August 2011 Recap

In August, sixty-one quilters made 313 violet blocks, which were won by 6 lucky quilter. Congrats again to our winners, Marybeth,  Ginny, CathyC, Shannon B, Terry and Vivi.

Among our winners are two newbies, a first time Block Lotto winners and two winners who only made two blocks each ...  and a very lucky person who has just joined the exclusive club of those who have won two months in a row ;-)

Here's the list of the 313 block pairs made, donated and won in August:

• Andi - 3
• Andra - 5
• Barbara - 8
• Belinda - 6
• Béa - 3
• Caroline - 9
• Cathi - 2
• Cathy Ann - 4
• Cathy C - 2  *** WINNER ***
• Celine - 8
• Christa - 6 *NEW*
• CIndy - 4
• Coralie - 9
• Cyndi - 9
• Deana - 3
• Deana - 3
• Diana - 4
• Ellie - 2
• Ginny - 5  *** WINNER ***
• Giselle - 3 *NEW*
• Irene - 6
• Janet R - 5
• Janet S - 2
• Jean - 4 *NEW*
• Jennifer - 9
• Joan - 9 (donate)
• Julie P - 6
• Julie Wa - 3 (donate)
• June - 1
• Karen - 4
• Kate - 9
• Kathie - 2
• Kathy S - 9
• Kim H - 3
• Krista - 6
• Kristin - 1
• Laura - 9 + 1 extra
• Laurina - 9
• Linda N - 1
• Linnea - 1 (donate)
• Maree - 9
• Marta - 3 *NEW*
• Mary C - 1
• Mary Jane - 9 (donate)
• Marybeth (MB) - 9  *** WINNER ***
• Michelle - 7
• Nancy - 9
• Pat - 1
• Pat A - 4
• Pokey - 4
• Rho - 4
• Sandi - 6
• Shannon B - 9 *New*   *** WINNER ***
• Shannon S - 2
• Shelley - 3
• Terry - 3 *NEW*  *** WINNER ***
• Tina - 8
• Toni - 9 (donate)
• VIcki - 6
• Vivi - 2  *** WINNER ***
• Wendy - 2
• Wilma - 8

Welcome again to our newbies, Christa, Giselle, Jean, Marta, Shannon B and Terry–whether you are a winner this month or not, I hope you had fun, enjoyed making the blocks and decide to stick around. 

A note to winners and others

If you are one of our lucky winners, be sure to look for a message from me and respond to it.  I'll be confirming your mailing address and asking how many of your own blocks you'd like to keep.

Everyone else, please be patient.  When I've heard from all six winners (or chosen alternate winners if I don't), I'll create the chart showing where to mail your blocks and sending the mailing information out to everyone.

SIXTY ONE quilters made violet blocks this month.  With the addition of Shannon S.'s just over the deadline blocks, the number of blocks each winner will receive is:

1. Mary Beth - 56
2. Ginny - 56
3. Cathy C. - 56
4. Shannon B. - 49
5. Terry - 48
6. Vivi - 48

BLOCK WINNERS !!!!!!!!

I would like to thank the academy for allowing me the privilege of announcing the randomly chosen winners for this month's blocks. The lucky soon to be happy folks are:

1. Mary Beth
2. Ginny
3. Cathy C.
4. Shannon B.
5. Terry
6. Vivi

2 African Violets

I know I didn't make the deadline this month (SORRY!) so I will donate my blocks since I'm too late. I laid my son down for a nap and forgot to upload them before the nap, GAH!

Get ready, Get set ... Cross your fingers

I have updated the list with all the last minute additions–some of you are cutting it pretty close this month–and sent it to Blondie, who will be randomly choosing our SIX winners:

Winners #1-#2  will receive a set of 56 blocks
Winner #3  will receive a set of 55 blocks
Winners #4-#6  will receive a set of 48 blocks

Thanks to the generosity of those donating their chances, our six newbies each received three extra chances in the drawing and anyone who has never won got an extra chance this month. 

