Call for Quilt Blocks : Social Distancing

UPDATE : THIS CALL IS NOW CLOSED.

This is really happening. We are really smack in the middle of a serious world pandemic. This is not something we can ignore or just quasi-sympathize with because we are watching it on the news from across the world. It is here. It is in our own communities. In ALL of our communities. Schools are closing. Gatherings are being cancelled. Lives are changing. Who knows how this whole thing will play out?

What I do know is that as we are practicing “social distancing” from our actual neighbors, we as modern quilters, will turn to our community online. Our family of like-minded, sew until 2am because we’re trying to process what all this means, Quilters. We have always been a strong community, always been able to lean on each other in times of need, joy, celebration, and now in this time of anxiety and uncertainty.

I am putting out this call to help create a quilt that will embody the good and the bad of this entire situation. Make a block to express your emotion or just to distract yourself from reality. Each block is made from a 6.5″ background square and an embellished 4″ applique circle. Take inspiration for your block from Petri dishes.

If you would like to be part of this project, please follow the instructions below.

1. Cut 6.5″ background square from Kona Snow, Kona White, or Kona Dove (other white or almost white solid fabrics will also work).
2. Create a 4″ diameter circle template from cardstock or template paper.
3. Piece, hand dye, embroider, and/or embellish a 4.75″ square. Use thread, fabric scraps, stitches, fabric dyes, and be creative. Hand or machine stitch your embellishments. Try to add more than just a simple single cut of fabric. Find inspiration on my Petri dish Pinterest board. Nothing too dimensional, please – I need to be able to press blocks flat.
4. Use 4″ circle template and cut out circle of fabric from embellished 4.75″ square. Add 3/8″ seam allowance
5. Center the circle on 6.5″ background square
6. Hand applique a 4″ [finished] circle to the background. Use needle turned applique technique or use paper template to baste around and then applique – see my “Applique Circle Basting” story highlight on Instagram @loewensewen
7. Message me @loewensewen on Instagram to get my address so you can mail your block
8. Share on social media with #socialdistancingquilt and tag me @loewensewen

If you want to participate but don’t want to hand applique a circle, you are welcome to mail me your 4.75″ embellished square + 6.5″ background square and I’ll do the applique.

I hope that this can be a way to take your mind off the serious situation our world is facing right now, even for just a few minutes. I hope that this brings our strong quilting community together even closer than we already are. And I hope that your personal social distancing practices do not leave you feeling alone. We are all right here, and we are in this together.