March 2011 Recap

This month, 73 quilters made 436 red & white Disappearing 4-patch blocks. The list appears below.

Welcome again to our newbies this month: Cathy Ann, Karen,  Kathy S, Kim G (in HK), LPB, Mary C, March Mc, Sandi and Vivi

Congrats (again) to our winners, Janet S., Blondie, Céline, Balinda, Andrew, Cathy C, Kate, Kathie, Mary C.

Here's the record of blocks made, donated and won.

Andi - 3 (donate)
• Andie - 4
• Andra - 3 +3 extra
• Andrew - 9 *WINNER*
• Balinda - 9 *WINNER*
• Belinda - 7
• Barbara B - 9
• Barbara M - 9
• Becca - 9
• Benta - 5 (donate)
• Blondie - 3 *WINNER*
• Brenda Kay - 4
• Caroline - 9
• Carrie - 6
• Cathi - 4
• Cathy Ann - 4 *NEW* 
• Cathy C - 5 *WINNER*
• Celine - 9 *WINNER*
• Cheri - 9
• Coralie - 9
• Cyndi - 6
• Deana - 3
• Debbie - 8
• Ellie - 9 + 1
• Gail - 3
• Ginny - 4
• Irene - 3
• Janet S - 6 *WINNER*
• Julie D (Jewel) - 8
• Julie P - 5 (donate)
• Julie Wa - 9 (donate)
• Julie Wy- 4 (donate)
• June - 5
• Karen - 2 *NEW*
• Kasey - 3
• Kate - 9 *WINNER*
• Kathie - 8 *WINNER*
• Kathy B - 6
• Kathy S - 9 *NEW*
• Kelly - 2
• Kim G (HK) - 6 *NEW*
• Kim H - 4
• Kina - 1
• Laura - 9 + 1 extra
• Laurina - 9
• Linda G - 2 (donate)
• Linda N - 1
• Lisa - 9
• Liz - 9 + 2
• LPB - 1 *NEW*
• Maree - 9
• Marilyn - 9
• Mary C - 2 *NEW* *WINNER*
• Mary Jane - 8
• Mary Mc - 9 *NEW*
• Marybeth (mb) - 9
• Melinda - 2
• Michelle L - 9
• Nan - 4
• Pat - 9
• Pokey - 2
• Rho - 9
• Sandi - 6 *NEW*
• Sharon - 4
• Shelley - 6
• Sophie - 9 (donate) + 4
• Susan - 6
• Terri - 4
• Tiffany - 2
• Vivi - 2 *NEW*
• Wendy F - 6
• Wendy Lee - 3
• Wilma - 4

A Video...Infinite Variety Red and White Quilt Show..NYC

A friend at work just sent me a link to the beautimous quilt show that Sophie visited this past weekend, full of Joanna Rose's 650 (of 1,000 owned) Red and White Quilts. Here's the link - - - - The video has soft, calming stringed music as you view the lovely quilts..... so kick back (for 7 min. or so) relax, and enjoy..... Infinite Variety (Red & White -Quilt Show in New York) Happy Quilting!

Congratulations, Email style

IF you are one of our lucky winners this month:

Janet - who joined last summer and has won twice already
Blondie - a first time winner
Céline - a first time winner
Balinda - won on her ONE year anniversary with the Block Lotto ... Happy Anniversary!
Andrew - a first time winner
Cathy C - a lucky girl who won Stacks in January and is back for more
Kate - a lucky old-timer ... maybe because she usually donates her chances ;-)
Kathie - another old timer ... who hasn't won in almost 2 years!
Mary C- a NEWBIE winner

THEN, you should have email from me.  Please respond ASAP so I can get the mailing info out to everyone and you can start receiving your beautiful Red and White blocks.

If you are one of the 64 OTHER quilters who made blocks this month but didn't win this time, then I'll be sending out the mailing info telling you where to send your blocks as soon as I've heard from all the winners.

Congratulations! March D4P Winners!!

