2018 Monthly Color Challenge Quilt Settings

Can you believe we have reached the end of the end in the 2018 Monthly Color Challenge? I hope you will join me for the 2019 Monthly Color Challenge. I have three settings for you. You can use these or finish your quilt however you wish! These settings will be free through June 2019.

The first is a simple "just add sashing and  posts" setting, with a little extra in the border.

There are cutting instructions for both the 6" finished blocks and 12" finished blocks. Get the pattern HERE.

The second is an on-point setting.

This one also has instructions for both block sizes. If you like machine quilting this design is fabulous to show off your work in the solid squares. Get the pattern HERE.

The last is designed to use both block sizes in one quilt.

You can play around with the blocks in any of the settings and put them in any order you like. Make it yours! Get this pattern HERE.

Remember we still have the link up at the end of the month (starting December 24th) for a chance to win the December prize. See the block and prize info HERE.

Photos were shot in downtown Marshall, MN

Don't forget!

For every month you enter the link up, you get an entry for the grand prize.

The generous prize provided by Jen at Dizzy Quilter your top quilted by her (up to 90" x 90"),  a $202.50 value!

You must provide the backing, 8" longer than width and length. Batting can be purchased from Jen, for $20, if you like.

Return shipping is included for US residents only.
**Please note, the quilt will not be trimmed or bound, those services are extra**

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I will have a last link up January 15th for the 2018 Monthly Color Challenge. If you have your top pieced I hope you add it to the link up. It doesn't need to be quilted and there won't be any prizes, but I think we would all love to see everyone's pieced tops.

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Happy Stitching!

Jen

I'm joining the 31 Day Blog Writing Challenge at Muppin.com

New to Patterns By Jen?

Find paper and digital patterns in my Etsy shop.

Join the 2019 Monthly Color Challenge.

Follow me on Instagram and Facebook for daily sneak peeks and updates

October Color Challenge

Welcome to October's Color Challenge! This month the color is blue violet. I found it incredibly hard to decide on what was blue violet, especially coming after a month of *red* violet. I kept pulling out red violet to work with.

Here's the block!

Get your free pattern here! It will be available for free through June 2019, at which point it will be bundled with the other blocks and settings and sold as a full pattern. Settings will be released in December.

Blog Hop

Don't forget to visit the other bloggers. A few of the bloggers have designed their own block for you and they have been pretty great so far. You won't want to miss them.

Jen S of Dizzy Quilter

Sherry of Powered By Quilting

Jen R of A Dream and A Stitch

Nancy of Masterpiece Quilting

Dione of Clever Chameleon Quilting

The Prize

Our sponsor this month is Cherrywood Hand Dyed Fabrics.

Make something in blue violet and you could win a $25 gift certificate to use at Cherrywood Fabrics.

Piecing tips

I use Frixion pens to mark my diagonals. I know not everyone likes to use them, or has had bad experiences with them. Here are my rules for using them. 1) Use to mark on the wrong side of fabrics where I will be cutting. 2) Never use on batiks. As long as I stick to those two rules I don't have any issues. What do you use for marking diagonals?

Sew just a bit to the outside of the line so that when you press the triangle back it folds evenly with the edge.

On the smaller pieces I use my scissors for trimming.

I sew each square on before trimming.

Use the seam as the straight line (note white line on the ruler runs along the seam) and trim a little bit from one end of strips. Once you have a straight edge cut your units.

Pin the seams and the ends for units that match up and don't need trimming.

Grand Prize

Wait! There is more!

Jen at Dizzy Quilter is providing the grand prize! 

For every month you enter the link up, you get an entry for the grand prize.

The generous prize provided is you will get your top quilted by her (up to 90" x 90"),  a $202.50 value!

You must provide the backing, 8" longer than width and length. Batting can be purchased from Jen, for $20, if you like.

Return shipping is included for US residents only.
**Please note, the quilt will not be trimmed or bound, those services are extra**

 If you are playing along with us, make sure to use #2018monthlycolorchallenge on social media!

Happy Stitching!

