We are incredibly thrilled to be part of the kick-off to a whole new Splendid Sampler™ sew-along, hosted by Pat Sloan and Jane Davidson of Want it, Need it, Quilt. If you are visiting Auribuzz for the first time, welcome!! We’re glad that you found us and are truly looking forward to seeing all of the gorgeous blocks that you’ll all be creating over the next year!
We post all sorts of thread-related news here, including designer spotlights, collection announcements, thread info, how-tos, quick tutorials, giveaways (don’t miss today’s giveaway, right here in this post!), and more! We hope that you’ll stick around and have some fun:).
The Splendid Sampler 2™ follows on the heels of The Splendid Sampler™, a wildly popular sew-along that launched in 2016, pulled together over 80 talented designers, and engaged nearly 100,000 quilters worldwide. This new book will again offer 100 quilt blocks authored by a remarkable community of quilters. The sew-along kicks off today and a series of 20 free blocks will follow, one released every Thursday throughout the Summer!
One of our favorite things about the Splendid Sampler is that each block comes with a story — in this case, ‘Best Quilting Life’. For each introductory blog post, you’ll learn about what inspired the block and what it means to the designer who created it.
Today’s block is by our very own Alex Veronelli and we couldn’t be more excited! Alex and business partner Elena Gregotti disovered the quilting market back in 2000. As manufacturers of a fine, high-quality 100% Cotton thread, they quickly discovered that it was a perfect fit. They launched Aurifil USA in 2007 with a primary focus on sewing & quilting and took the industry by storm. Aurifil has been a mainstay of the twice yearly (Spring & Fall) industry trade show called International Quilt Market ever since, so it’s incredibly fitting that Alex’s block is titled Quilt Market.
Alex is always known as a vibrant presence, strolling (or scooting) up and down the aisles, checking in with old friends and making new connections. He feels incredibly honored to be included in this sew-along and hopes that you love his block!
“The center of the quilting industry is International Quilt Market. Twice a year, designers, manufacturers, and quilt-shop owners share the beauty of fabric, the variety of stunning quilts, the newest innovations, and most importantly, the building of lasting relationships. When attending Quilt Market, I’m surrounded by friends in an inviting environment. I feel like I’m home.” — Alex
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HEAD HERE FOR THE FREE PATTERN
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Though Alex hasn’t yet embarked on his own quilting adventure, three of us here at Aurifil had to give his block a try. Hilary and Kate are both more experienced quilters, while Erin would consider herself to be a novice. The fun thing is that the block works for all levels! We can’t wait to see how you all pull together your quilt market ‘aisles’.
KATE
Fabric: Caturday by Felice Regina for Windham Fabrics
Thread: Aurifil 50wt, #2600 (Always!)
This is a great block to ‘go scrappy’. Part of my New Year’s resolution was to use more of my scraps! I used all trimmings from other blocks and was able to make a cute pin cushion with the bits I had leftover from squaring up this block.
HILARY
Fabric: Kona™ White (Robert Kaufman) + Rainbow FQs from my stash!
Thread: Aurifil 50wt, #2600
One of my goals for 2018 is to use fabrics from my stash, so I figured the best way to use as many as possible was to use a little bit of every color for this sew along. 😉
ERIN
Fabric: Indah Batiks (Me and You/Hoffman Fabrics)
Thread: Aurifil 50wt, #6722
I had so much fun with this one and what a treat to make something on behalf of Alex:). Confession time — I’ve never made a full quilt. This year, I’ve thrown myself into a few QALs and am determined to finish at least one! I thought it might be fun to offer a few tips from a beginner’s perspective:
- Don’t be afraid to build a tribe of trusted and more experienced quilters! As a new quilter, you’ll likely have LOTS of questions (I have at least a few for every block I do) and it helps to have a few friends who are willing to help you out. In my case, I have Hilary and Kate and I’m so grateful!
- Read through the pattern, understand how the block goes together, and work in shortcuts where you can. As a mom to two toddlers with a full-time job to boot, I’ve got limited time. For this block, rather than making and then trimming each section, I made all strips at once by strip piecing. I was able to sew it up in a flash!
- Batiks are AMAZING for beginners — since both sides are equally as beautiful, you don’t have worry about right side/wrong side, eliminating one ‘oops’ that could make you turn to the seam ripper.
- Embrace the imperfect!!
GIVEAWAY!!
Making your own? You might need some thread to get you started! Leave us a comment here with your favorite quilting story and we’ll select a random commenter to win an Aurifil Prize Pack (Large collection + Color Card) on Friday, June 22! Open to all of our friends, worldwide!
