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!!!  

$5 Pattern of the Month - Butterfly Whirl!!!

It's always a fun day when I get to announce the new $5 Pattern of the Month here at Happy Quilting!!!  And February is all about Butterfly Whirl.  And it is just $5 all month long!!!   

The  Butterfly Whirl Pattern can be found in my Etsy Shop in both a Paper version as well as a PDF version and both versions will be marked down to $5.00 for the month February.   This is such a fun quilt to make and is way easier than it looks.  It is rated for Beginner and is Layer Cake Friendly.  

Butterfly Whirl  uses basic piecing .  Yup, even those adorable tiny butterflies in the center are all pieced.   But I add great pressing directions so that all of your angled seams on the wings will nest, making it easier to get perfect points.   And there are fantastic step by step piecing instructions for piecing all of your butterflies into easy to manage sections so you can end up with them all in a Whirl ;)    It really is just perfect for beginners and still so fun for experts alike!!!

Butterfly Whirl  is a little different from my other Happy Quilting Patterns in that it only has 1 size option.  Sorry about that, the math just didn't math to try and make it multiple sizes.   But it finishes at 84" square, so it is a great Full Size that is perfect for snuggling in  or you can add a border and make it a queen size pretty easy.     Isn't that just so fun!!  

  

And of course, you don't have to use a white background!! You know how I love a dark background.  It just makes all of the colors just pop!! Whatever you decide, just grab a Layer Cake and have fun piecing this wonderful Butterfly Whirl quilt !!  

  

And that is my $5.00 Pattern of the Month!!!   February 2026 is all about the Butterfly Whirl Pattern!!!   You are going to have so much fun making this quilt ;)   And of course,  if you have any questions at all, please don't hesitate to reach out to me ;)  And when you make your Butterfly Whirl Quilt I would love to see them!!!  You can email me a picture at happyquiltingmelissa@gmail.com or add it to social media with  #happyquiltingwithmc and #squaredancequilt ;)  I can't wait to see your Quilts!!!

So are you ready to start making your Butterfly Whirl Quilts???  Pop over to my Etsy Shop, to pick up your Pattern and get Happy Quilting!!!!   

January Sew Sampler Box!!

 It's the last day in January, so it is time to share the January 2026 Sew Sampler Box!!!    This month's box is just so happy making!!  The theme is Bows, Bubbles, & Blue Skies, and it has something new for me to try for the new year!!!  So exciting :)  

First off, I was so excited for this Junior Layer Cake of Blueprint by Camille Roskelley!!!  I have been so in love with this line since it was shared back in early 2025!!!   I am so excited to sew with this line, but I am thinking I might need to make a small Sweater Weather quilt with it.   While the Buttons and Bows pattern is cute, I just think all of these Blues will match Sweater Weather so well!!!  And I have  been wanting to make a baby size ;)  

And the notions for this month have me super excited to try something new!!!   I have never done Quilt As You Go (or at least, not that I can remember doing :)   So I am super excited to try out this Little Bubble Quilt as you Go Template and Pattern.   And don't you just love that Fat Quarter Shop includes the Silky Blend Batting and new Confetti Cotton Thread (which I am so excited to try, new thread is so fun!!)   to go with it.  Now I really have everything I need to try this new technique!!  

And last but not least, we are on to block 10 of this Flowering QAL!!   For my blocks I am using the 50 Years of Moda!!!  I did have to grab a new low volume Background as I am out of the low volumes from the bundle, but it's all good.   Low Volumes all tend to play nice together ;)   And I can't believe, only 2 more blocks!!

And that is January Sew Sampler Box.

Thanks for popping in again.  

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

Cupid Box 2026 (with spoilers)

 It's one of those super fun days!!!  Today I am opening my 2026 Cupid Box  from Fat Quarter Shop !! You all know that I just love these Limited Edition holiday boxes!!  And I was so very excited to open this Cupid Box.  We just started the remodel of our bathrooms and new sewing room (So Excited!!!) so it has been a little crazy busy and loud the last few days.  So ya, I decided it was time for a little bit of Quilty Love :)  Warning, spoilers to follow . . . If you want to see what's inside, keep reading, if not, stop here.  

What an incredible Box of Valentine's Quilting Goodness!!  Doesn't all of that pink and red just make you want to swoon!!!  This Cupid Box has me so excited to sit and sew :)   

I was so excited to find a Bundle of Sew In Love by Dani Mogstad.  Dani's prints are always so sweet, and what a fun idea to combine Sewing with Love (I mean perfect for all of us right!!)   I just might have to order the Sew In Love Panel that goes with this line as well so I can add it in my new sewing room.   I could do the Full Herts runner on one side, and the panel on the other and make it a reversible wall hanging . . .ohhh   so many ideas :)   

And the notions in this Cupid Box are just so handy and of course, Pink and Red!!    How fun and super practical is this Tea Rose Seam Roller!!!  These are always so handy in classes when there is a long line at the ironing stations ;)    And This Cute Cuts 6 1/2" Ruler is not only my favorite size of ruler, but it is also a cute one, Double Bonus!!!   That leaves the Bohin Red Heart Pins that just make me smile, so adorable!!  They really did so great with the notions this time round ;)  

So I am off to sew up some Cupid Box goodness to the sound of my new Sewing Room being framed ;)  Should be a fun day!!! 

Thanks for popping in and Happy Quilting!!