Block 30 Simple Surprises

I really like the way this block turned out. I wanted to add some diagonals for movement, and then it looked right to bracket the two green squares with echoed lines to give the block some solidity. I did the red-brown quilting first and then finished up with the dark green triangles that divide each…

Block 11 Crocheted Thoughts

The original design for this block includes an embroidered motif that looks like a crocheted doily and crochet hook. Somehow I never got around to doing that part, so when all my other blocks were finished I decided to embroider the quilt title, my name, and the date instead. I quilted a leaf design in…

Block 26 Dreaming of Dresdens

This is one of those blocks that I was sure I was ruining while I was quilting it, but when it was done I decided I like it after all. I quilted the zigzags in the background first and then did the arcs inside the Dresden petals and outlined the inner circle. I went around…

Block 66 Happy Thoughts

I had fun piecing this block and wanted to quilt it in a way that emphasized the motif in the middle that looks like it’s dancing. I quilted around the center square and then around edge of the brown shape, creating a diagonal line from the corners of the square to the edges so I…

Block 36 Inchy Hexagon Club

I realize you can’t even see the quilting on the front of this block, which is probably just as well. Neither could I while I was quilting it 🙂 I echoed the outer edge of the hexagon ring and attempted a small-scale meandering fill in the black background. I wanted the hexie ring to stand…

Extra Block Spinning Stars

This one isn’t actually a Splendid Sampler pattern, but I found it while I was working on the Sampler and decided (crazily, as it turns out) to make it at 6.5″ size and add it to my sampler. Whew. I can’t recommend making this block that size. The paper-piecing pattern is from Yvonnes.dk and it…

Block 35 The Wishful Garden

This block was fun because I haven’t done much embroidery, and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it and how well it came out. I wasn’t sure how to quilt around embroidery so I did a little research and found (unsurprisingly) that you don’t quilt over it. I started with gold thread…

Block 14 Flying High

This one went very quickly as I only quilted in gold. I started with a wavy line from edge to edge, then echoed back along it. I traveled along the block edge, started the second line, and quilted up to the first seagull. Then I echoed around the seagull until I reached where I’d started,…

Quilting the Splendid Sampler with QAYG

  I decided to try quilt-as-you-go for the first time on my Splendid Sampler. After all, this sampler is about learning new techniques! To do this, I sashed each 6.5″ unfinished block in 2″ wide blue sashing and placed it on a square of batting slightly larger than the sashed block. I wanted the sashing…

A Splendid Journey

In 2016 I stumbled upon The Splendid Sampler Sew-Along just before it kicked off, and decided to join on the spur of the moment. I’d never done one before but I thought the small block size (6″ finished) and relaxed schedule of two blocks per week seemed do-able. I kept up for most of the…