Jacks- Fast & Fun Lap Quilts

 It's Week 7 of my Fast & Fun Lap Quilts Book Tour and today I am sharing a second version of the Jacks quilt! And this week, it is all about scrappy!!! And you know, I love nothing better than a scrappy rainbow of blocks ;)

For this version of Jacks, I was really trying to show how even if you aren't using Layer Cake pieces, you can always have fun playing in your scraps!!!   Scrap quilts can often be overwhelming in balancing color, which is why my favorite kind is to pick a color for each block.  The easiest way to start is to grab twenty 2 1/2" squares of varying colors and lay them out in the "color order" you want your quilt to be in.  From there, simply sort though your scraps and add a scrap to whichever 2 1/2" square it matches best.  Don't overthink it to much, as long as it is in the same realm of color, it will look awesome :) I mean, how can you not just love a scrappy rainbow :) 

And using a dark background and white cornerstones just made all of those happy colors pop!!!  I used white scraps for the cornerstones, and the background is Lead Grunge.  It is an all time favorite for rainbow quilts.  The dark grey is just so lovely, but it still has whisps of light grey to keep it fun and add texture. And don't you just love the scrappy binding, I matched the binding color to the block color!!   There is a tutorial here on how I do that, just in case you want to do the same ;)  Jacks finishes at 62 1/2" x 77 1/2" so it is a great size to cuddle up in, and your toes will still be covered ;)   

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 Jacks quilt, I quilted all over paisleys.   It is such a fun design to quilt and I even have a video tutorial of how I quilt that design here.   And for dark grey backgrounds and happy light prints, I am all about a medium grey thread to blend with it all ;)  

And that is another Jacks quilt, the seventh 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 Jacks 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 Melanie's Fast & Fun Lap Quilts Giveaway for a beautiful Dwell Layer Cake that you can use to make your own gorgeous Jacks quilt like Melanie's, be sure and pop on over and enter.  

I hope you all have a very Happy Quilting Day! 

Jacks - Fast & Fun Lap Quilts Book Tour

 It's Week 7 of my Fast & Fun Lap Quilts Book Tour and today I am sharing the Jacks quilt! This quilt is the cover quilt on the book and I just love it.  This is probably the last "fast" of all the quilts in the book, but it can still be whipped up with lots and lots of chain stitching ;)  There are some more no -waste lattice units and a whole bunch of stitch and flip corners.  And you have to love the scrappy binding to finish it all off, so cute!!!

Here is the introduction I wrote about Jacks in the Fast & Fun Lap Quilts Book.  "When I was a child, whenever we had recess indoors at school I always wanted to play jacks.  It was the best.  Designing this quilt brought back many fun memories of playing my favorite game.  I hope it will for you as well.  Jacks is made of a lot of tiny stitch-and-flip squares, but don't be overwhelmed.  They're fast to finish with chain piecing, and the result is a great quilt to snuggle up in."

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 Jacks quilt.  Cutting out quilts is actually one of my favorite parts of making a quilt.  I know, kind of crazy, but I just really enjoy it.   And some of the reason I so enjoy it is because I can do it super fast.  Below is a tidbit on how I cut so many squares so quickly, hopefully it will help you speed up your cutting as well  :)

Jacks was made using Paisley Rose fabrics by Crystal Manning 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 40 of the 10" squares for this quilt so you really use up just about every last piece.  This quilt finishes at 62 1/2" x 77 1/2", making it a perfect lap size quilt for snuggling up in.    

