Skip to main content

Block Swap

The first time I attended a quilt guild meeting, the members were having their annual block swap. I had heard about it a few days before, from the lady who invited me, but being a hand-piecer, and having no inspiration off the top of my head, I did not participate. Boy, was I sorry! The theme for that year was Halloween, and the only restrictions were you had to bring twelve blocks, and they had to be 12 1/2 inches. There were so many neat blocks. One person had made traditional Spider Web blocks, another had made Sunbonnet Sue-type blocks, but they were trick-or-treaters.

I knew I'd participate the next year, for sure. The next year, the theme was baskets; they had to be on point, 12 inches. I pieced my baskets but did not get them completed by the deadline. Most of them are done now, but I still have a few waiting for handles.



Last year, the exchange was for six 36" strips, the theme was Spring, and there was a required background fabric, so that all the pieces would be cohesive. I started out to do that exchange, but my pieces didn't come out straight, and before I thought of another idea, I lost the background fabric - all two yards of it.


Well, this year was twelve 9" blue and white blocks. Finally, something I could handle! I started out with a more complex block, but as the deadline approached, I ended up with these:



The name of the block is Three Kings' Journey from this book. Of course, the title refers to the magi going to see Baby Jesus, but I also thought of my own three little kings.


Here are all the blocks (only nine people participated.)




Since all my baskets are blue, I thought of putting them with the blue and white swap blocks, but they are different sizes. I'm undecided. Anyway, I think it is a lot of fun to exchange blocks with others. Here's another blog on block swaps.


(By the way, the quilt that my basket block is laying on top of is a quilt my great-grandmother made.)

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

garden panos from 2023

 Last year, I made some effort (not thoroughly successful) to capture state-of-the-garden pictures every month, including panoramas stitched together on Photoshop, in order to get the whole view of what's happening.  So here's a little recap of the garden in 2023! early March April May June August It appears that I missed July, and either didn't take or didn't save this project in September, although we didn't have a killing frost very late into the season - we were still harvesting a few things in October.  As much as I loved the lettuce that was growing in the tunnel, and getting an early start on a few things, I'm not a fan of plastic anywhere, especially in my garden, so I am looking at options - cold boxes with old windows, etc.  I'm planning to start my 2024 garden this month - pea planting, planning, and seed starting in March!  What are you planting?  

Spring Means Baseball!

I've had this idea for a knitting pattern in my head and it's finally come to fruition!  I am still polishing up the pattern, but here's a quick peak:  PS:  There's more than one size and this one is too big for me but it was the only one I had "stitched up."

Night

Trixie (as in Speed Racer) and Stitch (as in per inch) Night My kitten walks on velvet feet And makes no sound at all; And in the doorway nightly sits To watch the darkness fall. I think he loves the lady, Night, And feels akin to her Whose footsteps are as still as his, Whose touch as soft as fur. Lois Weakley McKay ... a childhood favorite from The How and Why Library. Thank goodness my parents moved last year and sent this book my way. Otherwise, I would have just the first line running through my head forever!