birchen quilt.

end of the year round ups always tend to be a favorite with we creative peeps.
so it shouldn't come as a surprise that fat quarter shop wanted to highlight their top 10 videos of 2015.
they asked me to join along with a few projects.
today, i'm going to talk about the birchen quilt.

this free quilt pattern was designed by art gallery fabrics in collaboration with fat quarter shop.
there is an instructional youtube video that can walk you through the construction process.
i don't know what i would've done without the video. not even kidding.

i had to step completely out of my comfort zone with this project.
this design called for triangles on a roll, which was new to me. (y'all know how i love my HSTs.)
and on top of that, there were some bias edges to contend with. (which isn't my favorite task.)

i knew that i couldn't commit to making the whole quilt, so i planned to make a wall quilt.
thus far, i've made one block.

i'm thinking that i might stick to just this block, instead of making 4 for a larger mini quilt.
i love the simplicity of this one block with the contrast between the cream and white fabrics.
i think it gives the design a bit more depth.
but seeing as i'm a woman, i could change my mind and make the other 3 blocks. HA.

now, it wouldn't be a celebration without inviting some awesome bloggers to sew along.
hop on over to see their birchen quilt creations:
shruti of 13 woodhouse road
rachel of PS I QUILT (you are here!)
angie of gnomeangel

we would love for you to share your #birchenquilt or any other #FQSTop10 quilts for 2015 on instagram. (i'm @rachelgriffith)
oh, and did we mention for every #FQSTop10 post you do, you will be entered for a chance to win a fat quarter shop $100 gift certificate?!
this fun contest ends january 31st and the winner will be announced on instagram february 1st.

good luck and happy quilting!
xo, rachel

inspired by color.

i made this collage as an inspiration for my swap partner in a rainbow mini swap via instagram.
(i'm @rachelgriffith)
it's just such a happy and pretty collage. sigh.

i couldn't help it.
i just had to post it here, in the hopes that it makes YOU smile.
have a great day, y'all!

xo, rachel

great granny twist blog hop. (& giveaway!)

welcome to the great granny twist blog hop, y'all.

if you're new here, allow me to introduce myself.
i'm rachel. i love all things quilty, family, and starbucks-y.
i hope you look around and stay for a while!

those lovely peeps over at fat quarter shop are at it again! this time, we're celebrating the one year anniversary of lori holt's book, great granny squared! (hey, lori! xoxo.)

in case you aren't familiar with the book, lori shows us that the great granny square is (easily) made up of 4 generations of squares; the baby, the mama, the granny, and the great granny.
it's a wonderfully detailed book and is FULL of delicious eye candy.
yes, you NEED it. trust me on this, folks. ;)

for the celebration, fat quarter shop asked a group of bloggers to sew along (and share) our own "twist" on using a block from the book to make a project.
if y'all haven't seen the project they whipped up, check out this YouTube video.
adorable, right?! (;

today, i get to share my project! yayyy!
i used a "mama" block from the book and made a little lavender rice warmer.
this isn't the first rice warmer i've made, but it IS the first one i've made on the smaller size.
(this measures 6" square.)
why so small? well, because i wanted a little rice warmer to use at nighttime.
the lavender smells AMAZING, which helps me wind down.
and i don't have to give up too much space in my comfy bed by having a huge rice warmer.
priorities! LOL.

project stats:
size = 6" x 6"
fabrics = modern minis by lori holt for riley blake AND modern background - paper by zen chic for moda AND cotton + steel basics
thread = aurifil 2600 dove 50wt
quilting = rachel griffith using her fancy schmancy walking foot (;

oh, and check out all the other talented peeps on our blog hop:
monday, december 14th
fat quarter shop
lori holt of bee in my bonnet
vickie of spun sugar quilts
katie of good golly ginger
sinta of pink pincushion

tuesday, december 15th
tina of emily ann's kloset
renee of sewn with grace
tricia of notes of sincerity
debbie of happy little cottage

wednesday, december 16th
melissa of oh how sweet
nadra of ellis & higgs
marni of haberdashery fun

thursday, december 17th
jennie of clover & violet
erin of why not sew
sherri of this & that patterns
rachel of PS I QUILT (you are here!)
sharon of daisy cottage quilting

friday, december 18th
greg of grey dogwood studios
pam of pam kitty morning
jamie of busy bee quilts
daisy of ants to sugar
gerri of planted seed designs

let's have a GIVEAWAY, shall we?
one lucky PS I QUILT reader will win their own copy of great granny squared!
to enter, simply leave a comment telling me your favorite memory of your mama, granny, or great granny!
winner will be announced next week!

happy hopping, y'all.
xo, rachel

thankfulness! (& black friday sale!)

happy thanksgiving, y'all!
i'm thankful for many people and things, which includes, but is not limited to, this pie and YOU!
mean it!

also, i announced last week, via instagram, that we're having a sample sale!
there are some real beauties in this pile!
they're perfect for christmas/holiday gift giving or for treating yourself!
and i'd love to see them go to good homes!
visit shop.psiquilt.com for individual pics, prices, and sizes!

if you like to do black friday shopping from the comfort of your home, we have an extra treat for you!
get 25% off your ENTIRE order, all weekend, by using discount code "BLACKFRIDAY2015" upon checkout.
and yes, this DOES include quilts, folks!!! (with FREE flat rate shipping!)
all rachel griffith designs PDF patterns AND quilts can be found HERE!

happy thanksgiving & happy shopping!
xo, rachel

sundance dresden. (& a blog hop!)

hey, y'all. (;
nice to see you again so soon!
(a promise is a promise!)

so today, i'm participating in a fun blog hop sponsored by our good friends over at fat quarter shop.
they contacted me a few weeks ago, and told me all about their newest YouTube video, sundance dresden pillow.
i was asked if i wanted to join along, and of course, i said, "yes!"

i chose cotton + steel basics are my fabrics, and i'm pretty darn happy that i did!
to be 100% honest, i'm supposed to be showing y'all a completed pillow, but as you can see, it's not a pillow.
why? well, because i love it so much, that i couldn't decide if i wanted to finish the pillow or make a mini quilt for my wall!

see, that's where y'all come in!
let's take a vote!
pillow or mini quilt?


remember about 4 years ago when i told y'all that i wasn't cool enough to make dresden plates?
in case you weren't around then, just know this, i've been scared of them for years. seriously!
i was really freaking out about making a dresden, let alone a double dresden.
BUT now, i'm pretty darn proud of myself that i made my first one.
and i can totally see how people get addicted to making them!
kim's video made it such an easy process! (thanks, kim!)

if y'all wanna make your own pillow (or mini quilt) here's everything you need to know to get yourself going!
sundance dresden pillow video HERE.
sundance dresden pillow PDF pattern HERE.
sundance dresden pillow kit HERE.

oh, and check out all the other talented peeps on our blog hop!
sherri of a quilting life
nettie of a quilt is nice
amy of amy's creative side
alyce of blossom heart quilts
amy of during quiet time
katie of good golly ginger
rachel of PS I QUILT (you are here!)
melissa of oh how sweet

are you thinking about making your own? you should!
xo, rachel