2022 Block of the Month Sew Along – Introduction
Remember our in person meetings where a specified block in a specified colour scheme was sewn and returned the next month to be entered in our “Block Lotto”? Well …this will be different!
We are looking to interest members with a few months of “All for Me” sewing where the most important thing taken away is the experience of stretching and growing as a quilter by trying something new.
Each month there will be a single sewing prompt, an idea to get your creative juices flowing which will be further sparked when participants share their individual take on a given idea. It might be gentle introduction to improv if you haven’t tried that before, or a chance to try a new to you technique.
It can be just 1 block per prompt, not a huge investment of time or fabric, so play with it! Be creative! …and if you are enjoying the process and outcomes…Make more blocks!
We want you to show us your personal take on a modern quilting theme.
Blocks can be free-hand cut or ruler (or template) cut, precise or wonky, totally improv or a more traditional block, machine pieced or hand appliquéd. It can be part of a larger sampler or a finished mini or part of couple of pouches, maybe a wall hanging, or even a full sized bed quilt… Anything goes! We just want to celebrate quilting in all its forms.
If you want to keep it modern, we suggest sticking to the following Principles of Modern Quilting (from MQG website):
- Bold colours and prints
- High contrast and graphic areas of solid colour
- Improv piecing
- Minimalism
- Expansive negative space
- Alternate grid work
- Updated traditional designs
Fabric considerations:
As the designer of your project some up front thought will be needed depending on your desired outcome:
Are the blocks all for one sampler quilt? What size? How many blocks are needed (more than one of each prompt or not)? How many colours? Two, three, all of them? Solids or prints or both!
These all influence how much fabric might be needed, so we can’t even really suggest an amount. We do suggest using what you have on hand: scrappy stash busting or curated palette, that FQ bundle you’ve been saving or recycled thrift store finds (and anything in between!) If you don’t have a huge stash, maybe make smaller blocks (and remember, there are only 9 block prompts!) or change up your colours part-way through. Or, buy more fabric if needed or just because you want to, whatever works for you!
Schedule:
- March – Stripes
- April – Squares
- May – Triangles
- June – Curves
- July – Wonky Piecing
- August – Minimalism
- September – Negative Space
- October – Riff on Tradition
- November – Two Colour
- December – Final Reveal!! All nine blocks in a sampler or individual mini’s or?? (Note: total completion not required)
Engage with other members to share and gain inspiration! Post photos of your monthly blocks to MQG Victoria Facebook Group or on instagram with the hashtag #mqgvbom2022