2020 Monthly Color Challenge: "Blocks in a Box"

 I have an exciting finish to announce: my 2020 Monthly Color Challenge blocks, from a free Block of the Month offered by Jen of Patterns by Jen, have been successfully assembled into a FINISHED QUILT!

 

I tell my family that any quilt for me is a 3-year endeavor, so to start and complete a quilt in the same calendar year is truly a feat.  Of course, as one of the select bloggers for 2020, I had access to all the block patterns last January. So I was able to piece my top and get it to a longarm quilter in October.  And sewed the binding down the last week in December. Done feels so good!

(c)2021 rainbows. bunnies. cupcakes.

 

The setting here I call "blocks in a box", because it can be used to make a larger quilt out of any collection of blocks of the same size. It looks tricky, giving the blocks the appearance of an on-point setting, without the need for piecing rows on the diagonal.

 

Since I knew this was the setting I would be using, I made some alterations as I was sewing the monthly blocks.  A prime example is April's purple block, where I made the outer block corners from the same mottled purple batik that would form its "on point" frame.

In all, I used ten fabrics to "frame" the 12 monthly color challenge blocks (the flamingo print was used for three of them); seven fabrics were used along the "border" of the quilt, although four of these are repeat fabrics from elsewhere in the quilt (the border looks like setting triangles, but is constructed differently).

 

If you'd like a copy of a simplified set of instructions to sew up this quilt setting, please leave a comment here on the blog, or email me from my profile. Caution: the instructions are simplified because the version I wrote about only uses two colors of background fabric, as seen in this sampler quilt.  I have every intention of writing fuller instructions, just haven't gotten there yet. (Free instructions available until February 28, 2021.)

Blocks in a Box setting in 2 solid colors

Now, back to the Quilt Show! Our Monthly Color Challenge designer/hostess Jen has created a lovely setting for these sampler blocks that uses fabrics from each month in a kind of pixelated sashing/border treatment. If you've been sewing along, you can link up with Jen's Quilt Show, and see everyone else's progress in one place.

And go check out some of 2020's participating bloggers for their final shares.

Joanne - Everyone Deserves a Quilt

Fawn - Quilty Creations by Fawn

Roseanne - Home Sewn by Us

Sarah - Sew Joy Creations

Alla - Rainbows Bunnies Cupcakes (you are here!)

Wendy - Pieceful Thoughts

Anja - Anja Quilts

 

Who is sewing along with Monthly Color Challenge for 2021? I haven't decided yet what Block of the Month I will pick up for this year... and I'm always open to suggestions!