Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Do You Sew Along?

I love a good Sew Along!
There seem to be many really fun options for Quilt Alongs, Sew Alongs and BOMs this year!
Jessica of A Quilty Habit has compiled a list for her newsletter subscribers, if you need any ideas!
She is also hosting the Modern FMQ QAL, which I am joining in on, YAY!
Aside from the obvious benefit of making a quilt, the best parts of a Sew Along, for me, are the friendships formed, the encouragement along the way, and seeing the variety of different "takes" on the same pattern/design!

My first experience with a Sew Along was actually a Block of the Month back in 2012!
The HST Sampler BOM by Jeni Baker of In Color Order!
The block tutorials are still on her blog, and they are available all together in pattern form as well!
Our progress was shared monthly in In Color Order's Flickr group!
I finished the quilt in December 2013!
I credit Jeni and this BOM with my enduring love for, and success with, HSTs!
It is also where I met Gina, "toots2u" on Flickr and @partyofeightourstory on IG!  We have been friends ever since!

My second Sew Along was the Flowering Snowball Quilt Along, hosted by the marvelous Mary at Molly Flanders Makerie, begun in June of 2014!
This was finished in 2016, and is still one of my very favorite makes!
And Mary and I are still friends, too!

By this time, I knew the fun and benefit of having a monthly block, so in January of 2015 I made up my own BOM which I called "Simply Sawtooth".  
Each month I chose 2 favorite fabrics, and made 2 blocks from each, in "verse/reverse" order, for a total of 4 blocks each month.  The only color parameter I set for myself was that I wanted it to be heavy on the orange.  I had all the blocks I needed by September, and finished it by December of the same year!  So Much FUN!!! Still love love LOVE this one! 

I tried another "personal BOM" in 2016:
But, alas, I never made it past February with this one!

But! I did join another Sew Along in 2016!
with Cheryl Brickey at Meadow Mist Designs!
I had to lift this photo from the Quilt Parade-Day 2 on Cheryl's site...apparently I have never blogged about this quilt top! 2016/17 was a bit that way, I'm afraid!  This one is still only a top...I would like to add a border of some kind...so many amazing ideas from others who sewed along!

Also in 2016, I had a lot of fun with an Instagram Quilt Along:
The Get Cozy Quilt Along, hosted by Coriander Quilts!
I mean, seriously, how could I not? It didn't hurt that I had recently won a bundle of "Front Yard", by Sandra Clemons that I was itchin' to use!
The Get Cozy pattern by Pen and Paper designs is so clearly written, and is not paper pieced!
It was awesome fun and you can find it on IG using the tag #cozyquiltalong!

2017 brought a very fun Sew Along hosted by Sharon Holland and Maureen Cracknell!
The Sewcial Bee Sampler Sew Along spanned both blogland and Instagram land, with a new block each week for 25 weeks!

Lots of fun and friendships here! 
Bernie at Needle and Foot posted a fun Sampler Roundup, where I lifted this picture from! 
Guess I wasn't too great at blogging about this one either!
You can see more on IG using the tag #SewcialBeeSampler and all my progress with #SBScedarforksarah .

And speaking of Bernie!
We became friends this summer during a Sew Along she hosted, the #NFsummersewalong, where she held our hands while stitching up a really cute summer top!
This is not only Bernie's picture, it IS Bernie!
I used "Gossamer", the same fabric Bernie did, from her super online fabric shop, Needle and Foot!
I sewed this up right before the fires started out here, and I find the only photos of mine are on IG! 
I am beginning to spot a trend here, sheesh!

Finally, my "personal BOM" this year is a super fun and exciting one for me!
"Simply Flying BOM"
Following the successful "pattern" of my "Simply Sawtooth", I am using a simple block, Flying Geese, with Denyse Schmidt fabrics, in "vers/reverse" fashion, again!
And again,  I will just keep making blocks until I think I have as many as I want!

I had really hoped to join in with Mari, The Academic Quilter for her fourth(?) BOM, Squared Away BOM, and since we are still fresh in the year, I may join yet! 
How about you, are you sewing along with anyone this year? I would love to hear about it!
Linking up with Sew Fresh Quilts Let's Bee Social 
See you there!


















5 comments:

Frédérique - Quilting Patchwork Appliqué said...

All those sew alongs looks fun! I love your Meadow quilt, gorgeous!

Sherrill said...

I've only done one that I recall and that was Bonnie Hunter's Easy Street. Been a few years and all it needs are a couple of borders so you'd think I'd wrap it up but not yet (sigh). Maybe soon!

saroy said...

I love all these BOMs -- each one is different but so lovely! And I love that you have made up your own BOM projects too. I did one of my own last year and it was so satisfying!

Christine S said...

I die every time I see your Get Cozy! I really need to make that one. I agree sew alongs form great friendships. Seems every time I join one, life tends to happen and I don’t finish. I’m trying again with the new one at the Cloth Parcel :)

Jayne said...

What an impressive list of BOM's! I've done a few and for the most part loved each of them...in different ways. This year I have a different BOM, but not really a BOM that I'm involoved in. I need to get going on it and blog about it! I'm checking out a few links you've included because...I can never say never!