#10 Iowa renamed Winchester

We're up to #10 of the Splendid Sampler QAL today. This block is a modified Snowball block and was designed by Sherri McConnell. On her blog, Sherri tells the story behind her design and has called it Iowa as that is where she grew up with her family.  I've renamed it Winchester because that is where I grew up and my elderly father still lives there.  I live five miles away.

I think I spent more time choosing which of my glorious French General reds I should use than I did actually sewing the block.

I've been debating with myself whether it needs something in the middle, perhaps a little heart as a couple of the other blocks have hearts in them.  I haven't any red thread at the moment so when I've bought some more I'll have another think.

#9 Local Quilt Shop

This is #9 Local Quilt Shop and is designed by Jane Davison for the Splendid Sampler QAL.

All of the fabric I'm using for my blocks are reds from the French General by Moda ranges.  I love the little printed selvedge that is cut off and often just thrown away, so when I saw this block with it's little title above the door I knew that I had found a use for one of my saved selvedges.  This selvedge has the line name printed on it with a little fancy border printed above it.  I wanted the the fancy border under the name as well so I had to piece a tiny bit underneath to match the top edge.  It wasn't quite long enough so had to piece an extra 1/4" each side.  On the original block the designer had made the door only 1" high, the same size as the window, but this seemed out of proportion to me so I added an extra 1/2" and I think it looks better.  

After my success with adding embroidery touches to the last block I couldn't resist a little bit on here too, just to fancy it up a bit. I still think it needs something on the roof, maybe some shingles, and what about a little flower box under the window. If I've got time this week I might take another look at this one, but for now I think I should just leave it as it is.

#7 Revisited

Remember last time I said I'd missed out the little feet peeking out from under the blanket?  Well, when I had a minute I threaded up my needle again and stitched the little feet.  Looking at my block with fresh eyes on the screen in front of me I realised that I had room to fit in the frame of running stitches as well, so as the needle was already threaded I stitched the frame. I was quite enjoying myself and remembered seeing other blocks where each little block on the tiny quilt had a different pattern stitched onto them, so I merrily went ahead and did some more stitching.

It was at this point that I thought that I better put my needle away before I filled in every inch of bare fabric left showing.  I didn't want to get too carried away with myself.  After all, I'm the person who "doesn't do embroidery!"

#7 Splendid Sampler

I wasn't going to make this block as I thought it wouldn't fit in with my other pieced blocks so I ignored it and carried on with other stuff, waiting for block #8.  That one went together so quickly and easily I wanted something else to do before #9 comes out and so thought it wouldn't hurt if I just gave #7 a try.  With a border around it I think it will do nicely, thank you very much.

This block is called Snug as a Bug and was designed by Amy Sinibaldi.  I trimmed my embroidered square down to 4 1/2" and cut borders 1 1/2" wide.  All sewn together it measures 6 1/2".  I've just noticed I forgot to embroider the little toes that peek out from the bottom of the blanket.  I'll thread a needle and do them now.  They won't take a minute.

Splendid Sampler #8

I decided not to do the #7 block.  It was all embroidery and it wouldn't have sat well with the other pieced blocks I've made so far. I might come back to it though.  I'm thinking it might be good with a pieced border around the outside.

This block is called Friends Around the Square and is designed by Julie Karasek.

This one came together really easily and needed minimal trimming. 

#6 Focal Point

I just love this block.  It's designed by Natalia Bonner who is just the most amazing long-arm quilter.  If I ever win the lottery I'd love to have one of my quilts custom quilted by her.  I'd even travel to the States to have it done.

I took my time with this one. I made sure I measured and cut accurately.  My seams are the perfect scant 1/4" and every piece behaved itself.  I pressed all the seams open to reduce the bulk on all those intersections and a little spray of starch has kept everything nice and flat. There was minimal trimming to do, just a couple of wispy threads.

