Scraptastic Stars Layout???

So I almost have two more of my Scraptastic Star Blocks done which I will be sharing soon.  But with the blocks winding down, I realized I need to decide on a layout!!!   So I sat down yesterday and stared playing with EQ8 .    And playing in EQ8 is so fun and easy, but now the only problem is, I can't decide!!   So do you think you could help a girl out here and let me know in the comments which you like the best???

Option A is where I started with just a nice, plain black sashing.

And then I decided I wanted to keep the chain going.   So Option B is a Black sashing with some White squares added in to finish the "chain" look.  

And then I wondered what it would look like with that same idea but adding cornerstones.  So Option C is a Black sashing with the chain squares as well as some White cornerstones.

And then I really got into the whole chain idea, and added in a lot more piecing.   So Option D is a larger Black sashing with some White and Black Nine Patches added in to totally finish the "chain" look.   

 And the of course, there is always that point where you circle back around and wonder if you should just keep it simple.  So Option E is just taking it back to a plain White Sashing.

So what do you think???   Which finishing style do you like best???  

Also, another question.  Last time I posted my blocks, I had questions emailed me if I could teach this as a class or if I would make it into a full pattern with size options.  So now I am curious??  Would you like to see this as a full on Happy Quilting Pattern with the alterations to the original free pattern and size options and finishing instructions??

So ya, know you have two opinions to weigh in on ;)

Oh, and one last thing.  Speaking of Patterns . . . I am celebrating turning 40 with a  40% off Pattern Sale!!!  The sale will go until Friday and I have also added Printed HARD COPY PATTERNS in my shop.  So if you see a quilt you want to make but can't be in class because you are far away, now is the time to pick up the pattern for it ;)

  

Thanks for your help today and I hope you all are having a very Happy Quilting Weekend!!!

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 Moda August Basics Bundle from Fat Quarter Shop is . . .  Number #133 . . .   Congrats Linda!!!   I have emailed 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 with amazing sales going on every weekend  and a  Deal of The Day!!!    And Right now, they are celebrating their 11th Anniversary with huge savings!!!!  Charm Packs are 40% off, Fat Eighth Bundles are 40-50% off,  Ruby Star Society Precuts are 50% off, and all Jelly Rolls are on clearance starting at $20!!!   You won't want to miss this amazing deals!!! 

And for today's Terrific Tuesday Giveaway, Green Fairy Quilts will be giving one lucky reader a Anagram Fat Quarter Bundle by Kimberly Kight for Ruby Star Society for Moda!!  I love this line with all of it's fun colors and prints!!!  It will make such a wonderful project :)  

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 what was the last book you read (or listened to) ??

 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 Twitter 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, August 27th when I will announce a winner at the beginning of next weeks Terrific Tuesday Giveaway Post :)

Good Luck and Have a Happy Quilting Day!!!

Upcoming Teaching!!

One of my most favorite parts of getting involved in this industry is the opportunity I have to teach and share my passion for quilting with fellow quilting friends ;)  I absolutely love seeing that light-bulb moment when a new technique or a design clicks with a student and they get so excited!!!  There is just such a joy in sharing and learning together.  So I wanted to share where I will be teaching in the near future.  

So first up, and not to far away is

Quilt Festival   on Sep 17th - Sep 21st, 2019 at the  Davis Conference Center, Layton UT

I will be teaching 2 classes at this fun retreat put on by the Utah Quilt Guild.  My Pave the Way Class and my True North Class  (which is already full, so I kept that picture small)  But there is lots of room in my Pave the Way Class and it is such a fun quilt to make!!!   You lots lots of wonderful piecing skills and end up with a stunning quilt to show for it!!!     

Then I am so super excited to be teaching at a new to me venue!!!   I am honored to be invited to be the featured teacher for the

Desert Quilters of Nevada  Quarterly Meeting on Oct 17th - Oct 18th, 2019 in Henderson Nevada.
I will be teaching 2 classes from my Irish Chain Quilts book as well as sharing my Irish Chain Quilts Trunk Show!!!   I am excited to teach both Unraveled, and Charm Bracelet as both are going to be so fun and the goal is for everyone to be able to finish or almost finish their projects in class!!   So great!!!

Then moving on to 2020 I start out the year teaching in my own home town at the . . .

Cedar Chest Quilt Guild Retreat  on January 29th - February 1st,  2020 at  the Heritage Festival Center.

and then followed closely by teaching in beautiful Bryce Canyon at the

Quilty Friends Retreat on February 5th - 8th, 2020 at Ruby's Inn.

Both of these will have their websites open for registration soon.   Cedar Chest will open Labor Day and the Quilty Friends Retreat on August 28th.   So it's a surprise until then what I am teaching, but I will say, one of them is a new pattern I haven't shared yet, and I am super excited for that!!!

So if you happen to be in the area of any of these, I would love to see you in class!!!   It's always a Happy Quilting Time!!!   And you can always see my "Teaching Tab" at the top of the blog to see where I will be teaching next ;)

Oh, and just in case you missed it on Friday, I am celebrating turning 40 with a  40% off Pattern Sale!!!  The sale will go until Friday and I have also added Printed HARD COPY PATTERNS in my shop.  So if you see a quilt you want to make but can't be in class because you are far away, now is the time to pick up the pattern for it ;) 

  

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

Celebrating my 40th with 40% off!!!!

Well, it's a fun day today!!!   Today I am celebrating my birthday and I am turning the big 40!!!  Oh ya, I am officially Over the Hill and starting to roll down, tee hee hee.   We had family pics taken recently and this is me at 40.   But it's all good, being a little older and hopefully a little wiser :)  So bring on the next decade, I am excited to see what I can make of it!!!

  

And what better way to celebrate the big 40 than with a 40% off Pattern Sale!!!  From today until next Friday, all Happy Quilting Patterns will be marked down 40% off. 

And, I am super excited to say that I have also added Printed HARD COPY PATTERNS in my shop as well.  So if you have been wanting a pattern but didn't have a way to print it, you can now purchase them printed.  Of course, the price is a little more to cover the printing cost and you will also have to pay for shipping, but even the printed copies are 40% off so now is the time to stock up!!!

Patterns, both PDF and HARD COPY, can be purchased in my  Etsy Store :)

Thanks for celebrating with me!!! 

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

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!!!