November's Block

 November is here and it's officially the holiday season in my book. We just got done with Halloween and we are starting to focus on Thanksgiving and Christmas. I know many of you are working on Christmas projects. You are ahead of the game! I haven't started anything yet and my to do list is long. I have gotten a couple of gifts for the granddaughters. In fact, I'm late with this post because I was watching my oldest grand this weekend. We had so much fun together. I loved watching my two sweethearts playing together, pretending to be princesses. We spent some time outside running around in the leaves while papa racked them.

 In case you are just starting the BOM, the fabric requirements are below. Everything is based on a 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" square and this month's pattern can be found on my website for free this month. It's not too late to join, I actually pieced this quilt during a retreat and only spent two of the days putting the blocks together. That included lots of breaks for snacks and visiting so I know that you can easily catch up if you are just joining us.

2 yards contrasting color

2 1/2 yards cream background

3/4 yard for the border

1/2-yard binding

Let me show you how I made this month's block... gather your 2 1/2" squares and following the block layout and sew your squares together using your favorite method making sure to nest your seams so everything lines up nicely. I am encouraging you to use your stash and have fun with it. Just remember the contrast between light and dark. This finished quilt block will measure 12 1/2" x 20 1/2". 

November's Block

Each month's pattern is a free PDF instant download. If you miss a month, the patterns are available for $2.00 on my website 

 There's also a Facebook Group, please join and post your progress! It's also fun to see everyone else progress too! Make sure to post your blocks so far! 

 I hope that you have a wonderful day and find some time to stitch. 

Have a wonderful day,

Cindy, Josephine & Bonaparte

October’s Block

 October is starting out with wonderful warm weather, the garden is still blooming, the trees are just starting to change. We’ve been able to catch up on yard work with this beautiful weather. I’ve been waiting for the first to pull out my Halloween bin. I’ve been watching my spooky movies, I try to watch one or two each evening. The scarier the better! We’re getting towards the end of out BOM, I know the next few months are so busy that the time will just fly by!

 In case you are just starting the BOM, the fabric requirements are below. Everything is based on a 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" square and this month's pattern can be found on my website for free this month. It's not too late to join, I actually pieced this quilt during a retreat and only spent two of the days putting the blocks together. That included lots of breaks for snacks and visiting so I know that you can easily catch up if you are just joining us.

2 yards contrasting color

2 1/2 yards cream background

3/4 yard for the border

1/2-yard binding

Tell your friends! Spread the word! Post the button on your blog!

Let me show you how I made this month's block... gather your 2 1/2" squares and following the block layout and sew your squares together using your favorite method making sure to nest your seams so everything lines up nicely. I am encouraging you to use your stash and have fun with it. Just remember the contrast between light and dark. This finished quilt block will measure 12 1/2" x 20 1/2". 

October's Block

 Each month's pattern is a free PDF instant download. If you miss a month, the patterns are available for $2.00 on my website and also in my Etsy shop.  

 There's also a Facebook Group, please join and post your progress! It's also fun to see everyone else progress too! Make sure to post your blocks so far! 

 I hope that you have a wonderful day and find some time to stitch. 

Have a wonderful day,

Cindy, Josephine & Bonaparte

September's Block

September crept up on me yesterday, I had no idea that today was September 1st until I looked at my calendar! I really don't know what happened to summer, it just flew by. Kids will be back to school tomorrow and it really seems like summer break was just yesterday! My mom retired from her school lunchroom job just this year, so this is the first time in 35 years that she doesn't have to get up to go make the cookies for the kids. I know the kids will miss grandma's cookies, she makes them from scratch and the kids know the difference between the homemade ones and frozen ones!

 In case you are just starting the BOM, the fabric requirements are below. Everything is based on a 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" square and this month's pattern can be found on my website for free this month. It's not too late to join, I actually pieced this quilt during a retreat and only spent two of the days putting the blocks together. That included lots of breaks for snacks and visiting so I know that you can easily catch up if you are just joining us.

2 yards contrasting color

2 1/2 yards cream background

3/4 yard for the border

1/2-yard binding

Tell your friends! Spread the word! Post the button on your blog!

Let me show you how I made this month's block... gather your 2 1/2" squares and following the block layout and sew your squares together using your favorite method making sure to nest your seams so everything lines up nicely. I am encouraging you to use your stash and have fun with it. Just remember the contrast between light and dark. This finished quilt block will measure 12 1/2" x 20 1/2". 