I had so much fun custom quilting each of the quilts in Fast & Fun Lap Quilts .  For this Jacks quilt, I quilted little loop d loops in the main part of the background and echoed the center "star" of the block with pebbles.  Then I quilted wishbones on the spokes and left the center unquilted so it would pop.  a I used 402 So Fine thread to blend perfectly into the white background and all of the prints.   I know, your shocked right :) 

And that is my Jacks quilt, the seventh 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 Jacks 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 a Jacks Quilt, my good friend,  Melanie Call has made up her own Jacks Quilt using Dwell Fabrics by Camille Roskelly for Moda.    She used Chambray Grey on the background and I just love the way it makes all of those beautiful colors from Dwell just sing!!  Didn't Melanie's quilt just turn out amazing!!!   It is an absolutely stunning finish!!    You can see all the details at Melanie's Instagram, ABitofScrapStuff. 

And while you are visiting Melanie at ABitofScrapStuff, be sure to enter her giveaway. She is sharing a Dwell Layer Cake with a Happy Quilting Reader so you can make a Jacks quilt just like Melanie's!!!  How fun is that, You can enter the giveaway at her Instagram.

And that is it for today, thanks for popping in for Week 7 of the Fast & Fun Lap Quilts book!

I am just so happy to share this Jacks quilt and be sure to pop back in on Friday when I will share a second version of the quilt.  

I hope you all have a very Happy Quilting Day! 

Diamond Dash - Fast & Fun Lap Quilts

  It's Week 3 of my Fast & Fun Lap Quilts Book Tour and today I am sharing a second version of the Diamond Dash quilt! It's always fun to see how different a quilt can look by changing things up the fabrics.    

 For this version of Diamond Dash, I decided on a monochromatic theme.  My goal with this version was to show how fun it can be to choose one color in all it's hues along with white, and make a stunning statement quilt.   And I even used a Chambray in Denim for the background.  I love all of the added texture it gives to the quilt, and it really makes it feel like a great picnic quilt as it has a little more weight to it ;) 

This version of Diamond Dash was made using Nantucket Summer fabrics by Camille for Moda Fabrics.  All the quilts in Fast and Fun Lap Quilts are made with 1 Layer Cake/10" Stacker and a background fabric.  Nantucket Summer was the perfect print for an monochromatic look as it has so many different shades of blue..  I just love how it turned out!  And of course, the scrappy binding is the perfect finish.   The quilt finishes at 64 1/2" x 64 1/2".  

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 Diamond Dash quilt, I quilted all over loose feathers.   This design is perfect for this quilt as it really plays nice in the negative space.   And the funny thing is, I quilted this the day after getting back from the quilting cruise, and let me tell you, when your body still feels like it is on a ship and you try to long arm, you are rocking and rolling all over the place :)

And that is another Diamond Dash 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 Keystone Corner 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 Amy's Fast & Fun Lap Quilts Giveaway for some beautiful Blue Jean fabric that you can use to make your own monochromatic Diamond Dash Quilt, be sure and pop on over and enter.  

I hope you all have a very Happy Quilting Day! 

Keystone Corners - Fast & Fun Lap Quilts

 It's Week 2 of my Fast & Fun Lap Quilts Book Tour and today I am sharing a second version of the Keystone Corners quilt! It's always fun to see how different a quilt can look by changing things up.    

 For this version of Keystones Corners, I decided on a neutral theme background.  My goal with this version was to show how amazing a neutral layout looks, they have truly become my recent favorite.  I used Black and White prints for the piecing and a nice Tan Linen background.  Yes, you don't always have to use cotton, Linen has such a pretty hand and gives another texture.   

This version of Keystone Corners was made using Flue Noire fabrics by My Mind's Eye for Riley Blake Designs.  All the quilts in Fast and Fun Lap Quilts are made with 1 Layer Cake/10" Stacker and a background fabric.  Fluer Noire was the perfect print for an all Neutral look.   I always love a good Black and White Line!  And of course, a black and white stripe binding is the perfect finish.   The quilt finishes at 60 1/2" x 60 1/2".  

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 Keystone Corners quilt, I quilted L and E across the quilt.   This design is perfect for this quilt, as the pieced squares being perfectly lined up help me keep the L and E lines nice and straight.   And 403 (a slightly darker thread than 402) was perfect for this tan lined background, just so fun! 

