Posted on by Dione Gardner-Stephen

My Happy Place: Being Myself with You

  Appliqué penguins by Clever Chameleon

Welcome to Day 6 of the My Happy Place Row-Along

Seams to be Sew buttonThe blog hop where there are oodles of free quilt row patterns to be collected and lots of prizes to be won!  I hope you have been following along with the My Happy Place row-along at Seams to be Sew, collecting the free patterns as they’ve been released and before they expire. And of course, entering for the insanely large collection of prizes Marian has  gathered.  But if not, don’t despair, there is still plenty of goodness up for grabs. Join me today for my interpretation of the “My Happy Place” row-along theme, download my free quilt row pattern and enter for the latest prizes.

appliqué pandas by Clever Chameleon

Share in the Happiness

The My Happy Place row-along is a collection of quilt row patterns that you can use individually to make small quilts (think table runners or wall hangings) or en masse to create a larger project. Collate your favourite rows to make a large quilt that celebrates the places that make you happy. Add to it how you like. The choice is yours and the possibilities are endless.

Five quilt bloggers are offering you their My Happy Place pattern today (including me). There is a unique prize on each site as well as the Rafflecopter for the grand prize. So, once you are done here, make sure you visit these other internet Happy Places too…

Adventurous Applique and Quilting 
Heleen Pinkster Quilt Design
Cynthia’s Creating Ark
Seams To Be Sew

My Happy Place

I bet you are wondering where my happy place is by now, with my pattern pictures possibly not having given much away yet! I have lots of happy places. Many of them are outside in nature. Various beaches, gardens and bush camping sites easily come to mind. I have lots of virtual happy places too…. my own blog for one, as well as the many blogs of my peers and friends that I visit regularly. And of course, my sewing room is a place where I usually feel happy too. 

Arkaroola scenery
Outback Australia – Arkaroola

Being myself with you wall hanging by Clever ChameleonBut none of these made it onto my pattern. You can’t visit my sewing room (mostly for your own safety hahaha) and you probably are hundreds or thousands of kilometres (miles) from the outdoor spots I like to hang out. Everyone’s  internet tastes are different…. So what to do? I wanted to design a pattern that was broadly relatable. Even if you don’t wish to make my row, I’d love it to make you smile. So I thought and I thought and I decided that I wanted to touch on the concept that happiness is really a state of mind, not a place. The times when I have been most content have this in common  – I am in the company of people (cats are people too) who accept me as I am in that moment. Physical place is important but secondary.

So I came up with an appliqué-based row around the concept of “Being Myself with You” for you to download.

***Download the “Being Myself With You” quilt row pattern pdf here***

Important: Please! Make sure your printer is not scaling the file before you print (uncheck any “scale to fit” buttons or similarly evil autocorrecting scaling options). And check your printout. The check box provided MUST be square for the appliqué pieces to fit together properly. To get the original size appliqués the box must also be 1″ square.

This pattern will be available for free until a week after the entire row-along is concluded.

My Happiest of Happy Places

I am a very introverted person, so I am actually happiest when I am with just a few people whom I know very well, and with whom I don’t have to watch everything I say and do. Spending time just being myself with trusted friends who have also dropped all their masks and shields is My Happy Place.

So my row features three appliqués of three pairs of animals, each being true to themselves in the company of a friend….. Penguins on holiday, pandas dressing how they please and elephants working together to present a message important to them. I like being on holiday. I definitely like dressing how I please (bloggers in pjs unite!). And I like working side by side with other invested people on something that matters to us all. Most of all, I  really like not second guessing myself while I am doing these things.

Appliqué elephants by Clever Chameleon

I hope you like some of these things too!

Thank you to Northcott for providing fabric for the My Happy Place row-along and the Being Myself with You pattern

My row features a pinwheel background made from two beautiful Northcott fabrics given to me to use in this row-along.

Northcott logo

Northcott Fabrics Essence range

These fabrics are two blue-green prints from the Northcott Essence range. They are just beautiful, both to the eye and to the touch. If you’d like to find them for yourself they are item numbers 9025-64 and 9025-66 on the linked page. A big thanks to Northcott for being so generous in supplying fabrics for this blog hop.

pinwheel piecing

I used these fabrics to create the subtle pinwheel background. The instructions are included in the pattern. However, there is plenty of detail in the appliqués and you could substitute the pinwheels for an non-pieced background if you’d prefer. Either of the featured Northcott fabrics would work a treat.

Other happy details

The animals and words I created with fused appliqué from fabric scraps.

There are a number of really small details in the appliqués, such as eyes and noses. These can be added however you prefer. I machine stitched over tiny fused shapes for each feature, but permanent fabric marker or hand embroidery are two other methods that would be perfect for adding these details too.

If spending time with easy company makes you happy like it does me, then I hope you enjoy this complementary pattern.  🙂

 

Now, the other giveaways!

There are two prizes you can try for via my blog from the row-along. Prize 1: A Sewing Machine Light System from Inspired LED. And Prize 2: Electric Quilt Version 8! Yes. Yes, you read that right! Electric Quilt Version 8!