Congratulations! March D4P Winners!! 1) Janet S 2) Blondie 3) Celine 4) Balinda 5) Andrew 6) Cathy C 7) Kate N 8) Kathie L 9) Mary C I'm happy it's you, but I wish I was in there too... these are such neat blocks!! Make somethin' pretty!! Congrats again!

and the winners are...

We have NINE winners this month! The first four will receive 49 blocks each, and the other five will receive 48 blocks each. That's a lot of hearts, folks! Should I keep babbling, or do you want to know who won? Okay, here they are: 1) Janet S 2) Blondie 3) Celine 4) Balinda 5) Andrew 6) Cathy C 7) Kate N 8) Kathie L 9) Mary C Congratulations to all the winners! Julie Wa

Cross Your Fingers and Toes

I'm about to hit "send" on the message to Julie so she can pick our NINE WINNERS this month.

There were 43 chances donated this month.  If you are a newbie--we had 9 this month--you received 2 extra chances in the drawing.  If you have not yet won a set of lotto blocks--there are 23 of you--you received an extra chance, too.

This month, the first FOUR winners names randomly chosen will win a set of 49 blocks and the last FIVE winners names on the list will receive a set of 48.

I think Joanna Rose--the collector who owns those 651 red and white quilts that were on display in NY--would be proud of us this month.

Thanks to everyone for making this the most successful Block Lotto ever.

Woo Hoo......7 More!!

Here ya go.......I did 7 blocks for this month. This is truly a great block and I love how they sewed up! Oooops.....my seventh block there on the bottom of my photo kind of got cut off! There really are 7 here Sophie!!

Belinda from browndirtcottage.blogspot.com

Six to donate (With an hour to spare!)

My Machine made it back from the shop just in time for me to whip up these six and make the deadline. What a fun, easy, and interesting block. Wouldn't these look great surrounding redwork squares. Please donate these 6. Can't wait to see what the winners do with them.

One last block!

There was an unfinished D4P block sitting on my sewing table since the sneak peek. I had every intention of making that and five more, but it was not to be. Plus my camera decided not to work this morning, so here is a crappy picture taken with my computer webcam. Red and white quilts are not my thing, but since seeing the show here in NYC, I'm hoping one of my lame four chances is lucky!

three more (if I'm in time)

Hi.  It's been a bit frantic here, and some how the washing seems to have suffered so I've only just washed, dried, ironed, cut and stitched these reds for the D2P.  I hope they aren't too late.  Sophie please donate these blocks.

 (This block reads as black in the photo, but as red in real life.  If it isn't red enough, please feel free to exclude it from my block total)

Kelly's blocks

Kelly emailed me with photos of her blocks. 

These two blocks push our total to 419 blocks this month--enough for 9 winners!

under the wire!

I almost didn't finish them in time. But I really like this month's block and so wanted to maximize my chances! Here are all nine of my blocks (including the 2 I've already posted). Good luck!

The end of the month is almost here ...

The deadline for entering blocks into this month's "super lotto" is NOON (US East coast time) TOMORROW, March 31.

If no one volunteers, I'll be choosing the winners (at least 8 of you) using the Random Number web site. Otherwise, I'll be sending the list to the volunteer to choose our winners and post the results.   (To volunteer to choose the winners, you cannot be in the drawing yourself.)

*** UPDATE *** Julie Wa. has volunteered *** Thanks, Julie !!! ***

. . . while I have your attention, here's one of the quilts from the Infinite Variety exhibit that made me think of the Block Lotto while I was in NY--The (unliberated) version of the fireworks blocks we made last summer.

 

(The quilt on the bottom of the photo is pretty cool, too, huh?)

Two More, Now I have four...

I made 8 more blocks over the last few days, but will be donating 6 of them to Quilts for Leukemia, so please enter me for 4 blocks total for the lotto, would love to win this month!!

Here is the photo of my next two...

Third time lucky

Now I am in finelly. Thank you for all the support and patience. Vivi

Vivi's March blocks

Vivi posted these via email ... because no matter how hard I tried (and re-tried), she wasn't receiving the invite to become an author. 

Vivi is new this month (Welcome!) and is our first quilter from NORWAY. 