And that is another Keystone Corner quilt, the second 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 Keystone Corner 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 Kristina's Fast & Fun Lap Quilts Giveaway for some beautiful Nutmeg fabric that she used to make her own Keystone Corners Quilt, be sure and pop on over and enter.  

I hope you all have a very Happy Quilting Day! 

Jelly Sizzle Short Cut Quilts!!

 I am super excited today to share some more Short Cut Quilt finishes!!!  You all now how much I love to make the Short Cut Quilts so when Fat Quarter Shop asked if I wanted to make their latest Short Cut quilt called  Jelly Roll Sizzle, it was an absolute yes!!!    And how fun is this quilt!!   

Jelly Roll Sizzle goes together super fast and it comes in multiple size options.  This is the Twin Size, but there is also a crib, lap, and a queen size available.  And as you can tell by the name, it is Jelly Roll Friendly ;)  You can find the free pattern right here , grab a Jelly Roll, and get started right away!! 

 And you all know that I love to make quilts for my Alma Mater, SUU,  so a Modern Paper Jelly Roll   paired with lots and lots of red scraps from my stash were just perfect for this project!!!  And don't you just love the pop of the pinwheels!!!  I did them in solid Black as well as the binding, and it just looks so great on the scrappy background ;)  

When it came time to quilt it, I opted for some fun custom quilting!!  I quilted pebbles in the pinwheels and I love how the red thread just pops on them :0  Then I alternated between wishbone and ribbon candy on the stripes.   This quilt was oh so much fun to quilt!!  

And I had so much fun with the first, I couldn't stop and whipped up a Jelly Roll Sizzle quilt in the crib size!!  Isn't it just so cute ;)   I had this Junior Folktale Jelly Roll from my Sew Sampler Box and it had the perfect amount of strips for the crib size, so of course, it was totally meant to be!!  

And it turned out just so adorable!!!  And I used some Dear Stella Hearts that I had stashed away for the pinwheels and they just turned out oh so adorable ;)  Oh, and I have to say,   I totally love this size quilt for wrapping over baby in the car seat :)

And this one I quilted with an all over loose feather.   This design goes so fast, and with such a small quilt, I think I spent more time loading the quilt on the long arm then I did actually quilting it ;)  To funny!!!   But it came out just so soft and pretty!!!

And those are my Jelly Roll Sizzle quilts!!!   And I just have to say again how much I love, love, love Short Cut Quilts!!!     Thanks Fat Quarter Shop for another great one and be sure and watch the video tutorial for an easy step by step demonstration of making this quilt!!!     

    

Thanks for popping in today and sharing these finishes with me.   

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

Tutorial Throwback Thursday - The Basics!!!

Can you believe it, this is the last Thursday throwback!!!  Yup, we have been celebrating throwbacks for nearly a year ;)   Next week will be my 10 Year Anniversary of writting Happy Quilting and you will want to check back in for some super fun!!!   So I figured, since today was the last Thursday throwback , it might be best to start at the beginning :)  As in the Basics!!!  Yup, today isn't one tutorial throwback, but multiple tutorials sharing some of my favorite basics tutorials!!!

So let's get started with the Half Square Triangle!!!!  This is the most basic building blocks of your quilts, and is used in oh so many quilt designs.   I have no idea how many times I have shared tutorials for HST's on my blog, but this was the first Half Square Triangle tutorial ;)   It even goes over the math of how to make multiple sizes and the trimming with both square and rectangle rulers ;)  It is so useful.   And if you are making HST's with Scraps, you can see this Scrappy HST Tutorial.

Next up, my favorite way of making Flying Geese . . .  The No Waste Flying Geese Tutorial.  I love how quick and easy it is to make flying geese this way, and the fact that you don't have to waste anything is a super bonus.   Yes, it is a bit of a pain to cut squares at 3/8" or 7/8", (and you really have to cut them at that size, they don't work if you fudge up to 1/2" or 1") but it is totally worth it.   These go together fast making 4 at a time and you are sewing them all with squares, super fun and super easy!!!  And of course, the tutorial goes over the math of how to make all your Flying Geese, regardless of size, using this method.  