Jen

New to Patterns By Jen?

Find paper and digital patterns in my Etsy shop.

Join the 2018 Monthly Color Challenge.

The Border Quilt Quilt Along is coming September 2018

Follow me on Instagram and Facebook for daily sneak peeks and updates.

July Color Challenge

July is here and it's time for our first "funky" color of the 2018 Monthly Color Challenge: Yellow Green!

This block involves one of my favorite units, Flying Geese and throws in an Hourglass unit just for fun.

Get your free pattern here! It will be available for free through June 2019, at which point it will be bundled with the other blocks and settings and sold as a full pattern. Settings will be released in December.

Blog Hop

Don't forget to visit the other bloggers. A few of the bloggers have designed their own block for you and they have been pretty great so far. You won't want to miss them.

Jen S of Dizzy Quilter

Sherry of Powered By Quilting

Jen R of A Dream and A Stitch

Nancy of Masterpiece Quilting

Dione of Clever Chameleon Quilting

Joanne of Quilts By Joanne 

The Prize

July's sponsor is Island Batik.

They are giving away one fat eighth bundle of their Morning Sunshine line.

Piecing Tips

When stitching your Flying Geese units stitch with the FG unit on top whenever possible, this way you can see where the point is and hopefully keep it pointy. See the tutorial for Flying Geese here.

When making the Hourglass units, make sure your diagonal mark on your HST unit goes perpendicular to the seam.

Line up your HST units so that the matching colors are *opposite* of each other.

Shown offset, but you will match them up exactly. The seams should nest, then sew 1/4" on both sides of the drawn line.

You will get two Hourglass units, leaving you with an extra one. You could make a second block and use that unit, or save it for another project or to use as your label when this top is done.

How do you get a chance at winning the beautiful fabric from Island Batik? Make something yellow green *this month* and add it to the link up that will open July 24 and run through July 31. One entry per person please. Each month you enter you get entered into the drawing for the Grand Prize.

Grand Prize

Wait! There is more!

Jen at Dizzy Quilter is providing the grand prize! 

For every month you enter the link up, you get an entry for the grand prize.

The generous prize provided is you will get your top quilted by her (up to 90" x 90"),  a $202.50 value!

You must provide the backing, 8" longer than width and length. Batting can be purchased from Jen, for $20, if you like.

Return shipping is included for US residents only.
**Please note, the quilt will not be trimmed or bound, those services are extra**

 If you are playing along with us, make sure to use #2018monthlycolorchallenge on social media!

Happy Stitching!

Jen

New to Patterns By Jen?

Find paper and digital patterns in my Etsy shop.

Join the 2018 Monthly Color Challenge.

The Border Quilt Quilt Along is coming August 2018

Follow me on Instagram and Facebook for daily sneak peeks and updates.

June Color Challenge

Welcome to June's Color Challenge!

It's my favorite color, and uses my favorite unit, the awesome Half Square Triangle. We could stop the Color Challenge right here and I would make a billion of these and be perfectly happy for life!

Get your free pattern here! It will be available for free through June 2019, at which point it will be bundled with the other blocks and settings and sold as a full pattern. Settings will be released in December.

Blog Hop

Don't forget to visit the other bloggers. A few of the bloggers have designed their own block for you and they have been pretty great so far. You won't want to miss them.

Jen S of Dizzy Quilter

Sherry of Powered By Quilting

Jen R of A Dream and A Stitch

Nancy of Masterpiece Quilting

Dione of Clever Chameleon Quilting

Joanne of Quilts By Joanne 

The Prize

This month's sponsor is Art Gallery Fabrics.

Win this fat quarter bundle of AGF.

Ten beautiful fabrics.

Piecing Tips

This block is pretty simple and there aren't a lot of tips to share.

When stitching watch your seam allowance, it will keep your points sharp if your seams are all the same width.

Spin your seams.

How do you get a chance at winning the beatufiful fabric from Art Gallery Fabrics? Make something purple *this month* and add it to the link up that will open June 23 and run through June 30. One entry per person please. Each month you enter you get entered into the drawing for the Grand Prize.