I am editing your post, Vivi, because it looks like your email automatically adds your full name, address and phone number as a signature and you probably DON'T want to post all that.

3 more for me

Here are three more for me this month for a total of 6. I had 3 more cut out, but I won't get to them so this is it for me this month. These will make a great two color quilt.

Photos - Coin Stack

 A rather jumbled array of photo's - I'll get the hang of this one day!!

I've nearly finished it! Just a bit more hand quilting to go, I'm doing wavey, meandering lines through-out in white - and really enjoying the journey through the blocks of stars, monkeys, giant crayons, daisies and candy stripes to name but a few. I used a very thick wadding so it's a lovely chunky quilt and I added a scappy border and on the reverse, my gingham check backing fabric wasn't quite wide enough so I added a stripy pach to widen, even using my one block that I had to keep behind as it didn't make the grade size-wise!! This was my first ever entry into the Block Lotto and I won - so this quilt is staying put - I love it and I thank each and every one of you for your beautiful blocks - this is a very special quilt.

D4P March Blocks by Cathy

Here are my four blocks. I, too am a Newbie. My niece introduced me to Block Lotto and I am excited to get started. I have been quilting since I was in my teens....now in my 50's. I enjoy playing with the contrasts of color and shape that quilting provides. Creating a quilt is also great therapy to help us pass through all of life's little challenges. I really enjoyed sewing this block and I look forward to the future months of blocks.

Quilt show

This quilt show that Sophie just went to is featured on the M. S. show today. She showed pictures from the BIG quilt show in NY that is free to the public until the 30th of this month. I think showcasing 600 red/white quilts all different no two were alike. If only I lived in NY. That quilt show had a quilt that was made in 1800's they all were amazing! Thank you technology because I got to see it through TV.

one red & white

It's been a busy month with a visit to Indianapolis to start wedding planning for a 2012 wedding for my daughter, and the Dallas Quilt Show (got to see Sophie!), and now a trip to DC.

Here's my one product so far, and maybe I can get some more before month end, but I doubt it. (have 3 more at the 4-patch stage).

I just finished a new book, The Checklist Manifesto, by Atul Gawande, about how the use of checklists in surgery, aviation, construction, and other disciplines has such power to reduce errors even by very smart people, particularly with complex situations.

I'm thinking hard about how that affects my day job, but it is also a reminder that I can avoid a lot of quilting re-dos by printing out the directions, having them visible at my machine, and checking them often! I'm only human, and my memory is getting more and more fallible!

I recommend the book; it is a quick read, and something to talk to your doctor about if you are planning surgery..

Hmm, I guess I'll have to get a checklist started for that wedding, too.

I'm BACK

This is the view as you walked into the doors of the exhibit space at the Armory on Park Avenue in NYC. It was the most inventive, creative, AMAZING display of quilts I've ever experienced.

If you have an iPad or an iPhone, the American Folk Art Museum has a pretty nice (free!) app in which you can look at all the quilts--I installed it on my friend's iPad ... the iPhone version is apparently still hung up in the app store. If you have an iPad/Phone/Pod, you want to search for Infinite Variety in the iTunes store.

I'll also be posting more of my photos on my sophie junction blog ... and at least two more here--because they relate to Lotto blocks we've made and one we're going to make ...

UPDATED TO ADD

If you have emailed me or left a comment over the weekend, about author privileges or the April block, I will get back to you soon.

Disappearing Four Patch

Here are my nine blocks for this month. I really like the pattern because there are so many ways you can use it.

Thanks

Lisa M.

Stacks

I didn't make a big quilt from the stacks blocks, but I did use a few so far to make a gift for my great granddaughter. I will probably use the rest to make smaller quilts to donate to the Guardian ad Litem program here in Asheville, NC.

This fabric basket:

plus this pillow:

plus this little quilt:

plus this baby doll:

made this:

Sweet huh?

I got the idea from here.

WilmaNC

Coin stacks

Has anyone put together their coin stacks blocks? I'd love to see pictures.

