classic and vintage block - delectable mountains

My favorite quilt patterns are always based on the classics. They're perfect, well-loved patterns that we don't always see in today's modern world. I'm happy that Fat Quarter Shop is putting a spotlight on the Delectable Mountains block in their latest "Classic and Vintage Series."

So, after spending months considering a purchase of Whitewashed Cottage by 3 Sisters, I finally bought the fat eighth bundle last week. I knew that it would make pretty mountain blocks. The fabric reminds me of sunwashed gardens and picket fences. (I write this as I sit in my dark, air conditioned living room... far, far away from sunwashed gardens and picket fences!)

This block actually looks more complicated than it is. The block pattern is free, and you can download your copy here. There is also an inexpensive pattern to turn your blocks into a quilt here. You'll definitely want to watch this short video. Kimberly walks us through how to construct the block, but I especially like the part on how to trim the block. I watched it as I was making my blocks, paused it at the trimming part, then scrolled back and watched the trimming part again. There's even a quilt kit with everything that you'll need for a Christmas version of the quilt here.

As I was making these blocks, I wondered exactly what is a Delectable Mountain, anyway? it sounds like a tasty treat, right? Well, no, it's not! A quick Google search took me to John Bunyan's book, The Pilgrim's Progress. It's a Christian allegory in which a Puritan named Christian travels through the Delectable Mountains on his way to the Celestial City. Many of you might already know this story, but I haven't read it. And somehow this book inspired the quilt block. 

Luckily we don't need to read the book in order to enjoy the quilt!

I'll be back on Monday with TWO new Snapshots quilt blocks! This month we're making the ice cream and camera blocks! See you soon.

sugar tulips - a quilt finish

Meet my latest quilt top, Sugar! Such a fun project, and it looks exactly like I hoped it would. 

The Sugar quilt was inspired by my great love of spring tulips from the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. I wish they could last all year, but my new quilt will help to preserve them!

Sugar started with the blogger bundle that I put together for Fat Quarter Shop. Twelve fabulous, bright, happy prints and three vintage-inspired solids.

And I loved working with the Sugar pattern from Amber Johnson's book Vintage Vibe. It's a collection of 14 patterns for quilts, a runner and a pillow. I'd like to make the cover quilt, too. 

Each tulip measures 9" so this quilt can go together very quickly. Mine took longer, but that's only because I jumped around to so many different projects! The blocks are very easy to sew and the pattern is clearly written. And I'm lucky that I had a helper with claws to arrange the blocks.

(Yeah, don't believe that part about Mia being a "helper" - but luckily, no tulips were harmed in the making of the Sugar quilt.)

Sugar finishes at 64" x 80" and it doesn't have a border! The tulips just float against their white-on-white dotty background.

I'd like to say a big THANK YOU to everybody who has purchased my fat quarter bundle. I am humbled to know that so many of you added this collection of fabric to your stashes. When I put the collection together, I really hoped that you would be inspired to create your own happy projects. If you make a project with this bundle, please send me a note and maybe a picture or a link to your blog. I'd love to see what you made with it. There are a just a very few bundles left at Fat Quarter Shop, and you can order yours here.

a sugar candies pillow!

The Sugar Candies pillow is finished! It's completely calorie, gluten and fiber free, of course. I started this just a few weeks ago, and I'm so happy to see how it came together.

Sugar Candies is a mini quilt pattern that will be published very soon by Nadra Ridgeway of Ellis & Higgs. The finished quilt is 18" and would make a cute addition to a kitchen, a child's room or as a gift to your favorite sugarholic. These candies are so quick and easy to sew, with a very clearly written pattern. There are plenty of illustrations, and Nadra even indicates pressing directions with little arrows so that your seams nest properly. I LOVE that! Just gather your "ingredients" and get sewing! 

Sugar Candies was the perfect size to transform into a throw pillow. The pattern does not include directions for creating a pillow, but you can use your favorite method. I like to back my pillows with simple envelope closures, which means no zippers! (There are several videos on YouTube showing how to do this. I use a similar method that is clearly illustrated by Lynnette Jensen in many of her Thimbleberries books such as Making Your House A Home.)

My candies are made with an assortment of Milk, Sugar & Flower prints by Elea Lutz for Penny Rose Fabrics, classic 1/8" Riley Blake ginghams and Lakehouse's Sunrise Studio mini dots. My background is an older pindot by Pam Kitty Morning (I bought yards and yards and yards of that print, and sadly, I've nearly come to the end of it. Riley Blake has similar white dotty prints.) 

