happylab

I will be cutting out my candy in the next few days. And look for birthday cards.

Congratulations on becoming a grandma and it’s a lovely baby pic. Enjoy the little one.

I’m busy working on the BHMQ and r/w/blk top for my niece. I had planned to do a queen size, but she moved and now wants a king size quilt. So I’m thinking on adding extra borders. Once I get the center completed, I will make a final decision.

WMUTeach

Is this what you were thinking of? I have been making the blocks of Civil War type fabrics. You can work at the one a week manner or just use posted pattern and work at your own pace. I did join the Facebook group and have been getting lots of interesting posts of photos and, I can't believe it, finished quilts. The pattern comes in three sizes and one uses 2.5 squares. https://www.bordercreekstation.com/t...-challenge.htm

Janice McC

Happy to say I just finished cutting my candies. Whew! So glad that’s done so now I can simply enjoy the swap. Happy Sunday to all.

happylab

WMUTeach, reference post #112. Yes that’s what I’m interested in. Is the second week of the 2023 challenge the 2022 block? Every time I try to download the second week block, I get the a 2022 block. So do I have to join Facebook to get the weekly blocks? I was thinking of doing scrappy on the 2 weekly blocks.

WMUTeach

Happylab, there is only one block for the whole 2023 year. You can change fabrics/colors or make them identical. The idea is to just use up your stash. Join the Facebook group and you will see soooo many different options and eventually the layouts that folks are choosing. So same block all year. I found this site in 2021 and made that one but not using the one a week method. I just forged through and made the quilt. I did not make last year's block but after seeing some of the results, I saved the PDF for future quilts.

sewbizgirl

Thanks for all the sweet comments about my grandbaby. They decided to name him Gentry. So Gentry he is! They gave him two middle names, Ivan Henry, for the grandfathers. That’s a lot of names!

Before I got the baby call and hit the ground running, I had just finished the Illusion quilt top. Here it is.
sorry it loaded sideways!

WMUTeach

Sewbiz, what a quick finish! I like it! And it not only uses lots of candies but I think they are organized in light/dark but very random colors. That is a plus. Good work and without a pattern as I recall. An interesting visual. Thanks for getting us started with a new year of scrappy candy quilts.

Quossum

Oh my goodness. It took a few evenings here and there of stashbusting, ironing, slicing, and stacking, but at last, my candies are ready!

I made 20 “just in case,” various compositions, though there are a few fabrics (like the orange on top) that appear in all of them. Now I just need to package them up and I’ll be ready for the mailing throughout the year. There should be a couple of stacks that I don’t send out; I’ll set them aside for a new person if I participate again next year.

Sad thing is…all this didn’t really seem to make a dent in my stash! LOL

Can’t wait to start sending!

happylab

Thank-you sewbizgirl, for the clarification on the stash buster. I think I will average 2 blocks a week and see what I have at the end of the year. - Also, nice quilt top. The pattern may just have to go on my loooog wish list.

Tomorrow is cut day for me. I think I plan to make 2-4 extra, 3 for extras and 1 for me. Last year I only had enough stacks for the group, so this year I’m going to change that. LOL 😂

Oh well have a lovely day everyone. It’s, 54F and mostly sunny. Very nice for this time of year. We missed 99% of the rain last night. Yea!!!

Rebaquilts

Hi everyone and thanks for all of the tips for cutting and mailing. That has been most helpful to a newbie. The six piles and oversize birthday card is a great tip, as is the 5x7 envelope tip. Since this is also my first swap, feel free to send the old ones my way too. I love batiks, my go-to fabric for just about everything unless I fall in love with a precut. My avatar was made with a $5 clearance precut. Does anyone else cut up precuts for the swap? I have extra layer cake fabrics from the Merry Mayhem quilt this year that I am going to love to send.

Hugs all and thanks for letting me join with all of you!