100 Blocks, What a Challenge

We are 11, 6-inch blocks in to our Splendid Sampler Facebook

group challenge, hosted by Pat Sloan and Jane Davidson.

I am participating for skill building and I will tell you that

creating these tiny blocks is truly a challenge for me.

The photo above is a Quilt Shoppe which still needs

its embroidery. When it is sewn to sashing or another block

it will lose a quarter inch on all sides so the block will 

appear as if it does not line up, remove the quarter

inch in your mind and you will see the end result.

What did I learn here? Don't use polka dots if you need

to see a straight line.  This was a pre-cut fabric strip that 

I had to cut the width for, less than the standard

2 1/2 inches.  I should have been more mindful of 

the pattern, making sure the dots lined up.

I would use a very light mixed up print next time.

You can always embellish it as you want so some people

have added shrubbery with embroidery or curtains, etc. 

This is the Ohio block, or some may see it as a

"Hug and Kiss"  if you sewed the top two blocks below

the bottom two blocks you would end up with an X.

One of the Splendid Sampler participants did just this and

it looked fantastic.  Remember to lose the quarter

inch to see what this would look like finished.

One caution here was the boat pattern.  Did I put it 

on top so the bears would be upright or on the bottom

like it is here so the boats would be upright?  The consensus

was that the boats are what your eye is drawn to so they

should be upright.

The next block is embroidery and piecing but the 

embroidery will end up looking like crochet, a little doily.

At first I thought it might be actual crochet tacked to the 

block, it looks so real when you see a photo.  

With 100 blocks and working it is hard to stay up to date

so sometimes I work on it for a half hour, sometimes more

over the course of several days.  I know some cleaning is

being neglected too.  Well, it's skill building- that's educational

right?  So worth putting the cleaning aside.  At least that is

my excuse!