I'm in and will try to do 3.

Here's a quick link to Cathy's site with the list of upcoming blocks. I encourage you all to send in at least one block each month, even if you don't love the block. It's good practice, it's fun, and it keeps the count up high enough so the winner has sufficient blocks to make a quilt. Since I started participating I've discovered patterns and color combinations I like but would not have tried on my own. And it usually only takes a couple hours one evening to do a couple blocks. It's all good! Try something new for 2010!!!

Cathy's list of upcoming blocks

Kate

Sign me up please - QTY?

I love this block. It will be striking with the midnight blue background-good choice Odessa.

I suggest whoever gets one sewn first, please post a picture. I also encourage everyone to submit at least one block. You can eliminate (discreetly) your name from the drawing if you don't want another project or don't care for the design.

Thanks for posting the upcoming blocks-it especially helps me shop, as I have a limited stash and time.

Count me in! I'll do 3, once I get started I just keep going! LOVE that you posted the list of future blocks. Sometimes when I have a little time it's nice to have a little project to go with it:)

~Cindy

Well, I'm glad so many of you like the block I selected! I guess it would be kind of a good thing to sign up for this one, too, right? I don't know how many yet. Let's see how the next couple of weeks goes, but count me in.

Odessa

Solstice98 - 3
Magothyrivergirl -
Quiltpartner - 3
Odessaquilts -
Woodenzoo -

Welcome aboard ladies!
Cathy

Sign me up for 3!

I'm pretty sure I still have your address, Cathy, but if you could shoot me an email to confirm it, I'd appreciate it.

Solstice98 - 3
Magothyrivergirl -
Quiltpartner - 3
Odessaquilts -
Woodenzoo -
Mary_c - 3

Welcome aboard Mary! Email has been sent.
Thanks!
Cathy

Count me in for 3. I have the first cut and about 3/4 sewn together. The white on blue is WOW! Very striking!

Got the first block done for February. Picture is in Gallery photos,link below. It's shown again possible red sashing or a navy & white check, with navy secondary binding.

Here is a link that might be useful: Feb Block pic

Looks great!

Very nice! Thanks for posting the pic

hello
I'm in for 3 , I love stars
I'm gonna start them tonight
great choice
michelle

Solstice98 - 3
Magothyrivergirl -
Quiltpartner - 3
Odessaquilts -
Woodenzoo -
Mary_c - 3
Kay_in_pa - 3
Micyrey - 3

Welcome Kay and Michelle!
Kay, your block looks great!

Solstice98 - 3
Magothyrivergirl -
Quiltpartner - 3
Odessaquilts -
Woodenzoo -
Mary_c - 3 (Received)
Kay_in_pa - 3
Micyrey - 3 (Received)

Mary and Michelle, your pretty blocks arrived yesterday!
Thanks!
Cathy

One done, the second one cut and fabric picked for the third. This block comes out so sharp and pretty!

Kate

Hubby is taking the 3 blocks to the post office today. This one was quite fun to make!

Mine go in the mail today too. The block looks complicated but goes together quickly and easily. This will be a beautiful quilt!

Kate

Solstice98 - 3
Magothyrivergirl -
Quiltpartner - 3
Odessaquilts -
Woodenzoo -
Mary_c - 3 (Received)
Kay_in_pa - 3 (Received)
Micyrey - 3 (Received)

Kay, your pretty blocks arrived yesterday.
Thanks!
Cathy

My 3 blocks are done - & going to the PO Tues (holiday tomorrow, ladies - no mail delivery) Yea!! one day w/no bills coming!

Solstice98 - 3 (Received)
Magothyrivergirl -
Quiltpartner - 3
Odessaquilts -
Woodenzoo -
Mary_c - 3 (Received)
Kay_in_pa - 3 (Received)
Micyrey - 3 (Received)

Kate your blocks arrived today. You wrapped them so pretty, I didn't unwrap to look. ;) LOL
Cathy

You can leave them wrapped; I promise the seams are aligned and the points are pointy!

Thanks for letting me know they arrived.

Kate

finally mailing today! - Mon no mail service due to holiday, Tues couldn't get out due to snow! I'm loving to watch the birds outside my window, esp the deep red cardinals against the white snow---------but enough of the white stuff already!! I need spring!!

Cathy - I'm out - sorry......life, actually back to back historic blizzards - got in the way. Between all the shoveling and forced delays on a job project - I couldn't get them done. It is a great block and there should be enough blocks for the winner to make a nice quilt. My apologies........I'm slinking over to the Applique Lotto now............:-(

CAthy,
I'm in for two. Will be mailing as soon as I get your addy. Glad everyone likes this block (it really does look tougher than it is!).

Solstice98 - 3 (Received)
Quiltpartner - 3 (Received)
Odessaquilts -
Woodenzoo -
Mary_c - 3 (Received)
Kay_in_pa - 3 (Received)
Micyrey - 3 (Received)

Cindy, your pretty blocks arrived earlier this week. Sorry I didn't let you know right away, it's been another hectic week here.
Marsha, sorry you won't be joining us this month, but certainly understand how this weather is affecting everyone! Hope that spring arrives soon for you!
Odessa, sent you an e-mail.
I'll work on my block this weekend. I can't believe that I haven't gotten it finished yet!
Cathy

Solstice98 - 3 (Received)
Quiltpartner - 3 (Received)
Odessaquilts - 2 (Received)
Woodenzoo -
Mary_c - 3 (Received)
Kay_in_pa - 3 (Received)
Micyrey - 3 (Received)

Odessa, your pretty blocks arrived this afternoon.