And did you know that I have Video Tutorials??  This one is throwing back 8 years but it is about as basic as it gets.   Finishing your quilt is something we all do with every quilt!!!  This Finishing Your Quilt Video Tutorial Series goes over Basting, Quilting, and Binding :)   These are super helpful if you are starting out learning how to bind, and machine quilt, and there are some more Machine Quilting Tutorials on my Video Page as well, just scroll down a bit ;)  And finally, I love to do my Binding by machine, as I am a horrible hand stitcher :)  And if you want to make a Custom Scrappy Binding to match your quilt, you can see this Custom Binding tutorial.   

And while we are talking Video's, I also have an Applique Basics Video Tutorial Series!!!! (just scroll bast the beginner basics :)     I love to do applique, and wanted to share how much easier it is than we initially think it is going to be.   It is such a great way to add a pop of fun to your quilts and really is fun and fast to do.   And when you are done with the basics, you can always move up to Complex Layered Applique using this Tutorial.  Now that is a pop of fun!!! 

And finally, One of my favorite tutorials on basics is how to incorporate Leaders and Enders into you quilting.    This is such a great way to basically make free bonus quilts!!!   I always have a stack of squares next to my machine and love that I never have to worry about wasting thread or having my machine come unthreaded with this method.   And it has made some amazing Bonus Quilts like this Postage Stamp, Irish Chain, and many more!!!

And those are some of my favorite Basic Tutorials that I use all the time!!!!    I hope you have enjoyed today's Tutorial Throwback Thursday and find some helpful tools in your quilting ;)    I have so enjoyed this year of Throwback Thursday's and how you have enjoyed it as well!!!   And as I said earlier, be sure to pop back in next Thursday for my 10 Year Anniversary Celebration!!!  

Happy Quilting!!!!

Goodness Grows - Sew Sampler BOM Finish!!!!

So if you have been following along with my Sew Sampler Box posts, you know that I have been working on Goodness Grows blocks.  These are a fun BOM that is an annual tradition with the Sew Sampler Box!!!     The first year of Sew Sampler was some fun HST blocks, that I finished up back here, and the second year was Basket Blocks, that I finished up here and the third year was Barn Blocks that I finished here.        Last month marked the 12th block for this years Goodness Grows blocks and I am thrilled to share my finished Goodness Grows Sew Sampler BOM Quilt!!!

 I have had so much fun making these Goodness Grows blocks!!!   I loved that each block was different and some even added in a little applique.   It really was great to just try something new with each blocks!!    Some months were super fast and easy, and other months were a little more intricate, adding lots of piecing variety to the mix.      And I love the finished block layout and adorable ribbon border!!!   What a super cute way to finish the quilt!!  

I used Corey Yoder's Sugarcreek fabric for my quilt.   I love the happy spring feel it has and it fits these Goodness Grows blocks just perfectly.   In fact, when I started the first block, my good friends at Fat Quarter Shop let me know they were making a Sugarcreek Goodness Grows quilt kit,  and my quilt became the sample for it.   So fun :)   And there are still a few Kit's left if you want to make a Goodness Grows quilt just like mine. 

When it came time to quilt it, I decided on an all over Curly Q design.   I love quilting sampler quilts with this design, it is a great way to add a lot of texture without taking away from each of the blocks.  And my favorite thread, 402 So Fine Pearl,  blended perfectly with all that white, and pretty much disappears on the prints.  Just perfect ;)  

And I love the green binding to offset the red ribbon border!!!!  It really is just the perfect touch at the end.   And isn't that backing fabric just gorgeous!!!  I just love Corey's fabrics, she is such an amazing designer ;)  And yes, you can even see my custom label.  I tell you what, that was one of the best things I ever bought.  I never labeled my quilts before, now I just sew in my tag while sewing the binding.  So easy and so cute!!! 

