My First Sampler

In my post about the Farmer's Wife QAL I mentioned that I started a sampler quilt a while back (I think August of 2009) and just stumbled across it again recently. 

This was the 2nd quilt that I ever started. I don't know why I thought it was a good option for a wicked inexperienced quilter. I feel like I'm always in over my head. Oh well, here it is!

Here are some of the individual blocks that I liked the best ...
 

 (Card Trick)

 (I can't remember what this block is called, but I will call it a God's Eye block because it looks an awful lot like those crafts we used to do as kids with popsicle sticks and yarn)

 (Some type of star block, no idea which one though)

 (This is a foursome of Spool blocks)

 (Another card trick block)

 (A drunkard's path block)

 (Some type of star block)

Another shot of the quilt. I actually have the back all pieced and ready to go, I should probably get on that.
 

 xoxoxo

Like a Lemming ...

I just COULD NOT resist it anymore! I have seen the Farmer's Wife Quilt-a-long posts everywhere. Bloggers around the world are participating in this fantastic Quilt-a-long that was started by Angela @ Fussy Cut and her quilting friend Amanda. 

I don't know the entire story (because I am still waiting for my book!), but the Farmer's Wife Quilt is a sampler quilt that consists of 111 (yes, one-hundred and eleven) completely different quilt blocks. This is what it looks like (kind of a bad picture):

If you look at the Quilt, there are so many interesting blocks. The color scheme of the original quilt is definitely not something I would do, but those were the colors of the times I would guess. The Quilt-a-long (Q.A.L.) should take about a year! Most participants are making 2 blocks a week and hoping to have a finished quilt in a year. Given that I decided to start in week 3, and am still waiting on my book and some fabrics to finish my mix, it looks like I will have MAJOR catching up to do. That's ok, maybe I'll take a vacation day.

Part of me is SO SO SO SUPER excited about this quilt. There is a super exciting Flickr Pool that everyone has posted progress pictures on and I they are all really inspiring. I've never participated in a QAL, so it is really great that everyone shares their progress. I am almost at an advantage by starting late. I feel that I can look at some blocks that people make and see what I what I love about them and what I would change about them and then makes that a part of my quilt.

But, then the other part of me is wicked intimidated. The second quilt I attempted was a sampler quilt and I hated it. I didn't have a color scheme, I kind of just went with it. The end result was something I didn't even want to quilt it. Actually, I didn't quilt it. I almost threw it out this morning when hunting for fabric in my closet. Given that, with this quilt I most definitely want some type of theme/scheme. The best way for me to do that is.... using an entire fabric line (or two). Considering my undying love for everything Anna Maria Horner I am most definitely going with her fabrics. 

I was gifted the entire fat quarter collection of the Innocent Crush line for Christmas and I have been eyeballing the LouLouthi line that just came out. I am most definitely going to combine those two lines. You can take a close look at them here and you can see why I can't resist their temptation. I am also incorporating Anna Maria's line of solids in the quilt as well. 

I guess it has been decided. 

• I am participating in the Farmer's Wife QAL. 
• If you want to participate in the QAL you should read this post by Angela.
• The fabric I am using is...
• Innocent Crush by Anna Maria Horner
• LouLouthi by Anna Maria Horner
• Quilting cotton solid collection by Anna Maria Horner
• I have not decided on binding or backing fabrics yet. Actually, I don't even know what the finished dimensions of the quilt will be. 
• I will most definitely try for the 2 blocks a week goal. I will be sure to blog about each block and how I came up with each color scheme, etc. I will for sure have some catching up to do, but that's ok. 

Stay tuned for more Farmer's Wife QAL! 

xoxo