Sew Sampler Box February 2021

The February 2021 Sew Sampler Box from Fat Quarter Shop found its way to my mailbox this morning! It arrived a day before I was expecting to receive it, so it was a pleasant surprise.

This month's box is themed "Make a Splash," and it certainly does. The contents this month are colorful, fun, and happy. It's definitely nice to see so much color, especially as I'm looking out the window at far more snow than I'd like to be seeing. And it has reached the partially melted, gross, and dirty phase.

I wasn't super surprised with part of the box. The preview from Fat Quarter Shop gave it away a bit, but I'm glad because I was thinking about purchasing anyway. Let's get on with what's in the box!

This month's fabric is the My Favorite Color is Moda Quilt Kit. It is a collection of 12 fat eighths, and the My Favorite Color is Moda Quilt Panel.

So much fabric, you say? I am so excited that this month's pattern only requires about a yard and a half of additional fabric for borders and binding, and there's a pretty good chance many of us already have it in our stash since it's a basic. The pattern is the Color Factory Quilt Pattern. It highlights the My Favorite Color is Moda Panel and finishes at 48 1/2" x 54 1/2". It would look great hanging on the wall in my sewing area.

Clover Water Soluble Pencil Set - 3 colors of a classic water-soluble pencil, perfect for marking your fabric.

Teal Magnetic Spool Pin Holder - Not only is this cute, but it is also useful. This cute pin holder has a magnet, so if you knock it over, as I recently did with my pin container, you don't end up with pins all over the place. It'll definitely save me from another pause in sewing to crawl around on the floor picking up pins.

Spool of 50wt Aurafil - My preferred thread! I received color 2110, which is called light lemon.

I'm so excited about this box. It just makes me smile looking at it!

Sew Sampler Box December 2020

2020 was a challenging year, and 2021 hasn't started much better, but getting the December 2020 Sew Sampler Box from Fat Quarter Shop feels like a bonus treat. I know that some people aren't thrilled with the idea of receiving two boxes in one month, though I understand that January will also be late. If the last almost year has taught us anything, we need to roll with the punches.

I was fortunate to receive all of the items I ordered online for Christmas before Christmas. Things I've ordered recently haven't been so speedy, but we're also dealing with a global pandemic, among other things, so if things come a little slower, so be it. I can still remember the days before Amazon, or even the internet, when I'd pick items from a catalog, my mom would order them, and it would feel like they would never arrive. And we didn't get email tracking as soon as it shipped either. I currently have one package that is coming from Brooklyn. It has taken a detour to Boston for several days. I hope it's having a good time. I know it stinks to have to wait for the items we want, but I don't blame the company I've ordered from. It does neither of us any good for me to get upset or complain to them until a decent amount of time has passed.

Anyway, after all of that, I received my Sew Sampler Box a day before I was expecting it. So, that was a nice treat today. Want to know what came inside the December 2020 box? Let's get into it.

The box is Lori Holt-themed with fabric, pattern, and an additional item designed by Lori. Her aesthetic is not always my aesthetic, and that's okay. I certainly appreciate her creative genius! And, this fabric line is definitely my favorite Lori Holt line yet.

The fabric included in this month's box is a Petite Flea Market 10" Stacker by Lori Holt for Riley Blake Designs. I do like this fabric a lot. I like the vibrant colors paired with the fabric design inspired by vintage linens, old wallpaper, and dinnerwear.

A new item included in the box is 6" Sparkle Star Quilt Block Foundation Paper by Lori Holt of Bee in my Bonnet from It's Sew Emma. It's Sew Emma has been knocking it out of the park with foundation papers lately, and this one looks fun. It's shown with the solid as the stars, but it might be fun to play with that and have a quilt with many tiny, colorful stars on a solid, neutral background.

Designed by Lori Holt, the exclusive pattern uses both the 10" Stacker and the 6" Sparkle Star Quilt Block Foundation Paper. It is called the Twinkle Toes Table Runner Pattern. It's a scrappy pattern that has a bright, fun look, and it would be great to use not only with Flea Market fabric but also stash!

