Hey there everyone!

Can you believe summer is finally here? The sun is shining bright, the grass is green, and it’s that time of the year where everyone loves to plan fun family vacations. Have you ever thought of planning your summer trip based on all the amazing quilt shops that are all over the U.S. and Canada?

Just imagine taking a road trip from state to state, and exploring all the different AGF collections and notions that shops carry. In addition to that, you would get a free pattern to make your own quilt and you would have a chance to win fabrics. Sounds like a dream, doesn’t it? Well, this dream trip is possible with The Row by Row Experience!

You can be part of The Row by Row experience by visiting one of the participating shops throughout the country and picking up the free pattern of their specially designed row. As your road trip continues, you can start combing the rows to create a summer quilt filled with memories from your travels! Plus, if you’re the first person to present your quilt at a participating shop, you’ll win a stack of 25 Fat Quarters.

We’re excited about this year’s Row by Row because our friends from Needle in a Fabric Stash, have created their “Home Sweet Home” themed row based on Sew Caroline’s Happy Home Collection combined with a few other AGF prints. But the fun doesn’t end there. To celebrate the summer and many of the upcoming AGF collections; Needle in a Fabric Stash will also be hosting a few giveaways with our fabrics throughout the summer! Stay tuned to their Instagram and Facebook for a chance to win some fabrics for your stash!

We hope you have tons of fun travelling and sewing this summer! If you’re taking a trip to California make sure to visit Needle in a Fabric Stash in Temecula and show off your row.

Now for the final question:

Where do you plan on travelling this summer? Tell us in the comment section! (◕‿-)

Happy travels!

Stephanie

To be part of The Row by Row Experience, check out the participating shops.

Needle in a Fabric Stash

43049 Margarita Rd., A102

Temecula, CA 92592

P.S. Needle in a Fabric Stash is giving away A bundle of Boardwalk Delight by Dana Willard with a few coordinating AGF Elements! To enter, visit their Instagram account. The giveaway will run from June 19th-30th. Good luck!

Hey there!

Wow, it’s already Friday. This week passed by so fast I didn’t realize it was Friday until I started writing this post.

Well, today’s post is going to be a little historical. I LOVE history! It’s fascinating, fun, and it gives you lots of subjects to talk about when you are with your friends. That’s why I decided to do a little research about the history of quilting. Most of you probably know some of the facts that I will mention, but it’s OK! I think it’s always good to refresh your memory and keep in mind that what you do is valuable and has an incredible history behind it.

I started reading some books and articles about quilting and I learned so many new things! For example, I learned that quilted garments were popular in the middle ages because knights wore them under their armor for comfort or that quilts were made by hand until sewing machines became popular around the mid 1800’s. I think the history of quilting is simply amazing and beautiful. There are so many things to tell and discover about quilting.

After reading for a couple of hours I decided to put together this infographic to make the historical facts more fun!

What other facts do you know about quilting? Feel free to share what you know in the comment section!

If you are interested in checking out some of the books and articles I read, here is a list of them:

"HISTORY OF QUILTING." History of Quilting. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 June 2016.

Cooper, Patricia and Bufer, Norma Bradley. THE QUILTERS: WOMEN AND DOMESTIC ART--AN ORAL HISTORY, Garden City, NY: Anchor Press/Doubleday, 1978.

Hall, Carrie A. and Kretsinger, Rose. THE ROMANCE OF THE PATCHWORK QUILT. Caldwell, Idaho: Bonanza Books, 1935.

Khin, Yvonne,

THE COLLECTORS DICTIONARY OF QUILT NAMES & PATTERNS. Washington, D.C., Acropolis Books Ltd, 1988.

"Five Quilting Fun Facts I Bet You Didn't Know ⋆ Makobi Scribe." Makobi Scribe. N.p., 2014. Web. 16 June 2016.

Orlofsky, Patsy and Myron. QUILTS IN AMERICA. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1974

Hello (coral) fabric lovers!

