Monday, April 30, 2018

Happy 2nd Birthday Sew Sampler!!!

Oh my goodness, I can not believe the Sew Sampler box is 2 years old :)  And wow, what amazing teal boxes have filled my sewing room over the last two years!!!   I just can't say how excited I get every time I find this box waiting for me, and I have gotten better at not peaking on social media, so I can enjoy the wonderful surprise each month ;)  I am just constantly blown away by the wonderful quilty goodness and fantastic value of each box :)   And so I am super excited to see what year 3 brings!!!!   And April's  Sew Sampler box arrived the other day and its all about a Celebration!!!


I am a big fan of Violet Craft's innovative designs so I was totally celebrating when I found an Exclusive Violet Craft pattern as well as the templates to go with the pattern.  And these templates are a wonderful thickness that will make cutting a breeze!!!   And of course, you have to have the fabric to go with it right!!!   And I just love this Palm Canyon Aruba Half Roll Up!!!   The colors and prints are just so great, although I am seriously thinking about scooping up the Creamsicle colorway as well to add some sunny warm to the mix ;)



And the notions this month are just awesome!!!  You might recall me talking about the Endurance Rotary Blade back here and how I am a big fan of how they really do last twice as long!!!   So I was totally celebrating when I found one tucked away in my little teal box!!!      And I love  Glass Head Pins and these are even Marbled on the pin head.  These will look so cute in my Tuffet!!!!  



And last but not least . . .  a new year means a new monthly sampler block.  And I am so super excited that this year we will be making Barn Blocks!!!!!   I have had a Barn Block quilt on my "to make someday" list and this is the year it get's crossed off :)   And I love that they are doing the designs in wonderful blacks, whites, and grays!   And my black and gray scrap bins are overflowing so my barn's are going to be made from scrappy goodness.   So fun!!!   But Fat Quarter Shop has made a Barn Block Kit if anyone wants to make it just like the Patterns ;)    And how perfect is that quilt label for when we are all done!!!



And here is Barn Block #1 :)   Isn't it just so fun!!!   And I am just thrilled to be making a scrappy version.  If you haven't noticed, I have been on a bit of a scrappy kick as of lately ;)  And I can't wait to see what next month's barn looks like.  This is going to be so much fun :)



And now, to wait a whole month for May's Sew Sampler Box .     Sometimes it is so hard to be patient, I just want to make all the barn blocks now, tee hee hee.

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

** This post contains affiliate links. 
Pin It!

Friday, April 27, 2018

Fat Quarter Cubes - A Short Cut Quilt!!

You all know how much I love Short Cut Quilts so when Fat Quarter Shop asked if I wanted to make their latest Short Cut quilt called Fat Quarter Cubes, I was all over it!!!    And how cute will this be for a new picnic blanket this summer!!!  So fun ;)


Fat Quarter Cubes goes together super fast as it takes advantage of big pieces cut from Fat Quarters.  You can find the free pattern right here  ;)  As you can see, I went ahead and added an extra row of blocks as I wanted mine to be square instead of twin size.   It's easy to figure out the math on this one for changing it up :)   And it's obviously Fat Quarter friendly, hence the name, so it's easy to grab a stack and get sewing!!


 I used a combination of fabrics from Amy Smart's two fabric lines.   You might remember the Crossroads quilt and tutorial I shared when Gingham Girls came out, and earlier this week I shared the Criss Cross Applesauce quilt and tutorial using Amy's Sunnyside Ave.   I had two bundles of leftover from these projects and knew they were the perfect fabric for this summer picnic blanket.  And isn't it awesome how well the fabrics from both lines play together.   I love it when designers do that ;)


When it came time to quilt it, I tried something new.  I wanted to give it the look of fun little daisies, like in the fabric, so I just started in the corner with a daisy center and then looped some petals around it.   Then I would start another center, and away I went filling in the space.  I just love the happy little flowers it creates and the wonderful texture!!!



