2023 Block of the Month -- Row Your Quilt

December 17, 2022

2023 Block of the Month (BOM) -- Row Your Quilt

You can see the Finale Pictures in the Gallery

BOM creators will make a 10-row quilt in 2023. This is meant to be a skill builder and a way to find blocks that you enjoy making. If you can hold off, don’t sew rows together until the very end so you can decide which rows mesh and whether you want to add sashing. You can download, bookmark and/or print the instructions and keep them handy all year. This is snowbird and traveler friendly. If you already know you’ll be jammed for a month or two, make two rows in one month. Just send photos to stretch through the year, and you’ll be eligible for each monthly drawing.

SIZE

The easiest option – minimizing the dreaded quilt math – is a 60-inch square quilt composed of 10 rows measuring 6.5 inches by 60.5 inches before the final assembly.

Variations abound.

To make a quilt that’s 72 inches long, make the top and bottom rows 12.5 inches by 60.5 inches.

To go longer than 60 inches, add sashing (a narrow fabric strip) between each row.

Or vary the height of monthly blocks, such as building a mix of 4.5, 6.5, 8.5 and 12.5 inch (unfinished) rows for visual intrigue.

Widen or subtract to get the width you want.

FABRIC

Each row should include the same two fabrics each month for continuity, which in the end will create secondary designs where one fabric touches the same one in adjacent rows. For the two focus fabrics, get a minimum of 1 yard and maybe 2 yards. Just guessing, but 4 yards is probably the minimum requirement for a 60-inch square, knowing more seams eat up more fabric.

For example, the focus fabrics can be dark and light, color-wheel opposites, color-wheel neighbors or your two favorite colors. Contrasting neutrals are an option.

If you want to make a two- or three-fabric quilt, pick your limited palette and start sewing.

Otherwise, do a stash fabric pull with fabrics that speak to each other. This could be 6-8 solids. This also could be done with a single fabric line, a fat-quarter or fat-eighth bundle or a monochromatic pull. This is all up to you.

GETTING STARTED

January is a month of contemplation and collection: fabrics, size and blocks. If you have the fabric color or name, write it down in case you need more as the months fly by. Find a plastic storage bin or shipping box to keep all fabrics and rows together through the year.

TEN MONTHLY ASSIGNMENTS

Each month starting in February, make a bunch of blocks from shapes and blocks listed at the end – or anything else you want to sew. For your 10 assignments, pick a block design each month, or pick only 2, 3, 4 row designs to focus on.

Think modern! Make them as perfect or as wonky as you want. Don’t worry if you have to chop a block in half at the end of the row or even chop left and right to make the width work. Or insert some spacers in the interior to make the width work without chopping blocks at the edges.

A monthly prize goes to the winner of a drawing from photos delivered to charlotte@southfloridamqg.com in time for the meeting Show & Tell.

DECEMBER AND EARLY JANUARY

Assemble rows. Test on a design wall to see which rows speak to each other. Send quilt top photo to charlotte@southfloridamqg.com

January 2024

Finished tops will be shown at the monthly meeting. Makers of all finished tops are eligible for a prize drawing.

REFERENCE SECTION

ROW QUILT EXAMPLES

Not all follow a 10-row design. Google to learn more, but here are some points of reference.

http://old.aqsblog.com/tag/row-quilt

https://www.tarafaughnan.com/traverse-bom

https://quilting.craftgossip.com/5-stunning-row-by-row-quilt-patterns/2022/03/05/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CkewmFHuw4D/

https://bearcreekquiltingcompany.com/shop/product/harmony-row-houses-free-quilt-pattern/

https://bomquilts.com/free-row-of-the-month-quilt-patterns/

Free pattern with some sashing: https://birchfabrics.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/ThroughTheLookingGlass-Pattern.pdf

With sashing: https://www.pieceandquilt.com/2011/10/modern-row-quilt.html

Row selection

Now it’s up to you to make some decisions. To create your lists of rows, you could print the lists, cut them up, throw them in a bag and pick one a month. Maybe add a wild card of something completely different. Cut without a ruler! Check out the BOM library on the website. For some personalization, use one of your initials. Cs, Es and Ls are easy. The options are endless.

Did I just hear someone scream, “Too many choices.” If you want to make it easy, follow this list and the really lame drawing:

February: Flying geese

March: Xs and Os

April: Half-square triangles

May: Pluses

June: Hourglass

July: Quarter log cabin

August: Snowball (Hint: Make the corners scrappy)

September: Bowtie

October: Quarter circle

November: Diamond in square

SHAPES

For those who want to mix it up, choose from these shapes:

Strips

Triangles

Squares

Rectangles

Polygons

Hexagons

Curves

Circles

Hearts

Exclamation point

Caret symbol

Paper-pieced anything

BLOCKS

If you’re thinking blocks, choose from these or go down your own rabbit hole. These are examples, but watch the finished height to fit your eventual length. There are plenty more versions of these and others on Google and Pinterest.

Flying geese https://www.patchpieces.com/files/flyinggeese.pdf

Half-square triangles https://www.adventuresofadiymom.com/2020/05/half-square-triangles-4-at-time.html

Half-rectangle triangles https://shannonfraserdesigns.ca/2022/11/09/how-to-make-and-trim-two-at-a-time-half-rectangle-triangles/

https://blog.treasurie.com/half-rectangle-triangles/

Pluses https://www.scatteredthoughtsofacraftymom.com/easy-plus-quilt-pattern/

Hourglass https://www.seasonedhomemaker.com/how-to-make-a-perfect-hourglass-quilt-block/

Xs and Os https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tyj9jCTlmc4

Seminole https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dZCE5vYOAM

Orange peel https://www.gathered.how/sewing-and-quilting/quilting/how-to-make-orange-peel-quilts-tutorial/

Diamond https://www.bonjourquilts.com/diamond-quilt/

Strips https://conniekresin.com/fast-easy-strip-quilt-patterns/

Square in a square (2, 3, 4) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWx7zDBeMos