The Splendid Sampler

So, I was quilt blog hopping a couple nights ago and came across a lady who was participating in something called the Splendid Sampler.  I followed her links until I came to the main page. http://www.thesplendidsampler.com/  and oh man, am I glad I did. What a super fun idea.  Two friends got together with an idea, and then they told two friends, and they told two friends, etc.  Haha! Anyway by the end there will be 100 different blocks, all 6x6 finished size, made over the course of a little over a year.  They release new blocks twice a week, and so far there have only been 9 blocks revealed.  Participation and all patterns, templates, etc needed to make the blocks are free!  Free, people, FREE!!! 

I have already gone through my stash, chosen a color palette, and made 2 of the blocks.  Since Friday night.  That is how cute the blocks are, and how fun this project is.  I thought I would let the rest of you know in case it is something you would like to also participate in.  All you need to do is give them your name and email and you're in!  You can join the Facebook group if you want, but it isn't necessary.  I like seeing some of the other color choices people have used, and it helped to look through a few of the finished blocks when choosing my own colors. 

I love miniatures in general, and have been wanting to make a few mini quilts for a while.  These smaller blocks are giving me good practice and make me feel like I am ready to tackle some of those itty, bitty micro mini quilts.  I want to make a couple that could be wall hangings for my daughter's doll house....I know, I am crazy, but I figure, it is using so little fabric, even if I have to throw the whole thing away, it won't be a total loss.  But after making 100 smallish ones, I bet it will be no problem. :)

Hello there!

So I thought I would add my own introduction to the others that have been made.  My name is Amy C. and I currently live in a small village just south of Zurich, Switzerland.  We have lived here for over 15 years and it just keeps getting better and better. I am the mother to 5 kids, ranging in age from 17 to 8. 

This is us in Utah this fall making a quick visit to see family. I am lucky to be a full-time stay at home mom, although for the past few years I have been working one morning a quarter up at the school checking the kids for lice. :)

My first sewing class was in Mrs. Allen's Home Economics class in 7th grade.  Half the year we sewed, the other half we cooked.  I made a skirt and got an A+ on it, then went on to sew a couple more skirts through my high school years, but then completely stopped.  When my oldest daughter was about to turn 8 I sewed her a baptism dress as we were living in a country that didn't have that sort of thing available anywhere and ordering one online was too expensive and risky.

My friend helped me cut out the pattern pieces, and then I sewed the thing together on my $100 sewing machine I bought to sew on cards. (I am a huge paper crafter as well.)  Here it is being worn by the third girl. Pretty soon I was sewing lots of clothes for my daughters as all the "cute" clothes available in the stores didn't come in their sizes anymore.

I learned lots of things by watching vidoes on Youtube made by talented ladies who didn't mind sharing their skills with the rest of us.  That morphed into watching quilting videos and I decided to just make each of my kids a quilt for their beds, which I did and quilted them on my home machine because no way was I paying someone to quilt them for me.  Then I made a quilt for my husband, then one for me, and then I was buying fabric like a crazy person and sewing quilts just for the fun of it.  I will occasionally give a baby quilt away, and have even sold a couple, but there are more just sitting there waiting for who knows what.  I also still sew lots of clothing for my kids.

I was super excited when I was invited to join this quilting group as I had been following the blog for a while, admiring all the beautiful creations and the skill that was involved.  It has been so fun to receive those fat little envelopes in the mail filled with fabric-y goodness and know that I "have" to go spend some time in my sewing room. haha!

When I am not sewing, I am usually reading a book,  or making cards.  In between housework, taxi duty, and other responsibilities of course. Oh, and I do cross-stitch, but that seems to come and go in stages.  Sometimes I feel like it, sometimes I don't.  But I never get rid of crafting supplies, I might use it someday! :)

what's kept me busy lately...

Here are my finished projects from the last few months: 

18" doll sleeping bag (Christmas Present)

 herringbone pillow - Charler Harper fabric

star dahlia (a class I took). Yes, those pieces are gathered.

 spool mini quilt this makes me happy!

ukulele cases for two of my daughters (minky & chenille on the inside)

 dresden mug rug for a friend 

 so much fun! Now to do some dishes...

Je m'appelle Emily

Bonjour!



I've been in 12squared since 2011. I have been sewing since 1981. Wow... I'm getting old. 

I have four kids and I live in Logan, UT. I have also lived in Alabama, Nebraska, Tennessee, Missouri, & Arkansas. I served an LDS mission in Belgium. My degree is in Family & Consumer Sciences. I have worked in a couple costume shops, which is fun. I love making gifts for people (my kids and each of my 10 nieces and nephews have a quilt I made them). I love sewing. I prefer modern fabrics and designs. I also do stained glass. Laughing is my favorite. And eating popcorn. I hope to go on a cruise to Alaska with my husband soon.

I just became a coordinator for Ryan's Case for Smiles, which is a non-profit that gives pillowcases to children in the hospital with life-changing illnesses. I am excited to be a part of it! I'm also the designer for a company called LDS Greats.

Looking forward to sewing with you ladies this year!

I'm Camie

I'm Camie.  I've been married to a great guy for 15 years.  We have four kids ranging from almost 14 down to 6- three girls then a boy- they are fun kids and definitely keep me on my toes.  We've lived in California, Missouri, Pennsylvania and now we're in Oregon to stay.  I love trying new recipes and adding to my cooking blog called Pass the Peas, Please.
I NEVER thought I'd sew after the lessons my mom forced me to take in middle school.  Her machine was impossible to use.  Sew and iron.  Sew and iron.  Such a bore!!  A really cute, young mom at church moved into our ward and taught quilting at enrichment one month.  After seeing what she could do with fabric I was hooked.  That was 15 years ago.  When my mom learned I was quilting she didn't believe it.  I have my cousin Emily to thank for getting me involved in 12squared!
Other than that, I go to the gym everyday to keep sane,  spend a lot of time working on primary stuff (I just reached my one year milestone of primary president at church) and shuttle kids around town. I love Oregon summers and look forward to time spent on the lake with my family or a really nice sunny day on the coast which is an hour away (those days are rare on the Oregon coast so you have to take advantage when they come).
Life is great.

Hi. I'm Mardie... I am addicted to fabric.

My story goes back a long time. I think I can blame my mother... you know the kind. She had a wall in the basement that had shelves full of fabric. I think her motto was, "The one with the most fabric, WINS!" She sewed our clothes. She braided rugs. She used a large loom to weave strips of wool into long rag-rugs that we sewed into an entire carpet.

Now, I have a room full of fabric... and machines.  I have fallen in love with quilting. Especially now that I am able to machine quilt to finish them. I started with my speciality, "Stitch-in-the-vicinity-of-the-ditch." Then my daughter encouraged me to try freestyle quilting. I loved it. Then, my husband gave me a "mid-arm" quilting machine! I think he loves me!

I am wife to 1, mother to 5, mother-in-law to 4, grandmother to 13 (on earth). We live in Little Rock, Arkansas. Three of our married children and 11 of our grandchildren live within 15 minutes of us. Are we blessed or what! Our youngest is a student at BYU-I and a daughter lives in Nampa, Idaho with her 2 boys and husband.

I also love gardening. I just took a tour around the yard today. There are daffodils up and some of our azaleas are blooming! The trees are budding. The grass is still brown.

I love music. I am the choir director at church.

I love traveling. We get the "itch" to travel often.

Being an active member of the Mormon church takes up the rest of my time.
   Now, let's hear from the rest of the group. Welcome to 12squared!

Mardie