Penny Pincher Block Swap

As I mentioned in my last post, I've been keeping busy this week with my first block swap. I've been watching the about.com forums to see if there was a swap I was interested in joining and this one caught my eye. I couldn't decide if I wanted to join but finally fell off the fence last week. The only problem? The blocks are due to the swapper by April 30th. I didn't give myself too much time.


I purchased my fabric late last week and washed, pressed and cut everything over the weekend. I also made all of the half-square triangles over the weekend. My plan for this week was to complete 4 blocks per night for a total of 20 blocks ready to send on Saturday morning. The piecing's not too difficult, but more time consuming than I was expecting.


It's probably the most traditional type of quilt that I'll make, but getting involved in the swap scene is fun. My only concern is that my blocks will be "up to snuff" -- this is the first time that I feel like someone else is relying on the quality of my work. And with this being my first swap, I am not sure of the level of precision that is expected. (I'm pretty please with how most of the blocks are turning out anyway, so maybe I shouldn't be too concerned).


You can see the color scheme in the pictures -- everyone is using reds, whites and blues. We're supposed to stay close to the color values of the American flag. Of course, everyone's block will be different, so my quilt top will be made up of 12 different blocks with different fabrics used. I'm excited for it to look like a real patchwork-style quilt and, if I like it, it may go to my son for his new "big boy bed". Pattern can be found here. (Great site, by the way, but be sure to turn the volume on your computer down.)


I'd love to get more involved in swapping ... the collaborative nature is really cool, but I'll be sure to give myself more time next time. I'd also LOVE to get involved with something like this. Those ladies are SO inspiring.