Happy Harper Quilts

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

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