Friday, December 11, 2020

Charming Baby Quilts Remix - To the Moon

 Another Friday and another Charming Baby Remix!!!  This is quilt 6 of my Charming Baby Quilts Remix's and I am so excited to share it.  I am hoping to get all 10 shared by the end of the year!!!!   And here it is . . . the To the Moon Remix quilt!!!!

Isn't this just so fun!!!!  This is probably the most "novelty" design in the book, and I really was going for less of a baby feel with it ;)   I remixed the original design by simply adding more blocks to make it a large lap quilt, perfect for tweens wanting to curl up with their favorite story.   This To the Moon remix quilt finishes at 60" x 84".      And it just the exact same to piece as the original, just more blocks :)  (Pattern Adjustment's here)  




And speaking of the original, here is my To the Moon quilt from Charming Baby Quilts.   This is such a great baby quilt and these little rockets are just so fun blasting off.   It will just be great in whatever size you make it, perfect for the space enthusiast in your life!!!



For this To the Moon remix, I used 4 Golden Hour Charm Packs by Alexia Abegg for Ruby Star Society.   I just love it and really think this fabric was perfect for giving it that more Tween to Teen feel!!!!   And I love the Speckled Metallic Basic background and binding!!!   I used Soft Blue for the background and Navy for the binding and I just love how all of those metallic speckles just make it look as if these rockets were in outer space.  So great!!! All of these  amazing fabrics arrive this month in shops, so keep an eye out for them :)  


And when it came time to quilt it, I decided I on all over fireworks.  I just kept thinking 3, 2, 1, Lift Off while I was quilting away ;)   I think it was a great pairing for this outer space quilt.   And can I just say, I am still totally loving the new Long Arm!!!  This is a design that I totally would have timed out the old machine and gone beyond the stitch regulator, but the new Infinity had no trouble keeping up :)  I just so love that!!!  


And now they could totally just be shooting stars or asteroid fields, or whatever other fun bursts happen in space!!!   And I love that it only continued to add to the whole tween feel I was going for.   Even my 14th year old said "cool mom" which is a lot coming from a 14 year old boy :)


So do you want to make your own Charming Baby Remix To the Moon quilt??  Just download this free  PDF To the Moon Remix Instructions  document.  You will need a copy of my Charming Baby Quilts book to make the Remix as the download just includes the alternations and not the complete instructions.  You use the book and the download together ;)


And that is my To the Moon Remix quilt!!!  I hope you love it just as much as I do and want to make one of your own, either in the large lap size or baby size ;)  And if you do,  I would love to see it!!  You can email me a picture at happyquiltingmelissa@gmail.com or post it to social media with the hashtag #happyquiltingwithmc and/or #charmingbabyquilts ;)  I can't wait to see your To the Moon Quilts!!!

And for easy reference. . . This To the Moon Charming Baby Quilt has been added to my Charming Baby Quilts, All the Quilts, All the Details post ;)  It's a great place to bookmark to see everything Charming Baby Quilts all in one place!!

Only 4 more Charming Baby Quilt Remixes to go, so be sure to pop back in soon.  

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

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Thursday, December 10, 2020

Blooming Flower Girl Finish!!!

Now that was a fast and fun finish!!!!  Remember me posting last week about the Blooming Flower Girls Sew-Along . . . Well, here is my Blooming Flower Girl Baby Quilt!!!  


And I have to say, this was just the perfect project for this week.   It has been a real up and down week and this has been a grounding project through it all.  I am just so grateful to Susan Ache, Moda, and Camille Roskelley for coming up with this!!!!    It was so easy to make, and I just loved pairing all of the prints and colors.   


And I think shrinking the block down turned out so adorable!!!   I just think everything small is just so cute :)    As you might recall, I decided to make a baby quilt instead of the larger block in the original Flower Girl Pattern by Thimble Blossoms.  And I know a lot of you are asking for the "quilty math", so without giving away the pattern, I used a 3" square and decided to keep the same size small square as I wanted to have a more "pointy" stem (but you could always shrink that if you choose).  Oh, and the center is 5 1/2".  


I used a Shine On Layer Cake and cut 16 pieces for the Petals, 16 pieces for the Centers, and 8 pieces for the stems.   It worked out just perfect and I just love it!!!   I think a big key when pairing up the fabrics was to use the bigger scale prints in the centers and the smaller scale prints in the petals.   And then of course, pairing with lots of contrast .  


When it came time to quilt it, I decided on all over swirls, curls, and echoed paisleys.   I did them in a relatively small scale and I just love all of the wonderful texture it adds to the quilt!!!  It really just a a floral sweeping feel to it ;)


And that is my Blooming Flower Girl Baby Quilt!!!  You can find more details about this  fun little sew-along here.  And trust me, you can whip one of these up in no time.  It really is the perfect project for December!!! 


