City Sampler Blocks 9, 10, 11, 12

Blocks 9, 10, 11, 12

We are still viewing blocks from Chapter One from the City Sampler book by Tula Pink.  The theme of crosses can be interpreted so many ways, and Tula Pink's blocks show a good variety.  Little crosses, big crosses, skinny crosses, fat crosses--there must be something for everyone!

Our sewist, Kristina, is going to give us a behind-the-scenes look at her own Room of Creativity!  She shows her tidy scrap storage, her not-so-tidy scrap storage, and a look at her beloved Bernina.  

This is where the magic happens!  Thanks for the pictures!  

I love to see other people's sewing rooms, 

I guess I am a sewing room peeper, but harmless.  

Kristina's blocks are composed of an awesome variety of fabrics, gleaned from her own projects and donations from others. 

 She even makes entire quilts, as well as smaller items, 

from her scrap stash.

  

Stay tuned for more City Sampler blocks soon.  

And now I'm thinking of asking other people to share pictures of their sewing rooms, too.

City Sampler 5, 6, 7, 8

Moving along with our block examples 

from Tula Pink's City Sampler--

Blocks 5, 6, 7, 8

I was very happy to see that I managed to get the little hedgehogs positioned right side up in block 5!  I am kinda fond of those little critters ever since my son had a pet hedgehog quite awhile ago.  His name was Nermal.  (The hedgehog, not my son!)  He was an odd little creature, but became friendly with the people he was familiar with.  I am just finishing up my own hedgehog quilt, soon to claim a spot on my bed once the binding is done.  

But enough about that!

These 4 blocks are part of the 1st chapter titled "Crosses", reflecting the style of design.  Many ways to display a similar look with a change here and there.

For a little more understanding of the process of this book, 

the author, Tula Pink, offers this explanation:

"You will notice...that the blocks are not named but simply numbered. This is intentional. I may have designed the blocks and given you the instructions on what to cut and where to stitch, but I have not infused the blocks with any meaning. This is your quilt. The fabrics that you choose, the colors that you use and why you are making it are what will give the quilt a purpose. Name your blocks, write in the margins, cross out the ones that you don't like, draw hearts around the ones that you love. In a perfect world, everyone's book would end up looking like a journal, coffee stains and all. The more adventurous ones might rename the book and write their own introduction. Tula Pink's City Sampler is a collaboration between you and me. I am the platform and you are the speaker, so stand on my shoulders and tell the future who you are and why you make."

Her comment about coffee stains is sooo appropriate and part of the story behind Kristina's block party.  A little more of the behind-the-scenes info!  Kristina acquired this book because of coffee stains!  A customer spilled a cup of coffee on our bookshelves (and promptly departed), leaving behind a mess of damaged books.  Unable to sell these to our customers, shop owner Debbie divvied them up amongst the people at work that day.  Kristina adopted this Tula Pink book, giving it a good home, coffee stains and all.  And now we all reap the benefits!

Stay tuned for more....

100 Modern Quilt Blocks 1-4

100 Modern Quilt Blocks and City Sampler

Wondering what goes on behind the scenes at the shop?

Wondering what some of us are working on in our own time?

Today we reveal some of the mystery!

The folks who attended the Bear Patch Circle of Quilters last Saturday are already clued in on this. (You can be part of the crowd, too, at the next meeting June 21.  Register at the shop.)

Our gal, Kristina, has been working away on the blocks from this book.  Along with hundreds of other people around the world, linked by the internet.  She has 38 blocks done so far, plus a couple she has doubled up on, so we are going to put up some pictures of a few at a time.  We hope to inspire you to look at these blocks and discover the ways that changing color placement can alter the design.  

Blocks 1-4

I have been viewing lots of interesting variations posted online.  One spot that I would like to suggest is a Flickr group called The City Sampler Quilt Along.   From that group, you can easily hop over to the group coordinator's blog posts about the entire process.  The first posting is all about fabric choices.

Regarding Kristina's fabric options, you should first know that I consider Kristina to be 

The Collector of Fabric Scraps Extraordinaire.

As we progress through the blocks, you will find that she has a knack for combining a variety of fabrics in ways that you might not have considered before.  These are not all fabrics from one fabric group, nor one designer, nor one manufacturer.  Kristina's fabrics know no boundaries!

Yes, you too can mix batiks with florals, and mini-prints, and polka-dots, and solids!

Give it a go!  Throw all caution to the wind!  Step outside your box!

And then take a step back and see what you have learned and what you have created.

You can purchase one of Tula Pink's books at the store, we are taking requests and ordering them as fast as we can.  The price is $27.99.  Worth every penny, and deserving of a spot on your coffee table!  It is just that nice.  Call 651-429-1039 to place your order.

And stay tuned here for more blocks, more links, more behind-the-scenes action!