Fellow Quilters,

I am so excited that I can hardly contain myself!  My second quilt-along, the Cottage Sampler QAL, is starting in just 11 days.  I had so much fun hosting the Hexie Crush QAL earlier this year, and this one is going to be WAAAY bigger and better.  Sign-ups have been brisk the past few weeks and if you haven’t joined yet, here’s why you’ll want to.

The Cottage Sampler QAL is based on my new Cottage Sampler quilt pattern. I designed the pattern with the stellar Canoe Lake fabric collection – my second collection for Banyan Batiks, the batik division of Northcott.  It is one of THE best-selling Banyan collections (she says modestly) and has just shipped to quilt shops – well – everywhere!  You can use the awesome Product Finder on the Canoe Lake page of Northcott’s website to find shops in your area that have received their shipment.

So, I am a panel-and-border-stripe gal.  If a collection has one or both, you can be sure I’m going to use them in a quilt or project.  Naturally, when I designed Canoe Lake, I included a 9″ square mini panel and a coordinating lengthwise border stripe.  The panel features a classic lakeside scene of a canoe beached on the cattail-lined shore of a tree-rimmed lake as the sun rises/sets over the hills.  I have very fond memories of paddling on such a lake as a kid.

My new Canoe Lake fabric collection – Autumn Blaze, Lakeside, and Misty Morn

The fir tree border stripe is cleverly designed to be not-so-directional – the trees go both ways.  And with 5 repeats across the width of fabric there is enough to border a quilt AND use for bands on matching pillowcases – who doesn’t love batik pillowcases?!?  So luxurious!

The collection has 3 fabulous colorways from cottage country:

• Autumn Blaze mixes golds, rust and burgundy – the resplendent colors of maples in the Fall
• Lakeside has forest greens and sandy-beach tans
• Misty Morning includes soft smoky blue/sage/gray accented with berry (this one just might be my favorite)

I knew from Day 1 that I wanted to host a QAL with Canoe Lake, so the Cottage Sampler pattern was born.  Half of the blocks feature the mini panel with a pieced frame.  The remaining 6 different blocks are pieced using the coordinates from the collection.  The pattern includes 2 sizes – a 55″ x 70″ throw-size, with 1 each of the 6 pieced blocks, and a 96″ x 96″ wow-factor queen-size that has 2 each of the pieced blocks.

Sign up for the quilt-along at Patti’s Patchwork

What will we be making in the Cottage Sampler QAL? You choose!!  Simply pick your preferred size and color option and quilt along with me.  I’ll be making all 3 colorways, and making the throw AND queen-size options. Yup, busy gal!

Here’s what’s included:

• I’ll be doing weekly posts from Dec 29 to March 16 through the Cottage Sampler QAL newsletter (sign up here)
• Posts will include lots of tips and tricks to help you successfully make each block (or pair of blocks if you’re making the queen-size)
• Video how-to’s included in weekly posts (as needed)
• We’ll share our photos and comments in the Cottage Sampler Facebook group.
• Weekly prizes to randomly-selected active QAL’ers – those who actively participate (post pics/ask questions/provide feedback)
• I’ll answer any questions you may have as we go along – I love questions!!
• Cost to participate:  FREE!  You will need a copy of the pattern to follow along though.  You can purchase one at your local quilt shop or from me here.

Speaking of local shops, a few of my favorite shops have kits available:

• Claudson’s Sew & Soak in La Grande, OR has Misty Morning kits in throw and queen-size
• Country Concessions in Cookstown ON also has Misty Morning kits in both sizes
• Willow Basket Quilting Shoppe in Prince George, BC has Autumn Blaze in queen-size

You can also find shops that have purchased the fabrics and patterns on Northcott’s site by using the Product Finder here.

This is the perfect project to work on together as we spend some quality quilty time in our sewing space this winter.  If all goes well, we’ll have a cozy new quilt ready for the cottage, cabin or retreat by summer.  It also makes a fab guy quilt – just saying.  Please sign up now – I can’t wait to quilt-along with you!

See you in 11 days 🙂

Cheers,
Patti