2018 is a Wrap!!! Bring on 2019!!!

I say this at the end of every year, but this really is a  favorite post to write each year!!!    I just love being able to step back and see everything that I was able to accomplish in the past year :)  And then I get even more excited to start thinking up plans for the next year :)  So as I close up 2018 here at Happy Quilting,  here is a quick look of what has been happening over the past year!!

33 Quilts 

 (including quite a few secret ones that I can't show yet :)

5 Mini's & Projects

 Countless Blocks including:
  Barn,  Bee, Countdown to Christmas,  Dessert Sampler, Selvage Strings, & Spelling Bee

And a Whole lot of Teaching!!! 

And there's  Happy Quilting 2018, all rounded up in 4 little pictures :)  Wow, this year sure has been packed with a whole lot of quilting fun!!!   And it is just so amazing to see it all together in one neat little summary ;)   You can see more details about all of the quilts in my Quilt Archive Tab at the top of the page including links to the quilts with tutorials and of course, the annual Quilt Along ;)

I am just so incredibly grateful to have found quilting!!!  I never would have guessed starting a quilting blog would lead me to where it has today, and it continues to be just an absolutely amazing journey!!!!  This is such an incredible industry to be a part of and I love that it helps connect me to so many amazing quilters like you :)      I can't thank you enough for your comments, emails, and pictures.  They mean so much and make me smile each and every day.    It is such a blessing to be able to share my love of quilting with you all and I truly can't thank you enough for coming back each day and being a part of Happy Quilting!!!

And now, It's time to look forward to 2019!!!

Wow, that is just crazy.  2019!!!  Can you believe it.  Time certainly flies when you are having fun ;)  I started Happy Quilting in the summer of 2010 so it is now 8 1/2 years old.  Amazing!!!

So what does 2019 hold in store . . . Lot's more Happy Quilting :)     I have lot's of ideas and some big plans in the works and I am so very excited for it all!!! 

Each year, I hang a little print off in my sewing room that serves as a daily reminder of what I want to accomplish creatively in the year while trying to keep up with life as well ;)   For the plans I have made, 2019 might be a little bit more intense than 2018, so I have made my goals accordingly.    Some of these are repeats from previous years and some are new, but all are important for me on this amazing journey.


1 -  Share Along The Way
2 -  Evaluate The Additions
3 -  Focus Inward
4 -  Mommy Before Quilter, Always

And again, these probably only make sense to me but there are so many thoughts tied up in each of those little statements.   They will  be wonderful reminders to me each and every day and I look forward to them guiding me in my 2019 Creative Journey!!

And One Last Thought Before I Wrap This Up . . . and I always feel like I just can't fully express this enough.  Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!!!!   To each of you from the bottom of my heart.  I have been sharing in this little space for quite some time now, and the reason I keep coming back to write is because of you :)   It just wouldn't be a Happy Quilting space without all of my Happy Quilting friends to be a part of it!!!!

And I guess that means it is time to say goodbye to 2018 and look towards 2019!!!!!  May it be filled with  a whole lot of Happy Quilting!!!!!!

Jacob's Leftovers Quilt

I have been trying to squeak in a few more finishes before the end of the year, and while I can't show you all of the finishes from the last week, I can share this one.  I call it Jacob's Leftover's and it just makes me smile from ear to ear because it was designed and made up to use up bits and pieces that were leftover from other quilts, hence the name ;) 

So you might recall, but the Clementine quilt I made back here had a really neat setting.  But with that really neat setting came a bunch of rather large leftover triangles.    And I loved the super low volume  feel of them, and didn't want to just relegate them to the scrap drawer.  So I made them into HST's because they always come in handy, right :)   

And then I remembered, I had a whole bunch two patches sitting in a drawer from when I made the little cutting error back here, and was trying not to waste but then couldn't figure out what I wanted to do with the two patches.      So I made the Two Patches into Four Patches and then it hit me.

