Do you do BOMs? (Block of the Month)
 

A friend on this board and I love to do BOMs. We both belong to many of the same BOMs. Today I just joined another one that she posted a picture of her June block that I fell in love with. I was just curious how many people on the board liked to do BOMs also. And how many they belonged to.

I love BOMs. I really dislike making large quilts and quilting them---actually I hate that part LOL. If I could make blocks all day and share them with someone who just likes to quilt, we'd have a great partnership. BOMs give me the opportunity to try all different types of blocks without committing to a whole quilt. I've done the Farmers Wife Sampler, FWS Pony Quilt, and Quilts for Rosie as BOMs here on QB. Always on the look out for another one.

I actually finished those 3 quilts. I think joining others in a BOM makes me feel more accountable and makes me finish the project instead of tossing the blocks into the Box That Shall Never Be Opened.

I subscribe to several BOM kits during the year. I have a very big selection. I will mix and match many of them from different kits.

How do they compare cost-wise to buying the fabric as yardage for a particular quilt - assuming that it would be available?

I am just starting my first from a LAS. I think I am going to really enjoy it.

I have so many BOM's right now! I have a tendancy to join them get the patterns but not actually make them. I got one on saturday called "Bump in the Night" its all monsters and they are so CUTE! I have a jump drive of just quilt patterns... and I have a bunch of BOMS on there that I have downloaded. Some day I'll make them.

When I started quilting 3 years ago, I discovered BOMs and got hooked on them. Cost wise, they are more expensive; but there are lots of free BOMs around. For those, you use your own fabric. By making BOMs, I have learned so many new quilting skills. I've made BOMs with patterns that I would never have tried otherwise. This past year, I did a number of hand appliqué BOMs. Trying to do an entire quilt at once, with any of the patterns, for me, would have been overwhelming; but doing only one of the blocks each month was fun. Sure, with BOM, many people will have quilts like mine; but the chances of anyone near me having a quilt like mine are slim. I don't make my quilts to show to people. I just give them to family and friends who will enjoy using them. I am now making quilts that involve skills that I learned when making BOMs. Those quilts are unique; but I don't like them more than my BOM quilts.

To be honest, I love opening my mail and finding a BOM to complete. It is like Christmas every month! As for the free BOMs, I start looking on the last day of the month to see if they have posted the new block early. Something tells me that I'll always be a BOMer.

I'm not a huge fan of BOM's as I like to start and finish a top at one time and not have it lingering around for, well, months. That said, I am participating in our Guild's BOM, I have bought the monthly pattern to another but am waiting to get all 12 to start, and bought a retired BOM pattern that I'm doing all 12 at one time.

I love BOM's and have been doing them for years. I have finished dozens, and still have dozen's to do!!

I'm working on 2 BOMs this year. They are both to be completed by September. On one I worked ahead so am now putting the border on, then will layer and quilt. The other I've kept up with each month. It helps me keep on task - I go to the BOM class, get the pattern and make it right away. Then I'm free the rest of the month to work on any other project that interests me.

janRN,
I am with you. I use my own fabric. I am doing a block a month on another board and LQS has kits for bom for 2.50 each, if you bring the completed block from the previous month and you pick up your block on the day you signed up for. I love learning new things. And then you have new patterns that you can use on other projects.

I do a few BOM's because I don't like to make the same block over and over again.

Jan, I'm still so curious what's in your Box That Shall Never Be Opened. Why don't you give us a little peak? :D

My kids gave me a BoM for Christmas 2 years ago and that year somehow ended up with 3 and I loved opening the envelopes to see the fabrics - I have done a few 'months' but somehow get distracted and they go into the bottom drawer :(

I am currently doing the Crafsy Block of the Month. I enjoy doing this block a month; it gives me the opportunity to work on a few different projects at once. It will be neat that at the end of the year I will have blocks complete for a quilt. I am using my own material. I have participated in a few clubs where I get knitting projects each month. To many times I got patterns and materials I would never make. With the Craftsy I am committed to learning something new each month.

