International Doll Quilt Swap

 Last year I participated in an International Doll Quilt Swap organized by an Instagram "friend", @needlethimbleandthread.

I enjoyed the swap so I jumped in again when the 2021 swap was announced. Only those from the preceding get first chance to sign up for this  year. If spaces remain, a couple more are added--that is how I got in last year. 

This is the fifth and final doll quilt swap with Needle Thimble and Thread. This swap is kept small and run very well. There are 26 swappers. All must have an active Instagram feed. Their Instagram feed must include photos of their hand quilting. The project is kept small--14" minimum, 20" maximum. All projects must be made from 1800's-type reproduction fabrics. And the doll quilt must be hand-quilted.

In addition, there are mandatory deadlines:

A progress photo of the top must be posted by June 18.

A progress photo of the quilting must be posted by July 6.

If you don't meet those deadlines, you are removed from the swap.

The mailing date is no later than August 16 and you must be willing to mail internationally.

Last week I made my top and basted it:

Basted Top, 16" x 20"

This week I started the hand quilting:

Lucky spacing on pre-cut triangles

Close to half way done the quilting

The binding and sleeve and label are prepared, ready to go.

Organizing these kinds of projects takes a lot of effort. The rules are established based on "areas of concern" from prior years. You might think everyone will play by the rules but you would be surprised.  I am willing to do this swap because I know "bad" surprises are highly unlikely with this group.

Follow #ntatdqs2021 on Instagram to see all the amazing doll quilts as they are being made. After August 16, the finished quilts will be revealed by the recipients as they make their way around the world.

Let's quilt.

Barbara

TINY STARS BLOCK SWAP

I have hardly looked up the last few days: A new swap, a sew-a-long completed, another sew-a-long to start, a class sample to deliver, and I started quilting a top today that has been ready for almost two years. I guess I like being busy.

The New Swap: Yesterday I saw a tutorial on Instagram that I thought would make a great swap block--over-sized and points don't have to meet. Perfect. I checked on our guild Members Facebook page to see if anyone else wanted to play.

Very quickly there were at least a dozen interested so I came up with a plan. I am a natural-born organizer, I just can't help it.

First I wrote to the designer for permission to use her tutorial and to write this blog. She graciously granted permission. Here is the wonderful Tiny Star Block Tutorial by Lindsey Weight.  If you are not on Instagram here are photos:

NOTE: HQH  MEMBERS, if you want to join in and are not on Facebook, just send me an email.

Here are the "Rules" for the Heritage Quilters of Huntsville swap, feel free to create your own rules if you put together a swap:

1.Sign up to make 10, 20, or 30. (So far, everyone wants to make 30)

2. They are due at the November guild meeting--you will get the same number of blocks you turn in, 10, 20, or 30, none of your own.  (That is one month--don't drag it out, these are fast to make)

 3. First quality fabric only.

 4. Blocks are 4.5" finished, 5" unfinished. EASY blocks to make quickly. DO NOT TRIM DOWN FROM 5"--each person can trim their own IF they want to. Mine will "float" so I will not trim. .

 5. Use light fabric for the background, contrasting print for the star. You may choose to put a different fabric in the center, one that looks like it belongs with the star points. You can make several exactly the same but this is a great way to use small scraps vs. yardage.

6. Do your best work--turn in blocks you would be happy to receive.

7. See photos for two pressing options for outer seams. First pressing of block units: middle row in to the middle, top and bottom rows, out toward the outside--do this on ALL blocks.. The two ROWS can be pressed to the outer edges OR open, your choice. 

Rows pressed toward the outside 

Rows pressed open

Today I found these blocks are perfect as leader/enders, startie/stoppies--just have them cut out and sew the units as you sew other projects:

If you like to draw pencil lines as a sewing guide, it can be time-consuming to draw diagonal lines on those 8 small print squares. Here is a trick that makes it much faster.

Cut two 3" squares. Draw a line on both diagonals, from corner to corner, with a mechanical pencil:

Carefully cut the 3" squares into four 1.5" squares:

 There you have eight 1.5" squares with the pencil lines drawn:

NOTE: I tried 3 methods--drawing pencil lines  as above, pressing the 1.5" squares in half to create a crease I could see, and just winging it from corner to corner as I sewed. All three methods worked for me so try all three and decide which you prefer. I know some people use the Angler on the bed of their machine--that is yet another option.

