Late Summer

At long last, my Summer Sampler 2021 quilt is done! It was one of my final work-in-progress quilts left over from last year, so it feels really good to have it finished. Begun back in May with the fabric pull, I kept up well with the weekly sewing of new blocks. By September, I had the large final center block pieced, and then all progress stopped. It took me until mid-December to get my blocks out again and consider sashing options and then get those cut. But before the year's end, I had a pieced quilt back and a finished top, and that felt like real progress!

So as I attempted to get started on quilting last week, there was an unfortunate development with my JUKI.... it cut the threads no matter where I placed my foot on the pedal to sew. Considering it, by now, had been a few years since it had been serviced pre-pandemic, I unplugged it and got out my back-up machine. And though I had originally planned on straight-line quilting this quilt, the temptation to use one of the fancy stitches my back-up machine offered proved too great. I ended up using the serpentine stitch, vertically about 1"-1.5" apart, just because I could. 

So now, finally, my Vintage Restyle sampler is bound and ready to be used! Measuring 68" square, it re-emphasized my dislike for sewing a sashing, but I do indeed like the look of it on this quilt, and am happy I was able to gather fabrics from stash that would work. 

The pieced back was also made from stash, more Carolyn Friedlander prints, mixed with solids. I'm not sure why, in the brief rain-break I had, that I forgot to take a photo of the quilted back, but at least you get an idea from this photo. Trust me, if looks even better quilted.

The binding is an unknown stash find that was used in the sashing as well. Rarely do I hand-stitch binding during the day, as I save it for evening couch-time, but I did last weekend. I was just so anxious to have my first finish of the year before the work week began again.

Anyway, I'm thrilled and relieved to have my first finish of 2021! And yeah, this final photo shows our weather-worn house and winter-empty planting beds, but I loved how the grass green and faint blue sky accented the palette of the quilt. It's the little things, right?

Summer Sampler 2021 :: Floret

It's definitely bittersweet having just finished up the final block for this year's Summer Sampler. "Floret," designed by cohost Lee Heinrich, is the centerpiece of the quilt, at 28.5", the center of the medallion. It echoes many of the traditional blocks we explored in the sew along, and uses all 9 fabrics. Since I actually interchanged two different blues as I worked my way through the summer's blocks, for this final one, I chose Carolyn Friedlander's Harriot yarn dye in blueprint. It's a little darker and bolder than the other, and felt appropriate for the center focus.

Sooo..... here are all my blocks, in a tentative layout. I expect to scatter the blocks with the lighter blue print about a little better prior to final piecing. I'm leaning towards more blues for the sashing, but don't hold me to it, ok? Whatever, I'll probably need to order what I need. So I'll share more once I know more!

Summer Sampler 2021 :: Providence

Paper-piecing is not my first or favorite piecing language, but that said, I really enjoyed it the last couple of evenings as I stitched Faith Jones' block design together. Providence, based on the Economy block, is our 12th and final 12.5" block in this year's Summer Sampler. Somehow after prepping all my fabrics, I switched things around unintentionally, though I don't think the block is any worse for my error.

Maybe I say this every year, but I've been super pleased with how my fabric pull played out. I still have some choices to make in choosing fabric for the quilt's sashing, so time will tell as far as that's concerned. But next week, we have the large center block #13, and I'm looking forward to that!

Summer Sampler 2021 :: Modern Saw

Modern Saw by Porfiria Gomez of Eat.Quilt.Pray turned out to be one of my favorite Summer Sampler 2021 blocks. It's not all the flying geese blocks (I don't enjoy making them) and it's not my fabric placement (kinda wishing I'd switched things up where those greens are all bunched together), but still. I really really like it, and I think what keeps drawing me in are those HSTs on the two sides that don't all point as one would typically expect in a Sawtooth Star. 

I realized once I was done that the photo on the pattern actually showed those blue geese pointing out, and I kind of wish I'd realized that so I could at least see what I liked best. But whatever, Modern Saw fit perfectly into my week, and it's a keeper.

Summer Sampler 2021 :: Marigold

Soooo hard to believe we're getting down near the end of the Summer Sampler 2021 blocks! Block 10 this week is by Lori Holt of bee in my bonnet, who put her own twist on a traditional flower vase design.

There was an option to add 'stems' to each flower, but I preferred it without, thinking this was a tad less traditional. And I got to include that striped fabric and used my alternate dark blue, so I'm a happy camper.

Summer Sampler 2021 :: Cross Churn

With the churn dash being one of my favorite traditional quilt blocks, I was happy to see a modern variation included in Summer Sampler 2021. "Cross Churn" by Megan Lopez/The Athena Workshop was quite the breather after last week's multiple curves, It's a striking design, isn't it? 

And 9 weeks into the sew along, I'm loving my blocks together. Do you have a favorite? Do tell!

Summer Sampler 2021 :: Melted Melamine

I'm already starting to grieve that we're so far along in the Summer Sampler. I'm loving my fabric pull (that Kona Limelight!) and every block has been a pleasure to sew.

This week. Ben Millett, who I 'met' in the Virtual Quilt Guild I joined in March 2020, designed the nostalgic "Melted Melamine." And boy do I have Melmac memories - ha.

The number of curves in Ben's block was mind boggling, and I confess, it took me back a sec when I saw the orange peel template. Not sure I've ever actually sewn one! But now I've sewn several, and it wasn't that bad. Yeah, my block has some issues here and there, but I'm sticking with the old adage, "It'll never be noticed on a galloping horse."

