Hello to all the Birthday Block Ladies!
I have been doing more quilting lately since it is too hot to do much outdoors. LOL. That summer weather always gets me to stay indoors more. Will post pictures once I have more things totally completed. Yes, I jump from one UFO to another. I am trying to narrow it down to working on only 2-3 at a time so they stand a better chance of getting completed. My UFO list is about 4 pages long - need I say "too long?"
Have a good weekend, everyone!
Jeanne

If you are in the Birthday Block Exchange and your birthday was in the months from Jan. - April and you have not received one of more blocks, please let me or Kristene know. We try to check each thread, but we don't want something to go unnoticed.
Thanks!
Jeanne

How is everyone doing? It sure has been hot here! I know that is true in many places. The hot weather at least keeps me indoors so I have been working on my UFOs.

This was completed on Wednesday. It is from "way back" - the second quilting class I ever took. It sounds odd but I didn't finish it for a long time because I liked it so much and didn't want to ruin it from not having very good skills at the time to finish it up. At least after waiting for all that time, it turned out fine!

Just wanted to say hello and share the picture...

Jeanne

Jeanne, I like your blue FUFO (Finished UFO), too! ConGratz on getting it completed.

I go from one UFO to another also until it's a quilt top, then it's hung up til I get the urge to finish it. My goal this year was to average finishing one UFO a month. So far, 2 have been completed, one needs binding and since I've been up north, five are now designated so I'll be working on them when I get home in 2 weeks.

SharonG/FL-IN

I like the sound of FUFO, Sharon! I now have 8 completed this year, but so many to go...
I just finished sewing the binding on this one yesterday. The pattern is Venetian Tiles. It's made using the X-Block Ruler. I love this technique and most of this was made using scrap pieces of fabric that I had left over from this and that.

I hope to have another completed soon. It seems that one I built up some momentum, I am gaining speed! LOL

Jeanne

I really like "Venetian Tiles" Jeanne - and great that it was made up from left overs. Sure helps reduce the material pieces taking up room and makes you feel the need to go shopping for more fabric!
Kristene

Jeanne, you are on a roll! Both of those are beautiful! Great use of scraps, too.

Robbi

Jeanne, I like your Venetian Tiles! Great job on 8 FUFOs!

SharonG/FL-IN

Jeanne, Both of you FUFO's (Ilike that also) are great. Can't say I like on better then the other as they are both very nice. Great feeling to have so much done. TFS. Jayne

It's still several months away, but Kristene and I have had a few thoughts about 2012 that we bantered back and forth. Are you interested in having the Birthday Block Exchange again next year? Do you want it to be ongoing or would it be a good idea to just let everyone get caught up on making quilts from the blocks and take a year off?
Is there someone who might be interested in being the 2012 hostess? (If there are two people, it worked out really nicely for me and Kristene to share the duties this year and it allows for someone to be available even if emergencies come up or if you are on vacation, etc.)
Kristene and I are willing to help if anyone wants to be hostess - or part of a team that serves as hostesses - and will guide you through what we did. I know even if I am not a hostess next year, I will be back to enjoy this fun exchange in the future. It is possible that one or both of us might keep hostessing, but we do want others to consider it and we are uncertain right now whether our other commitments will allow for the hostessing... so... if someone wants to do this for a year, we are fine with that. Nothing is decided. We are just trying to get some suggestions and how everyone feels about this.
I guess I should also mention that everything you do as hostess can be done through GardenWeb and e-mail so you do not need to team up with someone who is nearby. Kristene is in Australia and I am in the US so not nearby at all! All it takes is a bit of organization and the willingness to check on this month to month so that there are reminders, etc.
Happy Summer now that it is here! It has been so hot for so long already in SC, that I feel like summer should already be winding down, but no chance of that. LOL

Jeanne

Jeanne & Kristene - you both have done a fantastic job organizing the Birthday blocks and keeping us in line :).

I am fine with whatever you or the group decides. If it still happens for 2012, I plan to participate.

Thank you again!

I pretty much agree --- whatever is decided, I'll go along with. At the moment, I'm leaning a little more toward a year off to complete a few! I not only have last years' blocks from the Birthday exchange, but also the blocks from 2 Lottos I've won that just haven't made the assembly line:( [I DID get the Yellow/White blocks from a lotto together, quilted & posted a pic so I'm not a complete sluggard! lol]
Jeanne & Kristene have done an excellent job hostessing! They are so good at keeping us all on task - & without a whip! They're so nice! that way! :)

I have really enjoyed the birthday blocks the past few years so I'm surprised I'm saying this, but I think there might be value in taking a year off. Some people have complained that there's been too much focus on the groups (birthday and robins) and I have noticed a drop in participation in the monthly lotto blocks. Maybe a year off from birthday groups would get us all more interested in the lottos again.
This is just my opinion of course!

