Block Exchange Starts Its 20th year
In January 1991, a group of 12 quilters met at my house for the first Block Exchange potluck. During the year, we made Christmas quilt blocks for each other, and by September 1991, we all had twelve blocks to make our quilts.
We had so much fun the first year that we decided to go for a second year in 1992, and we're still going strong in 2010! This year, 17 quilters will participate in exchanging blocks (plus a number of others who attend for the potluck food and camaraderie). At our first meeting in January, we hand out our pattern instruction packets for the year. Each quilter picks a pattern and color scheme (sometimes providing fabric) for her block for the year and writes up instructions. Between January and September, we make each others' blocks and exchange them at the monthly potlucks. By September each year, we each have blocks for a new quilt.
In addition to getting enough blocks to make a quilt, one of the benefits of Block Exchange is that it forces us to sew designs and to use color combinations that we might never have tried on our own -- a great learning experience that expands our creativity and piecing skills. [BTW, I would love to say to say that we sew all the blocks cheerfully, but in truth, there is a great deal of crabbing and grumbling each year about others' block/color choices. Complaining appears to be integral to the creative process. :) ]
We had so much fun the first year that we decided to go for a second year in 1992, and we're still going strong in 2010! This year, 17 quilters will participate in exchanging blocks (plus a number of others who attend for the potluck food and camaraderie). At our first meeting in January, we hand out our pattern instruction packets for the year. Each quilter picks a pattern and color scheme (sometimes providing fabric) for her block for the year and writes up instructions. Between January and September, we make each others' blocks and exchange them at the monthly potlucks. By September each year, we each have blocks for a new quilt.
In addition to getting enough blocks to make a quilt, one of the benefits of Block Exchange is that it forces us to sew designs and to use color combinations that we might never have tried on our own -- a great learning experience that expands our creativity and piecing skills. [BTW, I would love to say to say that we sew all the blocks cheerfully, but in truth, there is a great deal of crabbing and grumbling each year about others' block/color choices. Complaining appears to be integral to the creative process. :) ]
See below for a preview of a couple of the patterns for 2010 Block Exchange.
Four blocks for my "Sadie & Dora" quilt (using pattern drafted by Bonnie for an earlier Block Exchange):
Phyllis's block for 2010 - Blackford's Beauty.
Labels: Quilt
posted by Ruth at
9:37 AM
4 Comments:
Ruth, I'm so excited for Monday (and that almost never happens!)
By
beanie g, at 11:22 AM
What an amazing group of friends and quilters you all are.
Your blocks looked familiar ... Is it the same pattern as the one in this quilt? I've been considering this design and following along with the quilt-along for the doll quilt version. I thought you might enjoy taking a look at how it looks with an alternating 16-patch block.
By
sophie, at 12:32 PM
I'm excited for this, too.
My Blackford's Beauty is not exactly like the pattern from Phyllis. You will all have to wait until Monday to see......
By
Linda, at 8:42 PM
I really should take at least a year off and put my quilts together --- but, we have way too much fun and I love all my blocks and all the others, too (most of them!). Looking forward to seeing all on Monday!
By
Carol Sc, at 2:41 PM
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