September's Block

I have my squares lined up next to my machine to make it easy for me to chain sew my block.

 Each month's pattern is a free PDF instant download. If you miss a month, the patterns are available for $2.00 on my website and also in my Etsy shop.  

 There's also a Facebook Group, please join and post your progress! It's also fun to see everyone else progress too! Make sure to post your blocks so far! 

 I hope that you have a wonderful day and find some time to stitch. 

Have a wonderful day,

Cindy, Josephine & Bonaparte

August's Block 2025

August is here, it's hard to believe that summer is almost over. Seems like summers fly by too quickly. Soon the evenings will start to cool down and the leaves on my one maple tree will start to turn, it's always the first tree. I have a little touch of autumn in the middle of August. The garden seems slow this year... only one tomato so far, I'm hoping for more of course. (We've have had a lot of rain this year.) I have picked a couple of nice batches of green beans. I roasted them in the oven with a little bit of olive oil and seasoned them with salt and pepper, so yummy. 

 In case you are just starting the BOM, the fabric requirements are below. Everything is based on a 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" square and this month's pattern can be found on my website for free this month. It's not too late to join, I actually pieced this quilt during a retreat and only spent two of the days putting the blocks together. That included lots of breaks for snacks and visiting so I know that you can easily catch up if you are just joining us.

2 yards contrasting color

2 1/2 yards cream background

3/4 yard for the border

1/2-yard binding

Tell your friends! Spread the word! Post the button on your blog!

Let me show you how I made this month's block... gather your 2 1/2" squares and following the block layout and sew your squares together using your favorite method making sure to nest your seams so everything lines up nicely. I am encouraging you to use your stash and have fun with it. Just remember the contrast between light and dark. This finished quilt block will measure 12 1/2" x 20 1/2". 

I have my squares lined up next to my machine to make it easy for me to chain sew my block.

August's Block

 Each month's pattern is a free PDF instant download. If you miss a month, the patterns are available for $2.00 on my website and also in my Etsy shop.  

 There's also a Facebook Group, please join and post your progress! It's also fun to see everyone else progress too! Make sure to post your blocks so far! 

 I hope that you have a wonderful day and find some time to stitch. 

Have a wonderful day,

Cindy, Josephine & Bonaparte

July's Block 2025

Happy July! The 4th is in a couple of days and I'm looking forward to making my usual treats using blueberries and strawberries. I love this time of year and all the fresh produce. I'm sure to be smoking something yummy, either ribs or a pork butt for shredded pork sandwiches. (Maybe both!) It’s also our 40th wedding anniversary over the 4th of July weekend. It seems crazy, forty years have just flown by! Later this month we'll be going on our annual family vacation up north to the lake. It's always so much fun and relaxing to get away. 

 In case you are just starting the BOM, the fabric requirements are below. Everything is based on a 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" square and this month's pattern can be found on my website for free this month. It's not too late to join, I actually pieced this quilt during a retreat and only spent two of the days putting the blocks together. That included lots of breaks for snacks and visiting so I know that you can easily catch up if you are just joining us.

2 yards contrasting color

2 1/2 yards cream background

3/4 yard for the border

1/2-yard binding

Tell your friends! Spread the word! Post the button on your blog!

Let me show you how I made this month's block... gather your 2 1/2" squares and following the block layout and sew your squares together using your favorite method making sure to nest your seams so everything lines up nicely. I am encouraging you to use your stash and have fun with it. Just remember the contrast between light and dark. This finished quilt block will measure 12 1/2" x 20 1/2". 

Don't forget to pop over to the website and download the free pattern this month. Just like last month, I threw in some light pink into the background along with a purple and a pink block. Have you tried anything different with your blocks? 

I have my squares lined up next to my machine to make it easy for me to chain sew my block.

July's Block

 Each month's pattern is a free PDF instant download. If you miss a month, the patterns are available for $2.00 on my website and also in my Etsy shop.  

 There's also a Facebook Group, please join and post your progress! It's also fun to see everyone else progress too! Make sure to post your blocks so far! 

 I hope that you have a wonderful day and find some time to stitch. 

Have a wonderful day,

Cindy, Josephine & Bonaparte

June's Block 2025

June is here! The garden is almost in. The seedlings and seed packets are bought. I hope to get things planted later today. At least the flowers are planted, and we are enjoying spending time outside grilling and relaxing on the patio and deck. 

