Another Little Quilt Swap...again!

I'm sure many of you are aware that I sometimes run a little quilt swap called Another Little Quilt Swap (ALQS). I have decided, finally, to run a fourth round. The swap has its own blog, so do pop on over and check it out!

The style of swap is a little different from some, in that you aren't assigned a partner, and you have to prove you have made your quilt before you can pick out your choices of quilts to come live with you - full details of the rules and guidelines are on the swap blog.

Forgot to post this!

As I mentioned before, I am making some more of the wonky log cabin blocks, this time in warm colours. It's making a nice dent in my scrap basket, and so far I haven't even touched the strips in the shoe boxes of strips (which are a lot emptier after I did all the cool colour blocks). I'd really like to get rid of all my accumulated scraps - or at least, a lot of them - so I think this might be the way to go. I may also offer some stuff up to people who do charity quilts - I have a lot of pre-cut squares, for instance - which I don't think I'm really likely ever to use.

Anyway, there are a lot more of these warm colour blocks on the go and I plan to work on them some more today. Tomorrow I might make some blocks for the April block lotto, but I won't be able to show them yet, so perhaps I'll show more of these blocks.

And yes, I did redesign my blog, by playing around with the template designer on Blogger Draft - I know it looks kind of autumnal rather than spring-like, but it suits me. I'm sure I'll fiddle with it some more before too long, as it seems to get easier and easier to do - thank goodness!

More scrappy log cabins...

Today I finished the last of the purple, blue and green scrappy wonky log cabins - I have 36, 10" blocks, which will make a nice sized lap quilt. It made such a nice dent in my scrap basket, that I decided to go ahead and do some in warmer colours, so have pulled out orange, red, pink, brown and black (again) scraps and am working on some in that colourway, too - I can actually see the bottom of the basket now!

Goodies in!

A while back I signed up to Trash's Spring/Autumn Swap (depending on your hemisphere) - the brief was to send something homemade, some crafty bits and something yummy. I made a little spring quiltie for my partner down under; today I received, also from Down Under, from the lovely Calidore, my own selection of goodies.

Aren't they wrapped beautifullly? Even through the cellophane I can see that one item says "chocolate" all over it - this turned out to be a bag of - well, no surprise there - chocolate treats. I also got a nice pair of mitts (fingerless gloves) which fit perfectly and which I am totally delighted to say I won't be wearing until next autumn or winter (the back of spring finally having been broken here - and not before time!) but which will come in very handy when the time does come. Despite the purple, they have actually photographed fairly well - or rather, not so much "they" as it's hard to take a photo of both of ones own hands at the same time...



She also sent a small package of hand-dyed charms, some lovely flowery bits and - and these I really can't wait to do something with - a couple of pieces of silk paper and some silk paper leaves. These are really beautiful bits of craftwork, and although it seems almost a shame to use them for anything (rather than just sit around admiring them) I'm sure I'll get over that soon and incorporate them into something or other...

Anyway, a lovely bundle of goodies which was very welcome on my doormat after a long week! Thanks again Catherine.

Deja vu?

I know, this looks more or less like yesterday, albeit there are 12 blocks instead of 10 - but I promise this is a new set of blocks, and in fact, these are 10" blocks, not 9". I have some more to finish off, most of them only needing one or two more rounds before trimming - when finished I will have 30 blocks, which will make a nice size lap quilt. I might do another one later, using all my red, yellow and orange scraps!

Block lotto blocks

So, here are ten finished blocks for the March block lotto - five lean left and five lean right. I actually have started some more of these for myself (great way to use up scraps, and I had lots of stuff out, ready, anyway).

Just for your interest, I thought I'd show what the blocks look like before and after being trimmed...



They were approximately 12" squares before I trimmed them - but as you can see, the edges aren't necessarily straight or even - it doesn't matter, really. I trimmed them to 9" (finished) for the lotto. The ones I do for myself, I might trim a little less - perhaps to 10". It will mean I can only lean them over gently, but that's ok, they will still be lovely blocks and make a nice baby quilt or lap quilt (depending on how many blocks I do). Look for more tomorrow, as I am hoping that one of my Mother's Day presents will be some sewing time!

A little midweek work...

Amazingly enough, I had about a half hour free today during the day to do a little sewing - so I decided I'd get started on some blocks for the March block lotto - these are going to be funky log cabins, though they have a way to go. This is a great block to do - useful for using up scraps, certainly. I love the colourway as well. Who knows, I might even make some more for myself - perhaps in this colourway, perhaps just to use up some of the many scraps in my scrap basket...

Weekend Work

So, amidst all the various things on the family schedule this weekend, I did find some sewing time - on Saturday, I put together the homespun squares the rest of the way - I had to trim them first as some of them were kind of wonky - I confess it! I think it's the nature of the fabric. Anyway, I'm not that worried about it as it will be a tree skirt and spend a lot of time not being seen much...

I also worked on something today for the Bloggers Round Robin, but of course I can't show that as it has to be a secret - can't wait until those projects are done and we can see them all!