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Friday, October 8, 2010

The Other (or Another?) BOM

I like BOMs (block of the month).  My job over the years sometimes required a lot of effort and with a family that needs me too, time for quilting was at a premium.  I found I liked BOMs.  It was the one "class" the local quilt shop (when we had one) would offer at night.  Plus no matter how crazy life was at work or with kiddo's soccer, basketball, school, church schedule, I could usually find enough time to finish one block a month. 

The only problem with BOMs is that you have to figure out how to set them once you finish them. I struggle with that part of the process.  It took me the better part of a year before I decided how to set together my first completed BOM.  That seems to be a trend.  I've posted about the 2008 BOM project (here and here) that I'm finishing up and that also took me a year to figure out.  I have a second BOM from 2008 that I also need to finalize a design for.  In looking through my stash, I found a BOM that I intended to start when we lived in TX, but never did.  It was a "Buck-A-Block" program that was sponsored by the quilt shop.  Most of you have probably done one of those programs, where you go in on a designated day of the month, pay a $1 and pick up your little baggie with the fabric strips in it and the pattern for the block.  I was able to get all the baggies, but I never started the project.  That was back when I thought you could only work on one project at a time.

I pulled out all those little baggies earlier this year and started on the blocks.  I have about half of them done.  Enough so I can start mocking up the final setting.  Since it takes me so long to decide on a final design, I thought I should start now.  Maybe by the time I finish the blocks, I'll know how I want to set them.  I bought fabric for the border and fabric for setting the blocks when the shop started the BOM.  So started playing with those fabrics to come up with a setting in EQ. Here are a couple of potential settings. 






The dark green and the medium blue do match colors that are in the block fabrics, but I'm not sure that they really go with the blocks.  These two were the fabrics chosen by the shop for their setting, which was a simple straight set with sashing and cornerstones.    I'm wondering if I should do something lighter.  So I played with a lighter blue print from my stash.  Not sure I have the right color yet, but here's how that might translate into a final setting. 



I probably need to rescan the border fabric.  It has a large repeat (of TX blue bonnets).  I'm not happy with how that looks in EQ, so that may also need to be reconsidered.  But I'll play with a scan of the larger repeat first. 

I'm pretty sure I want an on point setting.  Do I keep the dark green, do I keep the border fabric?  I want at least a queen size quilt.  My SIL and family live in TX and love all things TX.  So I'm thinking this quilt may end up with them.  So I'd like to keep the blue bonnet border fabric. Though I suppose I could use the blue bonnet fabric for the backing.  Have to consider that.   I'd also like to use fabrics from my stash to finish this one up.  My stash report could use some significant withdrawals!

I'm only half done with the blocks, so plenty of time to decide on a path forward.  Any suggestions? 

3 comments:

  1. No suggestions here.........I am just lousy at picking out fabrics. I always get someone else to do that for me.

    I do have one question however.... Was that a Thangles Buck A Block? And if it was, what series was it?

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  2. I've never done a BOM. Mainly because I cant follow a pattern...

    I dont have any suggestions for you really but I like the first one.

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  3. I definitely like number three with the lighter blue setting triangles.

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