Kate

Thanks for the feedback, ladies. Some are thinking along the lines we were - lots of us have birthday blocks that need to be made into quilts and a year off might be a good chance to catch up on doing that and catch up on making some of our UFOs as well. Some may want to try the Lottos or a Row Robin or a Round Robin. As for birthday blocks, I only have one of my birthday block quilts completed and one that is close to completion, but three are sitting there waiting for me to work with them. All of that is why we decided to ask the question. However, if there is a big interest in having it for 2012, we want to try to arrange for that, too. It is not a group that "belongs" to me and Kristene so those who participate and those who are interested need to steer it in the right direction.
Keep the thoughts flowing...
Jeanne

I am leaning toward taking a year off too. I have so many UFOs that I need to finish. Who knows though, I may change my mind by the end of the year.
Linda OH

I agree with Kate's comment re: partcipation in the monthly lottos. [If we would be] without the birthday blocks, we'd probably have more folks doing lottos. I know I would. Since my birthday block swaps are committments I've promised, those will always come first - lottos are only if I have the extra time. Just an observation.

~Cindy

A big thanks to you, Jeanne and Kristene for the wonderful job you have done with our Birthday Block Exchange!

I'm also in the camp that should get some UFO's finished, so I would be in favor of letting 2012 be a year off from the BB Exchange. ~Teresa

As much as I love the Birthday Block exchange, I need to get some UFO's finished too. I vote for a year off. Jeanne and Kristene have done a grand job... THANK YOU! ~ Darlene

Another option, just to keep us involved, is to do a Block of the Month (BOM) that someone would put up each month and then keep your blocks (for another UFO). For instance, keep it within a theme, a different star, heart, log cabin, pinwheel, outdoorsy.....whatever, each month. Choose your own colors/fabric....whatever you have on hand.

But, yes, I agree, a year off might be nice for everyone.

SharonG/FL-IN

Maybe we should form an unmonitored - no rules - "Birthday Club", where we sign-up initially - just to see who wants to participate & take a pledge to finish a quilt from the Birthday Block Exchange, from any or all years, and post a picture of it during the month of your birthday. All January Birthday Babies post their finished quilts from previous year's Birthday Blocks during the month of January, all in one thread so as not to dominate the forum.
No pressure, you can drop out by not doing it, or you can join in because you finished your quilt.
This would help to keep us involved, celebrate birthdays, and maybe get that quilt made without any obligation, added expense, or running to the post office.

That could be fun and a good incentive to finish our quilts. Thanks for adding that suggestion!
Jeanne

We had a BOM (block of the month) posting last year, with people posting pictures each month of the block they finished. The projects were unrelated except that we were encouraging each other to keep up with whatever we had chosen to do. Sadly, I didn't keep it up and I think some others dropped off too. I'm hoping to get going on mine again so I would support a BOM group.

Kate

I like the idea of the "no rules Birthday Club", but I have really enjoyed being part of the Birthday Block Exchage. I can't say I've finished any quilts and I have participated for two yrs so it would be nice to finish the quilts. So...I think I vote for the "no rules post a finished birthday block" 2012. That way, we are still celebrating birthdays, staying in touch, and quilting!
I don't know what the lotto is. Can someone explain, please?
Jeanne and Kristene-thanks so much for hostessing and doing such a great job of it! Eileen

Kate, I still have 2 BOM blocks to applique. Difficult ones--may start again in the fall but don't have time to "sit" now. Like the BOM idea and would like to do it again. Jayne

equilter - the lotto is a monthly chance to participate in a 'winner take all' game. Participants can make from 1 to 3 blocks and at the end of the month one name is drawn. You get one chance to win for every block you send in. The blocks are specified each month so the winner gets a nice set of matching blocks. Check out this link to see the current (June) lotto. It also includes info on the July and August blocks. June Lotto

I like the idea of posting quilts we've made using birthday blocks during our birthday month! Let's do that!

2012 will be the Year of Finishing UFO's!

Kate

I like the idea of 2012 being a catch up year, but since my birthday is in January and I am in 2 birthday block groups this year with continuing commitments to the end of this year, it will be quite hard for me to get all of my blocks frm this year cut, resewn and sorted and made into a quilt all within the first month of the year. Especially since in Australia January is school holidays for the entire month and either we travel to our grandsons' house or they come to us. It is Summer here then!

It may be possible to show continuing progress photos on my quilt top throughout January - if I don't go away - and then later months as it get completed.

Kristene

Kristene - No rules - you can do anything you want!! lol
Progress pictures would be great - we love pics and we love progress. You can post an unbirthday pic when you get it all together...I'm liking this idea of a catch up year the more I think about it.

So far it sounds like 2012 may be a catch up year and we will talk more about it. It would be nice to keep in touch with a monthly heading for those who have been in the exchange and others who may want to join in the future. No special rules about it. No pressure, just fun.
If 2012 us without exchanging and rules, I think many of us - and some new folks, too - will be happy to exchange again in 2013 and it would be nice to have something (that is not structured) going on in 2012 just so we can keep in touch and have some fun.
Jeanne