BOHO Heart Block of the Month - Month 4

  It's Month 4 with my good friends at Stitchin' Heaven  doing their BOHO Heart Monthly Block of the Month program and that means another month of fun tutorials!!

Month 1                Month 2               Month 3             Month 4            Month 5               Month 6

Month 7                Month 8               Month 9            Month 10           Month 11              Month 12

And since each month has Lots and Lots of Tutorials in them . . . Here is a list to jump right to the tutorial you need for this month 4:  

Square in a Square Blocks              Pinwheel Blocks                      Sawtooth Star Block

Flying Geese Block                        Spools of Thread Block            Simple Framed Square Block

                         Shoo Fly Block                               Grandmother's Flower Garden Block

                         Orange Peel Block                         Background Strips

Sewing Section 1                            Sewing Section 2                    Sewing Together Section 1 & 2

So you have your Month 4 BOHO Heart Packet . . .  Lets get started!!! 

We'll start with our first block, and this month we are making a whole set of the . . .

Square in a Square Block – 7 Blocks

From your Month #4, Square in a Square bag, cut the fabrics according to page 2 of the supplemental cutting list. 

  

Using the cut squares and the Square in a Square Block Directions from Month 1 make your 7 blocks.  Each of the Square in a Square Blocks measuring 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" unfinished. 

And now we can move onto another set of familiar blocks, the . . .

Pinwheel Block – 2 Blocks

From your Month #4, Pinwheel bag, cut the fabrics according to page 1 of the supplemental cutting list.    I cut my squares 3" instead of the 2.875" and will trim.   ** NOTE** You will see there was a small error in the cutting for the Pinwheel blocks as the yellow and white fabrics are 4" x 4" and should be 8" x 4".  Just replace them with a similar piece of fabric from your stash of scraps  ;) 

  

Using the cut squares and the Pinwheel Block Directions from Month 1 make your 2 blocks.  Each of the Pinwheel Blocks measuring 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" unfinished.  

And now we can move onto another familiar block with a slight variation, the . . .

Small Sawtooth Star Block

From your Month #4, Small Sawtooth Star bag, cut the fabrics according to page 1 of the supplemental cutting list. 

   

Using the cut squares and the Sawtooth Star Block Directions from Month 1 make your block.  Obviously, there are just a few alterations in the directions, they are made the same way, just smaller and you don't have to do a patchwork star center just use the center square you cut.   The Small Sawtooth Star Block should be measuring 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" unfinished. 

And now we can move onto a new block made with a familiar unit, the . . .

Flying Geese Block

From your Month #4, Flying Geese bag, cut the fabrics according to page 2 of the supplemental cutting list. 

 Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of all 4 Pink squares.   Place a Marked Square onto each of the 2 Burgundy Fabric rectangles with right sides together as shown and pin them in place.  Sew a seam directly on the drawn line.  Trim 1/4" over the stitched line and scrap the excess.   

Press the seam allowance upwards towards the Pink Triangles.  And now you can repeat for the second side of the 2 Units.   Place a remaining Marked Square on the other side of each of the 2 units with right sides together.  Stitch a seam directly on the drawn line, trim 1/4" over the seam line, and then press towards the Pink Triangles.  

Press the seam allowance towards the Pink Triangles.  And you have 4 perfect Flying Geese Units measuring 2 1/2" x 4 1/2" and again, these are one of those things you need to be very careful with if you decide to square them up.  Leave 1/4" seam allowance at the top point and ensure the two sides come to a point at the bottom.  Layout your 2 Flying Geese Units as shown.  

Place the top unit on to the bottom unit with right sides together.   Align and stitch a 1/4" seam along the edge, and when stitching, be sure to center through the center of the thread X so you get a nice crisp point.     Press the seam open.   

And just like that, you have a Flying Geese Block that should measure 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" unfinished.

And now we are moving on to another fun block that's perfect for quilters, the . . .

Spools of Thread Block

From your Month #4, Small Sawtooth Star bag, cut the fabrics according to page 1 of the supplemental cutting list. 

Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of all 4 Blue squares.   Place a Marked Square onto the top and bottom of each of the 2 Green Fabric rectangles with right sides together as shown, and take care to notice the direction of the lines.  Sew a seam directly on the drawn line.  Trim 1/4" over the stitched line and scrap the excess.   

