Bloom-Topia Quilt Along - Release 3

Hello March!!!!    And a new month means new "bloom" blocks!!!! Today is the Third Block Release of the Bloom-Topia Quilt Along hosted by the Fat Quarter Shop :)   These blocks are both super fun and easy, and the alterations are super simple this time!!!

So for Block 4, I simply made two of the 4-B Large Duckling Blocks.   I also changed out the fabric in my center square, just to add some variety :)    You won't need to make any of the 4-A blocks for my alternate layout.   

And for Block 5, these will actually be the first inner border, rather than blocks.   The great thing is, you make them the same way only G is a 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" square rather than a rectangle and you want to make 8 Matchstick Blocks total.   So fun!!!!

So are you joining in the Bloom-Topia fun???  If so, you can download the block pattern  and it is requested for each pattern you download to donate $5.00  to the Make a Wish Foundation :)  This is Fat Quarter Shop's annual charity QAL that is raising funds for an amazing organization.  What a wonderful way for us all to make a difference !!  And there are new finishing patterns being released today for reaching the next donation goal!!! 

And just as a reminder, if you are new to finding the Bloom-Topia Quilt Along, this is the layout I will be making and are the alterations referred to above ;)     I am using a Breeze Fat Quarter Bundle by Zen Chic for Moda Fabrics with Gris Grunge as the background!!! And there are still a few Bloom-topia Quilt Kits and Backing Sets available if you want to make your's like the original ;) 

And like always, Fat Quarter Shop has made an awesome  You Tube video tutorial that walk you through making the blocks.  There are some great helpful hints and you can see it put together step by step!!!   

Be sure to share all of your Bloom-Topia progress on social media with #bloomtopiaquiltalong and check out Fat Quarter Shops post for Release 3 for lots more Block Inspiration!!!

And that's it for the third release in the Bloom-Topia Quilt Along!!!!   I will continue to share a new set of blocks on the 15th and 1st of each month. So what do you say, want to come Bloom-Topia Quilting Along??  You are going to have so much fun!!!

And just to make it easy to find . . .Here is a list of all the places to find my alterations

Layout Fabric Requirements Alteration
Release 1 - Block 1 and 2 Alterations
Release 2 - Block 3 Alterations

Thanks for popping in today ;)  I hope you have a very Happy Quilting Day!!

February Sew Sampler!!

I can't believe how fast February blew by.   The whole 29 days in a month shouldn't make that much of a difference, but just wow!!!   Between the release of my new Charming Baby Quilts Book and Finishing up our Remodel, February was just here and gone.   But oh so fun!!!   And speaking of fun. . . My February Sew Sampler Box also arrived a few days ago!!!  This month's box theme is Lucky Charm and you how how I just love Charm ;) 

And right out of the box Charm Packs, and you so know they are my favorite!!!!    There were 2 gorgeous Mackinac Island Charm Packs, and a beautiful exclusive pattern by Lissa Alexander ;)    Wouldn't these be the perfect table runner for the 4th of July!!!   Another on my ever growing list to make!!!  

And I love that Fat Quarter Shop always gives you everything you need to make the pattern!!!   That exclusive Meet in the Middle Template will be awesome ;)    And you never can have enough Aurifil Thread!!! And have you seen this Diagonal Seam Tape???  It is so awesome!!!   I have been using the Clearly Perfect Angle for some time so you don't have to draw lines.   This Diagonal Seam Tape does the same thing, and will work even if you don't have a big table :)

And of course, there is a Goodness Grows Block!!!  This month the block is called  Speak Lovingly  and it was a fun block to make!!!  I so love applique, and orange peel applique is always beautiful :)

And I can't believe this . . . but when I went to look up my January Box, I realized I never posted it.   I guess that month was super crazy as well :)   But I didn't want to miss sharing the January block with you.  It is called  Live Abundantly  and yippee for more applique!!! I even did a little hand stitching on the block ;)  

Can you believe, only 1 more block to go!!!!    I can't wait ;)    And if you are wanting to make a Goodness Grows quilt in the same fabrics I am, there are still a few Sugarcreek Goodness Grows Quilt Kits in stock.

And that is my February Sew Sampler box  :)

 Oh, and FYI, the Sew Sampler Box membership has open spots so you don't have to get on the wait list!!!!

And that is all for today ;)  I hope you are all having a Happy Quilting Day!!

Nordic Nights - A New Happy Quilting Pattern!!!

I am super excited this morning to share my newest Quilt Pattern in the Happy Quilting pattern lineup ;)   It is called Nordic Nights and I just love it!!!  And it has curves!!!!   And before you get all nervous,  trust me, these curves are fun :)   I have already taught this class twice, and everyone found out just how fun curves are!!!

