Happy Harper Quilts: 2015

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Three Must-Have Sewing Notions that Should be on Every Quilters List

Happy holidays, quilters! I just finished all my Christmas shopping (9 days early = happy camper right here!), so I have time for a quick blog post! Here are three amazing quilting tools you should definitely ask Santa for this year! They will save you time and frustration, making you ever more jolly this holiday season, guaranteed!

QUARTER-INCH FOOT

Seriously, how do you not have one of these yet? Seriously. This little puppy is the BEST invention for sewing machines, ever. If you do not buy one for yourself (Santa is probably, backed up by now. It is best to just go ahead and take care of it for him.), then you deserve a lump of coal this year. Buy one! Hurry!

This is what it looks like. See that small black "guide" on the right side of the foot? It allows for effortless quarter-inch seams all the time. It makes piecing so easy, you could do it with your eyes closed, although I do not recommend that.

Tips: Order by brand of machine if you can so the attachment fits perfectly.

Cost: Between $15-25 depending on whether you order online or buy in-store.

WALKING FOOT

This guy is the BEST ... errr ... second BEST invention for sewing machines, ever! They are a little pricey (mine cost $50 for my Janome machine), but worth every penny! This foot feeds your quilt sandwich through your machine in an evenly-paced fashion, making straight-line stitching a breeze.

Tips: Order by brand of machine if you can so the attachment fits perfectly.

Cost: Between $40-60 depending on whether you order online or buy in-store.

And finally, little drummer boy drum roll please ...

SHAPE CUT RULER

Oh Holy Night, this ruler is AMAZING! If you cut strips for piecing, or borders, or binding, and want to do it in a fraction of the time with more consistency, this ruler is for you! I love mine and use it all the time! It is a great investment!

Tips: There may be other brands/versions of this ruler, but I stick with what I know-Shape Cut!

Cost: Between $25-30 depending on whether you order online or buy in-store.

I also think that the Olfa Rotating Cutting Mat is a must-have, but it is so awesome, it deserves it's own blog post! Stay tuned for more great tips and tricks from Happy Harper Quilts.

I hope you get what you want for Christmas, and I really hope you get what I want you to get for Christmas (see above). :-)

Happy quilting, but not while drinking eggnog,

Angela

Friday, November 13, 2015

Around Town - Angela's Favorite Local Quilting Stores

I'm from a small town. Like 2,000 people small. And finding a quality quilting store that's local may be difficult.

Luckily for me, my hometown of Shiner, Texas has a great quilting shop!

The Square Quilter
807 North Ave D
Shiner, TX 77984
361-594-8022
http://www.thesquarequilter.com/

When you grow up and move to a bigger small town, these are the small town stores you visit:

Simple Sewing Solutions
111 W San Antonio St
Lockhart, TX 78644
(512) 398-3930

Calico Crossing
205 South Blanco St.
Lockhart, TX 78644
512-398-2422

The Quilted Skein
125 West Colorado
La Grange, TX 78945
http://www.thequiltedskein.com

And when you visit the big city, these are the quilting stores you will visit:

Stitch Lab
1000 S. 1st. Street
Austin, TX 78704
http://www.stitchlab.biz/index.html

A Quilter's Folly
8213 Brodie Ln. #100
Austin, TX 78745
512-899-3233 http://www.aquiltersfolly.com/

And for ONLINE pattern design and MORE:

Pattern Jam
www.patternjam.com

These are just a few of my FAVORITE quilting stores and resources! If you are from a small town (or a bigger one), please leave a comment with the name and city of your favorite quilting shop so that others can visit!

Happy Quilting,

Angela
Happy Harper Quilts
www.happyharperquilts.com

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Quilting Apps

Happy Harper Quilts
www.happyharperquilts.com

Hey quilters! Here are some of the Apps I have downloaded for quilting. The Robert Kaufman QuiltCalc is especially helpful in calculating yardage for your projects. Check out these helpful apps and download ASAP! You will thank me! :-)

http://www.apppicker.com/…/the-best-iphone-apps-for-quilting
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#quiltingapps #‎happyharperquilts‬‬

Friday, November 6, 2015

The Low-Down on Fabric

Happy Harper Quilts

www.happyharperquilts.com

Many of my #happycampers ask me why I recommend purchasing name brand fabric from retailers other than Jo-Ann Fabrics, Hobby Lobby and Wal-Mart.

The short answer is: QUALITY.

