BLOCK OF THE MONTH OUTSTANDING QUILTS Part 1

Every year since 2008 THE QUILT SHOW has presented a beautiful BLOCK OF THE MONTH quilt project FREE for Star Members. These quilts have been created exclusively for The Quilt Show by the various designers, available only for that year from this worldwide quilting community, an Internet based show. 

These quilts always provide excellent instruction for exceptional designs. Everyone who completes one of these quilts has learned a lot and can be proud of their accomplishment.

Here are just a few of the many BOM quilts that have won awards at quilt shows around the world. Enjoy and be inspired:

2008 BOUQUET FOR A NEW DAY, designed by Sue Garman. I had to hunt to find a photo. This was made by Ann Shibut: 

2009 STARS FOR A NEW DAY, designed by Sue Garman. This is my version. It was included in the book 500 TRADITIONAL TREASURES, published in 2014. Can you find my mistake?

2010 Sue Garman designed two for this year, STAR CRAZY and HUGS AND KISSES:

Hugs and Kisses by Sue Garman

Star Crazy by Jill Buttel 

2011 RUFFLED ROSES designed by Sue Garman. This is my version, completed in 2019, won Best of Show, Fanfare 2019, Heritage Quilters of Huntsville. Quilted by Lois Kindley:

2012 SEDONA STAR designed by Sarah Vedeler. Here is a spectacular example:

My, My, My, My Sedona! made by Alice Alinson

2013 TWO OF US designed by Sue Nickels and Pat Holly: 

made by Karen Boe Quilted by Barb Simons

2014 A TO Z FOR EWE AND ME designed by Janet Stone: 

Made by Barbara Colvin, First Place York Quilters Guild

2015 MY COUNTRY HOUSE designed by Lynette Anderson:

My Country House by Lynette Anderson

2016 RAJAH QUILT REVISITED designed by Lessa Siegele. This is a remake of an historic quilt with ties to England and Australia. This is my version:

Rajah Revisited by Barbara Black 

2017 HALO MEDALLION designed by Sue Garman. This started a lot of good things for me. The Sunday Sew and Sews group was formed, meeting in my home once a month for guidance on this project. Sue was quite ill and passed away January 8, 2017 so I was asked to help with the FORUM since I was making the quilt. I'm still here. Here are three especially great versions:

Janet Noever made this as a Sunday Sew and Sew. She made it her own by adding her beloved Seminole Piecing to a couple borders.

Brenda Miller got the Sunday Sew and Sews started when she asked me if I thought she and her sister, Joanne, were "capable" of making Halo Medallion. I offered to help guide them and the rest is history. Notice Brenda's lovely First Place Ribbon

Joanne Miller, sister to Brenda, and co-instigator in getting the Sunday Sew and Sews going also earned a ribbon on her quilt. All of these were featured at Fanfare 2019 Heritage Quilters of Huntsville

2018 THE PATCHWORK BARN designed by Edyta Sitar.

The Patchwork Barn by Sandra Thomas

2019 SIZZLE designed by Becky Goldsmith:

SIZZLE Made by Terri Taylor, quilted by Patty Wilson

2020 AFTERNOON DELIGHT designed by Sue Garman. A tribute to Sue after her passing, this pattern of hers is the only time a published pattern was used for the BOM.  

This beautiful example won BEST OF SHOW at the SW Florida Quilters Guild earlier this year:

AFTERNOON DELIGHT made by Terri Saarinen

This takes us through the first 13 years of Block of the Month Quilts from The Quilt Show. Have YOU made any of these?

Next week will feature the remaining past 5 years. I asked members of www.thequiltshow.com to send me photos of their winning Block the Month quilts and I received MANY from the most recent 5 years. See you next week!

NOTE: A few of the photos were taken from the GALLERY on The Quilt Show. There are many quilts there to inspire and educate you. 

Let's quilt.

Barbara

GAME ON! MONTH 7

Game On! is the 2026 Block of the Month quilt designed by Becky Goldsmith exclusively for THE QUILT SHOW: find Game On! information here. Join as a Star Member to get all the patterns and all the videos FREE. Membership is just $49/year and provides access to almost 20 years of shows and tremendous additional content. Join HERE

This month we add the fourth 3" border, the one at the bottom of the center. This is another one of those "good to know" borders, easy to make and interesting to use. Arranging colors makes the border flow.

