Simple Surprises (TSS 030)

Here's the latest in The Splendid Sampler series!

As you can tell, I'm not keeping up with the two blocks a week. This finish is 19 of 31, but I'm plugging along & enjoying myself. I found a little time on Memorial Day to whip this one out and prep two more. If the stars align, I will have a little time this weekend to enjoy the vibration of a sewing machine under my fingertips again.

Although I still consider it a "scrap quilt", it seems like I'm creating more and more blue and green blocks with a dash of red thrown in. I like it!

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That's a lot of pieces!

I've decided to keep a counter at the bottom of these posts to track them. 

The totals are based on the original patterns and not on deviations.

Simple Surprises = 10

Total to Date: 410 pieces*

*The count only includes the blocks I've completed to date

Measure Twice Cut Once (TSS 019)

As mentioned previously, I have a family member going through some medical issues just lately. That means less time at the keyboard and even less at the sewing machine. Lucky for me, one of the recent TSS blocks involved embroidery. Very handy to do in a recovery room.

Unlike my peers, I really like this block and was looking forward to making my 6" block. But something bothered me.... something kept eating at me... and then I figured it out. Look at the pattern above and a real measuring tape below. The bottom half is upside down!

But I fixed it! So much better right? 

Here's the technique used to transfer the embroidery: my lightbox and my handy, dandy masking tape!

I should write a book about all the fabulous stuff I've done with masking tape in quilting.

Unfortunately, I made a rookie error. Both my cream and my green were more of a polished fabric so, as I embroidered, the stitches sat atop the fabric versus nestling in.

To keep my motivation level high, I've added some new fabrics to my sampler stash! Wowwee!

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That's a lot of pieces!

I've decided to keep a counter at the bottom of these posts to track them. 

The totals are based on the original patterns and not on deviations.

Measure Twice, Cut Once = 13

Total to Date: 400 pieces*

*The count only includes the blocks I've completed to date

Cool Trick: Buttonhole Applique

This was posted on the Quilter's Renegade FB group, and I thought it such a neat idea.

Instead of guesstimating or using Tiger Tape, mark your finger and use it as a guide when doing buttonhole applique by hand. How cool is this?

Have Zipster - Will Travel

Hey, I realized I went on my fabulous trip to Washington DC and didn't share my new purse made by my sister, Lorna.

Isn't she a beaut? It's the Tulip Crossbody Zipster by Clobird. Lorna made it using Japanese linen cat fabric from Etsy and some coordinating fabric I found at Guildcrafters. 

She made it with a longer strap and coordinating pouch. PERFECT for this trip. Large enough to hold the essentials but small enough so I couldn't weigh it down. It hung at just the right place to avoid backstrain and had 3 outside pockets perfect for Metrocards and hotel keycards.

It seems most ever picture of me is from the shoulders up so you can just make out the strap. Here's one of me wearing my wonderful gift at the Korean War Memorial.

Quality work made by a talented sewist. I LOVE IT!

Inspector Sidekick (TSS 024)

Another one checked off the list. Not sure how I feel about Inspector Sidekick - it didn't come out as planned and not perfectly pieced. I think it may look better in the pictures, but I'm going to keep it.

Speaking about pictures... when I started quilting, you would lay out all your blocks on the bed to see if they went together or if you needed to change the fabrics. As I became more experienced, I had a design wall (no room for one now), and we would use the peephole purchased from a hardware store to step back for perspective. Now I use the collage feature on my phone. You can really get a good sense of color balance and settings using it.

Yes, I just completed block 24 and there are only 17 in the picture. But I'm catching up! Can't believe as of tomorrow morning we'll be 25% through this series! WOW!

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That's a lot of pieces!

I've decided to keep a counter at the bottom of these posts to track them. 

The totals are based on the original patterns and not on deviations.

Inspector Sidekick = 45

Total to Date: 387 pieces*

*The count only includes the blocks I've completed to date

Goose on the Loose (TSS 022)

I'm slowly catching up from my absence. I took it pretty conservative on this one; I regret the pale green, but I'm leaving it as is. I hop to start the embroidery blocks this weekend.

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That's a lot of pieces!

I've decided to keep a counter at the bottom of these posts to track them. 

The totals are based on the original patterns and not on deviations.

Goose on the Loose = 32

Total to Date: 342 pieces*

*The count only includes the blocks I've completed to date

Flying High (TSS 014)

Ok, I admit. This is not the original block Janet Clare created for The Splendid Sampler. Janet's area of expertise is applique involving nature. The examples on her website are lovely. However, as much as I looked and looked at her '3 seagulls in midflight', they appeared to be blobs of ink on fabric. I knew that I couldn't follow her lead so I found some other birds to make me happy.

Unfortunately, two of my blues ran. I'm heartbroken - 3 hours of work on a 6" block. But I have some synthrapol on order. We'll see if that plus a dye magnet might save the day!

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That's a lot of pieces!

I've decided to keep a counter at the bottom of these posts to track them. 

The totals are based on the original patterns and not on deviations.

Flying High = 4

Total to Date: 310 pieces*

*The count only includes the blocks I've completed to date

Sweet Candy (TSS 021)

Ah, it feels good being back at the machine. We've had a family concern and then a vacation so I'm 9 blocks behind. I decided to start with an easy one today.

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That's a lot of pieces!

I've decided to keep a counter at the bottom of these posts to track them. 

The totals are based on the original patterns and not on deviations.

Sweet Candy = 11

Total to Date: 306 pieces*

*The count only includes the blocks I've completed to date