Red, white & blue plate special for February 2013

 A couple years ago, we had a red,white&blue swap block that was one of the more difficult we have ever had.  The result was not great for everyone, especially as the red,white&blue swap is one of the most popular with beginners.  So this time, in the interests of making things easy but still interesting, I have come up with Red, White & Blue Plate Special.  Although I am describing making one block, you should find this is very easy to scale up & chain piece.  Because there are no seams to match, I would call this easy-beyond easy HOWEVER you need to pay attention & make sure the borders are paired correctly so that you end up with a square & not a rectangle.

1. Begin with a 6.5" square of red &/or white &/or blue, the busier the better.  In the interest of accommodating hybrids, shades of purple (blue & red overlapped) & pink (red & white overlapped) are also perfectly acceptable.  While an all black block would be gloomy (so please avoid), the reality is many many fabrics have some black & that is Okay (but please: no green, no yellow, you get it, right?)
   
   
2. Using 2" strips of a red or blue or black border all four sides.  This looks sharpest (best) when it is a dark, reads-as-solid fabric but so long as there is NO WHITE (this means also no off-white or cream or beige) in this fabric, almost anything red &/or blue &/or black will work.
   
   
3. From a white or reads-as-solid white-on-white cut four strips:
    
   
   • one 2" strip
   • one 2.5" strip
   • one 3" strip
   • one 3.5: strip
   
   Separate them into pairs that total 5.5".  That is, pair the 2" strip with the 3.5" strip & the 2.5" strip with the 3" strip.  I found it was very easy to get these strips mixed up, so after I had remeasured them a few time, I put one large sharpie dot at the selvage edge of the first pair & two dots at the end of the second pair & then I pinned each pair together.  If you ever do get them scrambled just take out your ruler.  Each strip pair will always add up to 5.5"...until it is stitched up of course.  In fact, if you are feeling adventurous, you are welcome to cut strips of any width (so long as none are less than one inch wide) that add up to 5.5" across the pair, & so long as NONE of the strips in any given block are the same width.  The idea is for the color block to bounce within the over all block.
   
   
4. Taking the one set, border either side of the bordered square.  That is border one side with one strip & the opposite side with the other strip.  Trim, press & then using the second pair, border the other two sides, one of the strips one each side.  While all the strips are different widths, the block will still be square. 

 & you are done.  The bordered red/white/blue square you began with will be slightly off center, but the completed block will be roughly 14", unfinished.

I do not have a picture of this color version made up into a quilt, but I do have the first quilt I made using this block (& a narrow sashing with cornerstones made from the same fabric as many of the 6.5" squares) here.

As always, we swap in sets of five (5), you send five (5) blocks & get five (5) back.  Blocks are due the last Saturday of even numbered months, in this case it is Saturday, February 23, 2013.  If you would like, you can include a sixth block; every swap one person takes these to make a quilt for a non-profit or community group.  If you would like more details, just ask to join our group on FaceBook (search Quilt Block Swap).

Garden mazes for August 2011

I had originally thought to have this block in December & then I got another way-better idea for October & then I changed my mind again & then & then...  So here we are with a slightly more complicated block than I usually put up for the first-of-three, but I really truly think you can handle it. 

The first swap block for the second half of the year is a not-uncommon block; it has quite a bit of mileage frankly.  You will see a variation of it in at least one quilting magazine or catalog every year, although I doubt you will see exactly the variation we are doing. If you are interested in more about this block, it is listed in Brackman as quilt block 3030. 

We begin with a 6.5" unfinished/6" finished 4-patch, 9-patch or 16-patch.  You can make the 4-patch using four 3.5" squares, or the 9-patch using nine 2.5" squares or the 16-patch using sixteen 2" squares or combination, variations so long as they are fundamentally 4-, 9-, or 16-patches.  In short, you can make almost any block you can think of & the only fabric requirement is at least one of the fabrics used is a floral.  You can use anything from two to however-many fabrics & again only one need be a floral.

For this example, I made the simplest block I could with two different floral fabrics but you can stretch your wings in any direction.  You can make a much more complicated block, you can make this same simple 4-patch but with four different fabric & only one of them need be floral. 


That part was the "garden"; next is the "maze".

To make the maze, you will need two (& only two) fabrics: one of these should be more green than any other color (& both of them can be, if that suits your stash), although neither has to read-as-solid, nor does either need to be exclusively green.  Neither of them need have anything at all to do with florals or leaves or anything, just one of them needs to have a noticeable amount of green.  One (or both) of these fabrics could also have been used in the "garden" part of the block although it is perfectly OKay if your garden & your maze fabrics have nothing common.

From each of the "maze" fabrics you will need four (4) 2" by 6.5" strips (or one long 2" strip, as you will sew them together along the long edges).  If you make a long strip, cut it down into 6.5" lengths (& if you measured correctly when you cut, they will be 3.5" across).

From one fabric (the fabric that must have green) you will also need four (4) 3.5" squares; from the other fabric (which could be green, but does not have to be) you will need eight (8)  2" squares.  These will make the outer corners of you block & will be what connects your maze to the maze in adjacent blocks.  

The hardest part of this whole thing is making the corners of the "maze", the outer corners of the completed block.  To make the corner blocks:

-take two of the smaller squares & draw a line on the back in faint pencil from one corner to the opposite corner.

-place one of these, right side down in the corner of one of the larger squares (which is right side up).  The line you drew should connect one straight edge to another.

-stitch from one corner to the other along the line you drew.

-press so that the smaller square (now a triangle) covers the corner

-do the same for the opposite corner of this same square & for each of the other three corner pieces.

Once all four corners are made, attach them to the ends of two of the long strip pieces.

Attach the other two long strip pieces to opposite sides of your center "garden", keeping the green strip to the inside of the block.

Assemble what is a 12.5" unfinished/12" finished block.

If you would like to join this swap, the easiest thing is to go to Facebook & search for the group Quilt Block Swap & ask to join.  Blocks are always due the last Saturday of an even numbered month (which means they should be in the mail no later than the Monday before, if not sooner).  This particular swap is due Saturday, August 27, 2011.

Block Lotto: stacked coins

I spent a goodly amount of last summer pressed up against the glass over at the Block Lotto.  I kept telling myself I didn't have time (& I didn't) & I had enough quilt block swapping (& I had) but then...but then....