Enter via the Rafflecopter widgets below.

Sewing Machine Light System from Inspired LED

LED lighting for sewing machine

The prize is a flexible adhesive LED strip and all the hardware required to run it.

What you need to know: Sewing machine not included. As far as I can tell the power supply will have a US /Canadian standard plug. Worldwide shipping available but shipping cost must be paid by winner.  Value $30.00. Giveaway ends Sept 26, 2018.

Inspired LED logo

Thank you Inspired LED for providing this awesome prize.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Electric Quilt Version 8

Electric Quilt download

The prize will be delivered as a Coupon Code Via Email for you to download this terrific software. Value $239.95.

Thank you Electric Quilt for supplying the Grand Prize for this blog hop!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you need to know the rules for the giveaways, they can be accessed through the Seams To Be Sew website here. 

A big thank you to Marian of Seams to be Sew for organising this huge blog hop. I hope you will pop by her website and thank her for rounding up so many designers and so many prizes. She puts months of work into this event. And remember, there are more prizes to be entered for today…. be sure to visit all today’s participants to put your name down for everything! 🙂

The My Happy Place Row-Along at a glance

Here’s the rest of the hop schedule: Please be aware that some of the earlier patterns and prizes have expired. But there are still plenty of things to explore and collect. The hop goes until October 9, culminating in a Show and Tell Day.

Tuesday September 4, 2018

The Quilt Rambler | Duck Creek Mountain Quilting
Patti’s Patchwork | Cheryl LaPlante

Thursday September 6, 2018

Pretty Piney | Ms P Designs USA | Creatin’ in the Sticks
Be A Quilter | Freemotion by the River | Any Pattern

Tuesday September 11, 2018

Barbara Dieges | Upstairs Hobby Room
Quilt Art | UlaSewing / SzycieUli

Thursday September 13, 2018

Pumpkin Patch BC | Sew Incredibly Crazy
A Quilting Chick | Patchwork Breeze

Tuesday September 18, 2018

Just Let Me Quilt | Elizabeth Coughlin Designs | Quilt Fabrication
Renee’s Quilting Addiction | Made By Marney

Thursday September 20, 2018

Clever Chameleon | Adventurous Applique and Quilting
Heleen Pinkster Quilt Design
Cynthia’s Creating Ark | Seams To Be Sew

Tuesday September 25, 2018

Songbird Designs/Brenda’s Blog | Powered By Quilting | Kissed Quilts
Happy Sewing Room | Sew Joy Creations

Thursday September 27, 2018

BobbininQuilts | Daydreams of Quilts | The Quilted Snail | Scrapdash

Tuesday, October 2, 2018

Words & Stitches | True Blue Quilts | Miss Loreen’s Schoolhouse
Meanderings Along Lizard Creek | Creativeblonde

Thursday, October 4, 2018

Quilt In Piece | Jaded Spade Creations | Mountain Meadow Designs
Masterpiece Quilting | Pamela Quilts

Tuesday, October 9, 2018
Show and Tell Day

Words & Stitches | Upstairs Hobby Room | Powered By Quilting
Elizabeth Coughlin Designs
Clever Chameleon | Creatin’ in the Sticks | Sew Joy Creations

Adios Amigos….. or hopefully not….

I have finished my row sample into a wall hanging, which I will show on October 9. I hope you will be back to see it. In the meantime feel free to explore Clever Chameleon Quilting further. I have other free tutorials, a weekly linky party and a free Bear appliqué BOM.  And introduce yourself – I’d love to meet you. 🙂

P.S. Sharing the happiness at my favourite linky parties: Freemotion by the River, Quilt Fabrication, My Quilt Infatuation, Sew Fresh Quilts, Inquiring Quilter, Foto Friday, Confessions of a Fabric Addict.

Would you like to keep in touch with Clever Chameleon and the fun quilty ideas I design as well as find all over the internet? You can follow directly for email updates, or through Bloglovin’, Pinterest or FB. All your follow options can be found here. Don’t forget to link up all your current quilting projects on Tuesdays at our Colour Inspiration Linky parties! And if you’d like to road test my newest patterns, I am always on the hunt for keen pattern testers.

rainbow Clever Chameleon logoThe Chameleon turns rainbow with pleasure when he hears from you. During giveaways I am unable to respond to most comments but I still read and enjoy every one. If you have a specific question I will still endeavour to answer it. Thanks for connecting!

82 Replies to “My Happy Place: Being Myself with You”

  1. What a marvelous row, and so versatile. I can easily see using some of these on a baby quilt, too. Thank you so much for another creative design.

