For 2025 we are running our first Block of the Month. Each month, for 9 months, we will be introducing a new block for you to make. Then we will look at sashing (paying together), quilting and binding to finish your quilt. So, by this time next year you will have a completed quilt, in plenty of time for our 2026 show.
We wanted to do something that everyone could join in with, beginners and experienced quilters alike. This project starts off with the absolute simplest of blocks so that our beginners can start to learn what goes into making a quilt and to develop the skills (and vocabulary !) needed.
Don’t let this put off the more experienced among us – we will be progressing to more complicated blocks during the years, hopefully there will be something for everyone.
Sue Rhodes is kindly running a mini beginners’ workshop on February 11th and she will be able to help with all you need to know to get started. If you have any questions about any of the blocks please don’t be afraid to ask at one of our meetings. Anyone on the committee will be glad to help as, I am sure, would most of our more experienced members. The Tuesday morning Stitchers group is also a great place to get help and support.
We are really looking forward to seeing everyone’s BOM developing.
Choosing your fabrics
To complete the project you will need four colours, and a background.
The colour palette should include four colours, and a background, and within those colours there should be a variety of dark, medium and light tones. The fabrics will be interchangeable so that you don’t need to buy lots of fabric. If you run out of one, another can be easily substituted. Or, you could decide to. use only one colour e.g. blue. The same applies to this – you would need a good variety of tones or values.
Value
Value is the darkness or lightness of a fabric. Contrast is the difference between the values. These are the ways in which definition is given to traditional quilt blocks. so, add value to your armoury of tools to create interesting blocks.
Value is relative – a very light fabric placed next to a very dark fabric makes the dark darker and the light lighter e.g. black and white. A medium value placed next to a medium value is a weak contrast. Areas of high contrast are much more dramatic, they create areas of visual tension. When you’re next at a quilt show have a look with these ideas in mind. Muted or soft contrasts seem to recede. In lots of quilts the relationship between dark and light values gives almost an optical illusion. As a general rule, the eye perceives the dark values as heavier than light values.
To determine the value of your colour choices there is a really easy way to check mow by using your phone. Take a photo of your fabric, then apply the monochrome filter on your phone or iPad. This will immediately tell you the relative dark, medium and light values of what you have chosen. Try to have a good spread of dark, light and medium fabrics in the blocks so that the quilt looks balanced. There are also fabrics that are multicoloured and that makes them difficult to define them as a single colour – they are great as accents though and may fit in with your overall colour scheme.
It will be fine to start off with a few fat quarters. you can add to these if you need to as the project progresses.
October Block of the Month – ? Your Choice
You can view the instructions online, but if you would like to print them off click the link for a printable version October Block of the Month
Block of the Month
October
??????
This is the last block we’re going to make and this will complete our quilt.
No pictures this month. This is a chance for you to be creative and make your quilt individual.
Whilst researching this project I became aware of the many different ways half square triangles could be arranged to make different patterns.
SO…. This month we are going to make 16 half squares triangles, using 2 contrasting fabrics and arrange them in any way you like.
• Start by choosing 2 fabrics and cutting 2 x 8inch squares from each fabric.
• Make 2 sets of 8 half squares triangles, like we did for the small ones in June’s Flock of Geese.
• Arrange these 16 HSTs in any pattern you like and join into a 4×4 square. EASY!!
Now you will have 9 blocks to complete a 3×3 quilt.
However, I’m expecting that many people, like me will have difficulty deciding which pattern to make so why not make 4 of these blocks, in different patterns, and maybe different fabrics? That way you will have enough to make a bigger 4×3 quilt, perhaps putting your 4 freestyle blocks in the corners.
HAVE FUN!!!
But that’s not the end of the block of the month….
In November we will look at quilting the blocks and Sandie is going to run a Tuesday mini workshop at Westbourne to help with this.
December we will take a break to make way for Christmas sewing.
In January we will sash and join the blocks and in February we will bind the quilts.
Again there will be Tuesday workshops for these techniques
September Block of the Month – Jewel Box
You can view the instructions online, but if you would like to print them off click the link for a printable version September 2025 BOM – Jewel Box
August Block of the Month – Martha Washington’s Star
You can view the instructions online, but if you would like to print them off click the link for a printable version August 2025 BOM – Martha Washington’s Star
The eagle eyed amongst you will have spotted that the last photo shows a ‘variation’ to the traditional star block. The image below shows the usual block which is made by rotating the HSTs and strips before joining them to centre of the block as described in the last 3 steps above.
July Block of the Month – Courthouse Steps
You can view the instructions online, but if you would like to print them off click the link for a printable version July 2025 BOM – Courthouse Steps
June Block of the Month – Flock of Geese
You can view the instructions online, but if you would like to print them off click the link for a printable version June 2025 BOM – Flock of Geese
May Block of the Month – King’s Crown
You can view the instructions online, but if you would like to print them off click the link for a printable version May 2025 BOM – King’s Crown
April Block of the Month – Windmills
You can view the instructions online, but if you would like to print them off click the link for a printable version April 2025 BOM – Windmills
March Block of the Month – Woven
You can view the instructions online, but if you would like to print them off click the link for a printable version BOM March 2025 – Woven
February Block of the Month – Puss in the Middle
You can view the instructions online, but if you would like to print them off click the link for a printable version Intro and BOM Feb 2025 – Puss in the Middle
.
bournequilters.com 