I started this swap back in January. My first swap came from Wisconsin, after someone had visited my website and wanted a swap with a Spanish quilter. I really didn't know what I was going to do with the charms, so I started swapping 2.5" charms. After collecting a few, I found a pattern I had used in a class, called "Contrary Wife". The block is 6" finished.

I made a rough draft of what several would look like put together on paper... Yes, I do have a quilting program, but I still run for the pen and paper when in a creative mood. I realized I needed 3" squares in order to do the half square triangles, so I've tried to keep a 50-50 swap ratio. I also made requests for lights at one point, since I noticed my darks were growing twice as fast as lights, and I needed four lights per block.

This pressing plan become my best helper at first, to get the seams to lay as flat as possible. While putting the blocks together, I realized an Ohio Star pattern developed. I might applique a heart in the middle of the stars (those are the dark dots you see in the diagram).

At this point and well over a hundred swaps, I've got 53 blocks sewn. I am sewing them in groups of four, then using those to build units of 16. My only aim is to keep the same values in each block, and to keep alike colors apart (getting harder as I go, seems as if I have more blue charms than any other color). I will use 144 blocks, no sashes or border for a finished quilt that will measure 72" x 72".

A bit past half way point now, actually I can almost see it done! That's the completed 12 blocks across and 8 down. I should be done piecing it this week. (April 10th)

I hit the 100 block mark on March 30th. That same day I decided to use all the extra siggies to make a border, and also to use up most of my 2.5" charms.

That first border didn't really work well at all. After having made enough for one side and sewing it, I decided it wasn't visually pleasing... I guess it was putting a nine patch and a four patch side by side. The quilt came to a screeching halt. Meanwhile I started piecing the second top, a Drunkard's Path variation.

After almost three weeks, I figured out a border for top number one! :) It uses the dark blue Millenium fabric, a tone on tone muslin and the triangles I had cut already for the previous border. The extra siggies will go in the back.

Finally! After sitting on the "let's think of a good border" pile for a few weeks, the first Milly top was officially completed a bit after 10 PM on May 12th, 1999. To see the full size picture, please click on the thumbnail. You can grab and drag it with your cursor. Then to close it, just click on the thumbnail again.

THE STATS

• Top started 10th Jan, 1999

• Block name: Contrary Wife, size: 6" finished.

• How many? 144 blocks, that would be: 12 pieces a block plus a siggie, 13 pieces a block for a total of 1,872.

• The border took 444 pieces. The total tally is then 2,316. The border is made of half square triangles (blue millennium fabric) and quarter square charms and an offwhite tone on tone print.

 

Thanks to everyone who swapped with me, I am tickled pink with the results. Good luck with your Millennium quilts and all your other projects!