I've deviated from the designer's pattern a bit as I wanted that central fabric to stand out, to be my 'focal point' and I wouldn't have achieved that if I had done the hourglass centre, as then my pattern would have been all chopped up.  Also, I couldn't use that fabric for my corners because the pieces would have been so small and the pattern  would be lost in the seams, so I 've gone for the same tiny pattern on all four corners.

For me, this is my best one yet.

#5 Splendid Sampler

Here is #5 of the Splendid Sampler QAL.  It's called Simple Simon and was designed by Celine Perkins.

This was a lovely block to piece.  I managed to cut accurately, sew perfect scant 1/4" seams and it needed no trimming apart from a couple of wispy bits.

If you have read my previous posts on The Splendid Sampler you may be wondering where #4 is.  Well, I didn't do it.  It didn't really do anything for me and so I'm missing it out, for now.  I may go back and look at it again at a later date.  I have seen some super interpretations of it on the QAL's  Facebook page but it doesn't seem to fit in with what I want my finished item to be.  Maybe I'd like it better as a stand alone 12" block in a frame.  I'll think on it. 

#3 Lots of Love

This block is called 'Lots of Love' and was designed by Melissa Corey for the Splendid Sampler QAL. This was a really fiddly block to do with lots of tiny stitch and flip corners.  I pressed all of the seams open, but even so, the seams are very bulky especially at the intersections.  I've given it a good press, using some spray starch to keep those seams flat.

Splendid Sampler #2 - Wings

Here is my second block for the Splendid Sampler QAL by Jane Davidson and Pat Sloan.  This one is called Wings and was designed by Jane Davidson.  I have done my own interpretation of the block as I found the original too fussy for my tastes.  I've only used four different prints instead of completely scrappy, and I changed out the 4-patches for rail fence blocks.  This gives me a much more symmetrical pattern which I find very pleasing.  I'm loving working with my French General reds and neutrals.

Splendid Sampler. #1 - Hearts Aflutter

I've decided to resurrect this blog.  I can't believe it's been two years since I was last here.  I have been busy, not idle, but not much patchwork.  I'll write more about what I've been doing in future posts.  

I'm starting the new Splendid Sampler Quilt Along hosted by Jane Davidson and Pat Sloan.  It's going to take 52 weeks and there'll be two 6" blocks a week. There will be a host of different designers each contributing a block.  I'm probably not going to do them all but will pick and choose.  I won't make a large quilt but maybe a hanging or a runner for my newly decorated sitting room.  I have been collecting fabrics from the French General collections by Moda, choosing the red ones and mixing it with neutrals so this will be the pallette for my blocks.

The first block  came out on St Valentine's Day and is called Hearts Aflutter, designed by Pat Sloan.  I think it took me longer to choose my fabric combination than it did to actually make it, but I'm very pleased with the outcome.  I chose to attach the heart using fusible web  and machine applique.  I love using the blanket stitch on my machine for this.

Nearly There

I'm starting to feel really excited.  I've completed three more blocks for my Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (small size) and I've only another two to do.  I've decided on the setting I want so as soon as I've made the last two I can work on the layout and calculate how much yardage I need to order for the finishing.  Here are the three blocks I've finished this week.

#6 - Big Dipper

#68 - Postage Stamp

#115 - Square Dance

Oops!  I've only just seen this!  One of my dancers is out of step.  Oh well, there's always one, isn't there.  This block isn't from the book but is from a little booklet called '20 Simple Block Designs' that came free with issue 4 of Love Patchwork & Quilting magazine.  The blocks are all 12" blocks, but it was easy enough to reduce it to 6" square.

I'm having fun with Lori Holt's Quilty Fun Sew Along.  I take forever choosing all the lovely happy colours which are so heartwarming to sew in this cold and wet weather we are having.

