I had sewn along with Jane & Pat on the Splendid Sampler and enjoyed my Splendid Year so much I decided to continue with Pat Sloan on her BOM Children's Library Sew-Along that started in January. My intention was to post as I sewed, but now its a post when sewn. So you get to see everything at once!
It was a mystery event, so each month was a new project. I liked that. I was not a fan of Pat's color way though, so I had to come up with my own. I decided on browns and greens instead of her turquoises and greys and dove into my stash for fabrics, only to find very little in those colors. And almost no reds at all. So a trip to the fabric stores and an online spree (many wonderful quilt shops sell online--not just chain stores), and my fabric was in hand.
It was a mystery event, so each month was a new project. I liked that. I was not a fan of Pat's color way though, so I had to come up with my own. I decided on browns and greens instead of her turquoises and greys and dove into my stash for fabrics, only to find very little in those colors. And almost no reds at all. So a trip to the fabric stores and an online spree (many wonderful quilt shops sell online--not just chain stores), and my fabric was in hand.
Each month I sewed along and completed the block within the first week. I really appreciated Pat's efforts to design this quilt and sew-along, but sometimes I used my methods. For May's block, 'Green Eggs and Ham,' I strip-pieced the red and green fabrics (I changed them to brown & green) instead of cutting out a million 1-1/2" squares.
The strips were more stable to work with than tiny squares (especially with all the starching I did) and I gained time by not having to sew each little seam.
July's block was the setting--not a block--and I groaned when I saw it, but really appreciated it by the time I finished the last block this month. I think some people put their quilt together with the setting from July on, but already I saw my blocks were not going to look good set month-by-month: the thing was color-heavy on the left! (By color-heavy I mean those blocks were made from lots of deep color and the quilt would look lop-sided.) So I worked the colors of the next 3 blocks with what I had and shifted the layout to balance as best I could.
So all I had to do after finishing the last block this month was put it into the layout (on my dining room floor). Thanks for that wonderful idea, Pat, because this might have become an UFO without all the setting ready!
And here's the top, all ready to be basted & quilted:
So all I had to do after finishing the last block this month was put it into the layout (on my dining room floor). Thanks for that wonderful idea, Pat, because this might have become an UFO without all the setting ready!
And here's the top, all ready to be basted & quilted:
I have really enjoyed this BOM. It was many different blocks, but one at a time, and I used colors I usually don't, so it took me out of a color 'comfort zone.' Thanks, Pat!