Well, as we reach the end of the year I am pleased to say I am up to date with my Splendid Sampler blocks! I’ve made 88 blocks so far, so there’s just twelve left to make with the next one due on Thursday.

One of my favourites of this bunch is called Love is the Answer, isn’t it gorgeous? It was designed by Pat Wys. She writes a lovely message with her block;

‘Love brings peace and peace brings joy! Isn’t that the truth? The block, like it’s sister blocks in the Splendid Sampler has been stitched in joyful celebration of the art of quilting. Celebrate with me the journey and fellowship that this amazing community of quilters has enjoyed as we travelled together splendidly sewing our blocks.’

I stitched it with a DMC variegated thread in pale blues, purples and beige, I wanted to keep the lightness of the doves. I love this one.

Another hand-stitching one was ‘Under the Apple Tree’ by Brigitte Heitland. I have a bit of a love hate relationship with this one, you see it’s made with English Paper Piecing. The patriotic part of me thinks I should like EPP…but it’s just too faffy!! Cutting all the paper templates out, tacking the fabric round them, and that’s before you even start to stitch anything together!! It takes me back to my childhood when my mother tried to make a hexagonal quilt, I don’t think it ever did get finnished!! I do like the bunnies in the middle though and the final block has worked out ok!

One more traditional block was by Vanessa Christenson, this one has turned out really well, I think the fabric choices have just worked, it looks lovely and crisp. I really enjoyed making this one. Vanessa’s message about the story behind her block is as follows;

‘I center all my choices in life around my family. I take into consideration how my choices will improve, affect and mold our family unity and health. I created the center star to represent our family unit as a whole and all the choices around it protecting and keeping it together.’

‘Shining Star’ was designed by Jackie Kunkel, it’s made with foundation paper piecing. This was quite a fiddly one as each quarter is made from two sections of paper piecing with an angle in the middle when you’re stitching them together. It took quite a bit of concentration to get the colours in the right place, and even then it wasn’t quite as I planned! I stitched the four segments at the same time, adding the same piece to all four before moving on to the next. Unfortunately this did mean I forgot that the centre square is meant to be in two shades, so mine is all pink! I’m pretty pleased with how this one came out.

The final block I did last night was ‘The Early Bird’ by Joan Ford. I loved this block when I first saw it…and I still do now I’ve finished it, just the bit in between was a bit rocky!

When the pattern was released I must admit I presumed it was foundation paper pieced, no problem…then I looked at the instructions and realised it was just normal piecing, just look at the cutting list…

Cutting From fabric A cut: • 2 rectangles 2” x 31/4” (unit 8, 8) • 1 rectangle 13/4” x 21/2” (unit 7) • 1 rectangle 11/2” x 2” (unit 8) • 1 rectangle 11/4” x 31/4” (unit 8) • 1 rectangle 11/4” x 2” (unit 1) • 1 rectangle 11/4” x 13/4” (unit 8) • 1 rectangle 1” x 61/2” (unit 8) • 1 rectangle 1” x 21/4” (unit 3) • 1 rectangle 1” x 13/4” (unit 8) • 4 squares 13/4” x 13/4” (unit 5, 6, 7, 7) • 1 square 11/2” x 11/2” (unit 6) • 1 square 11/4” x 11/4” (unit 4) • 1 square 11/8” x 11/8” (unit 2) • 1 square 3/4” x 3/4” (unit 5)

From fabric B cut: • 1 rectangle 3” x 31/4” (unit 5) • 1 rectangle 11/4” x 2” (unit 4) • 1 square 11/4” x 11/4” (unit 1) • 1 square 11/8” x 11/8” (unit 2)

…and there’s another four fabrics but you get the drift!!

I put this one off for a few weeks (it was released on December 1st!) and then waited til I knew I had a clear evening, last night was perfect as everyone else had gone out! I decided to cut as I went along, rather than cutting everything out and then losing bits (like a 3/4″ square!) It was fiddly but actually went together easier than I thought it might. It’s not perfect, one leg is decidedly fatter than the other, but I’m happy with it, I’ve just got to add a tiny black button as an eye.

So that’s me up to date. I started sashing some of the blocks last night and I’m hoping to crack on with the quilting too in the next few days, then I might start stitching them together 🙂

There’s quite a lot of hand-stitching in these blocks so I’ll be linking up with Kathy’s Quilts tomorrow for Slow Stitching Sunday, why not have a look what hand-stitching everyone else is doing as the New Year comes in.

Happy New Year everyone!