Tuesday, September 30, 2008

September Winners

Congratulations to our September Winners:

Kate (katelnorth)

Michele (cookiemichele)

Barbara (zissybob)

Enjoy your crackers, ladies!!

Welcome Shelley

Shelley (madme3) is another quilter who entered the block lotto just-in-time . . . for the first time this month.



Welcome, Shelley. Her blocks and Tami's today bring our grand total this month to 150 blocks.

Tardy Tami finaly Cracks


Here are my "down to the wire" way-too-tardy blocks.

Monday, September 29, 2008

Welcome Shirley, Queen of Quilts

Shirley (QueenofQuilts) is a first-timer this month. Here are the four blocks she made.




They are so beautiful and bright . . . I didn't notice at first that they were all the same. Ooops.

Another Hand-pieced block from Louise

Louise (louisems) has made a third handpieced block. Isn't it lovely?

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Block Lotto


Here are my first four blocks...

LJRandolph

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Debbie's Cracker Blocks


Here are my 8 blocks for this month. I'd like to donate all my chances. They went together so quickly, I can see how addicting they could be.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

I'm joining the fun

Here are the blocks I made for the lotto. I didn't fall in love with the block right away, but after I made these I can see where this would be a lot of fun to work with. It was a lot of fun to make, worked up really quickly.

Cracker box
OHSue

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

CathySews' September Blocks


I really enjoyed making these blocks this month! This will definitely be a block I will use in a future quilt. :o)

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Sylvia's Blocks

Sylvia (imgin53) made these 8 blocks, bringing our total for the month so far to 102 blocks.

Saturday, September 6, 2008

Don't Forget to VOTE

No, I'm not talking about the Presidental election, though I encourage all the Americans to do that, too ;-)

I mean don't forget to vote in the poll asking what size blocks we should make next year which is in the side bar under the countdown ticker.

The poll will be active through the month of September. I'm enjoying the 6 inch blocks we've been making this year . . . but maybe you're not enjoying them as much? Be sure to let me know what you think.

Feel free to add a comment if you have a great idea for me for next year . . .

Julie's Blocks


Julie (floribunda) made these 5 blocks.

Our new total so-far-this-month in September is 94.

Welcome back to the lotto, Julie.

Mailing Squishies

Squishies are the soft envelopes that contain fabric or quilt blocks or other textile goodness. Newbies often ask about how to mail their lotto blocks. Here are some basics from me, along with some more detail info and tips from the lotto crowd, compiled in one place. (Feel free to add a comment to share your favorite tip).

I start with my blocks and envelopes. I use size #11 kraft envelopes. They are the largest size you can use for standard letter postage (if you can keep the envelope thin and light enough--which is my goal).

Start with blocks and envelopes

If I am mailing to multiple winners, I sort my blocks to make sure each winner will receive a nice variety of fabrics from me. I made 12 blocks last month, and will send 4 + 3 + 3 + 2 to our 4 winners.

Dividing the blocks

Then I take one envelope and one block to figure out where I should fold the blocks.

Fold the blocks to fit the envelope

Except I actually fold and press them with the wrong side out, because I think they are flatter that way.

How they actually are folded

Then, I stack them, flipping every other one, and spread them to fill the envelope.

Four blocks

Sometimes I add a card, like this one from a Museum Exhibit I attended earlier this year.

With a post card added

Or wrap the blocks in a sheet of printer paper, which you can use to write a quick note to the receiver of your blocks. The paper is good if you are using a lighter- weight envelope, I think, adding a little extra stiffness to help your squishie through the postal equipment.

Wrap it in a piece of printer paper

Because we never know for certain that our squishies won't end up in the path of a huricane or other bad weather, wrapping them in plastic is a pretty good idea, especially at this time of year.

Debbie (dzrunner) shared these photos–of her blocks wrapped in plastic and how she puts together her squishie–on her blog, Life Conduction.


She uses a return mailing label to label the blocks themselves and adds the winners name and mailing address inside plastic bag with the blocks incase the squishie has an unfortunate encounter along it's path and doesn't make the trip intact. Before this year, when all the lotto blocks were being mailed to me first, I have received lotto blocks in postal service "body bags," so I know it can happen, so Debbie's precautions are definitely a good idea (and I'll probably start following them myself--thanks, Debbie.

