i'm off to the farmland

I'm back on the farm again with the Farm Girl Vintage sew along. Wow, I had a lot of catching up to do! If I miss out on making two blocks each week I can get behind quickly.

You probably know that I'm a little addicted to gingham. I try to put some gingham into every quilt if possible. So how perfect that last week's project was to make a "gingham" block! I even used gingham for the medium-toned print, so it's Gingham Squared. Or Gingham Gingham. Or Double Gingham. Now, of course, I want to make a whole quilt full of gingham blocks.

And yes, I just used the word gingham nine times in the previous paragraph :-)

The Fresh Pears and Feed and Seed blocks are fun, too. Ah, fresh pears. My friend Judi has a pear tree in her backyard and there's always a plentiful yield of green pears for everybody to take home. They're often hard and sour, but there are lots of them!

And finally, the egg basket and crops blocks. Who wouldn't want to fill this basket with farm fresh eggs?

The Farm Girl Vintage blocks might even have inspired a short trip that I took last week to the real farmland. 

Can you guess where I went?

I was in Indiana looking for a new home! Can you believe it? Paul and I are leaving NYC for greener pastures... literally. We're trading Metropolis for Midwest! It was a quick decision, but after living in NYC for 30 years I'm ready for a change. And this will be a BIG change for sure. Imagine how excited we were to find an apartment that's three times the size of my current place, with all those "modern" conveniences that I lack in my current apartment - stuff like a full sized refrigerator, dishwasher and garbage disposal, washer and dryer, sliding door and balcony. And a walk-in closet. Plus green leafy trees and cute birds that chirp instead of big, ugly pigeons. Crazy, right? There are even THREE quilt shops in town (but none of them carry Moda fabric or Aurifil thread... what's up with that?) and one of them can service my sewing machine. We'll move at the end of July, but I intend to keep on sewing right up until the last minute. The movers will deal with our furniture, and we'll pack the cats and my sewing machine into the new car. I'll share my farewell message to New York with you soon. The move is now just three weeks away. EEK.

Now back to the quilty stuff. The Little Joys sew along starts this Wednesday with that cute fabric by Elea Lutz. (Remember Elea's first fabric collection Milk, Sugar & Flower? She's back with a terrific Christmas collection.) The patterns will be free for a limited time only. I've got all the details for you in my previous blog post, or you can click on the Little Joys button in the right sidebar. See you back here on Wednesday!

little joys quilt along starts soon!

It's time for the annual mid-year Christmas In July quilting fest! So throw a log on the fire (ok, maybe not!) because the Little Joys Quilt Along starts soon!

It's the perfect time to begin a small Christmas project. It's a small quilt (34" square) and the pattern is free! We'll have our quilts finished way before December!

Photo credit Fat Quarter Shop

Cute, right? We'll make 9 blocks using the adorable new fabric collection, Little Joys by Elea Lutz for Penny Rose Fabrics. I'll be using the kit from Fat Quarter Shop with fabrics as shown, but I might add some of the pink prints, too, for extra joy. The block patterns will be free and can be downloaded each week, so you can make the quilt with your own fabrics. (Wouldn't this be fun in 30's repros, or the new Holly's Tree Farm collection?)

Find all the details here, including a handy PDF with fabric requirements, plus links to the other bloggers who will be participating in this quilt along. The pattern for the first block will be posted on July 8 so you have plenty of time to gather your festive fabrics!

farm girl friday - farmhouse

I'm so happy to be your cowboy tour guide for Farm Girl Friday, week 8! Or as I prefer to think of it, it's Farm Boy Friday!

We are using the Farm Girl Vintage book by Lori Holt for the sew along. And today we are building a farmhouse block!

The farmhouse is my favorite block in the Farm Girl Vintage book. I've always loved house blocks. They have that classic, vintage look, and they can be playful or sophisticated depending on your fabric selection. I've blended Ambleside by Brenda Riddle with Aloha Girl by Fig Tree & Co, both by Moda Fabrics.

First, turn to page 27, then cut and sew, preferably with country farm girl music. I was super happy when I finished the 6" block for my sampler quilt, and I didn't want the fun to end. So I made another block, this time 12" and using Mistletoe Lane by Bunny Hill.

Humm, I think it looks bare. How about if we add a topiary tree?

But why stop there? Let's make another farmhouse and another topiary!

I LOVE them! The two large houses are the beginning of the Farmhouse Lane quilt. The pattern is in the book on page 128. You'll need nine of the 12" houses, six trees and sixteen 6" blocks.  I think it will be the perfect Christmas quilt full of gingerbread houses, ice skates (never mind that I don't skate, even though I stalk the Rockefeller Center ice skating rink every Christmas) and little Christmas trees. But wouldn't it also be a spooky fun quilt in Halloween colors? Or summery with red, white and blue?

I really wanted to make a striped roof. It took me a few minutes to figure how to get the stripes all oriented in the same direction. So now let's talk about how to use stripes on your roof.

The roof is made in four sections. You will need two half square triangles (HSTs) for the left and right portions of the roof. Lori's pattern shows you how to use my very favorite method for making HSTs. But when you make your HSTs using the method shown, the result will be one HST with vertical stripes and one HST with horizontal stripes. You'll need to make a second set using the exact same method, and this will give you a second HST with vertical stripes. (You'll have two leftover HSTs with horizontal stripes, but I KNOW that you can find a creative use for them!)

Thanks for joining me today! I hope that you share your farmhouse blocks on Instagram. Be sure to use the hashtags #farmgirlvintage, #farmgirlfridays and #farmhouseblock when you post your blocks. And you can see all the fun projects that I'm working on, too. I'm @greydogwoodstudio.

Now hop on over to Lori Holt's blog to see her Farm Girl Vintage blocks, and check out the other guest bloggers, too. The full schedule is on the Jolly Jabber blog here.

Until next time, happy farming!

snapshots month 6 - triple scoop sundae

Can you believe that we're already on month 6 of the Snapshots quilt along?

Oh yes, summer has arrived! Let's cool down with a triple scoop ice cream sundae!

You all know that I am truly a dessert fanatic. But my very favorite treat is ICE CREAM! I used to live in Burlington, VT and I would visit the original Ben & Jerry's shop weekly. It was in a converted gas station, and they played movies on the roof during the summer. So you can imagine how excited I was to finally make this block. I made three scoops in my favorite flavors. First is a strawberry scoop with drippy sauce and sprinkles. Next, a pistachio scoop. I love pistachio ice cream, and that goes way back to childhood car trips with my parents. We'd stop at Howard Johnson restaurants and I'd always order Mr. Twist (spaghetti and meatballs) and pistachio ice cream. And finally, the blue scoop represents another childhood favorite - bubblegum ice cream.

(Ok, the absolute truth is that I live for chocolate ice cream with marshmallow and chocolate sauce. But this quilt doesn't have any brown prints, so I picked my next best favorites! Remember, this quilt is all about snapshots of our lives!

I hope that you are sewing along with us. Snapshots is a monthly sew along that also doubles as a fundraiser for St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. Each month's block pattern is a free download. This month's block pattern and a video tutorial are available here. Please consider making a $5 donation to the St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital here. Use your own stash fabrics, or purchase the kit with Daysail prints here. I used the kit as a starting point and then customized it with some prior-season Miss Kate and Scrumptious prints that were already in my stash. Be sure to tag your blocks with #fqssnapshots on social media so that we can all see your blocks! Happy sewing! And now... I'm going to eat my ice cream! It's Ben & Jerry's Americone Dream.

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!