Welcome to Block 3!! We are going to take a little break from our bias tape (don’t worry – it’ll be back before you know it!) and enjoy the month with a super simple block and a little embroidery.
As always, this is YOUR quilt, so if the embroidery look just isn’t for you, then feel free to appliqué these suckers on and get a move on. I can’t wait to see what you do either way!
Get Ready…
If you haven’t already, make sure you check out these helpful posts and get started on blocks 1 and 2 before moving on to block 3:
- Tips and tricks for BOM Success: Ways that you can prepare and organize for the year ahead.
- Getting Started. This is just a little bit of prep work to save you lots of time (and fabric) this year! It coordinates with the Getting Started page of your pattern.
Get Set…
Supplies for the month
If you’re curious about the supply list for this month, I’ve got everything listed for you below. Before you purchase your supplies, make a plan about how you’d like to complete this block.
You can choose to embroider on the leaves and words OR appliqué them…or mix it up and do both. Anything marked with an *asterisk* below would be needed if doing appliqué with or instead of embroidery.
- That Purple Thang*
- Tear away stabilizer*
- Wash Away Embroidery Stabilizer
- Erasable Fabric Marker
- Monofilament Thread*
- 8/60 Microtex Needle*
- Iron
- Embroidery Thread
- Embroidery Hoop
Get Sewing!
Cutting
Like we talked about in the Getting Started post, the cutting in this BOM is a little different than what you’re used to. Don’t worry, this is probably the month where it’s going to start making more sense…a few things to keep in mind:
- Make sure that you use the cutting diagram in conjunction with the cutting instructions
- Notice that you’re unfolding your fabric completely and cutting across the LENGTH of fabric…completely opposite of what you’re used to doing.
- Save and label those big background scraps for block 7 – these will be key!
Sewing
This is our most simple month of sewing, so enjoy it! Just make sure to stitch your fabrics together early so that you have time to embroider these sweet details on.
First, you have a few choices to make: Embroidery or Appliqué?
I chose to appliqué my leaves on and embroider my words. This gave me a little more control over those teeny lines and I always love to add a little hand work where I can in a quilt.
Helpful Embroidery Videos
I know that the majority of you are quilters, so if you’re feeling a little intimidated by the whole embroidery piece, don’t be! First off, don’t be afraid to practice your stitches on a scrap piece of fabric. And just in case the written instructions on each stitch aren’t doing it for you, I’ve created a library of stitch videos for you.
If you’re interested in full length videos and descriptions on techniques like this, you might want to consider adding the BOM class this year. If you choose to purchase at any point throughout the year, you’ll have instant access to all previously released 2023 BOM Classes and they’ll be yours for life!
Design Layout
Once you’ve decided what your technique will be, you can move onto tracing your templates onto the block. There are several layout options that I came up with, I’d love to see if you found something new though!
If you’ve chosen to go with appliqué on the leaves, then you might need a little review…if so, here are some review videos from Months 1 and 2:
Need some help?
If you’re feeling a little intimidated by all of this, why not join the virtual class?
In my virtual class, we’ll cover each and every step. I’ll talk you through new skills, explain why and how we are doing things, and make it a little less scary! I’ve also included printable cheat sheets for techniques that might be new to you…great resources for down the road!
Now that you’ve got the know-how it’s time to sew! I’d love to see your progress in the Facebook group or on Instagram!
What’s Next?
