May Recap

I've heard from all three winners, have worked out the distribution and should be able to mail it out to everyone tomorrow . . . or maybe even later tonight.

Thanks to everyone for making May a colorful, successful month. I know our winners are going to love their blocks.

Here's out May archive of blocks made:

• Barbara - 4
• Caroline - 1
• Celine - 6 *** newbie ***
• Chris - 5 *** newbie ***
• Debbie - 4
• Ginny - 5
• Janette - 2 *** newbie ***
• Jill - 9 - WINNER
  
• Julie - 7 (donate)
• Kate - 4 (donate)
• Kathie (Kathryn) - 4
• Kathy - 2 - WINNER
  
• Kelly - 6
• Laura - 9
• Mary Jane - 4
• Melissa V - 1 ***newbie ***
• Michelle - 9
• Rho - 9 - WINNER
  
• Sharon - 4
• Shelley - 9 (donate)
• Sophie - 9 (donate)
• Sylvia - 9
• Wilma - 9

May Winners

Terri, who was running late, emailed me on her way out the door, with the May winners and asked me to post them. They are:

Jill - wins a set of 48 blocks
Kathy from Colorado - wins a set of 48 blocks
Rho - wins a set of 35 blocks

Congratulations, everyone.

I will be emailing the winners later today to confirm their mailing addresses and asking if they want to keep their own blocks or send them to the other winners. Then, after I hear back from the winners, I'll email everyone with mailing directions for their blocks.

I can't believe . . .

. . . I overslept.

I had arranged with Terri–a previous block lotto winner who wasn't able to make blocks this month–to choose our winners this month. She has places to go and people to see (a graduation party) today, but would be able to pick the winners before she left. I was going to send the list to her right after the deadline at noon (EDT) . . . and then I slept later than I have in YEARS–which I confess felt wonderful.

I scurried like a kitten with a ball a yarn to get the list of names to her, but might not have been quick enough. We MIGHT have to wait for her return AFTER the party to find out who our THREE WINNERS are this month . . . with my apologies.

Yes, with Laura's blocks and my yet unposted blocks (I'm going to do that as soon as I have some coffee and brunch), we ended up with enough blocks for three winners. The first two names chosen will receive a set of 48 blocks. The third winner will receive a set of 35 of these happy floral cactus block.

Laura's May blocks...

Blocks from a newbie

Hello everyone,

I have only joined blogland this month so this is all new to me.

I have found out about your group by reading on kate lovely blog when she posted about her blocks at the end of last month saying she couldn't reveal much. This got me very much intrigued and I came to have a look at where the fun was!

I have completed 6 Cactus Pot blocks for this month Lotto, my first try as I joined your group this month. I was planning to make another 2 but I won't have time before Sunday so this is my contribution this month.

I look forward to the next block to make in a couple of days although some of you are probably already very busy making some.

Celine in sunny UK

I've only managed four blocks this month, despite the fact that I love basket blocks. Everyone's entries this month look so cheerful.

Janette's Cactus pots

Here are my blocks for may.

Kelly's Cactus Pot Blocks

Kelly emailed this photo of her six cactus pot blocks.


Sylvia also emailed me because I forgot to include her 9 blocks in our list (and send her the sneek peek yesterday) . . . I'm so sorry Sylvia. With that oversight fixed and Sylvia's blocks and Kelly's blocks added, our new total-so-far this month is 103 lotto blocks.

Sneak Peek Alert

The Sneak Peek Email has been sent.

If you have entered blocks this month, your name should appear in the list in the right side bar AND you should have received the sneak peek email. If not, please let me know ASAP.

(. . . and now, I REALLY need to take photos of my blocks and post them, don't you think?)

Kathy's Cactus Pot Blocks

Kathy in Colorado emailed this photo of two cactus pot blocks . . .


. . . they were just in time for Kathy to be included in the sneak peek email message that I'm working on now. If you have entered blocks already in May, you should be receiving email from me soon. If not, you still have a week to enter for a chance to win a set of scrappy floral cactus pot blocks.

