The Very Good Influence of Friends...

... Or, when a friend shares a better idea, use it.

Several of my friends and I are participating in a local shop's BOM. We go out for coffee after the meetings, and gab for awhile. Lots of sharing about what we're working on, what's going on in our lives, travel plans, etc. I always enjoy our coffee get-togethers.

The current BOM series is in the final month. Each month there's a main block (left) and an optional alternate block (right). The series is inspired by the Roman road, hence the stone and brick color palette.

BOM Main Block and Original Alternate Block

The original alternate block as shown has four pieces in the side units, so the center seam has to align with the center point of the main block.

My friend Cherie of The Quilted Jonquil suggested that if the side unit had three pieces instead of four, there would be no seam to have to match up at the center point. She made a sample, which you can see on her design wall directly below her name. When she first showed us this option, I offered to mock it up in EQ for her so she could see if she liked it.

Cherie's Revised Alternate Block

 Layout Using Cherie's Revised Alternate Block

We both liked it.

This was about four months ago. I had finished eight of the original alternate blocks at that time. I liked Cherie's option so much that I started taking apart the alternate blocks I'd already completed. I have all but one disassembled, and all the new side units pieced and ready to reassemble them.

Parts & Kits for Revised Alternate Blocks

My layout requires 13 of the main block, so I searched through my stash and found fabrics that will work nicely.

Fabrics from Stash for 13th Main Block

So, work in progress:
 - Make two more of the main block, #12 from the shop and my own
 - Take apart the last alternate block
 - Reassemble 8 alternate blocks from the existing pieces
 - Make four alternate blocks from the shop kits that haven't been started yet, with the new side units

I'll add a small border of the background white Grunge to float the blocks, then a wider border of a taupe print. I may have one in my stash that will work, but I need to see if I have enough of it.

EQ Layout with Borders, 76" x 76"

So that's my plan. Actually the shop is presenting their finishing kit for sale at the next BOM meeting. I've heard it involves very narrow sashing. I really like the graphic secondary pattern of my layout, so I don't think I'll be using sashing.

Don't you just love it when quilter friends get their heads together? Thanks, Cherie, for sharing your brilliant block revision.

In other WIP Wednesday news, I've finished the SID in the Maple Leaf Star quilt but now I have a lot of thread tails to bury. Then I need to find binding fabric. Maybe by Friday I'll have a finish!

Linking up with Let's Bee Social at Sew Fresh Quilts