 Half Square Triangles and Four Patches made me think of this quilt I made last year, and I knew it was the perfect fit.   A Jacob's Ladder for my Leftovers ;)  I even used some leftover yardage for the borders and binding, and as you can see, I had to add a little red in that binding as I ran out of my leftovers.  But I think that just adds a special little pop ;) 

I quilted it with my new favorite all over Loose Feathers.  Seriously, I remember how scared I was to do this for the first time because feathers were so intimidating, now I can't get enough of it.  It is just so fun to quilt and so fast.   Perfect for those last minute quilts you are trying to finish before New Years ;) 

And that is my Jacob's Leftovers.  It finished at 70" square and since this was made from leftovers, I don't really have a purpose for it at this time.   It could be really cute at the family cabin, or maybe a  gift for a wedding.  We'll see  where it ends up, but for now, I am just pleased as punch with the finish and what better way to end out the year than with an all leftovers quilt :)

Thanks for stopping in today and I hope that you all had a very Merry Christmas and are looking forward to a Happy New Year!!!

Linking up this finish to Sarah's and Myra's ;) 

Terrific Tuesday Giveaway Day!!!

It's Terrific Tuesday Giveaway Day on Wednesday ;)    Yup, were coming to you a day late today, but  things got a little festive around here, and I didn't have time to post this yesterday.     I have had a wonderful past few days spent with family and friends enjoying the Christmas holiday season ;)    I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas!!! 

So now, lets announce the winner from last weeks Terrific Tuesday Giveaway :)

The winner of the $30.00 Gift Certificate   from Shabby Fabrics is . . .  Number #45 . . .   Congrats Joy!!!   I have emailed you :)     

 

        

And on to today's

Today's Terrific Tuesday Giveaway is being sponsored by Olie and Evie.  Rhonda has just added a whole lot of inventory so you are going to want to check out the fabric shop.  And she is also having an amazing Year End Clearance with 25% off all items in stock with the coupon code   YEAREND2018.  (this code will not work for pre-orders items, only those in stock ;)  So be sure to pop on over and check it out!!!

And Rhonda's has a fantastic Terrific Tuesday Giveaway Day!!!!     Olie and Evie  is giving one lucky winner a $25.00 Gift Certificate to use in her shop!!!    So awesome, someone is going to get a wonderful shopping spree for some end of the year fun :)  

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 one last thing are you trying to squeeze in to finishing in 2018?? :) 

 ENTRY 2 - Show your Olie and Evie love.   You can follow them on  Facebook, Instagram  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 Olie and Evie Love!!!

And that's it ;)  The giveaway will be open until next Tuesday,  January 1st when I will announce a winner at the beginning of next weeks Terrific Tuesday Giveaway Post :)

Good Luck and Have a Happy Quilting Day!!!

String-Along!!

Did you hear . . . Moda is doing a String Along!!!  As soon as I read the announcement I instantly thought of my Selvage String Stars that I had planned to make back here.    And then my jaw hit the floor when I realized that I made this plan 2 years ago and hadn't done a thing on it besides printing out the design.  My how time flies!!!

So I instantly grabbed some solid grey for the background and started cutting squares!!  I just knew I couldn't wait on this and that if I cut the squares, it would start happening!!!    I cut some squares from old fabric stuffed in a drawer to use as a foundation for my selvage squares.   And it was so awesome to have this start :)

And speaking of a start . . .  I had planned to wait for the String-Along to start before I started piecing any of my strings, but then I was just so excited to finally be starting this, I couldn't wait!!!  So I started Stringing-Along ;)  Before I knew it, I had two of the star centers done.

And then I figured, I might as well test how making HST's with strings would work.   Just in case you are wondering, they worked great!!!

And that meant I had enough done to make one of the half stars in the design.   Isn't it just so fun!!!  I don't know if I have enough selvages to do the whole quilt, but I for sure have enough to participate in the String-Along and make a serious dent in this project.   Mostly, I am just so excited to have this extra motivation to get started on this project!!!  Thanks Moda!!!

