Scrappy Rectangle Block [Technique]

The March Block Lotto for the NYC Metro Modern Quilters Guild is another scrap buster.  

What's a Block Lotto?

You make any number of blocks of the designated design, hand over your blocks at the next guild meeting and you are given one entry in the raffle draw for each block you've made.  

The Low Volume Block - NYC Metro Mod Quilt Guild Block Lotto

For so long I've been wanting to make a quilt using just cream and white fabrics so when I got the instructions for the November Lotto Blocks for the NYC Metro Mod Quilt Guild I knew exactly what sort of block I was going to make.

The instructions are a 12.5" unfinished block; any block design; low volume fabrics.

Time to trial my idea and see just how a block for a whole white and cream quilt could look.

I've allowed myself to use tone on tones,

and varied textures, especially for the solids, adding visual and tactile interest.

I've used 9 fabrics and cut 9 blocks - (6) 5" x 4.5" and (3) 4" x 3.5" and I've joined them together using row by row and nested seams method from my Easy Scrappy Nine Patches tute.

Yep, it's confirmed, I do want to make a whole quilt just like this.

As always you can check out all the blocks that our Bee make for the November Block Lotto on my Quilty - NYC Metro Mod Guild Challenge Blocks Pinterest Board- I'll add more pins as each person in the Bee posts photos of their finished blocks and you can see my NYC Mod Quilt Guild post here too.

Additionally, you can click this link to see all of my NYC Mod Quilt Guild Bee Blocks and Challenge Blocks/Quilts.

Disclaimer: This post is for informational purposes only, no payment or commission is received on click-throughs and opinions are my own.

   

The Marmite Block - Do You Love It Or Hate It?

The theme for the 1 November meeting of our NYC Metro Mod Quilt Guild Block Lotto is Flying Geese.  This follows on nicely from my October Bee Blocks for Maria - Orderly and Liberated Flying Geese - making me a dab hand at stitching them up quickly.

What's a Block Lotto, I hear some of you asking?  Well, first of all, participation is optional, if you do choose to take part you get one raffle ticket for each block you enter into the Block Lotto.  When all entries are received a raffle ticket is drawn and the winner takes away all the blocks entered.

Let's get down to it - October Block Lotto instructions:

1: finished block must contain at least one flying geese unit;

2: at least one of the flying geese units in the block must be red; and

3: the finished block must be a 12.5" unfinished square.

Here is my finished block...

which I hate... 

or maybe I love...

I just can't make my mind up either way, this is the strangest feeling I've ever had making a quilt block.

Let's start this story again - this time with the block the other way up just so it doesn't feel quite so repetitive.

I pulled out my red scrap box to find fabric to make the block and right then and there I saw four 5" charm squares that I really dislike.  Do you have that, fabric in your collection that makes you uncomfortable, that you try not to look at, let your eyes move on quickly and hope the niggle inside you goes away?

If you don't like a fabric in your stash the first question is how did it come into your possession?

Mine was by way of a Flickr fabric charm swap.  Ever joined in one?  I've joined in two; one was strictly Kaffe Fassett fabrics - the organiser was strict about everyone's chosen fabrics and the resulting received charm pack was wonderful - well it couldn't be anything else as I loooove Kaffe Fassett.  My other swap was a Scrappy Fabric Charm Swap.  Now I know for some scrappy sounds wonderful and I totally agree, when scrappy comes from my own scrap stash and I'm in total control (did I really just own up to being a control freak on my blog?!).  I'm not so keen when it's an amalgamation of many people's stashes, for me this is in danger of becoming fabric vomit.  

So why did I take part in this Fabric Vomit Scrappy Fabric Charm Swap?  Well I wanted to support the organiser, an online quilty friend, and I thought I could just divide the charms across my colour separated scrap bins and use them up for projects such as this.  To be fair the majority of fabrics in the swap were really lovely - just not together!!! - separated amongst my stash they'll all be very useful over time, however there were one or two that really set my aesthetic nerves jangling

If you don't like a fabric in your stash the second question has to be why is it still there?  