And I used up every scrap of leftovers I had from both fabric lines in this quilt.  What didn't get used in the front of the quilt was cut into strips for a scrappy biding, which I absolutely love!!!!   And the last few leftover strips were used in the back of the quilt.   I love a little piecing in the back to add a pop of fun!!!


And that is my Fat Quarter Cubes quilt!!!  My quilt measures 87" x 87" so it is going to be a nice big blanket for picnics.   And it was so fun to make such a big quilt so fast!!!  Thanks Fat Quarter Shop for another great Short Cut Quilt!!!   And be sure to pop on over to the Jolly Jabber for lots more Fat Quarter Cubes quilts and inspiration :)


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

** This post contains affiliate links. 
Pin It!

Wednesday, April 25, 2018

Clementine Quilt Along - Coconut Cross

It's the 25th and that means it is month 4 of the Clementine Quilt Along hosted by the Fat Quarter Shop!!!! I am having so much fun with these blocks!!!  This month's set of blocks is called Coconut Cross and I really like the design of this month's block.  It's just so fun and different!! 



Again, we are making a 20" and 12" version of the block.  We get to do some square in a square block this month, and those are always fun to change things up ;)   And of course, there are some flying geese and HST's, which are always fun and fast!!   And I just realized that I was supposed to rotate 2 of the blocks when I put these together, ah well.  This looks fun too!!! 


So are you joining in the Clementine fun???  If so, you can download the block pattern right here and  then pop on over and donate $5.00  to the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital  :) I just love doing these annual Charity QAL's!!!    And were getting closer to that goal ;) 


And like always, Fat Quarter Shop has made an super fun  You Tube video tutorials that walk you through making this month's block.  And I just love the peppy little tune they put the tutorial to, so fun!!






Be sure to share all of your Clementine progress on social media with #clementinequiltalong and check out these fabulous bloggers who are quilting along for some Coconut Cross block inspiration :)  

*April of April Rosenthal (@amrosenthal)
Bonnie of Sunset Family Living (@sunsetfamilyliving)
Cara of That Crafty Cara (@thatcraftycara)
Carrie of Moda Cutting Table (@modafabrics)
Denise of Pieced Brain (@piecedbrain)
Elise of Elise and Emelie (@eliseandemelie)
Gina of Carpe Quiltin (@gina_tell_carpequiltin)
Heather of A Creative Pursuit (@acreativemama)
Hilary of By Hilary Jordan (@byhilaryjordan)
Jan of Cocoa Quilts (@cocoaquilts)
Jen of Heritage Threads (@heritage.threads)
Joanne of Quilts by Joanne (@turtlequilterjo)
Kairle of Kairle Oaks Handcrafted Goodness (@kairleoaks)
Kendra of Good Starter (@good_starter)
Kristen of 3 in the Nest (@threeinthenestraleigh)
Kristina of Center Street Quilts (@centerstreetquilts)
Leah of Ponderings from My Heart (@ponderingsfrommyheart)
Melanie of A Bit of Scrap Stuff (@mellierc)
Melissa of Happy Quilting (@happyquiltingmc)
Pat of Pat Sloan (@quilterpatsloan)
Pat B. of Life in the Scrapatch (@scrapatches)
Patty of Elm Street Quilts (@elmstreetquilts)
Rebecca of One Wee Bird (@oneweebird)
Sarah of 123 Quilt (@123quilt)
Seema of SSK Craft Shop (@sskcraftshop)
Sherri of A Quilting Life (@aquiltinglife)
Sondra of Out of the Blue Quilts (@sondradavison)
Stephanie of Quilt 'n Party (@quiltnparty)
Tanya of Tanya Quilts in CO (@tanyaquiltsinco)
Teresa of Aurea's Kitchen (@aureaskitchen)
Vickie of Crocheting Vixen (@crochetingvixen)

And there is Month 4 of the Clementine Quilt Along which means only two months of blocks left!!!!   Be back next month  on the 25th to share the fifth set of blocks!! There is still lots of time to join in the  Clementine Quilting Along??  We are having much fun!!!

Thanks for popping in today ;)  Have a Happy Quilting Day!!
Pin It!

