Guild Block of the Month Alternatives???

Maybe you could do a block---maybe a heart to put on each end of a table runner, and maybe one in the middle. Maybe do this in Dec, or at least a month in advance, to have ready for Feb. HTH Barbara in SC who likes to have things ready ahead of time

Divide and conquer! If you put your members into 4 or 5 teams, 15-20 people each, and gave them a group project, would that work? The finished quilts could go to a charity. There are plenty of organizations that would be thrilled to have them. Or you could organize an auction or raffle and give the money to a worthy cause.

You could f>I am in a guild of 80 or so members and run the block of the month.

Awesome Idea Roberta! Only problem is I guess I should have mentioned we already do guild challenges as well and this season it was a group challenge, it went VERY well but it was a separate activity from the block of the month.

I have also tossed around doing a block swap as well but the reason we don't give all the BOM's to one person is because of the variation of everyone's 1/4" ;) I have a feeling that would come into play with that as well.

So many people to please.................

We do a block swap ("Lotto Block") each month. Those who wish to participate, make the block & bring it to the meeting. Their names go into a hat, one name is drawn and the winner takes all. The number participating varies; very simple blocks get more participants than those that are a bit more work. Participation is really pretty low, considering how many members we have -- probably not more than 5-10%. You can see some of the recent blocks on our website:

Julia > I am in a guild of 80 or so members and run the block of the month.

We do a BoM "lottery" each month in one of my groups. This year I am in charge of it and have done a couple of different things with it. I designed a quilt (with EQ6) that uses 3 different blocks, with 4 of each block. For the monthly "lottery" drawing I would specify colors and such. For the "Mystery Quilt" I gave them the total fabric needed (as light, medium, dark) and each month's instructions for the block had an addendum for those doing the Mystery Quilt. We usually have 10-12 or so doing the block each month. And several picked up the info and are doing the Mystery Quilt. (reminds me.... I need to get mine sewn together. Have all the blocks made. ) I include some sort of little "extra" with the instructions, especially for beginners, but also as a refresher for the more experienced quilters.(January I chose Dutchman's Puzzle as the block and provided a print out for everyone for the "No-Waste Flying Geese". Then also used flying geese as part of the next month's block so they could reinforce the method.) We also encourage people to leave a bit extra on the outside edges of the block for people to trim when they get the blocks. Every once in a while the fabric for part of the block is included with the monthly pattern. The winner of the blocks will get some extra to make more blocks if desired. (I found a black and white print to use as the center of the block, the half square triangles around it are to be any bright color plus a white for background (HSTs and corner squares.) A previous co-ordinator of the BoM for the group started having a "2nd chance" drawing for everyone who brought back their blocks. Something like a bottle of "Best Press" or something. I was able to get a couple of beanie bears that are embroidered with a Featherweight on the tummy that I am using for a couple of these monthly, or every so often extra prizes.

So far the blocks, colors I have chosen seem to be going over fairly well. I try to make the block not difficult, but interesting. And with different color choices each month. (Even had a few people make more than one to get in the drawing more than once one month. The block was a simple one..... Economy Square, in greens and pale yellow or cream.)

Coping with "not all the same size" blocks might make for an interesting guild program and perhaps help boost the participation.

Personally I think the people who participate like being able to win the blocks. Even though many of these end up as quilts for the charity we "sponsor" with quilts. They do give people ideas for quilts for themselves too.

We have had years where people had the option of making a block for the drawing and one to keep themselves. At the end of the year a suggestion or two for finishing the blocks into a quilt were given. That can be fun, especially if there is some sort of friendly "contest" for finishing either the top or the quilt by a certain time.

Lots of ideas, but it depends on the people in the group.

Have fun with it, Pati, in Phx.

On Apr 28, 7:23=A0am, JPgirl wrote:

I'll tell you what I think would be fun. I would love to have a wallhanging that stays permanently mounted on the wall, but the "block" or whatever changes every month. I've seen similar stuff for sale, but it seems like you could design something simple that everyone could do and then do a different block representing the month.

Maybe a Welcome banner with the blocks buttoned on.

Cindy

Hey that is a really cool idea! I will definitely keep that one in mind!

Thanks Teleflora!

My guild also has hit and miss BOM's. Usually we bring in our completed block and put our name in for a draw. The drawn name wins all the blocks. Sometimes there are many, and some times few. We also have a community quilts on-going project, so once or twice a year, all the blocks go towards community quilts, and a small gift is provided for the winner. The last one that was done had a coordinating fabric for all the blocks. This makes for a little more organized quilt to be made from the donated blocks. Hope this helps.

Hey that is a really cool idea! I will definitely keep that one in mind!

Thanks Teleflora!

We killed off the block of the month at our guild too. There was so little participation that we needed a change.

One year we did Pat in Virginia's idea of a UFO project. It was unbelievably successful! In fact, many of the guild which whom we exchange newsletter have since done it as well. There was a basic form where we listed 10 unfinished projects of our choice. Each month the coordinator drew a number from a hat and that was the project number we worked on. Say she drew "3" then we worked on whatever we had listed on line 3. We had two months to finish it. We got credit if we brought it to show and tell and our name went in a hat for a prize drawing. She also did a big prize drawing at the end of the year with all the name slips.

Then we decided that fun project would fizzle if we did it every year. So the next year someone did three small projects in "mystery quilt" format. So each month for 3 - 4 months a step was printed in the newsletter. She did a small quilt or two and a table runner. I honestly can't remember exactly. People had fun unveiling the finished projects at show and tell. It was pretty popular.

This year it's small projects again. We've had gift bags - which took off after one person made them and brought it to show and tell - when people saw how cute they were in real life many showed up at show and tell in subsequent months. Then a wall sized mystery quilt over a few months. Then a good block pattern to use up scraps.

I know people are clamoring for the UFO project to come back so perhaps we'll see it again next year.

marcella

Our guild historically does a BOM but had the same lack of participation happening. This past year, we did a Block of the Season. Only 4 times this year did we have to make blocks. We did one for Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. The ones I remember: Bluebird, Pumpkin, Snowman, ? can't remember Summer for some reason. We had groups so each of us only had to make no more than 8 or 9 blocks (we swapped within our group) which worked out great when

36 or more of us participated! We are a small guild and had really great participation!

Just another idea.....