Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Terrific Tuesday Giveaway Day!!!

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

First, we need to announce the winner from last weeks Terrific Tuesday Giveaway!!   The winner of the Tula Pink Throwback Fat Quarter Bundle from  Fat Quarter Shop  is . . .   Number #301 . . . Congrats cjmont!!!   I have emailed you :)    


    
And on to today's



Today's Terrific Tuesday Giveaway is being sponsored by Kimberly's Fabric Stash.    You will find so many amazing fabrics over at Kimberly's and everyday low prices on pre-cuts!!!  Along with hosting the giveaway, Kimberly is offering Free Shipping today on your order.  Just use the code FREESHIP!!  



Today's Terrific Tuesday Giveaway is for some Summer goodness!!!  Kimberly's Fabric Stash is offering one lucky reader 2 SummerFest Charm Packs by April Rosenthal for Moda Fabrics along with 1 yard of  Moda Grunge!!!  Oh, I just love Grunge and I love SummerFest just as much ;) 

  



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 the approximate size of your stash  (ie, a few shelves, fills a room, ect  :)

 ENTRY 2 - Show your Kimberly's Fabric Stash  Love!!!!   You can Sign Up for their Newsletter (which will get your more coupon codes :)  You can follow them on   FacebookTwitterPinterest, or You Tube.  Or you can visit The Shop and then share a favorite item ;)   Just be sure to leave a comment of how you showed your Kimberly Fabric Stash Love!!!

And that's it ;)  The giveaway will be open until next Tuesday, June 21st when I will announce a winner at the beginning of next weeks Terrific Tuesday Giveaway Post :)

Good Luck and Have a Happy Quilting Day!!!
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Monday, June 13, 2016

Little Ruby Quilt-A-Long - Part 2 Star Blocks!!!

It's Part Two of the Little Ruby Quilt Along, I am so excited!!!   Part 2 is all about making the  Star Blocks and they are oh so cute!!!!    You can find all of the details about the Little Ruby Quilt Along right here at the Fat Quarter Shop :)  And just in case you missed my Part One post you can find it here ;)

You start Part 2 with lots and lots of strip piecing ;)   And oh, how I love to do some good ol strip piecing.  I just put a good book on my ipod and away I go ;)   So relaxing and oh so much fun!!!  And you just have to love the pile of strips when you are done!!!   (I put on a good movie to press them, which makes that part more enjoyable as well ;)  



Then, thanks to the awesome Creative Grids 60 degree ruler, cutting all of those strip sets into these cute triangles was a snap :)   Don't they look so cute!!!  This layout is what made me want to do a Christmas fabric because they remind me of little peppermint candies :)   And I just love that the triangles make 2 quilts at once ;)  And yes, I am making both quilts!


And then it was time to sew all of those little triangle rows together ;)  Once again, good book in my ears and a whole lot of chain stitching ;)   So, so, much fun!!!  And I loved the little clips in the corners from the ruler that made it so easy to tell where everything lined up :)   And don't they look so cute all stacked up!!!


After pressing them all, I just couldn't wait to see what they would look like, so I sort of already laid out my rows.   Guess I am super ready for Part 3, which will be shared on  June 27th!!!


And of course, Kimberly has an amazing video tutorial for you walking you through step by step of Part 2!!!  I just love Kimberly's videos, she always has so many great tidbits to share that make the whole process so much easier ;)   


And be sure to pop on over to Fat Quarter Shop for all of the Litle Ruby Quilt Along Part 2 details ;)   And while you are popping around, check out all of the Little Ruby Bloggers too!!!   There is some amazing quilt along eye candy going on today!!!

Melissa from Happy Quilting
Angie from Gnome Angel
Erin Cox from Why Not Sew
Andy from A Bright Corner
Pat from Pat Sloan
Peta from She Quilts a Lot
Heather from Quilt Story
Megan from Quilt Story
Amanda from Jedi Craft Girl
Sherri from A Quilting Life
Rebecca from Bryan House Quilts
Sherri from This & That Patterns
Jemima from Tied with a Ribbon
Stephanie from Modern Sewciety
Brooke from Silly Mama Quilts
Carrie from Moda's United Notions

I can't wait for Part 3 to see all of the quilt tops come together!!!



Have a Happy Quilting Day!!!
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Friday, June 10, 2016

Bee Block and Builder Box!!

