Hey everyone! I’m back in the studio again on another gloomy Friday afternoon tying up loose ends before the weekend hits. Despite the warmer temps finally starting to settling in, we’re still dealing with the wind and rain making everything a soggy mess. On the bright side, the world outside is really starting to green up which is nice, and exciting to see after such a long winter. I think it’s safe to say that spring is actually in full-swing… For real this time!

Today is not only Cinco de Mayo, but it’s also the official release date of the third “Bountiful Quilt-Along block – two great reasons to celebrate with some saucy margaritas if you ask me! This month’s release is referred to as the Sunflower Block release. If you couldn’t guess, these blocks feature colorful large-scale sunflowers that are fun and easy to sew. If you are following the pattern exactly as it’s written you will be making two of these happy blocks for the quilt. Or, if you’ve decided to go the Lisa Bongean route and are following along with my layout, you will need to make four. As you know I’ve never had much of a taste for large baskets, which is why I made the decision to delete them from the pattern all together. Instead I used two additional blocks of both releases number three and four to create an alternative layout. It will look something like the image below. No offense toward the original design, my brain just likes this one better.

Whether you choose to go with my basket-less design or take the original route, “Bountiful” is a bright and cheerful sampler quilt that features flowers, butterflies, …and baskets if you want it to. It will finish at 64″ square making it a nice throw sized quilt. If you’re a fan of the original and have decided to go with the initial design, your finished quilt will look like this…

The “Sunflower Blocks” measure 12.5″ x 24.5″ and will make up the outer portion of each corner section of the quilt. The inner portion of each corner section will be made up of Block #4 which will be released on Friday, June 2nd, 2023. If you’ve been following along you know that for my blocks I am using a bright and colorful mix of spring and summery fabrics by Lori Holt. I thought the vivid mix of prints and patterns was especially fitting for such a cheerful quilt.The Flip and stitch method will make light work of the components of this block. After your units are complete, assembling the quilt will go super fast and easy. Make sure you check your measurements after stitching each component so that in the end your final sunflower blocks all measure the same (the instructions show measurements for each unit as you go, which is helpful). If they are not, your quilt will not go together smoothly in the end. Ready to give it a shot? You can find the pattern and full instructions for the Sunflower Blocks by clicking HERE!

How is your progress coming along? Are you on track or letting your blocks pile up to tackle all at once? Let me know in the comments! If you’re a straggler and still thinking about joining this QAL but haven’t made the leap yet, it’s all good! You can start at any time… All you have to do to get your FREE patterns for the Bountiful Quilt-Along is visit Fat Quarter Shop’s blog, The Jolly Jabber for more information by clicking the link below! There you will find fabric requirements, hot tips, and a link to the Bountiful Quilt-Along Landing Page, which you can also find by clicking HERE!I will continue to post my progress here on my blog as I make my way through “Bountiful” here on my blog in case you’d like to follow along! I sure hope you found some inspiration to join this Quilt-Along with a cause. There’s something extra special about giving back using your own hard work and talents. I love having the opportunity to use mine to help kids facing adversity in their lives. Remember, Make-A-Wish Foundation relies on donations to make wishes come true and they can’t do it without our help! Ready to quilt-along with us? Hit the link above for more information! OR to read my blog post where I introduce and explain it all, click HERE! 

Well gang, now that you have your assignment I feel like I can hang it up for the week. As usual before I sign off I have a couple of prizes to sling so let’s get to it! This week a very special thank you goes out to Diana R. and Shari S. for their comments on the blog last week. You really know how to make a girl feel appreciated and I can’t thank you enough! As for the rest of you, your comments are extremely important to us so please – keep them coming and I’ll keep sending out the prizes (note: I do not post last names or email addresses for your privacy, so if you think you’re one of the lucky winners this week please be sure to check your email. You can also contact Heidi at heidin@primitivegatherings.us if you have not already received a prize confirmation letter from her. If you think you are a winner but have not received a prize confirmation email, be sure to check your spam folder – it’s not often but our emails will sometimes end up there)!!! Alright everyone, have a great weekend and I will see you all next week. Until then take care and of course, do your best to stitch every day! Bye for now. ~Lisa