Unfinished RRs on display

I had a crazy idea to post my unfinished round robins. (Maybe it will encourage me to get them finished up.) Anyway, ignore all the stories if they bore you but I'm writing as a record of memories and friendships for myself.

Please note that I just threw them down on the floor any which way. This is not necessarily the way they will be set together.

The following is my "Christmas Crazy Quilt" rr. I did this with the state rr meaning that I swapped through the mail, making one block for someone in my group each month. I sent some coordinating fabrics and a pattern to paper piece the background. I then asked them to embellish in anyway they chose (machine, hand, lace, whatever) on every seam line. I told them to go ahead and gob it up and the gobbier the better. I also said they could use ANY TYPE of fabric not just quilter's cotton. I went to D.I. and found some interesting shirts/skirts for some of the pieces.

I have not finished this one yet because I'm not sure what I want to do with it. I do want to embellish the blocks heavier before I put them together. My original plan was to design 12 blocks, one for each of the "Twelve Days of Christmas" and stagger them between the crazy blocks. To this day I believe I've only partially designed the "Partridge in a Pear Tree".



This block is my favorite. This lady did BEAUTIFUL gobbing up! She told me that traditionally every "crazy quilt" must have a spider and web for some reason. I need to look that one up. If you zoom in close you may see her intricate work on EVERY piece in addition to every seam. She added: embroidered daisies to the black corner; beads to the other black corner, stitched in gold metalic in various places on teh lrge white flower piece, added a beautiful pin and lacy embroidery stitching around the red piece, and white french knots over the lower green/red batik. She also included roses, lace, buttons, and ribbon. LOVE IT!


This black WIP is a product of all the round robin blocks I made that year. Basically, every block I made for someone else's quilt I also made for me in these colors. I was obviously in more than one swap! I recognize: a basket made for Karen Truman, stars in my state rr for a lady in Heber, snowman for Linda, Monster for a state rr, double wedding ring for Tereasa, school house block Becky made and I liked it, and sunbonnet Sue and friend for Tereasa.


This is my "frog quilt". Years ago I wanted to do my bathroom in frogs. Now I may just give this little guy to a grandchild some day. Anyway, their only instruction was to make me a frog. This was a state rr so I don't know all of the women who made me a block. I do know: Karen Truman made the top left, Linda Johnson made the center one with the cattails, Deb donated me one (she wasn't in the rr and had a leftover from another quilt) the center right frog, Kaye Evans made the bottom left, Pat Behling the bottom center (so cute), and Sandra from Moab made the bottom right.

This one is truly a favorite. It is a combination of two different swaps. The first year (2003) it began as a needle turn only group. My theme was "winged things". I pieced all of the backgrounds and mailed them off asking ladies to applique' something with wings on it. They came back ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL!

I really needed more blocks to complete a top so I sent it around again the next year (2004) in a rr that didn't require needle turn. I think it is LOVELY! My dearest friend - Loretta Nielsen of Huntington- did the lovely bird bath block and the angels; Pam Stewart of Draper made the needle-turn butterfly and matching flower blocks (same size); a lady named Monica Skowba of Moab did the birdhouse and beehive blocks; Wanda Harker did the stuffed bird and purle 3D flower along with two more star blocks; Gwen Spring made the butterflies and dragonflies on the blue background; Jessica Theobald of Murray did the paper-pieced butterfly; Cathie Denney of American Fork made the three little humming birds; Kaye Evans made the sparrowsNathell Hoffman of Randolph made the house with the ladybug corners; and I believe Sandra of Moab did the cute ladybug on my quilt label.