Spending a few days with the Prairie Star Quilt Guild :)

At the end of October, I had the wonderful opportunity to travel to St. Charles IL, and teach at the Prairie Star Quilters Guild.  This is an amazing guild blew me away!!!  They have close to 400 members, bring in an amazing guest lecturer every month (I was incredibly honored to be part of their lineup this year) and meet monthly in both a morning and evening to work with everyone's schedules.  Wow, just wow!!!  I tell you, I just love getting to teach and see amazing quilters from all over ;)  And this time, I got to teach my End of the Rainbow class to 11 amazing ladies and we had such a great time in class!!!

I was so excited when I first arrived at the guilds space to find so much room!!!  It is so much more enjoyable to quilt at a retreat when everyone has a little space to spread out and this classroom was amazing ;)  We slashed and stitched our way to some wonderful Improv Rainbow Chains and be the end of the class, everyone was well on their way to making their quilt ;)

Aren't all of their blocks just so fun!!!  I love seeing what colors everyone chooses to use first, normally their favorite or least favorite color ;)  And I had some first in this class with one student using reproduction fabrics, and another going with a Kafe Fasset look.   And it is just so fun to see everyone make it their own and really get into the improv fun of stitching with no rules!!!  I just had such a great day with these ladies, thanks so much for making this class a blast!!

After class, (and a bite to eat, so yummy) I got to share my Irish Chain Quilts Trunk Show with the evening gathering of the guild.  It was so much fun to share my quilts from my book and the special inspiration and stories behind the quilts ;)   And then to bed to get up the next morning and share the Irish Chain Quilts Trunk Show with the morning gathering of the guild :)   And it was so fun to be able to answer so many questions about my quilting and my love for it!!!

And one member, Jane, even brought a special treat for me ;)  Her quilt made using one of my first tutorials, the Sugar Pop N Change quilt I made for the Moda Bake Shop quite a few years ago.  In fact, it was extra special because this quilt inspired one of the quilts in Irish Chain Quilts.  So fun!!!
Thanks so much Jane for bringing your stunning quilt along and sharing it with me :)

And before you knew it, it was time to head back to the airport and fly home ;)   I had such an amazing time in IL!!!  I know I say it all the time, but I just love being able to go and teach and share my love of quilting with good friends everywhere ;)  And I want to say a huge thank you to the Prairie Star Quilt Guild for having me.  And a special thank you to Teresa and Chris for hosting Barbara and I for the weekend.  Everyone was just so amazing and I made so many new quilty friends!!!    If you live in the area you should really check them out as they are an amazing group of quilters!!!  

And now I get to look forward to a next week when I get to go teach in Las Vegas ;)  I can't wait!!!

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

Christmas Cheer Quilt

After last weeks share of a Spring Market quilt, I am being sure that this Fall Market quilt doesn't get forgotten ;)   I didn't go to Fall Market this year, but I was super excited to get to make a quilt that was there :)  My wonderful friends at Moda asked if I could make a Christmas Cheer quilt and I just loved sewing it up. I mean, how can you not love that first off, it's a row quilt which are always so fun and second, it's Christmas, and it certainly made me feel that wonderful Christmas Cheer!!!

This quilt uses Bonnie and Camille's new Vintage Holiday fabric that was shown at Fall Market.  It will be coming to shops in April of 2018 and you are so going to want to scoop some up.  I just love the prints and colors and there is even some silver metallic hints in the line.  So fun!!! 

And as I said before, I just love sewing row quilts!!!  I just love sewing all of the different blocks and seeing them all come together into the quilt.   Of course, they take a little longer to cut out, but luckily I don't mind that step to much :)   And aren't these rows just to cute!!!  Those stars finish at 4", I love little patchwork!!!   And those Santa Hats are just so fun, especially with the silver metallic stripe on the band and ball :)   I really had fun piecing each and every row and every row became my new favorite.

When it came time to quilt it, I decided for a favorite all over Curly Q.   This really lets each of the pieced rows stand out for itself, and it is nice and fast, and considering I was doing this quilt in that good ol' market time crunch, fast was important :) 

And I just love the wonderful texture it gives the quilt as well.  Doesn't that just make you want to snuggle up in front of a fire place and listen to some Christmas music :)

And that is Christmas Cheer :)   Thank you so much to my good friends at Moda!!!  I am so glad that I got to sew this incredibly cheerful quilt together and have a little part of Fall Market :)  And you better believe I was listening to Christmas Tunes the whole time I was sewing and now, I think they are here to stay until December, and I just love it!!!

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

Linking up this finish to Amanda's, Sarah's, and Myra's :) 

Bella Skill Builder Quilt Top!!!

