Layer Cake Checkmate Quilt

I am so excited to be sharing another quilt from the Shortcut Quilt Series from Fat Quarter Shop.  This one is called Layer Cake Checkmate and it is so much fun!!!!  Don't you just love those happy bright 4 patches among the neutral squares :)  I just can't get enough of how much they pop!!!!  

Layer Cake Checkmate is a free pattern from the Fat Quarter Shop that can be found over at the Jolly Jabber ;)   It is super easy to follow and goes together in no time !!!   (And Fat Quarter Shop just might have their Layer Cakes on sale to celebrate it's release, just sayin :)  

For my Layer Cake Checkmate Quilt I used 2 layer cakes from the amazing Jen Kingwell ;)  The Four Patches are made from the bright happy polka dot prints of Just a Speck and the beautiful neutral background squares are from a Behind the Scenes layer cake.  I just love how perfectly the two play together ;)

I absolutely love the simplicity of this quilt and how you can add that punch of bold colors in it.  The quilt is so fun and easy to make, I had the top sewn together in no time at all.   I think it will be one of those fabulous "go-to" designs when you are in a pinch for a quick wedding gift :)   Wouldn't this just be so perfect for a new couple to use as a picnic quilt or to lay in the sun reading a good book.     Love it!!!!

And of course, Kimberly has made a wonderful Checkmate Quilt video to go along with the pattern.  She walks you through each step of putting the quilt together and shares some fun little tidbits along the way ;) 

I had so much fun when it came time quilt this.   I tried something new in the background squares.  I always love grid quilting, but I thought it would be extra fun to make wavy grid quilting.  And you know, I love, love, love it!!!!  I can't wait to do it again.  So fun, fast, and I love the overall effect!!!

And in the colored 4 Patches, I quilted my little wavy arch repeated.  It is a little hard to see, but I just love the movement and the secondary design created in the center of the 4 Patch.   This is becoming a favorite way to quilt clusters of squares  ;)

And I think my favorite thing about that wavy grid is the awesome texture!!!   Eeekk, I am so loving it!!!!  I just want to keep brushing my hands across the quilt top to feel all of that quilty goodness.

And you might have noticed, I didn't add my border, mainly because I couldn't decide what fabric to use for a border, but It looks great with or without a border :)    I just can't get over how happy and bright this quilt turned out, just makes me smile!!!

And to see how lots of other wonderful Layer Cake Checkmate Quilts turned out, you can pop on over to these fellow bloggers ;)  Guaranteed to be some happy eye candy!!!

Peta from She Quilts a Lot

Melanie from Mostly Crafty

Connie from Freemotion by the River

Melissa from Happy Quilting  (your here :)

Heidi from Buttons & Butterflies

Amanda from Jedi Craft Girl

Tina from Emily Ann's Kloset

Sherri M. from A Quilting Life

Andy from A Bright Corner

Anorina from Samelia's Mum

Sherri F. from This & That Patterns

Brooke from Silly Mama Quilts

And that's my Layer Cake Checkmate Quilt and I can't wait to make a second, third, and fourth one.  They are just so much fun!!!!  

Thanks for popping in today and I hope you love my Layer Cake Checkmate just as much as I do and plan on making your own ;)

Be sure to check back soon as I have another post planned for today ;)  Yup, it's a Double Happy Quilting Day today!!!!!

Terrific Tuesday Giveaway Day!!!

It's Terrific Tuesday Giveaway Day!!!  Let's have some fun!!!!

First, we need to announce the winner from last weeks Terrific Tuesday Giveaway!!   The winner of the 3 Happy Quilting PDF Patterns is . . .   Number #191 . . . Congrats  Lindsay Rodems!!! I have emailed you :)    

  

    

And on to today's

Today's Terrific Tuesday Giveaway is being sponsored by Ollie and Evie.  Rhonda has an adorable Etsy shop packed with wonderful pre-cuts and beautiful yardage!!!  And be sure to check out the  Clearance Section as well for amazing deals, like as in $5.00 a yard!!!!   Rhonda has also recently made some adorable Custom Holiday Bundles that you will want to check out.  So fun!!!

