We must be doing it wrong...

Spent some time over dueling sewing machines with my sister yesterday. It was the first of many, I hope, and after hours of pattern deciphering, sewing, ironing, and snacking, all we accomplished was this 6" fabric bowl.... and I wasn't the one to make it!

#HappyNationalSiblingDay #SweatersRule #LoveYouSis

Pieces of Friendship (TSS 016)

Next block in the series is DONE! This one by Lindsay Mayland.

I decided to go renegade on this one... rebellious... even scandalous!! How? I followed the pattern. No Y-seams, no fussy cutting, no embroidery or applique. 

Pretty boring, eh? 

+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

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.

Pieces of Friendship = 16

Total to Date: 295 pieces*

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

Family Affair (TSS 015)

UNCLE! Me and my seam ripper give up! This is the latest block in The Splended Sampler quilt along. 

The fifteenth block in the series - this was the first to use paper piecing. Now, I love paper

piecing; there's a lot of fabulously intricate things you can do with it. However, this one had a slight twist. The dotted X in the middle? It involves fabric strips connecting two paper pieced sections. There are alot of quilters having difficulties with this, but, done right, there are some spectacular blocks!

I had problems with the first time I tried to connect two of my sections to the strip. It came out 1/8" short in each direction. With a pattern like this, it adds up. I realized when I sewed the strip, I had fed the fabric on top of the paper pieced section; when I pinned it to the bottom (image below), they came out perfectly at 3 1/2". 

Sewing four sections together equaled a pretty 6 1/2" square. I'm really loving the greens and blues in these blocks. Now time to add in a dash of red to keep it interesting.

+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

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.

Family Affair = 36

Total to Date: 279 pieces*

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

Checker Board (TSS 012)

Admittedly, when I saw the Checker Board pattern released as part of The Splendid Sampler series, I was a little underwhelmed. But now that I've made it, I'm enjoying the simplistic beauty of this 6" square. 

Teaching an old dog new tricks... In the old days, I would've used a busy dark offset by a clean, plain background. Decided to switch it up and really like it. Those fabrics were made for each other.

With all these seams, I used a few tricks to lay this block flat. 

Butt the opposing seams against each other
Don't pin right where they meet - pin to each side

Before pressing, open up the seams (see arrow)

That way you can press it flat, seams squared,
so all the bulk isn't pressed to one side.

For the major seams, press open.

+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

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.

Checker Board = 36

Total to Date: 243 pieces*

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

Crocheted Thoughts (TSS 011)

Alyssa Thomas designed this block for The Splendid Sampler in honor of three generations of crafters in her family - her Grandmother tatted doilies, her mother crocheted and she quilts. Although not enthusiastic about this pattern, I decided to work it as is (versus going renegade) to practice my chain stitch. It was slow and painful, but I did it (and I'm glad I'm done with it).

I do love the colors. As I've mentioned before, I'm determined to "break out the good stuff" so I reached into my stash of ThreadWorx overdyed floss (#01138) from Farmington's Rocking Horse Shop.

As mentioned earlier, I'm a little behind due to a recent loss in the family, but I do hope to catch up this weekend. It's hard to work on these blocks without my little supervisor watching my every stitch while nestled on top of my pattern.

+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

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.

Crocheted Thoughts = 13

Total to Date: 207 pieces*

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

Sweet Gin

I'm too sad to quilt. I lost my sweet, little Gin yesterday. My love, my sunshine, of 18 years crossed the Rainbow Bridge last night.

How can I sit at my machine without her supervising my stitching? Or embroider without her sitting in the middle of the pattern? Who's gong to test my quilting for softness and claim every quilt as her own? 

Heartbroken.

Iowa (TSS 010)

Although Sherri McConnell calls it "Iowa", I've decided "Reflections" is a more apt name. Pretty cool how cutting it a certain way caused that lovely solid line through the middle - it reminds me of a horizon. Not a perfect bloc, but it is one I'll happy add to my sampler quilt.

10 down - 90 to go!

We are at 10% completed!

+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

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.

Iowa = 14

Total to Date: 194 pieces*

*Does not include TSS 008 - I'm remaking that one