Tuesday, April 24, 2018

Criss Cross Applesauce - A Quilt Tutorial featuring Sunnyside Ave.

I was so very excited when my wonderful friend Amy Smart of Diary of a Quilter announced that she was releasing her second fabric line with Penny Rose Fabrics!!!  You may recall, I made this Crossroads quilt and tutorial with Amy's first fabric line, Gingham Girls.    And when she asked if I would like to make a quilt up with her new Sunnyside Ave. fabric, you know I couldn't say yes fast enough!!!    And now I am super excited to get to share the finish with you all.   It's called Criss Cross Applesauce and I just love it ;)


I just loving working with Sunnyside Ave every bit as much as I loved playing with Gingham Girls.   I know I have mentioned this before, but it so reminds me of the homemade clothes my mother used to make for me and my twin sister when we were little girls.  We were always dressed in the same prints, but hers were red and mine were blue to make it easier for people to tell us apart ;)   And these prints are just so bright and happy making, you can't help but smile the whole time you are sewing with them!!!

Photo used from Amy Smart

I actually designed this quilt a while ago and had it saved just waiting for the right fabric to come along for it.  When I saw Sunnyside Ave. I knew it was the perfect fit.   All of those apples totally reminded me of Kindergarten and that made me think of this quilt, as it was inspired by a rug in my daughters K class.  You know those rugs where everyone has their set square to sit in ;)  Hence the Criss Cross Applesauce because of course, that is the way to sit on those rugs in Kindergarten!! 


And I am super excited to share Criss Cross Applesauce as a tutorial!!!!   Yippee, now you can make your very own :)   And it goes together super fast thanks to a lot of chain stitching so you can totally have it ready in time for summer, or maybe in time for school getting out!!     So let's get to it . . . 


YOU WILL NEED:

1 Sunnyside Fat Quarter Bundle and you will be using 16 Fat Quarters
                         (I choose not to use the green Fat Quarters as they are used in the secondary design)
3 3/4 Yards of a White Solid for the Background
1 1/2 Yards of the Green Pin Dot for Piecing
2/3 Yard of the Green Plaid for Binding
4 1/2 Yards of a Coordinating Print for Backing



STEP 1 - CUTTING

From Each of the 16 chosen Fat Quarters cut:
         (1) 6 1/2" x 6 1/2" square    (16 Total)
         (12) 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" squares   (192 Total)
From the White Solid cut:
           (32) 7" x 7" squares
           (64) 6 1/2" x 6 1/2" squares
           (64) 3" x 3" squares
From the Green Pin Dot cut:
            (32) 7" x 7" squares
From the Green Plaid cut:
            (8) 2 1/2" x Width of Fabric strips


STEP 2 - MAKING HALF SQUARE TRIANGLE UNITS

And with the cutting done, you are ready to start sewing.   We will start with making the Half Square Triangle units and for that, you will need the Green and White stacks of 7" x 7" squares.   On the wrong side of all (32) Green squares draw a diagonal line from corner to corner.  (Note - If you use any kind of seam guide on your machine, like I described at the beginning of this post, you can skip drawing all of the lines ;)


Place a White square and a marked Green square right sides together aligning the raw edges.   You will be stitching a 1/4" seam to either side of the drawn line.  Chain stitching all 32 sets will save you time and thread.


If you haven't chain stitched before, it simply means you don't cut the threads between units.   Start with stitching the 1/4" seam along the left hand side of the drawn line on your first set.  When you get to the end of the square, simply begin feeding the next matched set into your machine.  Continue in this fashion until you have stitched a seam on all 32 sets.


Then clip the threads between your sets, and repeat the process for the other side of the drawn line. 
You will finish with 32 sets all stitched on either side of the drawn line.  Again. clip the threads between your sets.


Now move to your cutting mat.  Cut the square sets along the drawn line to make two sets of triangles.  Press the seam allowance towards the Green triangle to make Half Square Triangle units.  You will have 64 Units total.


