Works in Progress - Including the Giant WIP!!

It's been a little while since I have posted a Wednesday, Work In Progress day but I have lots to share today so it felt like a good time to bring it back :)  First off, I have an almost finished WIP that I just started quilting.   This is such a happy quilt with these beautiful bright batiks, so I decided to use a happy rainbow variegated thread to quilt it, and i just love it!!!  This will be a free PDF Pattern as soon as I get it finished up . . . so watch for that.  

And as soon as I get the above off the long arm . . . this new Moroccan Lullaby 2 quilt will go on.  I just finished up the quilt top yesterday.  This quilt is for a very special (coffee loving) loved one.  When I saw these Coffee Time prints from Riley Blake Designs, I just knew who they would make the perfect quilt for.  Haven't decided how I am going to quilt it yet, but I will share it as soon as it is all done.  

And then, there is a super fuzzy fat quarter project I m also working on.  My kids are always telling me I need to make more "fuzzy" quilts, so when I saw this bundle of Designer Flannel  on sale at Green Fairy Quilts I snatched it up.   I am using the Fat Quarter Fizz design but changing around the measurements and size to fit the bundle.  Maybe this will become Fat Quarter Fuzzy ;)   And of course, I will share the changes that I made with you when I am done so you can make one too ;)

  

And this is a super exciting to share that I finally got going on my new Summer Solstice WIP.  Yes, it might have been back in October when I said I would start on this as soon as my deadline projects were completed.   Well . . . it took a little bit, but I'm on a roll now.  I have all the units made for the quilt and am ready to start piecing the blocks.    Cannon Beach by Crystal Manning is just the prefect fabric line for this quilt and it just pops on that Grunge Cobalt background.  I can't wait to see this one come together!! 

And did you notice the new background for my pics??  A huge shoutout to my friends at Poppie Cotton for this beautiful new Cutting Mat, QS Ruler, and Rotary Cutter!!!  Isn't that just the most gorgeous pink for a cutting mat, and the floral print is just so pretty!!  I can't wait to add them to my super big giant WIP!!!

And the Giant Work In Progress would be my new Sewing Studio!!!   We are 3 weeks into our remodel and I am just so excited for this new space.   The wall between the two upstairs bedrooms has been removed to make one very large sewing space ;)  There has been new windows put it (I can't tell you how excited I am to have a sewing space with windows!!!)   ports for lighting and plugs added, the walls have been textured and sanded and we are now in the middle of painting.   Which means soon we will move on to flooring and cabinets, and that part I am so very excited for.  We are looking at a mid March finish and I can't wait to share this room with you all ;)  

So that is what I am working on . . . what are some of your Works In Progress? 

Boho Row Quilt!

 It's another secret sewing day, from my friend Stephanie at Fancy That Design House.  And it is also a second quilt featuring her newest collection, Boho Haven.  This was is called the Boho Row Quilt.  Isn't it just so fun with all of the basic piecing!!  And yes, this one is totally beginner friendly and will whip up really fast for you.  It is such a great quilt and oh so much fun to make.  

The Boho Row Quilt  really highlights the beautiful prints in Stephanie's brand new Boho Haven Fabric Collection.  And this is another fabulous design where Stephanie really finds a great way to show off the beautiful  Low Volume's in this collection!!  And I just love the bold stripes in orange and brown on the top and bottom of the quilt.  It really just sets off all the other rows!  

The Boho Row Quilt finishes at 56" x 69" so it is another great lap size quilt!!!  And I am also wondering on this one, if you changed out the brown prints to something lighter, and then did a brown background . . .wouldn't that just be so great!  I really do just enjoy reimaging quilts with dark backgrounds, they just really pop and a great for quilts that will be well loved :)

And when it came time to quilt it, I decided to go with a wavy line.   This is always a fun design to do, and I get lots and lots of steps in going back and forth across the frame ;)  And it just compliments all of the row goodness in this quilt, so fun!!   

