Close to Finishes equals Add More Starts!!!

So as of this moment, I have 4 quilt tops waiting to be quilted (wow I need to finish those!!!) , 2 sets of quilt blocks that are done and ready to be sewn into a quilt top,  2 sets of quilt along blocks that I am staying reasonably caught up on, and my scrappy project from the retreat.  Which probably sounds like a lot, but honestly, everything is so close to finishes that I was feeling pretty on top of things.   So, of course, I had to add some more Works in Progress to the mix!!!

I mean, how could I not when there are such amazing fabrics to play with!!!!  My wonderful friend Amy Smart is releasing her second fabric line, Sunnyside Ave. next month and asked if I wanted to make something up with it.   And of course, the answer was an absolute Yes!!!  I just love these happy saturated colors and wonderful prints!!  They bring back wonderful memories of my childhood clothes my mother used to make for me ;)    You might recall, I made this Crossroads Quilt and Tutorial  with Amy's first line, Gingham Girls, and I have a plan for a super fun quilt and tutorial for this line as well.   More on that to come in the future!!!

I am also starting a new Secret Sewing Project that is going to have to be kept a secret for a while, but I am so excited for it because it's a Christmas Quilt!!!!     I just love sewing with Christmas fabrics, and it doesn't matter what time of year it is, it always brings a smile to my face (and normally Christmas tunes to my station :)  I am using  Sweetwater's new Overnight Delivery and I just love it!!!    It has some prints that have been brought back from Countdown to Christmas which I used in this Spinning or Spiraling Quilt and Tutorial and is probably my all time favorite Christmas line, so I am just so happy to be playing with these fabrics ;)   This line isn't set to release until June so it's a bit of a wait, but so worth the wait.  How fantastic is that buffalo check print!!!   It will be the binding of the quilt and I just know it's going to be the perfect finish on this quilt ;)    Can't wait to get stitching on this one!!!

And finally, I added another Nest project :)  You might recall back here, that I was working on another Secret Sewing project using Lella Botique's Nest fabric set to release next month.  Well the secret project is for a magazine and they asked if I could make another version of the project in a new fabric layout to really show the versatility of the quilt.  I was so happy they asked, because I absolutely love seeing the two versions side by side and how different they look simply by changing up the fabric placement.  I can't wait to share more of these in the future!!!

And those are my new Starts.  Well, they haven't gotten to far as "Starts" as I only have 1 cut out at the moment, but I've got the fabric and have a plan, and I hope it isn't to long before these "starts" are adding to that "to be quilted" pile :)   

How about you . . . .Any new Works in Progress you are starting??? 

Hope you are having a very 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 the I've Got the Blues Fat Quarter Collection from Four Peaches Fabric  is . . .   Number #60. Congrats Pam Marshall!!   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 . . . This is one of the latest, isn't it just gorgeous!!!  Along with hosting the giveaway, Jamie is having a  Fantastic Sale  including a lot of favorite Christmas prints!!!!  Jamie is also offering all Happy Quilting readers has a special discount of  10% off your cart  with the code happyquilting good until Saturday!!! (excludes pre-orders and items already on sale)  Oh, so much fun shopping!!!

Today's Terrific Tuesday Giveaway is for some shopping goodness!!  Lou Lou's Fabric Shop is offering one lucky reader a $25.00 Gift Certificate perfect to use on anything in the store, including the awesome Lou Lou Bundle pictured above!!  Just perfect!!!!

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 your favorite snack?

 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, February 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!!!

Retreat Sewing!!

So last weekend I was able to go up to beautiful Bryce Canyon and teach at the Quilty Friends Retreat (more on that soon) and I had such a lovely time!!  And I even managed to get in a little of my own sewing.  Between classes and trunk shows, and general quilty goodness, I managed to get my butteries sewn from where they were back here, into pretty little rows.  Aren't they just so fun!!!  I was hoping to have them quilted by today, but I always forget that when I leave for a few days, it takes a good week to get caught back up :)

This adorable pattern is Flitter and it was in my January Sew Sampler Box. And kind of funny, I just cut up the entire 10" square bundle that came with the pattern not realizing that there were 21 squares and not 20.  So ya, I made an extra butterfly, but its all good, because now it is going to be the cutest little label on the back of the quilt ;)

And you might notice that my butterflies are aligned a little different than the pattern shows.  So the picture on the front cover of the pattern shows the "squarish" wings on the top (I am sure they didn't realize it was being photographed upside down) , and the pattern layout shows them on the bottom.  And when I was trying to figure out which way to put them, I realized I really liked both ways.  So I did both and alternated the layout of the butterflies.  So fun!!!

So now I am hoping to get it all quilted up and bound this next week.  I can't wait to see it all finished because it is just to cute for words!!!

And while at the Retreat, Barbara and I also got to do a little sewing in class!!!  Yes, I actually took a class at a retreat instead of teaching the whole time.  It was oh so much fun!!!   We took the Petitie Points class using this super fun French General pattern and the super cool Creative Grids Hexagon Trim Tool .

