Being laid up has it's benefits

Not being able to walk around and being forced to rest my fractured foot really does have it's benefits.  It means I can sit and sew, or knit, or crochet without the guilt feeling that I really should be doing something else. So this week I've been catching up on all three.

Firstly, here's this week's block for the sampler quilt SAL.

Splendid Sampler 2 - Around Four Corners by Rachaeldaisy.

This one was easier to execute than it first looks.  

The first hurdle I have to jump over is choosing the right combination of fabrics. As I'm going all out scrappy with this one I haven't got a dedicated matching set of designer fabrics to fall back on.  But being scrappy doesn't mean I can just use the first thing I pull out of the scrap basket.  They have to go together.  I decided I wanted a dark background for this block and then chose four different spotty fabrics for the circles.  I actually cut them out and made up one circle, but when I put it on the background block it just looked too busy, and the circle was indistinct.  I knew it wasn't going to work with four differenet patterns.  The background was already patterned so it needed plains to stand out.  I chose the four colours that are in the flower motif, and luckily, I happened to have pieces of each of the colours.

 I used my Kay Buckby Perfect Circles to make the circles and am very pleased at how smooth and round they are.  I appliqued them onto the backing square with invisible thread.

Time to make: 4 hours  No. of pieces: 17

I've now made nine blocks for ths quilt.  This last block really stands out from the others as it has a dark backgound.  I shall have to make sure that I include others with darker colours in them so that they blend in with all the others.

I've also finished the embroidery part of a bag I want to make.  It is the Blue Butterfly Bag by Gail Pan.  I took it away on holiday with me and made a start on it but didn't get as much done as I thought I might.  This panel will make three of the blocks in the patchwork design.

I've sent away for a few supplies that I need to make the bag so will get on with other projects while I'm waiting for them.

  

Five Blocks for the Splendid Sampler 2

Yes, you read that right.  I have five blocks to share.  I've been away on holiday, a lovely cruise around the western Mediterranean Sea, with my eldest daughter. It was a very relaxing time with a lot of our time spent on the sunbeds, mostly in the shade, just chilling out,  I did take some sewing with me - a bit of embroidery that will be inserted into a patchwork bag.  I've nearly finished the panels and will start on putting the bag together soon.  I've got lots of time resting up at the moment as I've managed to fracture a bit of arthritic bone in the top of my foot.  Rest is required and I have a strappy boot to wear when I go out - no plaster required, thank goodness.  Anyway here are the blocks, one at a time.

Splendid Sampler 2 - Balance by Wenche Wolff Hatling

Love this cute block.  Mine is slightly different from the original design.  I thought his trunk looked empty so added a kite. Also my elephant is actually balanced on the tub whereas the original has him floating above it for some reason.  I chose the checked fabric because it reminded me of Elmer the Elephant and I chose to do separate plain ears instead of embroidered ones.  I used fusible applique and sewed it onto the backing by machine, using a blanket stitch.  The background is yellow but doesn't show up well in the photo.

Time to make: 2 1/2 hours  No. of pieces: 6

Splendid Sampler 2 - Point Taken by Susan Ache

The title of this one relates to the fact that the star points are chopped off, something we try not to do when sewing stars. It took me ages to choose just the right fabrics for this one and I'm pleased with my selection..  My little added extra is the line of sttiching around the central squares.  I thought the block looked naked without it.

Time to make: 3 1/2 hours  No. of pieces: 32

Splendid Sampler 2 - Rose and Dot by Lori Kennedy

This was a fairly simple block to put together. I used fusible applique and applied it to the backing by machine using a small blanket stitch. The extra purple and green hand stitching is my own addition to the design.

Time to make: 2 1/2 hours  No. of pieces: 7

Splendid Sampler 2 - My Flock by Brenda Ratliff

I decided to paper piece the central block of this one instead of the more traditional way of making flying geese.  I didn't want to risk stitching off those lovely sharp points or sewing them together wonky which is so easy to do.  My head was very worried about the block being off centre as I do like symmetry but I went with it this time.  But it looked wrong.  That right hand space looked empty and was just crying out to be filled, so I added a simple scroll in hand stitching.  Much more pleasing to my eye now.

Time to make: 2 1/2 hours  No. of pieces: 14

Splendid Sampler 2 - Flowering Tree by Amy Friend

This block was paper-pieced.  I'm in two minds about paper piecing.  It does use up a lot of fabric but it does enable you to make lovely sharp, accurate points which would be almost impossible in normal piecing. As usual, the rebel in me had to add something to the original design and I've added a bit of stitching to round off the sharp angles.  I wish I'd chosen a green fabric for the bottom two triangles as it would then look like a tree on the grass with sky behind it, but I've only just seen that now it's in front of me on the screen. 

Time to make: 3 1/2 hours  No. of pieces: 20

That's all for now.  I'm looking forward to Thursday to see what the new block will be.  If there's no stitching on it you can bet that I'll find a way of adding some.