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


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Tuesday, December 8, 2020

Terrific Tuesday Giveaway Day!!

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

First, we need to announce the winner from last Terrific Tuesday Giveaway!!  
The winner of the $50 Gift Certificate from Fat Quarter Shop is . . .   Number #379  . . . Congrats kerowland79!!  I have messaged you :)    

    


And on to today's

Today's Terrific Tuesday Giveaway is being sponsored by Shabby Fabrics!!   Shabby Fabrics has an amazing selection of Fabrics and  so many cute BOM's and Clubs!!!  And don't forget, Shabby Fabrics  also has an amazing  Clearance Section, you are sure to find some amazing deals :) 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 wanting!!!  


You have two entry chances here on the blog, 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 time is your Bedtime??  (I am 10:00 on the dot :)

 ENTRY 2 - Show your Shabby Fabrics love. You can follow them on FacebookTwitterYou TubePinterest, 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 15th, when I will announce a winner at the beginning of next weeks Terrific Tuesday Giveaway Post :)

You can also pop over to my Instagram and/or Facebook to enter there as well :)  

Good Luck and Have a Happy Quilting Day!!!
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Thursday, December 3, 2020

Blooming Flower Girl Sew-Along

So I really don't need another project, but there is a story as to how this one started so it has some logical reasoning ;)   I have had a cold for 3 days now, and you know how sometimes when you feel sick you just need a pick-me up.   We'll yesterday while I was lying in bed surfing my phone I saw the Blooming Flower Girl Sew-Along and it just made me so happy.   I immediately started thinking of fabrics that would be so cute ;)  So I climbed out of bed, and went down to my sewing room to start sifting through some fabrics.   And I found this beautiful Shine On Layer Cake!!! 


It was perfect!!!  But then I realized, this quilt is actually Fat Quarter friendly, and here I am with a Layer Cake.  Nothing that a little block shrinking won't take care of, right ;)  I figured out I could make 10" blocks with the Layer Cake and it would make the cutest baby quilt!!!   So off to EQ8 to let the fun of picking colors begin.   Isn't that going to be just so cute!!!!
And I still had enough energy at this point to start cutting out the project.   That mean's no going back now!!!!   So now I am ready for a total day of chain piecing!!!


But I couldn't help but make one block real quick just to see how cute and tiny they would come out looking.  Isn't that just so adorable!!!    Now, I can't wait to get all of the blocks made :)  Nothing like a happy new project to get me out of the stuffy head doldrums!!    I really am Happy Quilting!!!!


And if you want to join in, pop over here for all the details on this fun little sew-along.

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


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Wednesday, December 2, 2020

Texas Monthly - Month 3

 Its December (how did that happen??) and that means another block for the Texas Monthly Block of the Month program!   This BOM is hosted by Stitchin' Heaven  and I am thrilled to share tutorials for the blocks each month.  

Month 3 is more Paper Piecing!  And now that you have the basics down from last month, this will be great.   So get your fabrics pressed and grab your  Add a Quarter Ruler, straight edge, rotary cutter, seam ripper, and thread scissors.  And if you still haven't made last month's blocks, you can see all the basics for Paper Piecing in this tutorial I shared,  and you can also get a lot from the book, Learn to Paper Piece book by Nancy Mahoney.  So let's get piecing!!!  




Some Quick Tips

Like I said, you have all of the basics of Paper Piecing down from last month.  There are just a few things you want to take note of for this month as we are making repeat block sections.  So make sure when you copy your patterns, that you copy 4 patterns for all of the designs except the center block of the Lukenbach block.   And when you cut your fabrics, you will be instructed to cut enough for 4times.


And the great thing about making the same design mutliple times . . . it makes it easy to assembly line produce your paper piecing which speeds things up a bit and also means less thread waste.  So when you start, you will want to align your piece 1 on all 4 pattern pieces.  (If you can keep your pieces straight, you can do it for 8 or 12 patterns . . . but I liked doing 4 at a time)  


When you are ready to stitch your first seams, you can chain stitch.  So rather than cutting the thread between each piece, just lift your foot and pull and then start stitching on the next piece.


And you guessed it, same goes for pressing.  Every step you do, you just do it times 4 (or 8 or 12 if you are super awesome!!)   I found that I got into a rhythm much faster with these repeat pieces.  It was very enjoyable and once I figured out lining it up on one piece, I could just do the same for the other 3 :)


And one final note, occasionally, things might need a little ripping :)  The first 2 pieces I stitched on the Amarillo by Morning Block (trust me, that one is worth checking with the pin before stitching, the angle is super sharp) I had to rip twice, and the paper separated.  If this happens, simply put a piece of clear tape on the seam line and then stitch through that.   It is a great little fix :) 


And one final note . . . Paper Piecing is a whole lot of fun, and very precise, but these blocks are complex.  When you follow the next steps on putting the block together, just remember, it is all about having fun.   If you are a perfectionist and like every point matching perfectly, I recommend pinning a lot and being okay with a little ripping and adjusting.   And if you aren't, no worries, If your blocks make you happy (even with a 1/8" off points) than that is all that matters!   You will note, my second block is not precisely perfect, but I am happy with that.  I am just happy it is done, remember, I am learning paper piecing right along with you all :)  

So with that, let's get going on Piecing the Blocks!!!

