Some of us wanted to challenge those who want to but haven't started their postage stamp tops. We are starting ours now. I have my needle threaded and a bunch of the postage stamp blocks laying here. Now to see how many I get can sewn up.

Hopefully everyone will post pics periodically as they get along on their tops.

I can't wait to see what everyone's looks like.

I know I will be doing mine by hand. So it will take me a bit longer. But I'll still post pics.

Please come and join us!!!! And have fun with all those beautiful prints.

Maybe when everyone starts getting low on different prints, we can do something about that.

Not sure if this is where to put this thread or not.

what size are your squares cut 1 1/2 inch? Sounds fun, i am having back surgery soon, i may be able to sew some by hand while i am laying around if i get some cut.

Oh that will be so great!!!! And it will give you something you can work on while resting. Glad to have you aboard!!!

I'm doing 1 1/2 inch postage stamps. I also joined the swap they are having here. Maybe they will do another soon.

When we start getting low on colors/prints, I'm hopeing we can all help each other out.

I don't know if I can do mine all in different colors. I figure after a while I would get mixed up with what I used and what I didn't use. But I will try.

Maybe you can get a bunch cut out before your surgery. Hope things go well for you.

Should you press postage stamp blocks open or to the side? I may wanna give this one a go...

If you do it to the side, it will be easier to quilt. But if you do it, say in blocks of so many charms, it might be hard to match your seams up right.

They would match up no matter how you put it together with pressing the seams open. I really don't know how the quilting would be on that.

I've never pressed seams like that. Always to the side for me.

Maybe someone else has done it both ways and can let us know.

Would love to have you sewing along with us.

How many 1 1/2" blocks does it take? I know it will depend on the size of the quilt, but was thinking that if you cut all the blocks before you start sewing, you could be sure no 2 were alike.

Sew glad you're doing this! Sorry I didnt wait for you, I was too anxious to start then I just kept on going. Time flies when you're having fun :)

I don't think I would like cutting them all before I start. I think it would get very boring that way. Guess I'll just cut when I run out of what I have. Cut so many then sew those up. And just try not to duplicate much if any.

Crafty1, just start another one. You can always use them for gifts. They make beautiful quilts. Then you will be sewing with us.

Hahaha I was thinking of that the other day when I was showing dbf this one. He gave me an idea so.... Maybe after I get this postage stamp done, I can join in! But it won't be different fabrics :wink:

Hey don't apoligize! If it wasn't for you and your amazing process, we probably wouldn't have started this challenge.

Yes join in for another one. Who says postage stamp quilts need to have no duplicates.

Thanks for starting the thread. Now the pressure is on! LOL
Need to get off computer and start cutting.

While looking around to see where to put the thread, found a challenge virtual section. Maybe we can ask a moderator to add this one to that section.

http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-142366-5.htm#3912672
here's the summer swap link. it is small due to a first time hostess. There were a few spots left, last I knew.

Saturday, I set up a sort system, graphed my quilt, and sorted 1050 blocks into 14 color categories, excluding black/gray/whites and brown/tans. Don't really fit my plan. May squeeze them in here and there.

Weekend past, I sewed strips of 4: in green, green/blue, blue, purple, and I think one other. Tonight I pressed blue and purple 4-strips. Sewed the blues into 8 strips, the 8s into 4 deeps. sewed the purples into 8s & into 8x8. I have one full block done. 8x8 purple. Yay!

:mrgreen:

A queen would be over 10,000 stamps. I reduced mine to 7,500 or so by calculating 12" border. (4" and 8" )

I figure soon as the MODS see this, they will move it. I looked for the proper place. And didn't find it. Maybe I should of let someone else start it. giggle

Drum roll please!!!! I set last night and sewed four rows of 25 stamps. And one with 19 stamps. I'll finish that one to 25 tonight.
I figure I'll do mine like 25 to a row. Press them. Then pin 25 rows together to make a block. I can keep up with my amount of stamps I've done easier that way.
Oh, word, is it going to take a lot to make a King size to fit my bed.
I have some blocks I've got to cut down to the right size. And I think I may have some already cut up in a tote. I'll have to go check.

