Jacks - Fast & Fun Lap Quilts Book Tour

 It's Week 7 of my Fast & Fun Lap Quilts Book Tour and today I am sharing the Jacks quilt! This quilt is the cover quilt on the book and I just love it.  This is probably the last "fast" of all the quilts in the book, but it can still be whipped up with lots and lots of chain stitching ;)  There are some more no -waste lattice units and a whole bunch of stitch and flip corners.  And you have to love the scrappy binding to finish it all off, so cute!!!

Here is the introduction I wrote about Jacks in the Fast & Fun Lap Quilts Book.  "When I was a child, whenever we had recess indoors at school I always wanted to play jacks.  It was the best.  Designing this quilt brought back many fun memories of playing my favorite game.  I hope it will for you as well.  Jacks is made of a lot of tiny stitch-and-flip squares, but don't be overwhelmed.  They're fast to finish with chain piecing, and the result is a great quilt to snuggle up in."

When writing this book, I tried to give you all of the tips and trick that I would share if I were teaching a quilting class.  This is my favorite tip from the Jacks quilt.  Cutting out quilts is actually one of my favorite parts of making a quilt.  I know, kind of crazy, but I just really enjoy it.   And some of the reason I so enjoy it is because I can do it super fast.  Below is a tidbit on how I cut so many squares so quickly, hopefully it will help you speed up your cutting as well  :)

Jacks was made using Paisley Rose fabrics by Crystal Manning for Moda Fabrics.  All the quilts in Fast and Fun Lap Quilts are made with 1 Layer Cake/10" Stacker and a background fabric.   You will use 40 of the 10" squares for this quilt so you really use up just about every last piece.  This quilt finishes at 62 1/2" x 77 1/2", making it a perfect lap size quilt for snuggling up in.    

I had so much fun custom quilting each of the quilts in Fast & Fun Lap Quilts .  For this Jacks quilt, I quilted little loop d loops in the main part of the background and echoed the center "star" of the block with pebbles.  Then I quilted wishbones on the spokes and left the center unquilted so it would pop.  a I used 402 So Fine thread to blend perfectly into the white background and all of the prints.   I know, your shocked right :) 

And that is my Jacks quilt, the seventh lap quilt in my new Fast & Fun Lap Quilts book !  You can find the Fast & Fun Lap Quilts book in your local or online quilt shops,  C&T Publishing, or if you would like a personalized signed copy, you can order from my Etsy shop.  And if you make your own Jacks quilt, I would love to see it!!  You can share your quilts with me on social media using hashtag #happyquiltingwithmc and #fastandfunlapquilts and tag me @happyquiltingmc or you can email me a picture at happyquiltingmelissa@gmail.com.   

And speaking of making a Jacks Quilt, my good friend,  Melanie Call has made up her own Jacks Quilt using Dwell Fabrics by Camille Roskelly for Moda.    She used Chambray Grey on the background and I just love the way it makes all of those beautiful colors from Dwell just sing!!  Didn't Melanie's quilt just turn out amazing!!!   It is an absolutely stunning finish!!    You can see all the details at Melanie's Instagram, ABitofScrapStuff. 

And while you are visiting Melanie at ABitofScrapStuff, be sure to enter her giveaway. She is sharing a Dwell Layer Cake with a Happy Quilting Reader so you can make a Jacks quilt just like Melanie's!!!  How fun is that, You can enter the giveaway at her Instagram.

And that is it for today, thanks for popping in for Week 7 of the Fast & Fun Lap Quilts book!

I am just so happy to share this Jacks quilt and be sure to pop back in on Friday when I will share a second version of the quilt.  

I hope you all have a very Happy Quilting Day! 

Jelly Roll Ripples and Sew a Jelly Roll Day Giveaway!!!

 It's National Sew a Jelly Roll Day this Saturday and I am celebrating with my good friends at Fat Quarter Shop!!!  All week, there will be Jelly Roll Shortcut Quilts shared and fun Jelly Roll Giveaways!!  And here is my Jelly Roll Shortcut Quilt . . . Jelly Roll Ripples!!!

I truly love making the Shortcut Quilts with Fat Quarter Shop!!!  They are so fun to make, and come together so fast!!  This ripples quilt has such a great geometric design as well.  I love the rotation of the blocks and how it creates a lot of secondary patterns within the design.  

And a great geometric quilt always goes perfectly in a great classic color combo!!!   And you all know, I love making my Red, White, and Black quilts for my Alma Mater.    This quilt uses a Create Jelly Roll for Moda Fabrics and paired with a Bella Solids Red background, just classic perfection!! 

