Cross-X Swap, January Update

January 10, 2014October 15, 2014 Elizabeth E.9 Comments

Krista sent me these too close to Christmas to post (and besides, no one was reading any blogs that week anyway), so here they are on the New Year, now that we’ve all put away our decorations, celebrated, vacuumed and have actually resumed some sense of order in our lives. Or at least pretend we have.

We are in the (I can never get this right) the Plus and X Friendship Swap. Or the X and Plus Swap. I just call it the Cross-X swap, as noted in the title, and all our blocks — thus far swapped — are on my pinwall, above. Cool, huh?

As of this post, she is all caught up, but I’m now 4 blocks behind for January. I can just hear her saying “Neener, neener, neener!” I’ll catch up, Krista, I promise. I notice that usually we try to make the background all the same, but in her blocks sent for January, she’s varied the backgrounds. I’m trying to decide if I like her new twist, but she’s very creative and a really wonderful swap partner, so I need to be open to new ideas. We try to blog the last Fridays of each month and hey–it’s only the 10th, and I need to get out several blocks promised for a cooperative group quilt, two bee blocks, and I’m working really hard on my Amish With A Twist-2 quilt, too.

Quilt Frolic has a new home. During Christmastime, all our children and grandchildren came home, and my youngest, Peter, and his wife, Megan, stayed with us the entire week while waves of family moved in and out of the two other available rooms.

I had this quilt on their bed, and one morning Megan was relating a conversation she had with Peter about how much she like this quilt. “I mean, I really like it,” she said. And she asked my son if she thought she could, like, borrow it, or even have it.

Megan, that is music to a quilter’s ears! I gave it to her on the spot. I was thrilled that she liked it well enough to want it, and I think she was thrilled to take it home. Megan really liked the fabrics in it–a combo of Amy Butler and some Anna Maria Horner–a kind of fabric that suits Megan well. She did get it into her teensy little carryon for the trip across the United States, to their home on the East Coast.

I am glad that this quilt has gone to someone who loves it!

Quilts

Friendship Cross-X Block Swap, part 1

November 28, 2013November 28, 2013 Elizabeth E.11 Comments

First, start with four blocks, and plan to send two to Krista in October. Realize that this was merely a good intention, and as you missed October’s Friendship Swap post, you’ll save them to send later.

Next, make eight more blocks and send four to Krista in November, along with the two from October. (Actually, I made December’s and sent to her already, but you’re not seeing them until our Official Blogging Date of the Last Friday of Every Month. Or so say the instigators of this fun swap, Carla at Lollyquiltz and Susan of Patchwork ‘n’ Play.)

Receive Krista’s blocks in the mail and do a happy dance, but remind her. . . hey lady, send me one more!

Put them all together: Krista’s and mine from October and November, plus one orphan block you had when you wanted to start this quilt about two years ago, but never did, so are infinitely grateful to Krista for inviting you to be her swap partner in this Friendship Swap. Thanks, Krista!

Here’s an inspirational photo, just so you know where we’re going with all this. Every last Friday of the month until we reach 63 blocks and declare it a quilt!

P.S. Some call it x and+ swap. Some call it cross and plus swap. Whatever you call it, take a look at our Flickr feed and join in the fun!

Quilts · WIP

WIP Wednesday

November 13, 2013April 27, 2014 Elizabeth E.14 Comments

I seem to be on an Amish trend. First the book announcement and a round-up of my Amish quilts, and then with this WIP Wednesday, news of my Amish With A Twist-2 BOM status. I was sailing through these monthly chapters of fabric and pattern until this one: twenty-eight blocks, all log cabin style.

I got out my trusty swatch/color helper and started cutting. I had to add a bunch to my cards to keep them current, one selvage snip at a time.

At first I was confused, with what they wanted, then I figured it out. They want a TOTAL of 28 strips, in a variety of the colors listed. I did my math, and figured out that would be about 4 strips of each different color, in the dark color way and a different number in the medium color way, so lined them up on the board and started cutting.

And cutting.

I sewed the centers together, then did one complete round of strips. They look kind of cool lined up here, I think.

I assembled them in kind of a log-cabin-block arrangement, just trying to get the visual.

And finally–twenty-eight blocks completed. I have eight more to go in a different coloration, then assemble and finish.

I’m also working on the #friendshipxandplusswap showing up on blogs and instagram; there are quite a few of us who have paired up, decided on the number of blocks, and are going at it. In October I was supposed to send my partner two blocks (we make four and send off half), and in November, four. Well, here’s a part of November’s, I still owe October’s and December is right around the corner. We all plan to blog on the last Friday of the month, so if you are not entertaining a turkey-pumpkin-pie hangover from the day before (American Thanksgiving), and can head back around, you’ll see some more of these blocks.

Next WIP rattling around in my head comes from when Leanne announced the theme for our next Four-in-Art challenge: Structure. So when I was visiting my sister and her husband at Cedar-Sinai hospital this past week, I took some photos to get me in the mood. They have very cool structures there, in terms of modern, angular buildings. But it’s their art on the inside which is swoon-worthy. (That’s another post).

Here’s the Big Kahuna of WIP projects, and the deadline is fast approaching. I have now received all the 12″ squares from my bee mates. Now to find the hyper-overdrive-Christmas-blast of energy to get it done! I’ve not arranged these yet how I want them, but I love seeing them and all the signature squares, up on the pinwall.

I could bore you with more, but I think that’s more than enough.

Linking up with Lee of Freshly Pieced.

Quilts

Friendship Swap

October 15, 2013 Elizabeth E.10 Comments

Two of my Mid-Century Modern Bee buddies, Carla of Lollyquiltz and Susan of PatchworknPlay have teamed up to run a Friendship Swap of the Cross-X blocks. I had originally pled “no way!” but then Krista of KristaStitched wrote and asked me to be her swap buddy. How could I ever say no to Krista? Besides I’ve had a veritable obsession with these blocks for some time, as witnessed by the evidence below:

It’s been kicking around in the back of the closet for eons, it seems like, and I purposely left the wrinkled up template page for the full effect of ancientness.

And because I might have a wee obsession with text fabrics, I’m hoping that Krista and I can work something out so I can use these.

I did some wandering (yes, I’m avoiding the grading–how did you know?) and found a post on Mrs. Schmenkman’s Quilts blog about her foray into the Cross-X Land, and her beginning quilt. While Carla and Susan have decided to go the coordinated route, I’m kind of liking this from-the-stash look, with light backgrounds. So I think, yes, that’s it, and then I find this:

All of the current rage for this came from Amy of Badskirt, who saw it in a Japanese Quilt, reverse-engineered it, and put up a tutorial. However, if you have Barbara Brackman’s Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns, it’s easy to find out that Nancy Cabot first published it in 1938 with the name Spool Block, # 1970 on page 248. (For some unknown reason, I bought my book when it first came out, but even at the elevated prices of used books right now, it is worth having. I use it a TON.)

(http://www.flickr.com/photos/missriain/9683609064/sizes/c/in/pool-2161187@N21/)

And this whole story goes to show you that every old will be new again. While Amy’s block comes in at 7.5″ inches (finished), here’s templates for a 10″ block: Cross-X Blocks 10-inch and a 12″ block: Cross-X Block 12%22 (although that feels too big too me if it’s the scrappy, cozy quilt top look you want).

Click on the links at the top of the post to see what Carla and Susan have come up with, including a Flickr Group to help keep the quilters motivated. Krista and I are still working out the bits and pieces on how we want to do it. Anyway, how ever you cut it or however you do it, the bottom line is to grab a quilty pal and to get going.