DWM: Happy Saint Oswald's Day! (and quilting, too)

When I wrote the weekly Rotary Club bulletin on Thursday I added some trivia about February 29.  I learned that it's the feast day of 
St. Oswald .  Here's more about him: 

Born into a military family in 10th-century England, Oswald was a nephew of the archbishop of Canterbury, who raised him and played a crucial role in his early education.Oswald continued his studies abroad in France, where he became a Benedictine monk.  Following his appointment as bishop of Worcester, and later as archbishop of York, he founded monasteries and introduced many reforms. He supported—and improved—scholarship at the abbeys he established, inviting leading thinkers in such fields as mathematics and astronomy to share their learnings. He was widely known for his sanctity, especially his love for the poor. The final winter of his life was spent at the cathedral in Worcester that he so loved. At the start of Lent in February of the year 992, he resumed his usual practice of washing the feet of 12 poor men each day. On Leap Year Day, February 29, he died after kissing the feet of the 12th man and giving a blessing.  The news of Oswald's death brought an outpouring of grief throughout the city.
I also learned that 
* The practice women proposing in a leap year is different around the world. In Denmark, it is not supposed to be 29 but 24 February, which hails back to the time of Julius Caesar. A refusal to marry by Danish men means they must give the woman 12 pairs of gloves. In Finland, it is not gloves but fabric for a skirt and in Greece, marriage in a leap year is considered unlucky, leading many couples to avoid it.
and
* The chance of being born on a leap day is often said to be one in 1,461. Four years is 1,460 days and adding one for the leap year you have 1,461. So, odds of 1/1,461.

And now for the weekly quilting report.

The Block Swappers have an annual birthday block exchange. Each participant decides the block and colorway she'd like the others to make for her.  There are eight participants this year.  I made the March block (lower left) and while I was at it I made the other seven.  Mine is the 8" Dutchman's Puzzle in the center. (I want to make a "modern" poinsettia for this year's AAUW Christmas quilt.)

The batik Storm-at-Sea is made from the pattern on Qulters' Cache. I printed the paper-foundations from that website, carefully scaling the printer so that the 1" test square was 1".  When I did that the unit on that page was 1/4" too large!  Rather than fiddle with making reduced-size printouts I just drafted templates.

Now all I have to do is remember where I've put the blocks so that I can mail them as each birthday month comes up.

The finish is Summermint, the HeartStrings flimsy I made in August.  I used a thrift-shop cotton sheet for the back.  I quilted it with free-motion curlicues rather than meandering.

This photo shows the front folded over on he back. I think you can see the curlicues.

Every spring the Zion Woman's Club assists the Zion Conservatory of Music with a fundraising luncheon/recital.  I will put four or five ARCs (advance reading copies) of forthcoming/new books in this tote as a donation to the silent auction.  I made four batik Pine Burr blocks some years ago for a swap that didn't come to pass. The block is 11" and the tote is about 13 x 15 x 3.  (Stash used: 1 yard.)

If I am energetic I will make the other Pine Burrs into similar totes.




This St. Oswald's Day I'm linking up with
Oh Scrap
Monday Making
Design Wall Monday