I'm so happy that Nadra allowed me to test the Sugar Candies pattern. She has more cute patterns coming soon, too, like a great townhouse. Check out her blog, Ellis & Higgs, for more news about her upcoming patterns and fabric collection.

farm girl friday - baking and canning

I've been doing some "cooking" this week with the Farm Girl Vintage sew along. I "canned" the seasonal fruits and vegetables. There's strawberry and raspberry preserves, green pickles, yellow summer squash, and... blue stuff. Uh, blueberries? Blue cheese dressing? 

And a chicken foot block. Me and the chicken did not get along. This block gave me trouble, and I did the rubber chicken dance when it was finished!

I forgot to show you last week's blocks! The baking day block was fast and easy. I even have a matching mixing bowl from Cath Kidston!

And the butter churn block just might be my favorite block so far. It's that electric jolt of blue that wakes it up.

If it wasn't for the weekly quilt along, I'd probably just sew every block in the book as quickly as possible - they're that much fun.

For more details on the sew along (and some block inspiration!), check out Lori Holt's blog today here.

And Happy Memorial Day weekend to my friends in the USA!

let's cook! snapshots block 5

It's Snapshots sew along time again! This month's block is Kindred Kitchen. It's the perfect vintage apron!

I had to add a fun stripey pocket to the apron.

Don't tell anybody, but I just wear a tshirt and khakis while cooking - NO apron. Maybe this goes back to a bad baking experience at a job that I had when I was in college. I was the baker's assistant at the food hall. I was responsible for making "monster-sized" chocolate chip cookies. I would load the oven with many, many sheet pans full of cookie dough, and the pans would be rotated in the oven by a conveyor belt. The only problem was that  I couldn't remove the baking sheets from the oven fast enough, and cookies continually burned. I was fired and told that I would never make it as a baker. Now who gets fired from baking cookies?!

Are you ready to get started cooking up your own cute apron? The full details about the Snapshots sew along are on the Fat Quarter Shop's Jolly Jabber blog here. The pattern download is available here, and please consider making a small donation to St Jude's Children's Research Hospital here. Get creative and sew blocks from your stash, or use the kit which features Daysail fabrics. Plus, there's another fun, monthly video with Kimberly, Bonnie and Camille that you can watch here.

And I still can't bake cookies, but I know how to eat them.

farm girl friday - raising chickens

It's time for Farm Girl Friday! Or for me, Farm Boy Friday. Farm Girl Vintage is the latest book by Lori Holt, and whole bunch of us chickens are sewing along with Lori. This week, I had a big challenge raising my baby chick block. I have a fear of embroidery! Oddly, when I was a kid I remember embroidering mushrooms on burlap. (It was the mid 1970's, so that makes it ok, right?) And when I started to quilt in 1999, I made Christmas stockings of flannel, embroidered with feather stitches, flowers and cross hatching. But then I was traumatized by a redwork project, and I couldn't get my stem stitch to look stem-ish. And, seriously, how does anybody really thread three plies of floss through a tiny needle?!

I knew that I needed to make the baby chick block because my grandfather built a chicken coop in the backyard of his city house. He raised Rhode Island Reds and Leghorns. Of course, my mother vividly remembers her favorite pet rooster, Whitey, who pecked her and then became confined to the barnyard. Now I know why I was afraid of the chickens and I stayed far away! I watched this short video about how to do a backstitch, did a practice piece and then finally stitched the chicken legs. I think he's pretty cute!

The Autumn Star block was fun to make (whew, no embroidery!) and I really love the contrast between the brighter Aloha Girl prints mixed with the more subdued Ambleside.  

The first three blocks make me so happy. This is exactly the look I wanted. Now maybe I'll cheat a little and get started on the blocks for next Friday!

Want to learn more about the sew along? You can join us! More details are on Lori Holt's blog and the Jolly Jabber blog, and be sure to use the hashtags #farmgirlfridays, #babychickblock and #autumnstarblock on social media so that everybody can see your blocks.

sugar candies! pattern test part one

You all know how much I love sweet stuff - candy, cupcakes, ice cream... I'm not too picky. I loved Smarties candies with their cello wrappers when I was a kid. So I jumped at the opportunity to test out this new pattern called Sugar Candies by Nadra Ridgeway. Have you seen her blog, Ellis & Higgs? She has the cutest projects and a great sense of color. When I discovered her blog a few years ago it was love at first sight. She'll introduce a few mini quilt patterns very soon, and I am super excited about her upcoming fabric collection with Riley Blake. I love every single print!