Press the seam allowance outwards towards the Blue Triangles.  And now layout your remaining 3 rectangles as shown.  

Place the top and bottom rectangles onto the center rectangle with right sides together, aligning the raw edges.  Stich a 1/4" seam long both sides.  

Press the seam allowances outwards towards the Blue Rectangles.  

Place the left an right units onto the center unit with right sides together.   Align and stitch a 1/4" seam along the edge, and when stitching, be sure to keep the angles seams aligned.  You can use the pin trick to help with this :)   Press the seams open.   

And all that is left is to square up the block.  Trim a 1/4" from the top and bottom of the block so that it measures 4 1/2" x 4 1/2".  (oh, and side note - I didn't realize this had to be trimmed until I was putting it in the quilt, after I had already taken the finished pictures of the block, so that is why they are a little long in those pics :)  

And just like that, you have a Spool of Thread Block that should measure 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" unfinished.

And now we can move onto another familiar block with another size variation, the . . .

Simple Framed Square Block

 From your Month #4, Simple Framed Square bag, cut the fabrics according to page 2 of the supplemental cutting list.   

Using the cut pieces and the Mini Framed Square Block Directions from Month 2 make your block.  And again, it is made the same way, just on a larger scaled.  The Simple Framed Square Block should be measuring 6 1/2" x 6 1/2" unfinished.   

And now we can move onto another new block that is a classic, the . . .

Shoo Fly Block

From your Month #4, Shoo Fly Bag, cut the fabrics according to page 2 of the supplemental cutting list.   I cut my squares 3" instead of the 2.875" and will trim.     ** NOTE** One more small error in the cutting for this shoo fly block as your red floral piece is to small.  You can either pick a new fabric piece from your scrap stash or you can cut your two 3" squares from the sent piece, and add a new fabric piece for the 2 1/2" center square ;)  

Using the 3" Blue and Red Squares and the Half Square Triangle Directions from Month 1 make 4 Half Square Triangles and trim them to 2 1/2" x 2 1/2".  

Layout the 4 Half Square Triangle Units, 4 Side Blue squares, and 1 Red Center square as shown.  

Place the center column pieces onto the left hand pieces with right sides together.   Align and pin if desired.   Stitch a 1/4" seam along the edge of all the units. 

Then, place the left hand column pieces onto the center pieces with right sides together.   Align and pin if desired.   Stitch a 1/4" seam along the edge of all the units. 

Press the top and bottom row Inward towards the Blue squares.   Press the center row outwards towards the Blue squares. 

Place the Top Row onto the Center row with right sides together.   Align and pin/nest the seams.   Stitch a 1/4" seam along the pinned edge. 

And now, place the bottom row onto the center row with right sides together.   Align and pin/nest the seams.   Stitch a 1/4" seam along the pinned edge.   Press the last two seams open.  

And your Block is done and you have a Shoo Fly Block that should measure 6 1/2" x 6 1/2" unfinished.  

So now it is time to move on to a whole new skill of English Paper Piecing with the. . . 

Grandmother’s Flower Garden Block

****And Please Note*****  When I saw new skill, it truly is new, as in this is the first time I have ever done English Paper Piecing.  So I am no expert and I am already a horrible hand stitcher (seriously, my MIL puts on my bindings :)   .  I will share some things I learned along the way, but know I am still learning.  Also, I found this English Paper Piecing Video Tutorial on the Grandmother's Flower Garden block by Sherri McConnell to be very helpful ;)  

Okay, so here we go . . . 

From your Month #4, Grandmother's Flower Garden Bag, cut the fabrics according to page 1 of the supplemental cutting list.   Also, cut at least 7 stiff paper templates of the Hexagon shape.  And be sure when cutting out your Hexagon shapes from the fabric, that you add a 1/4" seam allowance to the template.  You can either make the template larger, or simply use your ruler to add a 1/4" when cutting like I show below.  

We will start by glue basting the fabric hexagon to the paper template.  Put a dab of applique glue, or just a regular glue stick, on the paper template.  Fold over the raw edge of the fabric and tack down.  Continue doing this all around the template.   And yes, my fingers got a little glue messy, but it got easier with each one. 

Take care to really keep the corners tight, and I found it helpful to use a little extra glue to tack down the excess fabric around the corners just to keep it out of the way.  

