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The heart and soul of Shiny Happy World is in the archives. There are hundreds of free patterns and tutorials and it’s easy to be overwhelmed by all the information. Every Friday I share just a manageable sliver – a peek at what was happening during the same week of every year since the start of Shiny Happy World. This is Week 42.

Want this round-up (along with a discount code to use on the sale patterns) delivered to your inbox every Friday? Click here to sign up for the Shiny Happy World newsletter!

Click on the images to go to the posts.

2011

Stacey wrote this excellent post with tips for choosing the best crochet hook for you. If you’re curious, I like a hook with an inline throat and a thumb rest. If you’re confused by any of those terms, the post has a link to another post that explains all the different kind of crochets hooks there are. Handy!

2012

I have very few quilt patterns that don’t use applique – this is one of them. I designed it to be especially easy, with no seams to match up. Yay! I really hate matching seams. 😂

2013

If you have a kid who’s interested in sewing – this is the post for you. There’s a video of my daughter (age 11 at the time) teaching kids to use a sewing machine. They’ll learn how a sewing machine works, how to sew wavy, straight, and parallel lines, how to use decorative stitches, how to turn corners, and more – and then they’ll use a free pattern to turn all their practice fabric into awesome original snakes. It’s loads of fun and a great way for kids to get a feel for how a sewing machine works.

2014

This is a free pattern for a very easy doll-sized quilt. It’s perfect for the Dress Up Bunch rag dolls, but it also works for American Girl dolls and loads of stuffed animals.

2015

Make an adorable stuffed dog with floppy ears and long, floppy arms and legs.

2016

Make a pirate costume for your Dress Up Bunch dolls! The pattern includes the shorts, shirt, eye patch, bandana, and trick-or-treat bag with skull and crossbones applique!

2017

I have two different monster quilt patterns – Scary Squares and the Mix & Match Monsters. This post explains the difference between the two patterns and has some tips for choosing which is right for you.

2018

This workshop took me forever to create and I’m super proud of it. It’s all felt applique and embroidery and there are videos showing how to do all the different embroidered hills without doing any marking.

2019

October is for monsters! You can add this silly Yeti to either of my monster quilt patterns.

2020

Another monster you can add to any quilt! I especially like this guy made in gray fabrics. He looks like a gargoyle!

2021

Use this pattern to make just about any raptor – eagles, hawks, falcons, kites, and more.

2022

I designed a fun mini fabric collection with these lions.

2023

Inspired by a seagull who stole an entire croissant right out of my hand in Vancouver – this is a very fun pattern to make!

2024

I love Frankenstein’s monster and this applique pattern is super fun!

The heart and soul of Shiny Happy World is in the archives. There are hundreds of free patterns and tutorials and it’s easy to be overwhelmed by all the information. Every Friday I share just a manageable sliver – a peek at what was happening during the same week of every year since the start of Shiny Happy World. This is Week 41.

Want this round-up (along with a discount code to use on the sale patterns) delivered to your inbox every Friday? Click here to sign up for the Shiny Happy World newsletter!

Click on the images to go to the posts.

2011

I’ve used this simple method to make so many Halloween costumes over the years!

2012

Nine cute little robots – easy and fun to embroider.

2013

Munch is BY FAR my most popular stuffed animal pattern! He’s super fun to make and the pocket mouth is a great place to stash an extra little gift. I’ve seen Munches made in holiday colors, sports team colors, school colors – basically every color of the rainbow. They’re ALL adorable.

2014

A dapper little fellow! I love unbreakable Christmas tree ornaments. 🙂

2015

A free applique pattern for a cute moose! This one is a great block to add to your Woodland Critter quilts.

2016

In this post I explain how you can use tissue lamé fabric to make shiny appliques. It’s so much fun! I used it to make a cute little alien here, but it’s also great to use with the Beep Beep pattern for cars and trucks.

2017

If you love hand stitching, then this is the pattern for you! You get patterns for twenty-five different geometric designs to stitch up itty bitty felt stockings into an advent calendar. It’s a true labor of love, and if you use wool felt, it’s an heirloom. If you don’t love hand stitching, just keep moving. You will hate this. 😂

2018

October is the season for monsters, and Stacey designed TEN free monster patterns to celebrate. Have fun with them!

2019

Everyone loves the pocket mouth on Munch (shown above in 2013) so I figured out how to add a pocket mouth to a crocheted monster too! This video shows how.

2020

My daughter was helping me design a new crochet pattern and made this cute little guy.

