The Splendid Sampler - Block1 - Hearts Aflutter by Pat Sloan

The Splendid Sampler is a Sew Along project of Pat Sloan and Jane Davidson that has just begun.

83 designers from all over the world have designed 100 6" finished blocks using different techniques: pieced, applique, embroidery, English Paper Piecing (EPP) and Paper piecing.
Every block has a free downloadable pattern.  

The blocks are released 2 a week, with 2 holiday breaks for Christmas Day and New Year’s day.

The first block was Valentines day Feb 14, 2016:  "Hearts Aflutter" by Pat Sloan.

I decided to try it too and here is mine:

 I had two shades of denim (used jeans actually) for background and I embellished the heart applique with machine embroidery .
For this embroidery I made up a design using one motif of an old Romanian traditional needlework. I digitized it in two variants. This one was my favorite from the beginning but I designed the second variant just to be sure that I really like it. I know, I know, I complicate my life by myself. I'm doing this all the time. I can't help it.

I am not a fan of the samplers but besides meeting quilters from all over the world, what attracted me in this Sew along Quilt Sampler is that you are free to make your blocks at your own pace.
I hope to have this mystery quilt completed at this time next year in a creative layout.

Have a beautiful day, my dears!

I carry your heart with me

These days I needed a little gift for a very special couple. As Valentine's Day was so close, I chose the newest pattern - Celebration - of my friend Geta Grama and I crafted these two coasters:

They belong now to one of those rare couples around which you want to stay as much as possible, because even after decades of living together, they still have a lot of love to give to one another and also others.

It seams like Eduard Estlin Cummings had them in mind when he wrote this poem:
 

I carry your heart with me

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in

my heart)i am never without it(anywhere

i go you go,my dear; and whatever is done

by only me is your doing,my darling)

i fear

no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want

no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)

and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant

and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows

(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud

and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows

higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)

and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart) 

Have a beautiful day, my dears!
Keep your loved people next to you!

Valentine's Day Idea - "You & Me" free quilt pattern

For those of you loving to make with your own hands gifts for friends and family, I come with an idea for Valentine's Day and not only.
Of course, it's a quilt. An applique quilt. A little one, easy and fast to make measuring only 16 1/2 " x 16 1/2 ".
The layout is simple and versatile. The message is warm and tender. At least this was my intention.

Here is how it looks:

I used denim in deep navy blue color for the heart design.

The good news is that I am about to finish writing the pattern.

 
The better news is that You & Me quilt pattern is my gift for Valentine's Day for all of you considering my occasionally newsletters about my creative work in the Quilting Land deserve to be read and visiting my blog does not mean wasting of time.

In a few hours all my subscribers will receive the newsletter with the link leading to the You & Me quilt pattern free download.
It is a .pdf pattern. You can read it and print it with Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer. If you don't have it, you can find it here for free.

The pattern has 10 pages full of step by step instructions, suggestions and tips, a lot of images and the printable templates for cutting the applique pieces.

You might use the "You & Me" design to make a pillow cover for worming up your or his/her soul in almost any kind of interior. Or why not, in all kind of colors or prints combinations, it could accompany you in almost any kind of exterior relaxing place. It might be also an inspired engagement or wedding gift.

If you would like to sew this quilt and you are not on my newsletter list yet, you have still little time to sign up using the widget on the right side bar.

I hope you will like the You & Me quilt pattern and sew it!

Have a beautiful day, my dears!

Edited to add:

The newsletter took off! Welcome, my new subscribers!
I hope you all got the pattern and everything is Ok!