Beach Dreams Block of the Month

Balmy breezes …. sunshine …. the soothing swish of waves brushing the shore …. the music of sea birds in the air accompanied by the slap of flip-flops against one’s heels … the chime of sail and flag riggings gently hitting their masts …. the tangy scent of salt and seaweed in the air …. the warmth of the sun on your shoulders ...

Connect The Blocks and Morning Glory Designs are excited to partner again in 2021 to bring you this sea-worthy Block of the Month!  After a tumultuous 2020, aren’t we all ready for some calm? Our beachy BOM represents the easy-going life at the beach.

This will be a 12-part series that will include piecing, applique, and some paper-piecing.  It’s appropriate for confident beginners and seasoned quilters alike and when it’s complete you’ll have a beautiful large lap throw or wall hanging (approximately 68” square) to give someone special or keep for yourself.

Your subscription to this Block of the Month (BOM) includes all the fabrics you need to make the top, the printed patterns and templates for each block, and the postage to send it to you monthly (within the United States*).  The first kits will be sent out in January, usually about a week after you sign up.  If you choose to start later in the year, that’s no problem!  We’ll work with you to complete this on your time schedule.

Ready to begin?  Go HERE to subscribe!

Would you rather subscribe to the patterns only? You can do that directly from the designer HERE.

*International Sewists:  As much as we love all of you, shipping costs outside the USA have become so prohibitive, we no longer offer Blocks of the Month kits internationally with postage included.  However, if you really want our kits, we will certainly work with you to make that happen - shipping costs will remain outrageous, but we can lower those costs by sending quarterly, every other month, or whatever works for you.  If you'd like to discuss possibilities, contact Peggy at "quilt.junkie@ConnectTheBlocks.com".

Southwest Sunrise Block of the Month

It is our great pleasure to partner with Reeze Hanson of Morning Glory Designs to bring you this unique quilt. It was love at first sight when we saw the initial design, and as the quilt has been tweaked and refined, our love for it has grown. For 12 months, you will receive a kit and pattern to assemble this quilt in easily manageable sections. Along with that you’ll receive the story behind the symbolism in each block. “Southwest Sunrise” calls upon symbols and cosmology of many Southwest Tribes: The Zuni, Pima, Navajo, Hopi, Pueblo, Apache and Tohono O’Ohdam. The iconography of each tribe’s belief system has become associated with this region of the United States, even among the non-Native Americans who live in the Southwest. When completed, this quilt will tell a story – a story about hope, about women, and the ties that bind us all to Mother Earth. It is a positive story with a happy ending – and a gorgeous, meaningful quilt.

Ready to join us on our journey? Sign up HERE.

Deco Garden Block of the Month

Evocative of the Art Nouveau period with the look and feel of Tiffany stained glass, Deco Garden is a stunning design you will be thrilled to display.

We're delighted to be partnered with Morning Glory Designs on this project!  This is a 13-month program that will include all the fabrics you need for the blocks, sashing, borders and binding shown here for this 56"x62" quilt, along with each month's pattern. The fabrics are all Anthology batiks with solid black as the background fabric. As always with our BOMs there are NO registration fees and NO additional shipping charges. The cost you see here is what you will be billed each month.

For more information and to sign up for the Art Deco Block of the Month, go HERE.

 

Bad Girls of the Bible Stained Glass Window Block of the Month

This second block of the month quilt in our three-part series highlights “Bad Girls of the Bible”, and is a follow-up to “Slightly Bad Girls of the Bible.” This program features familiar and not so familiar women in the Bible: Eve, Potiphar’s wife, Lot’s wife, Sapphira, Delilah, Rahab and more. Each block represents the story in which the women appear, and it’s up to you to read the stories if you choose. The pattern itself includes a brief description of the story represented by each block, and the last page of the pattern booklet provides guidelines on setting up a book study in your home or church if you have an interest in doing so.

Our generous-sized lap quilt (54” x 72”) is made of premium batiks with solid black Pimatex on a limestone-brick background and encompasses both traditionally piecing and easy paper-piecing techniques. (If you’re new to paper-piecing this is a great project with which to start – super easy foundations let you see how easy and rewarding this technique can be!)  We also include our exclusive tips and tricks for success with each block along with directions for framing each window and enlarging the quilt to the size shown (54" x 72"). Choose from the 5-month program for $28/month (USA), the 11-month program for $15/month (USA), or the full kit (available HERE). As with all our BOMs, shipping is included in the monthly price, and there is no registration fee. First kits will begin shipping in early October.

Click HERE for more information and to sign up.