Both the Hard Copy and the PDF patterns can be found  found in my Etsy Shop, and like all my new Pattern Releases, It is on Special!!!!  This week Nordic Nights will be marked down!!! The PDF Patterns are just $5.50 and the Hard Copy Patterns are $8.00!!!!

Nordic Nights uses a Modified Drunkards Path block that allows for all of those pretty points!!  The pattern uses a three pin method to sew the curves, and like I said, they are so much easier than you think they are going to be.  And if you are still a little nervous,  there is a curved tutorial here that walks you through making the Modified Drunkards Path blocks step by step!!    But I am telling you, once you sew one blocks worth of curves, you have got the method down and the rest are cake :)   And the block is super easy to put together once all of the curved units are made, like totally beginner friendly!!! 

This version of Nordic Nights is made using Stiletto Fabric by Basic Grey for Moda Fabrics with a Grunge White Background.    I love these bold neutrals and the prints are just stunning!!!    It really makes the design just pop and gives the quilt such a black tie feel.    But of course, it looks amazing in any fabrics!!  It's Fat Quarter Friendly, so you just grab a bundle and get cutting!!!!

And when it came time to quilt it I went all out.  I quilted echoed paisleys in swirls in the blocks and changed out my thread color to match each color block.   And then in the background, I had so much fun with my favorite Pearl 402 So Fine!!!   I quilted feathers!!!!   Big, awesome, beautiful feathers!!!   And the pebbles in the white space around the feathers just made them pop all the more.    Can you tell, I am just thrilled with how the quilting turned out on this ;)   Eeekk, I just love it!!! 

And that is my new Nordic Nights quilt!!!!  I am just head over heals with this finish and am so excited to be able to share this design in pattern form.  And I even had templates made for it!!!  (more on that later)  So let me tell you a bit more about the pattern ;)

Like all my patterns, Nordic Nights has size options so you can make the quilt size that fits you ;)  You will find 5 size options, a Baby, Lap, Picnic, Twin, and a Queen size.  And like I mentioned before, it is Fat Quarter Friendly.

And I had so much fun making the first quilt, I just couldn't stop and decided to make up a baby version as well :)   And isn't it just to cute for words!!!!

  

I used 9 Fat Quarters from Goldenrod by One Canoe Two for Moda Fabrics and then I combined them with my favorite Gris Grey Grunge background.   Ya, I know, I just love Grunge!!!    I just love how it makes all of those beautiful colors just pop ;)  

And you only have to make 9 blocks for a baby size, so it goes together pretty fast, but you still totally learn the techniques of the quilt!!! What a fun quilt that makes a big statement for a new little one ;)   And that's the baby version of Nordic Nights.

But remember how I mentioned templates . . .Let's talk about those.   I am so excited about this ;)   First off, there is a paper template in the pattern that you can use to make templates from Template Plastic or Cardboard so you don't have to buy the templates.  With that said,  I know those can be flimsy and sometimes annoying, so I managed to get custom acrylic templates made for this pattern!!  Yippee, so exciting!!!!   And these templates are awesome.  They are 1/8" thick clear acrylic, just like all of your quilting rulers and make cutting this quilt out so easy!!!    Everyone in my classes just loved them :)     Oh, and just because I had this question in class, these are a template for a Modified Drunkards Path block, so if you have a regular Drunkards Path Template, they won't work for this quilt, sorry.   

 So let's have a few reminders to sum it all up ;)  Just  like all my patterns, this is a full color pattern that can be printed in either page format or book format.  It is filled with lots of wonderful illustrations to guide you along each step of the way.   You are going to have so much fun putting this together ;)  And of course,  if you have any questions at all, please don't hesitate to email me ;)  

So that's all of it!!!  My two new Nordic Nights quilts and the new Nordic Nights Pattern and Templates!!!!  Again, the Nordic Nights Pattern (both PDF and Hard Copy)  and Templates can be found in my Etsy Shop. 

And everything is on sale for the release of Nordic Nights!!!!   The PDF Pattern is just $5.50, the Printed Pattern is $8.00, and the Templates are $6.00!!!!  

Be sure to pick up your patterns and templates this week, as they will go back to regular prices on March 6th :)  

Thanks for popping in today and sharing these new finishes with me.  I am so very excited to be releasing this new pattern and hope you like it as much as I do.

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

Tutorial Throwback Thursday - Peaks and Valleys Table Runner

Have you been enjoying all of the amazing pictures from Quilt Con??  I know I have!!! Quilt Con always shows such a vast array of Modern quilts and provides so much eye candy ;)   I just love it!!!   So for today's  Tutorial Throwback Thursday, I thought it would be fun to share a more Modern project.   This one I would say is Modern Traditional, it's my Peaks and Valleys Table Runner !!!!