And on a side note, I am embarrassed to say, that when I first introduced this idea (2 years ago) ,   I offered to do a A Basic Sewing with Selvages Tutorials followed by a Selvage Star tutorial, and there was interest in that.   And then I never made the project so as follows, I never made the tutorials.   Would you still like to have some tutorials on these Selvages and Stars??

Pin Trick for Perfect Points and Intersections

So after sharing Jessica's Cube Sampler post back here, I have had several people email to ask what is the "Pin Trick" I mentioned teaching her.  I have explained this little trick in a few past quilt along's, but unless you participated in them, it can be cumbersome to find.   So I figured it was probably time to just make a little post for it ;)

So here it goes . . .The Pin Trick ;)

The idea of the Pin Trick is aligning the points in two seams to ensure that they create perfect points or intersections.    You can use this whenever you are trying to align your seams and often you will have little guides (thread X or fabric V) to aid, but as shown, even when you don't have those little guides,  it will still work by estimating a 1/4" seam allowance.   So here's a few examples from past posts :) 

Example 1 - Basic Point (Pinwheel) 

Here's how to do it.  With right sides together, place the pin through the bottom of the Print Fabric V in the top seam, and then through the top of the HST Point in the bottom seam as shown below.

Then move the pin so it is standing straight up and the two points you pinned through are aligned.  Now actually pin a second pin to the side of the seam allowance to hold the points in place. You can now remove the standing pin.    This Pin trick can be used whenever you are matching two points.

And now, you points are perfectly aligned.  So to finish the perfect point, when sewing the 1/4" seam be sure to sew directly along the bottom of the little V that the print fabrics make as shown below, even if that means you need to move in or out of a perfect 1/4" a bit.   Stitching right at the bottom of the V will ensure that the point you just aligned perfectly is also stitched perfectly.

And you end up with beautiful perfect points!!!

Example 2 - Adding Curves

The Pin trick will also work with aligning curves to points.   So to do this, Stick a pin through the bottom point of the little fabric V in your center seam allowance of the pointed fabric.

Now stick that same pin through the edge of the Curve Point, where the Pie and Crust meet at the seam.

Then, stand the pin up straight and tall so that the 2 points it is sticking through are aligned perfectly.  Now use a second pin to pin the two pieces in place.  Another helpful hint is to pin  in one side of the seam and come out the other, on a slight diagonal, that way I know my perfectly aligned seam won't shift.

And while stitching,  ensure that your perfectly aligned points come out perfect by being sure your seam crosses directly over the bottom of the little fabric V that is created in the seam.  Just like before, it is okay if you move up or down a bit, just catch that point ;)

And you get a perfect intersection of curve and points.   So fun!!!   (and sorry this is a little blurry, I had to blow it up from the completed block picture ;)  

Example 3 -  Only 1 Fabric Marker - Estimating 1/4"

So in some cases, you won't have a point to align to, in that case, you can just estimate the 1/4" seam.   Here's how to do it.   Stick a pin directly through the bottom of the background fabric "V:" that is created in the seam allowance of a Flying Geese Unit.  (If you pressed to one side, you can use the threads as a V guide).

Now, stick the same pin through the seam allowance of your Print Goose 1/4" in from the edge of your unit.  You don't have to measure this perfectly, just eyeball 1/4".  We are pretty good at being able to tell where that is after sewing a million 1/4" seams right ;)

And then stand the pin up straight so the points you just went through are aligned perfectly and use a second pin to pin the units in place.  Then you can remove the pin that is standing up straight.

Now just stitch a 1/4" seam along the pined edges.  When stitching, be sure and stitch right along the bottom of the V (fabric or thread) that you used as a pinning guide.  This will ensure that the point you just lined up perfectly will be stitched perfectly as well and you will get a nice clean point.

