The Quilt Works,Inc

BLOCK OF THE MONTH

Each year, The Quilt Works, Inc., offers a Block of the Month program. On the first day of each month, you can pick up a free pattern for that month's block, and, if you wish, purchase a kit with the fabrics for that month's block. At the end of the year, we publish instructions for a suggested setting of the blocks, and sell a kit with the fabrics required for that setting.
Immediately below is the information for the 2011 Block of the Month. Following that, we have included pictures and short descriptions of many of the Block of the Month quilts from prior years. As of this date, we are embarrassed to report that our files are incomplete; if you have additional information, especially pictures, to add to our page, please send us an e-mail or stop by the shop.

To view a larger image of a quilt, click on the quilt.

2011 BOM: Enchanted Forest, 75" x 79"

    We have had entirely too much fun with our 2011 Block of the Month, pictured at the left and now hanging in the Shop. Where else will you find a tree that is obviously being blown by the Albuquerque "zephyrs," a cell-phone tree, and really cute bunnies? Once again, we owe a special debt of thanks to Grace Sanders and Phoebe McCafferty, who led the effort. There are a couple of unique features of this year's program. To begin with, it will run for 18 months; there is just too much "going on" in this quilt for a one-year program. And, this year, there are no sashing pieces between the blocks; the entire design is completely integrated, and, at the end of 18 months, you will have a completed quilt top. As in 2010, the finishing kit will provide (only) the border and binding fabrics. The free pattern for each month is available in the shop on the first day of the month. Kits with the fabrics for that month's block are available on the same day - $15.95. [Patterns for previous months will be available at nominal costs throughout the year.]
    Individual blocks are shown below; click on each to get a better view. The finished size is given below the block. Two pictures of the January block are shown. The right-hand image is a picture of the upper left-hand corner of the quilt top, and shows, perhaps a bit more clearly, the sky-blue tone-on-tone Batik fabric used for the background for the entire quilt. You can also see some of the quilting in the right-hand photo; note especially the grass, created using variegated green thread at the base of the tree trunk. For February, we provide houses for the birds that live in the trees; this is a simple appliqué block. Our March block is a variation on the familiar Triple Rail pattern; here, we arranged the squares (cut from 3-fabric strip sets) randomly instead of in the Triple Rail configuration, in which two fabrics form rails that zig-zag across the quilt. The Windblown Tree, our April block, provides you with the opportunity to fussy cut a bunch of leaves and place them in an arrangement that is particularly pleasing to you; you can see that our block (below) is quite different from the one we included in the quilt (above). If you are planning to purchase the April Block, please note that the Pink Coleus fabric was included in the February kit, and is not included in the April kit (nor is it available for purchase separately). You can tell that these are song birds in our May block: Musical phrases are printed on the fabrics used for the wings of three of the birds.
    Get ready for a lot of piecing in the Cherry Tree (June block); there are 62 of the little squares, shown in the sky to the upper left, to be pieced. Your task is to piece a 30½" × 30½" block, shown here, and then trim it to the final size during final assembly of the quilt. If you have some scraps of the Pink Coleus fabric left over from the February and April blocks, you may wish to fussy cut two or three pink leaves, as we did here in our Lemon Tree block. You may also note that we have a couple of lemons and leaves on the ground in our quilt (but not in the individual block shown below). And, of course, as in our April block, there is no "magic" place where each lemon and leaf is placed; have fun making a design that pleases you! Now, don't be frightened by the curved branches in the Blue Spruce Tree (August block); we make them just like we make the curved edges in the Cathedral Windows block - rolling back and top stitching the edges. In addition to the "regular" block for September - the Bonsai Tree - we have the filler strip of paper pieced Christmas Trees. As you can see from the picture of the completed quilt, this strip lies to the left of the Lemon and Blue Spruce Trees. And, once you have finished the October Apple Tree block, you will be able to sew together all of the blocks that you have finished to this point; your quilt top is more than half finished!
    With our November block, we begin a series of pieced blocks in which you no doubt recognize basic elements: Flying Geese in the Pine Tree block, Prairie Points in The Grove, and Dresden Plate wedges in block with which we start the New Year. For our shop display of the Dresden Plate block, we even include a single wedge so that you can see up close how it is made. Now, as far as the February and March blocks are concerned, we admit that we are having entirely too much fun. There are lots of small pieces in the Cell Tower Tree, so we provide instructions both for piecing this block (which we did) and for creating it with appliqué techniques. (We decided against calling the March block the wonky Tree.)

