Harrison Horse/Ursula Unicorn - applique pattern

Plus - TWENTY amazing donated quilts!

Whew!

It’s been a crazy couple of weeks!

In the last two weeks I flew to Nashville to Bouchercon (a super-fun mystery and thriller conference), drove with my daughter to Bend for a Hozier concert, and then spent the last three days at Rose City Comic Con.

It was all wonderful, but that was a lot of peopling for this introvert.

I’m ready to be home and quiet for a little while. 🥰

In between all the action, I did manage to update the Harrison Horse/Ursula Unicorn pattern. And you get a copy!

This week is Free Pattern for Everyone Week for September, so this week’s download is free for all subscribers. Woo hoo!

There are two ways to get the horse/unicorn pattern.

The easiest peasiest option is to download the pattern here.

If you’d prefer to “purchase” the files for free so they’re in your downloads library with all your other Shiny Happy World patterns, you can find it in the shop here. Use the discount code MAGIC24 at checkout for 100% off. 🥰

What’s new for this update?

I added SVG files and an assembly video for those who use a light box, gave him an open mouth instead of a stitched line mouth, and made his ear easier to attach.

I also made the eyes a little bigger and added optional eyelashes, shown here on the unicorn block.

And with that, we have an animal for the U block in the ABC quilt!

Except I forgot to make a sample in the right colors for that, so I need to make one more unicorn. 🙄

This will be a fun block for those who like to add a little extra play. 🙃

You could use fur or fleece to make the mane extra special. Those two links go to tutorials showing how to applique with those specialty fabrics.

But there’s another specialty fabric that would make that magical unicorn horn really shine. Literally! You can use shiny metallic lamé fabric to make the horn! There’s a tutorial here showing how.

I also think it would be really fun to make that horn extra long so that it busts into the space of a neighboring block! There’s a tutorial showing how to do that here.

Have fun with these guys!

Y’all have voted for Pets to be the next bundle I focus on/finish, but I’ve always got things simmering in the background. 🤔 I made that unicorn sample in the colors I want to use for a Fantasy bundle. That bundle will definitely include Darius Dragon - but what else? A fairy? A gnome? A basilisk? A sea serpent? I need ten faces for a bundle.

Post your favorite fantastic creatures in the comments and I’ll start mulling them over/sketching for the fantasy bundle I’ll get to. . . someday!

I can’t wait to see what ideas you have!

I’ve been working on some PDF guides to layouts that you can use with ANY of my patterns. Each guide has fabric requirements, cutting instructions, and assembly diagrams for 6 different sizes, from Itty Bitty Baby to King size. So far I have guides for the following layouts:

• simple grid

• checkerboard grid

• grid with sashing and borders

So if you buy, for example, the Dinosaurs pattern but you want to make it in a simple grid instead of the sashed stripes and landscape backgrounds that I used for my sample - the guide has everything you need to know to easily make that layout instead. Basically, I did all the math for you. 🥰

You can find all those guides here.

Next up I’m working on a guide for an alternate grid with half blocks. (Like what you see in the Woodland Critters cover sample). I’m hoping to have that done by next week!

I’m also working on drawing the pattern for a Bat block!!! It’ll be lots of fun for Halloween, but it will also be a great addition to Woodland Critter quilts and the National Parks Northeast Region bundle I’m working on. I’m hoping to have templates drawn by the end of this week so I can make samples and write the pattern next week.

Thanks to Sarah M. who recommended this charming book-themed romance to me. It was lots of fun and, of course, I loved the publishing house setting. 🙂

Savannah is an editor working at a high-brow publisher - but she’s writing a romance novel. When she brings her manuscript to work and suddenly needs to hide it, she stashes it in a secret cubby in a hidden room. When she goes back to get it, someone has written editorial notes in the margins! Savannah and her mystery editor end up having an ongoing conversation in the margins (and falling in love, as one does) as she works on revising the book. Cute and fun and exactly what I needed in these busy weeks.

Here’s your weekly dose of awesomeness from the Shiny Happy People group!

This is just one of TWENTY baby quilts that Deb made to donate to her local women’s shelter. You read that right. TWENTY!!!! Flowers, cats, dogs, sea creatures, monsters - they’re all amazing! You must click through to see them all.

Head over to the Shiny Happy People group on Facebook to see lots more wonderfulness people are making with my patterns—and to ask questions and share photos of your own projects. It’s my favorite place on the internet!

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The archives and sale now have their own newsletter every Friday. Last week this post got more than twice as many clicks as the next most popular link, so I think a lot of you must be working on Halloween costumes. 🎃

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I hope you have a fabulous week!

Best,
Wendi
🥰

PS - Wow! I have seen glass cane work before, but nothing like this!!! Just. . . wow!!!