Summer Sampler 2021 :: Summer Breeze

What's not to love about a pinwheel, right? I absolutely loved those pinwheel-spinners-on-a-stick that I remember from my childhood. So there were good vibes right off with this week's Summer Sampler block, Summer Breeze, designed by Nadra Ridgeway/Ellis & Higgs.

This one involved some very unique piecing, and a certain 'matching' trick came in handy more than once. Do you know the one where you pin the edges you need to sew together, but before you sew the length, you stitch just over the trickiest match area with a long (I use 4.0) basting stitch? Just stitch an inch or whatever it takes to cover the tricky area. Then remove from your machine and take a look to see if your match is perfect. If not, it's easy to remove that basting stitch and try again. Once you've got it, stitch the length of the seam as you normally would with a regular stitch length. This tip has saved me numerous times, including in the making of this block! Anyway, it's done and I really like all the spinning going on.

Summer Sampler 2021 :: Sailors

With so many larger finishes to share lately, it felt good to focus on this week's Summer Sampler block while I watched our guild's meeting on Zoom this week. Designed by Lucy Engels, it 'explores size and shape in this take on the Dutchman's Puzzle.' I was able to use Lee Heinrich's Perfect Flying Geese templates again for the smaller pairs of geese, and I really like the unique larger geese with that bottom 'bar.'

I also swapped out the main blue fabric I had been using for a tad lighter Carolyn Friedlander print. I'd intended it as an alternate since the beginning of the sewalong, but finally used it in this block. It just felt like the time was right.

I'm super pleased with my collection of blocks so far. Six down, seven to go, including the large center block near the end. Looking forward to that one!

Summer Sampler 2021 :: Reunion

I was pleasantly surprised how quickly this week's block went together! "Reunion," a design by Lee Heinrich, one of the Summer Sewalong 2021 hosts, is a unique version of the more traditional Friendship Star. Unique in that I had to look hard to 'see' its inspiration. 

Though it's made of familiar components - simple curves, stitch-and-flip triangles, and HSTs - it's really a fun twist, isn't it? It actually reminds me of a pinwheel, as you can just feel the movement, right?

Summer Sampler 2021 :: Petal Prism

Every Petal Prism block I saw in the Summer Sampler this week was a stunner, so I was pretty excited to see how mine turned out. Designed by Wendy Chow of The.WeekendQuilter, it's inspired by the traditional Spool and Grandmother’s Choice quilt blocks. Together, these blocks form an enhanced Sawtooth Star.

The design incorporates half-square triangles and flying geese, and since those geese are my nemesis, I used Lee Heinrich's Perfect Flying Geese templates, and am super happy I did. I even left the papers on while I added the accent corners, and that worked like a charm.

So blocks 1 - 4 are done, and I kinda love 'em! I'm super pleased how all the fabrics in my pull are playing together, but really think that Kona Limelight is adding a little something extra to the overall effect.

Summer Sampler 2021 :: City Center

Another week, another Summer Sampler 2021 block, and this week it's Fran Gulick/Cotton + Joy's "City Center," a fresh take on the classic log cabin.

Fran's design uses a technique where wider strips than required are sewn on, then trimmed down to size. It's similar yet different from my recent foray into fine-line piecing, so that was enjoyable. This block's technique results in a more consistent result which is equally engaging. Gotta say I love how the light plays off those greens!

Summer Sampler 2021 :: Summer Blooms

This week's Summer Sampler 2021 block is "Summer Blooms," a design by Katie Blakesly/Swim Bike Quilt, with her modern take on a traditional Rocky Mountain Puzzle block.

I can't say I loooove sewing quarter-circle curves like these, but they went really well, thank goodness, and I was able to finish the entire block is no time at all. All the fabrics were ones I used in last week's "Crossroads" block, except the lime, which is Alison Glass' Kaleidoscope in Fern. It was random how the directions for the block indicated my use of the one lone print from Carolyn Friedlander's Jetty, but I really like it! So I'm only two blocks in, but I think they look really great together!

Summer Sampler 2021 :: Crossroads

At long last, Summer Sampler 2021 has begun! Katie, Faith, and Lee are back, this year with "Vintage Restyle." Other than needing to order just a bit more background, my fabric pull is all from stash, which makes me verrrry happy!

Block 1 is "Crossroads" from Allison Harris/Cluck Cluck Sew. Reminiscent of a traditional Irish Chain block, it was a fun one to start with. Plus I was really pleased that it combined a mix of solids, a print, a yarn dyed woven (the blue), and an Essex blend (the background). As I'll probably say over and over this summer, I can't wait to see what's next!

Summer Sampler 2021 :: The Fabric Pull

There really wasn't any question. I saw this year's Summer Sampler announced and jumped on board. Year four in a row (plus the first in 2011!), it's always a fun, relaxing sewalong, and I was definitely game. Hosted one again by Katie, Faith, and Lee, the theme this year is "Vintage Restyle." Here's a mockup:

I really like to work from stash when possible, and considering I'll finalize sashing decisions down the line, here's the fabric pull I'll be starting off with. A mix of solids, prints, and substrates, it pretty much follows my formula for the last several samplers.

My swatchcard is ready too! I find this really helps with a long-term sewalong - both remembering what's what each week as well as insurance in case I need more of a certain fabric.

Sooo.... anyone else joining in? Should be fun!