Work in Progress crazy quilting, samplers and chatter!

Hi all grab a cuppa, as you can see I have done a little more crazy quilting work. Not much stitching because work is busy and frankly from now until the end of the year it just gets busier. I am also polishing my latest online workshop, so for the moment stitching time is limited

The other week I lay out a few of these completed blocks to see how they would sit together and this is what they looked like. Progressing and they look better once they sit together. As usual if you click on the photo it takes you to a larger version.

On another note who has been following the progress of Annie’s sampler over on Annies Crazy World. She was inspired to start it after I pieced mine together. Just to remind you what it looked like – here is the image again.

For years I have made and kept samplers as a personal reference and teaching aid. I just love them. I always make them 15 cm (6 inches) wide and long like a band sampler.

Pieces are worked on a number of different fabrics. Linen, aida and cotton are all represented on a number of different counts from 25 count linen to 38 count. I plan to just keep adding to the roll so this sampler will be forever a work in progress. Currently the sampler measures the sampler 33 ft 2 inches or 11.05 yards in metric that is 1010.92 centimeters or 10.109 meters but I have two more sections to add that I have worked since the start of the year.

The reasons for stitching these samplers together in one long roll is that it is easier to travel with them like this. A pile of teaching samples stored like this are lighter and more compact – think about how heavy they would be if this amount of teaching samples were housed in plastic slip files in folders. The main reason I did it however is that I like to hand out samples to students in workshops and lectures so that they can see and feel what a stitch is like. People learn by touching, but unfortunately in the past a couple of samplers were handed out but never came back. I figure if they are all stitched together no one can stuff it in their hand bag. So it is a security measure! It also means odd samples can not get lost.

Often along the way I have added a little bit of text stating the date or what has been happening. Like this

Now Annie’s of Annies Crazy World has taken this idea and really run with it. She has been documenting bits of her life on her sampler. The other thing I really like is that Annie’s sampler is 4 inches wide. It is just so appealing when you have it in your hand! Annie and I get together every week to stitch and I can’t stress how delightful her sampler is. I have fallen in love with the width. So much so I thought to start to another thinner sampler but decided against it because I felt that part of the appeal for me is that my sampler consistently tells the history of my stitching so I am still working on a a 6 inch width but attracted to the format that Annie is using.

Anyway thats a very round about way of saying a sampler (and the crochet rug I spoke about last week) are the other things I am working on.

On another note: Do check out the comments on yesterdays post as many new bloggers are leaving their details and its a great way to find new faces. Swing over, check them out, leave a comment and welcome them to the online community of fiber blogs. It is great to have the opportunity to share what we do but becomes very empty feeling if no one comments. So as I say check them out and let them know you have dropped by.