crossroads quilt along - chain blocks

It's Crossroads quilt along time again! This month I made the chain blocks that will link the blocks from previous months. It sure was nice to have simple, partially chain-pieced blocks to sew.

Sewing with red and pink fabric always puts me in a happy mood. For the block centers, my original plan was to go with just one color (either aqua or pink) but then I went scrappy like the pattern suggests.

Are you sewing along with the #crossroadsquiltalong? You can still join us! The pattern download is here, and it's free. A donation of $5 is requested to March of Dimes for the use of the pattern - we've raised over $10,000 so far! I'm using the quilt kit since I love the Fig Tree Strawberry Fields Revisited fabric so much. Watch the tutorial video here with Joanna Figueroa and Kimberly Jolly from Fat Quarter Shop. Joanna explains the inspiration for the chain block. And next month we get to start assembling the quilt top!

And I'd like to congratulate Lori Smanski! Lori is the winner of last week's giveaway, part of the Maggie's First Dance Quit Along. She'll soon receive a package of Thermoweb products valued at $60.

Now go download your pattern and start sewing!

crossroads quilt along month 2

Welcome back for the second month of the Crossroads Quilt Along! I am sewing along with Fig Tree Quilts and Fat Quarter Shop to create a great vintage-inspired quilt, and to raise funds for March of Dimes! And this month, we're making Diamond blocks.

Even though I've been quilting for many years, I still like learning new techniques. For example, the square-in-a-square elements of this block (the taupe print with the strawberries, set on point). I've always pressed my seams out, toward the solid. Then I've always watched helplessly as my feed dogs gobble the unit up when sewing it to an adjoining unit. (I do hope that this makes sense!) But this pattern tells you to press your seams open and guess what - no feed dog gobbling!  And while I don't use taupe or brown prints often, I think that they'll provide some interesting contrast in the finished quilt.

And now for the obligatory let's-put-all-my-blocks-together-for-a-group-photo shot. Or maybe this is just an excuse to trot out those cute pink and aqua houses again!

Now for all the specifics. The pattern is free, but a donation of $5 or more is requested to March of Dimes. You can download the pattern and see which other bloggers are sewing along with me by clicking here. Please consider making a donation by clicking here. Use your own fabulous collection of fabric, or purchase the kit that I am using here. And don't miss the block tutorial video here.  In the video, Joanna Figueroa and Kimberly Jolly discuss what diamonds mean to them (it's all about family). And are you one of those Strawberry Fields fabric junkies like me? There's also a video where Joanna talks about the similarities and differences between the new Strawberry Fields Revisited and the original Strawberry Fields collections. You can watch that video here.

Be sure to show us your blocks! When you post them on social media, be sure to tag them #crossroadsquiltalong. Thanks so much for stopping by, and have fun making your own diamond blocks!

crossroads quilt along, AND the name game!

Hi everybody! The Crossroads quilt along officially kicks off today and I am SO EXCITED! You know how much I love Fig Tree fabrics and quilt patterns, so do I really need to say more?!

These four house blocks make me happy in so many ways. House blocks are one of my all-time favorites (like my pink house logo!), and there they are in the sherbet-y goodness of Strawberry Fields Revisted fabric! I'm sewing with the kit, and for once, I am resisting the urge to make fabric changes. But you never know what the future might bring!

Crossroads is a 10 month quilt along designed by Fig Tree Quilts and Fat Quarter Shop. We'll be making blocks for six months and then we'll put it all together in August and September.

One of my favorite parts of the pattern is that after each step, the pattern tells you what the size of that sewn unit should be. It's a great way to make sure that your sizing is accurate throughout the construction of the block. I always take a measurement of my unit and make corrections if needed. And guess what? There are NO templates in the roof unit!

And of course, while I was sewing these blocks, my local radio station was in the midst of a Big 80's weekend, and John Mellencamp's "Little Pink Houses" came on! (Now if only the lyrics were "little pink strawberry houses for you and me.")

And part of my love of house blocks comes from my very BIG interest in becoming a first time homeowner. I've lived in 18 different locations (there might be more, but I've lost count) and I've never actually owned a house. Maybe home #1 can be aqua and covered with big roses?

The pattern download is free each month, but a minimal donation of $5 is requested for March of Dimes. Together, we'll raise funds to help prevent premature births. You'll find LOTS of additional information about Crossroads here - you'll see fabric requirements, a calendar of the blocks that we'll be making, and a list of the participating bloggers. And be sure to watch this new video with Joanna and Kimberly, where they discuss what "home" means, as well as a house block tutorial. 

But wait, there's more!

Have you ever wondered where my name - Grey Dogwood Studio - came from? I'm playing The Name Game today on Cindy Wiens' blog,  Live A Colorful Life. Learn all about how I came up with my moniker (it's more complicated than you might think!) and check out all of Cindy's other fun posts. Just click here to learn more!

crossroads charity quilt along 2016

Well, my quilty friends, we are at a quilting crossroads. The Snapshots charity quilt along is nearly finished. It's been fun, right? I've seen SO many great blocks from everybody. My Snapshots quilt just returned from my longarm quilter, Kaylene just a few days ago, and now I can stitch the binding! And the generosity of the quilting community has really been amazing - together, we've raised $38,000 - nearly double the original goal. That's awesome (and I don't use that word very often).

We all need another sew along!

Next up is the 2016 Crossroads charity quilt along. And omigosh it features my all time favorite fabric collection, Strawberry Fields Revisited! Just look at this strawberry-licious fabric. 

You can read all about Strawberry Fields Revisited here. And yes, I was one of those people who asked/begged Fig Tree Quilts and Moda Fabrics to pleeeease reprint the collection. There are some new prints and colors this time, along with the return of some favorites. Strawberry Fields Revisited will coordinate perfectly with any older Strawberry Fields that might be in your stash.

Isn't this quilt perfect? It was designed by Joanna Figueroa and it's reminiscent of a vintage quilt. It's the kind of quilt that I always hope to find at a consignment shop, but of course, I never do. It's definitely a future heirloom for today.

The "crossroads" theme is an excellent way to describe the year that I've had. Many of you know that I was recently at a crossroads with my housing, and we made a huge decision to relocate from NYC to Indiana.  Sure, I wanted more living space and clean air and a modern kitchen. I had many doubts about moving. I knew absolutely nothing about Indiana, and it doesn't even have a tour book! But the decision to move was made very quickly, and all I can say now is... why didn't we do this sooner?! My quality of life is SO much better. I miss almost nothing about NYC, and that really surprises me. My boss told me today that I always readily embrace change and I thought "really, I do?" So this major crossroads changed my life for the better.

Next year's quilt along will benefit March of Dimes, which helps families with premature babies. It's surely a very worthy cause, and I'll be learning more about them throughout the year.  I am confident that quilters can make a difference. We did it this year, and we can do it again.

Okay, so here are the details. The eight month sew along will start in February 2016. Fat Quarter Shop will post a pattern download on the 15th of each month. Each pattern is free, but a $5 donation to March of Dimes is requested for each pattern download. A quilt kit with all the fabric you'll need is available here, and there's also a pieced backing kit. Designer Joanna Figueroa has shared a story about her own personal crossroads, as well as the inspiration for this quilt on her blog here.

I do hope that you'll join me (and a group of bloggers!) as we sew together. I can't wait!