Aurora - Fast & Fun Lap Quilts Book Tour

 It's Week 4 of my Fast & Fun Lap Quilts Book Tour and today I am sharing the Aurora quilt! This quilt is made up of two blocks, that area actually pieced with the same units.  I love how you can create two totally different blocks with the same pieces, so cool!!!   Oh, and I always love adding a "chain" in one of my quilts from a book (see the reason here) and this chain is subtle, but it is the perfect finish for this Aurora quilt.  

Here is the introduction I wrote about Aurora in the Fast & Fun Lap Quilts Book.  "I absolutly love designing Star blocks!  Truly, they are my go-to bread and butter of designing.  In Aurora, I added a pieced frame to a basic Ohio Star to create an amazing block.  Then a simple change n fabric placement and orientation made a wonderful new second block that forms a chain across the quilt top.  The two blocks combine to make a stunning quilt."

When writing this book, I tried to give you all of the tips and trick that I would share if I were teaching a quilting class.  This is my favorite tip from the Aurora quilt.  It is the same as the "pin trick" that I share here, and it a total game changer in lining up lots of points.  My pinwheels have never looked so great :)   And this quilt has lots and lots of points, and they come out so perfect with this little trick ;)  

Aurora was made using Beautiful Day fabrics by Corey Yoder for Moda Fabrics.  All the quilts in Fast and Fun Lap Quilts are made with 1 Layer Cake/10" Stacker and a background fabric.  You will use 33 of the 10" squares for this quilt, and the Plan Ahead tip will help you divide your fabrics, so you know exactly where each fabric will go in your quilt and can plan accordingly.  This quilt finishes at 68" x 68", making it a great square lap size.  

I had so much fun custom quilting each of the quilts in Fast & Fun Lap Quilts .  For this Aurora quilt, I quilted swirls in the background, and then straight lines and pebbles in the blocks.  I left the center stars unquilted so they pop :)   And you know, it's my favorite 402 So Fine thread that I used to blend perfectly into the white background and all of the prints.   I just love how it all came together. 

And that is Aurora quilt, the fourth lap quilt in my new Fast & Fun Lap Quilts book !  You can find the Fast & Fun Lap Quilts book in your local or online quilt shops,  C&T Publishing, or if you would like a personalized signed copy, you can order from my Etsy shop.  And if you make your own Aurora quilt, I would love to see it!!  You can share your quilts with me on social media using hashtag #happyquiltingwithmc and #fastandfunlapquilts and tag me @happyquiltingmc or you can email me a picture at happyquiltingmelissa@gmail.com.   

And speaking of making an Aurora Quilt, my good friend, Vanessa Goertzen has mocked up Aurora using her new Christmas Eve fabrics that will come out in May of next year!!!   Isn't that just so amazing!!!!  This design looks so amazing in Christmas and this has totally been added to my "to make" list.  You can see all the details at Vanessa's blog , Lella Boutique .

And while you are visiting Vanessa at Lella Boutique, be sure to enter her giveaway.  Christmas Eve isn't out until May of 2023, but Vanessa scored one Christmas Eve Layer Cake to giveaway!!  How awesome is that!!!  You can enter the giveaway at her blog.  

And that is it for today, thanks for popping in for Week 4 of the Fast & Fun Lap Quilts book!

I am just so happy to share this Aurora quilt and be sure to pop back in on Friday when I will share a second version of the quilt (and it just so happens to be made with more of Vanessa's fabrics, so fun :)  

I hope you all have a very Happy Quilting Day!

Fast & Fun Lap Quilts - Christmas Bonus Quilt with Free PDF Pattern!!!

It's summer and that means sewing Christmas!!!   Christmas sewing in the summer has always been a favorite of mine.   And ever since we started the Fast & Fun Lap Quilts Blog Tour and Vanessa shared her Aurora Quilt in Christmas Eve fabrics, I just knew I had to make a Fast & Fun Lap Quilt in Summer Christmas sewing ;)    And since I had a few extra designs from the submission of Fast & Fun Lap Quilts . . . I thought I would share this as a brand new Bonus Fast & Fun Lap Quilt!!!   Here is The Christmas Star and you can get the FREE PDF Pattern here ;)    

Just like all of the Fast & Fun Lap Quilts, it is made with 1 Layer Cake and some background fabric. I used the above mentioned Christmas Eve Fabrics by Lella Botique for Moda and paired it with my favorite . . . Grunge!!!  This is Grunge Black Dress and it just so makes these happy Christmas fabrics pop!!!  I just love it ;)    

