Next Block of the Week

At Quilt Market I did a presentation on what I was going to be doing next. I enjoyed doing the 2011 Block of the Week so much I will do another one on the topic of the fight for women's rights.

1913, the year before World War I broke out, was an important year in that campaign. I will start a block-of-the-week similar to the one I did here on the Civil War, traditional blocks with stories about the people, battles, themes and victories.

I'll focus on the English-speaking countries (since that's where I can read the histories) with emphasis on England and the United States.

American women won the vote in 1920.

New Zealand in 1893.

 I'll post the first blocks in the fall.

I'll let you know here when the posts will appear here. I'm reading the histories and Becky is making the blocks now.

Metropolitan Fair Reproduction for Fall 2012

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No time to blog this week. I am at Quilt Market where Moda is introducing my latest Civil War reproduction fabrics.

The line is called Metropolitan Fair in honor of the fundraising fairs the Ladies' Aid Societies put on during the Civil War.

It will be in quilt shops in October. Above are three of the prints.

And the project quilt.

What If You Only Did 12 Blocks

Idea # 1 -

Put something really big in the center.

Keeping up is hard work. I am very impressed that so many of you got through the whole year. But in reading blogs, Flickr comments, etc. I realize many did not. (And some of you have misplaced a few blocks---I'm not naming names.)

So here are some suggestions for samplers done with fewer blocks ---ideas taken from antique quilts.

2) Use really big sashing

3) And/or a Really Big Border

From Franklin & Marshall College's collection

4) Mix in a lot of something else

A whole lot of something else

There are four patches, bow ties and other blocks in this quilt.
It's a sampler of sorts.

Organization!

Sheila at her blog PetitePieceofthePrairie made 4" versions of the weekly blocks.
She is great at using digital imaging to keep track of her work.

http://petitepieceoftheprairie.blogspot.com/

As someone whose studio looks like this right now

 I can only say congratulations!

(That's actually not my dog and not my studio---but it could be---except that Dot stays out of the studio. Things keep falling. Too scary.)