Japanese Tinner's Exchange Blocks Completed

Our guild had a challenge called the Tinner's Exchange where everyone brought a tin and $10 and in return, received a tin with a fabric & a theme or a block pattern. Every month, the tins changes hands and when everyone had completed all the tins, we drew for who got the tins.

These were the blocks I received last year here. I picked up a border fabric and put it away for a while, packed it up to sew on at a retreat last January and sent it off to my friend & fellow quilter Marie from Blueberry Hill Quilts for quilting.

Tinner's Exchange Quilt

The back is a burgundy flannel - it looks a little too red for the front, but it is the background colour in the border fabric.

Tinner's Exchange Quilt

 I gifted this quilt to my mom this August for her birthday - it fits just perfectly in her house and I know she appreciates the workmanship of the many quilters who made the blocks.

Tinner's Exchange Quilt

Have you made a group challenge project? A special quilt for a special person in your life? Tell me about it - I'd love to hear your stories!
--Ann

Guild Tinners Exchange Done!

I have always been one to enjoy a challenge. I've participated in a few online quilt block swaps and mini quilt swaps. 

But it's always fun to do a challenge with people you see in person on a regular basis. The Dalemead Quilt Guild that I belong to has been exchanging tins in what is called the "Tinner Exchange".

Everyone who wanted to participate brought a tin and $10 to the first meeting. At the next meeting, they were given a tin that contained some fabric and either a pattern or a theme.

Because we had quite a few members signed up, we were split into 2 groups and all our exchanges were within that group.

Each month we were to make a block with the fabric in the tin we had and bring it back to the following meeting to pass the tin on to the next person in the group and to collect the tin we were to work on next.

Because we have many quilt guild members who are snow birds or had extensive travel plans, we weren't very good at keeping to a once a month schedule.

Sometimes tins were exchanged early, sometimes 3 or more tins were received at the same time.

I think we drove the organizers of the exchange batty by not following the schedule!

 When all the tins were finally finished (one block for each member of the group in the tin), we drew names for each tin.

Here's an earlier post with some pictures of the tinnner blocks in progress: http://www.magpiequilts.com/2013/02/guild-tinners-challenge.html

And another post: http://www.magpiequilts.com/2013/11/guild-tinners-exchange-update.html

Because there were only 11 people in our group, I needed an extra block to bring some balance to the quilt layout. I had this kimono block kit from Diane McGregor from Castilleja Cotton that was a gift from Quilt Canada 2010 in Calgary.

And I love this block - it was amazing to see all the different techniques and blocks that were made with just one fabric (the one on the lower left in the picture above) and a theme (Japanese).

Here's my tentative layout. I just need to find some fabric for sashing and a fabric to use to bring the blocks up to the same size.

Have you done any challenges lately? Do you love them or not so much?
 

-Ann

Guild Tinners Exchange Update

Tins have been passed around furiously in our guild and I think some are way ahead of schedule and some are behind. I have 3 on my sewing table to work on before the guild meeting on Thursday, but I think I forgot to show you the 2 that I completed last month.

 This tin had a beautiful, rich, earthy toned orange and brown batik fabric and a pattern. Because oranges and browns are not very well represented in my fabric stash, I used it as an excuse to go visit my favourite quilting stores to go shopping.

The next tin featured some great Asian fabric and some varied, unique blocks.

 I didn't think I had much for Asian fabrics in my scraps, but I found a few that were left from another project and used the featured fabric as the main square in a modified log cabin block.

I hope you're enjoying the peeks at our guild's tinner exchange and I'll try to remember to share the next ones a little sooner!

--Ann

WIP Wednesday - June 5

Spring has sprung and the flowers are blooming! At least the lilacs are finally coming out! I love the colours found in nature and this colour combo of lilac, green and blue is going to show up soon in a quilt!

Last quilt guild meeting, I got my next tins to work on. It is supposed to work out that we each get one tin per month, but with a few guild meetings cancelled due to weather and quilters being away for one reason or another, I have 3 more to work on! This tin had a strip of red print fabric and a pattern for these beautiful hearts! This one below is my block - there were some leftover pieces left that I used for the bottom of my heart, I used the fabric provided for the top left and my own fabric for the top right and the little triangles at the top. Fast and easy!

Red Heart Quilt Block - Tinner's challenge!

All 6 blocks so far!

 The next tin had a piece of wild green, orange and blue stripe and a theme of jungle! No patterns included this time! I have some zebra fabric I've had for quite some time and I fussy cut it so there was one zebra face in the center, added a couple borders and finished this block.

My jungle theme quilt block

Jungle theme blocks so far.

Sampler in lime green

 And the last thing I've been working on this week is a set of blocks that were donated to the guild at one time. I've added a lime green batik for sashing and borders and it's now ready for quilting. I'm still not sure if I will be leaving the log cabin blocks in the middle (on the left and right) as they are or if I'll add an applique or something on them. They just seem a bit too pale when everything is all put together. I'm thinking a heart or flower would just add a bit of colour there. This quilt will eventually be part of our charity quilts when it is finished.

--Ann

Today I'm linking up to
Quiltsy WIP's and Whatnots
The Needle and Thread Network WIP Wednesday #93