My guild actually used this method a few years ago for swap blocks--those were 9" finished blocks. These tiny ones are just so cute! 

Since I am in the middle of several projects and my cutting table is piled high with fabrics, it will be easy to cut a bunch of these and get them made. I'll be in Houston for two weeks before our November meeting so these will be done before I leave.

If you like this, why not ask some friends to swap with you? It is fun and just like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get!

Let's Quilt!

Barbara

Swap Blocks for Confident Quilters--Even if You're Not

Planning for our next quilt show, Fanfare 2015, is just getting underway and the committee has expressed interest in having a quilt block swap. 

If you have ever participated in a block swap, you know that most people have a "personal" 1/4" seam allowance, and the more complicated the block, the more likely blocks from several people will not fit together--that is, those blocks don't play well with others. 

After a few of those experiences, a new idea came up among a small group of my friends some years ago.  Now we try to find "units" to make that can be trimmed to the desired size by the recipient, and the owner then puts those units into her own quilt.  It worked very well with 3 separate groups I worked with.

So, here are some ideas for our next swap, which will involve about 20 quilters, most of whom are very experienced:

1.  X Block--this comes from Sharyn Craig's book Layer 'Em Up

Top I made with the last swap I did with these units

Size possibilities:  8" or 3" finished blocks

I am very partial to this small size, here in an antique top I bought recently 

2.  Sixpence blocks--I call them this because they use 6" squares to start with:

Quilt I made with swapped sixpence units some years ago

The unit, very fast to sew and the pressing and trimming is done by the owner, not the person who sewed it

3.  The Japanese X and + blocks--all over the internet and Pinterest--I love this but it requires a lot of different fabric to be most effective.  That makes this a great swap block:

Completed block

Top in Progress

The plan:  only the 4 outer corner "wedges" are sewn by the group.  The owner chooses her own center rectangle and squares and sews the block together, so it should fit.

A test block I sewed--notice I sewed the corner "wedges" in the wrong orientation--OOPS! 

Here's another layout for those "wedges" or X units:

4.  Last option:  String Blocks, another one that needs lots of fabrics to be effective:

String blocks sewn to paper--like old telephone book pages

 

So those are the 4 choices I'm presenting to the group.  We'll select the one that most appeals to people and I'll write up the rules.  I'm good at rules and that's the best way to have satisfied quilters at the end of the process, clear rules.  Everyone knows what is expected and agrees to do their best sewing and use first quality cotton fabrics. 

Each of these units will have their own very specific size and sewing rules and the number of units to make will be defined.  Each person will sew as many as she receives--the beauty of such a swap is the wide variety of fabrics that one gets in their blocks, without having to buy it all.  And each person gets to determine what colors she wants, old reproductions, 30's, batiks, very bold Modern fabrics, whatever she wants. 

I already know I'll have a hard time choosing which to do.  I hope the others like these choices.  Stay tuned as this project gets going.

Let's Quilt!

Barbara

Tiny Stars for Block Swap

I made it!  Thirty  5" unfinished Tiny Stars for the Heritage Quilters of Huntsville block swap:

Recently, I discovered the tutorial for this cute star on Instagram and put a swap together for my guild. Find that info here: Tiny Stars Block Swap

Fourteen people jumped on board so I know they are busy sewing right now too. I chose to only have a month for this swap--the holiday season is just around the corner and if you drag it out, the early birds are done and ready to swap and those who wait until the last minute haven't started yet. Set a short deadline, everyone agrees and the swap is over quickly.

Here is how they will turn in their blocks at our November guild meeting. all 30 in a quart-size ZipLoc bag with their name on it:

At the guild meeting, I will sort them out and return each person's bag with new blocks.

Then it will be fun to see what we got and decide how to use them. They can be cut down to 4.5" unfinished or kept at 5" unfinished. I plan to leave them at 5" so they "float" in the quilt.

Block swaps can be a challenge but this is a good one since points don't have to meet and the sizing is "forgiving".

Let's quilt.

Barbara

Doll Quilt Swap

I was fortunate to get into the Doll Quilt Swap organized by Needle Thimble and Thread on Instagram. see #ntatdqs2020 to see many beautiful little quilts being made to swap. Those who participated in the prior year get first chance to sign up for the current year and sometimes no one new is added. This year a few spots opened up and I was excited I got in.

