Looking for Game ideas? Click here. Publicity Ideas are here. These are program ideas for your guild meeting. If you have any other suggestions, please use the form at the end of...

Last Christmas, the group made Holiday Patchwork Forest Blocks. Even though I didn't win the Block Lotto, I was still excited to make my own Modern Christmas Tree Quilt! Let me show you my quilt and explain how the Block Lotto works. Check it out!

Looking for Game ideas? Click here. Publicity Ideas are here. These are program ideas for your guild meeting. If you have any other suggestions, please use the form at the end of...

Add life and connection to your quilt guild meetings with these 14 helpful ideas. Just in time to plan your 2024 program.

After visiting the Quilter's Unlimited Quilt Show in May, I joined the Haymarket Chapter of QU. The June meeting was a Social, so it was FUN and relaxed. One of the activities was a game of Quilter's Strip Poker. It reminded me of "Bunco", where there are a group of women at each table, and a die is rolled until a bell is rung. Then you move tables and play again with different ladies until the bell is rung again. The die is specially marked - each side has either a "C", "L", "R", "X" or a Star. 2.5" Strips of fabric are used instead of chips. It is quite a lot of fun when you win the bounty of strips in the middle! The Loot pile in the middle. Here is the rule sheet that was taped at each table (sorry for it being a bit fuzzy): It may be a little hard to read, but here it what the card says: Quilter's Strip Poker To Begin, all players put 1 strip in the center of table. Players take turns clockwise rolling the die once for each turn. C = player puts 1 strip in CENTER of the table. L = player gives 1 strip to player on her LEFT. R = player gives 1 strip to player on her RIGHT. X - player LOSES ONE TURN Star - player TAKES ALL the strips in the center of the table; Then all players, again , put 1 strip in the center of the table. Continue playing. When bell rings, move to another table taking your strips with you. Everyone had brought some strips to play the game. The theme for the strips this night was Red-White-and-Blue for Independence Day. It was a good way to get a variety of strips for your stash or just play to share your stash. Definitely had fun and would recommend this game for another quilt social. I've been asked about the die that was used in this game. It was a blank die that had been marked with a Sharpie marker. I notice the instruction card only has five values, but a die has six sides, so there must have been an extra value to fill that space. Maybe an extra "C" for the sixth value so the strip pile could grow in the middle. I looked online, and blank dice cubes can be found here on amazon, ebay, and an educational supply store. Hope this helps! Personal Note: I hope you enjoyed your 4th of July celebration this week. I had my surgery earlier this week, and it went well. I am back at home resting now. I'll return to the doctors later this month to learn the next step in this treatment plan. We are blessed with the support of family, friends and neighbors that are so helpful. I am so thankful! ♡ My kids decorated our bedroom doors! ♡ Happy Stitching!!