I should be done in time to send out to the winner. ;)
Cathy

Solstice98 - 3 (Received)
Quiltpartner - 3 (Received)
Odessaquilts - 2 (Received)
Mary_c - 3 (Received)
Kay_in_pa - 3 (Received)
Micyrey - 3 (Received)

Ack! My block didn't turn out right!
How did all of you manage to get two and three of these done?
I've done a similar block before and had the same terrible outcome.
(Does everyone just have a block that doesn't want to go together for them?
This would seem to be the one for me!)
I don't think I'm going to send this one and I'm not sure if I'll be able
to get a good one completed before I need to send out.
If anyone is brave enough to take a look and has any advice, I would so appreciate it.
I'd really love to conquer this block.
Cathy

Here is a link that might be useful: Feb. lotto fiasco

Cathy, did you cut diagonals before you pieced? I didn't do that. Instead I laid (two) squares on the rectangle, sewed on the diagonal, then trimmed off the waste. Maybe if we knew how you assembled it we could help.

Kate

Kate, I did the (two) squares on the rectangle as the directions stated and as you described. I also sewed the 'bonus' triangles before cutting off the waste, but am sure that didn't have anything to do with it.
Once I had the rectangles done, I could tell there was something 'off' about them and next to the two square piece, they were shorter and either wider or narrower. Maybe when I pressed the seams, I stretched it without realizing it?
Cathy

I'm baffled. Maybe it was the pressing but that shouldn't have made that much of a difference. Maybe you were right: it's just not your block! LOL

I didn't sew the smaller bonus triangles on these because I didn't have a good use for them right now, but I did save the pieces.

Kate

Cathy, I can't imagine what the problem was here. I assume you somehow marked the diagonal on the squares, yes? That you lined up the edges of the squares with the edges of the rectangles, yes? That everything seemed to be cut accurately? Then I guess you somehow must have stretched that diagonal, but how you managed to do that is a mystery to me!

I do agree, however, that there are just some blocks that seem to baffle the maker, no matter when you try them or how slowly you work. There are just some that do not want to be a part of your portfolio, and perhaps this is one of them for you. It is an easy block (well, I thought so , anyway), but I can see you had a little difficulty with it.

Perhaps you didn't leave the right kind of cookies out for the block fairy? You know, she is a testy sort, sometimes, and if you don't leave her what she wants, she will NOT come and help you correct a stray block no matter how much you need the help! [Maybe try again later, when you don't have anything else to do and you can work at a slug's pace? Just a thought.....]

Odessa

Cathy, I am going to take a big huge stab at your problem - looking at it purely from an analytical, new piecer standpoint (as I do with all my work) I think the problems may be a combination of what you are doing- that because of the many seams, exponentially result in the block being to small in different areas. From my experience- please don't be offended if you know & already do this- these hints solved most of my problems.

* you may be stretching the diagonal when you mark it - try laying it on a fine grit pc of sandpaper & mark it lightly with a fine pencil accurately. Now stitch it a thread width from the line - use an open toe presser foot if you have one - not the 1/4" with the little fence. Go ahead & sew the bonus - then cut between the 2 with scissors to avoid stretching with the rotary cutter if that's possible.

*(Ricky Tims says) Press the stitches on the seam side and flip the piece up to the right side and press again (I like to add a shot of steam w/out moving the iron)

*Use fine pins to match those points and seams - I find that if the center points are off - the block gets shortened and I lose the 1/4" at the outside.
The more seams in the block - the worse it is off -as if that too little thread width in the beginning keeps negatively multiplying (You can tell, I'm not a mathematician).

Your block is pretty - everyone has helped me immensely on this forum, and I hope some newbie, simpleton suggestions from me are helpful. As a seamstress, I want to produce the best work and I strive for exactness, so when I had some problems with a similar block, I read and read and this is what I came up with that solved the problem.

Oh, I just thought of something! Maybe this is what happened:
- You sewed the diagonals from point to point, with your needle in the center position, just like you were supposed to.
- Then when you sewed some of the pieces together, you forgot to adjust the needle to an 1/4" setting so ended up doing some seams at 5/8" because the needle was still in the center position.

Could that be it? If you've checked all of your seam allowances with a ruler and they are all 1/4", then the pieces must have been cut a little wonky.

Ooooorrrr (she says, still thinking of ways it could have happened), maybe you laid the squares on the triangle, then sewed 1/4" from the diagonal line instead of on the diagonal? That would have thrown it off too. Your bonus square should have been much smaller than the piece left on the block.

Kate

MRG-good suggestion to put the square on fine grit sandpaper to mark the diagonal, have used that occasionally myself. But I found that by just folding a square in half on the diagonal, and CAREFULLY pressing without distorting the straight (albeit bias) line that results, I don't need to mark in any other way. This has helped me to piece those diagonals I will eventually be cutting away more accurately. (No drag from any kind of a marking tool: pencil, wheel, chalk wheel, etc.) to distort the fabric and possibly the line I should be following.

All these suggestions are good; hopefully one of them will help!