3 last minute and final blocks

Well finally, with the time difference being favorable to me, I managed to put together another 3 blocks - taking my total to 8 - one short of the maximum.

Fingers crossed now as the draw is near. I could very well see a lovely African Violet wall-hanging in my bedroom as it would be the right colour scheme. Dreaming, dreaming - before I am off to prepare diner.

Celine

Three total for Kim H.

I made two more blocks this morning. Had planned to have more, but one had to be redone and I threw in the towel. It was a beautiful block and I hope to make more of these when I don't win :).

Sorry about the photo quality. My vacation photos did not upload last night; that proved a problem for this morning's violets.

Hopefully the long weekend will help me get a head start on next month's blocks.

3 African Violets

I just made my first Blocks for the Block Lotto!
My name is Marta and my blog is PolkaDot Classic
Here is the link if you like to stop by :)
http://polkadotclassic.blogspot.com/
Thank you Sophie for letting me join in and for posting my picture before I was able to post. I didn't want to miss the deadline
I been enjoying seeing all those pretty flowers blooming  and the color combinations are so pretty too!
Thank you again and have a Wonderful Wednesday Everyone!
Marta
 

African Violets

I always seem to be squeaking in at the last minute with these, don't I? Oh well, better than not getting in at all I guess.
I had 9 all cut and ready to go, but 2 ended up totally wonky in the middle for some reason and no amount of fiddling seemed to be helping and then one ended up too small when I trimmed, so 6 it is. Good luck everyone.

3 Blocks from Deana

Deana hasn't participated in a while.  She emailed her blocks to me to post for her.  With these our new total is 300 blocks.

Deana, let me know if you want to be re-invited as an author, OK?

last minute blocks!

I managed to put together 2 more blocks -- for a set of 3.  I'm donating my chances this month.

Julie Wa

My August blocks...

9 blocks + 1 extra.





Laura

one violet

I only had time for one this month, due to work and travels and family visits. I should do more to overcome my triangle phobia and improve my skills. Ah well. They are beautiful.

and 2 last ones

I managed 2 more before I jump into bed so that finally bring my total to 5.

Good night!
Celine

2 more blocks to bring my total to (only) 3

Here are 2 more flowers from me, I was hoping to make more but didn't get enough time with being away on holidays. I'll still keep my fingers crossed though!

I believe the deadline is tonight for posting pictures?

Celine

A Solo Violet

I made a single block this month.

Been crazy busy with moving and unpacking.

It felt good to turn on the machine and sew a bit.  and then I had to find the camera.

Which I did - it was packed with the tupperware.

Why?  I have no idea!

African Violet crib quilt

 Hi everyone,  here are a couple pictures of a crib quilt I've made from this month's pattern.  I was thinking of adding a border of white or black to the quilt, but now I'm leaning toward no additional border and just binding the quilt in black.

Any thought or suggestions?  Without the extra border the quilt measures approx 34" x 44".

My finished Pineapple Blossom

Hi Ladies
With some encouragement from our lovely leader, Sophie, I am posting a picture of my completed Pineapple Blossom.
Several months ago when this was the block of the month, I went wild over the scrappiness of it.
I did the blocks on the machine and then did hand quilting doing it in my own QAYG style.

Below is a pic of 4 blocks quilted ready to add to another set of 4

Below is the finished quilt.

Thanks to Sophie for having this wonderful blog group and to all you talented ladies for being inspirational.

I need a volunteer

Would you like to make six quilters very happy tomorrow?

If you have donated your chances this month or haven't been able to find the time to make blocks at all and aren't in the drawing this month and would like to be our "winner picker," let me know.  Ideally, you'd be available to randomly choose the winners (using a random number web site) in the afternoon in the US.

African Violet Blocks

Here are my four blocks. Fun block to sew but busy time of life. School starts in a few days. Keeping my fingers crossed! Hope to win a few of these!

Violets

Here are my 5 blocks for August.
Janet R.

Last Checkerboards received!!

Got the mail today after being away for the weekend and my last two checkerboards have arrived! Now the real challenge begins! What can I make all of them?
Thanks to everyone for all the beautiful blocks!