Hi there! Recently I've been thinking back on some fun swaps and challenges I've participated in over the years (online and through my local quilt guilds) so I thought I'd share about some of them here in case you're in need of some ideas. I'm always on the lookout for new, fresh swap/challenge ideas too so I'd love to hear your ideas at the end of this post! You can break swaps up into 2 different categories: fabric swaps and block swaps. Sometimes block swaps can be a bit tricky (especially if you're the OCD type and are worried about block sizes finishing correctly). Maybe I'm a little bit this way, so I tend to participate in fabric swaps more often than block swaps. That way you can you can exchange with your friends but you have more control over the finished product. FABRIC SWAP IDEAS Here are a few ideas for fabric swaps: 1. First, plan a year's worth of monthly themes (ie. January - Winter, February - Hearts, March - Green, April - Swirls, May - Flowers, etc.). Have 12 people sign up to participate. Each month everyone brings 1 fat quarter that matches the theme for the month and puts it in a basket as they walk into the guild meeting. After all 12 fqs are in the basket, draw one of the participants' names to win those 12 fqs. The next month, everyone still contributes their fq's but the previous winner(s) names do not go into the draw to win. Each participant will eventually win a fat quarter bundle at some point throughout the year. You could call this a Fat Quarter Frenzy Fabric Swap. Encourage the participants to take no more than 12 months following their win to make a project with their 12 fqs. [example of a red, white and blue Fat Quarter Frenzy Fabric Swap bundle] 2. Choose a theme (ie. low volumes, tiny florals, Disney, etc.). Have as many people that would like to participate bring a fat quarter, a 10" square, a 5" square or a 2-1/2" x WOF strip for each person participating. This is a nice way to get out of your comfort zone or simply get a good assortment of prints without having to purchase all of them. In 2017, I participated in an online swap of tiny floral fabrics. We were told how much fabric to buy, how to cut it to yield the necessary number of pieces, the hostesses shipping address and when to have it shipped to her by. She gave very specific instructions and rules and made sure there would be no duplicates. Then the host of the swap divvied them all up and shipped bundles of 42 assorted tiny floral 10" squares to each person. A small fee was necessary to help cover return shipping. Here's the beautiful bundle of fabrics I received: 3. Present each swap participant with a beautiful photograph featuring an inspiring color scheme. Have everyone return the following month with enough fat quarters (or whatever predetermined size pieces of fabric) that features one of the colors pictured in the photograph. They should bring the same amount of fqs/pieces of fabric as there are swap participants. The assortment of fabrics they receive in the end should be a fun representation of the photograph (it could be surprising, depending on what colors people chose!) Note, we did this swap in my local quilt guild. Everyone decided beforehand that they wanted to make my Fall Flowers quilt so after divvying up the fqs we also gave them the pattern. They chose their own background fabric and made their own quilts but the Fall Flowers were made with fabrics from the swap. [Image by Lulie Wallace via The Jealous Curator] Block Swap Ideas Here are a few ideas for block swaps: 1. Choose blocks that have some room for squaring up, such as these heart applique blocks. We swapped 1 large heart and 2 small hearts with each person. See THIS post for more details. Or these Plus Blocks. Click HERE for the free instructions (excuse the note at the beginning about how many we were to exchange, etc.). There are so many more blocks out there that allow for trimming down. But, you can swap blocks that don't allow room for trimming too. Any block will work really, I just find that no matter how much you stress using an accurate 1/4" seam allowance, without fail there will be some blocks that end up too small or too big. So it's just my personal preference to swap blocks that allow for trimming. (With that being said, I have seen many beautiful quilts that were the result of a swap and even if points were cut off in the making you can't really tell in the end unless you look close.) 2. Choose a block pattern for the swap. Have each participant give a colorful scrap of fabric (for inspiration) and the required amount of background fabric of their choice to each of the other participants (given in a ziplock bag with their name on it). Then each participant makes a block (or two) using fabrics that coordinate with each persons fabric scrap and gives it to them the following month. That's what we did for these Spool quilts: [Sassy Stitchers circa 2013] More info about these Spools quilts can be found in THIS post and THIS post. 3. Try learning a new technique together (such as paper piecing) and then swap the finished blocks. One night, we each learned how to make a set of identical half square triangles. We asked that everyone use 1 red and 1 cream fabric for their set. At the end of the night, we put them into piles and were able to take a couple of each of the different fabric combos. We went home with a scrappy assortment of HSTs. HERE is a similar pattern to what we used to make the HSTs. I ended up making this flag quilt with mine: Guild Challenge Ideas 1. This next idea was a challenge to try new blocks and test our creativity! Together, our small guild, picked out several blocks we liked from the book, Around the Block with Judy Hopkins. Then we each went home and made the blocks in our own time and in our own color scheme. We put them together however we liked and shared them later in the year. It was fun to see how different everyone's quilts turned out. Here's mine: [More details about this quilt can be found HERE and HERE.] 2. The Mystery Bag Challenge. I learned about this idea from my grandmother many years ago. She had done it in her quilt guild and I passed the idea on to my quilt guild. Put two crayons in a small paper bag and seal it shut. Make enough bags as there are participants in the swap. Let each person choose a bag. The challenge is they have to make a quilt using some shade of just those two colors (they can also add in black or white if they desire). This challenge helps quilters get outside of their color comfort zone and it's also fun to see the inspiration colors turn into a quilt (tell them to hang on to their crayons to show with the finished quilt, down the road). The next swap my little quilt group is doing is a 4-Patch exchange using 3" bright/low volume squares. I'm excited to get making! I'd love to hear your ideas for guild swap/challenge ideas. Have you done anything creative in your group? Please share in the comment section below. Thanks for stopping by today!