Life on the Reef Block of the Month

From Barbara Bieraugel Designs, we’re thrilled to offer this follow up to Colorful Tropics: “LIFE ON THE REEF”. Life on the Reef is a 10-month program that results in a large (48” x 52”) wall hanging or small lap quilt. The easy patchwork background gives beautiful movement to this design. Swimming through the patchwork “reef” you’ll notice a sea turtle, Achilles Tang, Yellow Tang, Humuhumunukunukuapua’a (aka Humuhumu or the reef, rectangular, or wedge-tail triggerfish), Moorish Idol and a sea horse or a bottom of sea grass, kelp, elk horn coral and fan coral. The applique can be done with fusible or by hand – it’s your choice. Barbara’s excellent directions and tips make this an easy project to complete (even for those of us who shun the dreaded “A” word).

As with all our BOMs, there is no registration fee and shipping is included in the monthly cost – no hidden charges and no surprises! You pay exactly what you see here: this 10-month program is $21 per month for our USA customers, $27 per month for our Canadian friends (to cover the additional shipping). First kits will begin shipping in mid-October and quantities are limited!

Go HERE to sign up and for more information.

Appalachian Memories Block of the Month

We call this "Grandpa's Barn Quilt" because each one of these beautiful barn blocks were lovingly hand stitched by Grandpa!  Designed by Beth Dix of Primrose Lane in North Carolina, "Appalachian Memories" is one of a series called "Mama's Quilts" dedicated to Beth's mother Dolores.

We created our Block of the Month program to be as simple as possible so that beginners and experienced stitchers alike can enjoy making this  beautiful 74" x 92" quilt.  All the fabrics for the top & binding are premium quilt shop batiks and the thread is Sulky's 12-wt in a beautiful chocolate brown.  Additionally, we provide you with pre-printed embroidery designs on Fabri-Solvy so there is no tracing required on any of these blocks!

We offer this program in a 13-month program for $22/month, or if you're an over-achiever we have a 6-month program for $40/month.  As with all of our BOM programs there is no registration fee and shipping is included in your monthly cost.  You get no added charges and no surprises!

For more information and to sign up, go HERE.

STEPPIN’ OUT Block of the Month

A Pearl Louise Design

Calling all flirty girls!  Isn’t this “shoe quilt” simply irresistible?    Sew much fun to put together, this pieced and appliqued quilt just makes people smile!  We found this to be about the easiest fusible applique project we’ve ever done and the results are delightful.

Featuring shoe styles to suit just about anyone, this large (81" x 81") fashion statement quilt appeals to the flirty girl in all of us!  You can’t help but laugh when you see the name of each shoe, and we bet you’ll have the songs for which the shoes are named running through your head as you make each block.  You can even listen to our exclusive "soundtrack" HERE!

This 12-month program is $22.00 per month, which includes all the patterns, fabrics for top & binding, and postage for this 81" x 81" quilt.  As always, there are no registration fees, and no extra shipping charges!  

We also offer a six-month accelerated program, or you can purchase the entire kit at one time.  We're flexible like that!  Go HERE for more information and to sign up.

Colorful Tropics

Tired of dreary winter days?  Take yourself on an 11-month trip through the tropics!  Colorful Tropics is a sampler of blocks in a glorious array of colors, inspired by designer Barbara Bieraugel's home state of Hawaii.  This is an 11-month program for which you'll receive each month the pattern and all the fabrics you need for the top & binding, with shipping included.  No registration fees, no additional postage!  The quilt finishes at approximately 76.5" x 89.5". Click HERE to sign up today.

Toes in the Sand Block of the Month

Don’t we all dream of putting our toes in the sand at the beach sometimes?  It doesn’t matter where we live, the song of the surf calls to the beach bum in all of us at some point.  With “Toes in the Sand” you can visit a different beach every month. Make blocks inspired by the big boulders of Big Sur or the tiny pebbles of Pebble Beach.  Join us on a 14-month beach-hopping trip up the California coast as we visit Jaybird Quilt’s favorite beaches, making two blocks at each visit (each month). Go here for details and sign-up to make this twin-size quilt.  (As with all our kits, postage is included in the monthly charge of $18.00 and there is no registration fee.)

Mind Your Mama! Block of the Month

Calling all Redwork Lovers!  We’ve taken Eazy Peazy Quilts’ adorable new “Mind Your Mama” pattern and broken it out into a Block of the Month program we’re sure you’ll enjoy.  Who hasn’t heard these admonitions from our moms, dads, grandparents … whatever “authority” figures we grew up with:  “Eat your vegetables!”, “Make your bed!”, “Brush your teeth!” and so on.

And don’t we tell our children or grandchildren the very same things?  Commemorate those sayings with this all-inclusive adorable wall quilt (40” x 40”) done in red and white over a 10-month period.   Details and sign-up button can be found here.  (As with all our kits, U.S. postage is included in the monthly charge of $10.00 and there is no registration fee.)