One of the things I love most about being part of a virtual Quilting Bee is that I practice techniques that I don't usually do.  Like this month.   Oh ya, more paper piecing.   I am so happy to say that I got this one all right on the first try.   I know, it isn't complex, but more than anything, I feel like I am starting to figure out those little tidbits thanks to practice, practice, practice ;)   This block is on it's way to Nedra now and then June is my month.  So fun!!! 


And along with sending fun fabric goodness off in the mail, I got some fabric goodness in the mail as well!!!  I was contacted by the lovely folks at Stash Builder Box last month to see if they could send me one of their lovely monthly subscription boxes.   And ya, of course I am all about pretty boxes of fabric goodness arriving on my doorstep!!!!  And the really neat thing that I liked about Stash Builder Box is that it was started for a great cause!!!  20% of every box goes towards making a quilt for a child in need.   Isn't that awesome, it really is the Box with a Cause!!!


And of course, I was just thrilled when I opened the box and found lots of yummy goodness for my little sewing room!!  Beautiful Fat Quarters from Camelot Fabrics, An adorable pattern as well as the Block of the Month pattern, Aurifil, and Bobbin Buddies!!!


And I am most excited about these little True Grips!!!  I have seen other quilters using them at retreats I have taught at and was so impressed with how they really keep the ruler from slipping.  And then you get home and forget with all of the craziness of getting back from a retreat.  So ya, I was over the moon when I found them in the box!!!  I have already put them on my rulers!!!


And I just had to give you a close up of this fun pencil!!!  I laughed out loud when I saw this and now I have it sitting on my shelf right at eye sight :)  I totally need the reminder to Keep Calm when I find myself reaching for the Seam Ripper!!


And today I get to use my non-slip rulers at the Panguitch Quilt Walk!!!  I am teaching 2 classes today and am so excited ;)  I will be sure to share everyone's fun blocks from class next week!!

Have a Happy Quilting Weekend :)
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Thursday, June 9, 2016

Summer Solstice Quilt-A-Long - Schedule, Fabric Requirements,and Prizes!!!

Yippee, today is the day!!!!  The Summer Solstice Quilt-A-Long officially starts today!!!  Today's post is going over everything you need to know to Quilt-A-Long.   There will be a post every other Thursday from June 9th until September 1st with bi-weekly assignments and then there will be a Parade and Grand Prizes on September 15th.  So lets go over how it's going to work!!



THE HOW TO

The Summer Solstice Quilt-A-Long is my own quilt design and I hope you enjoy putting it together and maybe even learn some new techniques along the way.    The quilt-a-long will include 5 different sizes for the Summer Solstice block giving you multiple layout options.  You can also choose how many blocks you want in your quilt.  You can do a  1 x 1 block layout, 2 x 2 block layout, 3 x 3 block layout, and/or a 4 x 4 block layout.  This quilt will not be made by making one block at a time but rather a more assembly line process.  Once the units are done, then the blocks will be created.   I broke down the construction of the quilt into bi-weekly assignments so hopefully the slower summer pace will allow everyone time to keep up even with vacations and crazy summer schedules ;)     The schedule will be as follows

June 9th- Intro, Fabric Requirements, and Prizes Announcement (that's today :)
June 23rd - Cutting
 July 7th - Flying Geese
July 21st - Half Square Triangles
August 4th - Drunkards Path
August 18th - Building Blocks
September 1st - Piecing Top and Grand Prize Linky

September 15th- Summer Solstice Parade and Grand Prize Winners

So count on checking back every other Thursday to see what the next assignment will be.  You will want to try to keep up as there will be prizes along the way!!   Be sure to take a picture of your finished  assignments so that you can link it up for the bi-weekly prizes :)  Oh, and if you are new to quilting, no worries, this will be super beginner friendly! I will go through each step in great detail in the Thursday posts.

CHOOSING A PROJECT SIZE

So to start, you need to make some choices.  What size project do you want to make and with what size blocks. Check out this chart below to help you decide what size project you want to make and with how many blocks in it.  A 1 x 1 layout is 1 block, a 2 x 2 layout is 4 blocks, a 3 x 3 layout is 9 blocks (Kits provided for this layout) , and a 4 x 4 layout is 16 blocks.