2021

Examples of quilts made with half-blocks and double-blocks and the exact measurements you need for each.

2022

A sweet mockingbird printable.

2023

Pretty, modern Christmas tree fabric. I had so much fun designing these trees! I think the white lines look like royal icing.

2024

Just for fun. Whenever I’m in a funk I draw monsters. They’re totally forgiving and fun.

The heart and soul of Shiny Happy World is in the archives. There are hundreds of free patterns and tutorials and it’s easy to be overwhelmed by all the information. Every Friday I share just a manageable sliver – a peek at what was happening during the same week of every year since the start of Shiny Happy World. This is Week 40.

Want this round-up (along with a discount code to use on the sale patterns) delivered to your inbox every Friday? Click here to sign up for the Shiny Happy World newsletter!

Click on the images to go to the posts.

2011

One of my very first softie patterns! This one is super easy to make, and you can use lots of different fabrics.

2012

Make a delightfully chunky and huggable cat.

2013

Before I recommend any product, I typically test it for months in my own work. Sometimes that’s just using it, but sometimes my tests are more elaborate. In this post I explain everything that went into testing fusible adhesives.

2014

In time for Halloween stitching – this is such a fun pattern! It’s all hand-sewn, so you can stitch anywhere. They’re super fun to scatter across a Halloween display, and you can stitch a barrette to the bottom for a creepy hair clip. If it’s too creepy in black, you can use light gray felt and embroider a smiling face (included in the pattern) for cuteness.

2015

Clear safety eyes + glitter paint = magical eyes for any stuffed animal. This post has all the tips you’ll need, including links to suggested paints.

2016

I love using cuddle fleece for the backs of all my quilts, but it’s also really easy to applique with it! This post shows you how.

2017

This adorable stuffed sloth has buttons in her hands and feet so you can wrap her arms and legs around things!

2018

This is one of my very favorite crochet stuffed animal patterns. I love his hairy ears, his silly underbite, his ridiculously large hands, his high-waisted pants. He’s just so much fun!

2019

Want to add some warty bumps to your monster? This video shows you how!

2020

Make a Halloween quilt! This pattern includes the witch in two sizes – one that fits completely into a standard 10-inch block, and one that fits into a 12-inch block, or has the tip of the hat bust out of the block (as shown). You could also put the large one into a double-high block to make your grid a little more complex.

2021

More experiments with drawing full-body animals. I’m working on a way to do this for quilt patterns without the face pieces getting too tiny and fussy.

2022

Octavian looks so fierce!

2023

An adorable hamster with enormous cheeks. 😂

2024

I updated the Kevin Koala pattern to include SVG files and light box instructions – plus optional eyelashes!

The heart and soul of Shiny Happy World is in the archives. There are hundreds of free patterns and tutorials and it’s easy to be overwhelmed by all the information. Every Friday I share just a manageable sliver – a peek at what was happening during the same week of every year since the start of Shiny Happy World. This is Week 39.

Want this round-up (along with a discount code to use on the sale patterns) delivered to your inbox every Friday? Click here to sign up for the Shiny Happy World newsletter!

Click on the images to go to the posts.

2011

I love visible mending! In this post I show you how to bend a particularly tricky spot – a tear where the pocket attaches.

2012

You can add a sweater to almost any crocheted stuffed animal – just by changing your yarn color!

2013

My daughter and I wrote a book teaching kids to sew stuffed animals! In this post I introduce you to Jo and her sewing history, along tips for teaching the kids in your own life how to sew.

2014

Make an adorable little pirate with a beanbag body – just the right size for slipping into a pocket.

2015

Make a cuddly cat with with long, floppy hands and feet.

2016

All my favorite tips and tricks for working with flannel to make a cuddly, soft quilt.

2017

I love crocheting stuffed animals with standing legs. It’s probably my favorite body shape! But with the usual method for doing it you get a little hole between the legs. It’s super easy to close up with a small scrap of yarn, but you can also avoid it altogether with this easy pattern modification.

2018

Bailey Bear is one of my easiest stuffed animal patterns – freshly updated to add tutorials that I didn’t have when I first designed him.

2019

Organizing all my quilting tutorials in a way that makes it easy for you to work through them systematically.

2020

Make a tiny little witch hat – perfect to clipping to your hair!

2021

I designed a collection of fabric inspired by kudzu!

2022

I designed a mini fabric collection for my most popular fabric design so far – those little birds!

2023

Easy peasy cut & sew Christmas stockings. You can make a fully lined stocking with a contrasting cuff with one seam. It’s magic!