Why not swap it - you'll be amazed how one of your quilty friends may love it as apparently we don't all have the same taste in fabric it seems!, donate it to a quilt guild or charity store, or use it - maybe make a charity quilt?

I struggled with my conscience, is it okay to make a block using fabric I've chosen but don't actually like?  I wondered how I'd feel posting about a fugly block I've created from choice - that one was simple, I just wouldn't, post about it that is.  Still to finally be rid of four 5" charm squares that I didn't like and wouldn't have to look at again in my stash!!!  That decided I set about making the block.

I pulled the four 5" charms squares and made four Flying Geese Units.  I sewed the scrap ends together along with a small piece of black solid and included them too, then added a black solid to make it up to the required 12.5" block size.

Finally I stood back and looked at the block. [hmmm, it's actually not bad] did that thought actually just go through my head? [kind of got a Japanese feel going on] oh no, stop talking head voices.  I know let's show it to hubby and see what reaction he gives [he's going to love it, oh look at his face he does love it, oh what have I done? now he'll want a whole quilt made like this].

There you go I eat my words and have decided to share the block after all and be totally honest about it.

 Still can't decide if I love it and hate it though, it's quite a Marmite Block moment.  I do indeed HATE Marmite, fortunately so does my husband so we've never encountered this (un)romantic problem:

I think the block could look great in a quilt made up of all these fabrics/colours but continuing the theme of being honest let's face it these Block Lotto blocks are going to be a pile of Scrappy Blocks - can red Flying Geese pull all that together in a whole quilt?  The winner's got their work cut out - I really hope it's not me!

Have you made something for someone else with a fabric you don't like just to get rid of it? 

Share your Charm Swap experiences too.

As always you can check out all the blocks that our Guild make for the Flying Geese Block Lotto on my Quilty - NYC Metro Mod Guild Challenge Blocks- I'll add more pins as each person in the Bee posts photos of their finished blocks and you can see my NYC Mod Quilt Guild post here too.

And you can click this link to see all of my NYC Mod Quilt Guild Bee Blocks and Challenge Blocks/Quilts.

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Spots Before Your Eyes - April 2014 NYC Metro MQG Block Lotto

The NYC Metro Mod Guild Guild Block Lotto for our next meeting on 5 April is 9 patch polka dot blocks.  (Not sure how to piece and press 9 patches?  Read my easy tutorial here.)

So the idea is that you make as many blocks as you like and take them along to the meeting.  Each block you hand in gives you one entry in the raffle and the raffle winner wins all the blocks brought along by guild members.

I've used the 7 polka dot fabrics that I picked up on my trip to Britex in San Francisco two weeks ago and added a purple that I used in my Sparkle Plenty Quilt and a pink from my Drunkard's Path Quilt.

Blocks can be straight or wonky but have to have 9 polka dot patches and measure 9.5" square unfinished - with a quick bit of maths that's 9 x 3.5" squares.

And there it is ...

Does it look like a lucky Polka Dot block?

I hope so!  I'd love to win that raffle!!!

If you're interested in seeing the Show & Tell from our February NYC Metro Mod Guild meeting here's the link.  You might want to nip over just to take a look at my Show & Tell - a quilt I made for Simon for Christmas but haven't got around to photographing and blogging about yet.  It's a pleated quilt and I was dreading ever having to wash it because I really didn't want to ever have to iron it - but Watson, our new Havanese pup, vomited on it last week and by the time I got home from work Simon had washed and tumbled it absolutely bone dry.  I'm not sure it'll ever be quite the same again and not a photo to show for it :(  I'm going to give it another wash and try ironing it when it's still pretty damp, that's the plan but life keeps being too busy and getting in the way, I'm sure you know how it is!

Can't help loving Watson though, he's such a cutie!!!  Haven't shared too many pics so here's a few and some of Tatty too.

Love them so much I think I can just about let them off a bit of vomit on a quilt.

What about you, do you have vomit stories (or worse!) about your quilts?  Did you love the culprit enough to forgive them too?!!!

And you can click this link to see all of my NYC Mod Quilt Guild Bee Blocks and Challenge Blocks/Quilts.