The one I made for this swap is ready to take a trip in the mail to its new home:

18" square

Label

Handquilting with wool batting is so easy!

The rules were simple:

1. Reproduction Fabrics, quilt shop quality

2. No smaller than 14" x 14", no larger than 18" x 18"

3. Handquilting only

4. Theme is "Remember Me"

5. Do your best--make something you would love to receive

6. In progress photos were required at specific times--the top in progress, the quilting in progress

7. Label including the theme "Remember Me", the name and  location of the maker, the maker's Instagram name

8. Keep to the deadline

As the quilt must be in the mail by August 1, 2020, I am within the deadline. I used 3" blocks from the Temecula Quilt Company's Stay At Home Sampler--it was free on Instagram in April. The blocks are still there should you want them. 

I will put a few little "goodies" in the package and get it to the Post Office on Monday. I hope the person I made it for likes it.

Swaps are popular but do have pluses and minuses. I have written about them several times before. Put swap in the Search box on the upper left of this page to find them.

Have you participated in a Swap? Was it fun and successful?

Let's quilt.

Barbara

Doll Quilt Swap 2020

I mentioned a couple weeks ago how I was excited that I got in to an international doll quilt swap that I had admired from afar for a few years. Read more about that here: NeedleThimble and Thread Doll Quilt Swap 2020

The doll quilt I received just arrived--all the way from the Netherlands! Miranda Sol-van Paemel, @mirandasolvan, made this for me. Look at all the details and hand stitching. Miranda says this is she and her daughter and their dog from an earlier time, way back. What a unique design:

"Remember Me", 14" x 19" 

The labels on the back are Dutch Wooden Shoes--perfect!

The quilt and all the goodies that came in the package

An adorable cat pin cushion

Dutch Cinnamon Sticks--we used Translate to read all about these. So yummy, mostly cinnamon and sugar!

Great little scissors--these just might be air travel safe

A tiny tin and several lovely tea bags

We do not get to know who is making a quilt for us so it is a total surprise when the package arrives. In this time of Corona virus, I wasn't surprised the package took 24 days to cross the ocean--not too bad.

This was a wonderful swap and I am so glad I got in. Thank you to Christine of Needle Thimble and Thread on Instagram for creating this swap and being sure her rules are followed. I knew whatever I got would be wonderful. This surpassed my expectations. 

I encourage you to check out #ntatdqs2020  on  Instagram  to see photos of all the amazing doll quilts that were swapped--all hand quilted and made with the utmost care.

Let's quilt.

Barbara

The Latest New Quilt Project

While doing "secret sewing" I can't show you, I am making another quilt at the same time:

This is not the final design placement and there are many more blocks to go, but you get the idea.

The corner triangles are being sewn on as "leader/enders" while making the secret quilt. Easy and it gives me a sense of accomplishment as each star goes from 6" to 9" finished and finds a place on the design wall.

At the first Joyful Journey Retreat, one of the women was working on an old project she was eager to get finished. I really liked it and thought I would want to make one like it someday:

All of April's Sawtooth Star points are the same light off-white fabric and the centers and backgrounds are different fabrics. The sashing and cornerstones tie it all together. I like the wide variety of fabrics very much, especially in the outside perimeter triangles. But when would I have time to start yet another quilt from scratch?

While laying in bed, when I should have been sleeping, I remembered I had 40 6" Sawtooth Star blocks I received in a swap, from Barb Vedder's blog: Oh, My Stars Swap  Perfect!

I "did the math" and decided to cut 80 squares, 6" each, to provide the 160 triangles needed to surround each star. Rather than dig out 80 fabrics, my original plan, I quickly decided to cut 2 each from 40 fabrics, in a wide variety of colors.

Once the four triangles were sewn on the four sides of the star, I pressed them firmly and trimmed the block to 9.5" square. This allows the stars to "float" just a bit. To float them even more, I could have cut those squares larger, say 6.5", 7" or even 7.5". That would make the stars larger. 

Once all the stars are surrounded with triangles and trimmed to 9.5",  I will decide what sashing and cornerstones I want to use. This makes for a larger quilt and gives each star room to shine.

