Swap Blocks

Summer has been very unusual this year. So far this year the temperature has been very mild with a lot of rain. In July and August, it's usually in the 90s with the humidity level right up there with the temp - very hot and sticky to be outside. But right now, it's just 80 outside. I don't remember a summer ever being quite like this. It's really pleasant to be outside for a walk in the park.

I finished my Scrappy Christmas swap blocks. I liked making them, but the closer I get to completing something, the more anxious I am to get it done. Now I just wait for instructions for what to do with them next. Sorry the picture's so fuzzy; I just couldn't get it to focus properly.

I worked for a couple of hours on my Double Wedding Ring quilt, and got quite a bit done. However, I rechecked some of the work I did last week when I was trying to catch up with my promise, and I was really shocked at how bad it was. I've decided to officially break my promise to do at least one circle a day, and just work on it when I feel like it. I got a lot done today and found that it gets so much easier when I 'get in the groove' of doing that particular kind of piecing. Now I have to go back and unsew some of what I did last week. It would be a lot better if I did it right the first time, huh.

Signature quilt swap

Since I first found quilt block swaps in February, I have been well and thoroughly hooked. I'm signed up for the Disappearing 9-patch swap at Aunt Pitty Pat's, the Scrappy Christmas block at Modernjax, the Summer Mini Quilt swap at Quilter's Gallery, the Signature block swap at Cornbreadandbeans, and 2 swaps on Swap Bot. (Sorry, I'm still too new at this to know how to link to the blogs, but I'll learn how.) So, yesterday I went to the quilt shop to find the Civil War reproduction fabrics for the sig block. I've never used CW fabrics before, and I was really surprised at how beautiful they are. In the shop they seemed drab, but when I got them home, the colors just popped. Aren't they gorgeous?

I think they'll make a beautiful quilt. The swap is for 70 blocks, which will be a good beginning for a quilt. After getting such beautiful treasures, imagine my surprise to find a package for me when we got home. It's a gorgeous mini quilt from the Spring Mini Quilt swap. Isn't it beautiful? It was made for me by Bonnie at Bonnie's Bits and Pieces, and I have found the perfect place to display it. In addition to the quilt, she also sent 2 pieces of wonderful fabric. I'm already planning how to use them.