And  that is my Boho Row Quilt !!   And this is one of those quilts that you can make again and again.  It is just so fun and fast, and comes out with a beautiful finish!! And now that Boho Haven fabrics are in stores, you can make your own!!  You are just going to love making this quilt.  

Thanks so much for popping in again to share another finish with me today :)   

I hope you are all having a very Happy Quilting Weekend!!

The Sunlit Quilt

 Today I get to share some secret sewing that I did a while back for my friend Stephanie at Fancy That Design House.  This quilt features her newest collection, Boho Haven and is called the Sunlit Quilt.  Isn't it so pretty in that exploding star goodness!!    And while it looks a little complex, it actually comes together pretty fast as the pieces are all on a larger scale.  And you end up with this awesome bursting star!! 

The Sunlit Quilt  really highlights the beautiful prints in Stephanie's brand new Boho Haven Fabric Collection.  I love that these colors are a little out of my "normal" range.  It is always fun to work on something outside of the box for yourself!   And I love how Stephanie also incorporated a lot of the Low Volume's in this design!!  They really add a light and dark effect to the quilt that just is so happy making.   Just beautiful ;)   

The Sunlit Quilt finishes at 52" x 69" so it would make a great lap size quilt!!!  These prints are all just so pretty, and now I want to see it done with a dark background!!    I think it would really make the low volumes, yellows and oranges just pop.  It would be neat to see how it highlights different areas of the star!!   

And when it came time to quilt it, I decided to go back to some good ol fashion meanduring.  I haven't done this design in a long time, and Stephanie likes less dense quilting, so I figured it would be the perfect compliment to this large scale design.    It adds so much texture and just makes me happy to do something that I learned at the very beginning of my free motion quilting journey ;) 

And  that is my Sunlit Quilt !!   Doesn't it just look so pretty in the morning sunshine!! And now that Boho Haven fabrics are in stores, you can make your own!!  You are just going to love making this quilt.  

Thanks so much for popping in again to share another finish with me today :)   

Be sure to come back tomorrow for another Boho Haven quilt finish!

I hope you are all having a very Happy Quilting Day!!

Bitty Bits Quilt with Free PDF Pattern!

 Today, I am super excited to be sharing this Bitty Bits quilt in beautiful Expressions Batiks along with a Free PDF Pattern for making your own!!! Bitty Bits was one of the improv piecing quilts from my first book, Irish Chain Quilts, and I loved it in the reverse so much, I wanted to make a batik version!  So I grabbed these gorgeous Places You'll Go Batiks and started cutting 5" squares ;)  And I now have the rights to my Irish Chain Quilts book , so . . .  I can share a  Free Bitty Bits PDF Pattern with you all!

Bitty Bits is super beginner friendly and gathering your fabrics is also super versatile for this one ;)  You can use scraps, yardage, fat quarters, and even Layer Cakes or Charm Packs!!!    You are basically just using a whole lot of 5" squares for this quilt ;)   And quick reminder . . .  if you are using scraps, your 5" AccuQuilt Die will really speed up the cutting process.  And if you are using Charm Packs, you are set to go!!    I really love this Places You'll Go fabric collection in this Bitty Bits quilt.  The prints are just so bold and colorful, and they really give it that stained glass effect!! 

     

The Bitty Bits quilt is a very easy one to make.  It uses improv piecing to add all of the fun triangle shapes that create your chain.   If you are new to improv piecing, this is a great introductory lesson for you.   And you can have a lot of fun playing with all of the color and shape layouts.  You will always end up with a bold single triangle chain, but no two will look alike ;)  

Bitty Bits finishes at 90" x 90" so it is a perfect size for a queen size bed.   It would make an excellent wedding present as well!   And truly, it comes together super fast considering the size of the quilt. And as I mentioned, there is a free PDF Download of this pattern, so you can make your own!!!     