Testing this pattern for Nadra gave me the perfect opportunity to use another new favorite fabric collection, Milk, Sugar & Flower by Elea Lutz, which combines perfectly with Sunrise Studio's bright dots.

And I finally got over my fear of the walking foot. Why was I so intimidated by that big chunk of plastic and metal? I was surprised at how easy it is to use. I just read my sewing machine's manual and did it. Next up - turning this 18" mini quilt into a pillow in time for the big reveal!

And I have to leave you with the song that I listened to while making the Sugar Candies blocks. Isn't it great to be able to watch Sammy Davis Jr singing "The Candyman" again? ("You can even eat the dishes" he sings. Where can I buy those?)

farm girl vintage sew along!

So have you all heard about Lori Holt's newest book and sew along, Farm Girl Vintage? It's just getting started today! Ok, so here's the scoop. Lori's new book has 45 block patterns that you can mix and match to create your own custom quilt, or you can make the sampler shown on the book cover. You can choose to make 6" or 12" blocks. And you know how I love a sampler quilt! I find them fun to sew because there's always a new block to work on, and you only need to make one of each. Sometimes with traditional quilts I get bored sewing the same block over and over and over and over...

Lots of quilters are already sewing up these cute blocks. For the sew along, we'll make 1 or 2 blocks each week, and we'll post them on social media using the hashtag #farmgirlfridays (and in my case, I've added #farmboyfridays!) I'm making the sampler quilt with 6" blocks.

But what fabric to use? I've been thinking about this for WEEKS. I had many different ideas - scrappy brights, 30's reproductions, Fig Tree, etc. I was making myself crazy. But Brenda Riddle's new Ambleside and Fig Tree's new Aloha Girl collections have been sitting right in front of me this whole time, and they mix together beautifully! (Thanks, Susan, for pointing out what should have been obvious to me!)

And here's this Friday's featured block - #apronstringsblock.

Each Friday, two bloggers will share a special block with us, and gradually, we'll work our way through all 45 blocks. For even more details on the sew along and a list of the participating bloggers, bookmark the Jolly Jabber blog here (you might even find me on the list for June!), and Lori Holt's blog here. Maybe you think that you'd like to make a block but aren't up to doing the whole quilt? Well, turn your block into a cute potholder using this nifty video tutorial. I hope you join us. It will be fun!

snapshots block 4 - puppy love

Who's ready for puppy love?

It's Snapshots month 4! Can you believe that we're already one third of the way through this quilt?! Ok, time for a quick refresher. Snapshots is a monthly sew-along, hosted by Fat Quarter Shop and Moda Fabrics. Each month we'll make a block that represents a snapshot of our lives. (Is it still called a snapshot if it's taken with a portable electronic device? Yikes can you imagine a quilt-of-the-future called "Selfie" with blocks that look like selfie sticks?)

Mr. (or Miss) Puppy really went together quickly. Just assemble the head and arm unit, then the cute basket and bow unit...

Then stitch the three strip units together. I'll sew the button eyes down after it's quilted. I think my longarm quilter might appreciate that.

Of course, it helps if you have a friend to help. Mia is wondering why I'm sewing a puppy block. (Relax, Mia, because there's a kitty block coming up in a few months!)

Snapshots is also a fundraiser! The pattern download is free and you can pick up your own copy on Fat Quarter Shop's Jolly Jabber blog here. A donation of $5 (or more) is requested for St Jude's Children's Research Hospital. Such a great cause, and quilters have broken the goal twice! The first goal was for $10,000 and then it was increased to $20,000. So far, over $21,000 has been raised!

My little puppy started with the Daysail fabric included in the kit, but I switched the basket print for an aqua floral Miss Kate print.

The Puppy Love block is a snapshot of my life in two completely unrelated ways. There was always a dachshund or miniature schnauzer in the house when I was growing up, and I have memories that are happy and funny and a little wistful. And then there's Donny Osmond's "Puppy Love". I was obsessed with Donny & Marie (you already know I'm a little bit country!) and I finally saw them in concert a few years ago. As I sewed this block, Donny's song Puppy Love ran through my head. YouTube video to the rescue! Here it is, but don't blame me if you start singing along.

And don't forget to check out the other bloggers participating in this quilt along. I can't wait to see all their creative puppy blocks. And I hope that you're sewing along too! Be sure to use the tag #fqssnapshots when sharing your photos on social media so we can all see them.

