Throughout this past year, I have been involved in the 2021 Monthly Color Challenge presented by “Patterns by Jen“. This challenge was based on food….my favorite inspiration!!!
During the year I have enjoyed Lemons, Limes, Blueberries, Cherries, Pineapple, Pumpkin, Yams, Potatoes, Eggplant, Oranges, Grapefruit, and Olives…..
Now that the challenge has ended, it is time to put the quilt together…..
OR IS IT???
In 2022 there is ANOTHER challenge…..this time focusing on spices……
Now, doesn’t THAT sound interesting!!
So, instead of completing my quilt for 2021, I am going to keep the blocks and wait until I have finished the 2022 challenge. That way I can make a larger quilt and enjoy the results of both years of blocks.
Why don’t you think about joining me on this new journey? Check it out HERE.
There are a number of challenge participants who have actually finished their quilt!! Check these out…..
I recently finished the 2021 Monthly Color challenge from Patterns By Jen. The last block was based on one of my UN-favorites…..olives!!
My best memory of olives was seeing trees in the Duoro Valley of Portugal….
I sure wish that they tasted as good as they look!!!
I bought a bottle….
…and spent a little time examining the inspiration…..
It was fun to look thru my fabric and pick the perfect colors…..
I thought that the print was reminiscent of the pimentos stuffed in each olive.
Cutting was easy (just 4 squares)…so easy that I failed to take a photo before I started sewing…..
In a matter of minutes, I had the 1/4-square triangles made….
And three seams later, the block was finished….
Each month we are supposed to share our favorite recipe using the food, but that is impossible for me to do. However, Michael does enjoy a martini, so here it is…..
This has been a fun challenge and I have learned or perfected a number of techniques during the year.
Now I can’t wait for the 2022 Spice Challenge to start…..
Why don’t you join me??
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Last week I caught up with the Monthly Color challenge by getting tangy with a grapefruit, and now I am ready to get a jump on the November challenge from Patterns by Jen.
The fruit for the month are BLUEBERRIES……one of my favorites!!
To start out with, I had a blast photographing the little guys…..
….and munching a few between shots!!!
It was also fun to cut them open and see the delicate insides…..
When I started looking for fabrics, this one JUMPED right off the shelf…..
It couldn’t have been more perfect.
So, the pieces were cut…..
…and the sewing began.
But as I ironed the first set, I realized that the white thread that I was using was showing!! WHY hadn’t I switched to grey!!!
The thread change was made and the block was quickly completed…..
I have tried to do some special photography on each block and this one was fun…..
And, as much as I enjoyed the sweet pineapple in my studio, it was followed by the grapefruit for the month of October….that’s right….I am running behind!!!
Now I am NOT a fan of grapefruit…..
….even the sweet Red variety that I pick out to use as inspiration.
I will admit that the citrus aroma did do a great job of freshening my studio and I loved the colors of the pulp…..
The fabrics pretty much chose themselves…..
…and within a few minutes, the pieces were cut and ready to sew…..
Very quickly the block was finished….
…and ready for some fun photography……
Now that I am caught up, this month is BLUEBERRIES…..one of my favorites!!!! Check back later this week for more!!
PATTERN UPDATE…Have you checked out my pattern for “Crumbs for the Geese”. To purchase, simply click on the “Patterns for Sale” tab at the top of this page.
For the last 8 months, I have been part of the 2021 Monthly Color Challenge from Patterns By Jen.
Here are the blocks that we have made so far…..
They are so much fun and will be exciting to put together at the end of the challenge!!
This month the inspiration comes from the glorious pineapple…..
One thing that I have enjoyed in this challenge is being able to really look at the inspirational fruit or vegetable. In this case, I studied the radial symmetry of the crown…..
….and the amazing structure and colors of the outside rind….
And then you cut it open…..
…and the whole room is filled with the sweet smell of goodness!! I know that you can smell it right now!!!
Just look at all of these luscious colors…..
When I started picking fabrics, I really wanted to include green but all of the other blocks are more monochromatic in nature so I decided to stick with the pale yellows….
The block was easy to piece, although some of the strips finished at 1/2-inch wide, so accurate piecing was mandatory!!! I ironed the two 1-inch strips together before I sewed them and that made a huge difference in the piecing as they stayed lined up while under the needle.
I got so excited about making this block that I forgot to take progress photos……OOPS!!!
The finished block is simple….
….yet echos the pineapple nicely!!!
When I think of pineapple, I think of two things….
The Big Pineapple in Queensland Australia…..
We visited there in 1982 when my parents joined us for a trip up and down the eastern Australian coast!!
Secondly, I remember one of my favorite desserts and one that is attributed to my Mom!!
PINEAPPLE SHEET CAKE
2 cups sugar, 2 eggs, 1 large can of crushed pineapple (including juice), 2 cups flour, and 2 teaspoons soda
Mix all together and pour into greased and floured sheet pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
For icing…..
8 oz. cream cheese (at room temperature), 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, 1/4 cup butter (softened), 1 cup powdered sugar, and 1 cup pecans.
Combine all of the icing ingredients and ice cake while it is hot.
The cake is yummy and gooey and wonderful!!
We sure want to thank the sponsors for this quarter…..
Dragonfly’s Quilting Design Studio
Appliques Quilts & More
Bea Quilter
Benartex
Carole Lyles Shaw
Cherrywood Fabrics
Quilter’s Dream Batting
Daybrook Designs
Said With Love
Warm Company
Patterns By Jen
Faith and Fabric
If you want to see how other quilters interpreted this fun design, be sure to check out this month’s featured bloggers…
AND…one more reminder about MOVE IT!! This is a FREE 10-week course to encourage you to try new free-motion quilting designs.
Ninety-seven people have gone thru the course and many have said that it has helped them to feel more comfortable with FMQ. If you are interested and would like to join, just click HERE TO SIGN UP!