Our total-so-far this month is 88 blocks.

they're all here!

Shelli's blocks arrived in today's mail, so I now have all my Thrifty blocks from April. Thanks, ladies!

Julie

next-to-last April update...

Sophie's lovely pink blocks arrived a couple of days ago, so now I'm just missing Shelli's...

They are up on my wall and give the effect of a giant flamingo -- pretty cool!

Julie

Michelle (Momof11) 9 blocks

I had a day of down time yesterday and decided to see if I could get some blocks made. Here is the result. This is sure a cute little block! Now if I could just hold the camera right so the blocks wouldn't look crooked...they really aren't.

Time Will Tell, But Not Worried.

Thanks Sophie. However, when the time is right, things will fall into place. I appreciate the extra chances, but it really only takes one chance to win. I do admit to looking a second time to see if I really like the blocks after participating this long. It is far more fun to know I am getting at least one squishy back at the end of a swap month.

A Salute to the Not-Yet-Winners

A lotto, by its very nature, is a game of chance . . . but it is still quite frustrating for those whose randomly selected number just doesn't wanna come up, even when I'm donating my chances every month and others are often donating their chances, too, in an effort to push lady luck in their general direction . . .

Shelley's offer earlier this month to donate her chances to anyone who has been playing for a year and not yet won had me looking through the spreadsheets for this year and last to see how many quilters fell into that category. On the one hand . . . it's a very small number. On the other hand, it seems totally unfair that neither Mary Jane nor Wilma–both of whom joined the Block Lotto a little over a year ago–have yet won a set of lotto blocks.

I found this six year old English cutie, whose name is Alfie Amos, dressed for the 90th anniversary of the end of World War I in a story about Remembrance day from last November. I offer Alfie's salute to all our not-yet Block Lotto winners with my heart felt thanks to you for hanging in with us. I am convinced that YOUR TIME WILL COME ;-)

Blocks from Barbara

Here are my four blocks for May.

www.zizzybob.etsy.com

Complete

My winning block arrivals are now complete. Thank you everyone!

Shelley

Welcome Chris!

I received email from Christine today.

She's a quilter from North Carolina who stumbled upon our blog earlier this weekend and decided to join us. Yay!

Here are Chris' photos of her five cactus pot blocks . . . bringing our total so far this month to 73–enough for two winners.

Welcome to the block lotto, Chris, and good luck in the drawing at the end of the month ;-)

May Blocks

Here are Mary Jane's 4 blocks for may 2009.

basket blocks

Here are my seven blocks for May. I am donating my chances this month, since I just won last time! I actually made nine but I don't like the way two of them measured up... I may tweak them a bit and send them along to someone as a "bonus"

Julie

My April update

I've received blocks from everyone except Sophie and Shelli in Delaware -- not sure how they're going to go together yet!

April Block Lotto

Just a quick update. I have received all the blocks except those from Sophie and Shelly (Maine). Thank you all for such nice blocks. I have an idea on how I want to put them together but it will be a while. There are so many projects in line to get done.

Barbara
www.zizzybob.etsy.com
http://justalittlezizzy.blogspot.com/

May blocks

Whew. I finally finished the May blocks. Here's a picture of my 9 entries.

If You Have NOT YET Mailed Your Thrifty April Blocks . . .

If, like me, if you didn't mail your April blocks to our winners by the target date of Mother's day, yesterday, then . . . like me, if you're in the US, you paid the new higher first class postage rate.

Sorry for the delay, Barbara, Julie and Shelley, but 5 blocks each from me to you are finally in the mail and on their way.

Blocks mailed today!

Congratulations winners, your blocks are in the mail.

Jill

mailed

I mailed my blocks to the winners a couple of days ago. Just wanted to let everyone know.

Oh, I've never won!! I'll take your donated chances, lol.

My Cactus Pots

Here are my blocks for May. I didn't branch out too far huh? Since I've won two months in a row, I want to donate these between anyone that has been participating for a year and hasn't won. Are there any? Speak up! Sophie, do you keep records about our dedicated participants who keep coming back month after month without a win? I want to bless them this month!

