Posts tagged: Tiger Lily Saturday Sampler

Wednesday’s Wall

I’m currently working on three different sampler quilts (not to mention last year’s, which I still need to piece), and I oddly have the blocks up on the design wall for some reason (I’m usually good about putting them into their proper locations), so I took a (bad) photo.

One is with the Sew You Want to Quilt group, focusing on Amish blocks (I use the term loosely, based on research) in our own choice of colors. I have a few of those done, although I am still behind on one block from early February.

The other two are monthly Saturday Samplers (well, one is on Thursday nights) at the two closest LQSs. For those unfamiliar with the Saturday Sampler concept: you pay a registration fee ($10-15 seems standard) which covers a kit of the fabric for your first block at the first meeting. From there, if you continue to bring your completed block from the previous month to the next meeting, you continue to get the kit for the current month free of charge. If you can’t make it to the meeting, you typically have to purchase the missed month’s kit. Some shops give you a discount on the first kit you miss, some give you one free pass, some give you an incentive to finish the top before the next cycle starts, etc. Some give you all the individual pieces cut out, some give you strips and squares to cut and chain piece, some just give you chunks of fabric to cut everything out yourself. My two shops each have their own quirks, and sometimes the rules and procedures even change year to year.

Even though I’m not absolutely in love with the fabric choices and styles of either, I do greatly enjoy the social aspect—an hour each month to meet up with other local quilters, learn what the shops have to offer in the coming month, and see the creativity of everyone in what they bring to show and share.

I’m going to have to get creative with layouts for 12″ blocks though, that’s for sure!

Saturday Sampler Q4

Posted in Quilting

Here we are almost two-thirds of the way through Q1 of 2013, but I’ve finally finished my 2012 Saturday Sampler blocks. In my defense, I missed December’s meetup because of our trip to MO, so I didn’t get the block until the end of January.

To recap, this is a monthly block meetup at my LQS. Every year, they choose a theme for the 12 monthly blocks, and 2012’s was “Road Trip.” We meet up the last Sat. of the month, learn how to make the block, and are given precut strips to complete it with. They chose to do this one out of batiks. In April 2012, I showed you my first three Saturday Sampler blocks, in July the second set, and in Octber, the third set. Here are the final three.

In October, we traveled up to Connecticut…

…which was my first experience with flying geese. There are a few points lost in there, though.

In November, we went all the way down to the State of Georgia…

…I’m happy to report that no points or souls were stolen.

And to finish up the year, we traveled back up the east coast in December, landing on the Road to the White House…

…and I only had to unsew one section that I mistakenly chain pieced to the wrong row.

Although I don’t have a photo, I have the rest of my top fabrics (the black texture from P&B’s Downtown collection, a white batik, and a yellow batik) and a layout all planned out, now I need to get to work on it.

I mentioned in July that I have a label planned, but now I’m hesitant, because I’ve seen how the other labels I’ve printed at home have held up (or rather, how they haven’t). I need to make a Spoonflower order soon, though, so I may add that in. We’ll see.

No promises as to when you’ll see the finished quilt. Sometime this year, I hope.

I’m doing the Saturday Sampler again this year. I’m not sure that the theme has a name, but it is very different from 2012. Look for a quarterly report in April!

Saturday Sampler Q3

Posted in Quilting

Back in April, I showed you my first three Saturday Sampler blocks, then in July the second set of three. Here are the three for quarter three, which I call the quarter of on-point squares.

For those who missed the explanation the first time around, this is a monthly block meetup at my LQS. Every year, they choose a theme for the 12 monthly blocks, and this year’s is “Road Trip.” We meet up the last Sat. of the month, learn how to make the block, and are given precut strips to complete it with. They chose to do this one out of batiks.

In July, we went back to the Midwest and made Kansas Star…

…which was the first time I’d ever heard someone suggest pressing open seams in real life.

In August, we took a trip north to the Chicago Pavements…

…so many little squares, but it came together surprisingly easy

And September found us in NYC, Union Square to be specific…

…which will need a little tweaking to get into the quilt without losing the points of the nine-patch. Oops.

I’m no closer to figuring out a layout for the blocks, and I’m concerned that I’ll miss the last two sessions anyhow as one falls the weekend of Thanksgiving, and the other the weekend prior to New Year’s, for which we’ll be in Missouri. We’ll see what happens.

Do you want to see the final three blocks before or after I finish the quilt top early next year?

Saturday Sampler Q2

Posted in Quilting

Back in April, I showed you my first three Saturday Sampler blocks. Here are the next three—bringing us to the halfway point.

At the end of April, we hopped back on the Road (to Oklahoma City)…

…which isn’t quite Road to Oklahoma, and is likely another Jacob’s Ladder variant. This block taught me to measure the pre-cut strips before cutting off the required pieces. Two of mine were about 1⁄8″ short of the length needed for all the pieces. Since I’d started cutting the first one without measuring, I didn’t realize until the last two squares—so I had to be careful sewing with 1⁄8″ seam allowances for those. The other strip, I was able to cut the pieces about 1⁄16″ short–not enough to badly throw off my piecing, and enough to squeeze it all in over the length of the strip.

In May, we jumped over to the East Coast, warming up on the Philadelphia Pavement…

…which is very simple to make.

And June brought us back down to the South for Alabama.

…a block that I can’t seem to get to lay flat. Mine is a bit lumpy, but it can be quilted out. I think I was subconsciously using a scant ¼″ seam, which didn’t work out well.

I’m still thinking about layouts and such. I thought I had a great one (it looks awesome in my head), but when I try to mock it up, it just doesn’t look right. So, who knows. I have plenty of time to mull it over.

I have started a label… but you only get a sneak preview so far.

Stay tuned for the next installment in mid/late–October!

Saturday Sampler Q1

Posted in Quilting

At the beginning of the year, I swore not to start any samplers or bees or whatever, until I finished all the stuff for the 1812 show. Then, not two weeks later, I found myself signing up for my LQS’s (Tiger Lily Quilt Co.) monthly sampler group. I justified it by saying it gets me out of the house and meeting other local quilters, right? (Or would, if I weren’t a wallflower.)