Previously known as the Trans-tasman block exhange...

Now known as the Okaihau-Kerikeri block exchange.

This all started when my best friend Monika moved to Australia.  We decided to use the Vintage Quilt Revival book by Katie Clark Blakesley, Lee Heinrich and Faith Jones as our guide and make all the blocks in the book.  Of course, that is make two identical blocks, and exchange the second copy so we would each end up with 40 blocks each.  Then we would use the good old mail system to post our blocks to each other.

Monika moving back to New Zealand has mean that the postage part of the exchange is no longer required, and we can enjoy a coffee while we discuss how things are going.

We thought choosing a feature fabric that we both used as inspiration would be a good way to select a colour palette - and that is a great starting point.  Although we both struggled to find something that we both liked, well, I actually struggled to find anything that I liked... let alone thought Monika would also like.

We finally settled on this fabric from good old Spotlight.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing.  Although we have finally found a solution, this fabric has a very odd background - not really cream, not really off white, a bit pinkish, but not really pink.  It was the first problem in getting our challenge started, as we both wanted to use the same background fabric, to achieve a somewhat cohesive effect to our quilt project.  So rule one in choosing a feature fabric - check out possible background fabric choices first.

The second problem with this particular fabric is that although it has a good range of colours, each colour only has one tone.  So choosing co-ordinating fabrics has been a bit of a challenge for me.  My rule number two of choosing a feature fabric would be to try to find a fabric that has a variety of colours, and a range of tones.  It just all makes it a bit easier.  I'm pleased to report that both Monika and I have stepped outside the box in choosing fabrics, so we have quite a range of fabrics that don't really match with the feature, but play nicely together.  Because we have both left the box behind... our blocks are looking really good together.

Now, another finished block.  I was worried about putting this one together - lots of tricky bits that need to match up - but surprisingly, it went together beautifully.  Even that pesky seam in the middle.

This was my block.

And this is Monikas.  It is amazing how different fabric placements change the finished block.