Starting the Sampler

Yesterday, I decided I'd done enough practice and it was time to tackle the actual blocks. In a way, I see all of my quilts as practice pieces anyway, especially when it comes to the quilting part. I rarely make it past making tops as basting is difficult for me. I have NO idea why, but I can never seem to get it right on the first try. When you're talking about a large quilt top, having to undo all the pins and redo them is frustrating.

The first two blocks of the sampler turned out okay. I like the first one way better than the second. I wonder if it's because I practiced the quilt stitches used for the first block before I did it and I didn't the second? We'll never know. LOL  I used thread in each of them to blend in with the block. I still love my piecing more than the quilting, so I want IT to show up, not the quilting.

This is the first block. It has a stipple in the center, paisleys in the white part and then just long "U" shapes in the corners. I'll admit I'm not too fond of the U shapes. I thought they looked a little "cheap" when added with the other two, but I couldn't think of what else to do there. It also might be because, when I was changing colors of thread, the purple in the corners was a heavier weight than the other two. Beats me how I ended up with a 40wt when I usually only buy 50 or 60. Oh, well. It was only for a small area so it's not that big of a deal.  I matched that blue in the center so well, you can't even tell it's stippled in pictures. You'd have to see the actual block. The backing fabric on this one is sheets of music, so it also completely hides the stitching. So this is the only shot of this block there is.

This is the second block. It's a wonky log cabin and was quilted with a spiral from the inside out. As you can see, the background fabric has cute paw prints on it. I fell in love with it in the store and had to have it. How handy I was working on a quilt where I wanted each square done with a different background fabric. :-)

I will admit that I call this my "drunk spiral" as I couldn't keep a consistent distance from the previous lines for anything. However, considering this was eyeballed and completely free hand, it didn't turn out that bad. :-D

I was also talking to my husband yesterday about my desire for a quilting table. He thought for the longest time I meant an actual table that my machine would sit into. He didn't realize I meant one of those platforms that would just fit around my machine to give me more surface area. When he did realize that, thanks to the Keepsake Quilting catalog having a picture of a Plexiglas version,  he ran right out and made me his version.

I haven't tried it out yet as I'd already quilted the previous two blocks without it, but they still need their "river path" borders. Leah doesn't cover that in the lessons until the very end, but I was talking to my friend about it. After realizing I'd have to go back anyway and add it to ALL of the quilt blocks, I thought I'd stop now and add it as I went. So it will give me a chance to try out this little table he made. It's a great use of some recycled materials as he used left overs from some black shelves we used to have. It might not be fancy, but if it gets the job done, who cares? There's a small gap in one corner where it fits around my machine due to the fact these new machines have lots of curves to them. However, it's a small gap and I don't think it will make that big of a difference. We also covered it completely with clear contact paper. You can see there where it overlaps. It made that top real nice and smooth. I really hope it works and I don't have to tell him that all of his work was for nothing.

If you're curious, my sewing machine is a Viking Quilt Designer. You'd have a hard time finding one as they are considered antiquated in the realm of computerized sewing machines and were quickly discontinued in favor of the Designer II. However, it's been an awesome sewing machine and I'll keep happily using it until it dies.  Unfortunately, it will be the stitch cards that will die long before the machine itself does. I had to replace one recently and I had a heck of a time getting my hands on one. While these computerized machines are nice, there's something to be said for the older machines. I have a vintage Singer 301A sitting off to the side you can't see. That pretty baby was made back in the 50s and is still going strong. Nothing like a silly stitch card or a corrupt memory chip will keep it from running! It still makes the most beautiful stitches, too.

I guess that's enough 'rambling' for now. I have a nap to take, chores to do, then I'll get to play with my new quilting table and see how it works. :-D