Civil War Block swap - One, Two Three
 

Civil War block swap opens Sunday, July 22, closes Sunday, September 9, blocks due Saturday, October 20th. Basic rules of swaps apply. 100% cotton fabric must be washed and dried. Please read the entire swap guidelines, you may want to make the sample blocks first before deciding to join. This is a 12 block swap. Unfinished size is 12.5. There are three blocks in this swap. All blocks are found on Quilterscache.com site. Star of Virginia, Shoo Fly, and Double T. Directions on how to make the blocks are clearly posted. In the next thread of this, I will give some tips I found to be helpful when I was making the blocks. Fabric should be of Civil War values. They are more muted, darker colors, with creams and beige, not white. Kansas Trouble, Barn Buggy, Wiliam Morris are a few samples. Google,or post a pic if you are not sure of your selection. You are to make 4 blocks of Star of Virginia. 4 blocks of Shoo Fly. 4 of Double T. You make use two color combination as shown on the QC site, or three if you so choose. All 4 blocks of the set MUST BE THE SAME. The three sets may be of different colors. When swapped out, I will send you one of each of your blocks back, with three different blocks - you will end up with 4 Shoo Fly - 4 Double T's, and 4 Star of Virginia. You may send me the blocks any way you want, please make sure you have your name, return address and BOARD NAME as well on the outside. I will return your blocks using the FRE bubble envelopes. Cost is $5.30. You may send stamps or $, which ever is best for you, as well as a return address label. PLEASE NOTE.....when sending your blocks, please separate them into individual baggies. It will make it much easier to sort/swap.


[ATTACH=CONFIG]350632[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]350634[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]350635[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]350633[/ATTACH]

Okay - the swap is open. Here are a few tips I will pass along that make the blocks. In making the Star of Virgina. I used the no waste flying geese method. It is best described and shown if you look at Quilterscache.com and find the Martha Washington square. We ARE NOT USING mw SQUARE IN THE SWAP. It is only showing how to make the no waste flying geese if you prefer to do it that way instead of placing squares on the rectangle. For the Double T's....the directions show cutting squares then cutting them from corner to corner. I prefer to cut the squares, place the other color on top, diagonal line corner to corner, and sew that (again) dreaded scant 1/4 inch on either side, cut on the line and press open. With the Double T's.....it is much easier if you press each seam OPEN. The block will lay much flatter and look neater. Star of Virginia and Shoo Fly are very easy and quick to make. I suggest you do your Double T's when you are not tired (ask me why I suggest that :shock:). I posted all the fabric I purchased to give you a good idea of the color values for this swap. The three blocks I made are just a suggestion for block colors. If you have any questions, please ask! If signing up, please post on this thread, as well as pm-ing me. Posting on this thread lets everyone know who is participating - pm's give me a accurate list.

Deb, I am in. Looking at my fabrics now. Where is everybody still on the other site?
Quilter Momma, Sheri where are you????????????????

Well you didn't call for me but I am up side down in my FQ bin. I am also deciding if I want to make the double T or star first to check if I can make them OK. Hmmm maybe first off to print directions for each block from quilters cache.

Speedy piecing method for flying geese.
http://quilterscache.com/M/MarthaWas...ock_Page2.html

Double T
http://www.quilterscache.com/D/DoubleTBlock.html

Star of Virginia
http://www.quilterscache.com/S/StarofVirginiaBlock.html


Shoo Fly
http://quilterscache.com/S/ShooFlyBlock.html

Deb, will these fabrics work?

Annaquilts, glad to find someone working with me. Where are those ladies that were so inpatient and waiting and waiting. Sharon B I know you must be looking for fabrics too. I have to wait till Deb ok's my fabric. That is always the hard part for me! Guess what printer is out of ink.

After looking at these fabrics in a differant light I think the lights on the bottom are too white. Will look for cream or beige to go with them.

Hmm I like the one on the left bottom. I plan to tea dy the whole quilt once it is done.

Annaquilts did you pick out your fabrics yet? I don't have alot of beige and creams. Deb, where are you I can't cut without some advise.

I am also not sure about a beige. It is buggy barns but the floral tone on tone looks a bit big. Now looking at Deb's fabrics again I think it will go. I am not sure about the mauves, paisley and solid, reminds me of retro '70ies, with your colors but I think you should wait to see what Deb says.

Deb, I sent you a PM.... I would love to join this swap!

