There was a time when I said I’d never make a sampler quilt. A sampler quilt is one that has several squares but each one is different pattern. The idea behind a sampler quilt is to learn or showcase the different types of blocks you can make. Some of the typical blocks are log cabins, Sunbonnet Sue, Ohio square, and so on.

For some reason, I had decided that I didn’t like them. Until I made one in 2003. It’s now one of my favourite quilts and very well used and loved. This one was hand quilted. (I often say a quilt is one of my favourites. To be honest, so many of my quilts are my favourites!)

Sampler quilts are a great way to experiment with not only different types of piecing, but the quilting, which can show off unique aspects of each block.

A quilt request

A few months ago, Anna Marrett, a member of a guild I belong to, was working on two sampler quilts and she asked if I’d quilt them for her. Of course! I’ve seen some of Anna’s quilts and I know she does beautiful work. Interestingly, that adds to my stress though. I know my fellow quilters work hard on their special projects and the last thing I want to do is ruin them, or at the very least, give them back something they’re disappointed in. Imposter syndrome much?

I did the first quilt in January. Anna didn’t have any specific requests other than not go too crazy with the quilting. That’s a fair instruction though because some quilts do push me to do more and more intricate quilting. So, I think I struck a good balance. I didn’t want too simple because I wanted each block to shine on its own – each one needed an individual approach.

Deciding on the quilting in the sashing was a bit challenging, but I thought the ribbon candy design helped offset the straight lines of the blocks. Piano keys along the borders balance continued the straight lines though.

This is the completed quilt.

A couple of months later, Anna brought the second sampler quilt top. Some of the blocks were the same, but most weren’t. This one took a bit more thought because I didn’t want the repeated blocks to be too similar. I purposely didn’t look at photos of the first one because I was concerned they would influence me. Something interesting happened though. A couple of the blocks in both quilts were still quilted very similarly because they were the designs that the block called out for.

I reversed the quilting for the sashing and the borders. This time, the sashing was done with straight lines and the border with curves. In the first quilt, the small squares between the blocks were quilted with an X. This quilt saw those squares quilted with spirals. None of these design decisions were conscious ones. I didn’t set out for them to be opposite; isn’t it funny how that happened?

So here is her second quilt. It’s lovely!

Thank you Anna for asking me to quilt these for you. It was fun! And I’m glad that I came around all those years ago, learning to appreciate how beautiful a sampler quilt can be.