And when it came time to quilt it, I decided to take advantage of that geometric goodness and create an orange peel design in the blocks.   I didn't do wavy this time as the orange peel is a little small and wavy would get a wee bit messy.  And I can manage smaller orange peel without having to whip out rulers.  I just love the way it turned out.  And of course, a fun echoed paisley border just frames it perfectly.  

And that is my Jelly Roll Ripples Shortcut Quilt.  And you can find the free Jelly Roll Ripples Shortcut Quilt Pattern right here and make your own too!!!    It finishes at 62" x 82" so it makes a great snuggle size quilt.  Mine will be an Alma Mater quilt raffled off next weekend for Homecoming and will raise money for scholarships.  Just love that!!!  

And now . . . Let's talk about that Giveaway!!!  We are going to run this just like all my TTGD's, so you can enter here at my blog, on Instagram and on Facebook if you so choose.  

Fat Quarter Shop will be sending one Happy Quilting Winner a Jelly Roll of their choice!!!! 

GUIVEAWAY CLOSED -The Winner is #120  . . . Janet . . .Congrats, I have messaged you ;)

ENTRY 1 - Simply leave a comment that tells me if you planning a project for National Sew a Jelly Roll Day???  

 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 the end of National Sew a Jelly Roll Day, September 17th, when I will announce a winner on this 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!!

Heart Felt Quilt Along - Finish

 It's Month 8 of the Heartfelt Quilt Along and today it's all finishing up!!!  This is Fat Quarter Shop's 9th Annual Charity Quilt Along and they are always my favorite :)  Today's release is for the  Backing Layout and then you get to quilt it all up and bind!!!   

I just loved making this quilt!!!  All of the different hearts and just so fun, and I am just thrilled with how it all came together.  I love the Graphite Cross Weave  background fabric, and how it makes each of those happy hearts in Flirt fabrics by Sweetwater just pop!!  And it especially makes all of the low volume prints just sing, so happy making!!! 

I decided to go with an all over Echoed paisley for the quilting in light grey.  It was pretty much a perfect match for the background fabric and still blends nicely on all of the prints.   And I just love quilting echoed paisleys, they are just so relaxing to quilt. 

And they have the benefit of adding some pretty amazing texture!!! Doesn't that just make you want to curl up with a good book in the sunshine :) 

So if you are finishing up, You can download the backing pattern right here and it is requested for each pattern you download to donate $5.00  to the Make a Wish Foundation :)  And how exciting . . .  Fat Quarter Shop's annual charity QAL has reached their goal of $1000,000!!!  And Moda Fabrics and Fat Quarter Shop have joined to match up to $30,000 :)  What a wonderful charity quilt along that will grant so many amazing wishes :)  

Be sure to share all of your Heartfelt progress on social media with #heartfeltqal and check out Fat Quarter Shops post for the Heart Felt Quilt Backs for lots more Heart Felt Inspiration and info on the soon to be Heart Felt Quilt Auction to raise money for even more wishes!!! Just Amazing!!! 

And that's it for the Heart Felt Quilt Along!!!!      

And did you see . . . Fat Quarter Shop has already released a sneak peek of next years Charity Quilt Along called Bountiful :) I can't wait!!!  

Thanks for popping in today ;)  Have a Happy Quilting Weekend!!

Vintage Charm - HQM Quilt 12

  It is Week 12 of the Happy Quilting Marathon and I am so excited about this finish!!  I spent the day up the mountain, so coming home to this quilt in all it's Nature's Goodness waiting to be pictured just brought me right up the mountain again.  So pretty.   This is Vintage Charm and I just love it!!! 

Isn't it just so pretty!!!  It just reminds me of walks along a crystal spring.   I used a Fat Quarter Bundle of Harvest Road by Lella Boutique.  I just love Vanessa's fabrics!!!    And the Vintage Charm Pattern is by Sherri McConnell and a fun one to make for sure!!  I sized up the blocks and added more blocks to make this a good picnic size quilt.

I started this Vintage Charm quilt back in January of 2020, when I actually got to take a class from Sherri  who had come to our Cedar Quilt Retreat to teach.  It was such a fun class to take.  I finished the quilt top soon after, but then it has been sitting in the to be quilted pile for longer than I care to admit ;)   But now, I am so happy to have it all done!!! 

