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Sew Sampler Subscription Box Review – August 2017

Désirée Eien
ByDésirée EienAug 27, 2017 | 6 comments

Sew Sampler Box - Tropical Paradise - August 2017 DIY and Crafter Subscription Box by Fat Quarter Co.

Sew Sampler Box
4 overall rating
9 Ratings | 0 Reviews

Sew Sampler is a subscription box from the Fat Quarter Shop that includes sewing notions, fabrics, and patterns for quilters!

Sew Sampler Box - Tropical Paradise - August 2017 DIY and Crafter Subscription Box by Fat Quarter Co.

This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)

Sew Sampler Box - Tropical Paradise - August 2017 DIY and Crafter Subscription Box by Fat Quarter Co.

The Subscription Box: Sew Sampler

The Cost: $0.99 to join, and the box is $24.95 plus $4.95 for shipping for US customers, $12.00 for shipping for Canadian customers, and $16.00 shipping for International customers.

The Products: "At least 5 specially chosen items which may include fabric, notions, patterns, thread, and anything in between." They promise that the retail value will always be more than the cost of the box.

Ships to: Worldwide

Check out all of our Sew Sampler reviews and the Craft Subscription Box Directory!

Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!

Sew Sampler Box - Tropical Paradise - August 2017 DIY and Crafter Subscription Box by Fat Quarter Co.

The summery theme for August was Tropical Paradise! 

Sew Sampler Box - Tropical Paradise - August 2017 DIY and Crafter Subscription Box by Fat Quarter Co.

There were also some promo codes for fabric and thread from FatQuarterShop.com, and a cute 'sew what?' sticker.

Sew Sampler Box - Tropical Paradise - August 2017 DIY and Crafter Subscription Box by Fat Quarter Co.

Sew Sampler Box - Tropical Paradise - August 2017 DIY and Crafter Subscription Box by Fat Quarter Co.

Elizabeth Hartman for Robert Kaufman Fabrics Reef Fat Eighth Bundle – Value $17.98

This bundle features ten reef-themed prints in vibrant colors. These are perfect for summer – I love the little sea horses!

Sew Sampler Box - Tropical Paradise - August 2017 DIY and Crafter Subscription Box by Fat Quarter Co.

50wt Aurifil Teal Spotted Variegated Thread – Value $3.98 (Listed Value $5.40)

Sew Sampler posted this item as a spoiler on Instagram, so I was looking forward to getting it in the box. This beautiful Egyptian cotton thread was easy to work with. 

Sew Sampler Box - Tropical Paradise - August 2017 DIY and Crafter Subscription Box by Fat Quarter Co.

Sew Sampler Box - Tropical Paradise - August 2017 DIY and Crafter Subscription Box by Fat Quarter Co.

Sew Sampler Box - Tropical Paradise - August 2017 DIY and Crafter Subscription Box by Fat Quarter Co.

Sew Sampler Box - Tropical Paradise - August 2017 DIY and Crafter Subscription Box by Fat Quarter Co.

The Daylight Company Yoyo Magnifier –Value $17.98 (Listed Value $19.99)

This is so neat! It's an LED magnifier that folds up. This little light has so much personality; I half expected it to bounce around Pixar-style. I did have to provide a battery, although you can still use the magnifier without the built-in light. 

Sew Sampler Box - Tropical Paradise - August 2017 DIY and Crafter Subscription Box by Fat Quarter Co.

Sew Sampler Box - Tropical Paradise - August 2017 DIY and Crafter Subscription Box by Fat Quarter Co.

Sew Sampler Box - Tropical Paradise - August 2017 DIY and Crafter Subscription Box by Fat Quarter Co.

G Easy Ruler Stickers – Value $7.24 (Listed Value $7.95)

This is one of those things I never knew I needed, but I've used them a lot since getting the box. They're little arrows for temporarily marking lines on rulers. I usually use washi tape, so this is a step up. They included three sheets with a total of 192 stickers in all. The stickers can be repositioned for multiple uses. 

Sew Sampler Box - Tropical Paradise - August 2017 DIY and Crafter Subscription Box by Fat Quarter Co.

Sew Sampler Box - Tropical Paradise - August 2017 DIY and Crafter Subscription Box by Fat Quarter Co.

With Love Woven Quilt Labels – $5.38 (Listed Value $7.98)

These have hearts on one side and 'hand made' on the reverse. I like that they're woven rather than printed, and that they come in different colors to match your projects. 

