Before & After

Swapping fabrics is one of the most fun ways to build a stash. I started swapping fabrics online almost as soon as I started quilting. I swapped 4-inch strips, 10" squares, Fat Eighths and Fat Quarters.

These are the FQs I sent for Teresa's recent swap of Amish Solids FQs . . . and look at the rainbow of fabrics I received in return.

I joined this swap, once again, to begin to build a stash, this time of solid fabrics. It's a great start, isn't it?

More (August) Lotto Blocks from Kate

Kate made three more blocks for August. I picked them up yesterday.



Kate sent chocolates, too. Yum! (Thanks, Kate.)

Lotto Blocks from Amy and Lee Ann

I received these lotto blocks from sneek-peekers Amy and Lee Ann ... before the end of August!

Here are Amy's



and Lee Ann's



Click the photos to see larger versions--these batiks are gorgeous and worth checking out.

Goshen Stars For September

This month's lotto block is Goshen Star. We're making the blocks in batiks on cream/tan tone-on-tone backgrounds.

Because I am not a precise sewer, I found it useful to measure and square up both the HSTs and the rectangular units before assembling the block.

When making the blocks, make sure you have a 1/4 inch seam allowance extending beyond all 12 points around the outside of your blocks. My block photos are a little deceptive because I crop out the seam allowance to produce a nice square block looks like it will after it's sewn into a top, but here is a detail shot of one edge of one of Kate's blocks:

Kate also suggests that when constructing the rectangle units that instead of sewing ON the diagonal for the little background squares, sew just to the outside of the diagonal - to give yourself that much more space to turn and press the corner squares.

Janet Wickell recently blogged an article for the about.com Quilting site which has great information about pressing blocks and links to other tips for building better blocks ... for the lotto, for swaps and for yourself.

This is a composite of block photos sent to me by Kate, Lee Ann and Michelle. I think this is going to be a great month for the Beginner Block Lotto.

August Block Lotto Winners

The winners of August lotto blocks are ...

Michelle and France.

France, who is busy preparing for her wedding next month, may not even realize it yet. Some of her friends asked that her name be put in the hat instead of theirs as a little wedding gift. I know that she and her Wolverine-loving future husband going to enjoy these blue and (almost) gold blocks. (Go Blue!)

The blocks they've won were made by Amy (3), Anne (5), Barb (5), Colene (1), Donna (4), Jeni (5), Julie (1), Kate (5), Laura (2), Laurie (3), Lee Ann (1), Liz (2), Maia (1), Michelle (3), Renae (5), Sophie (3), Vanessa (2)

Lotto blocks from Kathryn

Kathryn's blocks arrived Thursday ... just in time for the lotto drawing.