I actually quilted this yesterday, but am just now getting to post about it.   I quilted an all over echoed paisley design.  I think it was a perfect match for the vintage, nature, feel of the quilt.   And believe it or not, I didn't use 402 thread, I used 403, its next shade friend.   It works for cream backgrounds the way 402 works for white ;)    

And I am  super excited to have finished up as it will now be a perfect Thank You gift for a wonderful friend who is helping me out with a big favor up the mountain :)  Cause if your going to help with camping stuff, you should get an all Nature quilt, right!!!  I just love giving a thank you with quilty hug!!! 

And that is Quilt #12 - Flower Market ;)  12 Down and only 14 more quilts to go in the Happy Quilting Marathon :)   So close to half way!!!!  

And that is it for today, thanks for popping in to share this finish with me!!! 

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

Simply Plaid and Skyline!!!

A few weeks ago I was working on some secret sewing for my good friends at Moda Fabrics ;)  That led to some back and forth with the amazing Camille Roskelley!!!   And all the back and forth led to some pattern testing sample sewing.  And I tell you what, I just love working with other quilters!!!  This industry has so many amazing artist in it, and getting to work with others is just a joy :)   So I made 2 (plus the secret one I'm waiting to share) of Camille's new patterns and the first one was Simply Plaid!!! 

And isn't this quilt just so great!!!   I pulled from my stash to make this quilt.  I decided to use than older Pink B & C  Print as my "background" as I had the most of it.  The Red and White are both Blossom Basics and they make up the plaid.  I love how it really makes the pink just pop, so fun!!! 

The piecing in this quilt is mostly strip piecing so it went together so quickly!!!   I made the baby size, (37 x 45) but the pattern also has a throw and queen size quilt!  I so plan to make the queen size (90 x 90) next!!!  It is just so classic and wonderful!!!

And when it came time to quilt it, I used one of my favorites.   All over Swirls for the win.   So relaxing to quilt and I just love all the added curved texture!!!    And  good ol' 402 Pearl blended perfectly in all of these light and dark colors, it truly is my favorite!! 

 And now this quilt is just waiting for a little bundle of joy to arrive.   Do these colors together just totally remind you of Strawberry Shortcake??  She was a favorite of mine when I was a kid, and I just love the color combo for an all girl quilt!!!  

And we go from all girl, to all neutral!!!   A good friend just had a sweet baby boy and is doing the nursery in "neutrals" and so I knew right away that this new Skyline Quilt would be the perfect fit for a neutral baby boy quilt!!!   How fun is that!!!  

I have been doing a lot of Ombre Rainbow Quilts (see here) and I always have the neutral Fat Quarters left over.   So I figured they would be perfect for this quilt!!!  And isn't it fun how the ombre fabrics give some of the stars a secondary pattern look with the different color triangles in the center.  Really makes that pinwheel part of the star pop!!! 

You all know I love a great star quilt and this quilt was so much fun to put together!!!   I really love the half stars to offset the design, so great!!!  The pattern is for a lap size (67 x 78) quilt, but once you make the blocks, it is easy to make it larger or smaller depending on who you are making the quilt for. 

And when it came time to quilt it, I used another favorite!!  You can never go wrong with   Echoed Paisley Quilting with so much curved texture to soften all those points!!!    And  good ol' 402 Pearl again!!   And this quilt made me down to my last spool, time to order more ;)

And this quilt is now wrapped up and ready to be gifted.  I am so excited to see it hanging in the nursery.   Doesn't a neutral nursery just sound so fantastic!!! 

Camille's new patterns are now available in both Paper and PDF versions and can be found in her shop, or just about anywhere quilt supplies are sold ;)  Camille was kind enough to send me her new patterns, some stickers (that are so cute on my water bottle) and a yummy layer cake of her soon to be released Dwell fabric!!!   And looking at these, can you guess which quilt I did the secret sewing for???

Thanks for popping in to share this finish with me!!! 

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

Nova Star Quilt!!!

 It is always a fun day when I get to share a little secret sewing for my good friends at Moda Fabrics ;)   And how great is this quilt in it's beautiful oranges and blues!!!  These aren't colors I get to work with very often and it was just so great to get to sew up this quilt!!!    The name of this quilt is Nova Star and the pattern is by Then Came June!!! 

Like I said, these fabrics are just so happy!!!  I just love all of the prints from this Meander Fabric Line by Aneela Hoey.  There are great blenders of polka dots and gingham, and wonderfully whimsical prints with horses, foxes, and flowers.  Just makes me want to get outside and enjoy the fresh air!!! And truly, I just love the colors!!!  What a fun way to mix things up :)  

The piecing in this quilt is a little on the small side, but oh so great :)  You all now I love a great star quilt and this quilt the stars just explode!!!   So great!!!  I just love all of the movement it creates in the quilt and how the cornerstones create a wonderful secondary pinwheel design.   It finishes at 54 x 68 so it is a great size to snuggle up in.  

