1st Splendid Challenge

Since I came back from my short trip, extended a day due to snow in the Midwest, I've been struggling to get caught back up with my Splendid Sampler blocks, othe  rwise known as my current 'look!!!  there's a squirrel'!! New ones come out each Sunday and Thursday, and that rolls around pretty quick when you're not able to do them.

I started with the Modern Country fabric collection, added some black and grey, some other low volume backgrounds.  Threw in a little Fibs and Fables.  And we'll see where we go from there.  I do like to work scrappy, and figure the sashing chosen will pull it all together.  And also figure I'm not going to worry about it a lot right now.

My favorite so far are these:

"Happy Happy' by Jen Kingwell

'Lots of Love' by Melissa Corry

'Snug as a Bug' by Amy Sinibaldi

Loving Jen Kingwell's work came as no surprise---I always do!  But doing the hand embroidery was oddly fun, after somewhat dreading it when I first saw it.  Some people added fabric for the quilt and appliqued it down, but I decided to stick with Amy's theme and make mine all with embroidery, imperfect as it is.  Embroidery not being my strong suit.

Splendid also issued it's first challenge----post a picture of all seven, your first group, all done, and do it by Sunday, March 13.  There will be a drawing, and PRIZES, including patterns, thread and a jelly roll.  I didn't even need that challenge, I'm competitive enough just to want to keep up!  Some post their blocks with HOURS of the block coming out, gee whiz!  Hard to compete with that.  Just want to keep up in reasonable time, get one done before the next comes out.

But here are my first seven, completed in a timely manner, and posted together.  All done in the spirit of the designer's pattern.

Tomorrow night my guild is hosting PAT SLOAN, so I will assist our program team by setting up a SPLENDID SAMPLER board.  So if you are in the area, visitors can come here Pat's lecture and see her trunk show for a guest fee of $10, and please bring your Splendid blocks with you, and we'll put them up on the flannel!!  We invite you to join us, Great Lakes Heritage Quilters, meeting somewhere different tomorrow, First United Methodist Church of Troy, 6363 Livernois, Troy, Michigan, 7pm.  If you'd like to share any other work, especially Pat Sloan patterns, feel free to bring that too!  Hope to see you!