And while this quilt might look a little complicated, it actually quite Fast & Fun to make, surprise, surprise!!!   The quilt is made with No-Waste Flying Geese, (which if you haven't made yet, you are going to love!!) and Half Square Triangles.  Those go together with some basic piecing of 12 blocks that are then surrounded by some tiny cornerstones to make this amazing The Christmas Star quilt.  It finishes at 56" x 74" so it is a great lap size quilt to snuggle up in ;)    

When it came time to quilt my The Christmas Star quilt, I decided to to an all over echoed paisley design. I love how it adds so much movement to all of those crisp points. And if you love this design, I just happen to have a free Video Tutorial for creating this free motion quilting design on your home machine ;)  It's always fun to be Happy Quilting!! 

I hope you love this The Christmas Star quilt as much as I do and if you make your own (or any of the quilts from Fast & Fun Lap Quilts) I would love to see them! You can share your projects with me on social media with the hashtags  #happyquiltingwithmc and #fastandfunlapquilts and tagging @happyquiltingmc or email me a picture at happyquiltingmelissa@gmail.com. I can't wait to see your Quilts!!

And one last note before I sign off . . . Just in case you missed it . . . the Fast & Fun Sampler Quilt Along finished yesterday, and there were some amazing finishes ;)   If you didn't have the chance to join in the quilt along, no worries, you can still make the Fast & Fun Sampler Quilt.  All you need is the Fast & Fun Lap Quilts Book and the Fast & Fun Sampler Supplemental PDF Patterns that you can download here. I can't wait to see all of your Fast & Fun Sampler Quilts as well as your Christmas Star quilts!!!

 

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

Aurora - Fast & Fun Lap Quilts

 It's Week 4 of my Fast & Fun Lap Quilts Book Tour and today I am sharing a second version of the Aurora quilt! It's always fun to see how different a quilt can look by changing things up the fabrics, and wouldn't you know, Vanessa was my guest blogger this week, and she is also the fabric designer of this second version, to fun!!!    

 And doesn't it look just stunning in a dark background!!!  For this version of Aurora, I was really trying to highlight how much using a dark background can change up the look of the quilt.   Isn't it just incredible how the chain and the star centers just pop.   I love it so much!!!!    Using a dark background can really make your colors so vibrant, it is a great way to make the fabric stand out :)

This version of Aurora was made using Country Rose fabrics by Lella Boutique for Moda Fabrics.   This is the same fabric I used to make the Bloomers Quilt, and I loved it then, and I love it all the more with a dark background.   All the quilts in Fast and Fun Lap Quilts are made with 1 Layer Cake/10" Stacker and a background fabric.  And like I said, Country Rose was the perfect Layer Cake to just pop on this black polka dot background.  It is just so happy making ;)   The quilt finishes at 68" x 68".  

Since I custom quilted all the quilts in the Fast & Fun Lap Quilts  I thought it would be fun to do all over designs for these second versions.   For this Aurora quilt, I quilted all over swirls and paisleys.   These are two of my favorite designs to quilt all over, and I just love all the yummy added texture it gives the quilt.   And when doing an all over using a black background, with pretty print colors, I recommend a nice soft grey thread.  It will blend into the black, but not stand out as much on the prints :) 

And that is another Aurora quilt, the third lap quilt in my new Fast & Fun Lap Quilts book !  You can find the Fast & Fun Lap Quilts book in your local or online quilt shops,  C&T Publishing, or if you would like a personalized signed copy, you can order from my Etsy shop.  And if you make your own Aurora quilt, I would love to see it!!  You can share your quilts with me on social media using hashtag #happyquiltingwithmc and #fastandfunlapquilts and tag me @happyquiltingmc or you can email me a picture at happyquiltingmelissa@gmail.com.   

Thanks so much for popping in for another Fast & Fun Lap Quilts book day of fun.    And if you haven't had a chance to enter Vanessa's Fast & Fun Lap Quilts Giveaway for a beautiful Christmas Eve Layer Cake that you can use to make your own gorgeous Christmas Version of Aurora, be sure and pop on over and enter.  

I hope you all have a very Happy Quilting Day! 

A funny thing happened on the way to the Quilt Shop

I have a fun little story to share today with a totally awesome ending!!!

