Is it Spring yet?? I laugh because it is snowing right outside my window right now. Lets think happy thoughts like more quilting. It is time for the next block of the month (BOM) for my Grandma Town Series. This month is a couple of quick blocks, a Nine Patch and two Color Block rows. Both of these are simple and will give you time to catch up with the two blocks already released. I hope you are sewing your Grandma Town memories along with me row by row.

My Grandma made very utilitarian quilts and the Nine Patch quilt square was simple to cut and stitch by hand. I have found some churn dash squares that Grandma made on a quilt top I found in her attic, but most of her quilt tops certainly were made from a lot of Nine patches in very interesting color combinations. They were made from scraps after all, and nothing went to waste.

Since Grandma lived through the great depression and because I had been saving vintage and reproduction 30’s fabrics, I am pulling them out to make a 30’s version of this quilt too. You may see some of these muted, tiny prints in my upcoming blog posts. It will be an interesting look compared to my bright and bold colored Grandma Town Quilt.

You will need to make one row of eight, nine-patch blocks.

You will also need to make two rows of color blocks. This is just a group of 4 inch finished blocks.

They highlight the center farm blocks and are arranged above and below to frame them. You will need 16 blocks for each row. A comprehensive pattern and directions for the Nine Patch block and color row blocks along with the whole BOM is currently in development.

Enjoy!

Grandma Town Block of the Month

If you are new to the Grandma Town BOM, this row by row quilt was a labor of love to celebrate my Iowa roots. I spent my childhood visiting my Grandparents on their farm just west of Des Moines in Earlham, Iowa. It is especially a tribute to my dear Grandma.

When my sisters, brother and I were little and my parents would drive us to my grandparents farm, my brother would yell, “We are going to Grandma Town!”. It was a loving tribute that stuck. This little quilt is full of those reminders of the farm and of Grandma, who loved to garden and loved to cook. Each block is a sweet memory of my youth growing up on that country farm.

I hope you will find some shared love for your family, a cherished farm or your own grandma in my quilt. You can make all of these sweet blocks or pick and choose the blocks you like the most to make something special for yourself or a dear loved one.