My Learners Quilt has 15 blocks planned for it. So far I've done 4 bowties blocks, one for each corner. A cobble stone block for the center with all the types of materials in it. A 4 Diamond block for pping and a Birds in Flight block again for the pping. Then I have a machine appliqued heart block and a 3 butterfly hand appliqued butterfly block. Now I'm stumped as to what to do for the rest of the blocks.

Is it possible to do a stained glass block or would a 9 inch block be to small for that technique?

I've decided against a reverse applique at this time. Those are just scary.

I'd really appreciate any advice.

Stained glass block of 9" would be okay! Just pick a simple design rather than one with a lot of details. It would work well.

Reverse applique might work well, too, if you pick a simple design. Perhaps a flower. If you use machine applique, and (water soluble) glue the pieces in prior to sewing them, you can accomplish this with less headache. (When the piece is washed after quilting, the glue dissolves.)

Here is a site, to look a various blocks that might work with your quilt -
http://www.quilterscache.com/QuiltBlocksGalore.html

If my count is right, you have 11 done and only need four more, right?

A Learners quilt aka Sampler quilt can be anything you want to do!

Good luck! Can't wait to see your finished quilt, or even if you want to show what you have so far would be great too.

I am currently working on my ninth block. That's the one with the hand applique. No suprise it's taking awhile.

I'm excited by the thought of doing a stained glass. I have a picture of a simple owl. Would that work?

Sure it can work :D:D:D
Draw it out to the size you want on paper.
If it can be drawn, it can be sewn :wink:
I love the dragon flys in your avatar :D:D:D

Thankyou I saw the picture somewhere and just loved it so I down loaded it. Now of course I can't remember where I saw it.

The owl came out great. But I'll know not to work with tiny pieces for further applique. It was so hard zig zagging around those tiny feet.

Here is a pic.
[IMG]http://i45.tinypic.com/f1csn6.jpg[/IMG]
Sorry it's so out of focus. I'm not a photographer for sure.

Now I'm on my last block and I want a charm block but I've got a problem. I have used 11 fabrics in the quilt plus the black that I want for the sashing and boarder. Do I use the black in the block so that I have 12 fabrics for the 9 inch block? And if so what pattern will work. I've got fabric spread out all over the dinningroom and can't figure out a thing.

Some samplers incorporate all or just some of the same fabrics in all of the blocks. Lay out your blocks and then look at your last pattern, then decided how many of them you will need. It really is up to you and what looks good to your eye :D:D:D

I love your owl block!!! :D:D:D

So far I have to say it is my favorite. So are you saying that the charm block can be any pattern?

I finished all the blocks and started cutting the sashing. I'm short the outer boarders. So I'm off to JoAnn's to get 2 yards of black material. I really didn't want to spend any more money on this quilt but I'm not stopping now.

Nice to see your progress! Do we get to see it when you have the blocks together??

I think that would work.

I went to take a picture of the first completed column. And my camera broke. It's going to be awhile before I can get another one so there may not be any pictures until the fall. Maybe christmas.

But I'll try to remember and post it when I can. Maybe I can get a friend to take a picture when it is finished.

Here are some very foggy pictures that I took before the camera broke.

[IMG]http://i49.tinypic.com/ml5q4w.jpg[/IMG] This was my last block. It's a very simple charm block done with 3 1/2 inch squares to make a 9 inch finished block.

[IMG]http://i48.tinypic.com/2pzbnfa.jpg[/IMG]This is a modified drunkards path that got scorch marks from my old ratty ironing board cover. That's one way to learn that it needs to be replaced I guess. I didn't know it would transfer if I used water on the material to steam out a fold I had put in it to line up the center pin. I do now.

[IMG]http://i49.tinypic.com/10mn91y.jpg[/IMG]Here is one of my big booboo's. I wanted to try a lattice pattern. This I'm going to have to practice a great deal with my mommies help before I try again.