I am working slowly on one from Keepsake. My husband calls it the Block of the Millennium. I got sick when I started it and have been very slow to get going on it again. I like it, though.

Our guild has a BOM that I usually do. You bring the block to the next meeting and get in a drawing for all those that are made. I won the July set last year and made the Quilt of Valor for my son-in-law using them. I've participated in a couple of exchanges here, like a spring block and batik exchange but still haven't done anything with the blocks. I just can't seem to find time to do everything I'd like to do. I admire those who do that kind of thing, though!

The first one that I participated in from our LQS, I completed the 12 blocks in the required time, bought the finishing kit, and that is as far as I got. My quilting group started on ( over 50) blocks, but that got derailed because of having to complete our graduates' quilts. So #2 unfinished. Then at the beginning of this year, I started the 2 Craftsy ones and a Calendar Cat Applique BOM- all three of those are sidelined for right now until I can get back to them. Since I have them kitted up(ie in paper bags) maybe they would be good projects to take to the lake to work on at night this summer. I really would like to finish them to see if I actually like BOMs!
My DGS calls them bombs!

I joined two BOM's at the same time several years ago. I did OK for a while until other project 'needs' got in the way. Then my progress fell by the wayside. They became one of many UFO's in my quilting area.

I love doing BOM's but I use my own fabric, because those kits are so DANG expensive! I find free BOM's on the internet or at someone's blog, but I also have a couple that coincidentally have 12 blocks in them, so I've made them into BOM's. I'm doing six this year (yes, that is too many, and yes, I've lost my mind!)

I mostly buy the BOMs from Homestead Hearth. I don't start on the blocks until I have them all. I've learned to buy the backing with first purchase. It always sells out.

I love BOMs. I usually do two a year. I am currently working through Scandinavian Rose, it's stitchery with patchwork. Today I received my first block of McKenna ryan's Whiskers in the Wind, I am so excited!!

I love getting a package in the mail every month, like Christmas.

I am doing my 1st BoM this year of paper pieced blocks with a sewing room theme. For some reason sampler quilts just aren't my thing which seems to cover most BoMs. I would like to do a row type QAL or BoM one day though.

I love BOMs. Over the years, I have done some that were posted on different blogs, then last year, I joined one from the LQS - Amish With a Twist. I liked the idea of joining for $20, then get the block each month as long as I made and brought in the previous month. Well, I didn't like the colors as I started out, and then there were several months that I was away on the BOM weekend so I had to pay another $5 for the block, but in the end, it was well worth it. This year, I again joined the BOM from the LQS, as well as a mystery quilt they are doing.

I would love to have the time to just quilt all day long and get most of a top done, but I don't. There are times I barely have enough time to get the one block done each month. Because of that, the BOMs are perfect for me

I have learned that BOM's are not my 'thing'. I did one last year, but I could not do just one each month. I happen to have yardage similiar to choices(Alex Anderson) in red and white. AND I had a collection of black and white. Sooooo....I made 6 to 10 blocks each month!! I can't remember final count. I do know that I have enough blocks to make a LOT of quilts, since the pattern called for 13 blocks!

I would love to do a BOM, but I can't afford them. I did get the Farmer's Wife book and will do one with my own fabric.And to be totally honest, I have seen them at Hancock and JoAnn's and I don't particularly care for the fabric choices and when I do get to start on the Farmer's Wife, it will be all my own choices, which is just something I prefer anyhow and am able to use up my own fabric.

Right now I am helping a neighbor patch the underarm of his bathrobe and will do that all by hand and then applique a fussy-cutted piece on the center of the patch. I have been teasing him about it for a while now. It is a red background with white and a big black ant on it. I think it was used for a table cloth and/or napkins! Now they are perfect for I Spy quilts and just adding a bit of levity to something. Edie

Which BOM did you join that you just loved the block???? Picture???
Marcia

I did the 2012 Craftsy BOM and am also doing this year's Craftsy BOM. I find this one, and only one per year is perfect for me. It keeps me motivated to keep up with them and learn techniques, but also allows me to work on my other projects in between.

