Sunday, July 08, 2007

The Swap


I'm doing a swap with two wonderful friends. We have no deadlines. We have no pressure to get these done. But I was at loose ends yesterday, so decided to pull out the swap container and make my next block. We're doing the Lori Smith pattern, Quilt Block Sampler.
Since there are three of us, our names were put in alphabetical order and we were assigned every third block in the quilt. Then we make three of those blocks using Civil War fabrics in the general colorways on the pattern picture.
I've run across this a time or two or three in my lifetime, but having a name that starts with a "V" isn't always fun. (If I were still in the South, the "sucking hind tit" analogy would be applied!) Really, I'm just joking. As I looked at each block last night, there are no easy ones in this pattern. Really no hard ones either, just all tedious ones. Because I know someone will ask, these are, I think, 8" blocks.
It would be great if my stash room and my sewing room with good light were on the same floor in my condo. Now don't you all start telling me that running up and down the stairs is good exercise! LOL. I've got two humongous wire baskets filled with Civil War fabrics. They're too heavy to lug downstairs. In fact, they're so heavy that I broke a nail yesterday trying to get them out of the runners and down on the floor where I could dig through them. I love those fabrics, though, and have enjoyed going through them for this project.
But about Civil War fabrics, a little goes a long way! Most of the projects I've done were itsy bitsy blocks. Heck, a fat quarter is way too much fabric for them. There is only one store about an hour or two from here that sells Civil War fabrics, and I don't get there often. If I see a particular fabric or color online that I need/want, there's usually a half yard or yard minimum order. Absolutely too much, although I have done that and regretted it. My solution is the Road to California quilt show in each January.
I hit the Schoolhouse Quilts booth first, chat with Judie and Bob Rothermel a bit, and then dive in picking and choosing what I think I will need through the year. Bob is a hoot! If any of you ever get to a quilt show they're attending, you've got to stop in and say hi to them. Their booth is always packed, so I usually run straight there when the doors open and before it fills up with quilters. Several years ago I took a four-day Robyn Pandolph workshop at R2CA. On Thursday and Friday during the day while classes were going on, and before the weekend crowd got there, it was fun to sneak down to Schoolhouse Quilts at odd times during the day. I spent so much time and money in their booth, and I think I touched everything in there at least twice. In fact, Bob said he was going to put me on their Christmas card list (or claim me as a dependent)! Since then, though, I just head over there, ask Bob what's new, and focus on just the new things.
This year I'm going to focus on red and green, mainly green. I've got oodles of blue, brown and shirtings, and a fair amount of the other colorways. Greens are sadly lacking in my CW stash. I've tried a couple of times doing fabric swaps with online friends on CWs, but I always end up getting what I don't need or already have.
Anyway, this block swap has been fun. We've got a long ways to go on it, but it really doesn't matter. I guess it just needs to be finished before we get to The Home. Or we could just get adjoining rooms! We could sit out on the veranda in our rockers, sipping mint juleps, and stitching! Wait, I don't think they serve alcohol to nursing home residents, do they? LOL
The picture shows the blocks we've swapped so far, and the three I made yesterday. I really think the best part of doing a swap with close friends is that I think of them the whole time I'm working on the block. That's a huge smile factor in itself! But it's especially nice when one of them calls, like what happened yesterday, just as you're thinking of her!

Gratitudes:

~ My friendship cup runneth over! What a blessing!

~ The joy of returning to a project that you love for a bit, and then putting it away to be enjoyed another day!

~ Last day of the long holiday break -- manicure is definitely on the agenda today!

~ Sleeping in until 6:30 this morning! I'm such a slug!

18 comments:

Gail said...

All those cw blocks look wonderful, and I like the Christmas one you almost megged me into as well.

Carol said...

What a great thing to be doing that with friends...I have that pattern in the stack of to do's...maybe we should all sign up for the same Home :)

Kim said...

My aunt-in-law just went into assisted living and they have something like "drunk old folks night" a couple times a week. Okay, maybe not drunk, exactly, but they can have two cocktails. So keep on dreaming about rocking on the veranda of The Home, sipping mint juleps, and stitching up your blocks! I'm pretty sure you won't have run out of fabric by then! LOL!

MARCIE said...

I have seen that pattern and loved it and thought, nope, I am not that crazy. But you are, apparently! And what a great idea to swap them with friends! I envy that you can go to Judie's booth. She hasn't been here the past two years, and like you, I spend a lot of time and money in her booth.

Granny said...

Those are beautiful blocks. I don't think I have a single CW fabric in my stash but I am starting to like them. Maybe one day I'll get to R2CA and spend some time in the Schoolhouse booth.

Darlene said...

Those blocks are darling! Enjoy!

Texan said...

If sleeping in till 6:30 makes you a slug, LOL I must be a beached whale most days! LOL...I am pretty sure my alarm clock will go off at 6:30 but mmmmm lets not test that theory! :O)..

Your blocks are great!

tami said...

Wow! I love that pattern. The blocks look great so far. I can't wait to see it after they are all finished.

Jeanne said...

Oh, these little blocks are charming! I should getsome of my Lori Smith patterns out again, and start thinking ...

Nope, not much in the way of CW or prim out here, is there?

Jeanne :)

Anonymous said...

I love all those blocks, especially the ones with the dark green, at least they look dark green on my monitor. I'm going through a green period lately.

Anonymous said...

P.S. BLATANT MEGGING AHEAD!

Have you ever ordered your Civil War fabrics from Keepsake Quilting online? They have FQ's of most things available, and they have a "collection" on there of 10" blocks. I believe I have that in my stash myself!

Ok, end BLATANT MEGGING! lol

Shelina said...

What a great idea for a swap. While you have figured out how to make a block, you might as well make a couple more to share with your friends. And thinking of your friends while you make blocks for them makes you remember them fondly as if they were sitting next to you stitching. Very nice.

Vicky said...

Beth, watch it now! You've already gotten me into a ton of trouble this month with your megging!

Could you please email me? For some reason my emails to you are bouncing. Probably have it wrong in my address book. (Hugs)

atet said...

Those blocks are lovely -- and I know what you mean about a last name that is at the end of the alphabet. Somehow in school I was always stuck in the back of the room, and I'm SHORT!

37NL Swaps said...

I love CW fabrics. I have way too many, but that's barely enough. =) Your quilt blocks look great. The nice part of doing it with friends is that no matter how awful the block is, you only have to make 3.

Yvonne said...

Really nice blocks....I like Lori Smith's patterns also. I do have a question....what is "megging"?

Jeanne said...

What a great idea. The blocks in your picture are all gorgeous. They will make a wonderful quilt.

Patti said...

What a great way to do a swap. One of my online friends and I keep talking about doing a swap - this might be a good way to do it!