Continue this process for all 7 of your hexagons, 6 blue outside hexagons, and 1 yellow center hexagon.  Then at this point, it is time to grab your thread for some hand stitching fun.  And I used white, but after, I wished I would have used a blue that matched so you couldn't see me stitches as much, because again, I am a horrible hand stitcher ;)  

We will start by sewing each of the Outside hexagons to the Center hexagon.   Place an  Outside Hexagon and the Center Hexagon right sides together and align the raw edges.  And I found out from trial and error, it is really helpful to try and make sure the corners are lined up perfectly.   With the hexagons aligned, you want to do a simple whip stitch along the edge.  I tied a knot in my thread to start (don't know if that is right but it worked :)   Then loop through the 2 edges of the fabric, taking care to only catch the edge of the fabric and not the papers. 

Continue in this fashion across the entire edge.  Then, you can add a second hexagon.  Just place the second hexagon right side together with the center hexagon and let the first stitched on one just hang out.  Continue whipstitching until you have added all 6 side Hexagons to the center Hexagon.  

And now you should have a unit that looks something like this.  You can see where a few of my corners weren't quite as aligned making a little pucker.  Also, I wish I would have made my stitches a little tighter, so note that when stitching ;)   Now, it is time to sew the sides together.  This is done in the same fashion, only you have to start and stop after each section.  

Place two side heaxgons right sides together.  you will have to slightly bend the center paper to do this.  Again, Align the two sides and then whipstitch across the side, taking care to just catch the fabric edge and not the papers.  

When you need to tie off at the end, I found it easiest to simply make a whipstitch, and then feed my needle through the thread center before pulling it tight.  Again, not sure if that is correct, but it worked ;)  Continue whipstitching all 6 sides together.  

And again, you can see from the back, that some of my sides are not quite as tight as I would have liked, that was because my corners were not perfectly aligned.  But as long as it lays mostly flat, you will be okay ;)   Now, gently remove the papers from your hexagons.  I found the easiest way to do this was to run my needle between the fabric and paper along the edge to loosen the glue, and then pull gently. 

And now, you are ready to applique your English Paper Pieced Flower onto your background pink square.  Center the flower by folding the Pink flower in half twice and then aligning the flower in the center.   At this point, you want to secure stitch around the outside of your EPP Flower to the square.  You can choose to do this by machine, like with applique, or you can do it by hand with the same whipstitch.   Either way is great!!    (And please don't judge, but I didn't secure stitch mine as I planned on making an alternate block and was just making this for the tutorial and to try EPP.  I like everything matchy-matchy and if some of my blocks are raw edge applique, I want them all that way :)  

And just like that . . . you have a beautiful Grandmother's Flower Garden Block that should measure 6 1/2" x 6 1/2" Unfinished.   And who knows, maybe it's your first time English Paper Piecing too!!  If so, way to give it a try!!! 

And I mentioned an alternate block . . . I really like the look of my machine applique in the other blocks, so I decided to make this Grandmother's Flower Garden Block as a raw edge applique so it will match the rest of the applique blocks.   So if you have tried the EPP and didn't love it, (But truly, give it a try first, that's how we learn new things!!)   and want to do this block applique, here is what to do :)  

Trim your 7 hexagons to measure the exact same size as the paper template.  

Find the center of the Pink square by folding it in half twice.  Then use applique glue to glue the center hexagon to the center of the square.  Then glue a side hexagon to one side of the center hexagon. 

Continue in this fashion until you have glued all 6 of the side hexagons around the center hexagon.   And no worries, the applique glue dries clear.  

Now, simply secure stitch around all 7 hexagons with your favorite applique stitch.  I always love the blanket stitch, and be sure to stitch around both the inside and outside of the center.  I changed thread, using yellow and blue both.    But again, do this as a second option, give EPP a try first ;)  

And now, just one last block the . . . 

Orange Peel Block

From your Month #4, Orange Peel bag, cut the fabrics according to the page 1 supplemental cutting list.  Also, cut out your Mini Circle 1.5" Template and your Orange Peel Leaf Template.  Trace your circle template on to the wrong side of your bright yellow square and trace 4 leaf templates onto the wrong side of the light yellow fabric.   Then cut out your appliques.   

