Hi Jeanne! Hopefully you'll be able to get back to your quilting soon. January was a good month for me, after delivering those cards and parcels for Christmas, I needed some down time...lol! I finished my mystery quilt by turning it into a reversible with an Amish pattern on the backside, designed and began planning to host a mystery quilt for the seeds-n-stitches group (will post that in mid-March for the April swap), and got my first two blocks made for this group. One of the reasons I joined the 2012 exchange was to force myself to get acquainted with new blocks, and I'm enjoying it immensely! I've always been skittish about HRTs, but now I'm enjoying them after getting comfortable with them! I can see my own designs opening up and going in a lot of different directions now, and that's after just two blocks! Who knows what I'll be doing this time next year, eh?
Take care, and get yourself some time with your fabric, even if it's just sorting through it all and re-discovering your stash!
CHEERS!
Dan

Thanks for posting, Dan.
I haven't finished any of my birthday block quilts this month. Actually I haven't done much at all - been sick with a cold and don't want to sniffle, sneeze, and cough all over my fabric. LOL I was in the Round Robin here on the Quilt Forum and completed my round for that and mailed it off. I completed a quilt of my own a few weeks ago and will try to take a picture and post it before the month is over with.
Today I made a mug rug for the first time and really enjoyed making it. I'm sure there will be another one in the forecast. If you haven't heard of them and are interested in finding out more, just do a search for tutorial + mug rug and some sites should pop up. (This might be a good idea for the month when I am hostess for Seeds 'n Stitches!)

Jeanne

Jeanne, glad to hear you are back with us! I think the mug rug would be a fun challenge project for this forum too; not necessarily as a swap, but just as a fun thing for us to try. I'm guessing they don't take very long to make, right? Sounds like fun!

Kate

Jeanne, those mug rugs look pretty cool, and would definitely make a great idea for the S-n-S group! How are you feeling now, getting any better? Bump and Stella said to send you some cat hugs, purrs, and meows so you'll feel better!

For anyone who wants to check out mug rugs, here are some websites I've found...
http://smashedpeasandcarrots.blogspot.com/2011/12/patchwork-mug-rug-tutorial.html
http://www.sewsweetness.com/2012/02/reader-tutorial-hugs-and-kisses-mug-rug.html
http://www.stitchingbystarlight.com/2011/04/reversible-mug-rug-tutorial.html
25 IDEAS & TUTORIALS: http://tipnut.com/mug-rugs/

This is not a birthday block quilt, but it is the only quilt I have completed so far this year so I am going to post the picture to share. I love to name my quilts and this one is StrataVarious. It is made in the style shown in the book Strips 'n Curves by Louisa L. Smith but is not a specific quilt shown in that book.

Happy Presidents' Day!

Jeanne

That's cool! I especially like how the stripes within the circles melt into the background in some places! GREAT JOB!

That is gorgeous, Jeanne! I love it!

Very pleasing color combination!
It will be a long time before I attempt any pattern containing curves. You've done a marvelous job.

Julie

Thanks for the compliments. That quilt really is not that hard to make. You sew strips together for part of it and then use templates to cut out the quarter circles and the circles are large enough that even the curves are not difficult to sew.

I popped back on here in case some of you are interested in making blocks from the book The Farmer's Wife. Many of these are simple traditional blocks and give you a chance to try some new blocks if you have not made these before. There is a group working on this together. The information is being posted at http://barristersblock.blogspot.com/ I signed up to participate! Maybe some of our Birthday Block Exchange people who are not too tied up with other things might enjoy it, too. The blogger will be posting information for three blocks at a time and is planning to do that twice a month.
I will be posting pictures of my completed blocks at my blog http://arkangelsquilting.blogspot.com/ so come to visit! So far today I made two of them and hope to have all six completed by the end of the day.

Jeanne

My daughter, Andrea (dragonflyUSC) was in the Birthday Block Exchange in 2010 and 2011. Here is her quilt made with the blocks from 2010.

What a great looking quilt!
(The quilt is at my house right now which is why I am posting the picture.)
Wonderful job and you picked a great pattern setting for your blocks!

Jeanne

What a great group this is! Both of the ladies with the 2012 February birthdays have received all of their blocks and posted pictures of them as well. Take a look if you have not already done that.

Today is my triplet grandsons' first birthday! Unfortunately they are on the other side of the country, but I will be going to see them soon. I'm shaaring a picture. You know how grandmothers are...

{{gwi:1250161}}

Jeanne

I guess because the title was birthday blocks, I have never klooked in on this particular post, but I'm sure glad I did. The two examples shown by Sandlapper is why I'm striving to learn to quilt. they are both so Beautiful and an inspiration to me to continue even though I do get a little discouraged from time to time. And, the triplets are adorable. You must be a very proud grandmother.

Best wishes - Corinne

Hi, Corinne!
Sometimes it feels a little lonely here with mostly me posting so I was so happy to see your message today. Please continue to drop in. I'm so happy to hear you are learning to quilt. Don't get discouraged. Quilting involves making mistakes sometimes and definitely is a learning process. I still can sew the wrong pieces together or the right side down and the wrong side up instead of right side to right side. Out comes the seam ripper or if it too bad, you start all over again. None of us is perfect.
This posting with the Birthday Block Exchange heading each month is so we can try to complete our quilts from the blocks that we received in previous years (and maybe those from the first part of this year will complete a quilt, too.) Without continuing the thread, the fear was that the blocks would continue to sit and gather dust. I have only comleted one birthday block quilt for the years I participated, so I am a guilty party, too!
Stop in again and continue to post. We love having company!
Jeanne

I chose the same pattern and colors for the 2012 blocks as I did for the 2011 blocks. I will use both years in one quilt and will post a picture when I have the top put together.
Jeanne, your grandsons are so cute.....I miss mine so much...they moved to New Zealand a year ago.

Mary

Jeanne, your daughter's quilt looks great! And as for those pictures of the boys, you go ahead and post all you want!
Dan

I'm working on the quilting of last year's bday blocks quilt. My goal is to have it finished in a couple weeks when I am hosting a family "girl's day". This years blocks are beautiful too! Haven't decided on a layout for sure yet.

Jeanne, your and Andrea's quilts are wonderful! I love the look and name of your Strata Various! I agree...post pics of the boys anytime! Those little ones are so precious.

Dee