And it gives you a beautifully intersected point.   (again, sorry it's a bit blurry)

So ya, the Pin Trick can be used any time you want to line up points or intersections!!!  It just takes a second and will leave you with wonderful results.  I hope you found this little tutorial helpful :)  

  Happy Pinning and Quilting!!!!

Terrific Tuesday Giveaway Day!!!

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

First, we need to announce the winner from last weeks Terrific Tuesday Giveaway :)

The winner of the Modern Backgrounds More Paper Layer Cake   from Fat Quarter Shop is . . .  Number #17 . . .   Congrats Kathy E. !!!   I have emailed you :)     

  

        

And on to today's

Today's Terrific Tuesday Giveaway is being sponsored by Shabby Fabrics!!   Shabby Fabrics have added a bunch of great new Christmas items in their Christmas Shoppe!! A  And don't forget, Shabby Fabrics  also has an amazing  Clearance Section, you are sure to find some amazing deals, and have also just added a whole bunch of Quilt Kits on sale as well!!  Super fun!!!   

  

And for the Terrific Tuesday Giveaway  Shabby Fabrics is giving one lucky winner a $30.00 Gift Certificate!!!!!   Now the winner can get just what they have been wishing for, and maybe it will be a little something to tuck under the tree next month ;)

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 your most hoping to find under the tree next week!!!  

 ENTRY 2 - Show your Shabby Fabrics love. You can follow them on Facebook, Twitter, You Tube, Pinterest, or Instagram.  You can Sign up for the Shabby Fabrics Newsletter (top right hand corner) or Follow their Blog,  or you can Visit the Shop and then share a favorite item ;)   Just be sure to leave a comment of how you showed your Shabby Fabric Love!!!

And that's it ;)  The giveaway will be open until next Tuesday, December 26th when I will announce a winner at the beginning of next weeks Terrific Tuesday Giveaway Post :)

Good Luck and Have a Happy Quilting Day!!!

** This post contains affiliate links. 

Christmas in Suburbia - A Quick Quilts Quilt!!!

I have been so excited to share this finish and it is just perfect for this month!!  This is Christmas in Suburbia.  I have had this design in my mind for so long, it is just thrilling to see it in real life.   It's a modern take on Suburbia, (just like the Salt Lake suburbs I grew up in ;)  and I just love the idea of doing in in Christmas!!!

And the great thing is, it is so super fun and fast to make.   So you could still totally make one in time for Christmas!!!   All you need is a Layer Cake  of your favorite Christmas fabrics, and away you go.   A few stitch and flip corners later and a bit of straight piecing, and you are done :)   And it finishes at 53" x 68 1/2" so it is a great size to snuggle up with in front of the fireplace with a cup of hot chocolate and a good book ;)    The pattern for this quilt can be found in this month's edition of Fons and Porter's Quilting Quickly.

And I just love the stylized shots that the magazine takes.  Doesn't that just make you want to jump in to that picture and snuggle up!!!

For this quilt, I used Overnight Delivery by Sweetwater for Moda Fabrics. My all time favorite Christmas line was Countdown to Christmas by Sweetwater so when I saw that they were bringing back that same feel and color scheme for Overnight Delivery and adding some fun buffalo checks, I knew it was the perfect line for this quilt!!!    And it really is, I think the splashes of black and text just adds to that whole suburbia feel ;)

When it came time to quilt it, I wanted to have is snowing in the suburbs, so I quilted a fun wavy line for a breeze and then added some snowflakes in it so it gives the feel of a wintry flurry.  I just love how it turned out, and the black buffalo check on the binding was the perfect way to finish the quilt :)

So that's Christmas in Suburbia.  And I hope you just love it as much as I do ;)   And if you make your own Christmas in Suburbia I would love to see it.  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 Christmas in Subrubia Quilts!!!


Have a Happy Quilting Weekend.

I am linking up to Sarah's :)