Swaps are notoriously challenging--I have participated in many over the years. Even though Barb's instructions were clear and spot-on, not all of the blocks I received followed those instructions. A few had bias on the background triangles instead of straight-of-grain, and the requirement to use "quilt shop quality muslin" wasn't always followed.

Adding your own fabrics to blocks received in swaps is a good way to control the quality and fix block sizes that are not exactly perfect.

I once participated in a swap of Dear Jane blocks done in Halloween fabrics--fun! It was a big swap with people from several countries and many US states. The person who coordinated it was up-front from the beginning. As she received your blocks, they would be sorted into 5 "quality levels"--A, B, C, D, and E. If you sent in A blocks, you got A blocks in return. If you sent D blocks, that's what you got in return. I can only imagine what any E blocks looked like! I tried hard to be sure I sent in A's.

Here is a poor photo of what I did with those Dear Jane blocks. I gave the quilt away and now cannot find any other photo of it:

My recommendation if you want to create a swap: choose the participants wisely, be sure all agree to follow whatever the rules are, and be sure everyone understands the rules. Also set a time requirement that allows adequate time but not too much time--most will do their blocks right at the deadline.

Let's quilt.

Barbara

Under My Needle and a New Swap

A few things I am working on.

The Temperature Quilt:

Last December I learned about Temperature Quilts and Blankets--those were made from yarn. Each color represents a 10 degree temperature band and each vertical row is a week, beginning January 1, 2018. By March I was losing interest and knew I did not want to complete the year--half a year would be plenty and be a reasonable size--this is 26" wide x 30" before the borders. I used the official high temperature at Huntsville International Airport for each day. Here is my Key:

It did not get over 100, which is fairly typical here, but the 90's with our high humidity is plenty hot enough. Glad I did it, I'm over it now. The border fabric came from the closet after the top was completely done--it pays to have a deep stash.

When my two best quilting buddies and I get together, usually for our annual retreat, the idea of a swap between us gets launched. This time we decided to make 5" scrap houses for each other. The original pattern I found was a 3" house, too tiny we decided. Other houses have two chimneys, too much effort we decided. So I found a simple house in Electric Quilt 8 that just needed a bit of tweaking to be perfect. Our 5" finished Quilter's Scrap House:

We will paper-piece 12 of these to give to each of the other two--if we make 12 for ourselves, we'll all have 36 5" houses when the swap is done.  The only thing I had to remember when printing the pattern was to mirror-image it--when paper-piecing, what you see on the paper will be reversed when sewn.

I have been involved in many swaps over the years. Here are my tips:

1. Choose participants carefully. All must follow the "guidelines"--RULES--and agree to meet the deadline. Limit the number of people--the most I have had was 13 and that was plenty.

2. Set a firm deadline and be sure everyone agrees to meet it.

3. The best thing to swap are "units"--parts of blocks that can be trimmed down, like half-square triangles and four-patches. When you do a block like this you learn everyone has their own "personal" quarter-inch seam allowance. Refer to tip 1 above...

4. Hold a "teaching" class if the technique is new to most participants. Paper piecing is not for everyone. Be sure everyone understands to use a very small stitch, tiny thread and lightweight paper.

5. If you allow people to request specific colors/themes, be sure each person is clear in their request and that everyone agrees to follow the requests.

6. If you are located close together, it is fun to have a sew-day to work on the blocks. If apart, sharing photos online is fun OR you can keep the blocks a complete secret until done.

 For this particular block and group the guidelines are simple: trim thread as you go, remove the paper when the block is finished, have them all done no later than Christmas. Only one house per maker can be in violation of the HOA rules--meaning ONE can be "not mirror imaged"--the door can be on the right, window on the left.

I made a test block before sending the information to the other two--oh my goodness, these are like Dorito blocks--hard to stop making them:

I had to stop making houses right now so I can do some Secret Sewing:

I am working on a big quilt I want to have ready to photograph for an upcoming blog. There was a lot of layout design time spent, now I am sewing, then I'll write the blog with all the information for this layout. Lots to do, yet but I like how it's coming along.

Let's Quilt!