Name brand fabric is more durable and easier to work with. In my experience, when I work with off-brand or cheaper fabrics, you get what you pay for. You get . . . seams that do not match up (even if you trim and doctor your blocks a hundred times over!); frays galore; damaged fabric after seam ripping (because the fabric frays); rotary blades that dull faster; and a frustrating work environment. Think about how the rotary blade has done wonders compared to scissors when it comes to cutting a straight edge. What a time saver! And you know you are going to get as accurate a cut as humanly possible! Well, it is the same for name brand fabrics. When I work with name brand fabrics, I save time, get better final products and avoid unnecessary frustration! Quilting is not always enjoyable-hey, it is hard work! But in the end, you can relish over your finished product! So many times, after completing a quilt using off-brand fabric, I regret all the time I spent, because the finished product is sub-par! No one wants to feel that way after spending countless hours on a quilt!

Some people like to purchase cheaper fabric so they can “practice” a pattern. Little do they know, the cheaper fabric is not helping you hone your craft. Instead, it ends up frustrating your efforts and preventing you from accomplishing the very thing you intended to practice--achieving those perfect seams or stitches. If you want to practice, but don’t want to splurge, then opt for a name brand charm pack (42 5-inch squares, about $10 retail) or just practice on a smaller project (using name brand fabric).

If you have worked with off-brand fabric successfully, hats off to you, darling! It has not been so easy for me. I am not saying that you should never choose fabrics from Jo-Ann Fabrics, Hobby Lobby, or Wal-Mart. BUT - if you are going to invest your time in a project that you want to stand the test of time, splurge on some name brand fabrics. I promise it is worth it!

My personal experiences are noted below, per retailer:

Wal-Mart – all fabric I have purchased is thin, frays easily, and my seams were never “perfect”. Not good for any type of quilt-top piecing or paper piecing patterns, IMO.

Jo-Ann Fabrics – this one is hit or miss; about 50% of the time, I get good quality, but beware of thin or rough fabrics.

Hobby Lobby – a lot of cute fabrics to choose from, and I have purchased off the bolt and successfully completed a few lap size quilts with these fabrics with no regrets. However, I have purchased their fat quarters a couple of times, and my rotary blade and machine needle needed replacing after this single project! Talk about rough!

Hope this info helps! And as always ...

Happy Quilting,

Angela
Happy Harper Quilts
www.happyharperquilts.com

Saturday, July 4, 2015

Independence Day!

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Happy 4th of July!

Have a fun and safe holiday!

A little RED, WHITE AND BLUE quilt!

Friday, May 1, 2015

A Quilter's Inspiration

My inspiration for quilting (and desire to share all things quilting with the world) dates back to days of picnics on the grass, tents in the living room, cold winter days, and Grandma's house -- all of which involved QUILTS!

The quilt my great-grandmother hand pieced and hand quilted for me when I was born is still with me today.

My grandmother's scraps from years of sewing and quilting are now mine to adore and incorporate into my own projects!

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My mother's hallway closet is stuffed to the ceiling with stacks of heirloom quilts made by my great-grandmothers and grandmothers! And now I am building my own collection, both to keep and pass down!

It's not just fabric to us quilters. It's inspiration. It's love. It's the joy of giving someone a piece of your heart. And that's why I do it.

What's your inspiration?

Happy Quilting,
Angela

Monday, April 20, 2015

3 Sisters, 3 Quilts - Ashley

I finally finished quilts for all my sisters! I began this process back in 2010 when I first started quilting. By "began" I mean: bought pattern books, searched quilting magazines, scathed Pinterest for design inspiration, bought fabric, scathed Pinterest again, bought more fabric, and so on and so forth. What a labor of LOVE! :) Ultimately, I am happy with the final results, and I think my sisters were too!

Ashley's Quilt

This quilt was the smallest of the three, appropriately so, for the baby sister of the family! So this completes the 3 Quilts, 3 Sisters series, because I am done making quilts . . . for my sisters. Did I mention I have a brother?

Hence, to be continued . . .

Thanks for visiting my blog!

Hugs,

Angela

Monday, April 13, 2015

3 Sisters, 3 Quilts - Adrienne

Adrienne's Quilt

Fabric: Domestic Bliss by Moda

Quilting: Long Arm Free Motion

© Happy Harper Quilts
After piecing this quilt, I was seeing stars…and X's. But it was well worth it! Aren't these colors FUN?!

So fun right?!

Hugs,

Angela

Monday, April 6, 2015

3 Sisters, 3 Quilts - Amber

Amber's Quilt

© Happy Harper Quilts
Pattern: None
Inspiration: Chris W Designs
Cool Tutorial: Missouri Star Quilt Co. Chevron Pattern

I arranged the blocks in the Chevron pattern first, but re-arranged the blocks into a few different patterns before making my final decision.

