Oh Happy Day! (Blogger's Quilt Festival)

Okay! So when I read about The Blogger's Quilt Festival hosted by Amy at Amy's Creative Side I knew immediately the quilt I wanted to share with you!                    
 (Also, welcome if you are new to my blog). Here it is:

If someone where to ask me: "Val which quilt have you made represents your heart?" This would be the one! And....ironically, THIS is one of my very first quilts!!! (I kid you not!) It started from a spontaneous visit to a mall bookstore which inspired this sketch:

It was the Fall of 2010 and I had just starting quilting. I wanted to quilt but I was struggling. I  was taking classes at the local quilt store, but found I really hated precise 1/4" seams (though I totally admired the workmanship of others ...I felt like something was wrong with me because I didn't care if my seams where precise!! But I couldn't tell anyone that!) I was also bored  following patterns and I was always the one who kept changing things up in a class. LOL!! Then one day, walking around one of those big mall bookstores, my daughter brought me to a section of "creative quilting"...let the sun beams shine out from behind the clouds! THIS is what I want to do! I immediately bought numerous books and starting sketching! I was inspired! I found my quilting  genre!

This inspiration was followed by a weekend retreat that found me equipped with 2 yards of black fabric, a crate full of scraps,a  purchased rainbow of fat quarter bright tone on tones, and a sewing machine I literally bought at a garage sale! (I was a little embarrassed once I got there...but I didn't let it show! LOL!). You guys, I literally was the last "woman sewing". As others were closing down their stations...I was exclaiming: "Just one more bird!"

I got lost in creating birds 

with long polka dotted legs...

Small birds with floral wings,

And lets not forget about butterflies...

Bumble Bees...

and Turtles! (I mean who could stop!?)

Oh and don't even get me started on how much fun I had creating the border of this quilt when I got home! (My studio had fabric flying!!! And I loved it!!!)

Wonky Stars!!1

Fussy cutting

THIS QUILT REPRESENTS ME FINDING MY STYLE AND FALLING IN LOVE WITH QUILTING!!!

Quilting love!

So there ya go! I've entered this in the Wall Hanging Quilt Division because truly every morning I stumble out of my bedroom in my flannel polka dot jammies and head down this little hallway to the bathroom and....

...it always makes me smile and reminds me that every day is truly a....HAPPY DAY!

Life can not be better than this! 

Thank  you so very much  for stopping my blog and reading my story,.

In appreciation, and as always, with smiles!

Val:)

My quilt stats:

Title:  Oh Happy Day!

Made by: Me: Val Reynolds

Size: 55"x57

Category: Wall Hanging

A BIG Thank you to Amy for creating such a very 

cool festival of quilting inspiration!!!