BOM Rehab - MoP

I finished up my Memories of Provence setting blocks in November and almost forgot to blog about it!

They would make a very pretty quilt all on their own.

But will look so much prettier when added to my focus blocks.

Here's a reminder of what the finished quilt will look like, well mostly look like.  I have made a few little changes.

Almost every time I blog about Memories of Provence someone wants to know where I got my BOM and can they get the pattern.   I've got some great news, starting in January Monique Dillard, who designed the Memories of Provence pattern and fabric, is going to be offering a free block of the month on her blog, Open Gate Quilts.   And here is the pattern.

If you like Memories of Provence you'll also like this quilt. I think it has the same look and feel as MoP.  There are a couple of choices on the size and Monique will be offering some kits to make the quilt pictured using her latest line of fabric, Royal Gardens.  

For more details read Monique's blog here.  I plan to sew along,  I hope you can squeeze this into your 2013 quilting schedule too!  Check it out and join in the fun! 

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BOM Rehab . . . . .

Thanks Sinta!

 If it weren't for your BOM Rehab I know would not have made time to piece another Northern Lights block.

Block 4 of the focus blocks, only 3 more to go!

Each block looks so good combined with the setting blocks, I'm really getting eager to see this one finished.

So this is my fourth week a in a row of completing a block, here's a little summary of the 4 finished focus blocks.

I was out of town for a few days last week and am behind on everything, the laundry, the grocery shopping, my favorite blogs and my email. I hope to get caught up this week!

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BOM Rehab . . . . .

There's nothing like having a Monday BOM Rehab deadline to turn a lazy Sunday afternoon into a productive one.

One focus block done, 

6 more to go!

My strategy of making all the setting blocks was a good one, it made selecting the fabric for this block very easy.

I hadn't noticed until I made this block and put it on my design wall with the setting blocks how the two sets of blocks work together so nicely.

Just in case you missed the last time I blogged about this BOM, it's Northern Lights designed by Marti Michell.

This is what I'm shooting for.

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BOM Rehab . . .

When Sinta decided to host a BOM Rehab, to help her and quilters everywhere with unfinished BOM projects, it made me remember this old BOM I signed up for a couple of years ago. 

Northern Lights is a pattern designed by Marti Michell and carried by quilt shops.

I signed up for this BOM based on this picture of the finished quilt.  I loved and still love the soft neutral colors used to make the blocks.

When I got my welcome to the BOM letter from the shop it mentioned that "great care and time has been used to choose fabrics that closely match those shown in the pattern photo so that your quilt will have the same look".  I did not think the fabric sent each month closely matched the pattern photo at all, not only did it not match the photo, it didn't match itself.  I knew I was in trouble when the background fabric and the main focus fabric did not appeal to me, but I figured I would at least be able to use the other pieces sent to construct the blocks.  No such luck, this turned into a very expensive pattern since I wasn't using the "carefully chosen" fabric.

I've since learned that when I sign up for a BOM or pick up a kit in a shop to ask, "is the fabric provided the exact fabric as in the sample?" Most of the time it is, but when it's not, I've found that the shop was able to tell me what was different in the kit versus the sample.  It pays to ask.

So basically I just brought my envelopes in from the mailbox, threw them in a project box and watched for that $24.95 monthly fee to show up on my credit card.  I sure was happy when my 12 months were up and I could forget about the project entirely.

Well that all changed this weekend when I got all the monthly blocks out, studied the pattern photo, and read all the pattern requirements.

I figured out that once I picked a background fabric and a focus fabric, and the three border fabrics, that I would have a good start on getting on track and finishing this project.

I also figured that if I made all the setting blocks, it would be easier to select fabric for focus blocks.

So that's what I did.  This is the setting block.

The blocks are huge, 16 1/2 inches.

I  made all eight.

Now it's on to the 7 focus blocks.  

I'm hoping to make one a week, that way I'll have all the big blocks pieced before Labor Day, stay tuned!

Thanks Sinta for hosting BOM Rehab!

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