For January & February, the lotto will again offer the option of doing either applique or paper pieced blocks OR both! You may enter up to 4 blocks in any combination. The link to a picture accompanies this message. The following messages will be links to the patterns.

I'm really hoping you'll enjoy these blocks and that the colors will brighten your winter days. We could call the combination Moonlight & Starshine, or Starlight & Moonshine, but it's not about white lightning! It's that very old applique pattern, Moon Over the Mountain, and a paper pieced pattern called Five Point Star.

NOTE: On my printer I needed to re-set the page layout to 100% in order to get the paper pieced templates to print at the accurate size. Double check your sizing reference on the pattern after you print it!

I made both of these blocks last evening, so I can assure you that the paper pieced pattern is not a difficult one. In fact, there's only ONE place where seams even meet!

Moon over the Mountain is a 12” block. For colors, let’s remember that this is a nighttime scene. Any color that a mountain would appear at night, silhouetted against the moon is an acceptable color. This would cover most greys, dark blues to purples, browns or tonals & batiks combining these colors. Autumn or spring colors wouldn’t show up at night, so let’s steer clear of greens, rusts and other similar warm tones.

The background of the block is a night sky. This can include most shades of medium to dark blues, purples and greys, and could include tonals, batiks or even small prints such as stars on navy or clouds if not too white.

For the moon: any tone you’d expect to see the moon, EXCEPT white. Medium to deep yellow, gold, goldish orange, and tonals or batiks combining these would work. Some might even lean toward the peach we sometimes see in the moon in autumn.

Note on the directions on Quilter’s Cache: The pattern includes using interfacing sewn to the “moon” circle and then turned. If you prefer to hand turn applique or fuse and then stitch, those methods are also acceptable. Also, feel free to use decorative stitching on the applique, if you choose. This is a “Be creative” lotto!

Five Pointed Star is an 8” block. So what in the world did I have in mind putting these two together???

For color, let’s make all of our star blocks with a white (or WOW) background. There are 5 points on the star, but when you look at the pattern, there are 4 actual color fields. For those 4 fields, use any of the colors listed for any part of Moon over the Mountain block above, in any combination. Your star can be all one color, 4 colors, or anything in between. For this lotto, you'll need to remove your paper foundations in order to complete the block.

When you’ve finished your 8” star block, then add a 2” (finished size, so cut it 2-1/2”) border to your block using any color listed in Moon over the Mountain. Or use multiple borders, as long as the final, unfinished size of your block is a 12-1/2” square. If you’d like, you can even make the corners of your border different from the sides. You can miter the corners, or not, as you prefer. If you want to work that tiny, feel free to do a four-patch, a nine-patch or pieced star in the corner. You might want to put a little star applique in the corner. Whatever goes with your block! JUST HAVE FUN!!!

For those who are new to our lotto, here are the general guidelines to follow unless directions in a specific month contradict them:

Applique:

You may enter from 1 to 3 blocks. For each block you send, your name will be entered once. Please put your blocks, along with a slip of paper with your real name, address, and FORUM name, inside a plastic baggie. Also, please follow common lotto and block swap rules in regards to fur free, smoke and scent free 100% quilting cotton to be used. Please include one dollar (or e-mail me for alternatives) to cover postage for sending on to the winner.

You may use any SEWABLE fusible of your choice (Cathy recommends Heat and Bond Lite) to secure your pieces. Any style/type of applique will be acceptable, BUT ALL MUST INCLUDE STITCHING TO SECURELY COVER THE RAW EDGES OF YOUR PATCHES! (In other words, no fusible ONLY applique!)

You will have 2 months to work on your blocks. They must be received by the moderator by the last day of the 2nd month.

The winner will be chosen on the first of the month following the lotto’s 2 month work period.

Paper Pieced:

You may enter from 1 to 3 blocks. For each block you send, your name will be entered once.

Please put your blocks, along with a slip of paper with your real name, address, and FORUM name, inside a plastic baggie. Please include one dollar (or e-mail me for alternatives) to cover postage for sending on to the winner. Let's follow common lotto and block swap rules in regards to fur free, smoke and scent free 100% quilting cotton to be used.

Double check measurements to verify that your printer sized the pattern accurately.

For very small pieces, trim seams to 1/8”.

Please do not remove paper foundations.

You will have 2 months to work on your blocks. They must be received by the moderator by the last day of the 2nd month. The winner will be chosen on the first of the month following the lotto’s 2 month work period.

Here is a link that might be useful: Picture of Jan/Feb blocks