Bloggers' Quilt Festival

Amy of ParkCityGirl is hosting a Quilt Festival for bloggers, to give us something fun to do while the quilt business people are at Quilt Market in Houston. The quilt I am showing off is one of my favorites, made using the pattern Sampler Magic by Lori Smith.

My local quilt shop, Pennington Quilt Works (in Pennington, NJ), has a program called Saturday Sampler. You register for the program and pay for the book or pattern that will be used. Then one Saturday a month, you go to the store to see a demonstration of how to make the block for that month and pick up your zip lock bag with the fabric for that month's block. The materials are free as long as you bring your completed block from the prior month. If you don't make it in on the appointed day (now a Thursday, Friday, and Saturday because the program has grown big) or haven't completed the prior month's block, you pay $10 (I think) for the materials for the next block. It is a fun and inexpensive way (as long as you keep up) to complete a quilt top and a good way for beginners to pick up new skills.

They usually have several alternatives for finishing the quilt top and sell kits for finishing, plus they hold back yardage from the collection(s) so you can buy what you need to finish the top to your own design.

Now, technically, I did not make this quilt in the Saturday Sampler program because by the time I knew about it, the session was in full swing (usually lasts for 12 months). So I bought the pattern, shopped by stash, and held my own "block of the week" program in my studio. It was a lot of fun, something I intend to repeat soon.

Here's a closer look at one block and the sashing. My longarm quilter did an excellent job, using tan thread and quilting a vine in the outer border. I selected fabrics that would go well in our family room - dark green walls, white woodwork, tan carpeting and sofa, red wing chair, floral print valence and arm chair, dark wood tables, book shelves, and tv stand. You can see the quilt in action below.

I enjoyed making this quilt so much that I signed up for the Saturday Sampler program the next time it started up. I'll show you that quilt another time.

Thanks, Amy, for hosting another fun festival. I look forward to seeing the quilts on display from the participating bloggers.