Simple Sampler Block of the Month by Vicki Bellino

When we received the Simpler Sampler quilt to photograph, we swooned over it. The quilt panel has the look (without the work) of English paper pieced look, and all the colors and blocks are beautifully blended. We've invited Vicki Bellino on the Jolly Jabber to talk about her NEW BOM!

Hello everyone! It's Vicki Bellino here with my newest block-of-the-month, Simpler Sampler. This BOM is truly an example of a vision and inspiration coming together through a collaborative effort between myself, Faye Burgos and Judie Rothermel. When asked by Marcus Fabrics to design a new Aunt Grace block of the month, my first thought was that I wanted it to be different, with a simplistic approach, making it appealing to quilters of all skill levels. 

While I have a love of English paper piecing, I also realize this technique might not appeal to everyone. So, with English paper piecing as my inspiration, I worked closely with Faye Burgos of Marcus Fabrics to create a pre-printed panel of some of my favorite EPP blocks. With Judie Rothermel’s sweet 1930’s prints and Faye’s ability to create the perfect panel of blocks, the Simpler Sampler fabric collection was born.

While the monthly blocks can be classified as simple and the quilt can easily be completed in six months, the layout of this design gives the appearance of a much more complex quilt. By quilting the motif panel blocks “in the ditch”, it is very hard to tell that these blocks were pre-printed onto the fabric and not English paper pieced!

This club starts January 2015 and tuns through June 2015. Sign up today at Fat Quarter Shop for a lovely, unforgettable quilt!