Sister's Choice Quilts

My interests are quilting, reading, cooking, family, decorating, and matters of style. I post regular quilting tutorials and book reviews of current fiction.

Simply Sophisticated Solves A Problem

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I joined the Simply Sophisticated Block of the Month Club through Fat Quarter Shop a few months ago.  Three mailings have arrived at my door, but I am behind in my sewing, and haven't had much of a chance to get started on the project.  Since I am a lady of leisure these days, I thought it would be a great opportunity to get to work on this project before it is too late to ever catch up.

The fabrics are very appealing–from the Harvest Home collection by Blackbird Designs for Moda.  Each of the monthly blocks have called for two blocks to be made, and the second month called for an additional six setting blocks.  You really get your money's worth with this BOM!  Below you see Month One on the left and Month Two on the right.  I didn't get to the six alternate blocks yet because a light bulb went off in my head and distracted me.

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You have to bear with me for a moment here.  Last April, when Lisa came to visit and we went on a quilting retreat, we stopped at In Between Stitches, a cool quilt shop where Pamkittymorning used to work.  I bought an adorable applique and patchwork quilt kit which you see pictured below:

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The kit came with the pattern for the precious applique center, lots of perfect primary color fabrics and a great collection of black and white prints.  I added to the black and whites from my stash, and when I opened up the pattern to get started making the blocks, I had a surprise.  There were no patterns for the blocks.  Huh?  Was it a mistake?  No indeed.  Evidently there had been some sort of Shop Hop where one could go from shop to shop and collect all twenty block patterns.  Now, months and months later, I was ready to make my blocks and had no instructions except "make 20 different blocks in black and white fabrics that finish at 9 inches".   Well.    

I have a number of quilt block books, but the idea of going through them all to flag the twenty 9 inch blocks that would work for this quilt just seemed like too much trouble.  So, the cute kit went back in the stash closet for another day.

Today.  While I was making the Simply Sophisticated Block of the Month, the thought came to mind "These are all 9 inch finished blocks". 

Don't you just love it when you get a brilliant idea?

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Added later:  An Even More Brilliant Idea

Beth emailed me to suggest a website called Quilter's Cache, where they have a gazillion quilt block patterns all listed by the size of the block.  Good night nurse, this is a truly wonderful discovery!  Thank you Beth!

36 responses to “Simply Sophisticated Solves A Problem”

  9. What a good idea! I really like the black and white blocks. Of course I really like Harvest Home fabric blocks too. Hmmm, I am glad I don’t have to make a decision which I like better. Happy New Year!
    Love the new header picture you have as well.

  10. What a good idea! I really like the black and white blocks. Of course I really like Harvest Home fabric blocks too. Hmmm, I am glad I don’t have to make a decision which I like better. Happy New Year!
    Love the new header picture you have as well.

  15. That Happy Day Quilt is just about the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. I can’t wait to see it finished.
    You really are getting your money’s worth out of the block of the month!

  16. That Happy Day Quilt is just about the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. I can’t wait to see it finished.
    You really are getting your money’s worth out of the block of the month!

  23. Oh for goodness sakes. I can’t imagine buying a pattern and then not having the patterns! A silly idea, if you ask me. How serendipitous indeed that your BOM blocks will fit the bill.
    And yes….why are you a lady of leisure again? You did mention some issues with work, I’m guessing they were resolved.

  24. Oh for goodness sakes. I can’t imagine buying a pattern and then not having the patterns! A silly idea, if you ask me. How serendipitous indeed that your BOM blocks will fit the bill.
    And yes….why are you a lady of leisure again? You did mention some issues with work, I’m guessing they were resolved.

  27. I have an even easier solution for you, and I’m doing it myself swapping out applique blocks on a BOM I’m doing. . . I have been using http://www.quilterscache.com to get replacement blocks. They have them organized by name or by size. So, just go to the 9″ block section and you’ll find blocks galore!

  28. I have an even easier solution for you, and I’m doing it myself swapping out applique blocks on a BOM I’m doing. . . I have been using http://www.quilterscache.com to get replacement blocks. They have them organized by name or by size. So, just go to the 9″ block section and you’ll find blocks galore!

  29. Perfect…absolutely perfect…I always say…things work out the way they are supposed to. Off to finish this month’s Simply Sophisticated blocks.

  30. Perfect…absolutely perfect…I always say…things work out the way they are supposed to. Off to finish this month’s Simply Sophisticated blocks.

  33. I hope “lady of leisure” means more blocks and more finished quilts for us to see. You are such an inspiration.

  34. I hope “lady of leisure” means more blocks and more finished quilts for us to see. You are such an inspiration.

  35. Oh my gosh!!! I have been using quilterschache.com for a few months. I was going to mention it on your blog the morning I found it but was running on the assumption that most of the folks here are experienced quilters and were familiar with the site, or didn’t need it. Especially after seeing your quilt album Nicole, and then looking at my meager 3 quilts, one finished and two ready to go to the long arm quilter I just thought it would be a redundant suggestion. It is such an awesome site and set up so user friendly that it solved a huge problem for me on my second quilt when I decided to ‘wing’ it on a sampler. I’m so glad Beth let you know about it. Your blocks are wonderful and I think the kit you are working on is adorable. Ummm…my apologies to everyone for not posting about quilters cache because I know better than to assume that other quilters won’t be interested in tips that help even newbies like myself.

  36. Oh my gosh!!! I have been using quilterschache.com for a few months. I was going to mention it on your blog the morning I found it but was running on the assumption that most of the folks here are experienced quilters and were familiar with the site, or didn’t need it. Especially after seeing your quilt album Nicole, and then looking at my meager 3 quilts, one finished and two ready to go to the long arm quilter I just thought it would be a redundant suggestion. It is such an awesome site and set up so user friendly that it solved a huge problem for me on my second quilt when I decided to ‘wing’ it on a sampler. I’m so glad Beth let you know about it. Your blocks are wonderful and I think the kit you are working on is adorable. Ummm…my apologies to everyone for not posting about quilters cache because I know better than to assume that other quilters won’t be interested in tips that help even newbies like myself.