Block of the Month

In parallel with all of my other projects, I'm also working on a $5 Block of the Month series at Quilter's General Store in Rockford. It's great fun! My friends Debbie, Linda, Robin and I all meet up for the drive out to Rockford the 3rd Saturday morning of the month. That way we each only need to drive 3 times total for the year long program.

We meet up Karen (yet another Karen) at the Machine Shed in Rockford for breakfast prior to our class. If you are ever in the area, we all highly recommend the Machine Shed for all meals. Debbie and I split the chicken dinner when we go to Rockford for our annual quilt guild weekend retreat.

The $5 block of the month is an interesting concept. You go to the first class, pay five dollars, and they give you a fat quarter (an 18"x22" square of fabric, not a body part!) The instructor explains the assembly of the block for that month. The following month, you come back w/the block finished and the provided fabric in that block. If you meet the requirements, then you get your next fat quarter for free! You essentially get 12 fat quarters for $5! It's a great deal.

I decided to try the program because I totally love the Madeira fabric line by Blackbird Designs that they chose for the program. The blocks are a sampler quilt design from the Kansas Spirit book by Jeanne Poore. The blocks are nice, but I have to say - none of us are all that impressed with the directions. I have never done a sampler quilt, so I figured it would be fun.
I've been trying to do 2 blocks each time, one with a light background and one with a dark one. Sometimes I forget that plan though and end up with 2 light backgrounds. I plan to make 2 different quilts out of them. The only problem I've had so far with the program is that there is one fabric design in the line that I totally don't like, and of course we've been given that one in like 3 different colors as our one to use! I always use it as the absolute smallest piece possible in the block.