The 350 Blocks Project, 2020

Posted on January 14, 2020 by prairiemoonquilts in 350 Blocks Project

Are you ready for the 9th annual 350 Blocks Project? My, how time flies!

I’m not changing the rules at all for this year. It’s been working well, and I need to keep it simple.

So if you’ve done this before, you know what to expect, but I’m hoping we get lots of new folks joining in this year. Anyone is welcome to join (at any time), and here is how it works:

• The blocks you count are your blocks, from projects of your own choosing, and they belong to you. You don’t have to send anything in. All you have to do is report to me how many blocks you made each month.

blocks, from projects of your own choosing, and they belong to you. You don’t have to send anything in. All you have to do is report to me how many blocks you made each month. • As for counting, you’re on the honor system — A quilt block counts as one block.

• If you’re not quite sure how to count something, such as a complicated border, just divide it into sections that seem like blocks, and count them that way. For instance — four complicated borders? I’d count those as either 4 or 8 blocks, depending on how large and how complicated.

• What if your quilt is a modern quilt that seems like one large block? If it’s really simple, just count it as one large block, but if it’s a bit more involved, break it up into sections and count each section as a block.

• Your count can only include completed blocks made in 2020 (not block units), so you can go back to January 1st, and count any blocks you’ve made so far, but not back any further than that, and not the individual units that make up a completed block (units don’t count until they’re in a completed block, in other words).

Here are the general rules:

* Let me know you’re playing along

Simply comment on this post, or contact me to let me know you’re in. I delete all of the previous year’s info to start fresh, so if you are playing along again this year, please let me know again, and I’ll add you to the list. (It keeps me from getting confused — there’s a lot to keep track of.)

The web page for the 350 Blocks Project is HERE, where I list all the information regarding the project and how it’s progressing. If you’re participating, I’ll put your name (and a link to your blog if you have one) on the project page. You can jump in any time. If you told me you’re in, but you don’t see your name on the list, please tell me again. It’s entirely possible that I click the wrong things and miss it!

If you only want to do some of the months, that’s fine. You’ll be eligible for the prize that month. Can’t start till later? No problem, you can still do the months you’re able to. Just do what you can.

Our block goal for the month is posted on the Project page. This year, I’m making it like a block-a-day challenge, so 29 blocks in February, 30 in September, etc.

* Report in every month

I’ll put up a monthly blog post about the project, either on the last day of the month, or the first day of the next month, where I’ll show you the blocks I get done (if any). When you see one of those posts, you need to leave a comment on it, telling us all about your own progress, and either link back to your own blog post, or at least let me know how many blocks you’ve done. You can also email me directly with your current number of blocks, or use the contact page to let me know. I’ll give you a few days to report in each month, so that you have time to leave your comment and be eligible for the prize, because . . . if you don’t let me know you’re playing along, I won’t know to include you in the drawings!

I’ll post your number of completed blocks next to your name on the project page, so you can see how you’re doing compared to everyone else. (I usually update the page about a week after the monthly report, and then again at the end of the month.) This is NOT a race, however, and everyone who reports in is eligible for the prizes. I repeat, it’s not a contest, it’s just for fun! And prizes!

* Monthly prizes

At the end of each month, I’ll have a prize drawing for those who have made progress that month. I’ll draw one random winner from everyone who reports in that month. What this means is: You MUST report in each month in order to be eligible for that month’s prize drawing.

If you’d like to be reminded when the report goes up, you can subscribe to all the latest News From the Ranch by filling out the form in the sidebar, and you’ll automatically get an email when there’s anything new!

* Grand Prizes

At the end of the year, there will be some Grand Prizes. If you actually meet the goal of 350 blocks, you’re eligible for the big Grand Prize, and if you don’t quite make it, you’re still eligible to win some prizes just for participating. Everyone who has reported in at least six times during the Project is eligible for the final prize drawings. I’ve changed this rule just a bit from years past, simply to be more fair to those who report in regularly. I don’t feel it’s fair to award a prize to someone who reports in once in January, then never reports in again, over someone who reports in regularly.

So are you ready?

If you’re up for the challenge, let me know you’d like to participate, and you can steal this button for your blog if you like (NOT mandatory). Just link back to: if you want to.

The main Project page can be found HERE, where you can see current information, a list of participants and their numbers, and links to past statistics and winners posts.

And new this year, I’ve created a free printable for you. I’ve heard a few of you say that you don’t have a good method for keeping track of the blocks you make, and I know I have trouble with this as well. So . . . I created a printable for us all to use to keep track of the blocks we make. It’s monthly pages, and once you’ve printed them out, there’s a big enough margin for you to punch it for fitting into a binder, or you can put it up on the wall in your sewing room. You can also cut the pages in half and keep them as half-sheets in your binder or on your wall, one month at a time.

Don’t fret that there are so few slots on each page — I’m listing mine in groups by quilt — you don’t have to list each individual block to keep track. Here’s my example (strictly an example — I have NOT made all these blocks this year!):

So if you’d like to use this tracker, too, simply click here to download it: 350BlockTracker