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Monday, October 27, 2014

Sew Sweet Simplicity BOM - Block #1!!!

It's finally here!!!!
The Sew Sweet Simplicity BOM starts today!!!


 Are you as excited as I am?  I hope so!  
I love a BOM, and I especially love one that is fun and simple to make - 
and Jacquelynne has made sure these blocks are all of that!
(Our first hint is the word "Simplicity" in the name LOL!)

(If you're new, you can go HERE to find out all about the BOM )

Here is my Block #1



Since Jacquelynne used her lovely Cottage Charm fabrics to make her blocks (go HERE if you'd like to see her Block #1), I decided I would go with something totally different.  One of her suggested examples showed a black background and lots of bright solids to give it an Amish look - and you know I loved that!  I pulled all my solids out - I even bought a few more!



I had really been on the fence about how I was going to handle the center snowball in each block.... applique? ..... embroidery? ..... leave it blank and do some fancy quilting in there? .....

But then ..... I stumbled across this gorgeous Laurel Burch cats panel while digging for potential Patchwork of the Crosses fabrics - and inspiration struck!



What if I put a cat in the center of each one?!?



And then surround it with black, then lots of bright colors?.......
Not solids of course, but fun prints to emphasize the cats......



All my pieces cut out and ready to stitch.... the center panel already has it's black border and cut down to the required 6-1/2" square size.



Although I am totally in love with this idea, it is proving to be a little tricky because those center snowballs are only 6-1/2" square, and most of these cat blocks are going to be very close to that, leaving little space for a black border around them.  I may have to get very creative!!!

I love the way Jacquelynne makes her Flying Geese units!  I had never done them that way before.  I found it to be a very easy method, and my units were perfect!  Look at those points!  *polishing shoulder LOL!!!*

I have to admit, I just had to save the corners that were cut off - they made the cutest little 1-1/4" half-square triangles!  I simply sewed again a little less than 1/2" away from the first stitching and cut them off.  No messing with bias seams for me!


This is a little trick I learned from Bonnie Hunter, although she actually measures where she sews that second seam so she doesn't even have to square up the resulting hst unit!  That Bonnie is one smart cookie!!!!

For my half-square triangle units, I used a silver metallic gel pen to mark the diagonal center of my black squares.  This mark didn't matter because we don't sew on it; we sew a scan 1/4" inch away on both sides, then cut on that marked line.  But for my colored squares I knew I would actually be sewing on that line and it may show later, so I used a Frixion iron-away pen for them.....



I played with leaving the snowball corners out and making the center a square since the black was so narrow around the cat, but I just didn't like the orange star points just jutting out there all by themselves.....


I decided I would have to sacrifice some of the black border and make the snowball corners in orange so the star would connect all the way around.  I think it was the right decision :)



Sew..... are you sewing along?
If you're signed up, your email with the pattern is waiting for you now!  
What fabrics are you using?  
And what are you planning for the center blocks?
Yes - I want to know everything!!!!
  
Share photos of your blocks on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram 
using the hashtag #SewSweetSimplicity.


 

Also linking up with:
Patchwork Times - Design Wall Monday
Freemotion by the River - Tuesday Linky Party
What a Hoot - BOM's Away!
Cat Patches - October NewFO Challenge

Hugs & Blessings!
Teresa
=^..^=

33 comments:

  1. I haven't gotten my newsletter yet for the block instructions - but just love what I am seeing already. I do love what you are doing with the LB fabrics - you and color!!

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  2. It is SEW PRETTY, Teresa!!!
    You know I am a dark and dirty kind of gal, but I do just love color of all kinds, and what you do with these beautiful brights just makes them sing! This is a perfect setting for those cats and you are going to make magic out of it!

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  3. Hi, this is Barb from "Garden Path Quilts" (part of this blog hop) and I love your block! Adding the Laurel Burch cats is very cool!

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  4. I love your bright colors with the cat centers.

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  5. I'm waiting too . . . I can't wait! I love that cats take center stage in your block -- great idea!! :)

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  6. LOVE your block and colors!! This is a great idea! This is inspiring me to give the BoM a try now...
    Susie

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  7. great fabric choices!! love the boldness of it!!
    Hi from Sandy @UpStairsHobbyRoom

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  8. Teresa- these are gorgeous fabrics! I'm having so much fun seeing how everyone's blocks turned out with the different fabrics and palettes! They are all so different and beautiful!
    Jacquelynne

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  9. I really love your fabric choices. Sooo pretty!

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  10. It looks like the beginning of another stunning quilt! Love the fabrics you have chosen.

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  11. Your block is spectacular! Love how you fussy cut the cat and used such perfect fabrics to surround it.

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  12. Oh I love your bright fabrics! The fussy cut center is purrr-fect. ;-)

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  13. I saw my newsletter on my phone but just sat down finally for the day! Your block is gorgeous. It is so you.

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  14. Wow....I love it! I haven't even finished reading my directions, which is always the hardest part for me. You know how I always interpret everything backwards...giggle. Wonderful block!

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  15. Love your block! Those cats are going to be the perfect center. Great colors too.

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  16. Looks like a great BOM, but I have too much on my machine right now. Maybe later. Off to check out that method of hers - always looking for fool proof ways and yours look so exact. Great colors!

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  17. Hi Teresa, nice to meet you and everyone! Such great bold colors! You've matched the fabrics so well with the cat fabric. I need to get busy with mine....
    xxxsusie

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  18. Your block is absolutely gorgeous, Teresa!

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  19. Your first block is absolutely fabulous! GORGEOUS!! I'm going to be honest and say that flying geese intimidate me ... so disappointing because I love them! But it sounds like I need to go check out Jacquelynne's method ... and Bonnie's too (although so far all I'm finding is her method using specialty rulers).

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  20. Great idea to fussy cut the centers - that's perfect fabric for these blocks. Fun, fun.

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  21. Beautiful block Teresa, love the center too!

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  22. Oh, wow! That cat is superbly awesome in that block. :D

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  23. Excellent! I was thinking about using some special fabric for the centers of my blocks too. I hope to get my first block done by this weekend.

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  24. Awesome block! I love Laurel Burch cats, and they are perfect for this.

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  25. Teresa, I KNEW those Laurel Burch prints would look awesome as the centers of your blocks. Absolutely gorgeous!!

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  26. Oh WOW! I can't wait to see all of them together. Great job. I am planning on starting today

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  27. Oh, my goodness, those Laurel Burch fabrics are the absolute best - love that you're using such bright colors with the black background, wonderful!

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  28. Love your first block. You picked a beautiful color scheme!

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  29. Oh wow. These fabrics and colors are gorgeous!

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  30. Wow - Your brights make the block come alive! The orange snowball pieces were definitely the right choice - it makes a perfect frame for the center block. Great use of the LB fabric.

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  31. Teresa, how did I miss this post?? Wow! I love Laurel Burch fabrics. I've been coveting a length of her giraffe prints for years....just can cut into it!

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  32. PS Your block is nothing short of gorgeous!

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