• Camille Roskelley of Thimble Blossoms
• Bonnie Olaveson of Cotton Way
• Pat Sloan of The Voice of Quilting
• Lori Holt of Bee In My Bonnet
• Sherri McConnell of A Quilting Life
• Melissa Corry of Happy Quilting
• Thelma Childers of Cupcakes N' Daisies
• Pam Viera-McGinnis of Pam Kitty Morning
• Anne Sutton of Bunny Hill Designs
• Stephanie Kendron of The Modern Sewciety
• Natalia Bonner of Piece N Quilt
• Greg Jones of Grey Dogwood Studio (that's me!)
• Jessie Fincham of Messy Jesse
• Sondra Davison of Out of the Blue Quilts
• Angie Wilson of Gnome Angel

fig tree mystery sampler - two more months done!

Hi everybody! Ok, this past week saw a return to some serious sewing! 

I've been completely obsessed with getting caught up on the Fig Tree vintage mystery BOM quilt. I've also been making the blocks in the right order, even though I wanted to jump around. While working on these two Cross & Crown blocks, I thought it might be fun to have the tape measure print pieces lined up. (I'm taking liberty with my use of the word "fun" here. Maybe I should have said that it was like a self-imposed dare.)  I cut each piece as I sewed rather than all at one time, so the 6" block took a few hours. It wasn't as difficult as I expected, and I loved the result. So why not do it again with two Noon & Light blocks?

And here's the second of four pineapple blocks that will go into this quilt. I know that this block looks tricky, but the Pineapple & Figs pattern is so easy. It's made of ivory solid strips, with print squares sewn diagonally onto the corners flipped open. You don't need any special rulers or templates. If you've ever wanted to do a pineapple quilt I would highly recommend this pattern.

Now on to the pastels, with a 6" Lady of the Lake block. Oh how I love this aqua solid paired with a sweet pea print from Fig Tree's Mirabelle collection. I pressed the seams open on the 1 1/2" HSTS to keep them flat, but I pressed the seam on the large HST to one side.

And a springy rosebud block, too.

Finally, a spool quartet block with a text background.

Now I have just one more month to piece and I'll be caught up! But there are a few appliqued blocks this month, so I need to put on some calm music while I work on them, because turned applique edges are not my strength. (I've gone kookoo over Sam Smith's entire album right now. I think I've played it a billion times. Possibly more. You know, the "Stay With Me" guy?)

I was super excited to see that Joanna just showed a preview of her upcoming Fig Tree collection for fall. It's called Farmhouse and it includes black prints, text and cherries! You can see the fabric and the upcoming patterns on her blog here. I already know that I'll need a bolt of the cherry print to use for backings, maybe even on this mystery quilt!

* * * * *

I'll be back this Wednesday with April's Snapshots sew along block... a cute puppy. I'll have the link to the pattern and the tutorial video, so be sure to stop by!

20 facts about me

"20 Facts About Me" has completely taken over Instagram this week. One person posts twenty things about themselves and tags one or more people to do the same. It's a fun way to learn more about our online friends. After being tagged four times I thought it was time to share, and I thought you might enjoy it, too! (Do you follow me on Instagram? I'm @greydogwoodstudio.)  

1. I'm a total NYC guy. I've lived here for 30 years (eek!)
2. My one bedroom apartment by Central Park is SO small that I store fabric in my kitchen pantry, under the sofa and inside suitcases.
3. Madonna and Al Roker are my neighbors.
4. I love to cook, but my counter is 29" wide with a 30" mini fridge
5. Because of number 4, I shop for groceries every day.
6. I'm a museum freak.
7. I learned how to sew in design school, where my teacher made me cry because I couldn't thread the sewing machine. Ha! Look at me now!
8. One of my greatest joys is visiting the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree every year. I get choked up every time I see it.
9. I don't drive! I use my passport as ID - which needs to be renewed soon.
10. I loooove dessert. I could make a meal out of marshmallow, buttercream and meringue.
11. Am I the only male quilter using florals, dots and gingham? And yes, I want to design fabric!
12. I'm an executive in the cosmetic industry. I sell to retail accounts and train their staff.
13. I like odd animals like turtles, frogs and rabbits.
14. My cats Mia and Chloe let me live with them as long as I agree to pay the rent.
15. I'm crazy for vintage monster movies from the 1930's - 60's, and I watch them every Saturday night (edited to add that they're on MeTV and hosted by Svengoolie!)
16. I'm a cowboy wannabe! I have a large collection of custom cowboy boots, and I've been to the pro bull riding finals in Vegas several times.
17. I'm obsessed with visiting Santa Fe, and I've been there maybe 21 times in 10 years. Best green chile cheeseburgers!
18. I was a radio dj in college and I still miss it. Spin some new wave vinyl and I'm there!
19. I dream about owning a home outside of NYC with a dishwasher, microwave, garden and washer/dryer. I don't have them now.
20. I am addicted to late night tv and turn on tv on when most people go to sleep.