Fold your Grey Square in half twice and diagonally twice and finger press the creases.   Align the Petals on the diagonal creases so they meet at the center.   Dab some applique glue or just use a little glue stick to secure the Petal Appliques in place.  And don't stress to much about the center.  

Because now we are going to Glue Baste the Circle Applique over the Petal Appliques to the Center of the block.  

And all that is left is to secure stitch your applique to your block. Again, you can use your machine, hand stitching, or needle turn and pick the color thread and stitch you like.  I found it easiest to stitch around the 4 petals and then around the center, overlapping a bit between each petal ;)

Now, layout the appliqued center square and 4 Gold rectangles as shown below.  

Place the small rectangles onto the top and bottom of the center square with right sides together.   Align and stitch a 1/4" seam along the edges.   

 Press the seams outwards towards the Gold rectangles.   Place the longer rectangles onto the sides of the center square with right sides together.   Align and stitch a 1/4" seam along the edges.    Press the seams outwards towards the Gold rectangles.   

And your final block is done!!  The Orange Peel Block should measure 8 1/2" x 8 1/2" unfinished.  

And that means it is time to start putting all the blocks together, but first, we are going to need some more of those Low Volume Background strips!!

Cutting Background Strips

Start by pressing all of your Low Volume Background pieces.  I like to stack up 3 strips on top of one another, trim the selvages, and then cut as many 1 1/2" strips as I can.  If you cut super straight, you can get  2 strips from each fabric pieces.  

From the Low Volume Strips sent with your Month #4 package, cut the fabrics according to pages 4 of the supplemental cutting list.  

Just like Month 1, There is no right or wrong order to number your strips, you can do your low volume strips in any order you like.

Also, most importantly, once you have cut all the pieces from one fabric, take care to keep them together and marked with the Number of that vertical row/fabric.  You are cutting the strips for Month 4, 5 and 6 so you will be keeping these grouped and marked for some time.  

Background Strips for Grey Holes -  Here is what you need to cut and group with the fabrics above to continue "piecing" the Grey Holes  from the low volume strips like we did in Month 1-3.

Fabric 19 - (1) 1 1/2" x 2 1/2" and (1) 1 1/2" x 4 1/2"

Fabric 20 - (1) 1 1/2" x 2 1/2" and (1) 1 1/2" x 4 1/2"

Fabric 21 - (2) 1 1/2" x 2 1/2"

Fabric 22 - (2) 1 1/2" x 2 1/2"

Fabric 23 - (1) 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" and (2) 1 1/2" x 2 1/2"

Fabric 24 - (1) 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" and (2) 1 1/2" x 2 1/2"

Fabric 25 - (1) 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" 

Fabric 26 - (1) 1 1/2" x 1 1/2"

Fabric 27 - (1) 1 1/2" x 6 1/2"

Fabric 28 - (1) 1 1/2" x 6 1/2"

Grey Holes VS Gold Fillers -  And Finally, some of the Grey Holes you will be sent the Gold filler fabrics for.  By now, you have most likely chosen if you want to use the Gold Fabrics, or continue piecing the fillers.  If you want to continue piecing the fillers, you will need to add the following to your first group of background strips. 

Fabric 25 - (1) 1 1/2" x 2 1/2"

Fabric 26 - (1) 1 1/2" x 2 1/2"

Fabric 27 - (1) 1 1/2" x 2 1/2"

Fabric 28 - (1) 1 1/2" x 2 1/2"

Fabric 31 - (1) 1 1/2" x 2 1/2"

Fabric 32 - (1) 1 1/2" x 2 1/2"

Fabric 33 - (1) 1 1/2" x 2 1/2" and (1) 1 1/2" x 8 1/2"

Fabric 34 - (1) 1 1/2" x 2 1/2" and (1) 1 1/2"x 8 1/2"

And now with all your Background Pieces cut, you can start sewing together your . . . 

Sewing Section 1

We will start by sewing some Strip Sets together.   For all of these strip sets, press the seam allowance to the Larger Number fabric.   Also, I found it very helpful to leave my extra pieces of marked background fabric to the side of my piecing so it can be used as a guide. 

From Fabric 19, 20, 21, and 22 sew a 3 1/2" Strip Set together as shown.

From Fabric 23, 24, 25, and 26 sew a 1 1/2" Strip Set together as shown.

