Last block is in the mail

Today I finished sewing Terry's block and mailed it off.  I'm now done sewing blocks for 2012 Block Exchange, and I'm looking forward to 2013.

A crisp, clean block for a lovely fall day - I do love a blue and white quilt.

September 2012

 September is traditionally our last Block Exchange meeting. It's when we show all the blocks, some over-achievers might even have their tops together, and, yes, we have another meal.

This year, however, we didn't meet in May because of Memorial Day ... so we've extended the fun until October ... so there's still an opportunity to be an over-achiever. And, get those last few blocks done.

Because some of us live close enough to be here in person, and because some of us don't, and because all of us are insanely busy ... these photos are meant to bring the experience to those who weren't able to make September's Block Exchange.

So, you get the idea ... we sit around and talk ... get some food and talk ... 

show our blocks, take pictures and talk.

 

This is Terry's quilt that she made for her in-law's 40th wedding anniversary, in 1994. 

Sadly both of them passed away this year, so the quilt is returned to her.

 

Here's our wonderful hostess, Louise, taking pictures ... just like Ruth asked!

Bonnie showed us what she's been doing in the past year. She retired and made 10 quilts

 (and she said she didn't even make any this summer). 

Bonnie's been doing some improv piecing. You'll see her work in Victoria Findlay Wolfe's upcoming book 

15 Minutes of Play.

 

Slice and dice (that's not the real name, just the one I made up).

 

This one is called sink holes in Spanish (I don't know what that word is), another improv quilt by Bonnie.

 

Then, Bonnie said she thought she better do some more traditional quilts ... so she did this one (above).

 

Quilted by Angela Walters

 

Whew! When can I retire and make 10 quilts in less than a year?

On to the Block Exchange pictures!

This one is Carol Schon's from a couple of years ago. Some of us ... myself included and probably leading the charge ... have quilts from past block exchanges that are curing. 

We are waiting for the right time to put them together. (That's our story and we're sticking to it.)

 

These are Terry's blocks. She chose Contrary Husband (not that any of us have any of those). Terry asked us to do her block in blues and whites (obviously). It makes a wonderful secondary pattern, that makes me forget what the original block looked like.

 This one is Jan's. We put the nine-patch blocks together for her and she did the applique.

Jan said this is how this quilt wanted to be put together ... 

advice from Jan: Listen to your quilts, you'll sleep better.

These are my swoon blocks, with the gray background. Since we have so many people in our exchange, 

I will get two quilts out of one year, not that they will be done, 

but the blocks will be done (see above comments about 'curing').

 

This is Carol Schon's block from this year ... We sewed the strips together, 

and Carol sliced them up, and put them back together.

We didn't have everyone there but as usual it was an evening full of food, fun and friendship.

I am lucky to be in the presence of such wonderful women. 

They are creative, wise, strong, brave, great cooks and sweet.

I will be forever grateful to Ruth, who started this exchange, 

for inviting me to play because I have received so much more than quilts 

(even if some are blocks in boxes) -- I have gained friends.

-- Eileen

Three more blocks in the mail

I'm going into the home stretch to finish my Block Exchange blocks on time! Here are the three I mailed this week.

Eileen's modern quilt block - either for one of two quilts or for one humongous quilt!

Louise's kids quilt block. It was fun to get to use the penguin fabric that Jackie sent me in the mail from a fabric-buying trip she took with Jan.

Carol Schon's flying geese strips and a set of strips she is cutting up and reassembling. It will be fun to see what she does with this combination of geese and strips.

I've got one block left to sew this weekend: Terry's blue and white block. I'm glad to be finishing by sewing a block using my favorite blue colors.

Labor Day Weekend

I sewed some more block exchange blocks this weekend.

Dorothy's blocks - fun to add another Grinch from my Dr. Seuss fabric!

Jan's block - it took me two tries to make this seemingly simple block.  My first try was 1/4" too small.

Lisa's flower block - a fun way to use the snowball block.

Phyllis's block - I used fabrics that Phyllis likes, including the red cabbage fabric from her vegetable garden quilt, a pink from Terry's Vermont fabrics, and of course a bird so that she'll know it's from me.

Daisy's brown block - I managed to sneak in a dog print. 

Linda's batik block - love how it glows (and I also managed to sneak in a dog print).

I miss hosting block exchange at my house, but I'm glad that I can still participate from afar.

Love to you all, Ruth