Ahh, Routine!!!

The older kids are back in school and I am home during nap time :)  You know what that means, Quilting Time!!!  I didn't waste a minute of it either.  And, double bonus, I also\ managed to work on one of my New Years Resolutions by working on some improv curves :)  What do you think??

This is the first bee block for our Beejeebers group.  It is for Jamie Lee and she is doing the cutest little quilt of wonky houses and trees :)  And yes, your eyes are not deceiving you, I even did some hand stitching, which we know by now is really not my favorite.  But I had those cute flower buttons and knew they would be the cutest finishing touch :)  Not bad, second day of the month and a Bee block done :)  Yippee Skippee for Quilting Time!!!

Year in Review and Looking Forward to 2012

So what did I do in 2011????  Well . . . .

Wow!!!  What a year.  I can not believe how much I have grown in quilting and how much Happy Quilting has grown.  Thank you to all of you amazing readers that have made this year so incredibly fun for me.  I just love making new friends through this amazing online community.

So now let's quickly review 2011.  On December 31, 2010 I listed some goals here of the things I wanted to accomplish with my quilting in 2011.  Now I get to see how I did :)

Goals for 2011

1 - Participate in a Bee  (which I have already signed up for but sometimes it is fun to write things that are easily checked off :)  Check - And I loved every minute of it.  So much so that I created  2 Bees for 2012
2 - Participate in a Swap  (I have never done this,  any suggestions on good ones would be appreciated :)  Check - I participated in the post-sewing Summit Swap and just signed up fot the Name Game Swap starting in 2012
3 - Learn how to Paper Piece  Semi Check - I did one Bee Block paper pieced and learned the basics, but I would like to learn a lot more.
4 - Learn how to Curve Piece  Semi Check - I took a class on improv piecing where I learned how to do gentle curves but i have yet to tackle some drunkard path type curves.
5 - Be a guest blogger on other sites.  (I have done this once at Stash Manicure and loved it) Major Check - I guest blogged quite a lot at several blogs and really had a lot of fun with it :)
6 - Make a pillow or 2  (I need to branch out a little and I sew love the Cathedral Window pattern) - Check - I made my first pillow cover for Fat Quarterly, but I still want to try and mke some more including the Cathedral Window :)
7 - Host a Quilt-A-Long  (a little scary, but I really think it would be fun, with a little stress mixed in, lol)
Check - I actually hosted 2 and I think both were very successful.   I need to start planning another one.
8 - Continue designing for the Moda Bake Shop  (I just love this so much, It is a definite keeper :)  (And since I already have a project lined up for January I can check this off the list, Yippee Skippee) - Major Check - Me and the Moda Bake Shop are great friends, and I just love seeing your versions of my designs.  
9 - Use up more of my ever growing Stash.  I can't believe how quickly it is growing :) - Negative Check - It has probably doubled or more in size :)
10 - Last but not least, and I waited for last to write it because it scares the pants off of me. . . . Get a design published in a magazine.  (I think I can, I think I can, I think I can :) - Semi Check - If you have read this far you now get in on a little secret.  I have a quilt pattern that will be published in a magazine in spring 2012.  Squeal!!!!  So it wasn't quite in 2011, but all the work was done then.  If I knew how long the process took I would have started earlier in the year :)

So all in all, I am feeling pretty great about the Quilting year of 2011. It has been such an amazing ride.  And so now let's look forward to 2012.  I am so excited for 2012 in Quilting.  I have a few things that I am just so excited about that are already in the works and a few secrets that I just can't wait to share.  So let's get to some goals for where I hope 2012 quilting will take me :)

1 - Create some form of a blog hop.  These are always so much fun and I think I can figure out how to run one :)
2 - Host 2 more Quilt-A-Longs, at least.  I so loved having so many amazing quilter's sewing right a-long with me.  I really want to make sure I leave time to do that again.
3 - Work on some of those Semi-checks from 2011 ie . . .curved piecing, paper piecing, and pillows
4 - Write some more patterns.  I have several planned but plans don't always equal product :)
5 - Make some videos on free motion quilting.  I just have to get over the fear of my voice on tape.
6 - Teach a class.  Doesn't matter where, or to how many to ,preferably fewer, as the idea sort of scares and excites me at the same time.
7 - Start teaching my daughter to quilt.  She is starting to show some interest and I want to make sure I set some time aside for her.
8 - Design and create for my family.  Is it crazy that I made so many quilts in a year and only 1 of my children have a quilt I made for them on their bed??  (Although I have 2 in progress :)  I want to focus on making these works of love for the people I love.
9 - Make Christmas Stockings for my family.  Now that we know our family is not going to grow anymore I have no excuse not to make us a matching set of stockings.
10 - Keep Balance!!!!  I want to really try to make sure I am on top of things enough to keep quilting time to nap time and bed time so that it doesn't interfere with family time.

So here it goes!!!  Bring on 2012!!!! I can't wait!!!!!