From Fabric 23 and 24 sew a 4 1/2" Strip Set together as shown.

From Fabric 25 and 26 sew a 6 1/2" Strip Set together as shown.

From Fabric 27 and 28 sew a 7 1/2" Strip Set together as shown.

From Fabric 27 and 28 sew a 6 1/2" Strip Set together as shown.

From Fabric 29 and 30 sew a 9 1/2" Strip Set together as shown.

From Fabric 31 and 32 sew a 11 1/2" Strip Set together as shown.

From Fabric 33 and 34 sew a 13 1/2" Strip Set together as shown.

 Now we will sew Blocks and Strip Sets.   For all of these, press the Seams Open.   And still, the guide is very helpful to keep handy and make sure you are always putting the Blocks at the bottom of the Strip Sets. 

Sew the 19/20/21/22 Strip Set and the Sawtooth Star Block together as shown.

Sew the 23/24 Strip Set and the Green Square in a Square Block together as shown.

Sew the 7 1/2" 27/28 Strip Set and the Black Square in a Square Block together as shown.

Sew the 31/32 Strip Set and the Pink Square in a Square Block together as shown.

Sew the Black Square in a Square Block and the Red Square in a Square Block together as shown.

Sew the Pink Square in a Square Block and the Blue Square in a Square Block together as shown.

Sew the Sawtooth Star Unit and the Blue Pinwheel Block together as shown.

Sew the Green Square in a Square Unit and the 25/26 Strip set together as shown.

Sew the Black Square in a Square Unit and the 29/30 Strip set together as shown.

Sew the Pink Square in a Square Unit and the 33/34 Strip set together as shown.

Sew the Black/Red Square in a Square Unit and the Pink/Blue Square in a Square Unit and the 23/24/25/26 Strip Set together as shown. 

Sew the 6 1/2" 27/28 Strip Set and the Grandmother's Flower Garden Block together as shown.

Press the Seams Open. 

Sew the Green Sashed Square in a Square Unit and the Squares in a Squares Unit together as shown.  

Sew the Black Sashed Square in a Square Unit and the Red Pinwheel Block together as shown.

Press the Seams Open. 

Sew the Pinwheel Star Unit and the Squares in Squares Unit together as shown.  

Sew the Black Pinwheel Unit and the Pink Sashed Square in a Square Unit together as shown.

Press the Seams Open. 

Sew the Squared Pinwheel Star Unit and the Orange Peel Block together as shown.  

Sew the Squared Pinwheel Unit and the Sashed Grandmother's Unit together as shown.

Press the Seams Open. 

Sew the Peeled Squared Pinwheel Star Unit and the Grandmother's Squared Pinwheel Unit together as shown.  

Press the Seams Open. 

And your Group 2 - Section 1 is complete.  It should measure 16 1/2" wide by 19 1/2" high.

And now we can sew together . . . 

Sewing Section 2

Once again, We will start by sewing the Strip Sets together.   Press the seam allowances to the Larger Number fabric.   

From Fabric 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24 sew a 2 1/2" Strip Set together as shown.

         (or cut out a 2 1/2" x 6 1/2" Background Fabric Filler)

From Fabric 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, and 34, sew a 2 1/2" Strip Set together as shown.   And note - if you are following along with piecing from the book, 29 and 30 replace a 2" block for our version.  

       (or cut out a 2 1/2 'x 6 1/2" Gold Fabric Filler)

 Now we will sew the Block to the Strip Set.   Press the Seams Open.   And still, the guide is very helpful to keep handy and make sure you are always putting the Blocks at the bottom of the Strip Sets. 

Sew the Shoo Fly Block and the  19/20/21/22/23/24 Strip Set together as shown.

Sew the Spool of Thread Block and the Flying Geese Block together as shown.

Sew the Simple Framed Block and the 29/30/31/32/33/34 Strip Set together as shown.

And now to finish Section 2.   (much quicker than section 1, tee hee hee)  

Sew the Sashed Shoo Fly Unit, and the Thread Geese Unit, and the Sashed Framed Unit together as shown.

Press the Seams Open. 

And your Group 2 - Section 1 is complete.  It should measure 16 1/2" wide by 8 1/2" high.

And all that is left is   . . . 

Sewing Together Section 1 and 2

And it's super easy.  Just layout Section 1 and Section 2 as shown.