And that is my Goodness Grows quilt from the Sew Sampler BOM and I just love, love, love it!!!!  It finishes at 66" x 84" so it will make a great snuggle up quilt.  It most likely will be given away for a wedding and I think it would make just the cutest wedding present!!   Won't that just be fun ;)  

And now, I am anxiously awaiting to see what the 2020 BOM pattern will be for the Sew Sampler Box!!!  I just want to get going on Year 5, so exciting!!!   If you want to join in with me sewing, be sure and sign up for the Sew Sampler Box in the next few days as the first box of the BOM ships out around the 20th ;)  Ohhh, I just can't wait to see what we will be sewing this year!!!!

Star Surround Finish . . . Finally!!!!

Well, today is an exciting day because today I get to share my oldest Work in Progress all finished!!!  I can't think of a better way to start the year out then with a finish that has been waiting since Sept. 2013 to be completed!!!     So without further ado . . . Here is my Star Surround Quilt all quilted and bound and ready to be loved!!!! 

So, if you can't remember (because ya know, 5 years) Star Surround was my Annual Quilt Along that I hosted back in 2013.  We had nearly 100 folks quilt along and some amazing finishes, in fact, you can still see the Parade of Finishes over here!!!  And, if you want to make your own, just like all my Quilt Along's all the posts are still available.   Here is a quick link to each of the tutorials for making this quilt ;) 

Teaser Post
Schedule, Fabric Requirements, and Prizes
 Cutting
 Half Square Triangles
Flying Geese
Building Block Centers
Building Block Surround
Piecing Top and Grand Prize Linky
Parade and Grand Prizes

And so why so long to finish this quilt.   Truth, I'm not really sure.  It just kind of happened.   I finished my quilt top right along with everyone else's back in 2013 but then I had a deadline project so I didn't quilt it right away.   So I hung it in a closet since it was all pressed and ready (which I don't do anymore!!!) and sort of forgot about it in there.    Then two years ago, I was participating in some online prompt of pictures and it asked for your oldest WIP and I remembered this in the closet.   So I pulled it out, and put it on the "to be quilted ironing board" by the long arm.   But I was thinking it needed some major custom quilting, and I knew that would take a little bit, so other quilt tops kept being put on top of it, that would be faster.    And needless to say, it got buried for a while again. Until I finally decided, it was how I was going to start the new year, and it didn't matter how I finished it, just as long as I finished it!!! 

And I am so happy to have it done, because I just love it!!!  I always loved this design!!!  You all know how much I like to make star quilts, and I just loved the surround and the secondary designs it created.   And I made mine in the 96" x 96" big queen size, so now it can be used and loved ;)

So the quilting, like I said, I just wanted to finish it!!!  So I did an all over loose feather design, which is so fast and so fun to quilt!!  The whole time I was quilting it, I just kept thinking to myself, why did you wait so long for something that took 3 hours to do!!!   And I even had the binding all ready to go.  Yes, it has been sitting on a shelf for 5 years!!!  So it went right on after this came off the frames. 

And it just looks so awesome!!!  This pic cuts off three of the Stars, (it really is a big quilt!!!) but it is the best to show the actual design.   I love these big blocks, and it is just going to be a stunner on a bed :)   Know to just decide whose bed to put it on, tee hee hee.  

And that is my Star Surround Quilt Along Quilt!!!   And I am so, so, so happy with the finish!!!   And I want to say thank you to everyone that quilted along with me back then,  as well as to those that have participated in other Quilt Along's with me throughout the year.  It really is so much fun to sew with you all.   And I promise, I won't ever let one of these hang out this long again!!!  In fact, with this done, I only have 2 quilt tops waiting in the "to be quilted" pile, and that just makes me smile!!!

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

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