Today is a pretty fun day, because after 9 months of working on blocks for the  Bella Skill Builder we are not putting them all together!!!!   That means a finished quilt top, eeekk!!!   And I didn't do the same finished layout as hosts,  Fat Quarter Shop and Sherri McConnell but I am still so loving it!!!!  I just wanted to really play up the color graduation in those blocks and I think it turned out so fun ;)

  

This has been such a fun quilt along and has really pushed me to try some new skills, and I am so super happy about that.  And I had so much fun playing with all of the different Bella Solids to create the fun tone on tone effect in each block.  I just love it!!!  And  now all that is left is to quilt it up.  I have a few ideas but I haven't for sure decided, but I do know it will be using lots of pretty colored threads!!!!   My goal is to share the finish for next month, ya know, build a block each month, only seems right to quilt it and share it next month :)  

  

And that is my Bella Skill Builder quilt top!!!!  If you are following the original layout, you can find the  free pattern for putting the quilt top together right here.  And also pop on over to the  Fat Quarter Shop's blog, Jolly Jabber  for lots more Bella Skill Builder Quilt Top fun from lots more blogger friends ;)     I am so excited to finish this up this month.  Time to get quilting ;)  

Have a Happy Quilting Day!!!

Terrific Tuesday Giveaway Day!!!

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

But first, we need to announce the winner from last weeks Terrific Tuesday Giveaway!!  

The winner of a Farmers Daughter Jelly Roll  from Shabby Fabrics is . . .   Number #9 . . . Congrats Emily C. !!!   I have emailed you :)        

   

  

And on to today's

Today's Terrific Tuesday Giveaway is being sponsored by  Lou Lou's Fabric Shop .    Did you know that Jamie makes a new Lou Lou Bundle every Tuesday . . . you so want to check these out!!!  Along with hosting the giveaway, Jamie is offering all Happy Quilting readers has a special discount of  20% off your purchase  with the code happyquilting good until Sunday!!! (excludes pre-orders, Lou Lou Bundle,  and items already on sale)  Oh, so much fun shopping!!!

Today's Terrific Tuesday Giveaway is for some Halloween goodness!!  Lou Lou's Fabric Shop is offering one lucky reader a Hocus Pocus Jelly Roll by Sandy Gervais for Moda :)  How fun is that for Halloween!!!! 

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 Halloween tradition.  (I'm asking because we "accidentally" broke one this year and didn't carve pumpkins, oops ;)  

 ENTRY 2 - Lets show Lou Lou's Fabric Shop some Love!!!!   You can follow them on   Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram.  Or you can follow their blog or  visit The Shop and then share a favorite item ;)   Just be sure to leave a comment of how you showed your Lou Lou's Fabric Shop Love!!!

And that's it ;)  The giveaway will be open until next Tuesday, November 7th when I will announce a winner at the beginning of next weeks Terrific Tuesday Giveaway Post :)

Good Luck and Have a Happy Quilting Day!!!

October Sew Sampler Box!!!

Wow, it's like I blinked and October came and has just about went.   I still need to figure out Halloween costumes (good think we have a dress up box that is overflowing ;) But with October coming to a close, it means happy mail in another wonderful Sew Sampler box arriving :)  This month's theme is Nightfall Reflections and I might have just squealed out loud when I opened this box!!

And I mean, how can you not, when there is Tula inside!!!!  Yup, I am a total Tula Trooper so when I found this gorgeous Spirit Animal Fat Quarter Bundle tucked inside my box, I was pretty excited :)  Now to decide if I want to make that beautiful Mesa Valley Quilt, or hoard that Tula on my shelf.  Only time will tell, tee hee hee ;)

And my daughter has already claimed this super cute Everything Mary Zip Around Sewing Kit!!!   And I have to say, I am pretty excited that she want's her very own sewing kit!!!   I tried to make it seem like it was hard for me to give it to her, but inside I was like, Yes, Yes, Yes!!!  I love being able to sew with my children and see them get equally excited ;) 

And how cute is this Bitty Buddy container.   Barbara and I were just saying the other day that we needed something at the Quilt House to put in the middle of the sewing machines for the grandkids to through all of their bits and pieces in.  It's like I put a thought out there, and Fat Quarter Shop just grants my request.  So perfect!!!  And speaking of Barbara, she is getting the Sticky Thimble Dots, because you all know I am still not great at hand stitching as she is still so sweet to do my hand bindings, so ya, she will need them much more than I, and she is pretty excited about them too!!! 

And of course, there is this month's Basket Block!!!   I am just loving all of these little baskets and I really want to just make them all up.   It's about this point where it is always hard for me to wait for next month's pattern because I just can't wait to see it come together ;)  But hey, it's a good practice in patience, right, and it will make the final quilt all the more exciting!!! 

And that is my October Sew Sampler Box  . . . and I have to say, what made this box so great is that there was something for everyone around me that loves this quilting passion as much as I do !!!!  And getting to quilt with the ones you love is what makes is so fun!!! 

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