But then last September they did liberated house blocks.  Right when we were doing Funky Town.  & so I asked to join.

Next thing you know, my time went to hell.  Even those who only know me from reading this blog can see I went from ten-ish posts per month to two, maybe three.  I did nothing except claw my way from one day to the next & there really was no extra time for extra block swaps.  As a result I missed out on funky stars & funky trees

I am feeling much more myself (& for anyone who gets spread too thin over everyday unhappiness I strongly recommend a good medicinal dose of O'ahu) & once I got my own quilt block swap responsibilities caught up, I flipped to the Block Lotto & found January, a very colorful twist on Stacking Coins (or Chinese Coins  or whatever you want to call them).  Their directions are clear as day here along with a teaser for February about strings, specifically Sort & Save Your Strings.  So February looks to be a string fling!

I spent a happy day yesterday in my sewing room (which is almost certainly not falling into a sinkhole after all, but much more likely the clay underneath is shrinking because of the decade of drought & it is unlikely to drop more than three feet or so, isn't that good news?) going through colorful fabrics & making stacks of offset coins.  Very satisfying.  & yes, this one is in the hopper for a future Facebook Quilt Block Swap Group swap block. 

In the end I had several blocks all finished & photographed, but this one was my favorite.


Oh, another dead giveaway I was going to have to jump into the Block Lotto: I kept catching myself sing-saying Block Lotto over & over again in Rock Lobster voices.  I dare you to resist.

Massachusetts Star in June 2011

As I have said in a previous posts, I am trying to progress through the three block swaps for this corner from beginner, a bit more advanced, & then truly advanced.  For the third, most advanced block we will be making the Massachusetts Star, which was actually requested last year, but I could not get the directions photographed etc. in time. This block will be 12" finished/12." unfinished. 

Below are the directions with photos for making the block, including the 1/2-square & 1/4-square triangles that make up much of the 9-patch.  You could also follow the directions from the link above.  They are slightly different but will give you a block of the same dimensions.

To make your block you will need two fabrics:

Fabric A can be red or red&white or red&white&blue or blue or blue&white.  In my photos it is pale blue with white polka-dots.

Fabric B should be either reads-as-solid blue or reads-as-solid white or reads as solid black.  I choose black with a black ribbon pattern.

For each block, from each fabric, please cut:

1 - 4.5" square
2 - 5" squares (these will make the 1/2-square triangles)
2 - 5.5" squares (these will make the 1/4-square triangles)

With a pen or pencil, mark a straight line from one corner to the opposite corner on two of the 5" squares (inevitably, it will be easier to see this mark on one fabric than the other; you only need mark the easier/lighter fabric).  Do the same with the 5.5" squares & then, with the 5.5" squares only, draw a second line connecting the other two corners.  Do NOT mark the 4.5" square, just set both of them aside.  

To make the 1/2-square triangles take one 5" square of each fabric, put the right side together, stitch 1/4" from the center line on either side of the line.  This is the same technique used in the April 2010 block & explained here.  Cut right along the line in the center, press open, trim to 4.5" & set aside with the other 4.5" squares.  Do the same with the second square from each of the two colors.  You will need three (3) 1/2-square triangles to make the complete block.

To make the 1/4-square triangles you will begin the same way.  Take one 5.5" square from each fabric.  Put them right sides together, sew down either side of one of the center lines you have marked connecting the opposite corners, cut them apart, press & then trim to 5" square.  A clear how-to is online here.

On the back of each of these, there will be a line from one corner to the center of the block.  Connect this line with the opposite corner.  Then take another one of the newly-made 5" 1/2-square triangle blocks & put it up against the first, right sides together.  The center seams of both should lock together, holding the part that is fabric A in one block to the part that is fabric B in the other.  Stitch down either side of the center line, cut them apart & press.  You should have four (4) 1/4-square triangle blocks that are 4.5" square.  You will need all four of them. 

Once all the smaller pieces are made, the Massachusetts Star is really just a 9-patch.  Layout the three 1/2-square triangles, 4 1/4-square triangles & 2 4.5" squares as below.  Stitch each row together, being sure to press every row in opposite directions so you can lock your seams (otherwise you will have great mounds in the seam allowance) & then assemble the rows.

Four blocks could make a center star, that can be bordered as you like OR twelve blocks will make an ornate border around a 24" medallion that could be appliqued.  The fabrics were chosen with the upcoming holiday in mind or perhaps a Quilt of Valor, if you felt so inclined.

Blocks are due Saturday June 25th, they will be swapped June 26th & will go back in the mail that Monday, June 27, 2011.  As always, we swap in sets of five, so you would make six blocks (keep one for yourself) send five & get five back in the self-addressed, stamped envelope you included with your five swap blocks.

Log cabin in the springtime for April 2011

For our second block swap this year, I choose an oldie but goodie.  This is often the first quilt block people learn, probably because it is simple enough for a beginner but has a lot of potential when it comes to laying out the quilt top itself.  I am talking of course about the log cabin block.

To make the swap block you will need five (5) fabrics, in 2.5" strips (the reason for this dimension is so you can use up any jelly roll scraps you might have lying around), the result will be the biggest block we have ever made, but it is still beginner friendly.  One side of the log cabin should be three different fabrics, at least one of which should have a "nature" theme, a leaf pattern or vine, something like that.  The other side should read-as-solid & should be either clearly a light color or clearly a dark.  In my examples the light is yellow & the dark is a dark brown.  The center square should always be red.


I would suggest you make this block Eleanor Burns style, starting with the center & bordering two sides with the second fabric choice & the next two sides with the solid.  You will keep wrapping the 2.5" strips in this way until you have a total three turns around the center square & should be 14.5" square.

1- Begin with a 2.5" square of RED fabric.  This is the traditional color of the center of a log cabin block & your first fabric.  You will not need anymore of this fabric, so an 8x8 inch square would be more than enough for all six blocks. 

2-Add a 2.5" square in the second fabric to one side & then a 2.5" x 4.5" strip of the same fabric to an adjacent side, making a larger complete square.


3-With the third fabric (which you will use for 1/2 the log of the log cabin block), add a 2.5" strip to the next side & then the next.  I find the easiest way is to decide to turn the blocks either clockwise or counter clockwise as I piece & then stick with it.

4-Using the second fabric again, you will complete the next two sides.