     JANUARY                                                FEBRUARY              MARCH               APRIL                      MAY
     Fan Tree                                                    Home Sweet Home Rail Tree            Windblown Tree      Song Birds
    12" × 16"                                                    12" × 16"                    12" × 18"             12" × 18"                   28" x 10"

    JUNE                                JULY                        AUGUST                         SEPTEMBER                         OCTOBER
Cherry Tree                     Lemon Tree             Blue Spruce Tree            Bonsai & Christmas Trees     Apple Tree
    28" × 30"                          12" × 16"                  12" × 12"                          12" × 12"                4" × 5"   12" × 12"

    NOVEMBER          DECEMBER                     JANUARY               FEBRUARY        MARCH
    Pine Tree                Grove                                 Dresden Tree          Cell Tower Tree   Partridge in a Pine Tree
   12" × 16"                  14" × 13"                           12½" × 16"            11" × 18½"           14" × 21"

2010 BOM: Baskets for the New Decade, 51" x 66"

Our 2010 Block of the Month featured fabrics by Kaffe Fassett, Ro Gregg, Phillip Jacobs, Brandon Mably, and other designers. While we all contributed to this unique Quilt Works design, we owe a special debt of thanks to Grace Sanders and Phoebe McCafferty, who led the effort.

**2009 BOM:Oriental, 66" x 80"**

The 2009 Block of the Month features oriental fabrics. In the quilt top, we sashed twelve 12" blocks, several of which have oriental motifs. Three of these blocks are repeated in a 9" size in the border; a thirteenth 9" block is also found in the border.

**2008 BOM Stars 79" x 97"**

Each month we made a different star. Most are relatively uncommon, and some are original designs created in our shop.

**2007 BOM Harvest Home 98" x 98"**

Harvest Home was designed by Nancy Murty for the Honey Bee Club block of the month program, and featured fabrics from the Harvest Home collection by Andover Fabrics.

**2006 BOM Harvest Spice 95" x 95"**

Harvest Spice was designed by Nancy Murty for the Honey Bee Club block of the month program, and featured fabrics from the Harvest Spice collection by Andover Fabrics.

**2005 BOM Christmas 82" x 106"**

In this sampler, we used primarily the Christmas colors - red, white and green.

**2004 BOM Mystery Southwest Row Quilt 60" x 72"**

We had great fun with this quilt. Look at all the symbols! I-25, I-40 and Rt 66 road signs, the dinosaur, a windmill, a yucca, a rabbit, a pueblo dwelling scene, a stylized Zia symbol, the ojo, a hot air balloon scene, rows of blocks representing mountains, trees, cacti, desert flowers, Navajo rugs ... Motifs which, especially when taken together, are very much representative of New Mexico.

**2003 BOM Floral Fantasy 68" x 80" (with a 1" border)**

We started with 19 common blocks (Pinwheel, Churn Dash, Bow Tie, etc.), made them with a selection of wonderful floral fabrics, and then put them together in this unique setting.

**2002 BOM String Pieced Fantasy 67" x 88"**

Twelve string-pieced blocks are pieced into a unique black-white-bright colors bargello background. The black background makes the bright colors even more vivid. And the individual blocks are integrated into the greater design of the bargello. 20 fabrics were used in the bargello background, ten black and white fabrics, and ten brightly colored fabrics.

**2001 BOM Desert Star 79" x 79"**

The stars in this quilt were pieced on foundation papers.

**2000 BOM Enchanted Sampler 68" x 68"**

The twelve blocks in this quilt were originally drafted for the sampler we made for our 1993 Quilt Fiesta. This is an entirely new setting.

**1999 BOM Juan Tabo Sampler 66" x 84"**

The name? Well, Juan Tabo is the cross-street at which we are located.

**1998 BOM Balloons Over New Mexico 52" x 38"**

Here, we combined one of the most recognized New Mexico features - the hot-air balloon - with many of the other motifs we have come to recognize as very New Mexican. On the sandy backdrop we have a territorial house, a pueblo with a horno, a jack rabbit, a roadrunner, cacti, and so on. We did take some liberties with the balloons; the Quilt Works Sun Bonnet Sue hot-air balloon is clearly just a creation of our imagination.

**1996 BOM Christmas Log Cabin 78" x 88"**

This quilt features twelve 12" blocks, set on point. Each is surrounded by four sections of traditional Log Cabin blocks sewn in Christmas colors - red, white and green. Note: We have updated instructions for setting this quilt together (24 Jan 09).

**1995 BOM Rio Grande Vistas 81" x 99"**

The quilt top measures 56" x 74" (prior to adding the borders). The pattern was redrafted in 1998 with a different (flying geese) border; that quilt measured 66" x 84. A variation of the Chili Ristra block is still available.