2022 Block of the Month: January

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Happy New Year and welcome to the first Quilt 2 End ALZ block of the month challenge! 

If, like me, the last two years feel like a complete blur, I hope you will take special joy in the Quilt 2 End ALZ theme this year, One Stitch at a Time, and will quilt to end Alzheimer’s disease with us every month as we unveil each block of this quilt pattern. (Sign up here to receive the block pattern in your email each month before everyone else!)

As a type-A list-maker and plan-ahead-er, I have found that taking things as they come is the best way for me to really focus on being present and engaged in the activity at hand as I move through my days. Nothing fits that idea better than a block of the month challenge because you literally cannot work ahead. It’s perfect! 

I’m delighted  to finally be able to kick-off our first ever block of the month program and share my quilt design with you bit by bit over the next 12 months.

Truth be told, I don’t always design quilts with a purpose. Playing around with shapes, patterns, and colors has always been something I enjoy and is one of those things I can do mindlessly when I need a break from real life (all those pesky responsibilities). So, when Ashli and I first started playing around with the idea of starting a block of the month for Q2EA, I immediately went into my pattern archives to see what jumped out. 

Knowing that our theme for this year focuses on “one stitch at a time” so that we can actually enjoy our projects and the time we spend making them, I knew I wanted to choose a pattern that would:

• Give us a new block to play with each month
• Be challenging and interesting enough to make us excited to dedicate time to it each month but not so advanced as to be overwhelming
• Have some movement and energy in its overall design

And thus, Fleeting was born!

I won’t share any spoilers, but I can tell you that “Fleeting” is a modern take on traditional quilt samplers, giving us a beautiful new block to create each month and then move on to the next.

It’s a dynamic pattern and is great for all skill levels. Click the link below to find fabric requirements, the quilt layout, and the instructions for block 1. Per the fabric instructions, you will choose 5 different fabrics and use different configurations of those 5 fabrics in each block so make sure you pick fabrics you’ll be excited to work with all year long.

It’s always so fun to see how everyone’s blocks turn out and I would love to see your progress each month! Share your pictures with us in the Quilting to Mend the Mind Facebook group and tag us on social media. 

Happy quilting!