Hello fellow Splendid Sampler Sewists! I’m so excited about this project, and reaching the mid-point! I’m here to let you know that it’s ok if you don’t have all the blocks done — It’s ok. There’s a number of things that have kept me from sewing my Splendid Sampler blocks, want a quick look?

In June I had my new book release –

Modern Heritage Quilts by Amy Ellis

I’m really excited about Modern Heritage Quilts and can’t wait to see what everyone makes from it. You can see all the quilts in the book here. The Comfort Quilt is my most favorite quilt from the book:

The Comfort Quilt from Modern Heritage Quilts by Amy Ellis - AmysCreativeSide.com

In July, my next fabric line started showing to shops-

Adventures by Amy Ellis for Moda Fabrics - AmysCreativeSide.com

Adventures is a graphic representation of the family trip we took last summer to Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks. I’ve been working on four quilt patterns, and the embroidery shown, to go with all the fabric. If you want to be of the first to know when the patterns are available, sign up for my newsletter here. (they should be ready in the next few weeks!)

With the half way point of the project on the horizon, I printed out a few of the patterns that looked like I could finish quickly and had some fun stitching over the weekend.

A Few Splendid Sampler Blocks - AmysCreativeSide.com

I’ve added some new fat quarters to my assortment, and I need to lay them all out again and see what colors I need to add to my next blocks. I don’t usually work with such small blocks, so these have been a fun challenge, and keep me practiced with the tiny pieces. One of my favorite ways to keep little pieces in check is pins. fine pins

Not the most glamorous tool, but they do the job! I tend to pin at an angle so that I can easily pull the pin out at the last moment, before it goes under the needle. If you aren’t a fan of pins – these are worth the try! They are super fine, perfect for the small pieces, and super sharp too, while not so large that they leave a hole in the fabric you pin together.

 

**Giveaway – Enter to win a new pack of pins + some other goodies!  To win share your favorite tip for sewing all the blocks, and I’d love to know how many Splendid Sampler blocks you’ve sewn. I’ll select a winner on August 10th – Good Luck!!

Happy Quilting –

Amy

PS – There’s a list of partners celebrating this week over at The Splendid Sampler – be sure to pick up block instructions too!