Do you remember what color we chose to feature this month (June)? Yes, it’s coral! We hope that you have been following our colorfun blog series. If not, check out our blog post featuring all the coral fabric prints we've specially chosen for you! Today we gathered 5 coral fabric projects which are perfect for summer sewing. So let's get started….

1.& 4. Ayda & Bella Romper 

How about sewing this cute romper with our coral sail boat fabric from the Coastline collection by Sharon Holland or the arrow fabric from the Fleet and Flourish Collection by Maureen Cracknell? It is simply a perfect baby outfit for the beach, and your little one will surely look cute in it!

2. Alice Shopper Tote

This tote is made by #bumblebeeblissbags with our coral fabric print from the Arizona collection by April Rhodes. We just love how it goes with leather! It would also look fabulous with our black denim (wink, wink)! The possibilities are endless... Make this tote to keep up with summer trends. ;)

3.Baby Bella Dress

Sew this dress with our bright coral floral fabric from the Forest Floor collection by Bonnie Christine. Be prepared though!Your baby girl may want to have the same dress made for her doll. ;)

5.Washi Dress

 This sweet and flattering dress featuring this floral coral fabric from the Cultivate Collection by Bonnie Christine is a summer must-have! Click here for the dress pattern.

I hope you are inspired by the projects and prints featured this month! Let us know in the comments which one is your favorite.

Wishing you all the best with your sewing journey!

- Alex

Hello beautiful sewists!

How’s everyone doing? Today, we would like to take the time to celebrate one of our favorite sewing tools, can you guess which one? If you guessed the sewing machine, you’re right because it’s National Sewing Machine Day! June 13^th is the day where we all get to appreciate our love for sewing and the amazing machine that helps us create beautiful quilts, garments, and anything our imaginations can come up with!

As you probably know, the sewing machine has evolved drastically during the past two centuries! The first sewing machines were the product of the first Industrial Revolution (1760-1840), where people were transitioning from producing goods by hand to inventing machines that expedited the manufacturing process. Historical accounts claim that the Englishman, Thomas Saint was the first person to invent the sewing machine in 1790. Although, he never successfully advertised the machine, it was meant to be used with leather and canvas. From this point on, many other inventors created different versions and now we have our wonderful modern machines.

To learn more about the history of the sewing machine, check out the fun blog post our contributor Caro wrote! Feel free to tell us how many sewing machines you own, how long you have owned your machine, and what’s your favorite thing about your machine in the comment section. (◕‿-)

‘Til next time,

Stephanie

Sources:

A Brief History of the Sewing Machine, ISMACS

Sewing Machine, Wikipedia

Industrial Revolution, Wikipedia

Father’s Day is coming up! It's that time of the year where we get to celebrate dads for all the great things they do. Whether it's helping you with car trouble, being handymen with their tools, or simply opening that jar you can't open; it's always nice to have someone strong and supportive in the house.  We want to celebrate the contributions that dads make in our lives, so we thought they might appreciate a handmade gift. Have you been wondering about making something unique for the Father's day this year? To help you with a few ideas, we’ve put together this list of suggested items you could sew for your dad!

1. Apron made with AGF denim fabric.

Wouldn’t that be cute if your dad proudly wore an apron made by you whenever he prepares a family barbecue? You can even embroider text that says: “Dad’s Apron” on it! We're sure he'll be more eager to cook wearing something handmade! ;) What’s even better is that the apron pattern is really easy to cut out and sew! Click here to download apron pattern

2. Coasters for his favorite drink

How about those hexagon coasters? They will come handy for his favorite drink during a football game or for the morning cup of coffee in his office. You should be able to sew these denim coasters even if you just began your journey with sewing! Plus, the handmade stitches give them an extra crafty touch. See here how to sew denim coasters

3. Summer Shirt

This colorful shirt would make your dad happy and ready to go for a relaxing weekend trip!  Surprise him and sew this shirt with colorful fabric of your choice from our recently released fabric collection: Boardwalk Delight.   If he's a bit more toned down when it comes to fashion, you can always make this shirt in AGF denim. ;)

