We have selected the theme for the guild’s 2014 Block of the Month.

First, the rules:

• Cost will be $15 for the year, payable as soon as possible.  We will supply some of the fabric each month and you supply the rest.
• Bring the completed block back the following month to be eligible for a drawing of the blocks turned in.  Since there are enough participants, two drawings will be held each month. Once a member wins, she will not eligible to win again in 2014 in order to give almost everyone a chance to win blocks.  Complete  the blocks you win into a quilt and enter it in the category in our October guild show for BOM quilts!
• The patterns will be emailed to save printing costs.

We are again issuing a challenge to everyone.  Once you complete the BOM for that month, we challenge you to make another block in fabrics and colors of your own choosing.  At the end of the year, you will have 12 blocks that will make up a sampler quilt. Pretty easy way to get a quilt made don’t you think? Bring your completed quilt to the 2015 February meeting for a Challenge show.

Now for the theme.

The results of the survey are in and the majority (21 of 30) would like to see some kind of reproduction blocks this year.

Attached is a sampler I have created of the blocks we will be working on.  The inspiration for these blocks comes from Barbara Brackman’s Civil War Quilts blogspot  ( http://www.civilwarquilts.blogspot.com/2011).

I will be writing up these blocks with specific instructions and trying new techniques in keeping with our Schoolhouse mission.    You can access this blog or purchase her book   Civil War Sampler   if you’d like to add more blocks to your own quilt.

WAIT!!!   You say you don’t like Civil War fabrics or reproductions?   Many of these blocks were written in the 30’s and are will work with any color choice – 30’s, batiks, or scrappy. Each month,  I won’t be be using only Civil War fabrics, but will be choosing different fabrics (and colors)  for the block you submit for the drawing.  The fabric and color choice (and layout) for your own sampler is up to you!!  This quilt works well with any fabric line and is fat quarter friendly.   If you’d like to purchase one background fabric to tie it all together, 1 1/2 yards should do it.

We will begin in January so make sure you stop by the table to pay your fee and get your fabric.   Also, let me know if you received the email!

Sue Heinlein and Heather Deegan