Vintage Sampler Quilt Top Finished

After nearly 2 years I finally finished my vintage sampler top.  All 42 blocks are complete, edge-stitched and sewn together in the order I released the blocks for my 2012-13 Block of the Month.

I don't know why it took me so long to get this done. (Hmm working full time, designing full time, traveling, lecturing, 3 weeks sick with acute bronchitis, grading papers, a new grand baby,  hmmm????) I do know it took forever to blanket stitch all the blocks.  But then I only get to work on it when I go to retreat, so thank God I got to go to several this year so I could get this done.

I dropped it off this morning at Brenda's Quilting, in Ottawa, so she can mull over it for a while as she figures out how to quilt it.  I know better than to tell her what to do.  I just tell her to "have fun" and "do your magic!"  I have never been disappointed with what she comes up with, and her work is fabulous.  I can't wait to see what she does with this.

The only thing left on this is some embellishments I want to add after it is quilting.  There are a number of little things I want to hand embroider on some of the blocks, like french knots and tendrils.  I may add a few leaf veins, and I want to embroider my name and the date completed on the quilt to resemble the signatures which populated the old quilt this was fashioned after.

This is the picture I worked from to re-create this great 1930's signature sampler.  I have to tell you, I loved every minute of it.  I can't wait till I can start the next applique sampler I found.  It will be a Block of the Month on my blog sometime in the next year or two.

Special thanks to all of you who made these blocks and sent me pictures.  If any of you have completed tops or quilts made from these blocks I would love to see it.  I plan to put some of them in the book I will be publishing about this quilt.

Thanks!