Finishing A Sampler Quilt #modernqal

Let me be honest for a bit…

I really struggled with finishing this quilt. I love the fabrics* and the colours, but the balance-and-order perfectionist within really struggled with such a mix of blocks to use! I have previously made one other sampler-style quilt which, while a lot more cohesive being all half-square triangle blocks, still remains as a pile of blocks. It has also been a year since I made the first block and my sewing skills have drastically improved since then! Which means my first couple of blocks are a little wonky and odd-sized. I am sure I am not the only one who has had these issues at some point in time! So let me share how I decided to push through.

Over the year, I made 10 of the 12 blocks. I ummed and ahhed about whether to finish the remaining two, but when I realised that one of my 10 blocks just doesn’t quite fit in, I decided to stick with nine. This makes it a small baby-sized quilt, more a play-mat or pram quilt actually. I also decided to not sash the quilt. Why? Because this means that my quilt finishes at 36″ square(ish!), and it also means I simply use 1m of batting and 1m of backing fabric. This means that it will be a lot quicker, simpler and cheaper to finish it off properly so that it’s not lying around as a unfinished quilt top forever. And as for that last block? Well, it might end up on the back, or it may become a coordinating pillow cover. We will see!

*I did not notice at all that I had managed to use two different whites in this quilt until I took it outside to photograph! At least they’ve ended up opposite each other to balance it out?!

Alyce (164 Posts)

Living in Japan, Alyce spends her days mothering 2 little monkeys, quilting, blogging at Blossom Heart Quilts, and revelling in the fabrics of Japan!