This will give you an idea of what each layout will look like ;)  



And as you have probably noticed - there are some curves in this quilt and you will need to make a template for that.  So while you are choosing a size and looking at rounding up your fabric, also remember to round up something to make your templates from.  I will be using   Extra Thick Plastic Template Sheets  but you can use thick posterboard, or cardboard or whatever you like to use best for templates ;)  

Alright, back to it.  Have you chosen a size block and layout??  Do you know what project you want to make??  Excellent, well then let's see what fabrics you are going to need.

THE FABRIC REQUIREMENTS

Regardless of what quilt you want to make you will need to choose "Print Fabrics" and a "Background Fabric".  Print Fabrics (which can also be solids)  refer to the fabrics making up your blocks (ie, the red, orange, and yellow above).  And the Background Fabric (which can also be a print) refers to the fabric making up the background of the quilt (ie. the white above).     You will also need binding fabric and backing fabric so you are all ready to finish up your quilt.  (Because we area all about finishes, no wip's here :)

Print Fabric Requirements

Use the chart below to determine the amount of print fabrics you will need.  In all layouts except the 1x1 layout the total number of fabrics you will need is also the number of blocks in your quilt.  The size of each fabric cut depends on the size of your project.  In the 1x1 layout, you will need to select 3 different fabrics.  The "Center" fabric is the fabric that makes up the Star/Sun Center (yellow above).  The "Surround" fabric is the fabric surrounding the Star/Sun Center (red above) .  And that means the "Corners" fabric is the fabric in the 4 corner points (orange above).



Background Fabric Requirement
  See the chart below for the amount of background fabric you will need for your particular size project.  ( I will be showing everything with a white background fabric, but you don't have to use white, feel free to choose any color you like for the background or even a print :)




Binding and Backing Requirement
Refer to the two charts below for the requirements you will need for binding and backing for your particular project.




THE SUMMER SOLSTICE QUILT-A-LONG KITS

I have asked my wonderful friend and sponsor Julie from the Intrepid Thread, to put together some custom kit bundles for the Summer Solstice Quilt-A-Long.  And as always, she came up with some stunning options for you.   The Kits are made for the 3 x 3 layout in the Lap,  Picnic, or Queen quilt sizes.   I went ahead and put each bundle into the quilt layout so you could get an idea of how they will look in the quilt. 

 And as before, the Quilt-A-Long Kits are at a special Quilt-A-Long discount price!!  Thanks so much Julie!!!  Please note, these kits do not include the background fabric, so be sure to see the above requirements under Background Fabric Requirements for that ;)  And, if you want to purchase your background fabric (and/or your binding and backing fabric) at the same time you buy your kits, you can use the code SLSB10 at The Intrepid Thread for 10% off your background fabric :)  

And here are the kits in all their yummy fabric goodness!!!!

Chantilly Lace Quilt Kit
        

        


        
        

  

        
       


         
        


        
        


Aren't these bundles just fabulous!!!!  And isn't it so fun that Julie named them all after old songs ;)   Thank you so much Julie for making up these gorgeous Quilt-A-Long kits!!! Good Luck choosing a favorite!! I was lucky and didn't have to decide a favorite this time around ;)  I am making my quilt for my brother and his wife and so they had to choose and they picked the Scarborough Fair quilt Kit and I will be making it up in the queen size.  I am so excited!!!  

Oh, and I showed all of the kits with a white background,  but don't be afraid to do something other than white, Look how adding a background color changes up these kits ;)  Stunning!!!!

Octopus's Garden with Grey


Little Surfer Girl with Navy



If you are thinking about a color background that I haven't shown and would like to know what it will look like with your kit just email me at happyquiltingmelissa@gmail.com and I can send you a sketch no problem ;)

THE PRIZES

I am so very excited about the Prizes for this Quilt-A-Long!!  I don't know about you, but I know that I am highly more motivated to keep up and finish when there are prizes at stake ;)  So how about this for a little motivation.

All those that finish their quilt top will be eligible for the 4 Grand Prizes.  The Grand Prize's are sponsored by The Intrepid Thread and Fat Quarter Shop and huge Thank You goes out to Julie and Kimberly for their generosity in these prizes.  Wan't to know what they are???

The first 2 winners will each receive a $100.00 Gift Certificates to Fat Quarter Shop and the next 2 winners will each receive a  Custom Cotton + Steel Fat Quarter Bundle from The Intrepid Thread !!!     Talk about some amazing fabric Goodness!!!!!!  Yippee for fabric motivation!!


