About a month ago I signed up to participate in a summer sampler quilt-along. Although the group is on block five, I have only finished through the fourth one, and only one of my intended pair. Everyone in the quilt-along can join the private Facebook group to post pictures of their progress, ask questions, and post tips. The inspiration alone is so great. It's not too late to join in. If you're interested in sewing along, you can get more info here.
I chose a selection of fabric from my collection that I thought would work for the different types of blocks in the series. My favorite is the burgundy background with white bicycles. I'm trying to work a little bit of it into every block. Plus, since it's all about experimentation, I'm making two of every block with different combinations so I can learn even more about the interplay of fabrics. I added a few more solids to round out my options for the different blocks and to make sure I had enough fabric for two of every block.
I chose a selection of fabric from my collection that I thought would work for the different types of blocks in the series. My favorite is the burgundy background with white bicycles. I'm trying to work a little bit of it into every block. Plus, since it's all about experimentation, I'm making two of every block with different combinations so I can learn even more about the interplay of fabrics. I added a few more solids to round out my options for the different blocks and to make sure I had enough fabric for two of every block.
With the first block, we did some little piecing that gave me a chance to fussy cut my bicycle fabric. You can really see the difference fabric selection makes here. The block on the left was made according to the pattern, while the block on the right uses a different border fabric to frame it out. I like them both.
The second block was fun, too. I played around with print versus solid for the motif. The stripe fabric looks interesting, but the design loses its clarity. The orange and confetti print is my favorite, especially with the little bicycles in the center square.
The third block looks like a snow cone. While it was simpler to construct, it was definitely a good lesson on how to sew curves and how to press the fabric to nest the seams to reduce bulk. The solid yellow background one doesn't have the bicycle print (so sad), but the confetti print really pops as a result of being the only print. I used the stripe again to frame the block in the variation.
The fourth block is a simple introduction to foundation paper piecing with strips. Because the segments are pieced and rotated to create the design, it was difficult to get everything oriented correctly (Just look at the stripes in the center. Eek!). At least the bicycles are right side up. Phew!
These are all my blocks for now. The sixth block is set to release on Monday, and I'm hoping to finish my second paper pieced block and the fifth block before then so I don't feel so far behind.
What about you? Have you done a quilt-along before? How did you like it?
What about you? Have you done a quilt-along before? How did you like it?