I probably have a dozen photos of quilts made in this pattern from the 1930s and '40s. It was quite popular despite its set-in Y seams. I never know where to file it because it's so miscellaneous. But it has a number in the BlockBase Miscellaneous category. BlockBase #4052 The earliest publication I've found was in the Rural New Yorker farm newspaper in 1933. They called it Bride's Bouquet or Nose Gay Quilt. The Laura Wheeler/Alice Brooks company syndicated a pattern--maybe a year or two later. And in 1937 when the Kansas City Star was asking readers to send in their favorites Anna A. Threlkeld of Waynesville, Missouri sent The Nosegays. You could set it by rotating the blocks, which several quilters did. Pat Sloan found this pastel delight on eBay. Here's a variation. Cockcomb attributed to H. H. VerMehren's mail order business in the 1930s. An 8" finished pattern from BlockBase See Tim Quilts for a post. I am not surprised he has a top in the pattern. It's just the kind of thing he likes. https://timquilts.com/tag/brides-bouquet-quilt-block/

I don't know about you; but if you are the leader of a quilt guild it can be taxing sometimes to find icebreaker-style activities and or...

I needed to produce a program on short notice for my local quilt group recently, and I'd like to share what I came up with. This is good for those times when your guild's speaker has to cancel late in the game. These are 3.5" patches I played with while making a baby quilt about

Quilt Guild Challenge, Idiom Quilt Challenge, Quilt Retreat, Quilt Club, Printable, Digital Download, Quilty Cobb Great challenge for quilt guild or retreat Digital downloads make life easier, NO SHIPPING and you get it immediately! **Please note- this is NOT A PHYSICAL PRODUCT, therefore, there will be no returns accepted. Make sure your computer is able to download these formats before purchasing. These files are strictly for personal or small business use in creating any physical products. Please do not share or recreate or resell this product.

Hi there! Recently I've been thinking back on some fun swaps and challenges I've participated in over the years (online and through my ...

Here is a page full of ideas for games and activities that you can do at your quilt guild meeting. Your quilting group will have fun!

A new challenge at our quilt guild this year is, "Quilter's Soup!" We were given the 'recipe' and a canning jar at our first guild m...