And for this weeks Terrific Tuesday Giveaway, one lucky reader will win a gorgeous Fat Eighth Bundle of Playground by Amy Sinibaldi for Art Gallery Fabrics. These prints are so precious and I absolutely love the mixture of colors!!!  Just adorable ;)  

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 was (or is) you favorite piece of equipment to play on at the Playground ;)  For me, I was always a fan of the Monkey Bars :)   

 ENTRY 2 - Show your Olie and Evie love.   You can follow them on  Facebook, at their blog, or Favorite their Shop, 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, August 9th when I will announce a winner at the beginning of next weeks Terrific Tuesday Giveaway Post :)

Good Luck and Have a Happy Quilting Day!!!

It's August and Incredibly Happy Mail

Wow, I really can not believe it is August 1st today.   I have to say, July was about as crazy as they come in our house.  We had 2 Family Reunions, a Week Long Scout Camp, and 5 days at Girls Camp.  Honestly, I spent more days away from home in July then I did at home (quite a few more ;)  And while I loved every minute spent with family, you can guess that there hasn't been a whole ton of sewing time and yes, it might have been causing a little anxiety to get back to my sewing room and machine.  So I can not being to express my delight when I checked the mail Saturday afternoon and found this adorable Mini!!!!!

Nicole is participating in the Summer Solstice Quilt Along and made this fantastic mini for me as a thank you for helping her along with her project ;)  Isn't that just so incredibly nice!!!!  She represented each of my 5 children, and even have them in age order.  So cute!!!!

Thank you so much Nicole!!!!  This was just such a wonderful surprise and could not have come at a better time :)  Suddenly deadlines didn't seem quite so stressful when I remembered how amazing quilters are and how incredibly grateful I am to be a part of them!!!!

Nicole, You have certainly made my day a Happy Quilting one and I hope that each of you are having a Happy Quilting Day as well!!!

Splendid Sampler Saturday!!!

Time for another Splendid Sampler Saturday!!!  I am just loving this project, it is so fun to get to step away from everything and enjoy playing with new techniques each Saturday ;)  So let's see the blocks!!

First up, the Swirl Time block designed by Sarah J Maxwell.  I always love coming back to some simple piecing :)  It is just so fun to play with points and I loved how this one came together.   The movement is just so great!

Second is the Circle of Love block designed by Geta Gamma.  This one was some serious applique work and I absolutely love it!!!  The design is just so fun, and I really liked doing it in a basic 2-tone using the pinks and reds ;)   And I know it's crazy, but I really do enjoy secure stitching my applique, I just find it so relaxing ;) 

And finally, the Whim block designed by Faith Jones.  This was a paper piecing block, and I have to say, it was so nice to do some very easy paper piecing.  It went together in no time flat, and I just love that there is no rhyme or reason to it, it is just fun and whimsical :)

I am just so excited about all of these fun blocks!!!  I can't wait to see this one all come together ;)

Ruby Jubilee Progress :)

So do you remember how I was "working on" a Ruby Jubilee version of my Braided Irish Chain Pattern??  Well I haven't shared much since I cut up all my 2 patches.   I actually made up the 4-patches sometime around April, but forgot to share them.  (sorry about that)   And I just saw them all sitting on my desk a few weeks ago and decided, it was time for some progress, Yippee!!!

And I am super happy, that the progress really multiplied as I have been squeaking these in among other projects.  And before you knew it, I had finished up all of my "small blocks".

These were a whole lot of chain stitching and oh so much fun to piece!!!   I just love how fast they go together once you have all of the 4-patches done ;)

And now all I have to do is turn the "small blocks" into "big blocks" and then it's just sewing them into a giant 9-patch for the quilt top!!!

I can't wait to get this one all finished up.    I am just loving how classic it is going to be in just red and white!!!!  So fun!!!   And here is hoping that it won't take quite so long to share the finish as it did the progress ;)  

I hope you all have a Happy Quilting weekend!!!