Samplings from the Sea

Samplings from the Sea was one of my first books and has been out of print for quite sometime now. However, to my surprise and delight some quilters are still making this quilt. I would like to share this very special variation with you.

Carolyn Black writes:

Hi, Rosemary, the quilt was made by a local group of quilters from Manteo, NC called the Teacup Quilters. It is a small group of 12 to 15 quilters that do a quilt exhibit every year during the month of March. It is held at Roanoke Island Festival Park. It is the home of the outdoor drama "The Lost Colony". The first Englishmen on this continent settled here. If you look at a map of North Carolina, we are on a barrier island off the coast. Many different members of the group did different blocks. I did one of the applique blocks since I am a glutton for applique. They also adapted the block patterns to paper piecing (not my bag). I wish you could really see this quilt and the fabrics that went into it. It was hard to imagine the quilt in different fabrics than the original, however, with the help of EQ it was determined that it would work. I also own a very small quilt shop in Manteo, Outer Banks Quilts and Antiques. www.obxquilts.com. I thought it would be interesting for you to actually see the quilt from a different perspective. The group hopes to see it on your website someday. Thanks for allowing us to use the pattern.

Another lovely variation sent to me some time ago is shown below:




I am a longarm machine quilter from southern New Hampshire (USA). About three years ago I was taking a class from my local quilt shop owner and while we were working on the project for the class, she was trying to complete another class sample for a block of the month series she was doing.
The quilt was from the Samplings From The Sea book and the quilt was a stunner! I told her then and there that if she ever decided to sell that quilt top or finished quilt to please let me know. Almost a year and a half ago, she closed her shop and that was the last I heard of it. From time to time I do hear from her because she still has customers that need machine quilting that that's about it.

Well, I got an e-mail from her about a month ago saying that she had finally sold her quilt shop and she was cleaning out and getting everything organized for the new owners. She wanted to know if I was still interested in the quilt that I had fell in love with a few years earlier. To make a long story a bit shorter, I purchased the quilt from her and now I have the wonderful task of machine quilting it.

Janet-Lee Santeusanio
Woodland Manor Quilting
Hampton Falls, NH