October Block Instructions

I'm super excited about October's blocks because we'll be using one of my favorite new fabric collections, LillyBelle by Bari J for Art Gallery fabrics! So here's the deal:Each of you will be receiving a little bundle containing a fat eighth of two different LillyBelle prints, plus a fat quarter of a DS Quilts by Denyse Schmidt print. I'm reaching outside of my comfort zone here - this is the first time I've not chosen a solid as my background fabric!

 

I loved how Anna allowed us each to choose a fabric from our stash to add a little bit of ourselves to her quilt.  I also LOVE the look of sampler quilts, so I'm asking you each to make a 12" traditional block of your choosing.  It would be extra fabulous if you picked a block that represented you in some way (you'll see what I mean in a bit).  Quilters Cache has an amazing array of 12" patterns if you need some inspiration. 

 

The first block I chose was a Churn Dash, which I selected because it's also called a Monkey Wrench.  I fancy myself to be a bit of a mechanic, and my friends have been known to call me a Grease Monkey (a somewhat derogatory term for a mechanic around here, but I wear the badge with pride):

Since my first block only used one color, and I had two LillyBelle prints to work with, I decided to make a second block (I figured some of you would choose three-color blocks so I included two prints.  You don't have to make two blocks, but you're totally welcome to if you want to).

I chose a Maple Leaf block because my very first quilt was a Maple Leaf quilt:

I have to admit I was really nervous about using a patterned background fabric, but I really love the way it works with the LillyBelle!