The units are easy to paper piece. Simply start by figuring out your colors and keep the fabrics organized. 

Becky has a great tip to make it easier to get intersections to match well. After removing the paper, repress the seam allowances of EVERY OTHER BLOCK in the opposite direction they were pressed when paper piecing:

Now the seams at top and bottom will "nest" 

The intersections will be just where you want them with little bulk:

Be sure the 3" borders measure 36.5" long. I "measure as I go". Each pair needs to measure 6.5" wide. Two pairs sewn together will be 12.5" wide. There are six pairs--I check them all after joining them to each other. Finding the mistake as soon as I make it and fixing it then makes it much more likely the border will be 36.5" wide when complete. 

If the border is longer than 36.5",  measure each unit/pair to find the ones that are too wide and snug up that seam allowance. The FIRST PAIR will measure 6.25" when sewn to the next PAIR, allowing for the outside SEAM ALLOWANCE:

The pairs already sewn to other pairs need to be 6". It is very EASY for borders to GROW just a little with each seam. It is best for me to check each unit/pair as I create the border.

Next we make the four SMALL CORNER BLOCKS that will are used as you add the four 3" borders to the center. Becky shows two LOG CABIN options: a Log Cabin with a CORNER square and a Log Cabin with a CENTER square. 

You can use ANY 3" unit you like. I used Nine Patches for mine:

Here are some alternative ideas:

Once your borders are the right size follow the pattern instructions to add a Log Cabin or your choice of block to the LEFT and RIGHT sides of the TOP and BOTTOM borders to complete the center. 

Finally, carefully cut the narrow BROWN SASHING strips to the EXACT size of the center and add them. Good job! The MIDDLE is getting DONE!

The final 6" CORNER BLOCK also gets made this month. I had a little trouble with my first one. I sewed the wrong sections together:

I should have taken my own advice: WATCH THE VIDEOS, READ THE PATTERN! 

The second time was better. And I didn't trim the outside edges of the papers until the star was assembled. This allowed me to be sure my star was 6.5" and I had a 1/4" beyond each star point:

Another thing I tried to do was keep straight of grain on the outside edge of each section. This meant I usually placed the white fabric on the paper first, then added the blue star point:

Whenever I sew seams with ODD ANGLES or more than FOUR FABRICS coming together, I machine BASTE the seam first. It is much easier to remove basting threads and readjust if I need to:

Machine basting, long stitch set at 5.0

Check to see if you are happy with the intersections. If so, set the machine back to normal piecing length, 2.0 for me, and now sew the complete seam. Here I like this basting so I will complete the seam:

This is a good FIVE POINT STAR and a block I like. Paper piecing it works well for me. I use Freezer Paper so I can use the pattern multiple times. 

Next month we get started on the wider 6" Borders. This will be regular piecing--NO PAPERS TO PRINT!

Let's quilt.

Barbara

OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOU!

 By now you may have seen and heard all the BUZZ! The 2027 Block of the Month from THE QUILT SHOW is FLIGHT OF THE BUMBLEBEE:

Designed by Ricky Tims and Alex Anderson, this project will be a year-long journey that is sure to TEACH YOU THINGS--I am learning new things. Ricky and Alex and I will teach you lots of techniques during this joint adventure of learning and creating together. 

The Kits of both colorways are ONLY AVAILABLE as a pre-order from the Shop at The Quilt Show. Pre-orders are due by May 31, 2026 to allow all the time necessary for Riley Blake Fabrics to get the thousands of yards of hand-dyed Batiks made in time for shipping later this year. So everyone is ready to begin January 1, 2027 when FLIGHT OF THE BUMBLEBEE takes off.

The Kit includes almost 28 yards of top quality hand-dyed Batiks and a few great extra things. The price of $399 with FREE SHIPPING in the US is a bargain, hard as that is to say. When I got both Kits last Fall I was amazed at just how beautiful these fabrics are. And they will not all be available in stores--they are being specifically hand-dyed for The Quilt Show. I can think of several quilts I could easily choose to make with these beautiful and carefully curated collections of Batiks.