The Lukenbach Block


First up is the Lukenbach Block.   You need to Paper Piece 1 Center Unit, 4 Corner Units, and 4 Point Units.  Again, if you need a basic tutorial on paper piecing, see last month's post ;) 


Trim your units to 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" using the dotted outer line and layout all 9 units in a nine patch as shown.


And now, finishing the block is just like sewing a nine patch, only you want to align and pin a whole bunch more.   Place the units in the middle column onto the units in the left hand column with right sides together.  Align the seams and pin.  On the center seam, where the point of the step meets the point of the center diamond, I find it helpful to use this little Pin Trick to align the points perfectly.   Once you are aligned and pinned, sew a 1/4" seam along the pinned edges.


Now, repeat for the right hand column.  Place the units in the right hand column onto the units in the middle column with right sides together.  Align and pin the seams using the Pin Trick and then sew a 1/4" seam along the pinned edges.


Press all of the seams open.  And now you can sew the rows together.


Place the top row onto the middle row.  Again, align and pin the seams, especially the center point, and the unit seams.   Sew a 1/4" seam along the pinned edges.   And then repeat for the bottom row adding it to the center row.  Press the seams open. 


Now the fun part, time to remove all of the paper.  I like to watch a movie when I do this, most often a chick flick like Pride and Prejudice or North and South :)


Now, all that is left is to add the border.  Layout your 4 border strips around your block as shown with the shorter strips along the top and bottom of the block.


Place the top and bottom strip onto the block with right sides together, aligning and pinning the edge.  Sew a 1/4" seam along the pinned edge.


And a helpful hint here, when sewing that 1/4" seam, I like to sew from the back.  This allows me to see all of the the Fabric V's and Thread X's.   If you sew along the tip of the fabric V and the center of the thread X, you will bet perfect points along the edge of your block.


Press the seams outwards towards the bakcground strips.  Then repeat for the two side background strips . . .  aligning, pinning, sewing a 1/4" seam and pressing outwards. 


And just like that . . . you have a beautiful Lukenbach Block!!!  It should measure approximately         14 1/2" x 14 1/2".   Isn't it just so pretty!



And that means it's time to move on to the


The Amarillo by Morning Block


You need to Paper Piece 4 Section A units, and 4 Section B units.  And just for reference,  if you need a basic tutorial on paper piecing, see last month's post ;) 


Trim your units into triangles using the dotted outer line and layout all 8 units as shown.  We will be sewing the triangles together into squares to make 4 quadrants.


To do this, Place two triangles with right sides together.  Align and pin the seams.  Sew a 1/4" seam along the pinned edge.   Then press the seam open.   I forgot to in the pictures, but it is much easier if you trim the dog ears from the block at this point.  Repeat this for all 4 quadrants.  I still like doing assembly line fashion here, so I pin all 4, chain stitch, and then press all 4.  


You will now be sewing a 4 patch together.    And again, I want to point out that if your seams aren't perfect and it is going to bother you, unpick, realign, and stitch again.  If they aren't perfect and it isn't going to bother you, be happy and move on ;)


Now it is just like sewing a 4 patch, only again, more aligning and pinning.   Place the units in the right hand column onto the units in the left hand column with right sides together.   Align and pin the seams.   Sew a 1/4" seam along the pinned edge. 


  Press the seams open.  And all that is left is to sew the two rows together.


Place the top row onto the bottom row with right sides together.  Align and pin the seams, especially the center point,, it is perfect for the pin trick.     Sew a 1/4" seam along the pinned edge.   Press the seam open. 


And once again, it is time to remove the paper.   You can save the movie until you have finished piecing both blocks and really enjoy it ;)


Now, all that is left is to add the border.  Layout your 4 border strips around your block as shown with the shorter strips along the top and bottom of the block.  Use the same directions from the first block to add the border to this block.  


And just like that . . . you have a beautiful Amarillo by Morning Block!  It should measure approximately 14 1/2" x 14 1/2".   And I just love this happy purple block!  (In case you didn't know, purple is my favorite color ;) 


And that is it for Texas Monthly, Month 3 :)

If you have any questions on this tutorial, please don't hesitate to email me at happyquiltingmelissa@gmail.com or leave a comment.  

Hope y'all enjoy making this month's blocks!  Just remember, have fun with it!

 Looking forward to Next Month!

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