4. Every Day Necktie

Yes, we know! Your dad probably has tons of ties. But are any of them made by you? You can use one of these summer fabric prints shown in the picture or you can find great fabric prints in many of our collections. We think that Pat Bravo's collection, Artisan would be great for this project. Click here to download a tie pattern

5. On The Go organizer

Help your dad to organize all the items in his car by making this “On the Go Organizer”. It will be very useful for his first aid kit and some necessary tools he usually keeps in the car. You can use one of the prints from our canvas fabric collection to make the project extra sturdy. Click here to download pattern

6. Floor Cloth

How about sewing this comfy floor cloth for your dad’s office? Match the fabric print to the color of the furniture in your dad’s office and surprise him with this clever gift! Click here to download floor cloth pattern

7. Essence Pillowcase

We're sure any dad would love a soft handmade pillow for their "man cave" or favorite chair! This pillow will make him proud of his daughter’s quilting skills.;) Grab one of our denim fabrics and start cutting your half square triangles today! Are you wondering how to sew this pillow? Don't worry we have step by step pillow sewing tutorial prepared for you.

8. Laundry bags

If your father travels often, he may find these laundry bags extremely useful.  The "Reminder Alloy" and "Reminder Hidden"  prints from the Pastel Thrift fabric collection make these bags look so modern that he will love the gift for sure! Click here for free sewing pattern

9. Slim Fit Shirt

Does your dad like cycling? If he does, he will be delighted with this bike fabric print from Cleta fabric collection by AGF studio. Add a little leather pocket and it's the perfect Father’s day gift! Click here for the sewing pattern

10. Stash away fabric bins

These fabric organizers will come handy either for your dad’s office or garage. Help de-clutter his space by sewing a few fabric bins for him.

BONUS

Do you want to give something special to your dad but you don’t have enough time to sew? Don’t worry, you can still give him cute items with AGF prints. Take a look at these phone cases, laptop sleeves, cups or other items on Pat’s Bravo Society 6 page. Surprise your dad with a sweet and useful gadget!

I hope that you will choose one item from the list and surprise your dad with Handmade gift!

Let us know in comments how do you celebrate this special day and what are you going to give to your dad this year.

Happy Sewing!

Alex

Hello everyone!

I hope you’re having a wonderful day so far! Let me tell you, things get more and more exciting by the day here at the AGF HQ. If you haven’t seen the latest happenings yet, here’s a little update:  we introduced two new contributors to the blog, Caro and Ola, we took you back to Spring Quilt Market with our recaps, and now we get to release one of the new collections of the season!

Today, the spotlight is on Sharon Holland’s new collection, Tapestry. This lovely collection has a well balanced mix of multicultural-inspired motifs and traditional elements that will make any project timeless. Oh, and the colors are so rich! The combinations of soft blues, peaches, and neutrals are just perfect for spring, summer, fall, or whenever!

I really like this fabric collection because I think Sharon appropriated ethnic elements beautifully. She made them simple and classic, while keeping their unique cultural aesthetic. Some of my favorite prints in Tapestry are Mudcloth Blue, Destination Flock, and Tracery shadow because they are simple and modern, yet artistic.

Get ready to make tons of classy projects with this timeless collection! Flip through our project look book to get inspired with tons of quilts, garments, and home décor.

Make sure to add this lovely “Destination” free quilt pattern to your project list! It would be a great gift…father’s day is around the corner (wink, wink).

If you like to improvise with your projects and mix and match fabrics, we’ve prepared this little cheat sheet of blenders (AGF Elements) for you to experiment with.

Most importantly, you can add this collection to your stash by entering the GIVEAWAY!

*****GIVEAWAY CLOSED*****

CONGRATULATIONS Nancy, you've won the fat quarter bundle of Tapestry fabrics! Check your email.

To Enter:

Browse through the Tapestry look book and leave a comment below, telling us what you would make with this timeless fabric collection.

Giveaway ends Thursday, June 16th at 3pm EST. The winner will be chosen using random.org and will be announced on this post.

Happy Sewing!

Stephanie