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Indian Summer gives way to the inevitable October rain...







For the last few days we have finally had summer - it's been beautiful weather. Today it is raining. Inevitable really. This last week has been all about sampler quilts! Yesterday I posted about my Farmer's Wife Blocks here. Today I'm going to share the other blocks I've been working on.





I've spent most of the evenings this week hand quilting the blocks from my Nikki Tinkler sampler quilt: you can't see the quilting very clearly, but here are Goose in the Pond, Triple Star and Quilter's Dream. My stitches aren't the smallest in the world, but it's getting better and importantly they are all (mostly) even.






I did my monthly Mystery block (from the Fat Quarters) this afternoon. Unusually I have done it in advance of next week's deadline, rather than the Friday evening before I take it to the shop on the Saturday.





And then for my new project (yes, another one). It's a Jelly Roll sampler quilt from the book of the same name. This is the first time I have done anything with a jelly roll except sitting a stroking it (and getting covered in fluff from it). Ceremony was required when undoing the ribbon and unrolling it. I'm using the Countdown to Christmas Jelly Roll from Moda and the quilt will be twelve 12inch blocks arranged with sashing. We're doing it as a group at the Fat Quarters: Yesterday was the first class and I made #12 Streak of Lightning and #11 Arrowhead. Homework is to complete #10 Maple Star and #8 Garden Trail. The blocks are so straightfroward after the Essential Sampler Quilt template hell and they go so quickly, that I completed block #10 today. I wanted to go straight on with block #8, but I am stopping myself - I'll do it on my next empty weekend - I'm really looking forward to it already. So here are the blocks.







Those are my four sampler quilts. In other news, the bulb on my sewing machine has blown. I dug out the instruction manual, loaded up the internet, found a cross-head screwdriver and still failed miserably to remove the old bulb (the manual says turn left, but the bulb won't turn left)or find a new bulb that will fit (may be an easier thing to do if I can see what kind of connection the old bulb is). I am now working with strategically placed desk lights. Hopefully I'll be getting a new machine in a few months time. Until then, desk lights seem to be the best solution...

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