Barbara

A Few More Favorites

Above my computer, I have these four small quilts on the wall:

The upper left was made for me, by Judee Koda, 2012, in a Doll Quilt Monthly swap I was in that year. I love the simplicity of it, the turned edges with French knots for embellishment. Simple, decorative machine quilting adds just the right touch. It is 18" x 24".

The small log cabin at the top right I made with silk from Sari ribbon bundles bought in Houston in 2012.   It's 13" x 13". I need to make more  of these. Here are the bundles of silk, I have many:

The small landscape quilt on the lower left I made in 1992 after taking a class with Dottie Moore. It would be fun to make another of these, so many years later. It is 14" x 12".

The largest one, on the lower right, was made for me by Margaret Rosenbrook in 2012, again from the Doll Quilt Monthly swap I was in that year. I love the simplicity of this one, too, gentle curves of fabrics, simple curving straight line quilting. I had intended to make one like it but haven't yet.  It is 20" x 23". 

You never know what you will get in a quilt swap with strangers. Even when the "rules" are well-defined, there are sometimes surprises. These two quilts from that year-long swap were totally worth the effort of the 12 quilts I made and shipped off that year. And they are the only ones from that year I kept. The rest were sold or given away.

Once I get home from Houston, I am going to post a bunch of quilts to sell, most small like these, but a few bed-size ones as well. Nothing wrong with my supply chain!

Let's quilt.

Barbara

String Block Swap Challenge

I've been working on a quilt using string blocks I received in two swaps, one with our guild quilt show committee and one with 6 members of the Education Team that comes to Houston for Festival.  Here is the finished top:

45" square
 

I used the larger blocks in the center and some of the smaller blocks for a border, I have lots of small blocks left for another project.  I'll quilt it simply by machine, a good chance to practice free-motion quilting.  I'll also use it to practice stitching the applied binding in place by machine.  I usually hand-stitch the binding in place but there is a time when machine stitched binding makes sense, like baby quilts and donation quilts, so I want to work on that skill.

While working on this project I came up with several points to consider when working in a swap group.  Here are the positives:

1.  You will receive a wide variety of fabrics, many of which you don't have.
2.  People work with color differently so you may see color/fabrics in a new light.
3.  Each person puts their own mark on the quilt and it's a great memory project of people and a time in your quilting journey.

Here are the challenges:

1.  You may get fabrics you don't have for a reason, you won't love them all.
2.  Each person sews differently and has their own interpretation of the guidelines.
3.  Some of the blocks may not be useable depending on your design idea.

Tips for working in a swap group:

1.  Set clear guidelines and a deadline.  (Those who miss the deadline need a gentle push.)
2.  Keep it Simple--the more specific the design, the more variation you will get.
3.  If you are persnickety about your fabrics and design, you should sew your own quilts.
4.  Do not complain publicly about what you received, you won't be invited to join again.
5.  Use the blocks you can, and those you can't can be added to your "orphan blocks" stash to use for fun pieced backs or simple donation quilts--someone without a quilt will love those blocks.
6.  Use quality fabric and try your best to provide the fabrics requested.  Do your best work.
7.  Meet the deadline.  Follow the guidelines--ask if you don't understand something.

Paper Piecing Tips:

1.  Use lightweight paper, like telephone book pages.  Do not use vellum or heavy copy paper.
2. Use a small stitch, 1.5 or 16/inch--this makes taking the paper off a breeze.  Regular size stitches make taking the paper off an ordeal--and pulls out stitches at the beginning and end of each string.
3.  Be sure you trim seam allowances down to 1/4" if you sewed with a larger seam--before you add the next string. 

A group swap can be a fun experience but it's not for everyone.  Enjoy what you receive and make something useful with the blocks. 

Other projects I've been doing this week:

Stars in a Time Warp, Ombre

Four Patch Leader/Ender project

 

The four patch blocks are my latest Leader/Ender project and were sewn together as I worked on the String Block quilt.  I'm not sure if I'll put the tan/cream backgrounds in one quilt and the white backgrounds in a different quilt or use them in the same quilt--what do you think?  I have a large stash of four patches I've been making as leader/enders so it was time to figure out a use for them. 

We had a baby shower for my daughter-in-law and baby Stella will be well-supplied.  Here is a photo of the two happy grandmothers and our mama-to-be.  The next time we see her, Stella will be here:

Check out Judy L's blog to see what others are doing.

Let's quilt!

Barbara