One of our local quilt shops does a free (sort of) block of the month program. One Saturday out of every month, a bunch (over 100) of local quilters fill the classroom of the shop for Saturday Sampler. The owner shows us some of her new merchandise, talks about upcoming classes and shows samples made for those classes, we have Show and Tell and then we all go shopping.
There is always some kind of "sale" that is just for the Saturday Sampler crowd such as an extra percentage off clearance, a percentage off books or precuts, etc. You get the idea. It's a fun hour or so that everyone enjoys. You pay $5 at the January meeting to join in on the BOM - the fabric is included in that cost. So, technically, by the end of the year you will have (12) 12 inch quilt blocks that only cost $5.
The blocks are usually very traditional blocks as is the fabric chosen. Sometimes I like the fabric and sometimes I don't. When I don't, I change out what I don't like with something from my stash.
For the 2013 quilt, the fabrics were batiks and I used the muslin background fabric that was provided.
I finally finished up my quilt top from the 2013 Saturday Sampler blocks in April but I'm just now getting around to showing it. I haven't quilted it yet so it is still in my UFO pile but I decided to give it to my FIL for Christmas and I'll need to get it quilted soon so that I'm not waiting until the last minute.
Inspired by the book - Vintage Quilt Revival, I wanted to arrange my blocks in an unusual way that would show them off but still be modern. The arrangement that I had in my head didn't really work. I think I just had trouble converting it from my head to my quilt.
(it was too tall to hang on my fence and my tall quilt holders weren't home)
The gray fabric surrounding the blocks is Kona Graphite. I think it looks really masculine and I hope he likes it. It measures 60 x 72 approximately. I used white 50 wt. Aurifil thread to piece it. I have a dark gray Aurifil #1246 that I was planning to use to quilt it because it blends well with the gray fabric. There is so much negative space that's all gray and it kind of scares me to quilt it. I'm not sure how I'm going to do it yet. I think this will be the perfect snuggle size for him when he sits in his recliner and reads or watches TV and it was made with love - and fabric :)
And here are the four Saturday Sampler blocks that I have made so far this year. I have the May block but I haven't made it yet. I've been too busy working on my butterflies.
This year we were able to pick a category of fabric for our blocks - modern, batiks, or traditional/civil war. I chose modern. Also, for my background I am using Allison Glass' text in black. I'm trying really hard to use the fabrics given to me but sometimes I just have to swap some out. I think my idea of modern and the shop owners idea of modern are different.
That's all for now! Have a great weekend!
**Linking up to Crazy Mom Quilts!
