2018 Chocolate 9 Patch Exchange

My Treadle On group has several different block exchanges each year.  All of the blocks must be made on a treadle or hand crank sewing machine.  Not a problem for me.

I am the hostess for 2 of the exchanges this year, the Spring Basic, and the Chocolate 9 patch  The rules for the Chocolate 9 patch exchange are on this blog post. 

Sorting for the Chocolate 9 patch took much longer than the Spring Basic.  There were 11 participants (from 9 different states), with 30 sets of blocks, made on 12 different (people powered) sewing machines.  Below are the blocks that I've spent the afternoon sorting.  Hmm... I think I need some chocolate for dessert ;)

Kay C's blocks

Diana K's blocks

Sharon's blocks

Linda's blocks

Kay P's blocks

James' blocks

my blocks (the bottom right is white, not pale green)

Denise's blocks

Marta's blocks

April's blocks

Kathleen's blocks

Don't they just make you hungry???

I did the sorting in my kitchen.  Here are the tables I used, during the sorting.

part way thru the sorting

part way thru the sorting

Being hostess has it's benefits.  Here are the goodies that were sent to me.  Goodies are NOT required or even expected, but, they sure are appreciated. 

hostess goodies

Remember the hole in my kitchen wall, where our old TV was?  We took the old TV out April 23rd.  Well, today, I finally have a TV in the kitchen again.

new TV is mounted

Shortly after the new TV was mounted, hubby started building my new bookshelf, that will be larger than the one in the picture.  He has already started staining the boards.  Woohoo!  Those cookbooks will soon be neat, with room left over for new cookbooks.  

Quilt Camp Weekend

This has been a weird sewing year for me.  I've been gone for 33 out of 42 days.  I was only supposed to be gone for 15 of those days.  First, we extended our trip to Alaska by a week (couldn't miss the birth of our first grandchild).  The only stitching I got done for those 3 weeks was on the airplane, and a tiny bit in Alaska, for my daughter in law. 

Three days after we got back, I was setting up my booth for the Pride of the Prairie Quilt Show.  I only had time to stitch 3 sets of exchange blocks at the quilt show.  The day after the quilt show, I got really sick, and just did nothing for several days. 

Life happens, whether you are sick or well.  A few days after I got sick, I was traveling to Texas for a funeral.  Another 11 days gone from home.  When I finally got home, I saw the doctor.  I've had a sinus infection since January, and it had turned nasty after the quilt show.  Needless to say, feeling like I did, I still didn't get anything done for another week or more. 

Well, this weekend was the Camp Tuckabatchee quilt weekend.  I finally got myself moving, and went to camp on Friday afternoon.  Yipee!  My first stitching in a month.

I set up my hand crank as soon as I arrived.  I'm the hostess for 2 different Treadle On block exchanges, and my blocks were not all done.  I really needed to finish stitching those exchange blocks.  I finished the last 2 sets of Spring Basic 4 patch blocks, and also the last 2 sets of Chocolate 9 patch blocks, for the exchanges. 

Spring Basic 4 patch blocks

Spring Basic 4 patch blocks

Chocolate 9 patch blocks

Chocolate 9 patch blocks

All I need to do is sign my blocks.  I can do that later this week. 

On Saturday morning, I set up 'Betty Sue' my purple Featherweight.  Last June, Kevin started a Sapphire Star Mystery Quilt along, and I'd kept up for the first clue, but, things got in the way, and I hadn't worked on those quilts since.  Yes QUILTS.  As usual, I started more than one quilt.  I started THREE quilts.  Two of those quilts are scrappy, as Kevin suggested, but, I also decided that I'd try one quilt as a 'controlled' color quilt.  Just 7 fabrics, one for each 'color' that Kevin had chosen, instead of scrappy. 

Since the Sapphire Star Mystery ended October 1st, I had all the clues printed off.  I'd cut out several clues at the last quilt camp weekend.  I needed to finish cutting all the clues (I'm still short 2 clues for the 'controlled' quilt).  Now to get more stitching done.

