It's Thursday So It Must Be Splendid

Hello All! Last week was a break and there wasn't a block released for Splendid Sampler 2. This week we have a pieced block titled Tulip in Bloom by Nadra Ridgeway. It was a less than pleasant task making this block. I am no fan of stitch n flip. I am not a fan of cutting units way too big and then cutting them down and I am not a fan of waste. This block is composed of stitch n flip, make it big and cut it down, and waste. We all have our likes and dislikes and I am sure that when my applique block is released there will piecers who don't care for it so I will keep my grumbling to myself. The block looks a little modern for my tastes on it's own but when thrown into the mix of blocks it blends right in.

Again, the cool thing about doing a project like this is it gets you out of your wheelhouse and pushes you to try new things which is always a win. I am grateful to be a part of the design team for this project.  You can get your block and learn more about Nadra at www.thesplendidsampler.com

Fall is just around the corner and I am getting excited about decorating the house. I have been sharing fall themed quilts on my Instagram and I am amazed at how many fall themed quilts and projects I have! I am working on some new fall themed punch needle designs right now and am expecting a delivery from Moda today for some super cute Halloween fabric that I will be listing on the website so keep tuned for that. Until next week...

Happy Stitching,

Dawn

Splendid Thursday

Good Morning Quilters! This week's block is Around Four Corners by Rachaeldaisy. Easy piecing and applique- what's not to love? This was a quick little block to whip up and I love the graphic quality of the design. 

We are up to ten blocks now and I am running out of room to photograph them. Going to have to find a new spot! My tip for this week is to put Fray Check around the edges of your finished blocks. These blocks will get moved around and handled quite a bit as we go forward and you do not want your seam allowances raveling away. Not only that, you don't want one side to lose more threads than another and create the dreaded distortion. If you just run a quick line of Fray Check around each one as you finish they will remain in the pristine condition they started in! You can snag your block  here- www.thesplendidsampler.com

My side note for this week is I will be re-releasing a retired design of mine for the fall. This is Pumpkin Blossoms. This pattern has remained extremely popular and I have decided to release it for fall. Look for the pattern in my online shop in the next week or so. Until then....

Happy Quilting, Dawn

Less Than Splendid Start to Thursday

This week's block is Flowering Tree by Amy Friend. It is paper pieced. Paper piecing is fine in theory. But if you haven't done it in years like me it can be a rocky start. I have a few hints for you. First, shorten the stitch length on your machine. If you are using regular copy paper, sew on all the stitch lines without thread in your machine before you start. This will perforate the lines and help in removing the papers from your finished block. 

Before you sew each piece of fabric, line it up and stick a pin in the stitch line. Then hold it up to the light and flip it back to make certain that it will cover the area it is supposed to before you stitch it down. It is very frustrating to sew a section on only to find that the piece doesn't quite cover the area it is supposed to . I guess you can figure out how I know this.

When choosing my colors for this block I laid all the finished blocks out to see what was missing. I knew right away that this block would need a light background to balance things out. Also I noticed that the green and gold colors were the least used so those were the colors I needed for this block. I think it was a great choice. I am pretty happy with the way things are coming together. Only 91 more blocks to go! Ha! You can get your block at www.thesplendidsampler.com .

Switching gears. Last week I went to Kalona, Iowa for a quilt study group that was held at the Kalona Quilt and Textile Museum. I would definitely recommend Kalona for a weekend trip. The town is super cute with lots of little boutique shops, a couple of quilt shops, the museum and historical village as well as a great restaurant- The Kalona Brewing Co. Our topic for the study group was Cheddar quilts. The museum also has two galleries with displays that they change out regularly. One is devoted to Amish quilts and the other to English. 

This was my favorite of the Amish quilts. 

Love, love, love this quilt from Carol Butzke's collection.

This indigo and cheddar will keep your eyes racing round the quilt!

How about some cheddar, madder and Pennsylvania blue?

And of course red and green applique always makes my heart beat a little faster. It was hard to get a true to color photo of this one. The background fabric is cheddar. It is a tiny little tone on tone orange print. Very different. So until next time....

Happy Quilting,

Dawn

Another Splendid Thursday

This week we have a pieced block called My Flock by Brenda Ratliff. I enjoyed piecing this block and I think it really adds to the mix we have so far.

I did not make my flying geese units with the flip and stitch method. I think that method allows too much room for error. You need those geese to be just right so you don't lop off their heads. I made mine using the no waste method which makes all four at once. I find this to be a very accurate method. I have some photos here to demo. Forgive the bad lighting, it was dark.

First, you cut a 4 1/4" square of the fabric you have chosen for the geese. Next, cut 4- 2 3/8" squares of the fabric you have chosen for the sky.

Right sides together, layer 2 sky squares onto the large geese square and draw a line down the centers. Pin in place and sew a scant 1/4" seam on both sides of the drawn line.

Cut apart on the drawn line and press. Right sides together layer the two remaining sky squares onto the units created in the previous step. Draw a line down the center and pin in place. Sew a scant 1/4" seam on both sides of the drawn line.

Cut apart on the drawn line and press open to yield 4 flying geese units. 

The geese units should measure 2" x 3 1/2". You are now ready to sew your block together. Pretty fast and easy. You can get your block at www.thesplendidsampler.com. 

I am packing up to go to Iowa for a quilt study group so I may have photos to share next week.

Happy Quilting, Dawn