Week 10 - Four Patches

Week 11 - Honeycombs

I'm not getting as much sewing time as I would like at the moment as I'm doing a grand de-clutter of my home ready for a bit of decorating.  This involves going through every drawer and cupboard and deciding whether I really need to keep items that haven't seen the light of day for years, or whether I can throw it out and not miss it.  These decisions can take forever, and I move things from one pile to the other, and back again.  So many things hold a lot of sentimental memories but are just taking up space and I know I should just get rid, but I don't want to live in a completely sterile environment where only things that have a purpose are allowed.  I'm not very good at making these decisions so I put it off, but then feel guilty if I use that time for other purposes.  I don't know why.  I've only myself to please.

Cup of Tea and a Catch-Up!

It's so long since I last blogged, I hardly know where to begin, so I've made myself a large mug of tea and will just get on with it.  Please excuse me if it comes out in a bit of a ramble as it's all unrehearsed and I'll write it as I think of it.

My last post was the November Round-up and I was busily making a crocheted baby blanket for my daughter to gift to a friend.  This was completed and posted off up to Yorkshire in time for Christmas.

I then had to turn my attention to finishing the hand-quilting on my grandson's Disappearing Nine-Patch quilt and getting the binding on so I could gift it to him on the big day.  It very nearly didn't get finished as my eldest daughter asked me to do some invigialation for exams at the school where she is Vice Principal, so instead of spending two weeks leisurely stitching away I was spending my time 'watching paint dry'.  Well, that's what it felt like.  I just had to watch a room full of students beavering away at their exams, hand out spare pens and more paper, and give a bit of TLC to a few nervous pupils.  I don't think I've ever been so bored in all my life.  No reading, talking, writing or anything, just watching.  I spent my time making lists in my head of everything that needed to be done for Christmas but promptly forgot them as I couldn't write them down.  The one saving grace is that I will get paid for it at the end of January, so a bit of extra cash to spend on some fabric!

Harry's quilt did get quilted and bound, washed on Christmas Eve, dried overnight and wrapped on Christmas morning whilst the turkey was in the oven.  I asked, in a previous blog post, for names for this quilt and Kelly over at My Quilt Infatuation suggested 'Boys at Work' as the orange reminded her of construction workers.  I changed it slightly to be 'Man at Work' to reflect the grown-up nature of my nine year old grandson.   It's made from old shirts, orange fabric from a charity shop, backed with a fleece throw from Ikea, and bound with strips cut from an old bed valance.

Needless to say, he absolutely loves it and it's getting loads of cuddly time on the sofa in the chilly weather this month.

Christmas came and went in a flurry of activity.  Tree and decorations were put up on Christmas Eve, gifts were wrapped on the same day whilst watching 'It's a Wonderful Life' and contingency plans were made for cooking the turkey in case we were without power due to the bad weather.  I have a gas hob with an electric oven so would have been well and truly 'stuffed' if I had had a power cut.  Youngest daughter has a gas oven and would have cooked the turkey and potatoes for me and transported it over, but we were lucky and didn't have to use the back-up plan.  Two streets away from me weren't so lucky and were without power for four days. I went to Midnight Mass, bed at 2am and up at 6am to put turkey in oven.  Lunch at 1pm for nine went off well, pressies opened and choccies eaten whilst watching Downton Abbey. The post-Christmas Turkey soup was made and was a huge success on Boxing Day.  The tree and decorations came down the very next day, as I was getting too stressed out trying to keep Molly (daughter's 10mth old puppy) form eating it all.

Now that we're into January I've started sewing again.  I've made two blocks for the Farmer's Wife Sampler quilt.

#1 - Attic Windows

#29 - Economy

I had got a couple of week's behind with the Quilty Fun Sew Along but I'm all caught up now.

Week 5 - Flying Geese

Week 6 - Mini Chevrons

Week 7 - Coffee Mugs

Week 8 - Trees

Week 9 - Quarter Square Triangles

I'm continuing to hand quilt my large Starry Sampler quilt in the evenings.  At the rate I'm going it will take me all year so I really must overcome my reluctance and learn to FMQ on my machine or I will never get another quilt finished this year.  So my next job is to review 2013's New Year's Goals and set new ones for 2014, but that will have to wait for another post.  My tea's getting cold.