So now you know a little more about me! Meanwhile, my crazy work meetings are finally wrapping up and I'm getting back to sewing. More soon!

a sugary quilt

Help me! I can't stop myself from starting new quilt projects! But I love my fat quarter bundle that I put together for Fat Quarter Shop so much that I just HAD to start another quilt.

Ok, so what to use for a pattern? Well, I bought the new Vintage Vibe book by Amber Johnson a few months ago. It's full of great patterns that are "a little bit vintage, a little bit modern". Perfect for me. The quilts all look familiar, but updated. There are fun little tips scattered throughout the book, and all of the fabric is identified by name and manufacturer. That's important to me. I've followed Amber's blog for quite awhile, and she's always on Instagram with fun stuff.

I knew right away that I wanted to make the Sugar quilt. It's a big 'ol bunch of tulip blooms. They're big 9" blocks, and only 8 fat quarters are needed. (The Greg Jones blogger bundle has 11 prints, three solids and 1 white-on-white print, which I've used for my background. That means I can make this quilt and still have leftovers for the mini quilt, which is also in the book!)

Only 32 of these flower blocks are needed for a 64" x 80" quilt so this should be really fast to put together, and a perfect size for my sofa. And fast is important right now because you know that I'm already planning the NEXT quilt.

Happy weekend, everybody!

fig tree mystery quilt - month 2

Hi everybody! I'm just back from a week of travel and now I can get BACK TO SEWING. More about the trip in a few minutes.

As soon as I got back I cut up fabric for month 2 of the Fig Tree mystery sampler quilt. The two weathervane blocks in the third photo went together really quickly. The single plum colored pineapple block was fun to make - Joanna Figueroa's pattern for this block uses the stitch and flip corner construction so you don't need to cut any weird shapes or use any awkward rulers. I made a quilt with this pattern a few years ago and it was simple to put together.  

The three nosegay blocks at the top are my favorites. I've been wanting to make these blocks for years but I was scared of the pattern. Joanna originally called it Coney Island. I love that name because I visit the Coney Island amusement park in Brooklyn every summer. I don't do the rides, but I like to walk on the boardwalk and visit the aquarium. It's a little seedy and very old timey New York. Let's go on a little visit to Coney Island now, ok?

That was a fun diversion, right? But back to the quilting. The nosegay/Coney Island blocks actually aren't that difficult to construct as long as you pay attention. I had to do a few steps over with new fabric because my seam ripper really messed up some of the bias-cut pieces. But I absolutely love the finished blocks. I'd really like to do a whole quilt full of them.

Last week I traveled to Houston on business. I was a guest speaker at a military convention. I taught ten classrooms of managers about my company's current fragrance and cosmetic promotions. This involved a day of classroom setup, then 10 solid hours of talking, talking, talking, and finally the classroom teardown. Chocolate and tea helped. Exhausting but rewarding. As a treat, I flew to Santa Fe for a few days to recover. Of course it rained the entire time I was there, but that didn't stop me from eating amazing food like the pumpkin waffles with vanilla cinnamon cream at Inn at Loretto. I got to listen to my favorite cabaret performer, Doug Montgomery. And I visited some of my favorite museums, where I found a painting by American Indian artist Fritz Scholder done in Fig Tree colors.  It really doesn't get much better than that.

I've even started a new quilt using the blogger bundle that I put together for Fat Quarter Shop! It's cute and happy, and I'll tell you all about it next time!

snapshots block 3 - put the kettle on

Welcome to the third installment of the Snapshots quilt along with Fat Quarter Shop! This month's block is a kettle. That's perfect for me because I'm a big fan of imported teas here at Grey Dogwood Studio, and my vintage kettle is in constant use.

In case you haven't heard about the sew along, the Snapshots blocks help us to capture life's photo-worthy moments in a quilt. You're invited to sew along with us! We'll sew a new block each month this year, and we'll have a finished quilt top in December! The monthly block pattern is free, but a donation of just $5 is requested for St Jude's Children's Research Hospital. I'm using the Snapshots kit and customizing it to make it a little more unique. For my kettle, I've used the kit's Daysail fabric, and I added a navy solid from Bonnie & Camille's Miss Kate collection for the center star.