Here are somemore of my blurry blocks.

[IMG]http://i49.tinypic.com/30ude7c.jpg[/IMG]This is my biscuit block. I hope to make a quilt for my bed from this technique for cold winter nights. It just looks so old fashioned and cuddly. But connecting those little stuffed pockets....easier by hand I think. A nice project for in front of the tv for me.

[IMG]http://i50.tinypic.com/zwf2f4.jpg[/IMG]Here is my attempt at fusible applique with hand embrtoidery embellishment. Talk about not centered on the block lol.

[IMG]http://i46.tinypic.com/2w5qg5f.jpg[/IMG]And this is my machine zigzag applique. I found out that it's much easier to make it look full and perfect if I go around it twice with the satin stitch. Of course I found that out after I did this one lol.

And there are still more out of focus pictures to share.

[IMG]http://i50.tinypic.com/2150faf.jpg[/IMG]Here is a very nice simple cobblestone. I loved putting this together it was so simple.

[IMG]http://i49.tinypic.com/2zego6g.jpg[/IMG]This was my second pp. It has 19 pieces in a 9 inch block. I was having a terrible time with this until I was told to pin it from the base to the top rather than the other way around. The way I was doing it I didn't have the seam allowance covered when I sewed it down and pressed it. Once I started from the other end it was fine and I had plenty of material for the seam allowance.

[IMG]http://i50.tinypic.com/2ql69kz.jpg[/IMG]This is my first pp'ed block. I was thrilled at how the pieces matched up. It does use up a lot of paper though. And extra time. But the back is so smooth compared to the others that for a really complicated block I think this is the way I would want to go.

[IMG]http://i47.tinypic.com/1yyvt.jpg[/IMG]And here is my design wall right before I broke the camera.

Even out of focus it looks great!

You are doing a great job!

Thank you so much for your comments. I'm finding that the sashing is making a big difference. I have three columns put together so far.

It might be nice to use a thin border before adding the larger outside border, this always sets the blocks into the quilt and frames it at the same time. It can be just a folded strip that you sew into the seam of the outter border. (you might stand back and take the pictures from a distance that you camera can focus on) Great job so far.

Oh I wish I had done that. I can picture it and it would have added to the "pop" factor by a bunch. That's exactly the kind of help I need. That would have made it really stand out. Maybe I'll do some seam ripping and put that in. What color/pattern/texture would you choose? My boarders are 4 inch finished black and they are pieced.

I actually figured out what was wrong with my pictures right after I broke my camera. When I enlarge them in my photo program it causes them to go all blurry. When they are small they actually look pretty ok. doesn't that figure. Kind of like locking the barn door after the horse is gone.

Stand back from you quilt and squint, the main colors should stand out, try to pick one that is on the bright side and would work with most of the squares. Be sure to get your color wheel going too.

Well I looked at the amount I would have to rip out and decided against it this time. But I'm definitely going to make an inner boarder on all of my future sashed works. It's a great way to do them.

So I sewed up the last remaining pieces and I know have a quilt top. Hoozah!

I can't wait til you get a new camera and we can see the quilt top :D:D:D

Well it will probably be awhile before I can get a new camera. But in the mean while I thought I would continue to update this post.

This morning I finished Machine sewing the layers together and got it turned right side out and the forth side pinned so I can blind stitch it. Now it's laying on the couch back where it will remain until I make my quilt frame. The parts for that are comming in tomorrow.

Well here is the most recent fuzzy picture. lol

[IMG]http://i40.tinypic.com/21ewxz6.jpg[/IMG]

Here is a slightly better picture. I've just got to win the lotto so I can hire a photographer lol.

[IMG]http://i40.tinypic.com/juwk0y.jpg[/IMG]

Looking good so far

Well today I finished pinning it. And I drew the quilting lines on the owl block. I'm going to be buying a bunch of stencils next month. But that's ok. I'll have them for many other projects.