A few people have emailed me to apologize or explain why they didn’t make this month’s block or how they tried and failed or how they would have made this block using a different technique like appliqué. Honestly, while it makes me happy when I choose a block, technique and/or color way that everyone wants to make and we end up with enough blocks for a handful of winners, I don’t take it personally when my choices are not at...

I won the Twinklers blocks last year.  I had the resulting quilt professionally quilted (tip: purple thread is a good choice for black background and blocks in many colors) and donated it to the silent auction at last month’s American Library Assn. conference.   The successful bidder was thrilled to win it — her FB post got almost 500 likes (pretty much all from non-quilters).  I had a couple of requests for the block pattern.  Good...

I took a look of the quilts that were made and posted by winners and participants of the Blocklotto.  My gosh, what a beautiful collection of quilts! I know I have more than a couple of UFOs and gallon sized bags from the winnings of Blocklotto over the years.  Time to spring those beauties out of confinement and get them done.  Anyone for a done by Oct. / Nov. group challenge??

My completed top for June made from November 2010 purple sampler blocks: My July top will probably be made from 2012 June – Simplified Schoolhouse...

If only to myself, I had declared this weekend my time to catch up with my Old MacDonald’s Mystery Sampler (#OMMS) quilt blocks  … which led me to think about the tomato joke and remind myself all weekend long to “ketchup!” (As you all know, I AM easily amused.) If you don’t know what I’m talking about, here’s a clip of Uma Thurman’s character telling the joke in Pulp Fiction: I had fallen quite...

While My husband an I were out looking in greenhouses at orchids to buy, I met a very lovely 74 year young quilter. Who was very sweet and took me in to show me her quilting room. While there she shared her quilts and photos with me. She does a lot of restoration quilting. She shared with me a quilt she was going to work on it had been gotten chewed by a families dog,  She asked me if I might have a green fabric she was looking for to do the...

I started to write this post at the end of April, but can’t remember why I didn’t publish it!  These are my butterflies that I added to the draw and four with sky backgrounds for OMMS,  together with the pile of removed papers!  I do prefer my darker backgrounds and the scrap-striped wings.  I now have a reasonable selection of paler neutrals and whites, but this was a gap in my fabric collection before joining in with Block Lotto...

Just wanted to congratulate the winners and also say sorry that I did not get any butterfly’s entered. It is my Daughters Senior year and Prom dress shopping turned in to prom dress making. And our 28th wedding Anniversary was this past week end and My hubby planned a weekend away.. I know that it is not necessary to explain why I did not get any entered but I had to its just a me thing..

My finished top for April:   My top for May will probably be from blocks from October 2014, woven...

During the sneak peek, I said that I had an idea for how to make this month’s block without paper piecing it.  Yesterday, I finally got around to trying it. The basics are that I printed the foundation pattern onto the non-shiny side of freezer paper (cut to size and flattened to fit through my printer). I cut the printed foundation apart and ironed the templates onto my fabrics, then used a ruler and rotary cutter to add 1/4 inch seam...

I fell asleep thinking about combining the Butterfly block with one from Block Lotto’s past (April 2009) and woke up (too early) still thinking about it.  I gave up on falling back to sleep, first made coffee and then quickly drew this in EQ.     18 Butterfly blocks + 17 traditional Thrifty blocks + 4 inch borders = 38 by 50 inch baby quilt. You can find directions for making the thrifty block on Sophie Junction in this post:...

Since it seems I can’t stop thinking about things I need to post about here … I keep thinking that it has been a while since I mentioned the Facebook page I set up for the Block Lotto and some of you who are knew here might not know about it. Block Lotto I link the important posts and share quilts from the Gallery and other blogs. If you’re “on Facebook” and didn’t know about it, you might want to check it...