Like Sophie, I chose red and white for my 2013 sampler.  Since it’s a holiday weekend I got to go to my local quilt shop and play around with a layout.  There are about 5 blocks that don’t make it into this layout and 2 others that veered too far from the red/white screen. Like an idiot I forgot to look at the red & white exhibit app for ideas first, so I’ll keep...

It’s not very interesting … yet, but here are my double chevron blocks for the two Mod-mod samplers I’ll be making.   The six gray blocks will be used in a Full/Queen size quilt, combined with more gray, aqua, pink and yellow fabrics. The blue chevrons (with light blue backgrounds) will be used in a throw, combined with fabrics in whatever colors are next in the rainbow scrap challenge.  If you remember the scrappy blue...

I have created a random-ish layout using this year’s blocks in a straight setting with no sashing or borders, using the lotto blocks to build 21-inch square modules. Because of the modular approach and the modern look of our geometric blocks this year, I’m calling this effort the Mod-Mod Quilt-along. You could choose to make a quilt in one of six sizes: Small (42-inch square) – 4 modules arranged 2-by-2 Crib (42 by 63-inch...

Kim asked in a comment if I could post something about my  grand plan for this year.  It’s really not so grand, but here’s my plan. I gave those of you who received the January sneak peek before Christmas a glimpse inside my head and told you that after a year of mostly figurative blocks in 2013,  this year we’ll be making blocks with a strong geometric feel in three (finished) sizes: 7 inch square 7 by 14 inch rectangle 14 inch...

  I’ve been working on my simple medallion idea.  Here are the handles for some of my banded basket blocks.  My plan is to stitch them by hand while I watch television tonight. I have enjoyed reading the comments about your bias appliqué experience–I hope anyone sitting on the fence about trying the block because of those handles has been reading them, too. Here are two that might inspire you: Cathy L said that she, “didn’t...

This afternoon, I finished putting together the top … and hurriedly took a photo before I lost the natural light.   I blacked out the four December blocks that will form a bar at the bottom, but you get the idea … there’s going to be a whole lot of quilting going on in this simple sampler. I deviated from our lotto blocks in that I made the Bird and House taller, made the scrappy version of the Oak Leaf, and added an...

It was one of those times when I SHOULD have been working on something else, but decided to make a set of sampler blocks from last year’s lotto blocks.  I always intended to make a sampler last year, but never got around to it.  It hit me a couple days ago, that I could STILL make last year’s blocks. The color isn’t great in these photos, but here they are.  The brown fabric behind them is being auditioned. Having made most of...

These are the raw materials for my pink and white sampler quilt.  Imagine the background as white fabric, and in that hole in the center, a large scrappy heart (not yet made). I also am one sampler block short, but I have a cup cut out and just need to put it together.  I’m also thinking hearts in the outer corners…  ...

I don’t have any pictures to show, but I have made a pink and white version of each of the 2012 blocks, with the intent that they will be the outer ring  of a sampler quilt, with the inner border being made of the pink and white “terms of endearment” blocks I won in 2011.  I’m thinking the center will be either a large scrappy heart (using the pink fabrics against white) or 4 hearts with their points together at the...

I don’t know how many of you are making (or maybe even finished) your own sampler quilt from lotto blocks … or if you considering making a sample from this year’s rectangular blocks. I thought it might be nice to have a place to talk about our sampler ideas and support one another and so I have created the new category My Sampler. Or maybe *I* just need some support to finish a couple Block Lotto samplers in progress and help...