Summer Sampler Series Anthology

Taking traditional quilt blocks and making them fresh and modern is all the rage these days. So if you've been wanting to make a traditional-to-modern sampler quilt, or if you're just looking for a source for killer block designs, the Summer Sampler Series Anthology is now available!

For those of you who are newer to my blog, I co-hosted the Summer Sampler Series quilt-along in the summer of 2011 with Faith of Fresh Lemons Quilts and Katie of Swim Bike Quilt. At the time, modern quilters were just starting to take notice of traditional blocks as a great source of design inspiration. (The Farmer's Wife Sampler was huge around that time.) So in the Summer Sampler Series, we showed people how to make 12 traditional quilt blocks in modern, bright fabric. And here we are, a year and a half later, with a whole category of the Quilt Con show dedicated to "modern traditionalism," so I don't think this niche is going away any time soon!

Now, Faith, Katie, and I have gathered up all of our Summer Sampler Series tutorials, paper-piecing templates, inspiration, and more into one convenient package: The Summer Sampler Series Anthology. This 86-page(!) PDF includes step-by-step tutorials for making all 12 blocks, the paper-piecing templates, and some exclusive PDF-only content, such as a mini-lesson in value and color placement.

I can tell you from personal experience that the Summer Sampler Series is a fantastic skill-builder for beginning and experienced quilters alike. Among the skills you will learn (or practice) when you make the blocks in the Series are: Half-square triangles, flying geese, bias piecing, paper-piecing, piecing equilateral triangles and diamonds, hourglass units, and string piecing. You'll come out of this one skilled quilter, I promise!

You can purchase the Summer Sampler Series Anthology from any of the following sources:
• My pattern shop
• Faith's pattern shop
• Katie's pattern shop

Teachers, shop owners, and guilds: 
Would you like to teach the Summer Sampler Series as a class, or run it as a block-of-the-month series? Purchasing copies of the Summer Sampler Series Anthology for all of your participants gives you full permission to teach the series publicly, and we offer discount pricing on the purchase of four or more copies. Email Faith, Katie, or myself for more information.

And of course, all the block tutorials will remain available online for free—this PDF is for those who would like the convenience of having it all together and more easily accessible. Happy piecing!