2024

This is actually two patterns in one! You get the bat with folded wings to hang upside down, but you also get flying wings! That version works especially well for making half-block additions to your quilt.

The heart and soul of Shiny Happy World is in the archives. There are hundreds of free patterns and tutorials and it’s easy to be overwhelmed by all the information. Every Friday I share just a manageable sliver – a peek at what was happening during the same week of every year since the start of Shiny Happy World. This is Week 38.

Want this round-up (along with a discount code to use on the sale patterns) delivered to your inbox every Friday? Click here to sign up for the Shiny Happy World newsletter!

Click on the images to go to the posts.

2011

I love the shine of plastic craft eyes – I think it gives stuffed animals a very life-like glint. But craft eyes aren’t baby safe, even though they’re called safety eyes. If you’re crocheting a stuffed animal for a baby, this post will tell you how to crochet the eyes and attach them.

2012

This little bat is just so silly looking with his mis-matched googly eyes. I love him!

2013

Poppy is one of the most popular rag doll patterns. I think it’s the slightly crooked pigtails. 😁

2014

Make a cute, huggable pig with a sweet, kissable snout. 🐽

2015

A little bear Christmas ornament, all hand-stitched felt. I love unbreakable ornaments!

2016

There’s a pattern for a witch costume for the Dress Up Bunch dolls – and this post shows how you can use it to make a princess costume instead!

2017

I cut a lot of batting for the QAYG method I use – which means my cutting mat gets really fuzzy really quickly. That makes it not cut as well, so it needs to be cleaned. Luckily, there’s a VERY easy way to do that.

2018

Make a little mouse to photobomb the other animals in your quilts. 😀

2019

I wrote a book! It includes over 500 motifs and I’m really proud of it.

2020

Moss Moss made the cutest witch costume for her Squeak the Mouse Dress Up Bunch doll!

2021

More experiments with digital art – before I learned that I need to draw them at a larger size/higher resolution for them to print well. 🙄

2022

THIS one is big enough to print. 🙂 Cardinals always make me think of my Granma. They were her favorite. And yes, she preferred to spell it Granma. She said she wasn’t grand. 🥰

2023

I turned those cardinals (and a bunch of other beloved birds) into a set of easy cut & sew Christmas ornaments.

2024

I added an alternate grid with half-blocks to my collection of layout guides. In a nutshell – I did all the math for you! Get fabric requirements, cutting guides, and layout templates for six different sizes, from Itty Bitty Baby to King size. You can use this layout with any of my quilt patterns.

The heart and soul of Shiny Happy World is in the archives. There are hundreds of free patterns and tutorials and it’s easy to be overwhelmed by all the information. Every Friday I share just a manageable sliver – a peek at what was happening during the same week of every year since the start of Shiny Happy World. This is Week 37.

Want this round-up (along with a discount code to use on the sale patterns) delivered to your inbox every Friday? Click here to sign up for the Shiny Happy World newsletter!

Click on the images to go to the posts.

2011

Turn Karl into Frank or Vlad! This post has free templates you can use to Halloweenify the Karl with a K pattern.

2012

This post shows two ways to keep that pesky stuffing out of your stitches as you close up the last few rounds of a crocheted stuffed animal.

2013

Turn any Dress Up Bunch doll into a fairy! This collection includes patterns for the wings and the little tutu-style skirt. So much playability!

2014

Ack!!! The first Christmas ornament pattern of the year! Too soon? It’s also a great size to be a stuffed animal for one of the Dress Up Bunch dolls.

2015

Five ways I use a stitch marker – the handiest little tool ever created for crochet.

2016

This post shows a few different ways to use the Shiny Happy Houses applique pattern to make haunted houses. (Door templates make excellent tombstones!)

2017

You know all those crazy decorative stitches your sewing machine has? The ones you’re eager to find a good reason to use? Well, they can be really fun to use for quilting! This post has some tips to help you choose stitches and make them look their best.

2018

Crochet an adorably fluffy little hedgehog.

2019

I have two tiger applique patterns. Thaddeus is more realistic, but Tucker is perfect for cute baby quilts.

2020

Corbin Camel is just so sweet! I love the smile – and the eyelashes are essential!

2021

Such a sweet face! But I think I need to add an optional beard to this pattern. 🙂

2022

This design is almost a gingham – it’s just a little more irregular than a true gingham. I designed it to coordinate with every color in all my color collections.

2023

This fun snake pattern includes templates for the diamonds you see on the cover sample, but also fun stripes. You can make it without any extras, too. Just use a fancy fabric!

