2021 Monthly Color Challenge - October

Yikes! We are already to the 4th quarter!!

I’ve had a great time quilting through this year’s challenge, and I am very glad that you are here!

Have you been checking out the bloggers each month? What about the sponsors and prizes? The goodies up for grabs during these last three months are fabulous and include patterns, notions, subscriptions, batting, and more, so be sure to click over to our host’s website to learn more and enter to win!

And now, for our October block…

Pretty in Pink

This month is inspired by the grapefruit so I am working with different shades of pink…light pinks, blush pinks, reddish pinks, hot pinks, and a few more shades that I’m not sure how to describe.

My 2021 Monthly Color Challenge quilt needs seven blocks for the pink row.

I decided to make three of the blocks using Jen’s free pattern for the quilt-along. To go along with those, I created quick and simple four-patch blocks to finish out the row.

Each of the seven blocks needs a light fabric and a dark fabric for contrast, so I needed 14 different pinks to create all of my October blocks.

Luckily, pink is my daughter’s very favorite color in the entire world, so I had a nice, healthy stash of pink fabrics to choose from 💖

October’s Block

When I first glanced at this block pattern, I saw an old-fashioned windmill with the arms circling around the center. I liked how the lighter fabric created the negative space on a rich background of deep, dark pink. Once I started pulling pink fabrics, I realized that while we have lots and lots of pink prints around our house, we do not have many solids.

Here are the six fabrics I chose for my first three blocks – aren’t they vibrant and fun?

Once I’d gathered these, I worried that my blocks might lose that windmill effect. I was afraid that the prints would compete with one another and create jumbled, chaotic blocks.

I’m happy to report that the windmills still stand out, and I am very pleased with how they look.

Bonus Blocks

The layout I designed for this project uses many different block patterns and a rainbow of gorgeous colors so there is a lot going on in this quilt!

The pink row is one of the center lines that anchors the quilt on the diagonal, so I decided to create bonus blocks that would calm the eye by adding visual weight.

What I came up with is so simple that it doesn’t even require a pattern to follow.

Since I am making 12.5″ raw (unfinished) blocks, I cut (2) 6.5″ squares out of each light pink and each dark pink fabric. Then I stitched them together to create contrasting 4-patch blocks as shown:

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

Each month I am amazed at how fun these blocks are to sew and how beautiful they look side by side.

I know I said it last month, but I am beyond excited to show you all the rows I’ve made once they are assembled in the quilt top – they are incredible!

And they are bright and full of energy and happiness, which is one of the reasons I enjoy quilting so much 🥰

Here is the mock-up of my quilt design that I shared back in January, just in case you forgot what I’m working towards through this study of the beauty in color.

We’re down to two colors remaining: the blue row next month with nine total blocks, and the green row in December with seven total blocks. I’m almost ready to set the rows on point and finish the topper.

The end of the year will be here before we know it!

Salt and a Spoon

Each month the 2021 Monthly Color Challenge Bloggers are asked to share a recipe to go along with the featured fruit or vegetable for that month. I love cooking, and I love sharing all of my favorite things with the world – including recipes, restaurants, and meal ideas – so this part of the assignment has been a treat.

Until we got to grapefruits!

I have to confess: I have never bought grapefruits at the store, I’ve never cooked with grapefruits, and I couldn’t find a single recipe in my collection to share with you that uses grapefruits.

Instead I would like to share a fond food memory…

Have you ever noticed that sometimes a certain food just tastes better when someone else makes it?

Well, that’s the case for me when it comes to grapefruits.

When I was a baby and preschooler, my grandparents lived very close to us so my older sister and I spent the night there anytime our mom and dad had an event or dinner or party they needed to attend.

Friday nights at Momadele and Poppi’s were magical!

We would help in the kitchen preparing dinner (I particularly enjoyed drying lettuce in their green Tupperware salad spinner!), and after dinner we played dress up with Momadele’s slips and gloves and lipsticks and heels.

Then we would get ready for bed and the four of us would snuggle together under two soft blankets that we called Pinky and Bluey (Do you remember the kind that had waffle weave and wide, satin binding around the edges?).

Once settled, we devoutly watched Love Boat and Fantasy Island.

I remember thinking I was very old and mature cooking dinner, wearing silk slips, and staying up late.

I also remember that on Saturday mornings Poppi would slice two grapefruits, put each half in a white cereal bowl, and hand them out with four special spoons – one for each of us.

Next we would pass the salt shaker around the table, sprinkling a little on top of the grapefruit before using the fancy tip of the spoon to separate each wedge from its casing, scooping out one bite at a time.

Those grapefruit wedges were sweet and tangy and salty and juicy all at the same time.

I loved those grapefruits, and I felt a sense of accomplishment when I finished my half.

It was a fun – and tasty – way to begin the day!

I have tried eating grapefruits that exact same way a few times over the years, but they’re never as good.

Some traditions just can’t be beat.

Voila, my recipe for October…salt and a spoon to go with your grapefruit.

Thank you for reading my story. I’m typing with a huge smile because these memories bring me immense joy.

And that makes this is the perfect time to point out one of the most important reasons why we quilt to end Alzheimer’s disease: so that more grandparents can create more wonderful memories to be cherished and treasured for generations to come 💜

Happy October, friends! I hope you have a beautiful month –