At Long Last, It's DONE!

It occurred to me last week, while I was enjoying/enduring April vacation and unable to do anything about it anyway, that I never shared the final photos and announcement of the completion of Happy Jacks with blogland. So allow me to do that now. Cue the trumpets....

It's done! It's done and I love it! Despite the fact that these diagrams were the most intensely annoying to draw of any diagrams ever created in the history of mankind, and despite the fact that the "OMG this pattern is going to make me want to quit quilt design" phase lasted a little longer than normal, it is done. Alle-flipping-lujah.

This was the first pattern I decided to do in three sizes with all three sizes having a different layout. It may well be the last pattern I decide to do that way since that is what made the ever-loving diagrams take up what felt like 3/4 of my lifespan, but time will tell. Behold:

Baby size in completely scrappy version

I won't lie. The baby size may just be my favorite because of my quilting, and I am so happy with how it shows up in that photo. I may have even harassed the members of Pine Tree Quilters in Maine this weekend during our time together to admire it up close and fawn all over my talent. At least one of them actually did so, and she was rewarded with my undying love.

Double size in planned scrappy version

The cover quilt is also amazing to me. This is one of the two I was able to make from the group blocks, and it just reminds me of a field of violets scattered all over the lawn. I'm so glad I didn't decide to go with yellow blocks because who needs reminders of dandelions this time of year?

The polka dot background was a bit of a risk, and I knew it, but it is getting rave reviews so I'm glad I decided to give it a try. My amazing quilter Melissa of The Completed Quilt not only loved it but I think her quilting almost made the white backgrounds of the blocks blend with the polka dots a little more. She amazes me every time.

Lap size planned scrappy version

It was so fortuitous that when I was opening all the group block packages almost every person participating had made either a green or an aqua/purple block, and while I hadn't been planning on monochromatic-style quilts, I kind of got excited about the idea. The lap quilt, which is kind of a cool layout I think, appears in all its glory on the back cover of the pattern. So everyone who participated in the group quilt project should have a block represented on the outside of the pattern.

This was also my first foray into using Triangles on a Roll Sew and Fold Geese, which although not meant for individual flying geese really did work like a charm to make them accurate. More info on that and how I'm about to start pinning pate recipes for all these geese I'm making this year here.

I really can't thank everyone enough for helping me out with this. I just love them all and I hope that those who have received their blocks in the mail will soon be showing us some quilts made with them!

Happy Jacks is also the first pattern in my line to carry my brand new logo! After eight years, it seemed like it was time to commit myself to this business with a logo. Amy at Brandland (an Etsy company) designed this adorable thing with my updated tagline for me and I believe she is a superstar.

Plus it looks cute on the cover.

 Happy Jacks is now downloadable at Craftsy and Patternspot (where until 5/5/14 it and all other scrappy patterns are 10% off with code "scrappy2014"), and available from my patterns page as an actual hard copy. I'm also thrilled that Triangles on a Roll has Happy Jacks on their site as well; world domination cannot be far behind. You know I get a little rush every time I sell a pattern in any of those manners, so if you feel like making me a giddy for a moment, I invite you to go for it.

In other news which you may or may not care about, I am declaring 2014 to be "The Year of Flying Geese Hell." It all started out fun enough, for sure, with Happy Jacks being the first pattern I created with them as a part of the design. Overlapping the HJ process was my first Scrap Squad project, which also used flying geese.

Eight per block, baby

Then came the third Scrap Squad assignment. I can tell you no more about it than that I have to come up with 280 flying geese for it, and at this point I am kind of over flying geese for a little bit. I cannot thank a few of my minions enough for helping me out and making boatloads of them so that I only have to come up with 150 or so. Only! Ha!

I'm hoping I can avoid flying geese of every type for another venture I am about to embark on, that being my first foray into an Instagram block swap. I joined the #moderninstabee2014 yesterday as a proud member of Hive 18. The whole online block swap of the type which I don't run is an area my Plays Well With Others lecture is lacking, so I'm excited to get this  started and eventually add it to my list of cool ways to involve others in your own projects. I'll let you know how it goes. As a moditional quilter who finds the whole "Modern" thing sometimes a bit overdone, I'm sure this will either make or break me when it comes to declaring a love for all things modern or not.

So there is my wrap up of the last few weeks. Enjoy your week ahead. I'll just be sitting over here making flying geese until I want to put my eyes out.