String Heart Top

I've finished putting the top together with all my string hearts - I love how it looks! I had some coordinates from Laura Ashley's "Mod Floral" line (Quilting Treasures) which worked well with dark heart backgrounds. Setting the hearts in rows made it easy to compensate for any block size variation. Thanks to everyone who sent me blocks - I look forward to seeing how the other winners use theirs!
- Wendy F

wonky tree quilt.....

This is ready for the quilter. I used every block I received and some of my own.

It is my geocaching quilt! I am posting a link, not everyone knows what geocaching is....

http://www.geocaching.com/

Thank you block lotto for being here and giving me a chance to win,

& thank you to all the participants who sent me your blocks.

Julie P (joe tulips)

The APRIL Sneak Peek Email has been sent

If you are one of the SIXTY-SIX quilters who have made and posted photos of your blocks this month, you should have email from me with advance information about the April block choice.

If you didn't receive the email, FIRST check your spam folder, then let me know ASAP.  I will be traveling tomorrow and away for the weekend, so I may be slow to respond, but I will get back to you ;-)

D4P March Lotto Blocks by Irene

D4P March Lotto Blocks

I'm back from my 3-week trip and just now getting to my March blocks.  Here are the 3 I've made.  The 3rd one is a little wonky - It was the first one I made and I was learning...

Back home. Heart Blocks-received

I have just returned home after being "on the road" for 3 weeks.  All my "Heart Blocks" have arrived.  My post office box was overflowing!  I now have my 48 blocks and am so excited trying to figure out how I'm going to sew my quilt top together.  Thanks to all of who contributed blocks.  All blocks were well packaged and arrived to their destination safely.  I'm happy :)

{4} D4P From Andie

What an adorable block! Love this technique - so fun and quick to make with great eye-candy payoff! 

2 more blocks

I have finally done my last 2 blocks for this month to make it 9.



Now I will cross my fingers very hard because I absolutely love these blocks. I even wondered whether I should keep my blocks for me instead of entering them for the lotto but no, I need to take a chance to win more! I haven't won so far, so maybe, after a nasty tummy bug that infested the family, this month will be my lucky month for the lotto.... Can't wait for the draw now!
Celine

Stacks

I have sew them together and will be donating the unfinished top to a local charity group. They will either finish it and donate it, or they will raffle it off and use the proceeds to purchase supplies to make more charity quilts.
I think the colors are fabulous.

Thank you all who participated in this lotto.

Two D4P Blocks by Melinda

Here are two blocks - I have more red fabrics ready to make more but with Shop Hop starting tomorrow I am not sure when I will get them done.

Melinda

and one more makes nine

I managed to create one more block for this month after 'finding' another red fabric. - Laurina

Finally!

I have had the fabrics pulled for these since Sophie sent the sneak peek. And tonight I finally got them cut and sewn. 9 blocks for me this month, and I sure do like these! What a popular block this seems to be.
I just finished a top in crimson and cream that I have to get layered and quilted pretty soon fr a charity auction. I think I need to sew something in other colors now!

Five more D4P blocks from Newbie, Kathy

Yippee.  I finished the other five blocks for a total of nine blocks.  It's nice to finish a project!

Hi.  My name is Kathy and I am a newbie not only to quilting, but blogging as well.  My grandmother made so many beautiful quilts.  I'd love to continue the tradition in our family.  I have an awsome husband and a son that will be four in June.  I LOVE to garden, but promise to try to keep up on just a few quilting projects that I have started.  It's been a long winter here in Ohio.  It would be nice to see some sunshine and get some fresh air soon.  Luckily I found quilting to keep me occupied.

Feel free to check out and follow my blog.  It's new and a little rough, but it's mine.  I only have one follower right now and would love to hear other's opinons and tips!

http://new2quilting.blogspot.com/

Blocks

Sophie, all ten of my blocks are unique fabrics. Therefore, my "extra" block really is a donation block. Let me know if you want me to take another picture. I didn't realize two blocks looked so similar, they don't in person.

Laura

(edited by sophie to include my response)

Laura, the guidelines for the block lotto are that you can enter up to maximum of 9 blocks for a maximum of 9 chances--whether those chances are for yourself or donated to newbies and others who have not yet won.  Therefore, your 10th block can be contributed as an extra block to sweeten the pot, but there is no extra chance associated with it and therefore you cannot donate it. 