           

        
 

But . . . Sometimes it is hard to keep motivated when the end is so far away.  So for that . . . We have a little bi-weekly motivation.  Every other week you will be able to link up (You don't have to have a blog to link up, you can link to any social media image :) your completed assignment for a chance to win the bi-weekly assignment prize.    These bi-weekly Prizes will be sponsored by several of my Sponsors and will be so fun!!!
         

                

            



So es, there is going to be a lot of wonderful fabric to be won!!!  So keep up and sew on!!!

THE BUTTON, FLICKR, AND HASHTAG

 Now down to the last of the nitty gritty.   If you are Quilting-A-Long and have a blog, It would be wonderful if you added the button to your blog :)   It really helps to spread the word and the more that Quilt-A-Long the better!!!  If you have already added the button, thank you!!!

 
 


If you use Flickr,  I would love it if you joined the Happy Quilting Quilt-A-Long Flickr group.  You can post your fabric here, your progress, ask questions, ect.   And it is a super fun place to get to chat along with everyone participating :)

And if you use Facebook or Instagram and are posting your progress on your social media, be sure and use the Hashtag #summersolsticequiltalong   Then we can all easily find and see each others work on facebook and instagram as well ;)



LET'S GET GOING!!

So that just about wraps it up!!! You have 2 weeks to round up  your fabric.  That should give you a great cushion for it to arrive in the mail if you decide to order fabric online.  Watch for that cutting assignment on June 23rd.

Now I know that was a lot for one post, so if you have any questions at all regarding the Quilt-A-Long please do not hesitate to email me at happyquiltingmelissa@gmail.com or comment below.  I don't want anyone to not participate because they are confused by my rambling :)  And one last thing, please feel free to make your quilt your own.  If you want a different layout, great!  Want to add a border, perfect!!  What ever you envision, you make it yours, all finished quilt tops will be eligible for prizes :)

Now . . .  Let's get Quilting-A-Long!!!
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Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Cute as a Button Pincushion!!

 Sherri McConnell and the Fat Quarter Shop have teamed up to bring us all a fun new project!!!  And I tell you what, there is no way you can just make 1 :)  Which is great, because who wouldn't want to fill their sewing space with  these Cute as a Button Pincushion's!!!  Aren't they just so fun :)


I started with making this purple version for me.  You knew it was going to be purple, right ;)  I mean, I can't believe I didn't already have a  purple pincushion to go with my purple sewing space.  I used some of my One Canoe Two and Zen Chic scraps and a little Moda Twill Tape.  Don't they make the cutest combination.


And while I was working on mine, my mom, who just happens to be visiting, decided she could really use a pincushion as well ;)  Seriously, I think we both spent more time choosing fabrics than it actually takes to make these, tee hee hee.   In the end, Mom picked some prints from Elizabeth Hartman's new Paintbox Basics mini charm I got at market and then added some Zen Chic and Vanessa Christenson to it.   I just love the combination and her pincushion turned out so cute!!!


I know, you totally want to make some now, right ;)   Well, Sherri and Kimberly have made this wonderful YouTube video to teach you how to make up these little Cute as a Button Pincushions and you are just going to have so much fun  ;)   As I said, they really are a super fast and super easy to make up and Sherri shares lots of great little tidbits that help along the way.   You can make your pincushion right along with the video and you will be done in no time!!  But, might I suggest cutting fabric for more than 1 and chain stitching, because trust me, as soon as you are done, you are going to want to make another one ;)  


My mom is taking hers home tomorrow and you know mine will need a friend very soon ;)  I am thinking maybe a monochromatic theme.  How fun would it be to have a rainbow of pincushions!!!


And of course, Fat Quarter Shop has teamed up with lots of wonderful bloggers to give you a lot of Cute as a Button Pincushion eye candy ;)  Be sure to pop in and check them all out!!

Kitty from Night Quilter
Amanda from Jedi Craft Girl
Nicole from Modern Handcraft
Jessica from Quilty Habit
Jessee from Art School Dropout
Tina from Emily Ann's Kloset
Michele from Island Life Quilts
Angie from Gnome Angel
Sinta from Pink Pin Cushion
Melissa from Happy Quilting (that's me ;)

And that's all for today.  I am off to pick some more rainbow squares ;)

Happy Quilting!!!  
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