The Splendid Sampler Block 16, Pieces of Friendship is designed by Lindsay Mayland, my friend and editor at American Patchwork & Quilting Magazine.
I can remember meeting her for the first time, she came to my school house at the trade show. I love meeting people in person after weeks or sometimes years, of just talking by email or phone.
Lindsay's block tells the story of her co-workers teaching her to quilt, and how much of a passion she now has for it.
As I make each block for my personal quilt i think about the designer, I think about their story as I pick fabric, and cut it up and sew it back together.
One of my co-workers, Gywn, is the person responsible for me learning to quilt. She told me i'd love it, i said I wasn't going to cut up little pieces and sew them back together.
Who do you think was right on that one?
I can not thank Gwyn enough for that give of a quilt class, she took me to the shop, signed me up and I never looked back. I think Gwyn just wanted someone to sew with, but what she gave me was a lifetime of memories too many to ever recount.
With the awesome internet I've kept up with Gwyn all these years!
On this block I decided to channel a few of the amazing designers on our team, and fussy the strip. The fun part is that my stripe is not easily fussy cut, because ... I of course.. don't pick something easy.. ha!
I decided the best way to handle this was to have a template of where the lines are on the block when it's used.... and instead of using paper, i used the fabric.. i think you could use paper to make your template.
So between those lines is where the 'stripe' should be.
I lay my template square on the fabric with the strip running in the middle of those lines.
At least that was my plan, and it came out worked out!
next ... let's sew it up!

I think it turned out pretty good! To get that inner 'lace' edge i would need to work on placement.. with perfection.. but who has time for that? I like it this way.. it's got personality! Plus I used my Super Woman pen, it really helps!
The Links you need ...
- Get my article notices
- The block stand for displaying one block to enjoy!
- My Aurifil thread here, and here at the end, and here too
- See all my blocks and read my stories as I write them
- Download the Splendid Sampler Block 16, Pieces of Friendship