As an example, I made 13 unique blocks this month.  9 chances are donated, the rest of the blocks are just extras, contributed to the group. 

sophie

Kathy's four D4P blocks

Hi.  I'm a Newbie posting to the block lotto.  I made four D4P blocks. 

Thanks, Sophie!

My block

It's finally done. This has been a busy month for me but I finally got it done. Kina

6 from a Newbie

Hi all, I have just joined the fun and am happy to submit six blocks for the month. Thank you Sophie for leading this and Quilter's World for the article. I am a 15 year quilter (eeks) and I currently live in Hong Kong with my hubby and two teenage girls! This is giving me a great opportunity to feel at home, while thousands of miles away. I look forward to playing along.

Two More from Cyndi

I found some more red fabric at a shop here in Bishop, where we've been camping and fishing the past week. This brings my total to 6.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

more string heart blocks received!

lovely blocks from Nan and Gail have been received in the last few days! Thanks ladies...I've almost received all of the blocks and once I do will post a picture of the blocks all together.

Moira

Fabrics for April 2011

I know someone asked a while ago about fabrics for April.  I can't promise to always post advance information about fabrics ... but if I can find the time, I will try to give everyone a sneak peek at the fabric palette for the upcoming month.

 


The April block is well-suited to be made from scraps (approximately 4 inch squares) or charms.  You'll need:

Cream background fabric
Green fabric
2 Fabrics that are lighter and darker shades of the same color--any color, your choice, except cream or green

Any of the fabrics may be solid, tone-on-tone (TOT) prints or multicolor prints that are predominately cream or green or one of your two lighter/darker colors.

You can click the images above to get a closer look at some of the fabrics I used. I made my blocks almost entirely from scraps, but, if you choose, you can use the SAME CREAM and SAME GREEN in all your blocks.

Sandi's blocks

Hi, I'm Sandi and I'm a total newbie to Block Lotto. I saw it mentioned in a magazine I was reading and hopped on over on March 1st and loved this block so much I decided not to hesitate and I jumped right in.
Sophie said I should do a little intro, so here goes.... My grandmother was a quilter and I always loved when we would go to her house and the quilt frame had been let down from the ceiling in her old farmhouse and she was working on one of her creations. Like any good grandmother would she tried to pass on the love for quilting, but like many youngsters I didn't have the patience or appreciation to withstand the lessons then. I sure wish I had. Fast forward to 2002 - I had just moved and joined a Newcomers club and one of the other ladies offered to host/teach a quilting group if any of us were interested. I signed up partly because of my grandmother and partly to have something to do. I found that I really loved making beautiful pieces out of little bits. The group fell apart after about 18 months and I did some on my own, but not consistently. Last year I started thinking about my quilting more and got out some of my UFO's from several years ago and worked on them some and got hooked again.
I moved again in January this time to SE GA, so have had lots of time to start and not quite finish a pretty simple quilt for my son's 22nd birthday next month. Should be working on that instead of playing on the computer - LOL So there you go, my quilting history in a nutshell. I'm somewhere between a beginner and intermediate I think. The lady teaching really was a good teacher, but not enough experience yet to comfortable call my self intermediate.

Sorry I got chatty! On to my 6 beautiful Lotto Blocks. (provided posting a pic is really as easy as Sophie said it was - LOL) Okay, I thought the picture would be after my post, and I can't figure out how to move it. Any tips for that? Also, I see it is a horrible picture. I'll try to improve that later.

I I loved the block so much that I did a little math and made a 12 inch block for one of those UFO's from years ago. I need a few more blocks to finish a QS sampler quilt and I made one. I was gonna post a pic of it too, but since my pic didn't work the way I thought it would I won't.

Thanks for letting me play!
Sandi

found 2 more reds & couldn't resist

I'm really done now.  Got to stop scouring my stash for reds and get to cleaning this house!  These 2 are to donate.

My March blocks (9 + 1 for donation)...

Laura Randolph

My last 2 d4p blocks