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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Christmas in July . . . .

Have you been wondering what to make with that lovely bundle of Sentiments by 3 Sisters for Moda fabric you bought?  Or worse yet, not bought that line of fabric because you didn't know what to do with it?  Well your troubles are over!

This is Amaryllis designed by Monique Dillard for Open Gate.

The quilt on the pattern cover was made using Sentiments.  I know because I pieced it, way back in April, when Monique was getting ready for market.

The fabric has a wonderful vintage romantic feel that I fell in love with.  

Don't like Sentiments, you only need 8 fat quarters of one fabric, 8 fat quarters of a contrasting fabric and 8 fat quarters of a background fabric to piece the blocks. Add less than 2 yards for the border and you've got this quilt.

This pattern is made up of blocks that look hard but are not.  There are a few half square triangle units involved but I love hsts, I always make them bigger then square them up.  Every now and then someone will leave a comment saying they avoid quilts that use hsts, I don't know how they do it, some of my most favorite quilts are made entirely from hsts.

Here's a close-up of the pieced blocks.  The pattern for Amaryllis should be available in your local quilt shop, but if it's not, you can buy it online here.

Amaryllis is Lifetime Quilt Number 85

It has approximately 1,352 pieces.

If finishes at 63" x 79" (perfect lap size)

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Free Spirit Medley Update . . . .

So here's what I'm aiming for,

this is Free Spirit Medley designed by Judy Martin.

And here's where I am.

It's slow going because I'm doing a block at a time and working from the inside out.

Right now I'm a little disappointed that the design doesn't pop like the pattern, but it's not unusual for me to become disenchanted with a project, then love a project, then become disenchanted again.  I'm going for another row, maybe that will be the next love it stage.

The fabric is by Minick and Simpson for Moda.


Also, I've updated my Tools Tuesday post to reflect some information that folks shared regarding the Starmaker 8 ruler.

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Tools Tuesday . . . . .

So for this Tuesday I just grabbed the ruler that was on top of my research stack.  

It's the Starmaker 8, designed by Kaye Wood.

I bought this ruler at least 5 years ago, at the Paducah AQS Quilt show, after seeing a demonstration by Kaye Wood herself.  I was very new to quilting and I must have been impressed by something this ruler could make, but I don't remember now what it was!

So I went to www.kayewood.com to see if I could figure out what to do with this ruler.  I had high expectations because the ruler has markings for dresden plate fans, a 4 and 8 piece wedge (I have no idea what that means!), and Kaleidoscope.  Plus it's called the Starmaker so I figured it would be used to make some sort of star.

Here is what the website said about the Starmaker 8,

 "The Starmaker® 8 will make perfect 8-pointed stars, that's what the 8 means. But, it is also a master template for many quilt patterns such as fans & wedges, Dresden Plates, diamonds, chevrons, stars and Seminole. It also has 3 different angles, identified by the numbers 4, 8 and 16."

Sounds pretty good to me, however, this is the only instructions I could find on the site that were free, and I found them lacking.

There were patterns, books and a DVD available for purchase from the website that would use this ruler.  I didn't see anything that appealed to me or motivated me to part with any more of my money.

So unless someone leaves a comment telling me what a wonderful tool the Starmaker 8 is, it's not going back into my tools drawer.


Added later


Thanks so much for all the helpful comments on the Kaye Wood Starmaker 8 ruler.


I found a video on Youtube that used the Starmaker 8 ruler that explained how to make a topless triangle and using that piece how to make a wall hanging - click here

I also found information that the ruler could be used to make flying geese and a kaleidoscope block, but could not find any information on how to do so.


I don't see any reason for me to ever use this ruler in the future so it's not going back into my tools drawer.  


I'll try to pick a ruler next week where I actually make something, the purpose of these Tuesday posts is for me to learn something new and share it with you, not tell you about my poor purchase decisions.  But I do feel better knowing I'm not the only person who owns the Starmaker 8 but has no idea how to use it.  That must be some demo, to talk so many of us into buying it!

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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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