Island - The only one that I feel really fits the colors for CW is the darker floral one on the left bottom corner. The paisley - the solids and the others are really too light or not of the family for the CW values. I know some of them are Buggy Barn - I saw them in Lancaster....but I felt they really were not of the same family. I posted what I had purchased to give people a nice representation. When I asked about these - I was told that all CW reproductions were more muted - darker colors, some tone on tones - with the exception of the beige and rose floral, and the darker floral prints that were not paisley. Sorry to be such a bugger on this....

I think I will have to go to Joanne's to get some real CW fabric.

I think that the blue - the solid one in the upper right - it may match the darker floral that I said that I like on second look.

This sounds like a great swap--haven't done any block swaps yet, so will wet my feet with this one.
Another note in regards to CW fabrics--black dyes were not very prevalent in the cotton calicoes of this era.

From Barbara Blackman's Civil War Quilts blogspot:
Black and gray color our Civil War memories, but black cottons were not reliable until the 1880s and '90s. You may want to use black cotton prints to add a symbolic somber tone, but the black fabrics of the Civil War years were silk and wool.

Okay off to get started with the patterns and looking for fabrics!

Just looking at the Double T block--could you make 8 small FG blocks instead of the HST's?
First block with HST's. Second block using FG + square within a square as the very center block.[ATTACH=CONFIG]350725[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]350726[/ATTACH]

Here I am !! Here I am !!! :)

Will have to dig some more for the Civil War fabrics :thumbup:

Never got a PM that it was open , sorry :( but I did get it stickied so hopefully we will get more here :thumbup:

WoW. I've been waiting and waiting and JUST found it!!! Of course I'm in! Sending PM :-)

When I first saw deb's block I thought it was FG. Looks like either would work. Personally, I'm leaning toward HSTs.

As long as you make the FG the correct size - that would work as well. Thanks for the sticky Sharon - we are up to 6 already - on the first day of posting! I am hoping this will be a very popular swap.

Oh I am here, was just quilting on longarm all weekend so did not even look at any notifications at all. Then my lovely DD organized all my threads, fabrics, and UFOs so was busy with that. She was such a little dear. One customer quilt took me 15 hours to custom quilt. Will post a photo to drool over in the pics. Turned out very pretty, one of those quilts that the quilting made the quilt shine.

So much for that, I am in for sure. I have printed out the patterns, thanks Annaquilts for posting the links, it helped me so I don't get side tracked.

So we are to only send in 12 blocks, for of each pattern, in CW fabric only, muted tones of the era. Will do. I think a trip to the fabric store just to buy a certain kind I saw the other day if I can't find enough in my stash of the same colors. I want to be sure and keep with the theme. i know I have enough of the cream, but after seeing your gorgeous fabrics Deb, I may want to rethink my color scheme.

The hardest part of this swap is staying focused on my UFOs. I want to finish this whole quilt.

Hehehehe I was just telling my DD 15 , also a quilter, that I was going to lay of on swaps because I need to make some of these blocks into quilts. I might just make only one set. Is that laying off swaps? I have blocks, unfinnished quilts and UFOs taking over my studio since I got into swapping. Loving it tough, the swaps not the take over. It is a temendous fun and I love the camradery on the board. You swappers are the best!

I have just started quilting and want to thank you for the education that I am getting from this. I never knew there were names for the quilting blocks. I am just working on a basic CW quilt now with just 4" blocks. I also make dresses and I read somewhere that some of the colors were brighter than what we think they were.

I think your selection looks great. I make dresses and have been to a few stores that make Civil War clothing also for re-enactors. If you want a not so white look of the last one in the third row, just seep it in a little coffee and wash out. It will add that old look to it.

Thank you for the links. I will be able to learn these for my next quilt.

My advice, I make Civil War dresses and working on my first quilt, the bottom fabric with the big flowers is not quite correct. They usually say the flowers were no bigger than a penny. Even the one next to it with the with, then pink and blue fabric I have not seen before either. And I never seen the blue one in the middle before either.
Please correct me if I am wrong, but this is what I have seen in the stores and also on the fields at events.
Enjoy your project.

Joining this one have civil war fabrics in my stash. Can't wait to see everyones fabric choices !

Initial Audition Fabrics
 

Reserving the right to change these :) but I am thinking:

Blueish - Ts
Brown and Pink - Star
Burgundy blueish - Shoo

All with teaish backgrounds.

Here's my first stab at fabrics. The farthest right is dull green; the left is rust; the others are brown. Looking for some plum or maybe more green.


http://i1123.photobucket.com/albums/...s/617cdaf8.jpg

Oh lordy, I would LOVE to be in this swap. Maybe next one. I'll keep a lookout on those who post their blocks later on :)

Forced to shop?!? I love it.

Evie, as long as the 'white' in the third stack is tan, your color choices are perfect. I love the sets you put together.