!)  

 ENTRY 2 - Show your Fat Quarter Shop love.   You can follow them on   Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, You Tube or at their Blog.  You can Sign up for their Newsletter which will ensure you catch all of their amazing sales, or you can visit The Shop and then share a favorite item ;)   Just be sure to leave a comment of how you showed your Fat Quarter Shop Love!!!

And that's it ;)  The giveaway will be open until next Tuesday, August 20th, when I will announce a winner at the beginning of next weeks Terrific Tuesday Giveaway Post :)

Good Luck and Have a Happy Quilting Day!!!

Coral and Rose Scraptastic Stars!!

Okay, still working on lots of sewing that I can't quite show yet which means even more Leader and Enders sewing and two more Scraptastic Star Blocks!!!    The first one is lovely coral!!!  And I have to say, I was blown away with how many gorgeous shades of coral I had in my stash.   This is such a pretty color and I am thrilled I had enough to make a block just for coral!!

And the second is Rose.   I had to look up what shade of pink you would call these little squares as there is another softer (blush) pink coming and I didn't want to have to call them Light Pink and Dark Pink.  No fun in that ;)    But Doesn't Rose just fit this block just so perfectly!!!  I just love that this little Scraptastic Stars  Leader and Ender project  is really a great little exercise in color for me and I am having so much fun playing with the rainbow!!!

And that means ten down and only 6 to go!!!   Seriously, it is getting so hard at this point not to just drop everything and stitch up the last 6 blocks.  Good thing I still have lots of sewing on my plate to help crank out those last 6 blocks.   And I should probably start thinking about layout options ;)    I will be sure to share more on that as I play with ideas!!

I hope you all are having a very Happy Quilting Weekend!!!

Tutorial Throwback Thursday - Sun, Sea, and Sand!!!

Well it's another lovely Thursday and that means time for another Tutorial Throwback feature.  And since summer is winding to a close around here (we start school next Tuesday!!!) I thought it would be fun to do a little summer fun throwback.   So today's tutorial spotlight is the Sun, Sea, and Sand quilt!!! This one is only throwing back a few years and is perfect for taking along to all of your summer activities!!  Which means you will have plenty of time to get one ready for Next Summer :)

This quilt has some favorite basics building blocks in it.   Wonderful 4 Patch fun in the border, and easy, big,  Half Square Triangles in the center.    So it goes together super fast.   And then of course, you get to add the super cute applique that just finishes it all off.   And if you have never done applique, no worries at all.  You can check out this free step by step video  that walks you through the different types of applique and how to do it ;)

And Sun, Sea, and Sand is totally Charm or 5" square friendly.  You need 96 5" squares to make that cute four patch border and then just some matching yardage for your giant HST' and the applique strip and binding.    And while you will be hard pressed to find the original Offshore Fabric by Deena Rutter, she did make an Offshore 2 Fabric line which you can still find with a quick google search ;)   And of course, you can use any summer fun fabric to make your Sun, Sea, and Sand quilt!! 

This quilt is great for anyone from an expert to a beginner alike.   Because the HST's are so big, it makes them easy and totally manageable for even a first time quilter.   And learning a basic 4 patch is great for beginner.   And if you are an expert, it will go together in a wink :)     And of course, if you don't love the applique, it can always be left off.   Of you can change it out for whatever you like.  A little sailboat, a sunshine and some flip flops . . . the possibilities are endless ;)  

When it came time to quilt Sun, Sea, and Sand, I wanted to keep with the whole beach theme, so I decided on little waves in the center of the quilt.  Doesn't that just make you want to sit in the water and enjoy some rays ;)   I did pebbles in the back of the applique.  Whenever you want to make your applique stand out, it is always a good idea to quilt something dense all the way around it, and it doesn't get more dense than tiny pebbles.    And on the border I did a favorite of mine, the Wavy Peel, which just adds to that whole wave effect.   It is actually a design that is in the 180 More Doodle Quilting book that walks you through how to do the design ;)  

And that is my Sun, Sea, and Sand Quilt for this Tutorial Throwback Thursday!!!  It is such a fun quilt to make and it finishes at a perfect beach or picnic size of 72" x 72".       And this is where II would normally say that my family takes it to the beach, but I actually gave this away as a gift right after I had finished it.   But I can say that family has enjoyed it for the last few years, and that makes me smile ;)   I just love being able to wrap people in quilty hugs!!!  

I hope you have enjoyed today's Tutorial Throwback Thursday!!!    To make your own Sun, Sea and Sand Quilt,  just click on any of the quilt name links for the free step by step tutorial.   And when you are done, I would love to see your quilt!!  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 Sun, Sea, and Sand Quilts!!!

Thanks for popping in today and have a very Happy Quilting Day!!!