Soon as I get one block sewn up, I post a picture.

Well, how are you all doing on yours???? Any progress yeet.

Wouldn't it be something if everyone was working on this. Good way to use up scraps.

Just a thought, but I was thinking of doing a couple of challenges after this one. One at a time of course.

Patriotic stamps only! And then maybe a Christmas stamp only!

Heck, lets go for it. A Fall Stamp quilt would be beautiful with all the fall colors.

Now I'm dreaming of those quilts.

Gosh, I better get my work done today so I can sew on mine again tonight.

If you sew quarter inch seams, the your stamps will be 1" square.... sew... how ever many inches long you want it times how ever many inches wide you want it will equal how many squares you will need.

Example: 48" wide by 48" wide will equal 2304 - 1.5" squares.

It sounds like a lot if you were cutting each individual square out. I have participated in about 4 of the postage stamp swaps and have divised ways of making muitiple cuts pretty quickly. :-D

Ohhhh, do tell please. Would love a way to cut more faster. I joined the Summer Postage stamp. I would love to do 20 sets but am a little worried after last night.
I found a website that gave great ideas on cutting up scraps as soon as you aquire them into strips, squares, bricks, oddities, and strings. And quilts that she made from her scraps. http://www.quiltville.com/
So I started to go through pile of scraps last night. I worked for about 2 hours. I think I ended up cutting 10 1.5" squares. It'll take me forever to cut 50 of them, let alone 1000. :) I really love her idea and think the initial scrap fest will be the hardest and then easy to keep up.
I tried to take a picture of my before to after but camera battery was dead. Will take pictures today before starting on it again.

You go girl. Wow you sure did a lot considering you are doing the piecing by hand. You are going to make me work to keep up with you. :)
I'm working on cutting still. Hopefully the kids and estate stuff will give me more time.

Would love to see pictures!

Vicky, when thinking of my scrap pile I had to laugh... that would be daunting. What I do is cut several 1.5" strips when ever I am cutting fabric... I also cut 1" strips evey time I am cutting fabric. The 1" strips are for my log cabins that I love to make. The others are for whenever I am going to do a postage stamp swap.

I pile several (3-4) 1.5" strips carefully and cut every 1.5" until the strips are completely cut up. In a postage stamp swap, you are making ?number of sets of 50 different fabrics. So, if I keep up with cutting the length of strips each time I am cutting fabric for other projects, I soon have collected a variety of different fabrics and don't have to spend so much cutting all of those different fabrics all out at once.

If you are making this Stamp Block Quilt; not wanting any fabric duplicated and have not participated in a postage stamp swap... then, you might have to cut each one out seperately. There are a lot of variables here so it depends on what is important to you.

Hope this helps you and not confused you. :-D

Well, I cut and sewed about 50 today. I'm gonna do 10x10 blocks and then put all those together. So, I've got a few rows. :D

Yeah!!!!! I can't wait to see your pics. I'm going to show pics, but after I get my blocks together. Boy is it going to be hard to keep up with what fabric I've used and what I haven't.

I'm cutting and down sizing more blocks to sew now. I might get to sew some. But I sure got a lot of cutting to do also. Wish all of the blocks would of been 1/5 size. I have to cut quite a few so I can spread the colors out and not have a repeat to often.

@Linda - Yes, I would like to make the Postage Stamp quilt with no duplicates. It'll just take me a lot of time to get all the different fabrics. Thank Goodness for the swaps on this site ;)

@Betty - That's way I thought I would start with dealing with my stash. I want a good variety for when I start sewing.

On my way downstairs again. Got about another hour in this afternoon. And I even took some pictures.

