Swap Block

SIL and I are doing a swap with blue and white fabrics.

First Always Quilting Block
First Always Quilting Block

This is the block we are using. We didn’t have time to really organize ourselves while she was out for a brief visit a few weeks ago, so we did some organizing via email. I finally felt organized enough to make some blocks. The above block is one of the first group that I did. I plan to make two of each fabric and send one to SIL, in little batches.

Three Always Quilting Blocks
Three Always Quilting Blocks

I made the two batik ones later and will send SIL one.

The motif that the squares and rectangles make looks like some kind of knot. Since I didn’t know the name of this block, and I didn’t want to call it the Always Quilting block, I looked up the design in Barbara Brackman’s book, The Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns. I couldn’t find this particular block (Barbara, won’t you please update your book with newer blocks??? Thanks.), so I found a couple that looked like they were related.

Tam's Patch, BB:1117
Tam's Patch, BB:1117

BB:1117 is called Tam’s Patch. It has two corners with the rectangle/two squares combination, but the other two corners are just plain square patches.

Squares upon Squares, BB:1104
Squares upon Squares, BB:1104

BB:1104 (page 156-157) is called Squares upon Squares from Farm Journal.

I’ll look through some other block dictionaries to see if I can find a name for it.The reality is that you change one line and you have a new block. New blocks are invented every day.

I’d love to hear if you know the name of this block, or have a creative name for it.

What’s on the Design Wall

Design Wall, 3-22-2009
Design Wall, 3-22-2009

I thought I would give you a view of my design wall. It is packed to the gills right now and I may have to drag out the portable design wall. You can see the Tarts.

In the bottom middle are the swap/friendship blocks I am starting to work on with my SIL.

On the left side are patches for the FOTY 2009  quilt, which is in its infancy.

I am thrilled with how much I am sewing! I never have enough time to do as much as I want, but I feel like I am accomplishing a lot and that feels good. Quiltmaking is actually taking over time that I usually spend doing other stuff, so my time management skills, in general, appear o the outside world to be deteriorating. I blame it all on podcasts, which allow me to immerse myself in quilting when I can’t even be at the machine.