The week's progress

I have been slowly working my way through my back log of sewing. 

As the new year gets under way, new challenges are always tempting.  There are so many new quilt alongs, BOMs, quilt challenges, etc. to choose from that it takes me a while to decide what I should join this year. 

This week I was able to work a little on some new challenges. I choose to join the Rainbow Scrap Challenge over at soscrappy. January's color is Bright Pink. After deciding on a pattern, I dug through my pink scraps and came up with this block. 

This was a fun block to make. I can't wait to get next months color. The block finishes at 12". 

 Another monthly challenge I joined is Art Journaling 2013 ~ 365 Challenge. I was first inspired by Annie from Freezeframe. She is so talented! She makes the most amazing post cards. In one of her recent posts, she linked to The Kathryn Wheel blog where you will find amazing art and the challenge. This struck an accord with me because I have wanted to try art quilting on a small scale (I don't consider myself an artist by any means) and I have tried and failed at journaling, so I thought that I could try this. Not to say that I will have some fantastic, wonderful, exciting things to add each day...but to record one highlight from my day seemed doable. So after sketching out a calendar on paper, one evening I pulled some fabric from my stash and started creating. Here is my January journal. 

I used fabric for everything except the snowflake buttons. The days of the week and the numbers are stamps. My pages are 8 1/2" x 11" and each month will have 2 pages. I have an idea for binding them that I saw on Pinterest. 

Hopefully I will get more creative as I gather scrapbooking supplies, etc. I invested in a set of micron markers in several colors so that I can be more creative in my entries. We will see where I go with this but for now I am really enjoying it. February is already in the planning stage Ü

Easy Street Mystery Quilt is now a flimsy finish! I finished the last 3 blocks after cutting the additional pieces from each step. I am not always keen on adding borders to my quilts but this quilt needed them. There are so many pieces and the colors are bright that your eye needs a place to rest. The borders framed and calmed the quilt. (Sorry the picture is so bad...the colors are not true) Here it is!

It will be on hold a while until I decide on a backing and work on a few other projects Ü

 I also made a few blocks for the Quilting for a Cause flickr group. The I Spy blocks are for Lubbock Ronald McDonald House and the purple Greek Cross is for Domestic Violence. Both are simple to make and for good causes.

Now I really need to work on some baby quilts. One's in process and another in the planning stage.