Sew Sampler Box - Tropical Paradise - August 2017 DIY and Crafter Subscription Box by Fat Quarter Co.

Sew Sampler Box - Tropical Paradise - August 2017 DIY and Crafter Subscription Box by Fat Quarter Co.

Chuckles Quilt Pattern – Listed Value $8.98

This is an exclusive pattern designed by Elizabeth Hartman for Sew Sampler. The pattern includes instructions to make the full quilt. 

Sew Sampler Box - Tropical Paradise - August 2017 DIY and Crafter Subscription Box by Fat Quarter Co.

Basket Block #5 Recipe Card – Listed Value $1.48

Each box includes a block pattern: 'Sew along with us each month as we create these charming basket blocks featuring Confetti Cotton solids by Riley Blake Designs.' I decided to use this as my sample this month. 

Sew Sampler Box - Tropical Paradise - August 2017 DIY and Crafter Subscription Box by Fat Quarter Co.

The first step was to cut out all the pieces. This is only my second time making a quilt square, after last month's jelly roll pattern that didn't require much cutting. This time, I had to measure and cut out all the little pieces myself, which was harder. 

Sew Sampler Box - Tropical Paradise - August 2017 DIY and Crafter Subscription Box by Fat Quarter Co.

Next, I sewed the triangles together to make squares. The fabric was easy to sew. 

Sew Sampler Box - Tropical Paradise - August 2017 DIY and Crafter Subscription Box by Fat Quarter Co.

Here's what it looked like with all the triangles sewn into squares. 

Sew Sampler Box - Tropical Paradise - August 2017 DIY and Crafter Subscription Box by Fat Quarter Co.

Next, I joined up the pieces. The pattern had a chart that showed what to join first. 

Sew Sampler Box - Tropical Paradise - August 2017 DIY and Crafter Subscription Box by Fat Quarter Co.

Finished! I hemmed it badly and obviously made some mistakes in accuracy. However, it was fun and I'm sure I'll get better with practice. I found the pattern intimidating at first, but now that I've done it, I'd feel more comfortable making more.

Verdict: This box has a value of $63.02, which is much higher than the box price of $29.90 shipped. I did notice that prices were sometimes marked higher on the card than the shop prices, but the value is still great. I loved the bold fabric and thread selections for this month, and the magnifier was a nice inclusion. This box is a great value and the items they send are really useful for sewers. 

What do you think of August's Sew Sampler? Have you sewn any tropically themed projects this summer?

Starting at $24.95
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At least 5 specially chosen items which may include fabric, notions, patterns, thread and anything in between. The retail value of your items will always be more than your monthly cost! Each month you will also receive a Block Recipe to make a quilt block with three size options; 8”, 12” and 16”. C... read more.
Désirée Eien
Désirée Eien
Désirée has survived the subscription box rollercoaster since 2013. Her other hobbies include meticulously over-researching minor purchases, crafting things she hopes to pass off as gifts, and dressing her cat up in silly costumes.

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6 comments

Alicia

I just signed up for this so I’m not sure if ill end up getting September or October first but I am super excited to get this box every month. I’m new to sewing and quilting and I’m thinking this will be a nice way to discover and try new things every month.

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TARA

Great review!

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Dea

Desiree – you were right to compare the listed value with the price charged on the website. In addition, Fat Quarter Shop is among the more-expensive retailers, so the prices for these items may well be lower elsewhere.

Best success with half-square triangles – two tips: (1) don’t cut the triangles until after you’ve stitched them! This means that you mark a diagonal line on the back of one square, put it “kissing” to the square of the other fabric (good sides together), and stitch two lines – each one-quarter inch from your pencil line. Then cut on your pencil line.

Tip 2: Make the squares slightly larger. After you cut and iron open the two squares you made with tip 1, then use your rotary cutter, ruler and mat to trim the finished square (made of two triangles) to the size it needs to be. Great results, easy!

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Désirée

I think you are right because for the last box, I tried making the triangles with diagonally sewn squares and it came out much better. But the pattern seemed to indicate that most of the triangles were to be cut separately, so I tried it that way – but it didn’t work as well. That’s a good idea about making the squares larger and cutting them down! I will try it next time. I really appreciate your tips Dea!

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Yvonne

I love this box! I was one of their first subscribers. The value seems to always be there.

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WendyM

I’ve been a quilter for many years (started early!) so I thought I had everything – but these things are new and exciting. The magnifier is cool. I just might have to sub to this!

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