5-With the fourth fabric, complete the first two sides of the outer edge.

6-Using the second, solid fabric complete the round & complete the block.

Your log cabin block, just to be clear, begins with a center square that is red.  You will need three different fabrics that will comprise one half of the block, one turn each, at least one of which should have leaf or vine or woodsy type pattern, & then the other half of the block will be a fifth fabric that should read-as-solid & should be either obviously lighter than all the others OR obviously darker than all the others.  All the units begin as a 2.5" strip; the first seam connects a 2.5" red square to another 2.5" square.After that you are adding 2.5" strips to each new side, cutting them & pressing them & then adding the next strip.

These blocks are due the last Saturday in April, April 30 2011.  They will be swapped Sunday, May 1 & sent back in the envelope you provide Monday, May 2, 2011.

Cutting corners for kids for February 2011

I was tempted to call this one Kutting Korners for Kids but I could not face the people in my life who would - without a doubt- write "Kute" as a comment (Komment?), so I resisted.  But I still told you about it.

In October 2010 we had our first liberated block & I was really truly not sure how that would go.  It was popular enough that we are doing another liberated block, but this time I am hoping to attract people new to liberated quilting or even just plain new to quilting; this block is without a doubt the easiest block we have ever made.  I swear.  There are no corners to match, not within the block or as the blocks get put together, & there are only two seams per block.  The fabric requirements are also just about as easy as it gets.

Each block begins with one 6.5" inch square.  You will also need two scraps of about 3" square, or not even square (smaller can work, it just depends on how your piece is shaped & how you angle it).  In the photos, the large square is a bright print; a large scale novelty or anything bright & busy would work.  The other two pieces "read as solid" although they are not solid & for the best effect, they should be clearly visible against the block fabric.  The two smaller pieces do not have to be the same size/shape, in fact it is likely they will not be, although they do need to be the same fabric.  If it suits your scrap bag better,  you could cut the large 6.5" square something solid-ish & plain & the two scrap pieces from the same novelty/bright & busy material. 

Take your larger square, right side up & put one of the other pieces, wrong side up (right sides facing)  with the side you will stitch diagonal across the corner so that when stitched & pressed it will turn right-side-up & cover the corner.  This easier to picture than read.

Do the same to the opposite corner.  You're already almost done.  All that is left it to iron the piece flat & re-square the edges back to 6.5".  That's it, that's the whole block.  The only real trick is to make sure there is enough of the corner fabrics for it not to get swallowed up in the seam allowance & believe me, 3" is more than enough.  It is more a guideline really.

That's it, the whole megillah.  Foundation piecers will recognize the flip&cover thing, but even if you have never foundation pieced, you can handle this.  In fact, if you enjoy yourself, you might want to give a foundation pieced block a try.   Please do your best to stay between 1.5" & 2.5" up each edge when make your diagonal seam (otherwise you run the risk of your colorful corner being lost in the seam allowance or your large block becoming more like a center stripe).

Because the corner scraps are almost certainly going to expose some bias edges, please handle your blocks carefully.  If you avoid cutting the original square away until you are actually putting the blocks together into a quilt, they edges will remain much more stable as well.

We are making kids blocks (hence the bright, brighter, brightest look to the fabrics), but Gwen Marston famously made this very block, many times over in red&white (an image I could not locate) which inspired this white squares with colored corners, which I copied outright for myself, cutting up A LOT of plain white muslin into squares & then blowing thru my scrap bag at top speed.

Some of you will notice that the busy-ness of the large-square fabric or the corner fabric might make it hard to butt these up against each other as in the Marston original & the inspiration results.  & yes, I can see that too.  Keep in mind we swap in sets of five, so one swapper would sit there with six different blocks (five swapped & one of her own).  Staggering these with plain old muslin 6.5" squares, with or without the corner treatment would calm the whole thing down & give you a 3square by 4square top.  With a nice wide border or two, you could eke out enough for a small baby quilt.  Also, these blocks really are so simple & so fast (& use up scrap fabric that might otherwise be tossed for being a stoopid shape), you could swap more than one set & start growing that into a nap size or even a twin.

Blocks are due the last Saturday of February, 2/28/2011 to be swapped that Sunday & mailed back (in the self-addressed stamped envelope you provide) the following Monday.

Batik with 1/2 border for December 2010

Last June when I posted the upcoming quilt block swap blocks, I had trouble uploading the pictures for the December 2010 block.  The bad news is I completely forgot to go back & update the post.  The good news is the block is more or less wide open pattern-wise.

Tthe keys points are:

1. batik or hand-dyed fabric only please.  I have had several messages regarding this requirement & they are split down the middle.  Half the messages are unhappy as batiks & hand-dyes are expensive, certainly more expensive than most other quilt fabrics.  On the flip-side are those who are pleased that they can count on getting back a batik or hand-dyed only block.  I am sorry about anyone who might count themselves out of this swap because of cost, but I hope the next guideline helps


2. make any block you like, 6.5" unfinished/6" finished the idea being that scraps from other projects might make the cost easier to bear.  Also, I made my blocks from remnants I got at Joann's for a grand total of four dollars and change

3. after the block is complete, add a 1.5" unfinished/1" finished border to two adjacent sides & you are done.  You can add these in a strippy fashion all-in-a-row, or if you are working from cut scraps the dimensions would be 1.5" x 6.5" & 1.5" by 7.5"

As I previously described, we expect to be traveling & not returning until the actual due date for the blocks (the last Saturday of December, which happens to be December 25).  While we are away V** will still be at the house, acting as caretaker, dealing with the horses, emus, etc & so you should have no concerns about mail not being picked up.  What will be difficult is letting people know that their package has arrived if it arrives in the last week before the 12/25 deadline.

The swap should still take place Sunday December 26th (so long as our flights are on time) & be brought to the Post Office Monday December 27th.  This means everyone who swaps will have a cheerful envelope to drive away those after-holiday doldrums.  Originally, I gave you this musical selection, but let me also give you this, for the batik-y-ness.

That holiday feeling

What can I say, it has been crazy here (& not here; I've been on the road).  The last Saturday of last month was the deadline for the Christmas Star quilt block swap & by mid-day Sunday one third of the blocks were still MIA.  Of those missing, one person had said she had run out of time, one person had told me her set was finished over a month earlier but I have not heard from her since & as for the rest I had no idea.