 Last week, I realized that my Artista (Abby) Sewing Machine was long overdue for it's annual  maintenance and it was making a  funny noise so I figured I best take it in.  So I packed it up (a little begrudgingly, because its hard to go back to Bernadette as she isn't quite as reliable or fast) and my husband and I headed down to St. George to take it in for service.  On the way there, my husband just casually remarked  "For all the sewing you do, you really should have a second machine that is just as reliable as the first."   And I, being a little surprised, just smiled and said, "That would be nice indeed".    And a couple hours later I was walking out of the Bernina Quilt Shop with this little lady :)

I figured my sweethearts comment would simmer and maybe something would happen for Christmas . . .  but it was just one of things where everything worked out.  We walked into the shop to drop off my machine for maintenance, and they just happened to have a traded in Aurora 440.  Which was the other machine I was totally looking at when I got my Artista, and of course, my husband remembered that.  He just smiled and said "Call it an Early Mother's Day Present ;)"  Yes indeed, I sure do love that man of mine and am so very blessed to have him!!!!!!

And I am absolutely loving this new machine!!!!  No surprise that is quickly become my main machine and my Abby is now my back-up machine :)  It is faster, and quieter, and all together just awesome!!!  I have been heads down sewing like a crazy person all weekend and loving every minute of it :)  And it comes with the embroidery unit and I can take classes at the shop on how to use it, so maybe I will finally figure out how to do that little awesome bonus on this machine!!

Oh, and in case you are wondering, I figure she already has a name so no need to come up with a new one.  I am just so excited to welcome Aurora to the family!!!!!

Hope you are having a very Happy Quilting Day!!!  I'm off for some more chain stitching goodness :)

Fast & Fun Sampler Quilt Along - Week 2

 **  NOTE  - This post is part of a series of posts for the Fast & Fun Sampler Quilt Along.  If you would like to join (and have a chance to win some fun prizes ) you can find a list of the post links here :)  Here is the schedule

Introduction and Details

Dash and Diamond Blocks 

April 12 -  Puzzle Box Blocks - You are Here

April 19th - Treasured Blocks

April 26th - Jacks Blocks

May 3 - Dutch Days and Three O Blocks

May 10 - Aurora Block and Key Blocks

May 17th - Merry-Go-Round Blocks

May 24th - Putting it All Together

June 7th - Parade of Finishes

But before we get to Week 2 . . . we need to pick the Week 1 Winner of the Fruit Cocktail Layer Cake by Fig Tree & Co from  Green Fairy Quilts.   And the winner is   . . .   coloradoquiltengineer!!!!   I have messaged you ;) 

WEEK 2 - PUZZLE BOX BLOCKS

So now, let's get to more blocks!!!   It's the second week of making blocks for the Fast & Fun Sampler Quilt Along and I am just so thrilled you are quilting along with me!!!  Just a reminder,  I am making 2 versions of the quilt, so I will be sharing two sets of blocks.    You only need to share one set ;)     You will need your copy of Fast & Fun Lap Quilts (which is available in both hard copy or e-book format)  for the piecing instructions as well as the Week 2 - Puzzle Box Block Pattern  supplemental directions for making your blocks ;)  This week we will be making 4 blocks from the Puzzle Box quilt!!!

To make your 4 Puzzle Box Blocks, you will be using directions from pages 52-57 in your book and the Week 2 - Puzzle Box Block Pattern  for supplemental directions.  

And take care when adding your sashing to do 2 sashed in one layout, and the remaining 2, rotating them 90 degrees before sashing ;)

WEEK 2 - SHARE YOUR BLOCKS

And just like that, you are done with Week 2!!  And now, you get to share your progress!!!   Lets see your week 2 Puzzle Box Blocks and enter to win prizes :)    Here's how:

If you use Facebook or Instagram  be sure and use the Hashtags #fastandfunsampler and #fastandfunsamplerqal  in your post. And you can tag me @happyquiltingmc as well, if you like ;)    

If you don't use social media, no worries.   Just email me a picture at happyquiltingmelissa@gmail.com and I will post a picture for your with the hashtags included so you will be eligible for prizes as well.  

WEEK 2 - PRIZES

 And just a reminder, everyone that finishes their quilt top between May 24th - June 7th will be eligible to win one of three amazing Grand Prizes of  $75.00 Gift Certificates to Fat Quarter Shop!!!  Thank you to Fat Quarter Shop for these generous grand prizes to help keep us all motivated to keep up!! 