VIBee's comes to a close

I finished up my last 2 bee blocks for the VIBees this week. My oh my, I can't say how much I have enjoyed being in this Bee.  The gals in it are so amazing and talented.  I will be super sad to see it come to an end.  I am just so grateful that I got to work with such a great group :)  Thanks to each of you lovely ladies!!!

So the first block I made was for Rene.  She asked for anything with a white background and soft blues and greens.  You know how I have been on a major "twister" kick.  So I whipped up a little mini-me twister template and made a super mini twister block.  I can't get over how cute and tiny the pinwheels are.  I just love it!!!  You know I want to do another one of these right :)

The next block is for Lynne.  She asked us to do her LynneBobSquarePants block.  She sent us the background charcoal and then she asked us to use bright colors from our stash to fill in the design.  Well, you know how much I just love polka-dots.  

I guess all good things must come to an end.  Here is a little Picture Mosiac of my year with the  VIBee's

And the Gift Certificate goes to . . . .

Thank you to everyone who participated in the final Christmas Extravaganza giveaway and thank you to the Fat Quarter Shop for sponsoring such a fabulous giveaway.  So let's get to see who is the lucky person who will be getting one super special after Christmas present :)


And the lucky number according to Mr. Random.Org is . . .

Which is . . . .  Pianomama!!!!

Congrats :)  I have emailed you for your info.

TNT Thursday with a Diagonal Twister Tutorial

So this week's new thing was all about trying the Diagonal Twister for a second time to get it closer to what I had in mind.   This was a new pattern I was working with to try and get a diagonal look to the Whirly Gig created by the twister rather than a random look.  And since I was doing it for the second time, I figured I might as well take some pictures a long the way so that if you want to give it a try you can :)

So "Twister" quilts are always made starting with a grid of squares.  This is the design of squares you need to make in order to get the look above when you are done.  But before you go and cut out 144 5" squares go ahead and read on, there is a much faster way to strip piece it :)

Start by choosing your prints.  This pattern is a repeated 6 pattern so you will need 6 strips for each set of 3.  I choose to repeat one of my prints, you can to if you like or not ;)  (Wouldn't this just look awesome in a Rainbow pattern, that is on my list )  Cut three 5" x WOF strips out of each of the 6 chosen prints for a total of 18 strips.

Sew your 6 strips together to make a strip set.  You will be sewing 3 sets together and be sure to sew them all in the same order.  It doesn't matter if the ends don't line up perfect :)

Now fold your strip set in half taking care to align the sides.  Do not worry about the top lining up.   Place it on your cutting mat so that the folded line is just over the 0 Horizontal line on your mat.

Now you can cut out your square strip sets.  First cut along the 20" line on your mat.  This gives you a nice starting edge.  Now measure down 5" (to the 15" line) and cut across the entire strip set.  (I had to use two rulers aligned next to each other).  Continue cutting 5" down until you cut across the 0 Horizontal line.  This should give you 8 square strip sets, 4 on top and 4 below.  Repeat with the other 2 Strip sets so you have a total of 24 square strip sets.

Sew your square strip sets into sets of 2.  Make sure you always repeat the pattern exactly the same way.  You will now have 12 long square strip sets.

Now the fun part.  To make the diagonal pattern you are going to do a little unpicking.  I know it seems weird to unpick but trust me, it is way faster than stitching all of the squares individually.

So start by laying out 2 long square strip sets.  Those will be row 1 and row 7.  (I like to mark them now to avoid confusion)   Now lay out 2 more long square strip sets.  Unpick the first block in each long square strip set and at it to the end of the set.  Now mark these rows 2 and rows 8.  Now lay out 2 more long square strip sets.  Unpick the first two blocks in each long square strip set and at it to the end of the set.  Now mark these rows 3 and rows 9.  Seeing a trend here :)  For rows 4 and 10 remove 3 blocks and add them to the end.  For rows 5 and 11 remove 4 blocks and add them to the end.  And finally for rows 6 and 12 remove 5 blocks and add them to the end.

You should now have 12 rows that when lined up in order look like this.

Now simply sew your rows together, taking care to align your seams, and you have your square grid!!  Yippee Skippee.

***Note - The rest of this tutorial will be very brief as the intent of the tutorial is how to get the pattern, not how to use your twister.  If you need a more in-depth tutorial on how to use the twister tool please see this earlier tutorial.  Steps 2 and 3 will walk your through the remainder of the process in greater detail :)

Now simply add your 3" border :)

Cut out your whirly-gig squares using your twister tool :)

Sew your "whirly-gig" squares into rows :)

And then sew your rows into your quilt top :)

And you are done and have one adorable 42 x 42 baby blanket top :)  Just quilt it and bind it and it is ready to share :)   Wasn't that just so much fun!!!  I can't get enough of these twisters, I just have a blast!!!

So, what have you managed to try new during this crazy busy holiday week :)  Please share.