 In case you are just starting the BOM, the fabric requirements are below. Everything is based on a 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" square and this month's pattern can be found on my website for free this month. 

2 yards contrasting color

2 1/2 yards cream background

3/4 yard for the border

1/2-yard binding

Tell your friends! Spread the word! Post the button on your blog!

Let me show you how I made this month's block... gather your 2 1/2" squares and following the block layout and sew your squares together using your favorite method making sure to nest your seams so everything lines up nicely. I am encouraging you to use your stash and have fun with it. Just remember the contrast between light and dark. This finished quilt block will measure 12 1/2" x 20 1/2". 

Go on over to the website and download the directions for this month's block.

Like the other month's I'm making my block very scrappy. The trick of making it very scrappy is evenly distributing the various fabric prints. I know it's hard for some quilters to make a scrap quilt without seeing the complete layout. I'm asking you to trust the process and know it's okay if there's more of a certain print in an area of the quilt. I promise, the quilt police will not be knocking on your door. I have the liberty of having a competed quilt, the one thing I worried about was the oversaturation of a particular background cream print. What I noticed when the quilt was done and the blocks were sewn together, the prints and tones melted together and did not stand out in one way or another.

Another thing I did with my quilt was threw in a very light pink in my background fabric. The pink does not stand out in the overall quilt. I also took the liberty to place a medium pink and purple block in place of two cream blocks. These two blocks are the 'center' of the quilt.

I have my squares lined up next to my machine to make it easy for me to chain sew my block.

June's Block

 Each month's pattern is a free PDF instant download. If you miss a month, the patterns are available for $2.00 on my website and also in my Etsy shop.  

If you don't have a printer, you can purchase a PRINTED copy of the monthly patterns.

HERE

 There's also a Facebook Group, please join and post your progress! It's also fun to see everyone else progress too! Make sure to post your blocks so far! 

 I hope that you have a wonderful day and find some time to stitch. 

Have a wonderful day,

Cindy, Josephine & Bonaparte

May's Block

It's May Day! Spring is officially here! Gardening is in full swing here; I am redoing a perennial garden that is right off my deck. I'm pretty much starting from scratch. I'm going from a shade garden to a full sun garden since we took down a large oak tree last fall. There's lots of prep work to be done before I can start planting anything. I have been finding muscles that I didn't even knew existed and finding that I poop out quicker then I used to. I've been trying to put in at least a couple hours a day on this project. There's been a lot of weeds to pull since I've neglected this garden, not really sure what I would do with it. I have lots of shade perennials to dig up and move to shadier locations. I'm looking forward to going to the Amish greenhouses with my sister in a week or two and picking up all sorts of beautiful plants to fill my new sun garden and all of my flowerpots and gardens. I've been putting together my list of what I'm looking for so that I don't get sidetracked. At least I have a plan in mind, let's see if I can stick to it!

 Another fun shift for me is being able to do my work outside sitting at the patio table. I love drinking my coffee, reading emails in the morning as I listen to the birds chirping.

 In case you are just starting the BOM, the fabric requirements are below. Everything is based on a 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" square and this month's pattern can be found on my website for free this month. 

2 yards contrasting color

2 1/2 yards cream background

3/4 yard for the border

1/2-yard binding

Tell your friends! Spread the word! Post the button on your blog!

Let me show you how I made this month's block... gather your 2 1/2" squares and following the block layout and sew your squares together using your favorite method making sure to nest your seams so everything lines up nicely. I am encouraging you to use your stash and have fun with it. Just remember the contrast between light and dark. This finished quilt block will measure 12 1/2" x 20 1/2". 

Go on over to the website and download this month's free pattern. Print it up so that you can easily refer to the layout for this month's section.

I like to chain sew when I can. If you prefer to sew row by row, iron, feel free to do that.

May's Block

 Each month's pattern is a free PDF instant download. If you miss a month, the patterns are available for $2.00 on my website and also in my Etsy shop.  

If you don't have a printer, you can purchase a PRINTED copy of the monthly patterns.

HERE

 There's also a Facebook Group, please join and post your progress! It's also fun to see everyone else progress too! Make sure to post your blocks so far! 

 I hope that you have a wonderful day and find some time to stitch. I'm off to work on my gardens and get it ready for planting day!

Have a wonderful day,

Cindy, Josephine & Bonaparte