   

And just to keep you motivated each week, we also have a giveaway for everyone who finishes their Puzzle Box Blocks!!!   This week, you can win this not yet released, Christmas Eve Layer Cake from Lella Boutique for Moda!!!  Olie and Evie is sponsoring this giveaway and I thank them for helping to keep us motivated!!!  

To enter this giveaway, all you have to do is share your Puzzle Box Blocks with Hashtags #fastandfunsampler and #fastandfunsamplerqal  on  Facebook or Instagram or email me a picture of your blocks to happyquiltingmelissa@gmail.com by April 18th at midnight.     I will share the winner at the beginning of next weeks QAL post :)  
                           

And that is it for Week 2 of the Fast & Fun Sampler Quilt Along!!!  I can't wait to see your Puzzle Box blocks.   And of course, if you have any questions at all, don't hesitate to leave them in the comments below, or email me at happyquiltingmelissa@gmail.com

I hope you all have lots of Happy Quilting times as you Quilt Along for Week 2 :)  

Fast & Fun Sampler Quilt Along - Week 3

 **  NOTE  - This post is part of a series of posts for the Fast & Fun Sampler Quilt Along.  If you would like to join (and have a chance to win some fun prizes ) you can find a list of the post links here :)  Here is the schedule

Introduction and Details

Dash and Diamond Blocks 

Puzzle Box Blocks

April 19th - Treasured Blocks - You are Here

April 26th - Jacks Blocks

May 3 - Dutch Days and Three O Blocks

May 10 - Aurora Block and Key Blocks

May 17th - Merry-Go-Round Blocks

May 24th - Putting it All Together

June 7th - Parade of Finishes

But before we get to Week 3 . . . we need to pick the Week 2 Winner of the Christmas Eve Layer Cake By Lella Boutique from  Olie and Evie .   And the winner is   . . .  lizahorgan!!!!   I have messaged you.

WEEK 3 - TREASURED BLOCKS

So now, let's get to more blocks!!!   It's the third week of making blocks for the Fast & Fun Sampler Quilt Along and it is just so fun to see all of your blocks so far!!!  Just a reminder,  I am making sharing two sets of blocks, but you only need to share one set ;)     You will need your copy of Fast & Fun Lap Quilts (which is available in both hard copy or e-book format)  for the piecing instructions as well as the Week 3 - Treasured Block Pattern  supplemental directions for making your blocks ;)  This week we will be making 4 blocks from the Treasured quilt!!!

To make your 4 Treasured Blocks, you will be using directions from pages 58-63 in your book and the Week 3 - Treasured Block Pattern  for supplemental directions.  

And take care to pay attention to the pressing directions so that your angled seams will nest, it makes it so much easier to get pretty points that way ;)

WEEK 3 - SHARE YOUR BLOCKS

And just like that, you are done with Week 3!!  And now, you get to share your progress!!!   Lets see your week 3 Treasured Blocks and enter to win prizes :)    Here's how:

If you use Facebook or Instagram  be sure and use the Hashtags #fastandfunsampler and #fastandfunsamplerqal  in your post. And you can tag me @happyquiltingmc as well, if you like ;)    

If you don't use social media, no worries.   Just email me a picture at happyquiltingmelissa@gmail.com and I will post a picture for your with the hashtags included so you will be eligible for prizes as well.  

WEEK 3 - PRIZES

 Of course, everyone that finishes their quilt top between May 24th - June 7th will be eligible to win one of three amazing Grand Prizes of  $75.00 Gift Certificates to Fat Quarter Shop!!!  Thank you to Fat Quarter Shop for these generous grand prizes to help keep us all motivated to keep up!! 

   

But for this week, we also have a giveaway for everyone who finishes their Treasured Box Blocks!!!   This week, you can win this beautiful Betsy's Sewing Kit 10" Precut!!  Poppie Cotton is sponsoring this giveaway and I thank them for helping to keep us motivated!!!  

To enter this giveaway, all you have to do is share your Treasured Blocks with Hashtags #fastandfunsampler and #fastandfunsamplerqal  on  Facebook or Instagram or email me a picture of your blocks to happyquiltingmelissa@gmail.com by April 25th at midnight.     I will share the winner at the beginning of next weeks QAL post :)  
                           

And that is it for Week 3 of the Fast & Fun Sampler Quilt Along!!!  I can't wait to see your Treasured blocks.   And of course, if you have any questions at all, don't hesitate to leave them in the comments below, or email me at happyquiltingmelissa@gmail.com

I hope you all have lots of Happy Quilting times as you Quilt Along for Week 3 :)