Round Robin

[bonbon]

I belong to a great group of women doing a Round Robin. We are beginning our 3rd year and need ideas for what we should do for our next round.

We've done the block exchange where each person added a border of sorts or embellishments.

This past round we did a row exchange.

Any other ideas? We need help with this one.

Thanks, Bonnie

[ffq-lar]

My small group came up with this for this year--(We have six in the group)

1. Each member chooses a background fabric that they love and a style of fabric for the rest of the blocks. For example, batiks, florals, mottled, Amish solids--whatever you love.

2. Purchase enough background to provide one block to each member (we decided on 91/2" blocks to finish at 9"--decide together on a size) and also enough for the rest of your top--this is up to you how big and elaborate you want the top to be. Swap the background blocks with each member and include your fabric choices for everyone to use in "your" blocks. Use the background blocks for piecing or as a base for applique. I'm using a dark blue Moda and am requesting pale yellow to dark gold/brown batiks or mottled solids.

3. As a group, decide on the theme for the blocks--we decided on stars but it could be anything--classic blocks, baskets, leaves, hearts, etc. Whatever theme is decided upon, you will make each block the same for each member. We decided on stars so I am using a paper pieced star pattern that uses 3 colors. Someone else may do a sawtooth star or an Ohio star. Don't tell what pattern you will use--that's part of the fun!

4. Make the blocks. I made five blocks--one was Amish colors, two were florals, one was batiks, and one was Thimbleberries--all were the same pattern. Try to find the requested fabrics in your stash, or go fat quarter shopping. This could get you out of your comfort zone, color wise--and that can be a good thing!

5. Swap blocks. Now I have five blocks, all made with my (provided) background and requested colors for the blocks, but all different patterns. Because of the color choices, the blocks are beautiful together and now I get to figure out a setting--I think I will do them on point with plain blocks and setting triangles with lotsa room for some nice quilting. Or maybe a sashing set with a pieced border--so many options!

We plan (hope) to have the tops done for our guild show in October. We will have six tops to show--all very different but with the same basic elements.

Hope this made sense!

Linda Rech

Olympia Wa

Washington Stars Quilt Guild

[SandraC]

We did something called a "brown bag" exchange, maybe it's like the one above that Linda did...

You picked a theme, mine was Christmas, someone else did cats, another was all blue. Once a month we rotated the bags around the group til you ended up with your own bag again. I think we had 8 or 9 people.

Lots of fun!

[Judi]

That all sounds really fun! Maybe if this here Birthday block exchange goes

well, we could divide out into groups (of those interested) and do some

thing similar..... time will tell.

I have never done a Round Robin, and it sounds like fun, starting with your

own base / background fabric. I think I will bring this up at our next quild

meeting and see if there are any people interested. Might have to wait

until after April - I am one of the Co-chairs for the Quilt Show we are doing

during the weekend of the 22nd.

[tusistas]

We've had several exchanges in the past several years but are burned out on ideas, too. Several of the ladies said they had too many quilts == Imagine that!

One really fun idea we had was a calendar block exchange -- but we had at least 12 people. One group decided on a Christmas fabric calendar block exchange of 12" finished blocks. We all picked a month, made 12 blocks from Christmas fabrics with your month's theme -- i.e., July fireworks, August sailboats, April flowers, etc. No one could see your blocks until the end when we all got together to swap. It was hillarious what some of the girls designed.

One year we did just a straight calendar block exchange. Again, we decided on 12" blocks, any fabric you choose using your month as the theme. When we were done we exchanged blocks and the results were stunning. And every quilt ended up looking so different when they were done. It was so much fun. Again, this was done in secret.

We did run into a few challenges like one or two people had to move away and chose not to continue, one young lady we lost to cancer. But it did bring us closer as we picked up the slack and filled in with the extra needed blocks. I'm two extra quilts richer having made the extra blocks for our "runaways" and we presented Julie's family with the quilt.

One exchange we did was just techniques. One person did applique, one did piecing, one did embroidery, one did trapunto, one did beading, and one painted her blocks (and they were awesome). It's funny how we all did something so different but all of the blocks looked so good together.

Our last exchange was a row quilt and the theme was country. But that was with only six of us. I think some of the girls got a little tired......

These exchanges are great. I wish you lots of fun. Let us know what your group finally decides on.

[quiltaholi_518]

We have also done the bag exchange, and it was fun. We used the book, Confetti in the Corner which is a fun 11" block that you can make hunderds of ways. So the quilt had the same flavor of blocks, but they were all different. I wish I had a pic, but I can't find one. I will look for it though.....

[Carlotta]

This year's Round Robin was "The elements". The owner makes the first center or medallion block...then each month it passes to someone else who put on the next surrounding layer of "element". Some were rain - sun snow, etc. They were all very different and very beautiful. I think there were only 6 who participated...out of 90 in our guild.

[bonbon]

Thanks for the ideas! I'm still interested in finding out about what others have done. Keep 'em coming!

Bonnie