Back in September, I'd sewn some of Clue #2 while having a booth at the Lyon's Farm Fall Festival. I'd only gotten half of Clue #2 stitched.  Lots of sewing left to do on that Clue#2 (times 3).

2 sets of scrappy Clue #2 finished

Clue #2 'controlled' is also finished

I cut out the pieces for Clue #3, for the controlled quilt.  They went together nicely.

Clue #3 'controlled' blocks are finished

Then I pulled out the pieces that I'd cut last fall, for the 2 scrappy Clue #3's, and started stitching them together.  Oops!  Somehow I got all the background pieces cut, but, only half of the dark blue side pieces cut out. 

Oops!  Missing half of the side pieces for these 2 sets of Clue #3

I didn't have any of the scrappy fabric with me at quilt camp, so, I'll have to cut out the rest of those missing side pieces this week.  I had thought that I had all the scrappy Clues cut out.  Oh well.  All those fabrics are still in a basket, until I finish all three quilt tops. 

It felt sew good to start sewing again.  I'm meeting up with friends, and going to sew at Sewing, Etc. on Wednesday.  I'm hoping to get more Clues sewn then.  Two of these quilts will be for Quilts of Valor, but, one will be a wedding present, and I need to have it finished before October.  Lots of deadlines coming up, and, with being gone so much, I'm WAY behind. 

Chocolate 9 Patch Block Exchange

Treadle On, my people powered sewing machine group, is having a fun block exchange. I am the hostess of this exchange.  This blog post includes all the info about the exchange.

Who likes Chocolate???  Who likes chocolate mixed with other, yummy flavors???  Who likes fabric???  Who has a people powered sewing machine (treadle or hand crank)???  I can answer 'YES' to all of those questions. 

This block exchange makes 9 1/2" unfinished 9 patch blocks (3.5" squares, with the 'chocolate' color on the 4 outside corners and the middle block).

Use colors of chocolate (milk to dark chocolate) and add in other colors that are in different chocolate candies (mint, raspberry, peanut butter, caramel, strawberry, almonds, etc).  (Any other 'flavors' you come up with???)

Number of Blocks in a set: 8
Max. number of sets: 4

Here are the 'flavors' that I chose to use.

Since these blocks are 9 1/2 inches, your squares need to be 3 1/2 inches.  I chose to cut strips and string piece my blocks.  It's more accurate and much quicker. 

From you 'chocolate' fabric, cut 5 strips, 3.5" wide, by width of fabric.

From your 'candy' fabric, cut 5 strips, 3.5" wide, by width of fabric.  Set one of these strips aside for now.

Stitch 2 sets of 'chocolate', 'candy', 'chocolate' fabrics together.
Stitch 1 set of 'candy', 'chocolate', 'candy' fabrics together.

Carefully cut each of these sets into 9.5" x 3.5" sections.  The photo below shows mine cut, and sitting next to each other, in sewing order.

Stitch these units together to make your 9 patch block.  Here is my finished 9 patch block.

finished block

Using this method, you end up with 11 blocks.  8 blocks for the exchange, and 3 bonus blocks for you.

Now, take your extra 'candy' strip of fabric, and cut it into 3.5" squares.  These are your 'signature' squares.  Sign them (with a Pigma or Micron pen) with all the proper info (your name, location, what machine used, 2018 Chocolate TOBE).

one of my signed squares

Attach your signature square to the back of your block. 

signature square attached to back of block

I just basted my signature square to the back of my block, with a 'loop' of thread.

square basted to block

The signature squares can be added to the back of your quilt, so that you will know, by matching the fabrics, who made each block in your quilt. 

Mail by dates: International, May 6, 2018, USA, May 12, 2018

Now that you have all the info, who wants to join this block exchange?  Go to Treadle On, and join the group, and get the rest of the info for block exchanges. 

I have one set made, and 3 more sets cut out.