Quilting and Stuff by Knitnoid

Category Archives: Swaps

Is It Too Early?

In late April I’m going to a quilt retreat.  Among the activities is a “Challenge Block” and a “Swap Block”.  This year the Challenge or Lotto block is the 10″  from Quilters Cache.  Any shade of blue with white on white background. I’ve made 2 so my name will be tossed into the bucket twice to win all of the blocks.  One year I think there were enough to make 3 quilts, so 3 people took blocks home.

This year’s Swap Block is Friendship Scrap Block, also from Quilters Cache.  The ‘ring’ is supposed to be a cream with a small print (this photo is slightly overexposed)  with medium darks with subtle print or solid of my choice. Since the sign up is still open, I don’t know how many blocks I’ll need to make.  My plan is to make at least a dozen blocks between now and when the final count is released.  If I have more blocks than I need they’ll be tossed into the box to be used later. If I need more blocks, I’ll be well on the way to having them done.

So, why am I working on these blocks 10 weeks before I need them?  Well the next two weeks will be devoted to working on the house.  My brother will get in tomorrow night and we’ll hit the ground running on Tuesday. First up — plywood to make a platform for the antique brass bed and getting a mattress.  I sent the rails out to get lengthened and didn’t know when I’d get them back, so didn’t want to buy a mattress until I had a place for it. I’ll eventually need to get or make a bed skirt, but I’ll worry about that later.

Because Sometimes You Just Have to Cut Fabric

swap

 

I’m all ready for the PQS Charm Swap hosted by The Curious Quilter.  I didn’t plan to join, but I ran out of 1 1/2″ squares for my leader/enders, so figure while I was cutting…

These are matching sets of 100 (10 in each pile). I’ll mail off 4 sets for swapping, swap one with my sister and keep one. Most of this came from my 1 1/2″ strip box. I did dig into my blue box and my orange & black box.   Since sign ups are open through the 22nd, who knows, I may pull out some of my other boxes to cut a few strips.

 

What’s On My Design Wall

Bits and pieces of several things.  The blocks at the top left are the first two blocks from the Kaw Valley Quilters Guild block of the month.   The two blocks on the far right are a couple of swap blocks.  I’ve got one more to do this month and then I’ll get them in the mail.

The two rows of 6″ blocks are the blocks from Row A of Sylvia’s Bridal Sampler.  I’m currently working on A6 – Tennessee and then I’ll be done with Row A.

Finally, the two 3″ pinwheels may or may not end up in a miniature quilt. They could just as easily end up in the Orphan Block box.

See if others are bouncing between multiple projects by following the links over at Patchwork Times.

Squishies in the Mail

I belong to several on-line quilting groups and participate in a couple of birthday swaps. As a result May is a month of Squishies. For the past 4 or 5 years I’ve participated in a centralized FQ swap. The hostess gathers the FQs from all of the participants at the beginning of the year sorts them back out and then the week of your birthday you get a package of FQ in the mail. The FQs I received this year are pictured above.

The second swap I participated in this year was a decentralized block swap. We were divided into several groups so the # of blocks wouldn’t be overwhelming and we make a block for the group members and send it to them for their birthday. We were allowed to specify colors and blocks if we desired. I picked the Pennsylvania block in blue and white. I plan to alternate these blocks with blue and yellow star blocks. Maybe by next year I’ll have a birthday quilt.