Block Exchange

It all started with a book. The Civil War Diary Quilt. I've already made a Dear Jane Quilt. Lots & lots and lots of 4 1/2" squares. Each one different. I made it in Civil War fabrics. Took me 2 years and I finished it in 2001. Been there, done that. Or so I thought. I kept coming back to the Civil War Diary Quilt book. Twelve voices from twelve actual women's diaries written during the War Between the States. 6" quilt blocks representing diary entries. Names like Hungry Soldiers, Bad Box, Mud Hole and more. I shared the book with the Grateful Threads, my quilting buds. They were entrigued, just like me. So began the now-infamous "Civil War Diary Quilt Block Swap." There were 9 of us and we'd each make 9 alike blocks every two months and swap them out with each other. The best laid plans and all. Tonight we swapped out round #3. That's the third round in 2 years!!!!! What we've found is that one gal (one of our members who lives in Maine all across the country) will make her blocks in about 2 days. The rest of us wait until the absolute last minute to make our blocks. So we set the next meeting and trading date tonight at dinner. The first week in November. Guess I really have to make my next round of blocks soon.

Here are some of the blocks I received tonight. Aren't they beautiful! I wonder if we'll finish in 2009 or 2010 or 2015? It's ok....we'll still be friends.