So I made an executive decision.  I had already polled the on-time swappers & found that only one person besides me; I don't care either way as I will not be...wait a minute, I am getting ahead of myself!   
I started the FaceBook Quilt Block Swap group after participating in yet another downer on-line swap: I was one of only two people who actually forwarded our blocks to the others.  That was 2008.  Since then I have in fact received one more of the 'owed' blocks, in December 2009 if you are curious.  That means seven other people got my blocks & never did their part & never sent mine back & yes, some of them still regularly sign up for on-line swaps in the same network (I have no idea if they participate or not, I just see their names on the lists).  So, the new idea was everyone send their blocks to a central location (me!), what is here on the date swaps, what is not, does not. 

Most of our swaps are open -you don't have to say you plan to swap, you just have to get your set of five here on time- & this works just fine.  This swap, however was bigger than the others & we had a sign-up that closed February 28th. That means not-less-than 6.5 months to make fifteen blocks to get here by September 25th.  & five of the fifteen did not make the deadline.  Unfortunately, my calendar is full-to-overflowing right now & pushing off the the next free week-end would not work (no one wants to get a Christmas project in mid-November).

You can probably guess my executive decision.  The swap happened on the scheduled Sunday, as planned.  On that Monday, when I brought Lilly to the vet, I loaded the envelopes into the truck as well & they went to the PO later that same day.  On Tuesday, two more sets arrived at the house.  On Wednesday, I left town.  Now I am back & looking at the two sets that arrived late & three that came back to me (two for insufficient postage -one of them reflecting pre-rate changes because that is how long ago she mailed in her stars- & one because C******** was so scrambled when she made up her original package she addressed her return envelope to herself at my address & I was so scrambled when I mailed it I did not catch it).

Yes, this whole business has left me with what I call That Holiday Feeling.  Thankfully, Steve & Edyie can always shake me out of it.  Another thing that is helping make it better is the truly beautiful blocks that WERE exchanged.  For a week no, I have been dreaming of the many many ways I could use these blocks, including supplementing them a bit as now that I have no illusions more will be coming, I can get down to business myself.

It's beginning to look a lot like

Yes, yes I know it is still August, but every home-made-holiday maker knows that right about now starts the big push to get things done in time.  So between today (whatever day this posts-it has been that kind of summer) & the last Saturday in September, I need to finish my Christmas Star blocks for the quilt block swap group.

Unlike most of our swaps, this one was sign-up & capped at 15.  Also unlike any other swap we have this one was not non/multi-denominational.  The calendar quilt swap last year had some grumblers as I nixed all non-secular representations for any months.  As a person who does not observe any widely accepted christian holidays except christmas (& even then, not every year), there was not a more disappointing swap than the one where I made several sets for swapping & got nothing but easter blocks back.  If I were of a paranoid bent, I would think the swap-master (swap-mistress?) had it in for me but I happen to know the swap was inundated with easter fabrics because of a large donation of same from a quilter moving to smaller digs.  I put all but one of these blocks into an orphan block bag to be used for community quilts but kept the one with the little square that read "bathed in the blood of the lamb" because it creeped me out so completely I had to hang on to it.  I have of course since misplaced it & sometimes I have a nightmare where slips under the door into whatever room I am in & then grows to sort of wallpaper over the whole space while making a humming noise that gets gradually louder & then I wake up screaming. I have other quilt block nightmares, too....

What was I saying?  Oh, right.  The calendar quilt swaps are indeed secular-only.  While this prompted a few people to drop out or rather not sign-up at all, we only need twelve & twelve were easy to come by (thirteen, actually as I gave mine away thinking there would be one last minute "I cannot do this after all" but there wasn't).  & before anyone gets up-in-arms I made the offer of a christian calendar quilt but got no takers.  Not one.  None. If I had to guess I would say a couple people got worked up & only realized after they had their say that there are very few christian holidays that stay in the same month.  Even christmas is celebrated in not-December by some & not at all by others who identify themselves christian.  As the calendar quilt is one person makes twelve blocks representing January, another makes twelve representing February, etc. it just was not a good fit.

Our usual every-other-month swaps are more of a "whatever" kind of thing.  At least one block needed a holiday fabric & for some that holiday was christmas, for others hallowe'en & others chanukah.  For all I know there were other holidays represented, but I did not spot them.  Still, enough people clearly wanted a christmas-specific swap & if enough people want it, etc. etc. & so, we are wrapping up the fist Christmas Star swap next month.

I made my prototype star using a blue fabric with small red cardinals & I was not super-happy with it.  Also I thought if I am going to make a christmas block, it ought to be a CHRISTMAS block.  That is when I looked through my fabrics & realized that aside from the bit player in Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, I do not seem to have any santa fabric at all.  Trees were a bit more plentiful, as they appear in Rudolph & Charlie Brown, but still that did not seem quite right. Then I found a piece from I-honestly-do-not-know-where.  White background with green holly & red berries.  Barring actually going out & buying something, this was as good as it was going to get in my stash, christmas-wise.

I cast around for a star pattern & that was not so easy either.  Because of the white background,/mall almost fussy pattern of red&green in my focus fabric, I really wanted a star were the focus fabric was not sewn back to itself.  I knew there was no way it would not be jarring.  Like that sentence right there was.  In the end I went for a star block from the June 2010 AP&Q which looked simple & clean & was in fact, a complete bear.  Those one inch strips in red & green with itty-bitty polka-dots drove me crazy & don't have nearly the sizzle they should for what they took out of me.

Still, I am not not pleased.  I hope to recover from the quadruple negatives I seem to be laying on & ever since I started working with tiny regular white dots, I no longer dream about the humming blood-of-the-lamb block.  This would be a bigger plus if I weren't dreaming about another quilt-related humming imprisonment.

Finally, for your listening pleasure:if I could have found it on accordion (for the polka in polka dot) I would have but alas, you will just have to make do.  Feel free to hum along.

Batik with 1/2 border for December

For the Facebook Quilt Block Swap in December (12/2010) we are doing two things:

FIRST a return to the more free-form block pattern choices of the first two swaps
SECOND limiting the fabric-type quite strictly for the first time ever.