When it came time to quilt my Bitty Bits quilt Barbara stepped in to help.  She quilted all over curly swirls on all of the print fabrics, and then stitched in the ditch around the chain.  Leaving those triangle pieces unquilted really helps to make the chain pop!!   Just so fun ;)  

And that is my Bitty Bits Quilt !! I hope you have enjoyed this post. Oh, and if you make your own Bitty Bits Quilt (either in this layout or the original reverse layout)  , I would love to see them!!!   You are going to have so much fun improv piecing these triangles.   And when you are finished  you can share your quilt with me on social media using hashtags #happyquiltingwithmc and tagging @happyquiltingmc or email me a picture at happyquiltingmelissa@gmail.com. I can’t wait to see your Bitty Bits quilts!!!

Thank you so much for popping in with me to share this new Beautiful Bitty Bits Batik Backwards quilt (that is the name I have given this version ;) 

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

GO! Starring You Baby Quilt and Free Pattern!!!

  I am so excited to share a new finish today!!! Isn't it just so adorable!!!   When my good friends at AccuQuilt asked if I wanted to make a project using their new GO! Baby Zoo Animals, and they were just to cute to not turn into a quilt!!  I was looking for a BOB Die that would allow me to create a nice open background space, and the Plaited Block lined up side by side made the perfect space.   Then I threw in the Ohio Star Center so I could personalize the quilt.  And it also led to the name . . . Starring You!    And there is a free PDF Pattern that you can download right here :) 

For this one I used lots of Riley Blake Gingham Bee Basics and Confetti Cottons to create that adorable baby boy vibe.  Isn't that gingham just to precious!!  And yes, the Gingham Bee Basics also come in baby girl vibe colors as well.   Isn't it just so precious.   We will be finding out soon if our expected first grandbaby is a boy or a girl, and this one is most likely going to be added to the list of baby quilts to make.   (Can you have to many baby quilts for one little angel??)  

 The Starring You Quilt  consists of 8 of the Plaited Block and 1 of the  Ohio Star blocks placed in the center.  Think of it as a giant 9 patch with he star in the middle.  The Baby Zoo Animals are placed on the intersection of the blocks.    The Starring You Quilt finishes at 36" x 36" so it is a great little baby quilt size for wrapping up baby, or even decorating the nursery.     

And I just love that using the AccuQuilt system for cutting makes all of these crazy shapes so easy to cut and piece.  And could you imagine how long it would take to cut out all the applique shapes??  Its just so fast and easy with the AccuQuilt system, which is why I can make this quilt again ;)   Below is a list of the dies I used to make this Starring You Quilt, see which ones you already have in your die library and maybe add a few more ;)   

GO! Baby Zoo Animals (55928)    

GO! Plaited Block - 12" Finished (55606)

GO! Ohio Star - 12" Finished (55174)

GO! Carefree Alphabet Uppercase Set (55092)

   GO! Strip Cutter-2-1/2” (2” Finished) (55017) - Binding and Border

And when it came time to quilt it, I wanted to do something a little dense to keep all of that applique in place, so I opted for swirls.  You know how I just love quilting swirls ;)   I did secure stitch some of the tiny applique pieces like the eyes, noses, and spots, but the rest of the applique is secured with the quilting ;)     And of course, I used my favorite 402 Pearl for the perfect blend on prints and background alike!! 

And that is my Starring You Quilt.   I hope you love it as much as I do ;)   Isn't this picture AccuQuilt took of it just so adorable!!!  I love seeing it styled in a home setting.    And if you want to make your own, you can download the free PDF Starring You Quilt Pattern Here.   And when you are done I would love to see it!!!    You can share a picture on social media with #happyquiltingwithmc and tag me at @happyquiltingmc or you can always email me a picture at happyquiltingmelissa@gmail.com.  I can't wait to see your Starring You Quilts!!

Oh, and side note . . . you can see a fun little introduction of this Baby Zoo Animals in the introduction You Tube Video right here ;)  

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