And who doesn't like to have some cake with their tea?! Doesn't the kettle look cute next to January's cake pattern?

Ok, so here are all the links that you need. You can get the whole scoop on the sew along from the Jolly Jabber blog here. The free pattern download for the kettle is here, and you can make a donation to St. Jude's here. Use your favorite fabrics from your stash, or purchase the kit from Fat Quarter Shop here. Finally, there's a new video tutorial to help you with your block construction here.

Be sure to check out the Snapshots blocks from these fun quilters!

• Camille Roskelley of Thimble Blossoms
• Bonnie Olaveson of Cotton Way
• Pat Sloan of The Voice of Quilting
• Lori Holt of Bee In My Bonnet
• Sherri McConnell of A Quilting Life
• Melissa Corry of Happy Quilting
• Thelma Childers of Cupcakes N Daisies
• Pam Viera Mc-Ginnis of Pam Kitty Morning
• Anne Sutton of Bunny Hill Designs
• Stephanie Kendron of The Modern Sewciety
• Natalia Bonner of Piece N Quilt
• Greg Jones of Grey Dogwood Studio (that's me!)
• Jessie Fincham of Messe Jesse
• Sondra Davison of Out of the Blue Quilts
• Angie Wilson of Gnome Angel

fig tree mystery sampler

I think that one of the best parts about quiltmaking is when I start a new quilt. There's all that new potential for discovering and creating and learning new techniques.

You're probably wondering about my other quilts-in-progress, right? I've finished the Moda Modern Building Blocks top! Yes! That thing is huge. I've been waiting for a sunny day to take some photos. Today was sunny... but I completely forgot to get out my camera. You'll see it soon.

So a few months ago, Joanna Figueroa of Fig Tree and Company announced a mystery sampler block of the month. Well, I couldn't make up my mind! I was afraid of another block-of-the-month commitment so I stalled until it sold out (I was already working on the Modern and Snapshots BOMs). And mystery quilts scare me. I like to know what I'm getting into before I sign up and commit to that monthly charge on my credit card. What if I don't like the patterns? What if I don't like the fabric? But I love everything Fig Tree, and when the blocks started popping up on Instagram I felt like I was missing out. Joanna was nice enough to find enough fabric for me to get started... so here I am with a third BOM project. I was determined to finish the Modern quilt before I started this one. So, now is the time!

I've created my very technically advanced chart with fabric swatches. Haha! But seriously... we will be using the leftover bits of fabric in future months, and this little grid will help me to remember the names that Joanna uses for each print. It's just copy paper and a glue stick but it works. There are some great prints coming up soon - even some prints from other Moda designers, so I'm excited about that.

I love churn dash blocks. One of my all-time favorite blocks. So easy and classic and you can vary the dimensions to freshen it up. (This reminds me of a Civil War churn dash block-of-the-month that I discovered in a quilt shop in San Antonio and got hooked.) Then there's the rolling stone block...

I love the rolling stone blocks! But because I'm a little crazy, I started thinking about the block name. Rolling stone? Hummm, these blocks don't look like Mick Jagger or Keith Richards. I prefer to think of them as glamorous, like Mick's exes, Bianca Jagger and Jerry Hall.

And then there are the Mini Stems blocks. Kinda deja vu-ish since I just made the Christmas Mini Stems quilt a few months ago. They're simple, time-consuming, and really cute.

The first month is done! (Well, almost... I'm going to temporarily skip the applique clamshell blocks and return to them later.) Now I need to complete three more back months and I'll be caught up. And just in time, because I've already signed up for the upcoming Fig Tree Christmas mystery sampler!

Thanks for checking up on me while I was away last week. I've been super busy at work - it's fall market time for the cosmetic industry - and I've had client meetings and dinners. I squeezed in an hour of sewing wherever I could last week. I've got a few more weeks like this before I return to normal. Those few minutes of sewing make me happy!

modern building blocks - almost done!

I'm almost finished sewing the Moda Modern Building Blocks. Finally! It's been a seven month journey. And I have just TWO 6" blocks left to sew! I cannot wait to begin assembling the blocks into a quilt top. I have plenty of leftover Fig Tree and Moda Bella Solid fabric, and I'm already thinking of some pieced border options. 