2024

I updated the old Harrison Horse pattern to include SVG files, eyelashes, easier assembly, and a better unicorn horn.

The heart and soul of Shiny Happy World is in the archives. There are hundreds of free patterns and tutorials and it’s easy to be overwhelmed by all the information. Every Friday I share just a manageable sliver – a peek at what was happening during the same week of every year since the start of Shiny Happy World. This is Week 36.

Want this round-up (along with a discount code to use on the sale patterns) delivered to your inbox every Friday? Click here to sign up for the Shiny Happy World newsletter!

Click on the images to go to the posts.

2011

Halloween is right around the corner! In this post I list a bunch of my favorite commercial patterns (with their pattern umbers) for making costumes.

2012

If you’re making scarves or blankets, you usually only crochet into the top of your foundation chain. But if you turn it over and stitch into the bottom as well, you can make ovals, leaves, snowflakes, and lots of other interesting shapes!

2013

You get the pattern for the big, huggable elephant and the tiny, pocket-sized mouse.

2014

A free pattern for a pirate wanted poster! It includes an alphabet so you can customize the pirate’s name – and it also includes an image of a girl pirate! I named mine Hurricane Hattie. 🥰

2015

One of my very favorite quilt patterns! It includes the basic doll body, plus lots of different hairstyles and outfits for you to mix and match. This is a great one for using scraps of your favorite fabrics and fussy cutting your favorite bits! Have a used the word “favorite” enough times? 😂

2016

Another year, another mix & match pattern! This time it’s houses, and they’re so much fun to make! I’ve made brightly-colored fantasy houses, realistic-looking houses, gingerbread houses, haunted houses – what will you make?

2017

Make your fabric print work for you.

2018

Make a cute little pencil case for the start of the school year with this free pattern!

2019

The original cuddle fleece I like to use for quilt backs and stuffed animals was discontinued, but I found an excellent substitute. I think it’s made by the same manufacturer.

2020

I just adore this version of the Mix & Match Monsters quilt that Camilla made. That bold stripe with Liam’s name is just ***chef’s kiss***.

2021

Some tips for choosing a quilt pattern. I go through a bunch of my most popular patterns and explain what makes one especially hard or especially easy. It’ll help you choose the pattern that’s just right for you.

2022

A sweet raccoon face! This is a collection of printables that you can use for so many things!

2023

Another set of printables – but this one is a little different. You get the main image in multiple sizes, a black and white line drawing, an embroidery pattern with color guide, and the cat, mouse and flower all as individual clip art images with no backgrounds so you can play with them individually.

2024

I just love the exceedingly pleased expression on this cat’s face. 🥰

The heart and soul of Shiny Happy World is in the archives. There are hundreds of free patterns and tutorials and it’s easy to be overwhelmed by all the information. Every Friday I share just a manageable sliver – a peek at what was happening during the same week of every year since the start of Shiny Happy World. This is Week 35.

Want this round-up (along with a discount code to use on the sale patterns) delivered to your inbox every Friday? Click here to sign up for the Shiny Happy World newsletter!

Click on the images to go to the posts.

2011

When I designed this boy doll (with a removable mask and cape!) I asked readers for name suggestions. The winner was Karl. Specifically – Karl with a K. Whenever anyone asks his name, that’s his answer. “Karl with a K.” 😂

2012

My mix & match applique patterns are some of my most popular. But did you know I have mix & match crochet patterns too?

2013

A free pattern for a skirt to fit the Dress Up Bunch dolls. (There’s a link for a free pattern for that shirt too!) It includes instructions for adding decorative trim to the bottom, like a beaded fringe, and also making a hole for any animal dolls who need room for their wagging tails.

2014

Easy instructions for making a T-shirt quilt.

2015

Here’s a tricky way to use the decorative stitches on a basic sewing machine to machine stitch eyes. No fancy embroidery machine needed!

2016

This is one of my favorite quilts I’ve ever made. It sits on my couch where I use it all the time and it makes me happy every single time I see it. 🥰

2017

How I quilted the background blocks for the Fish quilt.

2018

A progress update on a really fun, all-handstitching project. Not everyone’s cup of tea, but I love it!

2019

Flit the Fairy! I used scallop stitches for her hairline and also for the edges of her wings. So pretty!

2020

Adorable arctic animals!

2021

More attempts to draw animals doing something besides smiling directly into the camera. 😂 This sleepy squirrel is BY FAR the most successful.

2022

It took me a LONG time to draw an octopus I was happy with. All those legs!