I did not go with the CatNap pattern…but in my house, it is a recurring option!

LOVE the final product!! :)

Hugs,

Angela

Thursday, March 19, 2015

Cat Naps

Meet Cali, my babycat. Isn't she precious? :) This is her favorite place to nap-in the middle of my quilting projects!

CUTE! But inconvenient. So I decided to make Cali her very own kitty-cat quilt for snoozing. She was not too thrilled at first. (Attitude!)

But she eventually came around. Now she loves it! And I can finish my quilts!

Need to make one of these for your precious sidekick?

Follow the instructions below:

CAT NAP QUILT

Materials:

2 coordinating Fat Quarters

Batting - 18x22 batting

1/8 yard coordinating fabric for binding and

The essentials: (thread, sewing machine, rotary cutter, mat, etc.)

Steps:

1. Sandwich the Two Fat quarters with the batting with safety pins or basting spray.

2. Quilt! I used a free motion swirl throughout.

3. Trim and square up (if needed)

4. Bind! I used two 2.25 inch strips (which was more than enough) of turquoise! Need a binding tutorial? Click HERE!

5. Enjoy!

Happy Quilting,

Angela

Sunday, March 1, 2015

Free Motion for Me

So, you're a newbie. You started quilting about 1 year ago (or two or three). You have mastered the art of sewing pre-cut charms together. (Woohoo!) You have stitched in the ditch. Now you are ready for some free motion quilting. Well, here we go!

What you need:

1. Quilting Bobbin Case like this:

Why? Switching to a quilting bobbin is beneficial for several reasons, but most importantly, it helps regulate the proper tension for free motion quilting, meaning less hang-ups while quilting. When your thread snaps every 45 seconds with your regular bobbin, you'll then be convinced this specialized bobbin case is worth the $25! A good way to distinguish a regular bobbin from a quilting bobbin--a quilting bobbin has a blue dot at the bottom of the case.

2. Free Motion Quilting Foot like this:

(What I use for my Janome machine.)

Or like this:

(The Brother SA165 foot looks like this).

If you are unsure about what type of quilting foot will suit your machine best, ask a local quilt store representative for help. These feet run between $25 and $50. (Excuse the pun.)

3. Quilting Thread
Any color is fine; it's your choice. It can even be Nylon invisible thread if you want your stitches to blend into the fabric. But be cautions when using Nylon threads, as they can become brittle with heat (an iron or dryer) and can turn yellow. I stick with mercerized cotton for my quilts. Cotton thread blends well with cotton fabric, obviously, but it what is also great is that is wears at the same rate as your fabric and won't prematurely pop like Nylon may. Want to learn more about different types of thread? Click here: A Guide to Thread

4. Space
Maybe we should just be friends. Just KIDDING! Not that kind of space! You will want a large, cleared surface to quilt, so you have free range to maneuver your quilt!

5. A Practice Piece
Please, please, pretty please, make a quilt sandwich to practice with before you start on your quilt. I recommend a piece that is at least 1/4 yard x 1/4 yard. While you are at it, make a few so you can practice before every new quilt you decide to free-motion quilt. You will thank me later. Now . . . go practice.

Don't know how to even "practice" yet? No worries. Check out a video tutorial online. Then, the best thing to do is just get started on your practice piece. Soon you will get the feel for it, and you can add free motion quilting to your list of major life accomplishments, right behind successfully making macaroni and cheese from a box and tying your shoes, because it is THAT EASY! You can do it!!

Free Motion Tutorial

Leah Day - Free Motion Tutorial

Missouri Star Quilt Company - Free Motion Tutorial

Hope this was helpful! Have a comment or suggestion? Please comment below. We love to hear from you!

Happy Quilting,
Angela

Friday, February 13, 2015

So you think you can quilt?

I think you can too! Quilting is not hard. But it can be time consuming. If you aren't sure if you are ready and want to figure out if this seemingly daunting task is conquerable before you go out and invest in a sewing machine and a stash of pretty fabric, then read on.

The best way to find out whether or not you will enjoy quilting is to TRY it.

Try a quilting class or camp. HHQ Quilt Camp Schedule

Ask a friend, who is savvy with the craft, for a lesson. (Ask ME!)

Check out a few tutorials on the internet! (Try Missouri Star Quilt Company on YouTube.)

After you give it a try, you will know whether quilting is right for you! Don't be shy about asking for help from other quilters either. Our kind is always willing to share our knowledge and welcome newbies to join our coveted craft! So go on, and give it a try!

Happy quilting,
Angela