The class was a whole lot of fun and Barbara and I were both able to really crank out some blocks.   I know it doesn't look like a lot but with 1" finished strips, this was a whole lot of stitching to get 6 blocks done!!!  Barbara used wonderfully happy prints from Apirl Rosenthal and and her setting triangles are going to be a rainbow of  gingham, so cute!!!  I can't wait to see hers all done ;)

I managed to sew my 6 blocks and then add my setting triangles to put them into a row.   Only now I realized after looking at this picture that I flipped half of the blocks.  The red should be on the top of all the blocks.  So ya, looks like a little unpicking for me.  But I am still happy I got all 6 blocks made and hey, I finally get to rock my Lori Holt T-shirt in class so double bonus :)

So 6 blocks down and 27 to go ;)   I think I am going to chain stitch the remaining 27 blocks now to  speed things up a bit.  I really enjoyed making these blocks and the Creative Grids Hexagon Trim Tool makes it so much easier than it looks.   And in case you didn't notice, I am doing a much scrappier version because I so needed to bust some pink and red scraps!!!  Isn't this going to make the cutest "all girl" baby quilt.   Time to get some chain stitching on, that is after a little unpicking :)

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


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Happy Valentines Day Thowback!!!!

Happy Valentines Day!!!  Isn't this just a great day to think about the ones we love!!  And it's a super fun day for quilting because I  love getting to piece Hearts!!  I woke up and I was thinking about this little Lots of Love Mini that I made for Barbara two years ago.  I used the hearts from my Lots of Love Splendid Sampler block as inspiration and came up with this mini (that I did a tutorial for over here with all the math for different size hearts ;)   to represent Bob and Barbara, their 6 children and spouses, and their 24 grandchildren.  And it hit me,  it's time to make a new mini because we had two more wee ones join the family in the last year.  Looks like some more Heart piecing for me!!!

And all of those hearts had me surfing back through my blog to find all of the Valentines inspired projects I have made and I came across the Simply Charmed Blog Hop that I did in 2012  (wow, 6 years ago) and I knew I just had to share it again!!!   This was a fun little event that several of my good blogger friends joined me for.  I asked each friend to make a Valentine's inspired project and tutorial using a Charm Pack and the creativity was amazing!!!  How great are these projects for getting in the Valentines Day sewing fun!!!

Melissa from Happy Quilting with the Knotty Little Apron Tutorial

 Heather from Quilt Story with the Heart Garland Tutorial

Angela from Cut to Pieces with the Pincushion Tutorial

 Amy from Diary of a Quilter with the Scrappy Nine Patch Table Quilt Tutorial

 Natalia from Piece N Quilt with the Trio of Pillows Tutorial

Jessica from Twin Fibers with the Valentine Card Keeper Tutorial

Katie from Swim, Bike, Quilt with the XOXO Zippered Pouch Tutorial

Jane from Want It, Need It, Quilt with the Circle of Love Tutorial

 Corey from Little Miss Shabby with the Shabby Heart Pillow

Wow, this was so fun to go back and revisit this Valentines Event :)   And again, A huge thank you goes out to Heather, Angela, Amy, Natalia, Jessica, Katie, Jane, and Corey for doing this little event with me.   I am just so impressed with each of these projects and this has inspired me to make some more Charmed projects for next years Valentines day!!  And hopefully it has inspired you as well, especially if you are seeing these for the first time :)  

I hope you all have a very Happy Valentines (with maybe some Happy Sewing too :) 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 the Irish Chain Pre-Cut Quilt Kit from   Shabby Fabrics  is . . .   Number #65. Congrats Steven and GInger!!   I have emailed you :)      

 

  

And on to today's

Today's Terrific Tuesday Giveaway is being sponsored by  Four Peaches Fabric .    Did you know that Wendy curates goregous handpicked collections called Peach Blossoms!!  These are one of a kind bundles in Fat Quarters and Half Yards that are only available until they are sold out.  And right now they are all 50% off!!!   You are so going to want to Pop on over and these beautiful bundles out!!!   

And Today's Terrific Tuesday Giveaway is for one of those fun handpicked Peach Blossoms collections.   Four Peaches Fabric is giving one lucky reader a I've Got the Blues Fat Quarter Collection :)  Such a pretty selection of fabrics!!!! 

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 you do to cheer yourself up when you have the blues ;)  

 ENTRY 2 - Show your Four Peaches Fabric Love!!!!   You can Sign Up for their Newsletter.    You can follow them on  Facebook or Pinterest.    Or you can visit The Shop and then share a favorite item ;)   Just be sure to leave a comment of how you showed your Four Peaches Fabric Love!!!

And that's it ;)  The giveaway will be open until next Tuesday, February 20th when I will announce a winner at the beginning of next weeks Terrific Tuesday Giveaway Post :)

Good Luck and Have a Happy Quilting Day!!!