It is only a few weeks into the new year and I already have an abundance of quilting projects in mind:
- As previously posted, I am really looking forward to following Leah Day's instruction to free-motion quilting last year's block of the month (BOM) sampler quilt. I am still in the decision-making phase of this project, but am anxious to get started on it.
- I have a hand-quilting project to work on--a small BOM calender quilt--where each of the 12 blocks in it represents a different month of the year. This was a project through the Quilting Board. I have been enjoying interacting with other quilters there and have met lots of new people. Every day I go to the board to read other quilters' questions as well as to enjoy pictures of projects these talented men and women have created.
- I am already making some progress on this quilt. I recently sewed the calendar blocks together with black sashing to make a completed quilt top. I think I'd like to add another border or two though, just to increase the finishing size of the quilt. That decision is yet to be made though, not to mention deciding on the backing fabric. The border question isn't as easy as it sounds, because all of the blocks are different colors. The blocks are pretty busy too, so I'm completely torn about what color the borders should be.
- Speaking of decisions, I have decided to take on two more BOMs. One is this year's quilting board BOM. I so enjoyed the last one that I wanted to do another. I believe the theme is something like Oh yes you can. Who can resist such a positive-sounding project?
- I've also signed up for the Skill Builder BOM at Pile O'Fabric with Alyssa Lichner. This project was billed as inspired by Leah Day's FMQ and using her quilt-as-you-go technique, so it had my attention early on. It will begin in a few days--with the lesson beginning on the third Thursday of the month.
- The first challenge here was to pick out the fabric for both the quilt front and the quilt back, since they will be done at the same time. Alyssa talks greatly about color choices. That intrigued me because my favorite quilts have been monochromatic using the same color family with different values and patterns. I admire other people's quilts that are more colorful, but I have never gone there myself. So, with this project, I am jumping out of my comfort zone right into the color wheel. I have chosen some fabrics from my stash that should suffice. They are basically the colors from a floral fabric that I like. They are pinks and blues, greens, and yellows. I sure hope this works!
- Speaking of color, I am enjoying the Special Effects with Color series with Christine Barnes on The Quilt Show. I've also started another free Craftsy BOM. That is a class by Laura Nownes and results in a non-traditional quilt made of irregular sized and shaped blocks. It looks like lots of fun.
- Last but not least, last year I began working on a lavender Dresden Plate quilt. I love doing the hand work, sewing all those plates onto the background fabric. The 12" blocks are an alternating cream with pure white paisley. The purple dresdens are scrappy. It will be a fun quilt to work on, but there is certainly no rush to finish it. I suspect it will take a back seat to some of these other projects, but that's OK. It will be nice to always have a fall-back project, in case I ever get bored.
