Monthly Color Challenge February 2020

Welcome to the Monthly Color Challenge hosted by Jen at http://www.patternsbyjen.blogspot.com/ . I’m super excited to be one of her bloggers this year sharing her great block pattens.

February is aqua for the color. I’m loving the blocks so far. January was yellow.

There are lots of half square triangles in this block, but it looks awesome in the end. 

Jen has great instructions on this block so go and check them out. I made sure to press after every step, it helps to get nice sharp points and corners.

Hope you like he block. Go and check out the other bloggers with this months tutorial to see their fabric choices. 

Jen @ http://www.patternsbyjen.blogspot.com/

Kathy @ https://pennyformythoughts-nona.blogspot.com/2020/01/2020-Monthly-color-challenge-February.html

Joanne @ https://joanne-everyonedeservesaquilt.blogspot.com/2020/02/february-color-challenge.html

Claudia @ https://www.createwithclaudia.com/2020/02/february-monthly-color-challenge.html

Sheila @ https://www.instagram.com/whitebearquilts/

I hope you go and link up your blocks with Jen. Not only is it great to see other blocks, but she has awesome sponsors and prizes for every quarter!

Here is a list of the prizes you can win:

Quilters Chic PDF Pattern https://quilterchic.com/

3rd Story Workshop: Andrea Jackson Book: Gemology  https://3rdstoryworkshop.com/

For the Love of Geese PDF Pattern https://fortheloveofgeese.com/

Quilters Dream Batting Dream Fusible 80/20 - 60" x 60" https://www.quiltersdreambatting.com/

Andover Fabrics Fabric Bundle -  Giucy Giuce's DECLASSIFIED https://www.andoverfabrics.com/

Warm Company Warm and Natural - Needled Cotton Batting 45" x 60" https://warmcompany.com/

Make Modern Magazine 6 month subscription https://www.makemodern.com.au/

Patterns By Jen Superior Thread S-Fine 50 https://www.superiorthreads.com/

Patterns By Jen Tucker Trimmer https://patternsbyjen.blogspot.com/

October Stashbee

This month my stashbee block is heading just up the road to Mawah, New Jersey.  I hope Liz likes her sunflower block that I created for her. 

Stashbee September

September is here already and I have my blocks from my bee mates.  This month Helen has asked for a fun Irish chain block in specific colors.  I chose red and purple.

Stashbee August Bee-crashing

Since it is my month I was feeling a bit lost so I jumped on board another groups hive and made a couple plus blocks for Rose in New Jersey.

Stashbee August

This month is my month for stashbee. I've designed my own quilt and I am excited to have my bee mates make me blocks for it.  Here is my tutorial for this quilt if you are interested in creating this for yourself.  I am a lover of circles, which is where this idea came from. 

We are going to low volume with colorful circles.

This is my vision for this quilt.  As you can see there are blocks with circles and some without.

For the low volume I would prefer more white based than cream.

For the circles I would like teal, aqua, light green,... colors like in this selection

To make this block you will need 

2 different - 6.5” x 12.5” low volume rectangles 

Small pieces for circles. (I’m showing reverse appliqué, but you can do your favorite method) 

Using freezer paper, cut circles in the sizes wanted.

Iron the freezer paper, shiny side down, to the back of the the low volume fabric.  (Make sure to leave enough room on the sides for seam allowance so we don't cut the circle when the blocks are sewn together.) 

Cut a hole in the middle of the freezer paper in the low volume fabric leaving a half inch border.  Snip the fabric almost to the edge of the freezer paper.

Glue back the tabs of the low volume to the freezer paper.  Then, glue the circle fabric to the tabs. 

Flip the low volume over and pull up the fabric. You will be stitching in the folded edge between the front low volume and the tabs, your presser foot will be on the freezer paper.  

Trim the circle fabric to match the half inch of the tabs and remove the freezer paper.

Give the fabric a good press and you have your circle block.  

You can do as many circles as you would like on the fabrics.  Two on one side, one on the other or one and one, or three and none.  I will leave it up to you.  

At this point you can sew the two pieces of low volume together or you can leave them separate for me to mix into the quilt.

I'm excited to see all the circle blocks you all come up with.

Interfacing method for circle applique 
Raw edge applique method

Stashbee June block

Another month and another stashbee block.  Hard to believe the year is already half over!  This month my block will be heading to Sara in California.  Sara chose a great block in pink lemonade colors. 

May Stashbee

May already and Stashbee for this month is headed to California to RobinSue.  Robin Sue has chosen scrappy string blocks which I love.