Help with Resizing Photos
I am not nearly as busy as Sophie and do not mind resizing your photo(s). Send them to 9lizards at gmail.com and I will email them back to you for posting.
Photo Upload Problems
This morning I deleted more than 100 FAILED photo uploads from the website.
When I could get some information on the file and could see how large they are (and who uploaded them), THEY ARE HUUUUGE! This isn’t a problem a few of you are having, it’s a problem MANY of you are having.
A file size in the HUNDREDS of KILOBYTE (KB) is plenty large enough. A file size in MULTIPLE MEGABYTES (MB) is many, many times larger than it needs to be to display well on ANY screen. The little screen capture image here is only 14 KB.
If you try to upload a photo and it fails, you need to figure out how to SCALE your image to make it SMALLER. This is going to be a little bit different on each phone and camera and you may have different tools on your computer than I do, so, unfortunately, I can’t tell you exactly what you need to do.
While I can *sometimes* fix a failed photo (if enough of it has loaded to be recognizeable as an image), it takes time and I may not have that time to do it. I made time this morning ONLY because I was awake at 4 AM and couldn’t fall back to sleep. Please DO NOT depend on me.
Hey Sophie!
Hi,
I can take a month but not May or June. It’s the least I can do for all the fun I’ve had with Block Lotto.
Best,
Jude
What If?
What if you put a 6 inch quilt block in place of the colored square? For this example, I used a 6 inch sawtooth star.
I thought this could make for an interesting setting and a way to make a bigger quilt from smaller blocks … what do you think?
I planned to make my own blocks this weekend, but instead, after I got home on Friday, I found myself coming down with the flu … and barely got out of bed for the past three days. (I am only up now because I need to go to the drug store for more stuff that I hope will help me get better faster.)
Quilt Layout Idea – Blocks on Point
This layout has 41 blocks set on point with 2 inch sashing and 5 1/1 inch borders. It results in a quilt that measures 89 inches square.
Commercial Pattern – BQ By Maple Island Quilts
Honestly everyone, before I selected the block and created the block directions for this month, I LOOKED for a commercial or other pattern for our block after I found it on Pinterest and came up empty–probably because it had been referred to by a different name: I’ve Been Framed.
Tonight, Glen sent me email identifying the commercial pattern based on a larger block (18 inch squares) like ours and asked about permissions.
You can find/buy this pattern on the Maple Island Quilts site, at the top of this page. The associated gallery page has a lot of interesting interpretations.
As I haven’t seen the Maple Island BQ pattern and created the directions for our 9-inch block entirely on my own based on the image from Pinterest that I shared earlier, I don’t believe there is a copyright issue. Had I found this commercial pattern, I would have chosen a different block for us.
Maybe this is proof of how I really need to step away after this month …
Inspiration for January Block
This month’s block came from a photo of a portion of a quilt I found on Pinterest. I tracked it down to 2012 post on a quilters’ bulletin board called mqresources and to it’s maker, Donna Ferrill James (aka donna in BC). She called her quilt, Modern Reds.
And here’s a closer look at the fabulous quilting.
For the Fence-Sitters
If you are still considering whether or not you could lead the Block Lotto for a month, here’s some additional information and help that might help you get off that fence.
You can choose ANY block and almost any size you’d like (between 6 and 12 inches). If can be a traditional block, a modern block, an appliqué block, an original block … you could even choose a block that we’ve made in the past for the Block Lotto–those that have been around long enough know that we’ve made sawtooth stars and double 4-patch multiple times (and they are always popular).
If you haven’t read through all the comments about what people want from the block lotto that I posted in Something To Think About, go take a look. You’ll see that, as a group, we want it all: big blocks, little blocks, traditional blocks, modern blocks, improvisational blocks. Whatever block you have in mind will find an audience here.
I created a table on the At-A-Glance page that will show who is leading each month in 2018 and–if they have made a decision–what size and colors their block will be.
If you have an original block idea and are worried about writing block directions or need drawings to show what you mean, I can help. Robin has also offered to help with any computer graphics, converting things to PDF format, etc. While I haven’t actually asked them yet, I’m confident that other volunteers will help, too.
I have decided that I will continue to maintain the spreadsheet with everyone’s info in it, will collect the mailing info from everyone, and will work out the mailing info each month which I think is the most complex step–so no one needs to worry about that. As a block leader, you need only create two block posts:
- On the first day of the month, a post that has your block choice, the directions to make it and your fabric/color guidelines.
- A second post that has the list of quilters that make blocks. You can also create this one on day one of the month, but you’ll be going back to edit it as most blocks are made and posted.
Still sitting on the fence? If you have a question or concern, please let me know.
Survey Results
I have already shared most of the responses to the “what would you like to see …” question in Something to Think About. Here are your responses to the other four questions:
2018 Block Lotto
A lot of you said you wanted the Block Lotto to continue. To do so, I need your help.
Offers to help with the expenses of maintaining the site are very much appreciated, but I also need help leading the monthly activities: choosing the blocks, making samples, creating (or referencing a block pattern), keeping track of blocks posted by others.
More than a dozen people responded to the survey, saying they would be willing to help in this way … but only one of you stepped up publicly. A couple others who have previously volunteered to help have also committed.
Thank you Angie, Cathy K, Deanna, Linda, Julie W and Robin.
But, I need more help. If you volunteered and I missed it–please email me again.
If you want to help and lead a month of the Block Lotto, but don’t have a block in mind or aren’t comfortable writing patterns, you can choose a Block Lotto block from the past: a good place to start looking might be here.
I will take care of the Block Lotto in JANUARY, but if others don’t step to take on the work for the following months, I simple will NOT be able to continue and there will be no Block Lotto. It’s not because of a lack of desire, but real physical/health limitations. Maintaining this website, the database of names/addresses of members and sorting out who sends blocks to which winners each month is ALL I WILL BE ABLE TO DO.
For those who want to help with the expenses of the site, please contact me by email .