I have been "Secret Sewing" on this project since December 2025. Using the Mountain Meadows colorway, I am helping Alex Anderson get her sample made. I am piecing it, she is doing the applique. 

Just a few of my photos, taken to use when I start writing blogs and going LIVE monthly:

Honeydrops

Curved Flying Geese

Center Wedges in progress

All my parts on the wall—awaiting the appliqué parts

During 2027 I will be making the OCEAN WAVES version for myself. And if you know me, I have a few ideas for making this quilt my own. There won't be nearly as much applique in mine. Stay tuned for future ideas.

If you want one of these two KITS: DON'T WAIT. You only have until May 31, 2026 to order. 

2026 FALL RETREATERS--for all my WEST COAST FRIENDS: 

See the Flyer larger here: Fall Retreaters Quilt Retreat

I don't get to the West Coast very often to teach. Going forward it is likely to only be at Empty Spools Seminars. This is YOUR CHANCE if you are anywhere near Livermore, CA.

October 1 and 2, 2026 I am teaching TWO classes at the Fall Retreaters Quilt Retreat in Livermore, CA.

I will be there for the two Add-On days too--September 29 and 30. During those days I will be working on MY Ocean Waves 2027 BOM quilt. You can see me in action, ask all the questions you want, see a lot of the various techniques you will learn THREE MONTHS BEFORE  the first month's pattern is released. No, you won't get the patterns. No, I won't tell you EVERYTHING. But this may be just the spark you need to see that this amazing quilt project is something YOU can do.

 Also in attendance as a participant will be Alex Anderson. I will have Alex's Mountain Meadows completed top to present to her. Come hang out with BOTH OF US!

For more information or to register contact Debbie Stevens: quiltretreatdebbie@gmail.com or call 

1-925-321-8435

I hope you will take advantage of these opportunities if you can. 

Let's quilt.

Barbara

LAUREL RIDGE -- MONTH 8

 Laurel Ridge is the 2025 Block of the Month quilt designed by Lynn Wilder exclusively for The Quilt Show.  Star Members have FREE access to the patterns starting January 1, 2025. Made in two colorways, the complete patterns are excellent. You will love making this quilt. Lynn supports the pattern instructions with Videos too. 

This month we make the "Cat's Cradle" block, 32 of them. Making half square triangle blocks in units of 8 make these very fast and easy:

The only cutting change I made is my usual one: I upped the size of the pink triangles to 3.5" squares and the large background triangles I cut from 6" squares. I prefer to "trim to perfection".

This does mean I had to trim the pieced half of the block so the large background triangle fits correctly:

Using a Half Square Triangle ruler, I placed the 1/4" diagonal line on the center spot where the pink triangles cross the yellow triangle. The 5.5" line on the ruler is at the bottom of the triangle, and I can see that the HST square will be in 1/4" on both points--very important.

When sewing the large background triangle to the pieced half of the block, you want to "cross the X"--this will insure your middle is perfect:

With blocks as easy as these, I usually prepare all the pieces needed, following the excellent cutting instructions in the pattern. Then I work on these as "leader/ender" units while working on other projects. The pieces are made over time, then it is a simple matter to complete the blocks with the sewn parts. 

If I just want to make these 32 blocks immediately, I use a different ongoing project as my "leader/ender". My 3" Old Italian blocks are perfect for this task. See the instructions here: Summer Sew A Long:

Next month we move on to Nine Patch Stars, the blocks with the most pieces.

Let's quilt.

Barbara

LAUREL RIDGE -- MONTH 3

Laurel Ridge is the 2025 Block of the Month quilt designed by Lynn Wilder exclusively for The Quilt Show.  Star Members have FREE access to the patterns starting January 1, 2025. Made in two colorways, the complete patterns are excellent. You will love making this quilt. Lynn supports the pattern instructions with Videos too. 

This month we make Half Square Triangles--BIG ONES! We make a lot, 48 total, but the designer's method for making 8 at once makes it fast and easy.

Here are mine. Note I changed the Spiceberry Pink fabric for a deep Green from my stash:

The pattern instructions are excellent and Lynn Wilder provides a Video too, so you will find this month fun to do.