Maybe you've wondered why I've been so quiet this past week. Well, I love sharing what I'm working on with you. But blogging also helps me to remember what's going on in my life at that very moment. This past week, I spent countless hours doing some secret calculating, secret drafting and secret sewing. I've always hated when bloggers have secrets! Here's what I've been working on. It will be just between us, ok? I've worked up a quilt proposal for a magazine! I've never really thought of myself as a quilt designer, and yet I had so much fun (and a few sleepless nights) working on this project. I'm happy with my design. I've mailed it off and now I'll just have to be patient for a few months. I hope they'll select my pattern. And now I have plenty of time to get back to sewing!

single wedding ring quilt

Hi everybody! I'm back today, blog hopping with Fat Quarter Shop and their new Single Wedding Ring pattern!

When I first started quilting, I fell in love with traditional and vintage quilt blocks. My style has evolved over the years, but my heart will always belong to those classic block designs. The Single Wedding Ring pattern is one of my favorites.

In fact, I like this block so much that I purchased a vintage Single Wedding Ring quilt in Newport, RI many years ago. I loved the happy 1930's feedsack prints and the lilac sashing. But sadly, I didn't realize that it wasn't in very good condition (I was too new to quilting, and I was blinded by the fact that it was a vintage quilt!) and it didn't survive. Actually, none of the dry cleaners in my neighborhood would clean it, and it fell apart when I washed it, revealing a blanket used as batting. And so, now I've recreated that quilt, in modern-vintage fabrics by Pam Kitty Morning.

I started with Pam Kitty Garden fat quarters in the Aster colorway. Then I added assorted white backgrounds, also from the Pam Kitty Garden collection. Next, it was time to make half-square-triangles. Each block needs 16 HSTs, and I chose to make the lap quilt with 12 blocks. That's 192 HSTs, a nice, manageable number. I trimmed a few each night as I cooked dinner.

They're cute, right? Like candy.  And then there's just a simple assembly and you get the block!

Now make as many blocks as you'd like, and add simple sashing and a matching border.

The Single Wedding Ring block measures 13" square (12 1/2" finished). The block pattern is a FREE download and is available here. If you'd like yardage and instructions to make a quilt in a variety of sizes, there is a low-cost, downloadable pattern available here. Kimberly Jolly has a fun tutorial video on YouTube, and she demonstrates an alternate way to construct the HSTs. You can watch it here. (I made my HSTs using the method shown on the pattern.) Make the Single Wedding Ring quilt as a gift for a newlywed couple, in fabrics to match their décor. Or make it for yourself JUST BECAUSE!  There's also a beautiful kit using the new Whitewashed Cottage fabric by 3 Sisters for Moda, perfect for those of you who love romantic, cottage-y quilts (I myself have been known to stalk the Shabby Chic store in SoHo, and one day I will make a pale quilt for myself!)

If you make the quilt using a fat quarter bundle like I did, you will have PLENTY of leftover fabric for other projects. Add that fabric to your stash to make more scrappy vintagey quilts. You all know how much I like making bright, happy, controlled scrappy quilts. And look how nicely this Single Wedding Ring coordinates with some other recent finishes!

Thanks for visiting, and have fun making your very own Single Wedding Ring block!

snapshots february block - sewing machine!

Are you ready for block 2 of the Snapshots Quilt Along? We're making a sewing machine!

Now why don't we have cute sewing machines like this? I'd love to have a gingham print sewing machine. Or maybe rose print... or polka dots!

Well, you can make your very own sewing machine block, and it can be gingham or roses or dots! Sew along with us!

This block is super easy to sew, with mainly squares and rectangles, and a few stitch-and-flip corners. And there's even a space to put a few strategic, fussy cut motifs like these "dials."

I love how it looks alongside January's layer cake block.

Snapshots is a sew along to benefit St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. The sewing machine pattern is available as a free download, but a $5 donation per pattern is requested. So far, $11,772 has been donated by generous quilters. We have already exceeded the donation goal! The pattern download is available on the Jolly Jabber blog here, and you can make a donation to St. Jude's here. Snapshots would be cute in lots of different fabrics from your own stash, or you can purchase a kit with Daysail fabric by Bonnie and Camille here. I'm using the kit, and I'll enhance it with some other Bonnie & Camille fabrics from my stash in future months. I'll also use the backing kit with a pieced camera block. I've heard that backing kits often sell out quickly. Watch a fun video tutorial with Bonnie and Camille and Kimberly Jolly from the Fat Quarter Shop here. And if you share your block on social media, be sure to use the hashtag #fqssnapshots so that other quilters can see your block.