2023

A sweet hippo! I love how much the eyelashes add – but you can leave them off if you don’t like stitching small bits like that.

2024

With the addition of this block I have patterns for all the great apes except humans. (You can use the chimpanzee pattern for bonobos.)

The heart and soul of Shiny Happy World is in the archives. There are hundreds of free patterns and tutorials and it’s easy to be overwhelmed by all the information. Every Friday I share just a manageable sliver – a peek at what was happening during the same week of every year since the start of Shiny Happy World. This is Week 34.

Want this round-up (along with a discount code to use on the sale patterns) delivered to your inbox every Friday? Click here to sign up for the Shiny Happy World newsletter!

Click on the images to go to the posts.

2011

I LOVE to frame embroidery in hoops!

2012

Folded ears add so much dimension to your stuffed animals! And they’re not hard to attach.

2013

A little peek behind the curtain at all the decisions I make in the process of designing a doll. I love posts like this!

2014

One of my favorites from the Party Animals collection of felt stuffed animals. These look hard to make but are actually really easy!

2015

These are the three stabilizers I use most often. In this post I break down which ones I use for what – a very handy summary!

2016

I ADORE this collection! It includes patterns for the doll’s quilt, long nightgown, and sweet stuffed elephant.

2017

Do you have a pile of craft eyes and you don’t know what size they are? You can measure the larger ones with a ruler, but this post has a nifty trick for measuring smaller eyes.

2018

I design most of my quilt patterns without sashing – but you can always add sashing! And borders! This post explains how to do it – with a link to a handy dandy guide where I did all the math for six different quilt sizes.

2019

One of my favorite things is hand applique with felt. You can use any of my single-block applique patterns with felt – and this post has everything you need to frame that pretty applique with even more pretty applique – and embroidery!

2020

I designed this sweet husky for the Arctic Chill pattern.

2021

Experimenting with cut paper art – and trying to draw animals doing something besides smiling at us. 🙂

2022

After a year of working on it, my cut paper illustrations look a lot better. (Though I’m back to an animal just smiling at us. What can I say? I love these little portraits!)

2023

Probably my favorite fabric collection so far. I love these silly blob monsters!

2024

I remade the Lucien Lion pattern to make it work for lots of other big cats – a lioness, a jaguar, a leopard, and more!

The heart and soul of Shiny Happy World is in the archives. There are hundreds of free patterns and tutorials and it’s easy to be overwhelmed by all the information. Every Friday I share just a manageable sliver – a peek at what was happening during the same week of every year since the start of Shiny Happy World. This is Week 33.

Want this round-up (along with a discount code to use on the sale patterns) delivered to your inbox every Friday? Click here to sign up for the Shiny Happy World newsletter!

Click on the images to go to the posts.

2011

I stitched up the sample for this embroidery pattern using glow in the dark thread to create a totally magical tree full of fireflies.

2012

This adorable squirrel uses loop stitch to give him an exceptionally fluffy tail. 🙂 You get the pattern for that acorn too!

2013

Back when Sulky first released their line of Sulky Petites 12 wt. embroidery thread, they asked me to the review it and maybe design a free pattern. I designed four!

2014

I almost never make pieced quilts (applique is just too much fun!) but here’s one – and the pattern is free!

2015

It’s back to school season! Your Dress Up Bunch dolls might need a new outfit too! This pattern collection includes the shirt and pleated skirt, the shoes, and the little backpack inspired by the ones I saw in Japan.

2016

This is the last of four GIANT embroidery projects I made for Sulky to use in their booth at Quilt Market in 2016. When I say BIG I mean it! It’s 18 inches tall and a whopping 28 inches wide!

2017

The demo in this video shows how to crochet the mane on a lion, but you can use the exact same method to crochet a skirt onto a doll, a foot to a slug, petals to a flower, and more.

2018

The longer a piece of fabric is, the more likely it is to shift when you sew it so that you end up with a very uneven situation at the end of your seam. This is how I pin those long seams to prevent that shifting.

2019

Such a happy little fellow!

2020

I love the expression on this silly emu’s face! The pattern also makes a great ostrich with different color choices.

2021

A year later, another Australian animal. What a weird coincidence!

2022

Experimenting with digital cut paper illustration.

2023

I just adore this pattern! It’s so much fun to mix and match the template pieces to create chickens in all kinds of poses with all kinds of expressions!

2024

This video tutorial shows how to use digital clip art and the free version of Canva (nothing fancy!) to create unique greeting cards.