Like many guilds, our guild does a block lotto. For the uninformed (which I was until a few years ago) a block lotto is where a block pattern is chosen. The quilter pays a small fee (50 cents at our guild) to purchase the background fabric for the chosen block. Then the quilter makes the block from fabrics in her stash. She returns the block, and her name is placed in the hat. One lucky winner will win all the blocks that were returned. I decided to participate in a recent block lotto where the pattern was called "Scrappity-do-Dah". I entered twice, and I won!
In a recent guild newsletter, the president gave a synopsis of the children's book "The Quiltmaker's Gift". She spoke of three levels of generosity. Level 1 is where we give away what we no longer need. Level 2 is where we give things we still like and want but we don't really feel any loss when we give it away. Level 3 is where we notice what others need and offer them a gift that is truly useful to them but still means a lot to us.
So, why am I interjecting this in a post about block lotto? Well, here is the finished top that I made!
I obviously don't do scrappy very well! Some of the fabrics are obviously level 2 fabrics. I recognized some of them and have them in my stash. There were a few level 1 fabrics, but in saying that, it is all in the eye of the beholder! I used some level 3 fabric in my blocks.
But put all together, to me, this was a level 1. I have donated the top to Project Linus. I could have made it a Level 2 by quilting it. But it was given as you see it!
The words "Jelly Roll" conjure up different images for different people. But for a quilter, a jelly roll consists of 40 fabric strips (2 1/2" x width of fabric) rolled up in a cute bundle! At our recent Illini Country Stitchers quilting guild we held Jelly Roll Races!
Each contestant was given a jelly roll. Our jelly rolls were not commercially made up, but cut from fabrics donated for Project Linus. Prior to the actual start of the race, each contestant sewed her strips end to end, doing a bias seam to join them. Then cut off the first 18".
At the green flag, each contestant finds the beginning and the end, puts them together right sides together, and starts sewing a VERY long seam. When you get to the end, you cut the loop and finish sewing. Bring ends together again and do it again. This is done a total of 5 times!
We were supposed to work unassisted, but I had a 7 year old by my side to get me a drink, tell me all about her poison ivy, and how her dad is addicted to Angry Birds! She was also rooting me to victory! Yeah, I was the first to complete my quilt top!
This will be quilted, and donated to our local Project Linus! We got 5 or 6 done, and several people took jelly rolls home to make without the stress of the race!
I did get a nice bundle of fat quarters as a prize. And I let my little assistant pick out her favorite!