Now trim all the units to 6 1/2" x 6 1/2" square.  Be sure to match the seam allowance and the diagonal line on your square ruler to ensure your HST's are trimmed square.  If you haven't trimmed HST's before, you can see this tutorial for more detailed instructions ;) 


STEP 3 - MAKING CORNER UNITS

Now we are going to add a "Goose in the Corner" to all of the Half Square Triangle Units.  Start by gathering (4) 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" squares of each of your 16 prints.   On the wrong side of each of these squares, draw a diagonal line.


Place the Print marked square on the white corner of the HST with right sides together.  Stitch directly on the drawn line.   Again, chain stitching here will save you a lot of time and thread and I highly recommend stitching all 64 sets at once.    Then, align a ruler 1/4" away from the seam as shown and trim away the excess.  This is scrap, or you can stitch a 1/4" seam along the trimmed end to make a bonus HST's for another project :)    I like to trim all 64 sets at the seam time as well.   Finally, Press the seam allowance towards the Print "goose".


And now, we are going to do the same thing to the Green side of the Triangle using the (64) 3" x 3" White squares.    So start by drawing a diagonal line on the wrong side of all 64 white squares.


Then, just like before, place the White marked square on the Green corner of the HST unit with right sides together.  Chain Stitch the 64 sets of seams directly on the drawn line.  Trim 1/4" away from the seam line, and then Press the seam allowance towards the White "goose".


And just like that, you have 64 Corner Units that will measure 6 1/2" x 6 1/2".  They really do go super fast with all of that fun chain stitching ;)


STEP 4 - MAKING SIDE UNITS

And now, we are going to make the Side Units.   Start by gathering the 64 White 6 1/2" x 6 1/2" squares and (4) 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" squares of each of your 16 prints.   On the wrong side of each of the small Print squares, draw a diagonal line.


And this again, is just the same process as adding that Goose in the Corner.  Place the Print marked square on the  corner of the large White square with right sides together.  Chain Stitch the 64 sets of seams directly on the drawn line.  Trim 1/4" away from the seam line, and then Press the seam allowance towards the Print "goose".


And now we will "goose" the other side ;)   Gather the final (4) 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" Print squares from each of the 16 Prints and draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of each of the Print squares.


Place a matching Print marked square on the adjacent corner of the large White square with right sides together as shown below.  Chain Stitch the 64 sets of seams directly on the drawn line.  Trim 1/4" away from the seam line, and then Press the seam allowance towards the Print "goose".


And just like that, you have 64 Side Units that will measure 6 1/2" x 6 1/2".  Again, they are going to come together super fast with that chain stitching ;)


STEP 5 - MAKING THE BLOCK

At this point, you can choose to make 1 block at a time, or stack up your block pieces to chain stitch your blocks.   Do whatever you feel comfortable with, but I will be writting the tutorial for 1 block at a time to make it easier to understand ;)

Using all of the pieces with the same Print Fabric, Layout 4 Corner Units, 4 Side Units, and one matching 6 1/2" x 6 1/2" Print square as shown below.


We will start by sewing the units into rows.   To do this, place the second unit in each row onto the first unit with right sides together.   Align and pin the seams.  Stitch a 1/4" seam along the three pinned edges. Then lay your block back out again.  (this will help avoid flipping pieces ;)


Now place the third unit in each row onto the second unit with right sides together.   Align and pin the seams.  Stitch a 1/4" seam along the three pinned edges.


Press the seams in to top and bottom row open.  Press the seams in the center row inwards, towards the Print square.  Lay the block back out on your mat.


Now, all you have to do is sew the rows together.   Place the first row onto the second row with right sides together.  Align and pin the seams.  Stitch a 1/4" seam along the pinned edge.


Finally, place the third row onto the second row with right sides together.  Align and pin the seams.  Stitch a 1/4" seam along the pinned edge.


Press the seam allowances open and you will have a beautiful Criss Cross Applesauce Block measuring 18 1/2" x 18 1/2".