You can make any 6" finished/6.5" unfinished block of your choosing.  Any 4-patch, any 9-patch, any block you like.  After you have completed the blocks, please add a 1.5" finished/2" unfinished border to two adjacent sides. (making it a 8" unfinished/7.5"  finished block, in the end).  In other words, once you have completed your blocks of any pattern you choose, so long as they are 6.5"/6" finished, add a 2" x 6.5" strip to one side, press & then add a 2" x 8" strip to an adjacent side.  & that's it, as far as block pattern goes.

The fabric is a different matter.  You must use only batiks or hand dyed fabrics.  No exceptions to this requirement.  If you send blocks with some batiks & some not-batiks (fabrics printed to look like batiks do not count as batiks), you will get your own blocks back.  More than half batiks/hand dyes with less-than-half other fabrics & you will still get them all back.  This is an all or nothing requirement for this swap, but I am hoping the flexibility with block choice will make up for it (& maybe let everyone use up scraps from a previous batik project).

All swap blocks are always due the last Saturday of an even numbered month, in this case December 25th.  Blocks will be swapped Sunday the 26th & brought to the post office on Monday, December 27th.  I do realize this is Christmas day & there is in fact no regular mail delivery on that Saturday.  Last year there were a few people who thought the deadline should be extended when the last Saturday was 12/26; the deadline was not moved & I do not know if they choose to sit the swap out or not, but we ended up with plenty to swap from.  In this case there are six months to prepare, which I feel is more than enough time for anyone to get their blocks in the mail to be here before December 25th.  As for making the deadline earlier to get blocks swapped & back out before Christmas, I expect to be in Honolulu during PacifiChem & then on until the 24th, so we would be looking at moving the deadline up by almost a month, which would just be silly.  Don't worry about your blocks going AWOL while we are gone, we have a caretaker who deals with everything (livestock, mail, water pumps, etc.) while we are away. 

In addition to your blocks you should include a return envelope of the same size with the same postage & your address already on it. If you are swapping from outside the US, please include the addressed envelope & a fat quarter to off-set the cost of your return postage (US swappers could do this, too, I suppose, but a fat quarter is more costly than the postage would be).

//I am having trouble posting this, I think because of the pictures, so this block swap direction is going up without pictures.  I am hoping because the block itself can be anything so long as it is 6.5" unfinished/6" finished that lack of photo-samples will not be a problem.  As for the border I hope this sketch helps; these are the FINISHED dimensions.

Funky town for October 2010

The October block swap has been a challenge for me.  The only clear front runner/popular requests have either been done recently or are already scheduled or are very similar to blocks we just did/are about to do as part of a special swap (think "stars").  Also, last year's October block had a limited showing, despite being a much requested block, I suspect because of the many things going on in September/October.  I don't know about the rest of you, but I actually have bigger chunks of free time in November/ December than I do as school starts, the days gets shorter & the whole slide through Rosh Hashannah & into Yom Kippur happens (which is doubly odd as we have no children & A is not  himself observant, but there you are).

So I decided that I would take a chance & instead focus on an idea rather than a specific block or color/fabric scheme.  So without further ado: we are making a funky town, each block being different building in our town.  I realize that this block is only likely to appeal to a minority within our overall swap group as we usually lean towards more traditional pieced blocks; I promise this is not a sign that is changing.  This is just a short summer-is-truly-over vacation to Funky Town & the next swap will ease us back to more conventional pieced blocks.

There are a variety of basic house blocks all over the internet, in books, on software.  By & large they are a central square or rectangle with a smaller rectangle representing door somewhere in there & a triangle-more-or-less shape for the roof.  These pieces are by no means set in stone (bahahahahahaha); any building you can come up with that fits in the overall dimension of 9.5" unfinished/9" finished is just groovy.

I made a few houses with something interesting in the windows.  This particular house is NOT part of the swap but was my contribution to a larger quilt on the theme "home for the holidays".  It just photographed the best.

For others I focused on the landscaping, or as in my case, city-scaping.  & do not feel you need to limit yourself to houses.  Schools, hospitals, barns, shops, churches, synagogues, go crazy.  Plant gardens, fly flags or anything else you can think of. 

Still others I just kinda winged it, liberated quilt-style.  My only self-imposed rule was to keep anything pointy or important more than 1/2" in from the border, so it would not be trimmed away.  The frequently seen white outer border is more about my stash than any planning.

As you look at traditional house block patterns, you will see that many have a border around the whole thing but others do not.  For this reason you might want to make your block slightly smaller & then add a border.  That being said, there is no reason any special background feature (that does not involve potential clipped points) cannot be carried out to the edge.  The NYCityscape block could lose up to 1/4" on all four sides & it would not make much difference. 

If you are still on the fence &/or completely clueless what you might do with these blocks: one set of six (your five to swap & one you keep for yourself) would make happy place mats or even a table runner.  Four blocks could be a fun wall hanging.  & any number at all could make a cute fabric book along the lines of the bingo block color book.  As of this posting, a 6th block quilter has not yet come forward.  These could make a kids quilt, but I honestly do not think they are just for kids.  They could just as easily work for a Habitat for Humanity quilt or a cheerful Hospice quilt or...don't let me limit your thinking.  If someone is interested in being the 6th block person, you must make that request through the FaceBook Quilt Block Swap Group.

& last but not least, if you absolutely don't feel up to striking out on your own, Quilter's Cache has a very traditional, very conventional Schoolhouse Block that wants only the small border to "size it up".

I also made a few for which I can give you no pattern because I just went through the scrap bag, looking here anything that might work & free-worked it.  I also searched the interweb for more ideas.  You can find inspiration at  FKA Park City Girl, Tallgrass Prairie Studio, & two of my all time favorites: Lisa Boyer & Gwen Marston

Anything goes color split 9-patch variation for August

It is hard to think about quilting over the summer vacation.  Even if you are not on vacation exactly, your kids might be.  Or your potential house guests.  Also, like the February block, the August block only gives you two months to get everything together & mailed for swapping.  So, I  thought I would go with a simple classic:  the color split 9-patch.

The August 2010 block swap block is made of eight squares & one 1/2-square triangle.  One half of  the block is primarily one color, the other half is primarily another & the 1/2-square triangle is half&half.  This is a good scrap blaster, because no piece starts larger than 3 inches (& most start smaller).  For those who participated in the December 2009 Bingo Block swap, yes I am basing the cut piece dimensions on those used in that block so you can mostly use the leftovers from those scraps.  You're welcome.

