We love that so many of the Designers at the Fall Trade show were able to stop in for a photo the one morning! This is about half the people that were at the show, but with meetings and traffic.. it’s impossible for everyone to show up.

Have you wondered were all the The Splendid Sampler™ designers are from?

Back Row – Karen Soltys,  Pat Sloan,  Jennifer Keltner,   Lynette Anderson, Joan Ford, Victoria Findlay Wolfe, Vanessa Goertzen ,  Ebony Love, Julie Karasek, Sarah J Maxwell,    Debby Brown, Beth Bradley   and Roseann Meehan Kermes

Front Row –  Janet Clare,  Gail Pan, Kathy Schmitz, Katja Marek,  Jackie Kunkel, and Christa Watson

Katja Marek took a few seconds to goof around with us in the Martingale booth before getting to work picking lovely fabrics to featue in her shop!

At the Spring  Trade Show we had this great group for a shot, Jane & I are in the middle center row!

And we asked our Designers for a few piecing Tips!

Christa Watson Sew slowly, use lots of pins, and a shorter stitch length. Also a stiletto can help guide the pieces through the needle.

Cat Demack  What Christa said – and also use leaders + enders so your tiny piecing doesn’t get chewed up in the feed dogs.

Pam Vieira McGinnis  Accurate cutting and IRONING LIKE CRAZY.

Joan Ford Straight stitch needle plate and longer stitch length. Pins for any kind of patchwork.

Lindsay Mayland Starch, starch, starch!

Sarah J Maxwell I swear by the Judy Martin Point Trimmer (we also like the folded corner clipper)–you trim the points off triangles before piecing them–no little points to get stuck in the needleplate, easier to start with a 1/4″ seam and if the triangle is butting up against a square or other “flat” edge, it matches instead of eyeballing where the point (dog ear) should overlap.

Julie Karasek Using a “leader” piece. Size 10 Microtex Sharp machine needle. Single hole stitch plate. Starch. Aurifil 50 wt thread. Pins. Stiletto. Really good workspace lighting.

 Janet Clare I starch, pin and sometimes use a leader (after a seam gets chewed!)

Kris Thurgood Starch fabric before cutting, shorten stitch length, switch to a single needle plate if your machine has one, use leaders and Enders, don’t use steam

We are ALL about Learning here at the Splendid Sampler. There are a great group of online classes that are under $20.00. This one by our friend Carol is EXCELLENT for mastering Paper Piecing.

BUY a class for less than $20.00 and learn today!

I hope you entered my fun fast giveaway, joined me online, and enter  your email for my free weekly note, I have a Mega Fun Tour starting on Friday!

Be sure you are following Jane, her Ugly Sweater block, turned pincushion is ADORABLE!

Thank you so much for sewing along with us!