Another new item that Sew Sampler subscribers received first is the Stay Sharp Navy Magnetic Needle Case. This feels like one of those things you didn't know you needed until you have it. I have A LOT of needles. Being a Sew Sampler subscriber, a quilter/sewer for many years, and a cross stitcher, I have many different needles hanging around, and sticking out of projects, spools of thread, and hanging in packages on my pegboard. I know what I'm going to use this one for. My favorite cross stitch needles are Pat's Favorite Needle, and they come in a tiny envelope. Every time I open the package to grab a new one, I'm afraid I'm going to re-enact the tire change scene from A Christmas Story, and needles will fly across the room. Since there is a magnet inside this case, I won't have to worry about the needles having a mind of their own.

The final product included in the box is a duo of small 50wt Aurafil spools. The colors are 2220 and 2134, and they coordinate well with Flea Market. I'm never going to turn my nose up at Aurafil thread. It is my preferred brand. My aunt introduced Aurafil to me when I was trying to finish my first quilt back in 2011, and the sewing machine I had then died. She is a fantastic quilter and has several machines and kindly allowed me to borrow hers. I can't remember the model, but it was a Janome. It helped me solidify my decision to go with Janome when I replaced the no-name machine I was working with.

Overall, this is a nice, bright box that is very welcome here in January in New England. We're not quite utterly devoid of color since the foot of snow we received in mid-December was washed away by rain at Christmas, but I'm already ready for spring!

Jolly Box 2020

I feel like I haven't been getting much done; lately, it's been a bit tough, but today is my birthday, and a birthday surprise arrived! The Fat Quarter Shop 2020 Jolly Box! I wasn't expecting it to come for a few more days, so it was a pleasant surprise. I'm sure you're wondering what was in it, so I'll stop babbling and get to sharing.

I didn't have any clues about what would be in the Jolly Box this year since fabric has been selling so quickly in the last seven or so months, and there's not much Christmas fabric left to be had. I was quite surprised when I opened it at Deer Christmas by Urban Chiks for Moda was staring back at me.

Here's what was in the box:

Fat Quarter Shop Exclusive Deer Christmas Multi Deer Quilt Panel - at 23" x 42" it's smaller than the original panel, but a great size for a wall hanging.

Deer Christmas Charm Pack - charm packs, need no description, do they? 5" squares of this adorable fabric collection ready to go!

North Pole Quilt Pattern - The finished size of this project is 27 1/2" x 36 1/2", so it's an excellent option for a wall hanging. It uses the panel and charm pack for a simple, quick project that can quickly be done in time to celebrate this year.

Oh Deer! Socks - One cannot have enough socks, especially up here in Massachusetts! These cute socks feature the deer from the Deer Christmas fabric line and polka dots. And, I, for one, cannot get enough polka dots.

Two Spools of Aurafil 50wt - Pretty self-explanatory, two small spools in two colors I often use, 2600 and 2024.

Frost Lynx Infinity Scarf Kit - I'm certainly intrigued by this. I've wanted to give Minky a go for a while, but I just haven't leaped. I guess I will now with this infinity scarf kit! I'm looking forward to having something soft and warm, especially as the daylight hours quickly get shorter; something soft and comforting is just what you need. There are some similar ones here.

Homegrown Holidays Pocket Notepad - From Moda, this cute notepad has a magnetic closure and smooth paper (I'm a paper-snob sometimes) with a linen-print and snow-covered trees.

This box is pretty different from the previous two Jolly Boxes, but I'm pleased with the variety in this one. We get to try a little of everything with this one.

Sew Sampler Box September 2020

Guess what came in the mail today? If you saw the title, you already know. It's the September 2020 Sew Sampler Box from Fat Quarter Shop!

This month's box was slightly different from the usual box since the project is a bag instead of a quilt. It's a lovely little tote that would be perfect for carrying around my cross stitch projects. Bags aren't usually my thing, and I've never had much luck sewing them, but I'm drawn to this one and might try it out.