Amanda (fatsewcat) emailed these photos to me of how she likes to mail her blocks. She can't bear to fold them . . . so she uses a large plastic bag for the block.

Amanda shared her method

Then slips in a piece of card stock to keep it stiff.

Add some stiffner and a note

Adds a note and slides it all into a large envelope. It's a treat to receive a nice big flat block like this, I'm sure.

Put it together and mail

I'll be back to add the tips from our forum discussion of mailing blocks (last month) . . . but feel free to add your suggestions in the comments.

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Louise's Hand-Pieced Blocks

Louise (louisems) is using the English Paper Piecing technique to make the lotto blocks. I think it must be a real treat for a winner to receive her blocks. Here are the two she made for this month.



Louise was a newbie and one of our winners last month and is donating her chances this month to September newbies. Thanks, Louise!

Wilma's Crackers

Wilma (wilmaNC) has made these 8 blocks from more great fabrics. Our winners this month are going to be able to make some wonderful bright quilts.

Michelle/Momof11....8 Cracker Blocks


Here are my 8 bright Cracker blocks for September. They went together very nicely, in part, I think, due to me finally trying Judy Martin's point trimmer tool that I bought last year.

I love Sophie's idea of using animal prints to make "animal cracker" blocks. If I make one, I may call it "In My Soup". I wonder if they make Shirley Temple fabric for a backing?

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Welcome Shelli

Shelli (dazelaw) is new to the Block Lotto this month. Here are her blocks.



Our total so far this month is now 71 blocks.

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

rho's September Blocks


Mary Jane's Blocks

Here are Mary Jane's (mjontebeau) blocks.

Sandy's Blocks



Sandy (centergranny) made these eight blocks.

Kate's Blocks

Kate made these eight blocks. Great fabric choices, Kate.




Lisa's Blocks


Lisa (txpurson) is another sneek peeker.

She made these great 7 blocks. I love the variety of fabrics.

Judee's Blocks

Judee (3199) is another sneek peeker who made, then remade blocks (because of my bad directions). Here is the beautiful result-eight great blocks!



(Yes, this has been a humbling experience for me . . . I promise, the patterns for the rest of the year have already been tested ;-)

Barbara's Crackers

Barbara (zissybob) is a sneek peeker who quickly made these eight blocks.

Blocks from Béatrice

After I sent all the sneek peekers BAD measurements for this month's block, Béatrice (beapatch) figured out what the measurements should be and made these beautiful blocks.



Merci beaucoup, Béatrice.

Sneek Peekers' Virtual Cracker Block Quilt

Here are some block photos from sneek peekers Barbara (zissybob), Beatrice (beapatch), Judee(3199), Kate (katelnorth), Lisa (txpurson) and Sandy (centergranny).

Judee's September block #7Judee's September block #8Judee's September block #4Judee's September block #6Judee's September block #5
Judee's September block #3Judee's September block #2Judee's September block #1Lisa's September block #7Lisa's September block #3
Lisa's September block #2Lisa's September block #4Lisa's September block #6Lisa's September block #5Lisa's September block #1
Sophie's Block #2Sophie's Block #1Kate' s #7 Block for SeptemberKate' s #8 Block for SeptemberKate' s #4 Block for September
Kate' s #6 Block for SeptemberKate' s #2 Block for SeptemberKate' s #3 Block for SeptemberSandy #7 for SeptemberKate' s #1 Block for September
Sandy #5 for SeptemberSandy #8 for SeptemberSandy #4 for SeptemberSandy #6 for SeptemberSandy #2 for September
Sandy #3 for SeptemberBarbara #8 for SeptemberBarbara #7 for SeptemberBarbara #6 for SeptemberBarbara #5 for September
Bea #2 for SeptemberBarbara #4 for SeptemberBarbara #3 for SeptemberBarbara #2 for SeptemberBarbara #1 for September
Bea #3 for SeptemberBea #1 for SeptemberSandy #1 for SeptemberLisa's September block #4Bea #4 for September

Be sure to check out the layouts Janet created on page 5 and page 6 of her directions on the about.com site for some more eye candy and inspiration.