Repeat step 5 to make all 16 of your Criss Cross Applesauce blocks.  If you were chain stitching, you already here ;)



STEP 6 - MAKING THE QUILT TOP

And with the blocks done, it is time to make a quilt top!!!  Layout your blocks in 4 rows with 4 blocks in each row as shown below.  Play with the placement until it is pleasing to the eye.  Taking a picture of your layout is the easiest way to do this as your eye can see everything at once, and it is also great to have to refer back to so you make sure you don't mix up your block placement :)


Once you have a layout you like, it's time to sew the blocks into rows.   To do this, place the second block onto the first block (shown in row 1) in each row with right sides together.  Align and pin the seams.  Chain Stitch a 1/4" seam along the pinned edge of each set in each row.   Put your sewn pieces back in your layout.  And now you just repeat this for each block in the row.  Place your third block in each row onto your second block (shown in row 2) with right sides together and align, pin, and stitch a 1/4" seam along the edge.   Finally, Place the fourth block onto the third block (shown in row 3) with RST and align, pin, and stitch a 1/4" seam.   Press all of the seam allowances open.


And your quilt top should look like this.  Again, I always find it helpful to keep laying your pieces back out each time you stitch on them.  This will help you keep the layout you like ;)  And now, all that is left is to sew the rows together into a quilt top.


Place the second row onto the first row with right sides together and the fourth row onto the third row with right sides together as shown below.   Align and pin all of the seams in both row sets.   Stitch a 1/4" seam along the edge of both row sets. 


Press the two seams Open.  This will help to reduce the bulk of those angled seams meeting each other.


Finally, place the bottom half onto the top half with right sides together.  Align and pin all of your seams and then stitch a 1/4" seam along the pinned edge.   And one last seam to press open!!


And you have a beautiful Criss Cross Applesauce Quilt Top!!!!  It will measure 72" x 72" and really, didn't it go together fast and oh so much fun!!!



STEP 7 - FINISHING IT UP

So now it is time to turn that finished quilt top into a finished Quilt ;)  Time to  Baste It, Quilt It, and Bind It!!!  Which is a whole lot in one little sentence.  If you are new to quilting, you can see my Finishing Your Quilt Series of video tutorials that will walk you through Basting, Quilting, and Binding step by step ;)



When it came time to quilt mine I decided on an all over medium size swirl.   I used a favorite 402 Pearl thread that blends perfectly with the white and all the prints .  And I just love all of those beautiful curves in the quilting paired with the wonderful points in the piecing!!


And I always, always, love the way this design creates such awesome texture!!!  Doesn't that just make you want to snuggle up with a good book out in the sunshine!!!  And thanks so the fun, vintage prints, this would also make a wonderful gift for a special teacher.   It's name was inspired by Kindergarten after all ;)



Use the  (8) 2 1/2"x Width of Fabric binding strips you cut at the beginning to create a binding and add it to the quilt.  And your Done!!!


STEP 8 - ENJOY QUILT

And now, just sit back and enjoy your beautiful Criss Cross Applesauce Quilt!!!  It finishes at 72" x 72" so it is a great picnic size.  And as you can see, with all that chain stitching it will go together super fast and is so much fun to make!!!   And Sunnyside Ave. is just the perfect fabric for it to have that wonderful Summer Time Vintage Feel!!

  
 I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial and if you make your own Criss Cross Applesauce Quilt I would love to see it!!  You can email me a picture at happyquiltingmelissa@gmail.com or add it to my flickr group here or post it to social media with  #happyquiltingwithmc ;)  I can't wait to see your Criss Cross Applesauce Quilts!!!


 Thank you so much to Amy Smart for taking me back to my childhood while I played with these fantastic fabrics!!!!   And for more Sunnyside Ave. fun, be sure to Hop over to Amy's blog  to check out her awesome patterns and some more blogger goodies :)


Thanks for stopping in today to share this tutorial.  And thanks for popping in each and every day.  I am just so grateful to have this space to share my love of quilting!!!

Have a very Happy Quilting Day!!!

Linking this finish to Amanda's, Sarah's, and Myra's ;) 

** This post contains affiliate links. 
Pin It!