2021 Monthly Color Challenge – August

For my family, August means getting back to routines – football practices for my husband and son, cheerleading workouts and moving into the sorority house for my daughter, jumping into the grind of writing, sewing, and quilting to end ALZ for myself.

Even though the heat index still screams SUMMER, I can feel us transitioning into the fall semester and my favorite time of the year.

I have a long list of quilt projects to tackle over the next few months, and we have several Quilt 2 End ALZ quilt guild presentations already on the calendar. Also of note, in early September, my first novel is set to be published and released in hard cover, paperback, digital format, and even as an audiobook. Grocery Girl is a love story about a quilt designer and a firefighter, and I am very excited to tell you more about their romantic journey in the coming months!

As much as I look forward to autumn, my mom always cautioned me against “wishing away today” so before I get ahead of myself, let’s talk about this month’s Color Challenge…

Mushrooms

I know I sound a bit like a broken record, but again I have to say it: I love how Jen puts these block patterns together!

Click over to Patterns by Jen for the PDF download for this month’s instructions.

Each month, I look at the illustration and think that we have a complex block to construct. Then, I read through her instructions to find that the cutting is simple, the sewing is straight-forward, and the block comes together beautifully!

Since we are using mushrooms as our inspiration this month, I selected fabrics that provide a range of tan, beige, and brown hues.

My light fabric has a white background with a foliage print. It even has a few birds on it which I love for this flying geese layout. My dark fabric has a cross-hatch pattern that brings in depth and texture.

Flying Geese are my nemesis!

I’m a diligent quilter. I cut precisely. I have mastered the scant quarter-inch seam. I press between every step. Still, I am only about 50/50 with Flying Geese. I use the same procedure with each unit, yet half turn out great…

…but the other half turn out terribly:

I am keeping my fingers crossed that once everything is quilted, bound, washed and dried, these awful triangle tips will not be too noticeable.

The Big Picture

Have you’ve been following my progress through the 2021 Monthly Color Challenge?

Take a look at my blocks for the first half of 2021: January, February, March, April, May, June.

If so, you will remember that I am creating extra blocks for a large, on-pointe quilt topper at the end of the year:

My August blocks make up the 3-panel row in the bottom, righthand corner.

I am using Jen’s August block pattern for the one shown above in orange, and I created a bonus pattern to use for the other two in that row. With so much going on in many of the blocks, I love the simplicity of them!

I’m calling the pattern “Pair of Planks” because the rectangles remind me of wood planks, sturdy and strong, and the pattern produces two coordinating blocks that finish at either 12″ or 6″ square.

To create my bonus blocks, I selected four additional fabrics that remind me of mushroom colors:

Then, I positioned the fabrics to create a balance between light and heavy tones.

Here is Jen’s August block with my Pair of Planks. Minus the chopped tips on my Flying Geese, I am quite pleased with this row:

I am also very eager to add my triangles to turn the rows “on-point” and begin sewing the topper together.

Can you believe that we are 2/3 of the way there?

2021 is certainly flying by, and each month I am getting more and more excited to see our Monthly Color Challenge quilt all finished!

I would love to see your creations, so please tag @quilt2endalz on your social media photos when your blocks are sewn 💜

And now, the food…

Chicken and Mushroom Alfredo

There are certain ingredients I try to keep on hand at all times, things I can put together to create a fast and easy meal that is also tasty and filling. Chicken and Mushroom Alfredo is one of those meals!

It uses mushrooms and I just happened to make it twice this past month, so it’s the perfect recipe to share for our August quilt-along.

Click here to hop over to my personal website to see the ingredients and steps, and please let me know what you think!

Last, but certainly not least, if you have not already joined our Quilt 2 End ALZ community, please subscribe to our Q2EA emails to keep in touch. And if you’d like to go behind the scenes to hear more about my journey as an author of quilt fiction (and to receive information about Grocery Girl as the release date nears), I would love for you to subscribe to my personal emails as well 💛

Have an awesome August, and I will see you soon!

PS: Be sure to check out our August bloggers and 3rd Quarter Sponsors:

• Andi – True Blue Quilts
• Anja – Anja Quilts
• Crystal – DayBrook Designs
• Jen – Patterns by Jen
• Kate – Katie Mae Quilts
• Patty – Patty’s Patchwork
• Raylee – Sunflower Stitcheries
• Sandi – Utah Quilt Appraiser

Click over to sew-along coordinator Jen Shaffer’s “Patterns by Jen” blog to read details about prizes and link up opportunities!

• Appliques, Quilts, and More
• Bea Quilter
• Benartex
• Carole Lyles Shaw
• Cherrywood Fabrics
• Daybrook Designs
• Dragonfly’s Quilting Design Studio
• Faith and Fabric
• Patterns by Jen
• Said with Love
• Quilter’s Dream Batting
• Warm Company