Here's what's in the box:
Petite Balboa Fat Quarter Bundle - Six fat quarters of the new Balboa by Sherri & Chelsi for Moda. I've been checking out the fat quarter bundle of this line for at least a month now, so I'm excited to have this mini version. Even if I don't use it for the included project, I appreciate it when the included fabric is fat quarters. So many possibilities!

Sewing Life Tea Towel by Gingiber - This cute tea towel has teal sewing accessories printed on it. Who doesn't need tea towels?

7" x 7" Silicone Appli-Fuse Mat by The Gypsy Quilter - I haven't done much applique, but this is designed to protect your iron from messy fusible!

Sew Mate Quilt Clips - These help manage your quilt sandwich when quilting on a domestic machine. We've already covered my woes of the tiny throat space on my machine, so I'm excited to try these.

Pack and Go Project Bag Pattern - Designed by Sherri McConnell, this bag uses some ByAnnie supplies to create a cute zippered pouch.

I like that there were some different products from what's usually in there this month. And, it's always fun getting quilty mail!

Sew Sampler Box August 2020

My August 2020 Sew Sampler Box from Fat Quarter Shop arrived today, two whole days before I was expecting it. It's been a tough week, so the minute the USPS truck drove to the next house, I ran outside to the mailbox, ran back in, sliced through the tape, and dug around in the box!

I like to check out the hints and guesses from other recipients when FQS posts it on their blog. I didn't have any ideas for this month's Rise & Shine theme.

I certainly wasn't expecting to be so excited about what I found in the package! Check it out!

Backyard Blooms by Allison Harris for Windham Fabrics Charm Packs - TWO of them! Chickens aren't really my thing, but I love the colors in this line, so bright and happy, and we could all use a little of that lately.

Kimberly Cuts 5 1/2" Square Rotating Cutting Mat, a Fat Quarter Shop Exclusive. I have a rotating cutting mat that's a bit larger, and I love the smaller size of this one. It looks like this one will also be available in a 12 1/2" size!

Lori Holt 5" Crazy Paper! I'm super excited about this. I've wanted to give Lori's Crazy Paper a try since I saw the first version on an FQS Livestream, so I'm happy to be able to give it a go!

Dritz Quilting Betweens Needles - can't have enough needles, can you? :)

Crazy Daisy Quilt Pattern. The star units use the Crazy Paper! I love the way the fabric line pops in this pattern. I'm currently trying not to purchase ALL the fabric, so I probably won't be buying the materials I need to do this project. BUT, I am considering turning the pattern into a table runner. I think that would be a fun sew and a good compromise for my wallet.

Tiny Little HSTs

When the July 2020 Sew Sampler Box arrived last month, I opened it excitedly, like I always do. The past few boxes haven't been my thing pattern-wise, but that's okay. I'm signed up to expand my skills, receive interesting notions and fabric, and honest, open the mailbox to something fun. This box, though there was something about it that appealed to me. I don't know if it was the color combination, the overall appearance, or all of it, but I wanted to make it.

As I usually do, I added all of the products needed to finish the larger size to my cart on Fat Quarter Shop and walked away. I do this a lot. It saves me from over-impulse-buying and keeps me from purchasing too much that I don't need. I checked the next day, and many of the fabrics I needed were now out of stock. I got a little annoyed but then decided I liked it enough to make the smaller version, so I purchased the finishing kit.

Boy, am I glad I made that choice! Not because I'm sad I would've missed out. I would've survived if I had, but now that I've started the teeny, tiny little half-square triangles, I'm so glad that I only had to make just over 100 versus MANY more.

Even using the Triangles on a Roll for 1" finished HSTs, it has been quite the project. I was hoping that I could get it done in a week, but with work and all of the other projects I'm working on, that didn't happen.

I'm about 1/3 of the way done with the small 9-patch blocks, and even though they're small and a bit fiddly, I do get excited every time I finish sewing, press them, and square them.