And when it came time to quilt it, I used one of my favorites.   Echoed Paisley Quilting for the win.   So relaxing to quilt and I just love all the added curved texture to such an pointy quilt!!!    And  good ol' 402 Pearl blended perfectly in all of these light and dark colors, it truly is my favorite!! 

And this quilt is now making its way to quilt shops around the US.  It is going to be a fun addition to add to my Cabin Quilts as soon as it gets home.  I just think it fits the outdoors rustic feel just perfectly!!

But snuggling for me will have to wait until it makes it's way home.   But you don't have to wait!!!  Meander Fabrics are shipping now and Fat Quarter Shop has a Nova Star Meander Quilt Kit already available.  And don't you just love the boxes the kits come in, so cute!!! 

I am so happy that I got to make this beautiful Nova Star Quilt, it really was oh so much fun to make!!    The Nova Star Pattern was easy to follow and doesn't it just fit these fabrics so perfectly!!!    I totally want to make a baby quilt version now, so adorable!!  

And that is it for today, thanks for popping in to share this finish with me!!! 

And be sure to pop back in tomorrow to share my Quilt 1 in my Happy Quilting Marathon ;)  

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

Nice Ice Charming Baby Quilts

Hi all!!  Today I am super excited to be sharing some of my newest quilt finishes :)  And here they are . . .  the Nice Ice Charming Baby Quilts!! 

 As soon as I saw the  adorable Nice Ice Baby Collection by Deena Rutter I knew that I had to make some Baby Quilts with it!!  It is just so cute, and I love that the prints really read "boy" because we all know, it is hard to come by "all boy" baby fabric. So I went to my Charming Baby Quilts book, and picked 2 Charming Quilts to be made up in Nice Ice Baby! I grabbed some Nice Ice Baby 5 Inch Stackers and some background fabric and away I went.

So first up . . . A Star Is Born.  Ya, you knew this was one of the quilts I was going to pick right :)   It is probably my favorite in the book, and I have loved seeing all of the many versions of it you all have made!!! 

This is such a fun baby quilt to make and really lets you enjoy some HST goodness! It uses Two 5 Inch Stackers and 2 yards of Background Fabric, which I used Navy Sparkler for. It is the perfect match for Nice Ice Baby, and I love the little bit of metallic that pops in all that negative space.

And when it came time to quilt mine, I opted for a favorite  all over Echoed Paisley free motion design. I love all of the added texture it gives the quilt and how the curves add a fun element to all of the straight line piecing. And guess in case you are new here, there is an Echoed Paisley Free Motion Video Tutorial on my blog :) 

 I just love how this one turned out, I don't think I will ever tire of making this particular quilt.  It is just classic and makes such a fun gift.   And as soon as I finished this quilt, it got me super excited to make a second Charming Baby Quilt :)

So that leads us to. . . Shine Bright!

Shine Bright is a fun way of mixing up a Basic Star quilt, using the print fabric in the background and the background fabric for the star.   I just love simple changes to a design that really give it a whole new look!!!   Shine Bright uses Three 5 Inch Stackers and 2 yards of Background Fabric, which I used Riley Navy Confetti Cotton for so it would really stand out. 

This quilt is another fun one to make and perfect for beginners and experts alike!!!   It is made with Half Square Triangles, a few Stitch and Flip Corners, and basic piecing, so it really goes together super quick :)  Which is always great for those last minute gifts.

When it came time to quilt mine, I opted for an all over free motion swirl!!  You can never go wrong with this design and it always makes for a beautiful finish.   And I just loved using Navy thread because it really popped on the prints and blended great in the Navy Solid.  

And those are my Nice Ice Charming Baby Quilts!   I tell you what, I just love making Charming Baby Quilts, in fact, I have already started another one I plan to share in the near future!!!!   To see more of my Charming Baby Quilts Book, you can visit this Page, that shares all of the original Charming Baby Quilts as well as Free PDF's of each quilt in a larger size (just in case you are not in need of baby quilts) and a Free PDF of a Charming Baby Sampler Quilt.

Oh, and if you make your own Charming Baby Quilts, in Nice Ice Baby or any of your favorite Charm Packs, I would love to see them! You can share your projects with me on social media with the hashtags  #happyquiltingwithmc and #rileyblakedesigns and tagging @happyquiltingmc or email me a picture at happyquiltingmelissa@gmail.com. I can't wait to see your Charming Baby Quilts!!

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