Welcome Terry

I am posting these for newcomer Terry, from San Lorenzo, California.  Here's what she had to say about her first block lotto effort:

This is my first month to enter the Lotto.  It took me so long to get 3 "decent" blocks, I don' t have time this month to read all the rules for posting the pix to the blog.  I would like to be entered in the August Block Lotto.  Would you please post these for me?  I will read the post instructions and be ready next month.

Please welcome Terry and reassure her that blogging is pretty easy to learn. 

UK Quilt Show in Birmingham

This is sideways!

 

Overall Winner of Show

This is sideways

So is this one

and this one

this one too!

And this one too, obviously.

Here are some of the amazing quilts I saw at the show this month.  I just hope I can achieve something half as good as these eventually.  However my photography skills are not the best but I hope you get some idea of how marvelous they were.

All here!

I've received allof the wonky 16 patch blocks from July!
Now to find a project. Some will go into a baby quilt for my sister-in-law.

Hoping that I will have power today to sew. The Hurricane is supposed to hit CT in about 2 hours. Stay safe if you're on the east coast.

rho has received all 48 Checkerboards for July 2011

Good Morning to all:

I received my last checkerboard squares from Cathi in Ireland last night. I'm complete - I've now rec'vd all 48 blocks of my July winnings. Thank you Cathi!

Thanks to all who participated and made blocks. They are all beautiful and unique.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, sew much fabric - so little time!

August - African Violet

I manage two this month. It is busy days.
Vivi, Norway

African Violet blocks

I'm finally posting the 5 blocks I made for the sneak peek. I was waiting, because I'd hoped to make a few more, but I'm running out of time and I figured I'd better get these up at least!

Three more violets

I managed to put together three more violets (total of 9). I really love these blocks and have my fingers crossed that I am lucky this month.

Liberated chequerboard blocks

Hi folks, I am back home now in Oman (Thursday 25th Aug) and found lots of lovely envelopes for me!  Blocks received from:

Marybeth, Coralie, Jennifer, Brenda, Karen, Jean-sophie and Cindy.  Thank you all so much for the lovely blocks and the efforts put in wrapping and posting.  I shall get to work asap as my new quilting machine and frame are due to arrive tomorrow!!!!  I was at the Quilting show in Birmingham, UK and have some pics of which I will post a few once I have them on the computer, some of them were fabulous and  I found it difficult to believe they were actually sewn and not painted.  All the best to all the block lotto-ers.

Some Violets for me

Here are my first three violets for this month. I have more cut out and will try to get them done up this week. Going to be a lovely quilt for whoever wins :)

Pansy block

Well, I've managed to finish the rest of the violet blocks I cut out for this month, but I just realized that I need a crib quilt to give away in a couple weeks so instead of entering them in the lotto, the violets will go into the crib quilt.

I originally planned to make a wall hanging with some extra violets and 2 of these "pansy" blocks, but now the pansies are going in to the crib quilt too.   



Who knows?  Maybe I'll win this month and can still make the wall hanging out of the winnings!

It's ALMOST time for the Sneak Peek

Tomorrow (August 24) is the last day to post a photo of blocks in order to receive the sneak peek.  I will almost certainly not have a chance to send the email to everyone--there are 48 of you so far--until tomorrow EVENING.  The deadline for posting is normally NOON (east coast time), but if you post a photo of your blocks before I get home ... you'll get the sneak peek email.

My sample blocks are made, the block directions and guidelines are ready to go, so as soon as I am home and settled, the mail will go out.

Tonight was the first time I've sewn in my still not unpacked sewing room.  The big discovery of the evening is that I have NO IDEA where most of my thread (and my thread holder) are :-(

Christa made three more

 Could not leave it alone. Had too much fun making them ... three more.

Now there are six.

violet

My first time participating. Toodleoo Jean

Two Little Violets

Two little violets so far. They're actually two different shades of pink.  I'm not sure about what my camera is doing with the colors.  Oh well.  I hope to do a few more before the end of the month.  I have the material set aside and everything, but for some reason, the month has been crazy.  We'll see.  I think these are going to made a great quilt.
Janet S.