@Vicky K: it's fun too see so many different fabrics! The I'm doing now I found a handful of dupes so I just let it go.... Too much time to go back and unstitch and start over, then again, no one will notice but me :)

Wow, everyone is getting a lot done! Can't wait to see pics!

I haven't even got to my scrap stash yet. I'm down sizing charms from other swaps I did. And yes, I want a good variety too!!!

I made a bunch of bag purses. So I have scraps from those up there I know. Plus other crafts. And I save all my scraps.

I have a busy day tomorrow. So I better get busy cutting again.

I'm not even gonna try. I figure there will be enough "random" and "wonk" the little bit of color repetition won't bother anybody. :D :D :D

This will be my first attempt at posting pictures here.

I took pictures of my scrap stash and pictures of the containers I'm working on filling.

Hope to work on it lots this weekend as its supposed to be rainy.

Good idea on containers and labeling them.

Good idea on containers and labeling them.

Good luck to all who are taking the challenge. I am working on something else right now to do this. If I can help any one let me know how.

I think I should join. I have been working on a postage stamp quilt off and on now for awhile. I moved last winter and had to pack everything up I am just now starting to find all of my sewing stuff including my postage stamp blocks.

SO far I have been doing enders and leaders and only sewing my 1.5 inch squares between other projects. For right now I think that is how i have to keep doing it as I have so much on my plate right now. But I will be cheering everyone else!!!

Thank you so much for offering to help! Wish you could join us. I do all my other things during the day. Then late in the evening it's my postage stamp time. I'm going to walk down to the garden and check my corn. Turn the electric fence back on. Then it's too my postage stamp top.

Ok, fence is on. I ate a couple of grapes on the way down to the garden. You can smell then. Oh, they smell so good. They taste good on the inside, but the outside is still green. They are a light purple grape.

I tried a crabapple. They are still pretty tangy. Then I tried a red delicious. Oh yummy! I have to find the reddest ones.

On to the garden. Checked my corn. Yippie!!! I brought four beautiful white/yellow ears up. It's the bicolor kind. I can't wait to eat that tomorrow. Picked a green pepper. And I thought my hubby picked maters this evening. I could go pick another little basket of them. They will keep until tomorrow.

I have some already here. So they will go in the freezer tomorrow.

Then I get back to my crafting. Unless I decide to put some apples in the freezer for fried apple pies.

Ok, whose hungry now? giggle

Alright, whose sewing with me on the postage stamp tops now. Grabbing my needle.

What type of grapes are you growing?

We have Monukka grapes. Every fall we eat as many as we possibly can and then dry the rest into raisins for the winter and for gifts for family and friends. They are the sweetest, seedless grape. Cannot eat enough of them! You're sewing, I am going to bed. Good night, sweet dreams! :-D

Ooops, double post!

@ Linda - Do you prep your apples before you freeze them? My apple tree, after 7 years, has finally produced more apples than we can eat. Last year i made apple butter but would love to have some frozen to make pie in the winter.

I've sorted some of mine by color, 100/color set, for my first project. I'm also using mine as leaders and enders and will keep tabs on this challenge but my postage stamps are lower on the priority list than a few other quilts so I may not have pictures to share for a while.

I myself fixed cooked apples. Some of them I'll go ahead and sugar and put in the freezer for applesauce this winter.

Then some I'll add sugar and cinnamon. Freeze those for baked apple pies this winter.

Yummy!!!

I don't know what two grapes are on the side of the garage. The outside colors are almost alike. But different grapes. The vines on the backside of the garage are concord grapes. The dark blue ones. They are not as sweet as the other ones. And the bees like the light purple ones best.

my blocks are 8x8 need 120 (total stamps 7680)

completed

full block:
green
purple

half blocks (pending other colors to combine per my pattern):
3 blue
1 blue/green
2 purple/red
1 red/orange

quarter:
blue
purple

equivilant: 6 of 120 ** 5% complete