I am a math person so love to have "formulas" for making several blocks at once. Half Square Triangles, 8 at a time? Right up my alley! 

The formula is so easy:

Finished size of the HST = 5". Multiple this by 2 = 10". 

Add 2" for the seam allowances = 12". 

Lynn recommends and I was very glad I did, adding an additional 1/2". 

Cut ONE 12.5" square of BOTH FABRICS. This will give you 8 HST, that FINISH AT 5"--meaning once sewn into the quilt. The HST unit when made has to be 5.5" including Seam Allowances.  This formula works for ANY SIZE HST you want to make 8 at a time.

FIRST STEP: Draw diagonal lines from corner to corner on BOTH DIAGONALS on the back of the lightest fabric. Place fabrics RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER, then sew 1/4" on BOTH SIDES OF THE LINE. If you don't use a 1/4" foot you can draw the sewing lines if you like:

SECOND STEP: Cut the large square into FOUR SMALL squares, by cutting North, South, East and West--or "make a cross" as Lynn says: 

Then it is a simple matter to press toward the darker fabric--the Floral or the Green in my case--and "trim to perfection", making the HST exactly 5.5" square:

Lynn has additional excellent Tutorials on lots of these kinds of tips in the Classroom at The Quilt Show: Easy Patchwork Math.  She has included a link to the Tutorial that applies to each month directly on the Pattern Instructions. I encourage you to take a look at those each month. Much of what she teaches in those lessons is exactly how I do the steps. 

Next month we move on to blocks that will take a good bit more time than these, the Checkerboard Blocks.

Remember you can Ask Questions and Share Your Progress on  THE FORUM.

Let's quilt.

Barbara

MONTH 12 -- THE QUILTING AND FINISHING

PICK A PETAL is the 2024 Block of the Month quilt designed by Jen Kingwell exclusively for The Quilt Show. It is FREE to Star Members, join today to take advantage of this great bonus. WATCH Jen's Show to see how she makes this quilt--it is FREE for EVERYONE all of 2024: Jen Kingwell Show 3401 

IMPORTANT REMINDER:  the patterns for Pick a Petal are available FREE to Star Members of The Quilt Show through December 31, 2024. Be sure you have saved/printed/backed up the files if you need them after that date. Any files you don't have will have to be purchased directly from the designer. No one here can give them to anyone, the rights to the pattern return to the designer per the contract. We protect the copyright of our designers who continue to create wonderful quilt designs for the exclusive use of The Quilt Show  Star Members for a specific amount of time.

This month the pattern instructions show how to assemble various parts of the quilt. Most of us did this as we were making the quilt. If you are ready for the quilting, it's time! 

Be sure to watch Show 3401 while it is free to Star Members, through December 31, 2024. Jen talks about her quilting designs and shows some details of the free-form quilting she did with decorative thread. She doesn't have a plan for specific motifs quilted in specific places. It appears she did what the quilt told her it wanted in any given area.

Here are some detail shots that may assist you as you do the quilting on your own Pick A Petal:

Some of the visible stitching is additional embroidery added to just the top, not quilting lines that go through all three layers. Some of the visible stitching is hand quilting, that does go through all three layers. I leave it to you to decide how you want to enhance your quilt with your quilting.

In addition, the Month 12 pattern contains Jen's instructions for how she added a FACING, to finish the completed quilt, rather than an applied binding. I plan to  try that on a small quilt I will soon have finished. A FACING is a nice way to treat the edge of a quilt when a binding might detract. 

The FACING brings the front of the quilt to the back without adding a binding. Here you can see additional rows of hand quilting at the very edge of the quilt. People will wonder how you did that outside edge! 

I hope you have enjoyed Pick A Petal this year. Now it's time to pull my fabrics for Laurel Ridge--the 2025 Block of the Month Quilt designed by Lynn Wilder exclusively for The Quilt Show. Be watching for a post about how you can be prepared to get started in January 2025 when Laurel Ridge hits the website! 

Grandmother's Autumn

Granddaughter's Spring

I am making mine with Granddaughter's Spring and some additional fabrics. Be watching for that soon.

Let's quilt!

Barbara