My best friend Ashley is having her first baby, a girl, very soon! I was so glad I could make it to her baby shower when I was back in California a few weeks ago. She had told me her color palette for baby girl’s room and she knew I was going to make her a quilt, but the fabrics and layout were a surprise when she opened my present at the baby shower! It brings me so much joy and happiness to make beautiful things for my friends and family… I just love it!
So here just a few photos I snapped before I gave it to her… and I’ll have to have her send me a pic when her nursery is finished!
I forgot to measure it, but it will fit perfectly on a toddler bed, so they will be able to use it for multiple purposes 
I used fabric from many collections, namely 2wenty thr3e and Timber and Leaf, plus some others from my stash.
She really liked the patchwork squares with fun prints, so I used the fun prints but changed it to the equilateral triangle pattern. It is modern and includes her colors, which is what I wanted.
The back is pieced in strips of some of the leftover fabric, but I added the pop of yellow just for fun
Me and my bestie at her shower!
Happy Saturday Everyone!
I put up a new video last week on my YouTube Channel. I got the chance to try out some luxury shag faux fur from Shannon Fabrics and it was so fun!! Hope you enjoy the video!
Click here if you can’t see the video.
I have some exciting news!! I am the new quilting instructor over at a new modern fabric store called Hidden Yardage! They have sewing classes and do alterations as well!! They have a beautiful selection of fabric and had some apparel sewing classes, but no quilting yet (They just opened in September). I had been in there a few times and talked with Dana and Laurie about The Modern Quilt Guild Oahu that I helped start up, so when they were looking for an instructor I told them I was interested and it ended up working out!
I will be teaching Thursday nights and my first class will be a Color Theory: Choosing Fabrics for Quilts Workshop. Some of the feedback I got from Laurie was that sometimes people see this gorgeous fabric but then they are stuck… not sure what to do or where to start. So this workshop will help with fabric combinations, scale, classic quilt patterns and hands on practice with fabric and examples.
Then I will start a Quilting 101 class. It will run 4 weeks for 2.5 hours each week and you will learn how to make a baby patchwork quilt from start to finish by the end of the class. Everything from proper cutting, piecing, ironing, basting, quilting, binding… all of the basic steps will be taught so that the student has the skills to go home and make more quilts!
If you or anyone you know is local and interested, send them on over. I am so excited to teach some students in person and not on YouTube… although I love the virtual teaching world as well. This will be a great experience for me and hopefully my students as well!
Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone!
Today is the day I make my big announcement that I mentioned here. I have decided to re-brand my etsy shop. I Heart Stitching is fine, but it doesn’t give you a sense of who I am or what I am about. It’s my YouTube channel name and has to stay that way, but I wasn’t feeling it so much for my etsy shop name. While my stepmom was here last week I came up with this idea and it was a bit of an “a ha” moment for me. It makes so much more sense.
As I was thinking through my story and why I love to sew and create things, it came down to this… I want to benefit and bless my family and my friends with the talent, curiosity and drive God has given me to help and encourage in whatever way I can. Benefit and Bless. So Benefit and Bless is the new title of my etsy shop! It’s me and it’s real. I really hope that the things I make, the videos I put out there, the gifts I give are all a benefit and blessing to you all. I fear I am giving you too many names to follow or remember, but I’m kind of OK with it at this point because it feels right.
Benefit and Bless currently has 4 lines.
Bloom: Quilted baby loveys made with high quality quilting cottons and soft and cuddly minky on the back.
Bring: Fun and stylish zip pouches and clutches
Bling: Flower Cabochon Rings (currently sold out – more added this weekend)
Today I am also debuting the Bright collection, I have 4 beautiful 100% organic quilted loveys in the shop and ready for sale.
Bright: 100% organic quilted baby loveys. Everything from the cotton fabric, flannel backing, batting and even thread is all 100% organic.
For the next week, you can enter the code benefitandbless for 10% off.
To better Benefit and Bless, 5% of monthly proceeds will go to a charity. For the next few months I have chosen Operation Freedom Paws. This is a service that pairs Veterans with severe PTSD and service dogs and then helps the Veteran train the dog to meet their specific needs. Mary Cortani was in the top 10 for CNN Hero of the Year in 2012.
Wow, that was a lot! Thank you all for going on the journey with me. I really appreciate all the support!
Melanie
Today is the last day for the fabric coupon code for Whimsy Quilts and Fabrics! 15% off using the code MHD15. Read the full post here.
Last week on my YouTube Channel, I did a fabric spotlight video on the new Out to Sea fabric by Sarah Jane for Michael Miller Fabrics. This line is so whimsical, fun and designed so well I really love it.
Here are the 2 girl colorways…
I love the nautical map in blue fabric that I made this lovey with…
If you love this fabric as much as I do, I recommend getting it here at fabric.com, Fat Quarter Shop or Etsy.
Have a wonderful day!
Click here if you can’t see the video.
melaniekham {at} gmail {dot} com
