Quilt Diary: Challenges and Sew-A-Longs April Update

As you saw last post, I have a ton of projects.  I thought I would take this post to update you on everything that did NOT make the Finish-A-Long list.  Those are challenges or projects that are more than three months long.

Quilters Planner 2020 Sew-a-long

This annual block of the month is coming along nicely.  I am loving my Michael Miller solids.  The fabric is a please to touch.  Just to remind you, I thought I would pull up January thru March blocks as well as the April block that I finished this week(April is the Coral flying geese block):

Cotton Cuts Mystery Quilts

I have two in progress right now.  My very first one Cosmos – Team Catherine colorway (Guicy Guice fabrics) saw me sewing up clue number 9 this month.  I believe that was the last clue but I could be wrong.  There may be 10.  All I do know is the big reveal is next month and I just can’t wait.  I have my additional fabrics and backing for this quilt in the ready.  Here is Clue 9!

My second mystery quilt is on clue number 3 – The Name of the Rose.  I made those 8 blocks this week as well.  Here is what they look like:

Patterns by Jen Monthly Color Challenge

I am still using my Alison Glass collection for this monthly block.  April was purple and once again I went to the Insignia collection to offset the very busy two tone print. The instructions she provided for the this square in a square block made it fast and easy!  Once again I thought I would throw out there January thru March as well as the April block I completed this week.

Then Came June Meadowland QAL

This ended last month but I am still working on mine.  I hope you don’t mind me throwing this one in the blog even though it is on the Finish-a-long Q2 List.  How about a recap of all the blocks I have finished to date?  That will be fun to see!  I completed six more this week.  I am almost done with all the blocks for this quilt.  I am enjoying using Michael Miller purple with Tula Pink Monkey Wrench (with a few other fat quarters from other lines thrown in).

Paper Pieces Lost & Found Quilt

I got a little behind last month with all the working for the new company.  I hope to get caught up this month.  That means that I will have to finish English paper piecing four blocks in April.  They are fairly easy blocks to work on, so it is not impossible.  Although, if I finish three I shall be stoked!  Here are finished blocks 1 -4.

Sugaridoo Bernina QAL

This is a row by row quilt-a-long.  I am stuck with the freezer paper row which was month two.  I thought I would share the first month’s block just to inspire both of us.  I am now 4 months behind on this qal with the next month coming out next week.

Farmer’s Wife 1920 EPP Sew-A-Long

As you know this was discontinued and even if it wasn’t I would be so far behind (LOL!).  I had gotten side tracked when I was working on block 38 – Four Winds, which was a ton of small pieces (red & purple block).  I have cut and glue basted the next two blocks.  Both have a lot less pieces so they should go much faster.  Once again, I thought it would be nice to layout all the blocks to get a bit of inspiration.  I have not added the sashing yet, but still, it is fun.

Kathryn Kerr’s 365 Block Challenge

I started this challenge in 2018 and stopped after a few months.  I picked it back up in 2019 and actually made a lot of progress until I was working on to many QAL/SAL.  I haven’t yet in 2020 picked up the banner, but I plan on doing that this month.  So in honor of that, I have laid out the first dark border to inspire me to continue.

Advent Scrap-a-long

I am cheating again.  This 2019 challenge is on my APQ Resolution list and I am actually working on it this month as part of that challenge so it was on my Quarter 2 list.  I started this challenge in December 2019 and the recipients are a newly married couple (Oct 2019).  The Bride loves Christmas and it was fun to find something that is Christmas without being …. overly Christmas.  Here is the first three rows assembled with the alternating red and white sashing.

Ruby’s Garden Quilt

This is a personal quilt as I have mentioned before.  My grandmother Ruby gave me this exact design as a wedding quilt over 30 years ago.  It is a very treasured quilt and a bit worn.  In 2019, I decided I wanted to recreate this quilt in memory of my grandmother.  The one she made me is hand stitched and hand quilted as well as having a bias binding hand sewn.  I can’t say yet whether I will be doing everything by hand, but I am definitely English paper piecing the quilt.  I finished two quilt blocks in the past few weeks but I thought I would share all the blocks I have completed laid out.  There will be a total of 83 blocks so it is highly unlikely that this will be the final layout.

And….

Hopefully you did not find this update to painful.  It has been fun to share some of the things that I am working on!  I liked the idea of just not showing you my recent finish by layouts of what has been done so far too.

Stay safe and healthy!

Peggy