I'm doing my first one through my LQS, they charged $75 at the beginning, then every month you pick out your fabrics for free(yardage dictated on pattern), then at the end they give you a $50 gift card to put towards the borders/binding
backing. You use every fabric on the block as you get them ie: block 7 will have all 7 fabrics, #3 block has 3 fabrics. It 's been really fun because you don't really know how it will look, and you learn a lot of techniques in the process!

The only time I do BOM is when they are free on the internet. Otherwise, too expensive.

I started a BOM and wish that I hadn't. The fabric is not that great and it will take forever to finish as you get only one block at a time. I like to start and finish one or two quilts before going on to another and this get me down when I have to wait a whole year to finish one. When you stop and figure the cost it seems to cost more for the BOM than to buy the fabric for a whole quilt at one time,.

I enjoy BOM's. Currently working on 3 different ones. One is offered on line. Get's posted on the first of the month. The other two are from local shops. One shop's BOM is free. Jan. block cost $5.00, each month if you return to the store with the completed block they hand you the next block. Works for me. Moves me out of my comfort zone.

I'm a mood quilter - so a BOM probably wouldn't be the best thing for me. It's not unusual for me to take a 6-8 week break from quitling.

I love BOM's I am doing one at LQS and craftsy 2013, and two others from the internet. Love these to just do some sewing each month and better when doing them with friends which LQS one and bible stories from Quilters Loft web blog..

I started out doing BOM's to learn. My LQS does the small cost at beginning to cover the cost of pattern. I learn new things and each month when I go back for my new block I get to spend time looking at thier new items and all that lovely fabric. I always end up buying something. So they are making money and I get something new and fun to work on till the next month. I don't always like thier fabrics. But I can change something out if I want as long as it fits in with the color scheme. It is mine to do with as I like. Also it is good to get your finishing supplies early if possible because they go really fast. I have tried the free ones online as well but usually miss a month or loose track of what one I am working on. :/

I did a BOM a few years ago. I am still working on it.
Hope to finish it one day.

I seem to be a BOM collector LOL I have finished ONE, have started three more in various stages of completion and have probably 5 more still in the bags, with one still arriving. Of all the quilts I have made, I have only kept 2 (my first finished BOM and a baby floor quilt for the GC's visits, so somehow all those quilts for others take preference and I never can get back to my BOM's. Oh well, they are all bundled, ready and waiting for....................someday.

I generally like block of the months. I've done several ranging from free on the internet with your own fabric to $30 dollar a month BOMs. There was one I ended up hating and still haven't finished the blocks. One of my friends talked me into doing the Saturday Sampler with her. It was one of the pay 5 bucks the first month and if you bring back the completed block you get the next one free. I think I only did maybe three of the blocks and just paid for the rest of them. It was done with templates and I really hate templates.

Right now I'm working on two BOMs. One is Vintage Valentine and the other one is Christmas Traditions from the book "Four Seasons at Minglewood".

I'm going to be working through UFOs the next few months so I might get to that Saturday Sampler quilt.

I've done quite a few BOMs in years past, some were great fun and turned out well, but others were pure frustration ! Pattern errors, shorted fabric etc. One I gave away to a friend, who also gave up on it ! I've tried a few online freebies since I have stash I need to use !! I tried to follow Barbara Brackman's Civil War series, I love CW quilts - but couldn't keep up with her ! Work gets in my way ...
Most shop BOMs are quite pricey - compared to buying your own fabrics - but you're paying for the convenience and having all the fabrics.

I have done the civil war blocks of the month which are very expensive. I need to do the ones where you get the pattern but can pick your own fabric. I have two tops done ready to quilt (civil war) & will do other quilts for awhile.