Hi there! Recently I've been thinking back on some fun swaps and challenges I've participated in over the years (online and through my local quilt guilds) so I thought I'd share about some of them here in case you're in need of some ideas. I'm always on the lookout for new, fresh swap/challenge ideas too so I'd love to hear your ideas at the end of this post! You can break swaps up into 2 different categories: fabric swaps and block swaps. Sometimes block swaps can be a bit tricky (especially if you're the OCD type and are worried about block sizes finishing correctly). Maybe I'm a little bit this way, so I tend to participate in fabric swaps more often than block swaps. That way you can you can exchange with your friends but you have more control over the finished product. FABRIC SWAP IDEAS Here are a few ideas for fabric swaps: 1. First, plan a year's worth of monthly themes (ie. January - Winter, February - Hearts, March - Green, April - Swirls, May - Flowers, etc.). Have 12 people sign up to participate. Each month everyone brings 1 fat quarter that matches the theme for the month and puts it in a basket as they walk into the guild meeting. After all 12 fqs are in the basket, draw one of the participants' names to win those 12 fqs. The next month, everyone still contributes their fq's but the previous winner(s) names do not go into the draw to win. Each participant will eventually win a fat quarter bundle at some point throughout the year. You could call this a Fat Quarter Frenzy Fabric Swap. Encourage the participants to take no more than 12 months following their win to make a project with their 12 fqs. [example of a red, white and blue Fat Quarter Frenzy Fabric Swap bundle] 2. Choose a theme (ie. low volumes, tiny florals, Disney, etc.). Have as many people that would like to participate bring a fat quarter, a 10" square, a 5" square or a 2-1/2" x WOF strip for each person participating. This is a nice way to get out of your comfort zone or simply get a good assortment of prints without having to purchase all of them. In 2017, I participated in an online swap of tiny floral fabrics. We were told how much fabric to buy, how to cut it to yield the necessary number of pieces, the hostesses shipping address and when to have it shipped to her by. She gave very specific instructions and rules and made sure there would be no duplicates. Then the host of the swap divvied them all up and shipped bundles of 42 assorted tiny floral 10" squares to each person. A small fee was necessary to help cover return shipping. Here's the beautiful bundle of fabrics I received: 3. Present each swap participant with a beautiful photograph featuring an inspiring color scheme. Have everyone return the following month with enough fat quarters (or whatever predetermined size pieces of fabric) that features one of the colors pictured in the photograph. They should bring the same amount of fqs/pieces of fabric as there are swap participants. The assortment of fabrics they receive in the end should be a fun representation of the photograph (it could be surprising, depending on what colors people chose!) Note, we did this swap in my local quilt guild. Everyone decided beforehand that they wanted to make my Fall Flowers quilt so after divvying up the fqs we also gave them the pattern. They chose their own background fabric and made their own quilts but the Fall Flowers were made with fabrics from the swap. [Image by Lulie Wallace via The Jealous Curator] Block Swap Ideas Here are a few ideas for block swaps: 1. Choose blocks that have some room for squaring up, such as these heart applique blocks. We swapped 1 large heart and 2 small hearts with each person. See THIS post for more details. Or these Plus Blocks. Click HERE for the free instructions (excuse the note at the beginning about how many we were to exchange, etc.). There are so many more blocks out there that allow for trimming down. But, you can swap blocks that don't allow room for trimming too. Any block will work really, I just find that no matter how much you stress using an accurate 1/4" seam allowance, without fail there will be some blocks that end up too small or too big. So it's just my personal preference to swap blocks that allow for trimming. (With that being said, I have seen many beautiful quilts that were the result of a swap and even if points were cut off in the making you can't really tell in the end unless you look close.) 2. Choose a block pattern for the swap. Have each participant give a colorful scrap of fabric (for inspiration) and the required amount of background fabric of their choice to each of the other participants (given in a ziplock bag with their name on it). Then each participant makes a block (or two) using fabrics that coordinate with each persons fabric scrap and gives it to them the following month. That's what we did for these Spool quilts: [Sassy Stitchers circa 2013] More info about these Spools quilts can be found in THIS post and THIS post. 3. Try learning a new technique together (such as paper piecing) and then swap the finished blocks. One night, we each learned how to make a set of identical half square triangles. We asked that everyone use 1 red and 1 cream fabric for their set. At the end of the night, we put them into piles and were able to take a couple of each of the different fabric combos. We went home with a scrappy assortment of HSTs. HERE is a similar pattern to what we used to make the HSTs. I ended up making this flag quilt with mine: Guild Challenge Ideas 1. This next idea was a challenge to try new blocks and test our creativity! Together, our small guild, picked out several blocks we liked from the book, Around the Block with Judy Hopkins. Then we each went home and made the blocks in our own time and in our own color scheme. We put them together however we liked and shared them later in the year. It was fun to see how different everyone's quilts turned out. Here's mine: [More details about this quilt can be found HERE and HERE.] 2. The Mystery Bag Challenge. I learned about this idea from my grandmother many years ago. She had done it in her quilt guild and I passed the idea on to my quilt guild. Put two crayons in a small paper bag and seal it shut. Make enough bags as there are participants in the swap. Let each person choose a bag. The challenge is they have to make a quilt using some shade of just those two colors (they can also add in black or white if they desire). This challenge helps quilters get outside of their color comfort zone and it's also fun to see the inspiration colors turn into a quilt (tell them to hang on to their crayons to show with the finished quilt, down the road). The next swap my little quilt group is doing is a 4-Patch exchange using 3" bright/low volume squares. I'm excited to get making! I'd love to hear your ideas for guild swap/challenge ideas. Have you done anything creative in your group? Please share in the comment section below. Thanks for stopping by today!

Double Irish Chain quilt block has been a very popular quilt block for many years. The final quilt is a very impressive one that is really a true traditional beauty. I have been wanting to make one…

The Snail Trail quilt block is a little more tricky than some of the blocks we have done previously, so it's probably more suited to someone with a bit of experience in putting quilt blocks together. Having said that, if you follow our video and instructions you should be able to manage just fine. I am going to give you the instructions to make one block, but to get the full effect of the Snail Trail block you need to make a minimum of 4. This block will make an awesome quilt. We used one light and one dark

Hawaiian Quilt Block Tutorial Free Pattern Hawaiian Quilt Block Tutorial Free Pattern is finally available! I'm EXCITED to share this! FIRST THOUGH...

