Sunday, January 1, 2012

Rainbow Scrap Challenge - January (Red)

Angela is motivating us once again this year with her Rainbow Scrap Challenge.

I lost time and ambition last year :\ **shrug** I guess I allowed it to happen by letting school suck up all my extra energy and time at the start of this school year. I don't want that to happen anymore. Don't get me wrong; I LOVE my job; LOVE my students; LOVE the subjects I teach...... but I miss "ME" time in the evenings and weekends.

SO.....I'm off to a great start so far!

Orca Bay's layout had me UN-motivated after two hours!!! Then, after two hours of final prepping for the upcoming school week (ONLY TWO, that's not tooooo bad)....
I thought digging into my bins for reds would be a nice FUN way to burn up a couple of hours.

1.5" bin; 2" bin; 2.5" bin; 3.5" bin; 4.5+" bin .... dug, dug, dug and pulled out ALLL my red fabrics. NO MORE RED in any of those bins.

I liked the idea of Angela's from last year to create a block of each color and create a "rainbow" quilt at the end of the year. So, I pulled out my Quiltmaker magazines to see if a Bonnie Scrap block would fit the trick.

Psht......as IF I had any doubt!!!! :-)

Her "Jack in the Box" block had already been folded open for my "someday" list. Seems like a perfect perfect pattern!

Her 2.5" "flip" method lead to bonus triangles as well, and rather than make the typical pinwheels from them, I decide to make these "diamond squares" that will most likely make their way into a pieced border of the final quilt 12 months from now :0)

Sadly, I haven't touched my 2" or 1.5" strips (OR my STRING BIN for that matter) OR really tackled lots of 2.5" strips (neatly stacked at the right of the pic)... I may also decide to make some string blocks for a second Rainbow Scrap quilt in 12 months. I need to find some inspirational layouts....anyone know of any?

15 comments:

Joanne said...

Can you tell me which issue of quiltmaker it is in? Your blocks look great. Last year on red you motivated me to do a red pineapple blossom so you are at it again. Joanne H

Quilter Kathy said...

Very cool blocks! And look at you being all organized in 2012!!

Andee said...

Now I want one of these...lol and earlier today I was saying to myself..no more starts just get all that you have going done...but maybe I should pick a Bonnie block and go red too....oy vey!

Andra Gayle said...

Love that block! Good Choice!

Candace said...

Gorgeous blocks and that red really looks fresh and happy.

Michelle said...

Those blocks are gorgeous! And your Orca Bay is looking great, too.

Jane said...

I've had the same idea too, lol. I've got my reds out, I'm going to do string blocks, but have yet to decide on the other blocks I want to do. Hopefully, in the next couple of days I can decide.
Have fun with your quilts, I shall look forward to seeing them at the end of the year

april said...

Hi Amy! Thanks for your comment on my blog! You are a much more accomplished quilter than I am though! I will be happy to post a pix of my "string piece" and will take a pix today. I'll let you know when I do. It was fun making a block for each month's color. Just decided to put them all together as a memory of the year, although everyone may not like that - kind of helter skelter. I am not familiar with Quiltmaker and Bonnie Scrap. I will have to look for that.

april said...

Oh! I see that Full House design is the one for Jan, but I don't see where to get the pattern/directions.

Cathy Tomm said...

I saw your post this weekend and then I had to do a little 8 inch block for an exchange and came back to the Jack in the box. Here is my post http://cathytomm.blogspot.com/2012/01/tin-box-exchange-box-2.html

Thanks for the idea. I may have to make more.

april said...

I'm putting a pix of that string quilt top on my blog today that you wanted to see, Amy.

scraphappy said...

Adorable blocks. What a great pattern for a month to month rainbow quilt. Hope you find some balance. I'm working on on that as well. Isn't as easy as it should be sometimes.

Andee said...

I am still thinking about joining in on this so I looked through Bonnie's blocks on quiltmaker and for one color this block is the best, Happy Hour could work with the extra black and white hourglass units I have or maybe Antique Tile...may be copying you again! SORRY!

Anne said...

Great blocks - they look fantastic!
Very striking.

Deb A said...

What a great block! Love how it turned out.