In the past I have suggested a theme for the fabrics:  kids or patriotic or floral.  This month the theme is get this (s)crap out of my sewing room.  Anything goes, so long as the color divide is maintained.

For myself, I strip pieced those parts that could be strip pieced & made the 1/2 square triangles without having to deal with open bias edges BUT how you put the blocks together yourself makes no-nevermind to me.  I often cut a strip from the beginning &/or end of a piece of fabric to even the edge up & these strips just kind of pile up, but you could work with squares instead of strips, if that is how your stash is arranged.  As for the 1/2 square triangles, this is the same technique I blogged in floral sunny lanes, but if you would rather put them together another way-go for it.

The 8 individual squares (or strips) should be 2.5" unfinished/2" finished.  Four should be primarily one color the other four should be primarily another color.  If you are cutting down a large &/or boldly patterned fabric, please double check that the square you cut out meets the color requirement.  For example, a fabric patterned in large red roses may very easily produce smaller green squares if you are cutting up just the stem; I know because this is exactly what happened to me.  As you can see, there are other colors in the fabrics I grabbed BUT no one looking at anyone square would say it was anything other than either obviously intended as  red or obviously intended as blue.  As for your own color choices, please feel free to represent any two of the following colors:  red, orange, yellow, green, blue, pink or purple.

The layout is:

• First row color 1, color 1, color 2.  
• Middle row color 1, 1/2 square triangle, color 2.  
• Third row color 1, color 2, color 2.

As always, we swap in sets of five.  You can make (& swap) more than one set, just keep it to sets of five.  You are very welcome to submit a 6th block for every set you send (or more, or just for one-any & all are welcome).  You will still get only five swapped blocks back, the 6th blocks go to a member of the group who has requested them (after participating in a certain number of swaps) to make community quilts.  The guidelines for requesting 6th blocks are on the Facebook group page but the highlights are the quilt must go to a person or persons (not a raffle, not an auction, not for fund raising), through an organization that distributes quilts, or uses them in their facilities.  6th blocks are not for gifts for family members or friends, etc.  If you think this might interest you, you MUST join the Facebook Quilt Block Swap Group & make the request there.  As it happens, this swap is looking for a 6th block person; usually the kids blocks have long lists of pick-mes but I timed this one badly, what with summer vacation & all the waiting list people asked to be re-waiting listed.  The sad thing is this EXACT thing happened with last December's kids block.  You would think I would learn.  Oh well.

Blocks are due the last Saturday of an even numbered month.  In this case Saturday, August 28th.  Blocks will be swapped on the 29th & will be brought the to the post office Monday, August 30th. 

& for anyone looking for a little music to get them started - I give you Mister Porter à la Miss Gaynor.  Or if you prefer, something even more vintage.

It is block swap block time again, 2010-2nd half

The next three posts are the directions for the next three Facebook Quilt Block Swap Group's swap blocks.  If you are not interested in quilt block swapping, just skip this message:

We swap blocks in sets of FIVE- you send five blocks & get five blocks sent by other swappers back.  You can make as many sets of five as you like, joining only those swaps that interest you & skipping those that do not.  We also collect 6TH BLOCKS, that is a block in addition to the five, that goes to one of the group who makes a community project type quilt.  There is a little more to it than that, actually, & you can find all the details on the group page.  Lastly, you also need to include a self addressed, stamped envelope to return your blocks to you.  Envelopes with insufficient postage will take a very very long time to get back to you so the best idea is to use the same size & weight of envelope you sent your blocks in & affix the same postage.

If you are not currently part of the swap group, but you are interested in joining our swap group, you are very welcome BUT it would make my life A LOT easier if you joined the group through Facebook.   Log into Facebook, search "quilt block swap" & find the Quilt Block Swap Group.  There will be a picture of the current block as the profile photo.  Ask to join & you should be approved within a day or two.

If you are not on Facebook, but still interested in swapping & just need the mailing address, leave a comment with your e-mail address & I will send you that information but be warned:  I really cannot do trouble-shooting, take future block suggestions, handle requests to receive 6th blocks, etc. via individual e-mail messages. 

The blocks & their deadlines are:

 - Saturday, August 28, 2010:  Anything goes color shaded 9-patch
 - Saturday,  October 30, 2010: Funky town
 - Saturday, December 25, 2010: Batik with 1/2 border  --yes, the 25th & since there is no regular USMail that day you should really aim for Friday the 24th & anyone who swapped last December can tell you that while generally packages brought to the window at the post office by the Tuesday before the deadline make it on time, in December the cut-off it is more like the Friday before that. Sooo, think about mailing this one no later than Wednesday December 15th.

Blocks are swapped on Sunday & brought to the Post Office on Monday (unless Monday happens to be a holiday & then it is the next not-holiday day).

It is fine if you want to mail multiple swaps together, just remember that if you do not include a return envelope for each swap, you will not get anything back until the last swap.  There is no limit on how many sets you can make for any swap, just please submit in sets of five (& maybe one more to donate to the 6th block quilter).  Within any set, the blocks should be more or less the same, but each set of five can be very different within the guidelines of the particular swap.

Baby. it's cold outside (not really)

As this posts, last call has been called for the Floral Sunny Lanes block swap & we are moving on to the last of the six month-3 block set:  Baby Snowballs.

You can find the directions here.  If you would like to swap, the best thing is to join the FaceBook Quilt Block Swap Group.  Like I said, this is the last of a set of three, but three more blocks will be posted around the time this block gets swapped.

Not a whole lot more to say about this, really.  Come on down & swap! You make five blocks, you get five back.  You have the option of including a 6th block that goes to the group member making a quilt for an organization in her neck of the woods.  Previous quilts have gone to Project Linus in PA & TX, Quilts of Valor, it's an eclectic mix.  The April blocks are intended for the Prudence Crandall Center in New Britain, CT.  These are going to a group in Port Ste. Lucie, Fladidah who make quilts for brand new people.  You know, babies.

Calendar quilt-quick opportunity

As many already know, I am part of a quilt block swap group on Facebook.  If you are on Facebook search "quilt block swap" & ours is the group you have to ask to join, mostly because people put their home address & other contact info. there to coordinate swaps but also because it make it easy to keep the group advertisement-free.  If you just ask, you will get accepted.