Place Section 2 onto Section 1 with right sides together.  Align and pin the edges.  Stitch a 1/4" seam along the edge.  Press the seam open.  

And your Month 4 BOHO Group 2 - Section 1 & 2 is complete.  It should measure 16 1/2" wide by 27 1/2" high.

And that is it for BOHO Heart Block of the Month, Month 4 :) 

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

Hope you have so much fun making all of this months blocks and then sewing them all together:)

 Looking forward to Next Month!!

Bloomers Quilt!!!

 It is always a fun day when I get to share a little secret sewing for my good friends at Moda Fabrics ;)   And how great is this quilt with all of that amazing piecing goodness!!! This is Bloomers and the pattern is by Vanessa Goertzen and I just loved getting to make it!!! 

Isn't that quilt just stunning!!  I love the way Vanessa designed the blossoms, and the steps and leaves, just precious!!!    The quilt features Vanessa's new fabric line, Country Rose, and as you can see, it is a perfect fit for this beautiful quilt.  I just love Vanessa's use of color, and the prints are just so great!!! 

The piecing in this quilt is a little on the small side, but oh so fun to do :)  And the fact that there is a little star in each bloom makes me love it all the more!!!   But like I said, I am totally blown away by the addition of the stems and leaves.  The way it creates so much movement and looks like flowers blowing in the breeze, so great!!!  Bloomers finishes at 83 x 85 so it is a great size to snuggle up in or use on a full size bed.  

And when it came time to quilt it, I went all out with some custom quilting.   I quiltedd feathered swirls on the petals, curls in the background, and feathers on the leaves.  I just love all the details it gives each blossom and step ;)    And  good ol' 402 Pearl blended perfectly in all of these light and dark colors, it truly is my favorite!! 

And this quilt is now making its way to quilt shops around the US.  So snuggling for me will have to wait until it makes it's way home.   But you don't have to wait!!!  Country Rose Fabrics are shipping now and Fat Quarter Shop has a Bloomers Quilt Kit ready and available.  You are going to have so much fun making this quilt!!!  And yup, that's my quilt in the picture, so fun :)  

I am just so happy that I got to make this beautiful Bloomers Quilt :)  It truly was a joy to put together and the finish is just so happy.   I think this is going to make a wonderful wedding present someday ;)  Doesn't that quilt just sing happy day to a new couple ;)    

And that is it for today, thanks for popping in to share this finish with me!!! 

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

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 $25.00 Gift Certificate from Lou Lou's Fabric Shop  is Number #187  . . . Congrats annettedoggett!  I have messaged you :)  

       

    

                     

And on to today's

Today's Terrific Tuesday Giveaway is being sponsored by Fat Quarter Shop.   Fat Quarter Shop is amazing and they never cease to amaze me with everything they have going on at their shop!!!     And did you know they have a 24 Hour Flash Sale  and Precuts of the Week!!   You can also save big on the Basics of the Month!!!!     This month All Grunge Basics  by Basic Grey for Moda Fabrics are on sale!! (These are my favorite and I am so stocking up!!!)   Also, All Triangles on a Roll Products are on sale for the Notion, and all  V & Co. Patterns are on sale for the Pattern.   Save 20% off of all of them for the whole month of July!!  So great ;)  

And for today's Terrific Tuesday Giveaway we are celebrating my Fast & Fun Lap Quilts book with 10" Stackers!!!    Fat Quarter Shop is giving away this stunning Daisy Fields 10" Stacker by Bev McCullough for Riley Blake Designs!!!  I used a Daisy Fields 10" Stacker in this Free PDF Pattern Flying in Squares quilt, and now one of you can too!!!!   

 

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 if you could have fields of anything, what would it be??

 ENTRY 2 - Show your Fat Quarter Shop love.   You can follow them on   Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, You Tube or at their Blog.  You can Sign up for their Newsletter which will ensure you catch all of their amazing sales, or you can visit The Shop and then share a favorite item ;)   Just be sure to leave a comment of how you showed your Fat Quarter Shop Love!!!

And that's it ;)  The giveaway will be open until next Tuesday, September 13th, 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!!!

