Saturday Sampler
SATURDAY SAMPLER STARTS AGAIN ON THE 14TH FEBRUARY! THIS YEAR WE HAVE FOUR COLOURWAY CHOICES
Autumn - Calico Background
Poppies - Black Background with Reds and Greens
wist of lime - Black and White and Lime 
Our Customised - You Choose!! We have chosen an Amy Butler fabric for our feaure on a soft aqua background.
The story behind The
Cloth Shop Saturday Samplers
The second Saturday in each month is our Saturday Sampler
day. We started the programme in 2001 and over the last eight years over 2500
women have taken up the challenge to participate.
When we first started the programme, we waited in
trepidation to see how many people would turn up. There were a certain number who had
pre-enrolled, but our expectations of the interest this programme would
generate were rather under estimated.
Our target numbers were well exceeded; the shop was full, the classroom
was full, the noise level was amazing and still they kept coming. Everyone was fizzing with excitement and we
kept enrolling and giving out blocks (and frantically cutting more) and this
has continued over the last seven years. Customers
meet up with old acquaintances, have coffee, watch demos of how the block is
sewn and are full of plans as to when (and with whom) they will sew their
blocks. At the end of the first day we'd
had carloads from Masterton, Foxton, Levin, Dannevirke, Marton and Feilding. These
days people come from as far afield as Taupo, Wellington, Napier and Hawera and of course
points much closer to home. We have had
members of quilting groups, mothers and big daughters, mothers and little daughters
(10-12), sisters, friends, and even 3 generations from one family; people who
hadn't quilted at all, some who were renewing their quilting knowledge, others
were doing it to encourage their friends to try quilting.
Each month everyone brings the completed block into the shop
and picks up the next block. Because we
had so many people coming in for the first sampler, we had to rope in
Katherine's husband Colin to mark off the returned and collected blocks. The
ladies loved it when Colin marked their blocks. With great enthusiasm, he
sincerely told each and everyone "this is the best block I've seen", or "I'd
give this one 11 out of 10". After
overhearing the sewing demo about 8 times a day he assures everyone that even he could sew the block!
Over the years we have heard great stories of how much our
customers enjoy making their blocks; each block that came along was the next
new favourite. The carloads that come make it a great day out, morning tea
with us and "doing" lunch afterwards. Over the years we have added new
combinations and some people have made a quilt (even more than one!) every
year. We hear comments such as:
we love all the techniques, I'm learning so much, I love the
colours, I make my block the minute I go home, the day is so neat, I love my
country blocks but now I wished I'd done the black, I love my black but now I
want to do the bright, etc, etc!
In November we reveal the finished quilts We set the blocks into different settings and
sizes and have patterns and kits for each one.
We marvel at how different they look and can't wait to show them off!!
We hope this story will inspire you
to think about doing a Saturday Sampler.
The Cloth Shop Girls To join for 2009 click here Saturday Sampler Settings 2008
Art Deco Daisies Setting 2008
Black and Bright Setting 2008
Berries and Cream Setting 2008
 Kiwiana Setting 2008 PATTERNS AVAILABLE @ $25.00 EACH
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