Stitchery Sampler Sew Along: Block #1

Welcome to Block #1 info for our STITCHERY SAMPLER SEW ALONG. If you need background information, please click HERE or HERE.

PATTERN INSPIRATION: The pattern itself was created by using simple basic blocks and mimicking a traditional stitched, embroidery sampler. The blocks are meant to mimic stitches. For the blocks that require appliqué, we will share all of our hints and tips for that. For the hexagons, we will learn alongside you. If one of the blocks uses a technique that you don’t wish to tackle, feel free to substitute something else, or double up on a favorite block.

FABRIC CHOICES: First to answer a couple of recurring questions… you can use any fabric for this quilt. We created our pattern and sample quilt with our newest collection, Figs & Shirtings. I know at least several of you who plan on making this quilt as a Christmas version, with all reds and greens. Others still are going even more scrappy. The possibilities are really endless.

IF USING THE OFFICIAL BOX KIT: You have all the fabrics that are used in the digital sample. I believe that there are 11 fabrics from the full bundle that are not used in the pattern mockup and are not in the kit. The rest of the fabrics are all included in the kit along with the pattern and the binding. All the boxed kits were created by MODA and shipped out to us and to stores everywhere. Regardless of where you purchase your boxed kit, it will be identical. I do believe that there is more than enough of all of your kit fabrics to use the “wet starch” method of preparation. We will not be doing that, but I know that many of you do.

IF USING FIGS & SHIRTINGS BUNDLES OR YARDAGE & THE PATTERN: If you are working from a Fat 1/8th bundle or a Fat Quarter bundle, note that you will not need the whole thing. You can choose to be more scrappy and use a little bit of everything from the collection or you can simply choose your favorite prints and go from there.

You can choose to try to mimic the digital quilt on the pattern or you can simply choose your favorite colors and prints from this collection and work around those. Remember that our “digital” quilt and our “styled” quilt are not identical for each block. We used the same collection, the same fabrics but had freedom in where each specific fabric went. Sometimes the blocks will be identical and sometimes we changed it up a bit in the actual version of the quilt you see photos of. I am a big believer in using what makes you happy and not feeling the pressure to do exactly what has been shown somewhere… choose the placement that makes YOU happy!

IF USING ANOTHER COLLECTION: Be sure you have enough prints for variety and that if you have 1 strong color that you have at least one more to balance it out. Prints should vary in color or in scale/style. This sampler would be beautiful in all reds and creams for example but you would then want to make sure that you have plenty of different tones and scales of red prints so that your eye has other interesting things to look at.

IF USING FIG TREE SCRAPS: Since we have already created this quilt once with the official Figs & Shirtings collection [and we LOVE this quilt so much], I decided that this time around with the SEW ALONG, I would sew out of my Fig Tree scrap bin! These are always my favorite projects because I get to be completely creative and I have no constraints! What I do, is I basically view each block as its own little quilt and I pick scraps for each block as if I was picking for a full project. It is my favorite way to sew a scrappy sampler. This will be my scrap basket palette here in the pic above.

BLOCK #1 INFO & VIDEO

This block is a nice and basic one so there are not a lot of tips or hints that I feel I need to share with you here. Click on the video HERE on our YouTube channel to see our presentation.

Follow us on Instagram HERE: For some special INSTAGRAM ONLY SEW ALONG GIVEAWAYS throughout the project for the upcoming weeks.

Come join us in our Facebook Group: Fig Tree Quilts Friends HERE to see us work on this sampler together, be encouraged and inspired, ask questions and have a chance to win some goodies while you are at it.

See you guys next Friday with Block #2!