Peaks and Valleys  is such a fun and fast table runner to make!!! And this particular throwback is actually not a tutorial, but rather it's just a free pattern that you can download and/or print right here ;)   But it is super easy piecing.  You all know how much I love HST's!!!  Well this project gives you lots and lots of practice at them ;)   It finishes at 14" x 50", so it makes a beautiful edition to a dining room table!!!!

Peaks and Valleys is made with yardage but you could easily use Fat Quarters as well!!!  It works best to use smaller scale fabrics as they are cut up tiny to make the angles work.   It would be awesome in Solids, or even Grunge ;)   Makes me totally want to make one in Grunge now, and maybe just make it two colors!!!!  The sky it the limit on the fabrics for this one ;)   

And when it came time to quilt my Peaks and Valleys table runner,  I decided to stick with the Modern look of Matchstick quilting.  And let me tell you, I am glad this was a small project ;)  Matchstick quilting looks so awesome but it takes a long time :)  You really have to be patient with it.   But still, so glad I did it.   And I love the variation of colors in the quilting. It just gives it all the more depth ;)  

And that is my Peaks and Valleys table runner.  I hope you have enjoyed today's Tutorial Throwback Thursday!!!    To make your own Peaks and Valleys table runner  just click on any of the project name links for the free pattern.    And when you are done, I would love to see your table runner!!  You can email me a picture at happyquiltingmelissa@gmail.com, post it to social media with #happyquiltingwithmc  or or add it to my flickr group here ;)  I can't wait to see your Peaks and Valleys Table Runners!!!!

Thanks for popping in today!!!   I hope you all have a very Happy Quilting Day!!!!

Little Lou Quilts!!!!

So if you have been following my blog for a while, you know all about my sweet nephew David, who was born 7 years ago and had to undergo open heart surgery.  He then spent the first part of his life in the NICU at Primary Children's Hospital, where he recovered and received the best of care.   Since that time, I have made a quilt for the Festival of Trees every year to help Primary Children's continue to give the best of care.

But when I was recently talking with my sister she mentioned how much it meant that when I visited the hospital I brought David's new baby quilt.   She told me how much comfort it gave to swaddle him in it, and how it has become a cherished keepsake that is hanging on his wall.  It has so many memories tied up in it ;)  

So when my good friend Jamie, from Lou Lou Quilt's contacted me with her new Little Lou Quilts idea, I was all in ;)  You see, Jamie's youngest sister deliever twin boys via emergency c-section at 29 weeks.   They are now just 3 weeks old and currently in the NICU.   Jamie, has seen through her sister's experiences , just as as I did, how much of an emotional roller coaster it is to have a baby in the NICU.   So she came up with an idea to give back . . . Little Lou Quilts!!!!  

Image courtesy of Lou Lou Quilts

So what is Little Lou Quilts, it is an effort to provide new handmade baby quilts for infants currently in the NICU.   What a wonderful comfort it will give to the parents and a treasured keepsake it will become.   And all you have to do is make a baby quilt, and we all know how much we love making baby quilts!!!!  There are more details at Little Lou Quilts .  It is such a wonderful cause and I am so glad Jamie is starting it and I hope you will consider joining in!!!!   I will be shipping these 4 quilts today.  They have all been stacked in my "for babies to be born" pile, and I can't think of a better way for them to be loved.   

 And of course, you could easily make a quilt from my new Charming Baby Quilts book and donate that!!!   They all go together fast and would make wonderful Little Lou Quilts!!!  Jamie's goal is 100 quilts this month, and each and every quilt will make a difference!!!  

In fact, I want to help motivate you so how about this . . .  Grab a Charm Pack or 2 (I know you have a stack of them ;)  and whip up a Charming Baby Quilt and then send it off to Little Lou Quilts!!  Send me a picture of your quilt (happyquiltingmelissa@gmail.com)  or post it on social media with #charmingbabyquilts and #littlelouquilts.  At then end of the 1 month goal, (March 21st) I will draw a winner from all those that made a Charming Baby Little Lou Quilt to receive this awesome Prize Bundle of "Little" Quilting Goodness!!!!  . . .

 GIVEAWAY CLOSED . . .THE WINNER IS HeatherK   I have emailed you :)

I know quilters are just amazing and are donating to so many wonderful causes, so I just wanted to add this fantastic cause to the mix.   Please consider making and donating a  Little Lou Quilt this month ;)  And thank you, I love being a part of this industry because of all of you!!!!