Is it February yet? 

Almost.  I know I'm cheating a tiny bit, but I needed something quick and easy to sew today that would still feel productive.  These Penny Sampler blocks did the trick!

In February those on the 6-month sampler plan have 9 blocks on the menu, about half of which involve applique while the others are straightforward piecing.  Today I whipped up three simple patchwork blocks - the 4-Penny Patches.

By the way, don't forget you can always switch your sampler plan at no cost if the pace you originally selected isn't suiting you.  It's a quick change for me to make.  Just ask!  Since the 12-month sampler is at a slower pace, it suggests just 3 blocks for February.  One of those blocks is the Little Village, which I completed a few weeks ago.

Here are some of the fabrics I selected for my 4-Penny Patches.  I love that vivid solid blue, Freespirit Designer Solid in Mineral.  It makes the salmon pink pop beautifully, don't you think?

I've been cutting lately with a new ruler gifted by a reader who wanted me to try the Creative Grids brand.  These rulers certainly have grip!  It never, ever slides when I don't want it to.  Many of the markings had worn off of my old yardage-cutting ruler, so it's nice to start fresh again.  However, I'm really having trouble getting used to the way the ruler is double-marked with numbers to help you measure from either side of the ruler.  I'm hoping that with time the markings will become natural for me to read, but so far it's not coming to me.  It's like anything else - you get used to what you use first!

Once pressed and photographed, I placed blocks up on my design wall in the quilt layout.  Oops, this 4-Penny Patch isn't going to cut it.  The stamp print with the gray background is just too busy.  I keep being drawn to that print because it has all the colors in my palette, but just as I feared it draws too much attention.  If any block in this area is to stand out, I want that to be the Little Village block at right. 

Here I've swapped the stamp print for the blue Carolyn Friedlander texture I used in the village block.  I usually want every bit of patchwork to stand out, but in this case some blending is better.  The Penny Sampler is a complex quilt with so much to see and enjoy.  I have to remember to make understated fabric choices most of the time.

I did enjoy fussy cutting the blue flowers in that block, though so that they'll be centered in the finished 1.5" squares,.  Those are the kind of details that I want to include - pretty, but not visually overwhelming.

Next I'm going to finish my snowflake quilt so I can cut into some newly arrived goodies!