A Block by Block

Our local quilt shop, Patches and Stitches, is celebrating their 40th Anniversary. One of their celebration activities is a Block by Block sew-along.  (Oh, yeah, and a 40% discount on a different item or category every week.  But we won't talk about that.)  The owner of the shop designed a quilt using forty different block designs.  Customers received block patterns two at a time as well as directions for the quilt layout.   The first forty customers to return to the shop with a completed quilt, having used all forty blocks in it, received a $40 gift certificate from Patches and Stitches.   (Spoiler Alert --- I got one!) 

This is the quilt made and displayed by Patches and Stitches, done mostly in pastels and finishing at 87" by 96". So. Not. Me.

I used scrappy batiks from my stash for all the blocks ..... 

..... and a really pretty taupe for the sashing.

My friend, Denise, and I had a weekly date to get our patterns and have lunch out.  We kept each other on track, we admired each other's blocks, and we had a lot of fun.  Twenty weeks went by fast, then it was time to take all those blocks I'd made and start to play.  My design wall came in handy!

Since all forty blocks had to be used I chose to make my quilt reversible.  And since I need a quilt to keep in my car "just in case" I decided to make it a car quilt.  

(Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that I also added some appliquéd circles.) This is the front .....
  

..... and this is the back.

Denise did her own thing, too by using gray prints and putting her blocks together without any sashing.   It's gorgeous!   This is the photo taken at Patches and Stitches for their Facebook page. 

Because mine is reversible they had to take more than one of me!

To commemorate our experience I had a special label custom made by, who else, Denise!

This was the first time I've participated in a Local Quilt Shop Block of the Month, or Row by Row, or Block by Block, and I'm so glad I did.  I really like my quilt. 

 Linking up with Confessions of a Fabric Addict

I Heart My Local Quilt Shops!

I am really grateful for the two quilt shops I have found here in Huntsville.  Since today is "Visit Your Local Quilt Shop Day" I thought I should visit each of them and show my appreciation by spending a few dollars.  And I did!

I stopped by Quilter's Combo in Madison and had a nice visit with Cat while I chose a few things for a project I am working on.

They always have such pretty class samples there.


And Sophia is there to brighten things up, too!

I bought a few greens, knowing full well that green is the best stocked color in my stash, a little bit of a rich Gee's Bend brown, and a piece of black and white for my Quilted Village quilt.  

Then I stopped by Patches and Stitches in Huntsville for a few minutes and a few purchases.

They have a beautiful display of fat quarters.

I don't think there is anything more appealing than the gorgeous colors in a fabric store!

I bought another piece of black and white, a neutral and one purple fat quarter. It's a start on building up that purple stash!

I hope you had the opportunity to get by your Local Quilt Shop and help boost the economy a little.  I would not want to run a business of my own, so I am especially thankful for the shop owners who are there when I "need" fabric or supplies!