Intentional Piecing...

It is always exciting when a quilty friend brings out a new book and Intentional Piecing by Amy Friend is no exception.

I am a big fan of Foundation Paper Piecing and I have long since admired Amy's work in this  field. I haven't always been a big fan. Like most of us I went through the head confusion of it but once I emerged on the other side I just love it.

Intentional Piecing is full of fantastic illustrations and photos of the steps involved with paper piecing and is a terrific resource to consult.

The projects in the book are just the cutest. Amy has always produced such eye catching designs making you want to drop everything and just get on and make.

This exact thing happened to me when I saw the Teepee Quilt. Ah man it is perfection! I dropped everything so fast, printed out the pattern and sewed a block before I realised I should have enlarged the block. I was just way too keen. I will definitely do this properly next time because this is one quilt I am certainly making.

One really interesting thing that Amy is doing with the book is a Stitched Story Telling Event. Her Tell Me a Story Quilt uses fussy cutting fabrics to tell a story. Maybe you have some precious fabrics in your stash that mean something in particular. Whatever you have you can join in and tell a story of your own by fussy cutting those fabrics. Me, I was telling a little story of handprinted motifs. I have been on an amazing handprinted journey myself and wanted to highlight this in what is now going to be a cushion cover for my new sewing room.

All you need to do to join in is share the top image on your blog or on Instagram to spread the word.  For each block you make and share on Instagram (or each time you share the image at the top) using the hashtags #intentionalpiecingbook and #TellMeAStoryQuilt, you will be entered into a draw.  On June 1st, I will draw a random winner from the IG hashtag #TellMeAStoryQuilt to win a bundle of fabrics from SewMeASong that were selected just for this project so that you can make more blocks and complete your quilt top!

Fun huh!

In the meantime go here to see where you can get a copy of the book because you really want this in your stash.

Summer Sampler Quilt a long

The Summer Sampler 2016 is launching and I am very proud and excited to be a part of it!

Katie, Lee and Faith did the first Summer Sampler 5 years ago and it's amazing to think it has become a regular feature.

This year the 3 ladies invited 7 of us to join in in creating a couple of blocks each.

This time around, they are offering the Summer Sampler as a block-of-the-week subscription program. Click here to pre-order Summer Sampler 2016 for $19.99. That's just $1 per block—for a limited time, ending May 15. After May 15, the price goes up to $24.99, so don't miss out on the chance to save! (European Union customers: You can purchase the Summer Sampler 2016—and now all Lee's other patterns—through her Etsy shop. Click here to purchase.)

One block a week will be introduced, starting May 16, running through September 26. Each Monday  you will get a link to download that week's block pattern. The last block will be delivered on September 26, and instructions for three sampler layout options will be delivered on Oct. 2.

The Summer Sampler 2016 subscription includes:
• fully-tested instructions for each weekly block, with step-by-step diagrams
• three sampler layouts and full instructions for each, delivered at the end of the subscription
• digital mock-ups of ways to use each block in its own quilt layout, for future inspiration
• coloring pages for planning purposes
• access to a private, subscribers-only Facebook group, where you can interact with the designers and other quilters

All the other quilters involved are:

Allison Harris of Cluck, Cluck, Sew

Amy Smart of Diary of a Quilter

AnneMarie Chany of Gen X Quilters

Faith Jones of Fresh Lemons Quilts

Holly DeGroot of Bijou Lovely

Katie Clark Blakesley of Swim, Bike, Quilt 

Lee Heinrich of Freshly Pieced

Lynne Goldsworthy of Lily’s Quilts

Nicole Daksiewicz of Modern Handcraft 

It's going to be such a blast and I can't wait to see everyone's take on it. Go join up and buy here (or here for EU) and don't forget to tag any makes on Instagram with #summersampler2016

See you there!