quilt sampler 2

Just after the holidays, I started the Quilt Sampler 2 class at the workroom.  Let me tell you: this one is so. much. harder. than I thought it would be.  But it's also so much fun, and I'm learning a lot.

This quilt sampler has a bit of everything.  Stars! Flowers! Applique! Y-seam! Fussy cutting! Flying geese! We're 6 weeks in, and I don't want the class to end.  Johanna is a great teacher, and I'd be happy to be able to absorb just a fraction of her quilting knowledge.

In quilt sampler 2, we're learning new techniques through the making of traditional blocks like baskets, maple stars, and the Carolina lily.  I'm really loving how everyone's blocks are turning out: it's incredible to see the way fabric choices can make a block modern, retro, whimsical, or quirky.  It's true that quilting is really a form of self expression, and I can see everyone's personality coming through in their creations.

I found it tough to choose a colour palette for this quilt, and some time after my sawtooth star blocks, I nearly started over.  Only my hectic work schedule and the thought of falling too far behind in  my class kept me from changing direction mid-quilt, and now I'm so glad I stuck with it.

Right now, I'm working on my railroad crossing block.  It's not quite as difficult as the Carolina lily, but it's not been without it's challenges.  But, the main pieces are together, and I'm just trying to decide on the last couple of fabrics for the final block.