Hi there! Recently I've been thinking back on some fun swaps and challenges I've participated in over the years (online and through my local quilt guilds) so I thought I'd share about some of them here in case you're in need of some ideas. I'm always on the lookout for new, fresh swap/challenge ideas too so I'd love to hear your ideas at the end of this post! You can break swaps up into 2 different categories: fabric swaps and block swaps. Sometimes block swaps can be a bit tricky (especially if you're the OCD type and are worried about block sizes finishing correctly). Maybe I'm a little bit this way, so I tend to participate in fabric swaps more often than block swaps. That way you can you can exchange with your friends but you have more control over the finished product. FABRIC SWAP IDEAS Here are a few ideas for fabric swaps: 1. First, plan a year's worth of monthly themes (ie. January - Winter, February - Hearts, March - Green, April - Swirls, May - Flowers, etc.). Have 12 people sign up to participate. Each month everyone brings 1 fat quarter that matches the theme for the month and puts it in a basket as they walk into the guild meeting. After all 12 fqs are in the basket, draw one of the participants' names to win those 12 fqs. The next month, everyone still contributes their fq's but the previous winner(s) names do not go into the draw to win. Each participant will eventually win a fat quarter bundle at some point throughout the year. You could call this a Fat Quarter Frenzy Fabric Swap. Encourage the participants to take no more than 12 months following their win to make a project with their 12 fqs. [example of a red, white and blue Fat Quarter Frenzy Fabric Swap bundle] 2. Choose a theme (ie. low volumes, tiny florals, Disney, etc.). Have as many people that would like to participate bring a fat quarter, a 10" square, a 5" square or a 2-1/2" x WOF strip for each person participating. This is a nice way to get out of your comfort zone or simply get a good assortment of prints without having to purchase all of them. In 2017, I participated in an online swap of tiny floral fabrics. We were told how much fabric to buy, how to cut it to yield the necessary number of pieces, the hostesses shipping address and when to have it shipped to her by. She gave very specific instructions and rules and made sure there would be no duplicates. Then the host of the swap divvied them all up and shipped bundles of 42 assorted tiny floral 10" squares to each person. A small fee was necessary to help cover return shipping. Here's the beautiful bundle of fabrics I received: 3. Present each swap participant with a beautiful photograph featuring an inspiring color scheme. Have everyone return the following month with enough fat quarters (or whatever predetermined size pieces of fabric) that features one of the colors pictured in the photograph. They should bring the same amount of fqs/pieces of fabric as there are swap participants. The assortment of fabrics they receive in the end should be a fun representation of the photograph (it could be surprising, depending on what colors people chose!) Note, we did this swap in my local quilt guild. Everyone decided beforehand that they wanted to make my Fall Flowers quilt so after divvying up the fqs we also gave them the pattern. They chose their own background fabric and made their own quilts but the Fall Flowers were made with fabrics from the swap. [Image by Lulie Wallace via The Jealous Curator] Block Swap Ideas Here are a few ideas for block swaps: 1. Choose blocks that have some room for squaring up, such as these heart applique blocks. We swapped 1 large heart and 2 small hearts with each person. See THIS post for more details. Or these Plus Blocks. Click HERE for the free instructions (excuse the note at the beginning about how many we were to exchange, etc.). There are so many more blocks out there that allow for trimming down. But, you can swap blocks that don't allow room for trimming too. Any block will work really, I just find that no matter how much you stress using an accurate 1/4" seam allowance, without fail there will be some blocks that end up too small or too big. So it's just my personal preference to swap blocks that allow for trimming. (With that being said, I have seen many beautiful quilts that were the result of a swap and even if points were cut off in the making you can't really tell in the end unless you look close.) 2. Choose a block pattern for the swap. Have each participant give a colorful scrap of fabric (for inspiration) and the required amount of background fabric of their choice to each of the other participants (given in a ziplock bag with their name on it). Then each participant makes a block (or two) using fabrics that coordinate with each persons fabric scrap and gives it to them the following month. That's what we did for these Spool quilts: [Sassy Stitchers circa 2013] More info about these Spools quilts can be found in THIS post and THIS post. 3. Try learning a new technique together (such as paper piecing) and then swap the finished blocks. One night, we each learned how to make a set of identical half square triangles. We asked that everyone use 1 red and 1 cream fabric for their set. At the end of the night, we put them into piles and were able to take a couple of each of the different fabric combos. We went home with a scrappy assortment of HSTs. HERE is a similar pattern to what we used to make the HSTs. I ended up making this flag quilt with mine: Guild Challenge Ideas 1. This next idea was a challenge to try new blocks and test our creativity! Together, our small guild, picked out several blocks we liked from the book, Around the Block with Judy Hopkins. Then we each went home and made the blocks in our own time and in our own color scheme. We put them together however we liked and shared them later in the year. It was fun to see how different everyone's quilts turned out. Here's mine: [More details about this quilt can be found HERE and HERE.] 2. The Mystery Bag Challenge. I learned about this idea from my grandmother many years ago. She had done it in her quilt guild and I passed the idea on to my quilt guild. Put two crayons in a small paper bag and seal it shut. Make enough bags as there are participants in the swap. Let each person choose a bag. The challenge is they have to make a quilt using some shade of just those two colors (they can also add in black or white if they desire). This challenge helps quilters get outside of their color comfort zone and it's also fun to see the inspiration colors turn into a quilt (tell them to hang on to their crayons to show with the finished quilt, down the road). The next swap my little quilt group is doing is a 4-Patch exchange using 3" bright/low volume squares. I'm excited to get making! I'd love to hear your ideas for guild swap/challenge ideas. Have you done anything creative in your group? Please share in the comment section below. Thanks for stopping by today!

