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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 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.

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 32.

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

This is actually a really common issue – and it’s because people are having trouble identifying the back loop. This post shows exactly where it is.

2012

I love getting extra use out of all of my patterns. Here’s a non-stitchy way to use my embroidery patterns to make greeting cards!

2013

One of the lovely things about embroidery is the way it sits on the surface of the fabric. You don’t want to undo that by smooshing the stitches with your iron – but you also almost always need to iron your finished work. This video shows how I iron all my embroidery.

2014

One of my most popular free patterns! This is a terrific way to use scraps, and the coasters make great gifts.

2015

The last block in the Controlled Chaos scrap quilt.

2016

A fun project combining applique and embroidery.

2017

Crochet a silly butterfly.

2018

Two videos showing how to download your files and how to save a backup.

2019

I just love his high-waisted swimming trunks! And his swim ring!

2020

I was making sample blocks for the Arctic Chill pattern. I love this chunky walrus!

2021

A time lapse video showing my process for making a digital cut paper poodle. I’ve refined my technique a lot since then, adding highlights to the cut edges, and shadows to really make it look three-dimensional. But this is where I started.

2022

Here you can see something much closer to what I’m doing now.

2023

I reorganized all the crochet lessons to make them easier to work through them in order.

2024

A cute jellyfish!

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 31.

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 avoided zippers for YEARS because I thought they’d be too hard. They’re not.

2012

Frankie the Lobster! Those claws use the same technique as making standing legs.

2013

I used to use freezer paper applique for all my quilts – back before I discovered Heat & Bond Lite – a fusible adhesive that I really loved. This post has all my tutorials in one place.

2014

Such a sweet pup! Use the same pattern for whippets, borzois, salukis, and other long, lean dogs.

2015

My most popular pattern ever.

2016

Trapunto is a really cool way of adding puffy dimension to your quilts – but it’s suuuuuuper fussy and not fun. So I figured out an easy and fun way to get the look of trapunto without the annoyance.

2017

I love to use zippers in my pillows, but I don’t love to have them in a side seam. I like the zipper on the back. And I like it set in a smidge from the sides. (I’m very picky.) Exactly 6 years after showing how to sew a zipper in a seam, I shared all the details about how I use zippers in my pillows.

2018

One of my favorite crochet patterns. I love this roly poly fuzzy sheep!

2019

These little pocket-sized guinea pigs are super cute! I included different markings in the pattern so you can crochet your guinea pig.

2020

More parrots for my 100 Days project. This time it’s a blue and gold macaw. So handsome!

2021

Did you know you can add a baby version of any animal to your quilt blocks? In this post I take you through the whole things, from resizing to the final placement. It adds such a cute touch!

2022

Lucien Lion – perfect for Safari, jungle, zoo, or other animal-themed quilts!

2023

When I designed this pattern I knew I needed to draw the meerkats skinny enough so more than one could fit in the block.

2024

An adorable queen bee illustrated in my favorite cut paper style – you get JPG files in a bunch of sizes, plus a PNG with a transparent background so you can use it in lots of different ways.

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 30.

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

How to tie off the tail on the back of your embroidery without using a knot.

2012

Sometimes the best way to add a small detail to a crocheted stuffed animal is by adding a bit of felt.

2013

Back when I did a lot of freezer paper applique, my folds instantly coming unfolded in the North Carolina humidity would drive me bonkers. Starch is the magic answer! And it makes fabric behave in other situations too. Read for all the details.

2014

Perfect for shaggy manes, fluffy eyebrows, fuzzy caterpillars, soft flower centers, and more.

2015

Make a cute stuffed beaver with silly buck teeth and a flat, quilted tail.

2016

Crochet a teeny tiny crab!

2017

I use them in all my stuffed animals – both sewn and crocheted. I’ve even used them in occasional applique projects – I just snap the excess shank off the back with a pair of wire cutters after I put the washer on.

2018

Make a sea creatures quilt – perfect for beach houses and ocean-loving kids!

2019

Wait a minute! Weren’t these guys in the Week 29 archives post? They were indeed! In Week 29 of 2018 my Mix & Match Monsters applique class on Craftsy (featuring this pattern) launched. In Week 30 of 2019 I made the pattern available without needing to purchase the class from Craftsy. 🙂

2020

More parrots for my 100 Days project. This time it’s a cute cockatiel. I just love those pink cheeks!

