Fellow Quilters,

I missed you last month ☹.  I truly enjoy creating my monthly blog posts – they are a chance to connect with you and perhaps share some of the happenings in my world.  As many of you know, I participate in Carolina Moore’s Quilt Block Mania monthly blog tour and have done so since its inception August 2020. The monthly deadlines allow me to exercise my “design” muscle and they force me to post regularly.

The theme last month was Farming and I had a terrific block already designed.  Chaos quickly ensued when my laptop stopped working!  Black screen.  Wouldn’t power on.  Apparently, the mother board died.  Panic set in – I had several patterns that were written but not saved to a hard drive ☹.  The August block was one of them.  Fortunately, my laptop was fixable and – even better news – the tech guy was able to retrieve my unsaved files, but not in time for QBM.  A month later, my laptop is working once again and I’m now back on track for the September Quilt Block Mania.

I think it’s rather fitting that the theme this month is Technology, particularly after my laptop incident.  My laptop and I are joined at the hip.  We spend several hours together most days.  I couldn’t do what I do without it, whether it’s running my online Patti’s Patchwork shop, designing quilts, writing patterns, preparing documents, connecting with friends over Zoom and more.  The only thing more connected to me is my phone, and I know I’m not alone here.  Our phones are not longer just phones – no, they are powerful handheld computers capable of and used for so many functions in our everyday world. We are more likely to use our phone as a camera, and we have hundreds, if not thousands, of photos on our phones. We use our phones for maps and directions, for emails, checking the weather or news, as an alarm clock, for banking, boarding flights, hailing an Uber, listening to music, paying for purchases, identifying things – the list goes on. Many of these functions require something that we often take for granted – an internet or wifi signal.  Imagine a month or even a week without internet.  Hubby and I travel regularly, sometimes at sea, where connectivity is achieved only via satellite, at a cost of upwards of $30 per day.  I’ve been researching other options and hear-tell there’s an app called Gig-sky.  If you’ve tried it, I’d like to hear your feedback on it (please pop me an email or leave a comment below).

So, speaking of wifi, here’s my I’m Connected!

I’m Connected! block by Patti’s Patchwork

Block for Quilt Block Mania.  If you haven’t tried curves before, I encourage you to give this block a whirl, starting with the outer curves.  I’ve included some curvy tips in the pattern.  This block also has very unique cutting instructions – instead of cutting out all the templates individually, you’ll simply print the “template” pages, tape them together, and cut them from 12½” squares of blue or background fabric.

Print the pattern pages and tape them together to make the easy-cutting templates

It’s much faster 😊  How cool is that!?!

…then cut along the lines to make the arc pieces. So easy!

The other 14 participating bloggers this month have also come up with some fun blocks.  Check them out here:

Lightbulb Quilt Block by Carolina Moore
Sewing Machine by Crafty Staci
Microchip Quilt Block by Patchwork Breeze
Chain Link Quilt Block by Scrapdash
I’m connected! by Patti’s Patchwork
Paperclips by QuiltFabrication
Stand Mixer by Inquiring Quilter
Network Bars
Valley Square by Sarah Marcina
Handheld Calculator by Emerald Falls Quilts
Digital Nutcracker
Word. (Books on a shelf)
Windmill by Dragonfly’s Quilting Design Studio
by Appliques Quilts and More
Cog Wheel by Flowerdog&Co
Fencing the Future Quilt Block by Ashli Montgomery

I’m hoping to connect with local quilters later this month at the Simcoe County Quilt, Rug & Artisan Fair September 19-21 in Midhurst, ON – it should be a great show.  If you’re in the area, please stop in.

And of course, I’ll be connecting with you again next month for another round of Quilt Block Mania with more newsy tidbits and musings.  Take care 😊

Cheers,

Patti