Quilts on a Stick
 

Our Guild has not done a BOM for a few years due to low participation. I've been trying to come up with something that may be fun and not take too long to do. I'm thinking of small, mini's - with a paint stick sleeve. I'm not finding much on this (little blurbs). I know I could make up my own rules - but, why reinvent the wheel? Have any of you done this or seen it done?

Buttermilk Basin has several monthly designs...one that my friends and I have done is By Thy Hands. The Sew Simple is a nice monthly too. You don't have to restrict yourself to wools, but choose any fabric/color you'd like.

https://www.buttermilkbasin.com/shop-online.htm

Lots of fun patterns and themes here.

https://www.shabbyfabrics.com/Wall-Hangings-C1657.aspx

I would first research why the drop in participation. Question the members as to what they are interested in doing.

A BOM that can be made into either a wall hanging or a quilt might gather support.

Would a theme for a year (or 6 months)with different members responsible for each month pattern and colors work? Could be fun!

Perhaps the members don't want to keep the BOM project. It could be donated so that a guild quilt is made for a charity function or raffle.

Good luck!

On another forum, one of the posters joined a modern quilt guild. Their project sounds like fun. They call it quilt in a box.

Each participant buys fabric (3 yards, I think) in three or four colors. It goes in a box. Each month, you take a box and make one block with the fabric in the box. Next month, you get a different box. I'm not sure of the exact directions, but she would probably share them.

This is a post where she is showing the blocks others have made in the box she had in August. https://www.houzz.com/discussions/5444940/going-moderncontinued#n=15

bkay

One guild I dropped hadn't gotten any new members in a long time. The members were blah, didn't want to do anything new or challenging. I tried my best to get interest in BOMs, mysteries, challenges, Quilts of Valor, anything to get the fun back. Sadly only had two or three get involved and they gave up since no support. Do what you can to keep the enthusiasm going in the guild before it's all gone.

Maybe they'd be interested in making some seasonal table runners. Those are quick and fun to have around. They also make nice gifts.
Have they made any of those folded centerpieces that use the Bosal foam? Also quick, fun and lovely.
I just started making zipper pouches from candy bags and fusible vinyl. Adorable! And easy! See how on Utube---watch Jenny Doan of Missouri Star Quilt Company.

The small guild that I belonged to had an easy BOM pattern each month. We made 2 blocks. One to go in a drawing for all who participated. If you made 4 blocks, you got two entries. The extra blocks were made into charity & good will type quilts. We chose whatever the need was. Once it was for the young children who had lost their police officer dad's or mom's. Another time it was for a cancer ward. That got good participation each month. We had a pattern printed out and was given one of the colors for either a center block so that each block had some type of continuity. We paid a quarter or 50 cents as a donation for the small bit of fabric and the printing cost of printing the pattern. The lady always made a block up of the pattern so that everyone could see and take pictures of what the end result should be.

I love this idea! If the blocks have a good purpose, there's a reason to make them. I know "Block Lotto" fizzled out in one guild, because everyone had won, and hadn't finished them.

We made placemats and they were given to Meals on Wheels who in turn gave them to new seniors with their lunch.
I made 25 and used up a chunk of fabric. The guild's goal was to make 1000. I don't know if the guild reached that goal.
I don't know who was happier, the receiver of the placemat, or me, using up fabric. LOL

I like your idea Blue Bell!