Fussy Cut Sampler Block

I was so excited when I saw that Nichole Ramirez and Elisabeth Woo had written a book called The Fussy Cut Sampler for Lucky Spool Media. Fussy cutting is something near and dear to my heart, and I've long hoped that someone would write a book about it. Nichole and Elisabeth have done a phenomenal job putting together a collection of unique blocks with detailed tips for cutting and placing fabric within each design. So much thought and care went into every page of this book, and I can't recommend it highly enough!

For today's tour post, I was assigned a block from chapter 11, which is all about creating a narrative in your blocks. Block 44 is called "you in a block," encouraging the maker to pull together prints that show different facets of her personality and life that reflect who she is.

For my feature print in the center, I used some of the last scraps of a Japanese fabric that I've been saving for over five years. So much of my time seems to be spent shopping or cooking, so it was fun to pair these two pieces together. I especially liked the balance of the two girls facing each other. I sprinkled both a large and small floral in the block since I love flowers in any form. Blue and green are two of my favorite colors, so I needed to include them. I also added in two prints from my new Five & Dime collection. My favorite pink price tag fabric shares some of the optimism I try to bring to my dealings with the people in my life every day, and the green checklist print reminds me of the many lists I use to keep myself organized. The vintage newspaper print at the corners is a nod to my love of retro style.

Rather than keep this as an orphan block, I decided to turn it into a table mat for my nightstand. I backed it in more of the blue Denyse Schmidt floral (one of my all time favorite prints) and quilted 1/8" from either side of every seam in the block. The binding is a black and white diamond print from Uppercase 2.

I love this mat. It feels simple and sweet and almost like a more grown-up version of myself. It also goes beautifully with the blue and white toile duvet cover on our bed. I couldn't be happier with it.

If you get the chance, check out the #fussycutsampler hashtag on Instagram. There are beautiful things happening there, I promise you...