This year, for the quilt guild I am apart of, I am providing instructions for how to make a different quilt block each month. For the month of January, we learned about the Single Irish Chain.

Wheelchair Quilts For the War Veterans Home in Jackson, LA In case you are wondering, the cut-outs at the bottom are so they don't g...

I've been wanting to share this fun game for awhile, but had to have the right materials.

Learn how to make Half Square Triangles 4 At A Time with Chart. This time-saving method for making half-square triangles will be your go-to!

Looking for Game ideas? Click here. Publicity Ideas are here. These are program ideas for your guild meeting. If you have any other suggestions, please use the form at the end of...

Here is a page full of ideas for games and activities that you can do at your quilt guild meeting. Your quilting group will have fun!

Hi there! Recently I've been thinking back on some fun swaps and challenges I've participated in over the years (online and through my ...

Modern Heritage Quilts – Block of the Month Looking for your next Block of the Month program? I have a great solution for you! My latest book Modern Heritage Quilts is all about traditional blocks in updated fabrics and settings. There’s 12 patterns included that offer a bit of a twist on tradition and hopefully inspire your […]

Celebrate the world's not-so-secret love affair with chocolate in the Chocolatier Block of the Month (BOM) Club. The Chocolatier BOM program takes the traditional skill-building quilt blocks and sets them in a fun oversized LeMoyne Star setting. Indulge in delectable chocolate treats and your favori

Did you get to see “Friendship Rings,” the 3104 episode of “Fons & Porter’s Love of Quilting,” with very special guest Liz Porter? What a fun quilt she made! On a couple of her episodes in the 3100 series she featured quilts that had a cumulative element to them—they came from a block swap!

Thunderstorms And Sewing Safety will give you the tips on how to protect your sewing machine from being burned by a lighting hitting nearby your home

Last week was Quilty Name Tag week. I had fun creating and sharing the tutorials and I hope you have enjoyed them. If you make one, consider sharing it. You can revisit each of them by following t…

This week my focus has been to progress and hopefully finish the borders for the Winterwood Quilt. Take a look at my progress so far.....

Here is another bonus block and tutorial! You may or may not want to make this for your quilt...it is up to you! The Traditional Setting will resume next month...then...

Learn how to cut and resew a ho-hum four-patch block and turn it into a spectacular disappearing four-patch quilt block. (Easy, too!)

The Snail Trail Quilt Block is easy to make, adding additional triangles around the center 4-patch to make a darling quilt that looks complicated but isn't.

Have you ever made a “One Block Wonder”? To make one you place 6 layers of the same fabric on top of each other lining up the patterns exactly, and then cut them into triangles then sew each group…

Kids can make something pretty incredible when they pool their talents.