I am still really enjoying the Splendid Sampler, we are up to block 14.
I went back and redid block 3, the one on the left is the original, a little wonky, so with paper piecing and a few changes in color, I redid it. The pink was out of place, and the overall appearance is much neater.
Even a simple block like this demands taking time to get it right. After I shared my first post on this project, a friend joined in. It is fun to have a real life friend going through the journey at the same time. 
I eliminated the pink and am trying to stick with a green, orange, purple, blue color way. Every now and then, fussy cutting, like the little snail here.
Or the fox here! I’m noticing less people are posting on the Facebook page. So I am getting more likes and comments.
We were asked to stick to the patterns and not make changes. Some quilters are practically redesigning each block. I make small changes here and there, enough to personalize but not radically change. So happy that I had this tiny hoop among my embroidery tools.
This is a block I changed, the embroidery was based on a crochet doily and the designer included an embroidered crochet hook, sorry that was too over the top for me.
I made this block twice, I really have to force myself to slow down. 6.5″ blocks are very demanding. I am also getting to the point where I have to rely on my own techniques and not necessarily follow the designer exactly. I’m finding that often designers like to put too much into a small block, this is their chance to shine. Less is often better. This block would be lovely in a 9″, it’s a little overkill in a 6″.
No needle turn appliqué here! I fused the birds and free motion sewed them on, deliberately emphasizing the pointy wings. Once I cut this down to 6.5″ I realized that the lower bird will probably have the tip of his wing cut off when I piece the top. I actually like that, it will give more movement to the birds, have something cut off by the frame.
15 blocks, that is because there is a bonus, along the way they release more bonus blocks, which is good, since by the end, I may prefer a bonus to one of the original blocks – we’ll see.
These are in order, I doubt the final layout will be in this order, I am more interested in color and value. For now this works. I am pleased with overall color choices, you can see why the pink had to go.
Another bonus block.
Hope you are enjoying this year long journey along with me.
Leah