Hi, all!

I've been to one of the chats here (great people, got lots of questions answered), but I think this is my first post.

I'm a new quilter, just finished a beginner class. In class we made a table runner of three nine patches, sashing, border and binding. It was a machine quilting class, but I don't have a machine (I used theirs) and want to start by hand quilting.

So I'm setting out to make a sampler quilt. The first blocks will be simple pieced blocks, then I plan to progress to more complex pieced blocks that include stars and curves, then applique blocks, a wholecloth block somewhere in the sequence, then a mix of pieced, applique and embroidery for the final block or two. I'm thinking 12" x 12" blocks, either 12 or 16 of them.

I realize this will take quite some time, but that's fine. The point is to learn and practice, and to have something to do.

Why quilting? Well, I've always loved needle arts. I came across Jennifer Chiaverini's Elm Creek Quilt books this spring and read them all, one after another. That's what inspired me.

Questions:
1. When you design or draw your blocks on paper, do you use graph paper? Do you draw it the actual size? Where do they sell 12" x 12" graph paper? Or do you just measure right on the template?
2. For those who have made a sampler quilt, did you use a specific color scheme? I kind of envision very different colors for my blocks, but I'm afraid it'll make the overall quilt look horrible.

Guess that's long enough for one post. : )

Welcome from Southern California. I have not taken the opportunity to design my own quilts yet (well, I start with a pattern and sometimes make it my own) I'm sure that there will be someone here that can answer your questions

*Waves from Iowa* :)

Hello from NC! I bought graph paper from Walmart (I don't think its 12"x12" tho) but now I use the Electric Quilt 6 to design and preview how the quilt will look. Haven't made a sampler quilt yet, just on the EQ6 :-)

Welcome from WA :D

Hi Lisanne

Welcome from upstate NY (near Vermont). Wow you have quite the ambitious project planned! Good for you. My first quilt was a sampler as well but I made it from a book that was geared specficially to teach beginning quilters so all blocks were already designed and templates in the book. the book even planned the placement of the blocks. Thankfully I took a beginner class to make 4 blocks and introduce me to rotary cutting techniques so I only used the templates on odd shaped blocks like friendship star and LeMoyne Star and curves and the few applique pieces in the sampler. For the rest of the traditional blocks I just measured the templates and cut away with my ruler and rotary cutter for all the other blocks. LOL, I still have that book and every single template is marked with sizes for strips then cutting the stips down to HST or whatever was needed.

I have never drafted out my own blocks except for a mariners compass and I did that full size because I used the drafting pattern to create the paper pieces for paper piecing. Other then that, I have only designed a quilt using blocks that I had a pattern for. There is a great website that has lots of free block patterns. Here is a link
http://www.quilterscache.com/QuiltBlocksGalore.html

Regarding color... that is a personal choice. I have made a baby quilt sampler that was scrappy, all different colors and my planned sampler used 4 or 5 different fabrics but had an overall feel of dark green and brick red. Both looked great. I think you will know after you have completed a couple of blocks and laid them out if you want to do the whole thing scrappy or choose a color theme. Can't wait to see pictures.

FF

Welcome from Ireland. I did my first sampler from a book too, by Lynn Edward, but there isn't a problem designing with graph paper. I would do them full sized, because then you could cut apart and use as templates, (Not forgetting to add seam allowances) Tape graph paper together if you can't buy it large enough, but buy tape you can draw over, not the shiny stuff. Hope that helps.

Hi and welcome from Ninnie in NC

I usually draw to scale. Have you looked at the printable graph papers online?