I hope I get a cavalry block too. Indeed Julie that is great fabric! I did not see it when I went there last week.

Julie, that's neat fabric that you found! :)

Sarah's Block#2
 

Still trying to take a straight picture, lol!
Have tried many ways to make the pic smaller with no luck, yet.
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Here's my 6th set. Now all I have to do is wait for mail-in time. I can still look at all the pictures posted by everyone else.

Great blocks you have done Libster!! You can send any time. Sent you a PM~ :)

Set 2, #3 hope you like it. Straighter pic, whew!
 

Sarah's Block, hope it shows the small polka dots on the blue.
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still tying to make smaller pics!:D

Have you tried sending your pics to your Paint program and resizing them there after they've been cropped? Save your resized pic ( I usually just add a (-a) after whatever it's been named) and post it. I usually resize to 25%. This is assuming you're using Windows Vista. Hope this helps.

This was my very first block when I started quilting just over a year ago. I keep it as a sample on my workroom wall to remind me how important the block edges are. I don't tape swapping blocks, just saying.:)

Thanks, Libster! I'll give it a try. Newfangled things are so much fun & can be quite challenging at the same time!

My version of Sarah's Block
 

Attempting to post as small pic, cross your fingers!
This block is not for swapping as it is cream instead of white.
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Thank you Libster, it works! You are so smart!

last one, yippee!
 

This was so much fun.:)
I must practice taking a square pic!


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Beautiful block! You done good, blockwise and picturewise!

My 6 sets of blocks are sent off this morning. Estimated delivery is Friday, March 8. $6.00 return postage enclosed. Tracking number available if needed.
I can't wait to see what everyone elses' blocks are like. Thanks, Mariposa, for being such a great hostess!

djmat- nice blocks!!

Libster- I will let you know when they arrive~

Everyone must be busy making their RWB blocks. No activity since Tuesday on here. Can't wait to swap.

Marcia Hohn's Wild Zinnias original design
 

Kind of looks like the Legion of Merit to me. Next time, I'll do it in gold, silver & blue & see how that looks.
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Would appreciate any feedback on this one.

"Would appreciate any feedback on this one."


I love it! Look at you, getting all fancy here on us. I want one of these too.

Mariposa- Did I send enough blocks in to get one back from everyone??? I'm loving these blocks.

More pictures please, I love seeing them and drooling.

Libster,
Thanks for the feedback!
I'm using the Zinnia in my king size quilt to add to the ones I receive in this swap. Quilter's Cache has the pattern if you want to attempt the block. It took me 7 hours for one block because I'm a slow newbie quilter and still not satisfied with it but will keep trying to improve. You could probably do a great job of it in 2 hours!
Isn't this fun!:)

dj-- quite the block!!!! Great job! :)

Set 5 Spinning Wheel
 

I like swaps like this...I can challenge myself to practice/learn new techniques without committing myself to a whole quilt. This block is paper-pieced, a technique that I can enjoy but one that challenges me tremendously. (It has taken me ten days to get these four finished!)

I could not decide if I wanted to use four fabrics or to go all scrappy. So I did two of each!

I love your blocks, great job.

Color placement is perfect & it shows wonderful movement! Way to go!!!

More gorgeous blocks! I think I'm more excited about getting blocks back from this swap than any swap I've ever done before. I'm going to be making lapquilts with mine. One of them will be in my brother's memory. That one will be mine. The other will go to my friend's DH's retirement home for one of the other residents there.

OMG the block photos all look so intricate ... I was thinking of doing a simple star, not sure now that I wanna join in the swap ...

I am breathless. Now are those ever pretty. Are they paper pieced? I like paper piecing.They look perfect. Where can I find the pattern incase I do not get one?

Terrific blocks Julie!! Lots of motion happening there! :)

Don't be discouraged! I've made some pretty simple blocks, trying to figure out a machine I picked up, and I still think they're beautiful!

Regarding the Spinning Wheel block.....

Whoops! A REALLY BIG WHOOPS!!

The pattern is actually called Twirling Star! It was designed by Nancy Mahoney and it was published in the first volume of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Magazine, Winter 2009.

Oh, please DO join the swap! A couple of my other blocks are simple, and I love the variety and creativity that many people bring to swaps! Stars are wonderful in patriotic colors..... Go for it! I'd love to get one of yours!

wraez, simple blocks lend balance, so PLEASE join the swap!

Kaleidoscope Block
 

This block reminds me of the off air television screen when I was young or Twilight Zone music. I want to rework it in RWB for my patriotic quilt. Is it too much?
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Hello all! I have had to stray away from working on my sets for this swap. Several others have to be finished and in the mail before this one. Hope to be done with them tomorrow so I can get back to peicing. Love everything posted hope to have one of each!!!

" was thinking of doing a simple star, not sure now that I wanna join in the swap ..."

Please do join in with us! The blocks that I did are not complicated. We need every kind of block there is to balance our quilts. I personally love stars of any level. Even a simple 9 patch would fit in. I would never even attempt some of these blocks that have been shown here, but I sure would love to receive one of each of them. Every quilt needs places to rest the eye. Your fabrics can make even the simplest block gorgeous. The red, white and blue is what will tie everything together with this quilt. Please join us!!

"This block reminds me of the off air television screen when I was young or Twilight Zone music."

You know, that block could be done by sewing strip sets and cutting with a specialty ruler. Since I don't have any of the specialty ones, I'm not sure if it would be a 30 or maybe 45 degree ruler? Maybe one of our ladies who have the rulers could enlighten us as to the correct one to use for it. (I have got to get some of these rulers for myself.)

Libster,
It would also help if I could iron properly! LOL

" It would also help if I could iron properly!"

I always iron each seam as soon as I sew it, before I do another seam. I always press to the dark side.
With the block that you showed above: If you'll sew all your pressed units together into a completed block, then go to the center of your block (where all your seams come together)and UNSEW almost 1/4 inch, you can then fan out or swirl your seam ends a lot flatter. (Wow- that sentence sure was a mouthful, wasn't it?) That way you won't have a big lump in the middle of your block. It'll lay a whole lot flatter that way. Someone else may know an even better way to do it. Personally, I'm always up for learning something new or an easier way to do it.

Libster,
I appreciate you very much. I'll give it a try!!!

This seems odd to me, but it works. According to Jan Krentz and Alex Anderson (Star block queens), you could press the seams open in these cases so that way there is much less bulk all the way around. I thought crazy, but when I was doing my star quilts and 8 point stars, they were correct, made it lay much better. I do only press when the block is assembles. I do mean PRESS. not iron. I also do not use a lot of steam, it seems to distort it on me. Once my quilt is assembled, then I do some steam pressing. Libster has the center right. Eleanor Burns has a You Tube video on it and I think a couple other people do as well if you do not understand the directions that Libster wrote so well.