Inspired by Violets!

I loved this block when making it for the lotto, so I've chosen to do it again (and again) in a variety of sizes for a quilt I need to make as a gift. The largest block is 12" (how convenient was it that Sophie did a wide variety of sizes in her instructions!), working down through 9, 8, 6, 4 and yes - even 3" (for which I admit, I hard to figure the sizes out myself) inch blocks. Verdict - the 3" blocks are kinda fiddly & I don't really recommend them, though they are certainly do-able. The centres in particular are hard to match without losing some precision. On the whole, though, I'm really pleased with the way this works and may even do the variegated size blocks in another piece someday...

Last Blocks Received

I got my last block yesterday from Mary Jane C. Now to finish up some projects so I can make the awesome checkerboard quilt!

Checkerboards Recieved

Thank you Sophie for the last 2 blocks, and your letter. I have all the blocks now, but this was a pattern I made extras of, and so there are enough squares left over to make a a baby quilt, too.
Thanks everyone!
Happy Quilting,
Pokey

pokeydotquilting.blogspot.com

Checkerboards are all in!

I received the last of the blocks from Linda W and Sharon, so now I'm setting up to get them sewn together...  I love that rainbow effect from a few days ago and might just have to play copycat.

Julie Wa

Am I too late?

I managed to put one violet together... hoping to be in time for the sneak peek! There might be a few more before the end of the month, too.

Julie Wa

1 more checkerboard rec'vd today from Nan

Thank you. Now I have only one more block to receive to make my total winnings of 48 blocks complete! Thanks Nan, and thanks again to all who made blocks.

Blocks Received in the last week.

Hi, I have been away camping for the past week. Packages I received while I was away.

Sara H

Cathy Ann

Laura R

Toni M

Nancy D

Joan T

Thanks Ladies!

Block Lotto Inspirations

Just thought I'd share a few photos ...

First, a quilt top made from my modern clover winnings. I love how it turned out, and it is on the top of my pile to quilt and finish! Thanks so much to everyone who sent me blocks!


These next two are charity quilts. I had these great panels, but I wanted to make the quilts a bit bigger. The block lotto checkerboard blocks were perfect to add some interest to the top and bottom. Thanks, Sophie, for all the interesting blocks you choose!



Thanks for the inspiration,
Wendy F

Krista's blocks

I finished a few more violet blocks over the weekend.  This is it for me - a total of 6 blocks (2 of these were already shown and counted).  These blocks were a lot of fun to make, and I'm thinking of making some for myself - red poppies on white comes to mind.  We'll have to see - it's not like I don't have enough projects underway :)

Checkerboards in the house!

My last three checkerboard blocks arrived this week.  We are still having internet problems completely unrelated to our kitchen remodel (why not roll the inconveniences all together, yes?).  Thank you very much Cheri in Illinois, Karen in Victoria, & Pokey in California.  Unfortunately, all the blocks are getting packed awy for a bit , but I promise I will put up pictures of what I got.

Thank you again!  Mb. in Florida.

Pineapple Blossom Finish A Quilt for ME!

Okay! The big reveal! You are seeing the finished product first as you contributed the blocks. Be kind! This was my first time quilting a large quilt FMQ on my regular sewing machine.  And again, thank you, thank you, to everyone for your blocks.

Picture one, Finished!, Picture two, the back with part of the front pulled up for contrast, Picture three, close up of one block quilted. Picture four, after washing and drying, in all it's quilty goodness.

Tomorrow, or later today, I will share the things that I learned. I've decided to keep a log on my FMQ experiences for personal reference.

 http://aquiltyconscience.blogspot.com/

One more, sincere, THANK YOU!

Toni

African Violets

I spent most of the month driving my kids here and there, but I found a few minutes to make two of these cute blocks. I love all the colors that everyone is making! The lucky winners will have fun arranging all the shades.

Wendy F