Shelley

Edited by sophie to add . . .

After discussing this with Shelley, we've agreed that the guidelines for her donation will be:

1. participation for more than a year without winning
2. entering at least one block of your own this month

Of the regular suspects, I know that Wilma and Mary Jane are eligible if they make blocks this month . . . anyone else I'm missing? Even if you have won before, but it has been a year since . . . you are still eligible.

Thrifty blocks.

Here's my update on the blocks I've received so far. Beatrice, Carolyn, Kate, Laura, Mary Jane, Rho, Sandy and Terri your blocks made it here safely. Thank you ladies for the lovely blocks!

Shelley

more blocks

the blocks are coming fast and furious -- I have now received from Beatrice, Carolyn, Kate, Kathy, Laura, Rho, Sharon and Terri. It amuses me that so far, there are no repeats in the pink fabric!

Thanks to everyone for the beautiful blocks,

Julie

Received

So far I have received blocks from Laura in Georgia, Caroline in North Dakota, Rho in Texas, Virginia in New York and believe it or not Kate in the UK. How on earth did it get here so fast. Thank you all.

Barbara
www.zizzybob.etsy.com

I mailed Julies blocks last to her last week, but forgot to let her know. Hope they get there soon.
Sharon

May Cactus Pot

I have four to enter. They are some pretty funky colors as the flower fabrics I had were mostly older ones.

Sharon

Welcome Melissa V!

Melissa V, from Pennsylvania, has joined the Block Lotto and made this beautiful block.


Welcome, Melissa!

Her block brings our total for the month so far to 35 blocks.

Sylvia's Cactus Pot Blocks

Sylvia emailed me with this photo of her 9 blocks. Our new total-so-far this month is 43 blocks.



She also wanted the April winners to know that she has mailed (or perhaps posted would be the more proper English word) to them.

good & plenty

I can't remember who said that the April blocks reminded her of Good & Plenty candy -- but I agree! And they've started arriving already... envelopes came today from Rho, Kate, and Kathy. That was fast!

My blocks for Barbara will go in the mail tomorrow.

Julie

I mailed blocks to winners today

May blocks

Here are my four May lotto blocks. Love the scrappiness of everyone's blocks!

And, Julie, your April blocks are in the mail. Enjoy.

Debbie

Blocks are in the Mail!

Julie, Shelley and Barb,
I mailed blocks out today. Have fun with them. Congrats!

Ah Memories . . .

When Sharon posted the photos of her beautiful quilt made from 16-patch lotto blocks, I kept thinking of another, very different looking 16-patch quilt that I remembered Kate working on. I had some problems finding it and finally had to ask for some help from the quiltmaker/blogger, Kate, herself.

I mis-remembered that these 16-patch blocks were also from the block lotto . . . and when I was looking for the photo of Kate's quilt, I even went back and looked at the 2008 spreadsheet and saw that she was NOT one of the 4 winners of those lotto blocks in April 2008. I was really confused and questioning my memory of things.

Kate reminded me that the 16-patch blocks in her quilt are larger 8 inch, scrap buster blocks from a swap which, as I remember now, actually inspired my choice of that block for the lotto. So, even though they aren't the same, there's definitely a connection.

I think both Kate's black-on-black pieced sashing and borders and Sharon's blue and white Chicklet's quilt are wonderful setting ideas for the scrappy 16-patch blocks, don't you agree?

Block Lotto Quilt

I won the sixteen patch last year. Do you recognize any of your blocks on here? I had a fun time finding something to tie it all together with the blocks. I had to make more for the borders and to fill in, but had a great time doing that.

Sophie thinks this is call Chicklet? Does that sound right to any of you out there. I found the pattern somewhere, but can't remember. Anyway, thanks for all the beautiful blocks!


Here's another closer view. Click the photos for an even closer look.

Sharon

Your April Thrifty Blocks are Mailed!

Julie, Shelley, and Barbara ~ Congratulations again. Your blocks are on the way!

Happy Quilting!