2021

Experimenting with some simple animation on my iPad. Click through to see!

2022

I designed a new free alphabet pattern – this one is skinnier so you can fit more letters in a block! Add all kinds of words to your quilts and other projects! The post shows a quote added to a quilt, and also animal sounds added. You can add a child’s name and birthdate, a special message – really anything you can imagine!

2023

Experimenting with creating clip art from some of my designs.

2024

I updated the koala pattern, adding SVG files for electric cutting machines, and a video showing assembly using a light box.

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 29.

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

Make super cute cards by embroidering on paper.

2012

I get this question a LOT. There’s no single answer to this – you hold you yarn however it feels comfortable to you! But this post explains how I do it, which will give you a good starting place.

2013

In this post I show you how to use the legs from a pair of cut-offs and the free Dress Up Bunch shorts pattern to make cute doll-sized shorts with all those great denim details.

2014

I almost always use whipstitch when I applique felt. This video shows how!

2015

The Dress Up Bunch dolls are going to a birthday party! This fun collection includes patterns for the dress, party hat, and gift bag.

2016

One of my most popular patterns! You get TONS of templates for bodies, eyes, mouths, fins, feathers, hands, antennae, tentacles, toe nails, stripes, spots, and more – enough to make a kajillion different monsters!

2017

A photo and video post showing you the different between crocheting through the back loop and crocheting through both loops.

2018

This post has a video showing how I quilt a broken grid layout – like when you have double-wide or double-tall blocks that interrupt the lines of the grid.

2019

A sweet dragon applique pattern – with optional flames!!!

2020

For one chunk of my 100 Day Drawing Project in 2020 I drew parrots – including this sulfur-crested cockatoo. I still need to make these parrots into an applique pattern – they’re so pretty!

2021

My daughter found the perfect yarn to make this giant squid! I think she ended up making seven or eight of them for friends. 😂

2022

One of my most popular fabric collections!

2023

Juicy strawberries! I really want to make myself an apron with this fabric.

2024

New blenders in the Sea Breeze color collection! I love this pretty peachy coral color.

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 28.

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

In my many-years-long avoidance of zippers, one of the things I latched on to was hammer-on snaps. They look really clean and nice and they’re WAY easier to work with than sew-on snaps, which I always fumble. I LOVE using them for doll clothes, because they’re relatively easy for small fingers to manipulate. This tutorial shows how to use them.

2012

I’ve been making curtains in this style for YEARS and I still love them.

2013

One of the Dress Up Bunch rag dolls. I show them here in just their collar, but they can wear all the clothes in the collection. 🥰

2014

Got batting scraps that are too small? Don’t throw them away – or save them in an endlessly growing pile. You can piece them together! In this post I show you how.

2015

A free pattern for some cute and cozy bear coasters – but it also includes instructions for adapting ANY of my applique pattern to make felt coasters. It’s a great way to get extra use out of your patterns!

2016

This fun pattern collection for the Dress Up Bunch dolls includes a hospital gown that ties on in the back, cute panties (you can’t wear a hospital gown without panties), a cast that attaches with hook & loop tape, and a sling.

2017

A free pattern for a tablet cover, with instructions to customize it to fit any size tablet. If you click through to the post you’ll also see examples of one I made with some of my applique patterns. 😁

2018

An easy peasy crochet project that’s also a great way to use up scraps.

2019

This was SUCH a fun project! You get templates for all the bears and the hills, and video tutorials teaching how to do all the embroidery inside the hills without doing any marking.

2020

I just love this silly guy, with his big googly eyes and his suction-cup toes. 😁

2021

A cute dragonfly with a happy smile. 😃

2022

One of my favorite things I’ve ever drawn! This is available as downloadable art in three different skin tones and tons of different sizes so you can use it to make prints, cards, stickers, and more. This isn’t what I look like, but it’s what I feel like inside, so I think of it as a self-portrait. 😁

2023

In this post I share a quick, easy and FREE tool that makes it really easy to squish two animals into one block.

2024

I made a new sample of Ian Iguana for an ABC quilt I’m working on. I love these colors!