Last year we had a calendar quilt block swap, different people signed up for different months & then made twelve of their months blocks.  It was hilarious.  we had blocks celebrating Elvis Presley's birthday (January) & blocks celebrating more widely celebrated days like Valentines, July 4th & Hallowe'en.

This year, we have two months that are malingering: January & November, so I am opening the  sign-up to people who are not on Facbeook.  If you think you might want to participate, leave a message here with your e-mail address & I will get with you as soon as I can.  Or you could go to FaceBook & search the group & I would get to you much faster. 

The blocks themselves should be non-secular (no Christmas, no Chanukah, etc. because we have Christian & Jewish participants, not to mention at least on Jehovah's witness & an atheist) & should be for something stable to that month.  This past year we did have one swapper send blocks commemorating back to school in September not realizing that many many schools (almost every one here in Florida) start back in August. & yes I realize both Valentine's & Hallowe'en started as christian (as something else before christian, too but we don't call them that anymore), but they have become mainstream kind of like Juneteenth which used to be celebrated only in black churches in Texas, but is now mentioned in the local schools all around the country.

So that's the story.  If you would lie to join us, leave me a message.  If you are thinking of waiting until next year because you would rather have a shot at a different month, keep in mind if all the months don't get taken & I have to call quilting friends & beg, there won't be a calendar quilt next year. 

Besides think of all the wonderful things happening in January: baby new year, Martin Luther King Day, Holocaust Memorial Day, Robbie Burns Day, lots of birthdays including Carl Sagan, Richard Nixon, Rasputin, Benjamin Franklin, Mozart. 

Do I really need to go into November?  I will if I have to.

More floral lanes

The February block swap has closed & the April 2010 block is up & running.  The block, if you recall, is Sunny Lanes & the swap requirement is a floral fabric must be used at least once & preferably more.  There had been requests for a "goes together to make a pattern" type of block, like split-9 patch or Jacobs Ladder.  I choose this one because it was NOT a 9 patch & I just had not seen much if any of it around.  It just might be my new favorite scrap-user-upper.

The block alone is Okay, but in combination with itself, it is something else:

If you are not part of the swap & would like to be, go to Facebook & search Quilt Block Swap & ask to join.  Or go here.  If you just want to use up your own scraps & make yourself one of these, the directions are here.  What you see above is two rows of three blocks.  Four rows of three blocks would make a lap or crib quilt.  Add more blocks, add borders & it would not be much before you had a good sized grown-up quilt.

One extra thing about this block that already does so much quilting heavy lifting:  every man who has seen it likes it.  Keep in mind, all my blocks are from foofy fabrics.  Still there is something about the big graphic made from small pieces that does not send testosterone into retreat.

& yes that is not-Thurber in the corner there.  He is helping.  Or at least not actually not helping.

Passing the good deed buck

As I have blogged before, I manage a facebook quilt block swap & this month's block was an altered 9-patch in red, white & blue.  As an extension of the usual swap, we also have a thing called "the 6th block".  No, the name was not inspired by The Sixth Sense.  It is because we swap in sets of five: you send five & get five back.  You can also send a 6th block that is put aside for the group member who has committed to making a community service quilt for that swap.  The idea was a minimal effort from many & a one-time greater effort from one, results in a whole quilt for someone who needs it.  This is very close to something from nothing which is very close to my heart.  The first set of 6th blocks were collected in August 2009.  They went to Pennsylvania & were part of 4or5 (I forget) quilt tops for the local Project Linus.  This time, the 6th blocks are going to Texas to be made into a Quilt of Valor quilt. The funny thing about this swap is it was this 6th blocker (& her community recipient of choice) that solidified the 6th block idea for me.  It has just taken a few cycles for it to come around to her.

As for the block itself, I could not be more sick of it if I had to look at it for another six months.  I have been making this block in red, white & blue on&off since last June.  I have made it at a variety of local venues (the library, community center, shelter, for friends, for anybody who asked) because it is a good basic pattern with complex potential.  It is traditional with a modern twist & I just cannot take it anymore.  Unfortunately, I also have the fabric, cut & prepped for quick assembly if anyone should want to give it a try, to demo this a few more times.  There is nothing for it, the blocks must be made.  Then earlier this year, with an ever-lightening heart I read this month's sixth blocker was thinking of having her son's cub scout den help with the project.  I checked with her first (it is the right thing to do before making my crap her crap after all) & she said "yes".

& so this weekend, all those pre-cut squares are going into the 6th block package with the blocks from across the country & I never have to see them again.  YAY!  Next they will meet Cub Scouts (yay, again), who will do whatever with them, hopefully learning something about sewing (yay) & maybe even becoming part of a Quilts of Valor.  & all I have to do is get them in the mail.

Baby snowballs for June

I do not know when I got my heart set on a "snowball in June" themed swap, but once these things take hold it is best to just let them have their way.  So our third swap block for 2010, due Saturday June 26th is a snowball block.

A snowball block in general is a square conceptually divided into 9 squares with the corners in an alternate fabric.  The quickest way to make them is to cut the snowball square from one fabric, in the unfinished dimension & then four smaller squares in the background fabric. The smaller squares will be 1/3 the FINISHED snowball + 1/2" for the seam.  

You can choose among THREE snowball blocks.  That is you can make five of any one of these (but please do not mix & match, unless you want to make five of one & five of another).  One reason for the variations is to give people who would rather do less piecing & more appliqueing (or foundation piecing or broderie perse or redwork or something else a bit more snazzy) a space to do that.

You can make either 5 four patch snowballs OR 5 nine patch snowballs, all that changes is the dimension of your fabric units.  The techniques is the same .  You could also make 5 big single snowballs with something special in the center of the block, something special being something appliqued or embroidered, something extra.  The block will be 9" finished/9.5" unfinished.  Pastel or bright or primary colors are perfectly fine, as are novelty prints-especially kids prints.  The overall idea is "baby quilt". So let's begin Baby Snowballs:

To make either the 2x2 (or 3x3) snowball cut four (nine) squares of 5" (3.5") of the snowball fabrics & then four background squares for each snowball.  If you want, you can alternate fabrics so that the snowball fabric for one unit is the corner-background fabric for another but you certainly do not have to do that.  This would be a good time to use up any baby scraps you have lying around (& if you do the 3x3 grid AKA the 9-patch snowball you can use up some very small pieces indeed).  The corner-background squares for the 4-patch would be 2" & for the 9-patch would be 1.5"

If you are going to make the just-one-snowball-per-block block you need one 9.5" piece for the snowball itself & four 3.5" squares for the background HOWEVER do not make this version of the block unless you are doing something extra, such as appliqueing in the center of the snowball.  This is so important I am going to repeat it:  please do not make the single snowball blocks & not do something else by-way of extra (applique or embroidery or what-have-you).