And there several other bloggers participating in the sew along. Check them out to see all their cute sewing machine blocks.

• Camille Roskelley of Thimble Blossoms
• Bonnie Olaveson of Cotton Way
• Pat Sloan of The Voice Of Quilting
• Lori Holt of Bee In My Bonnet
• Sherri McConnell of A Quilting Life
• Melissa Corry of Happy Quilting
• Thelma Childers of Cupcakes 'N' Daisies
• Pam Viera-McGinnis of Pam Kitty Morning
• Anne Sutton of Bunny Hill Designs
• Stephanie Kendron of The Modern Sewciety
• Natalia Bonner of Piece N Quilt
• Greg Jones of Grey Dogwood Studio (that's me!)
• Jessie Fincham of Messy Jesse

Thanks for stopping by today. Be sure to visit me tomorrow because I have another top secret project that you won't want to miss!

backings and bindings

It's time to send some quilts out to my longarm quilter. Do you know that it's been over a year since I've sent any tops out to be quilted?! I actually called my fabulous longarm quilter Melissa a few days ago and asked if she remembers me. That got a big laugh!

So let's talk about why I've been so delinquent.

Backings and bindings are my least favorite part of quilt making. I love choosing fancy coordinating backings. But it's nearly impossible to cut, pin and piece 9 yards of fabric together for a queen-sized backing in my small apartment. And so I put it off for months. But then I want to use those quilts, so I eventually make it happen.

I learned this week that I need to mainly use small scale (or very busy) prints for backings. I think that the aqua Kate Spain hot chocolate mug print is really cute, but matching the seam on the cups required more fabric wrangling. The Fig Tree Avalon white floral print was much easier since I didn't need to worry about matching the print on the seams.

Bindings are easy. Regardless of the pattern, I always cut my strips at 2 3/4" wide, which produces a finished binding of about 1/2". I always make approximately 36" more than what's actually needed JUST IN CASE. Then I wrap them around manila folders to keep them flat and smooth while being shipped across the country. (I see other quilters making cute honeybun rolls with their bindings, but I think that they'd just become a squashed mess in transit!)

Now I will package each quilt top with its matching backing and binding separately. This will make it easier for my quilter to know my intentions. We also discussed quilting designs on the phone, and I'll enclose a few inspirational photos. Sometimes we go with fancy custom quilting (she knows that I love feathers) but other quilts really just need a simple, unobtrusive pattern. The plan now is for vines and feathers on the Strawberry Social quilt, Baptist fans on the Homestead quilt and steam swirls on the In From The Cold mug quilt.

I'll get these shipped out right after President's Day, and then I can get back to doing the fun stuff - piecing more blocks!

I'll be  back on Sunday with the February Snapshots quilt along block. It's an aqua and red sewing machine! So be sure to come back on Sunday. Until then, have a happy weekend and stay warm if you're in the deep freeze!

modern building blocks month 6

I'm getting near the end of this quilt! It feels good to have finished this month's collection of blocks. Last night I celebrated this with a midnight snack. Leftover Christmas fruitcake, anyone? (I am so not kidding. There's another fruitcake in the fridge that I'll eat in July while sewing Christmas quilts!)

Each month there's one block that proves to be a challenge. This month the culprit was this 18" block. I wasn't happy with my block - it was 1/2" too big, and then I realized that I used the wrong fabric! - so I remade it. Now I love it. The rest of the blocks were a piece of (fruit) cake.

I completely love the Somerset houndstooth and teal star, and I don't even like teal! See how the houndstooth pieces all face in the same direction? That took some careful planning and fabric waste. I had a tiny bit of the houndstooth left that I wanted to use in another block. After much procrastinating, I altered Joanna Figueroa's color suggestion for the next block.

There are just 8 more blocks to go! Yay! I still need to make a 36" star (eek!) and some smaller, simple blocks, and then the big assembly can begin. Now I'll just sit here quietly and wait for the fabric to arrive. Kidding! I've got more stuff to sew!

If you visit my blog often, you know that I'm a devotee of all the fashion exhibits that we have in NYC. Yves Saint Laurent + Halston Fashioning the 70's opened at the Museum at Fashion Institute of Technology this past weekend. Eighty ensembles and accessories are displayed in a gleaming white space filled with disco music. The show compares and contrasts their highly influential work - Halston's clean, deceptively simple American sophistication and Saint Laurent's opulent, fantasy dresses, each leaving a permanent mark on 70's fashion and continuing to echo in today's fashion. It's a perfect show.