Heart Felt Quilt Along - Finish

 It's Month 8 of the Heartfelt Quilt Along and today it's all finishing up!!!  This is Fat Quarter Shop's 9th Annual Charity Quilt Along and they are always my favorite :)  Today's release is for the  Backing Layout and then you get to quilt it all up and bind!!!   

I just loved making this quilt!!!  All of the different hearts and just so fun, and I am just thrilled with how it all came together.  I love the Graphite Cross Weave  background fabric, and how it makes each of those happy hearts in Flirt fabrics by Sweetwater just pop!!  And it especially makes all of the low volume prints just sing, so happy making!!! 

I decided to go with an all over Echoed paisley for the quilting in light grey.  It was pretty much a perfect match for the background fabric and still blends nicely on all of the prints.   And I just love quilting echoed paisleys, they are just so relaxing to quilt. 

And they have the benefit of adding some pretty amazing texture!!! Doesn't that just make you want to curl up with a good book in the sunshine :) 

So if you are finishing up, You can download the backing pattern right here and it is requested for each pattern you download to donate $5.00  to the Make a Wish Foundation :)  And how exciting . . .  Fat Quarter Shop's annual charity QAL has reached their goal of $1000,000!!!  And Moda Fabrics and Fat Quarter Shop have joined to match up to $30,000 :)  What a wonderful charity quilt along that will grant so many amazing wishes :)  

Be sure to share all of your Heartfelt progress on social media with #heartfeltqal and check out Fat Quarter Shops post for the Heart Felt Quilt Backs for lots more Heart Felt Inspiration and info on the soon to be Heart Felt Quilt Auction to raise money for even more wishes!!! Just Amazing!!! 

And that's it for the Heart Felt Quilt Along!!!!      

And did you see . . . Fat Quarter Shop has already released a sneak peek of next years Charity Quilt Along called Bountiful :) I can't wait!!!  

Thanks for popping in today ;)  Have a Happy Quilting Weekend!!

Steps to Tranquility Quilt and Free PDF Pattern!!!

  Today, I am thrilled to be sharing this brand new Steps to Tranquility quilt as well as a Free PDF Pattern for it!!! This quilt features the Love You S'More by Gracey Larson and is super 2 1/2" Strip friendly, so you can grab a Rolie Polie/Jelly Roll and get stitching!!! .

I am just loving making quilts for the family's new cabin and Love You S'More  is perfect for a fun camping quilt ;)    And the Shabby Beehive Cloud background was the perfect match to make all of those colors just pop!!!   As soon as I saw the fabrics, I knew I wanted to make my Steps to Tranquility quilt that I originally made back here. I just love the basic geometric goodness to it, and I knew it would be perfect for the mountain, since that is truly one of the most tranquil places I visit.

Steps to Tranquility is made with basic piecing. I altered the original design to make it 2 1/2" Strip friendly, and that makes it come together so much faster!!! I just loved whipping this up ;) It is made up of one basic block, a cornerstone block, and a sashing block. The three blocks come together to make this fun geometric almost plaid look. So perfect for a picnic ;)

The blocks really go together fast, and then it is just so much fun to lay them all out and play with the color and print placement. Before you know it, you will have a beautiful Steps to Tranquility quilt top that is just waiting to be loved.

And as I mentioned, there is also a free PDF Download of this pattern and I included 5 size options, so you can make this quilt in just the size you want without any quilt math. The quilt I showed is the Picnic size, and I already have a Lap size planned as well :) To get the FREE PDF Steps to Tranquility Pattern Download, just click here and download it ;)

   

And when it came time to quilt mine, I took full advantage of the simple patchwork grid lines. I decided to do a wavy crosshatch and it turned out oh so cute. And I love that it is not to dense either so that this can be a great snuggle up in quilt ;) Sometimes it is just fun to keep it a little softer.

And that is my Steps to Tranquility quilt!!! I hope you have enjoyed this post. Oh, and if you make your own Stitch To My Lou quilts, I would love to see them! You can share your quilts in any size with me on social media using hashtags  #happyquiltingwithmc and #rileyblakedesigns and tagging @happyquiltingmc or email me a picture at happyquiltingmelissa@gmail.com. I can't wait to see your Steps to Tranquility quilts !!

Thank you so much for popping in today and each and every day. If you have any questions at all on making your own Steps to Tranquility quilt, don't hesitate to email me at happyquiltingmelissa@gmail.com

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