  2. Beautiful design. I can relate to what you said about it as well. Thank you for this sweet pattern.

  3. I am so in love with your works, I really LOVE the bears that you came up with.Thank you for sharing with all of us.

  4. I love this row, so fun and it made me smile. I love a fun row 😊 💕 thanks for sharing 😍

  5. Hi Dione, I love the way you translated your happy feeling into this pattern, it made me smile.
    Greetings and a wonderful ‘Happy Place Day’ for you.
    Heleen Pinkster

  6. WOW, you just keep on making gorgeous applique patterns 🙂
    Absolutely adore your pattern! Thank you!!
    Oops, I better get back to work before the boss cracks the whip 🙂

  8. Such a cute and clever row and what a wonderful story behind it. I do agree with you that it’s not necessarily a place but a feeling. I’m just not sure I could have called the row along My Happy Feeling … that seems a little weird to me 🙂 Thank you so much for participating in this years row along and I hope you’ll be game for the row along’s 5th year to. Hugs!!

  9. I can relate to your narration. I love dressing casually and being by myself too. I am meticulously saving your bear patterns. Some kid in the family is getting it.
    Thank you for the block.

  10. Well Dione you have done it again. This is such an engaging pattern. I’m sure these small friends will be loved by many, including me. I was away yesterday so and just seeing them today. When the dust settles I’ll make this row. Thanks for sharing your great talent with us.

  14. Hi Dione,
    I’m stunned – I was entranced by the penguin in the email . . . But then pandas, followed by those elephants. I feel very spoiled, it is wonderful! Thank you so very much.

  15. Very cute. Have to admit that the Penguins really threw me off at first. I was beginning to think that there must be penguins somewhere in Australia. LOL

  17. Hi Dione! What a fabulous row for this QAL. I think that is the best gift anyone can give you – to accept you for who you are. No need to put on airs, no need to censor yourself but rather just BE YOU. I would love to win the lights – I have been thinking about getting a set for myself for a while now. It sure does light up the sewing area well. Just curious if you have one already? Thank you for the opportunity! ~smile~ Roseanne

  18. Wow this hop is as big as an Island Batik one! Love your project, especially the sentiment behind it, as you know. I really like how you said that your happy place is more a state of mind/being than a physical place, so true, although being by water makes me almost instantaneously access it. 🙂

  20. Oh my goodness, your happy place runner is fabulous. It portrays happy for sure. Thank you for sharing the pattern.

  22. Thanks so much for being part of the “My Happy Place” Row-Along! I’ve been following you since last year and am saving your cute colored bears each month in hopes of making one for a future grandchild…keeping my fingers crossed, LOL!! Love your cute animals – can’t pick a favorite, but definitely cute! Blessings to you and yours…

  24. Oh my goodness…you have done it again. I just can’t get enough of your whimsy. This is just the cutest thing I’ve ever seen! Thanks for sharing your fabulous talent with us all!

  25. LOVE your Post here..and Row!! Awesome job!! & thank you for your words..and for sharing the pattern too!! Hugs to you!! 🙂

  28. Love your design. We visited Australia in 2007 and enjoyed it . We were in Sydney, Alice Springs, out back, and Perth. But there is so much we didn’t get to visit that I don’t think I can say we have seen Australia. It is like people who visit the USA and only go to 3 or 4 places. But we did have a great time.

  32. Thank you soo much, your row reminds me of going to the fair with frends and Loved ones. Thank you so much. Elizabeth, Silverdale, WA

  38. Your row is so cute and I love the story of your inspiration! It is definitely a wonderful thing to be with others who accept and like who you are. Thanks for sharing!

  41. Your design is Fabulous💚💚💚
    Sometimes, … Often, when I read your stuff, I think we could be twins👭.

  43. I love how you described your happy place and the cute animals you created to show it! Some day I’m going to stay in my pj’s all day. Thanks for sharing.

  48. Love your “critters”! I, too, agree with you on spending time with just a few friends. That brings so much peace. Thank you for a delightful row.

  49. Love your “critters”! I, too, agree with you on spending time with just a few friends. That brings so much peace. Thank you for a delightful row.

  53. A great message you’ve shared, that happiness isn’t necessarily a specific place. Thanks for the cute pattern.

  56. You’ve made me smile yet again, Dione! Love, Love, LOVE your row – and being yourself! For most of my life I tried to be what everyone needed. Now that I am (((older [and hopefully wiser!!] ))) LOL I don’t worry about that so much. It’s great just being me! Thanks for this darling row!

  63. I love your row! I, too, am introverted and can appreciate needing to be with a few good friends.

  65. I like your row! This will make a nice wall hanging for my granddaughter’s room for Christmas. Or maybe a quilt for her … not sure if I’ll have time to make that before the holidays, though. Thank you for your work.

  70. There are so many happy places. My favorite is in the Adirondack mountains on New York state in the Schroon Lake area. Safe small town, free beach, park, and lake access for boaters. Great place to vacation for over 50 years.

  72. Okay, you have me curious. What does it mean to “bust your boilers”? Blog hops are so much fun because we really do stretch beyond our borders and learn new things!

  73. I love your row! My son adores penguins so I can see this pattern coming in handy 🙂 Thanks for participating and I will take a look around!

  76. This pattern can be useful for many quilts. Very cute! I also love being around those people who I’m comfortable with. Thanks!

  77. What a neat idea for your happy place. All quilters enjoy each other’s company. Your row is splendid, I like the elephants. Thanks for sharing.

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