As always, you can send as many sets as you like, so long as they are in sets of FIVE.  All of your sets do not need to be the same, but they can be (this does, however, increase the likelihood of getting one of your own blocks back).  Within each set, the blocks should be more or less the same; please do not mix&match the three kinds of snowball blocks within a single set.  & of course, extra 6th blocks for the community project are always welcome. 

//If you not currently part of the swap group, but you are interested in joining our swap group, you are very very welcome BUT it would make my life A LOT easier if you joined through Facebook.   Log into Facebook, search "quilt block swap" & find the Group.  There will be a picture of the current block as the profile photo.  Ask to join & you should be approved within a day or two.  If you are not on Facebook, but still interested, leave a comment after this post with your e-mail address HOWEVER be warned:  I really cannot do trouble-shooting, take future block suggestions, handle requests to receive 6th blocks, etc. via individual e-mail messages.  The advantage of doing it all through Facebook is all the information is in one place you can check at your leisure.

Floral sunny lanes for April

The second 2010 Facebook Quilt Block Swap block is more complicated ( & more obscure) than previous blocks.  While the group has a good mix of brand new beginners & very advanced artisans & everyone in between, for the first year we did either simple blocks or people could find their own level.  For example the first swap was 9-patch of any kind & there were 9-patches of all kinds, some simple & some complex.

For our April block everyone will have to 1) work with some smaller-than-usual pieces & 2) deal with 1/2-square triangles.   I will lay out the directions so anyone who is new to the triangle-thing can learn it, but obviously you should feel more-than-free to use whatever method works for you.  All that matters is the block you end up with.

Without further ado, I choose a block called Sunny Lanes & for the purposes of this swap at least one fabric needs to be a floral print of some kind.

Sunny Lanes Brackman number is 1144 for those who are interested (the floral thing was just something I threw in there).  I had received many requests for something more challenging,  as well as something that worked with other blocks for an overall effect. One of the specific blocks named as meeting these criteria was Jacob's Ladder & I would have gone with it except it would have meant we would be doing nothing but 9-patches for the first 1/2 of the year & I thought maybe I could do, well, not better but different.  For the purposes of this swap at least one fabric needs to be a floral print of some kind.

Sunny Lanes is a 4 patch with four patches & 1/2 squares triangles in it.  You will need light & dark fabrics to make the triangles & medium fabrics for the smaller 4-squares.  In fact, for this block to 'work', the half square triangle MUST be dark & light & the 4-patches MUST be medium, so please choose your fabrics with this in mind.  It is perfectly OKay to use scraps for the entirety so long as the lights go in the light spots, the darks in the dark spots & the mediums in the medium spots.  Again, for this swap at least one & preferably more of the fabrics you choose should have a floral print.  The block will be 12" finished/12.5" unfinished.  The block requires eight (8) half square triangles & eight (8) mini-4patches.  So lets begin Floral Sunny Lanes.

Part One- There are gazillions of ways to make the half square triangles & as long as you end up with 3.5" half square triangles it does not much matter which technique you use.  I am providing the steps how I make them I make them this way because it is the easiest & most accurate way to use up irregular & smaller pieces of fabric:

1. Cut four 4" squares from you light fabrics & four 4" squares from your dark fabrics.  You can use the same light & same dark throughout the block or you can use up scraps.   On the back of the light square, with a pencil or marker that will not run make a straight line from one corner to the other.  Ultimately this will be your cutting line, so you do not need to worry about it washing out or fading.  Pin the other two corners.

2. Stitch 1/4" from this line on either side.  I find the easiest way to do this without getting the points jammed into the machine is to chain piece (just keep stitching without stopping to cut in between) while alternating which side of the line you are stitching.

3.  Once you have sewn 1/4" on both sides of the line, unpin & cut on the center line.  Press open.  It is possible your triangle will need to be squared up, remember the size you want it to be is 3.5".  Also, cut away any threads (if you did not chain piece) & trim the pointy-bits from the ends of the seam. 


Part Two- The mini 4-patches are not so complicated.  The hardest thing about them is their diminutive size.  As with each half square triangle you want to work with a 3.5" unit.  Therefore, each of the squares within the mini 4-patch begins as a 2" square. Again, you can assemble these as you wish, you can strip piece them, you can use up smaller scraps, you can make conventional 2 fabric 4-squares or use a unique fabric for each square.  The only rule is that ALL of the fabrics comprising the mini 4-squares should be medium shades.  If you are not sure whether or not your fabric is a medium, put it between the dark & the light you have selected for your half square triangles.  If you are still unable to confirm it is a medium, you should consider whether or not the dark or the light you have chosen really medium.  Just like the half-square triangles, you will need 8 mini 4-patches for each block

Part Three- Each block is made up of 4 smaller units, there are two layouts for these smaller units (although they are both made of  2 half-square triangles & 2 mini 4-squares).  You will need two of each for each block. While both have half-square triangles &min 4-squares opposite each other, one as the dark sides of the triangle both pointing to the center, the other has the dark triangles pointing one direction & the light triangles in the other.

After choosing the block, working out the unit sizes, etc. I found there was another version of it on-line at Quilters Cache, an excellent resource if you have not yet discovered it.  You might note that the triangles are handled differently than I have described or is diagrammed in the Encyclopedia of Quilt Patterns, from which I took the block.  There is nothing wrong with this variation but because this is such a busy block, it would probably be better if everyone did the same version.

Finally, If you not currently part of the swap group, but you are interested in joining our swap group, you are very very welcome BUT it would make my life A LOT easier if you joined through Facebook.   Log into Facebook, search "quilt block swap" & find the Group.  There will be a picture of the current block as the profile photo.  Ask to join & you should be approved within a day or two.  If you are not on Facebook, but still interested, go to this post & leave a comment there.