BOM=Block of the Month

There are a lots of different ways of doing a BOM. In its most basic form, a blogger will release a different blog each month with a tutorial, you source the materials and put them together. Now, they’ve grown from that with shops and designers offering BOM’s at what can sometime seem exorbitant prices. That begs the question, what do you get from doing a BOM?

The first one I ever did went over two years. It was on a blog, they provided the pattern and tutorial, I sourced my own fabrics and made. There were some blocks I didn’t do, the rulers required weren’t available in the UK at the time, but I learned so much from it. I learned to push myself and not to underestimate what I could achieve. The quilts I made are well used and showing signs of wear and tear, but I don’t care. It tells the story of the start of my quilting journey. The motivating factor of doing it was to learn things I didn’t know and it achieved that, 100%!

That blogger had to spend time researching the blogs and doing the tutorials for them. She was often there to answer questions all of which takes up time. I appreciate all the work she did.

This year is the first time I’ve paid to do a BOM. In fact, I’ve chosen two. One is with Leah Day and the other is from Sew and Quilt. I’ve chosen each one for different reasons and that’s the key. Is the BOM offering you something you feel is worth paying for?

Explore Walking Foot Quilting with Leah Day isn’t a traditional BOM. First, you need to buy her book. I’d love to have a hard copy, but the postage costs meant it made more sense to go for a PDF copy. In the book, there are instructions and lots of other helpful information and then each week, Leah supplements the book with videos to demonstrate what to do. There also is a Facebook group to go and ask questions and share your photos. I have to source and provide the material which means I don’t always keep up to date with what is going on. It doesn’t matter, the resources are there to keep and there is enough to keep you going all year. The reason I chose this one is that as much as I’d love to get more proficient at FMQ, I know I’m not using my walking foot to it’s full potential. Throughout the course, you move from simple quilting effects to something more complicated, it’s a journey of learning  Is it worth the money? For me, at $24.99 plus materials, yes it is. I get something I want from the process and Leah certainly deserves to be paid for her time and expertise.

The other BOM I’ve decided to do is from Sew and Quilt and I chose it for completely different reasons. This BOM is a reproduction of a quilt and is all EPP. It gives me a project to do in the evenings after a hard day at work. Again, it’s over twelve months, there is no support in place, although I’m sure if asked, they would provide it. Extra emails to support the BOM will be sent periodically throughout the year. For this one, the materials are provided, templates are provided and of course, the instructions. There is some cutting out of the fabric required, but the instructions are very clear. For this one, I am paying for the materials, the designer, preparation of the packs as well as postage and packing. The presentation is immaculate, I will do a review for you at a later time. Again, for me, it’s a price worth paying, I am getting something that  will bring a sense of great satisfaction at the end. It’s also making me take the time to do something I’ve wanted to do for a long time, and coming at monthly intervals, it makes it less overwhelming to do.

Looking around, you can go from the free BOMs to anything upward of £500. Not all BOMs will provide the same, but here is quick look at what you get. You have the expertise and skill of the designer, the cost of the materials, tutorials and possibly support. The length of the BOM can range from 12 month up to 18 months. Some will include full written or video tutorials to learn new techniques. Some will offer community support to get answer to questions and that is all factored into the cost. Some will come with all the materials and, if they are ready cut, that can take hours to prepare. Of course, once they are prepared, they are packaged and posted out.

So, what should you consider when choosing a BOM? Think about what you are getting from it, are you learning or perfecting new techniques? Are you getting all the materials?  Are they all prepared for you? Remember, big name designers and designer fabric will also come at a premium, so consider if, for you, that’s a price worth paying. And most importantly, consider your own circumstances. Sometimes, no matter how good the package, it sometimes just doesn’t fit in with our budget.

Are BOMs for you? Have you tried them?  What did you get with yours?  I’d love to hear what you think, whether you love them or not. We’ve been having a discussion my Facebook page and in my group so feel free to come and let me know what you think.

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