Blocks & Patterns · July 1, 2021

2021 Monthly Color Challenge – July

I have to admit, as the temperature increases my time sewing decreases.

I just love summer so much – the sun, the heat, the pool, and the kids free from school – that I tend to spend most of my time either outdoors or relaxing with my family. In fact, I kind of forget to go upstairs to my quilting space. All of a sudden, I realize that I haven’t sewn a stitch in days. Sometimes even weeks.

But eventually, I always make my way back to quilting. It really is my therapy!

One of the best parts of a monthly quilt-along is that I can take a break for a few days – again, even weeks – and not feel like I have fallen behind.

July’s Monthly Color Challenge block is a great one, and it took hardly any time at all to put together ?

Using corner pieces to create two sizes of signature blocks, this layout is quite fetching. As with all of our 2021 MCC designs, the instructions are efficient and easy to follow.

Click here to hop over to Patterns by Jen to download the instructions.

Ice Cold Limeades and Fresh Cut Grass

This month’s color is green and is inspired by limes. I’m not a huge lover of limes, but I do love the thought of an ice cold limeade from Sonic on a hot summer day. From there, my mind jumps to the smell of fresh cut grass, beautiful summer flowers in bloom, and dinner sizzling on the grill. Did I mention how much I love summer?

All of these mental images served as a wonderful guide as I rummaged through my stash of green fabrics and scraps. Just like a song, a quilt project, a pattern, or a specific fabric can take you right back to a beautiful memory!

My layout for the 2021 Monthly Color Challenge block patterns has a long line of greens right below the center:

Ashli's custom layout for her 2021 Monthly Color Challenge Quilt

The four darker green blocks are for December, and the three lighter green blocks use this month’s pattern, so I needed six fabrics: three lights and three darks. Since the blue row is adjacent to this one, I wanted to flow from a blueish-green into a deep, Kelly green. I think these fabrics work perfectly:

As I mentioned above, I found the pattern for this month to be very eye-catching, and I especially liked the small corner pieces that create the large and small signature squares. I think these give the block a sense of circular movement.

I am very happy with all three blocks, and I can’t wait to see these three next to the other four green blocks that I will make in our final month!

Brussels Sprouts

As I mentioned above, I don’t love limes. Therefore, I don’t have a great lime recipe to share – sorry.

But I do love Brussels sprouts!

Especially with a fat, juice steak that my husband cooks on the grill while the kids and I play in the pool ?

My favorite way to cook them is roasted in the oven. If you’ve never done this – or if you’re a little scared of Brussels sprouts – please click here to see my steps for success. Give them a try. I think you’ll love them, too.

That’s it for this month…enjoy and embrace your summer, keep quilting to end ALZ, and I will see you back here very soon.

Don’t forget to check out this month’s bloggers to see everyone’s lime green blocks, and drop by our sponsors’ websites to say thank you for their support of the 2021 Monthly Color Challenge: