Tropical Applique: 2011 Round Robin Reveal...Plus This Year's Halloween Costume Parade

Sunday, October 30, 2011

2011 Round Robin Reveal...Plus This Year's Halloween Costume Parade

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.: Albert Camus French existentialist author & philosopher (1913 - 1960)

Happy Halloween and Harvest Festival! Of course, in Miami all the beautiful maple leaves are made of silk and the smell of apple trees is supplied by Yankee Candle. As children we always chose our costumes to be as skimpy as possible, not because we were exhibitionist, but because it was still so hot in October. Regardless, I love Fall so I turn the air conditioning down low, light scented candles, and scatter silk Autumn colored leaves!

Here's a sneak peek at what the best dressed dogs will be wearing for Halloween this year!

Ethel the Good Witch of the West

Lucy claims The Devil Made Me Do It

Ricky is a Four-eyed Alien

This weekend, a small group from my local quilt guild got together at my home to reveal the Round Robin (RR) quilts we have been working on this year. For those of you are are not familiar with RR, the premise is as follows:

Select a block and collect coordinating fabrics. Put everything into a bag large enough to hold everything. Include a label, notepad, and a disposable camera (optional).
All participants meet and present their blocks and fabrics to the group.
Hand off your bag to the next person in line in the group. That person then adds a border, or embellishment, or row (depending on rules the group sets).
The group meets again, at established intervals, i.e. once a month, or every two months, etc. You hand off the bag you just finished to the next person in line again. The original owner is NOT allowed to see their block's progress at each exchange.
After every one's block has been passed to everyone in the group, the block (by this time a quilt) is passed back to the owner. This is called the Reveal.

I have participated in several RR's and I have always loved the results. They are always unexpected because they are rarely what I would have done so they open me up to new possibilities and push my creative boundaries.

Mercy's Brickmaker's House Closeup

Mercy's Brickmaker's House

My center is a block I stitched as a sample for Elly Sienkiewicz's book Baltimore Elegence, entitled Brickmaker's House. I love this block because my paternal grandfather was a stone mason. I wanted to turn it into a wall hanging but was totally stumped as to how to finish it so I submitted it for my RR. I LOVE how it turned out! Thank you Robinette's!!!

Here are the other Robinette's finished quilts. Please keep in mind that each quilt top was worked on by several individuals. I think the creativity really comes through. Enjoy the mini quilt top show.
Until then...

Best stitches,
Mercy in Miami