Banana Leaves Quilt by Elizabeth Hartman

I have a major backlog of projects from the Fat Quarter Shop’s Sew Sampler boxes. In February I went through all of my projects, organized, and cataloged them. Shortly before that, I found out my co-worker was having a baby. I knew just the pattern I was going to make, Banana Leaves by Elizabeth Hartman. This pattern uses Essex Linen and Adventure by Elizabeth Hartman and was featured in the October 2019 Sew Sampler box.

This wasn’t my first Elizabeth Hartman pattern. I love her patterns, even though many of them require many different cuts. I utilized my Alphabities and scrap paper with labels to help keep track of the different pieces.

You can see my Stripology XL ruler below my pieces. As an aside to this post, I just have to let you know how amazing this ruler is. Cutting has always been stressful for me. I want to make sure I’m getting perfect cuts, and they seem like they’re always just a hair off. That hasn’t happened since I’ve started using this ruler, and SO FAST!

Once I actually sat down and got to sewing, this pattern came together very quickly. I did a lot of it with chain piecing and grouped the leaves by letter. I finished one letter and moved onto the next. Some of my finished block sizes were off a smidge, mostly because sometimes my piecing isn’t as accurate as I would like. Either I move the fabric slightly, or my presser foot pushes the top fabric so it’s off just a touch. I’ve looked everywhere and it doesn’t look like my machine has an option to adjust the presser foot pressure.

I had big plans for quilting this one, and then I had a feeling co-worker’s baby was going to make his appearance sooner than expected, so I wanted to get it done. I went with simple zig zags with my walking foot. I love the way that the Essex Linen washes. I’ve used it before in other Elizabeth Hartman patterns and it becomes so incredibly soft. Someday I’ll make a quilt for myself with it and keep it. If I had been planning better, I might’ve put some thought into making sure that my lemurs were always right side up, but I’m okay with half of them being upside down.

This was the first time I’ve done a pieced backing and I really love the way it looks. I used the scraps from the leaves and randomly added them to either side of the label I printed. It was very freeform as I was creating it. Thanks to the pieced backing and the fact that I was a little skimpy with the extra fabric around the edge before quilting, I have quite a bit of the backing fabric left, but thankfully my scraps are minimal. I always feel guilty leaving scraps. I know I won’t go back to them and then they just end up cluttering my space.

Overall, I’m super pleased with the finished product. I hope the new baby is also pleased!

2019 Jolly Box from Fat Quarter Shop

Every year the Fat Quarter Shop does a few special holiday boxes. The Christmas-themed box is called the Jolly Box. As someone who loves both FQS and Christmas, I’ve been stalking my email inbox and Kimberly’s Stitch Squad on Facebook for the first notification of the Jolly Box. It popped up last week and I placed my order immediately. The whisk on the box image made me even more excited to see what was going to be coming given my love of baking. Well, the package came today and I’m so excited!

I eagerly sliced open the tape so I could get inside and check out this year’s surprise and was thrilled with the collection of treasures that I found.

Here’s what was inside:
A bundle of seven fat quarters from Kimberbell’s We Whisk You a Merry Christmas line, which I think is just adorable. (I actually purchased a project bag for my cross stitch in this fabric a few weeks ago!)
A Wonky Star Ornament that doubles as an applique template
Happy Cloud Silky (80/20) Batting in a tablerunner size. This 19” x 55” package of batting is the perfect amount for the enclosed project.
A Double Tumbler Template. This nifty little template has options for both a chunky and skinny tumbler that can be 1” to 5”!
The Sugar Plum Stocking Pattern, which uses the enclosed templates and fabrics.

And finally, the super cute Peppermint Twist a Whisk. This spatula turns into a whisk with a quick twist. I haven’t seen anything like this before and is a fun addition.

I love this box even more than last year’s. With shipping, it was under $45 and is an over $65 value. I still haven’t made the project from last year’s box, but I think this one will be done soon!