Grand Prize

Wait! There is more!

Jen at Dizzy Quilter is providing the grand prize! 

For every month you enter the link up, you get an entry for the grand prize.

The generous prize provided is you will get your top quilted by her (up to 90" x 90"),  a $202.50 value!

You must provide the backing, 8" longer than width and length. Batting can be purchased from Jen, for $20, if you like.

Return shipping is included for US residents only.
**Please note, the quilt will not be trimmed or bound, those services are extra**

 If you are playing along with us, make sure to use #2018monthlycolorchallenge on social media!

Happy Stitching!

Jen

New to Patterns By Jen?

Find paper and digital patterns in my Etsy shop.

Join the 2018 Monthly Color Challenge.

The Border Quilt Quilt Along is coming August 2018

Follow me on Instagram and Facebook for daily sneak peeks and updates.

May Color Challenge Link Up

The May Color Challenge Link Up is now open!

Did you make the free block from Patterns By Jen, or something else in green?

If you made something green *this* month, you can enter the Link Up, open through May 31st, for a chance to win fabric from Island Batik.

They have sponsored May with a fat eighth bundle of their Mountain's Majesty line. It's gorgeous (and perfect for June's challenge. Hint Hint)

If you are having trouble linking up read this post. If you are still having trouble please email me directly; patternsbyjen(at)gmail(dot)com and I will happily get you added.

Don't forget, for each month you enter the Link Up, you are also entered for the grand prize at the end of the year:

Jen at Dizzy Quilter is providing the grand prize! 

The generous prize provided is your top quilted by her (up to 90" x 90"),  a $202.50 value!

You must provide the backing, 8" longer than width and length. Batting can be purchased from Jen, for $20, if you like.

Return shipping is included for US residents only.
**Please note, the quilt will not be trimmed or bound, those services are extra**

Good luck and Happy Stitching!

Jen

Winner is number 26, congratulations!!

New to Patterns By Jen?

Find paper and digital patterns in my Etsy shop.

Join the 2018 Monthly Color Challenge.

The Border Quilt Quilt Along is coming August 2018

Follow me on Instagram and Facebook for daily sneak peeks and updates.

April Color Challenge

April is here, how did that happen so fast?!

This bright and happy block is perfect for spring. I need a little sunshine and brightness in my life to help combat...well...the leftover March drearies.

12" block

Grab the instructions for a 6" or 12" finished block HERE.  Don't miss the first three blocks in the 2018 Color Challenge.

6" block

The block patterns and settings will be available for free until June 2019, at which point they will be bundled and sold as a full pattern.

12" block

Bloggers

Visit the rest of the bloggers to see their variation to the block and grab a couple extra free patterns while you're at it.

Jen of Dizzy Quilter

Sherry of Powered By Quilting

Jen of A Dream and A Stitch

Nancy of Masterpiece Quilting

Joanne of Quilts By Joanne

Dione of Clever Chameleon Quilting
Suzy of Adventurous Applique and Quilting

Prize

This month's sponsor is Island Batik. Entering the Link up at the end of the month (April 23 - April 30) will give you a chance to win a Fat Eighth bundle of their beautiful line, Pumpkin Patch.

Beautiful, scrumptious, glorious, all of the above? However you choose to describe it, you will have a chance to win it at the end of the month. Don't forget to share your April Orange makes with #2018MonthlyColorChallenge so others can enjoy your work.

Grand Prize

Plus, each month you enter the link up gives you an entry for the Grand Prize.

Jen at Dizzy Quilter is providing the grand prize! 

For every month you enter the link up, you get an entry for the grand prize.

The generous prize provided is you will get your top quilted by her (up to 90" x 90"),  a $202.50 value!

You must provide the backing, 8" longer than width and length. Batting can be purchased from Jen, for $20, if you like.

Return shipping is included for US residents only.
**Please note, the quilt will not be trimmed or bound, those services are extra**

Piecing Hints

When choosing fabrics where you need light, medium and dark I find it helps to photograph them and then change it to black and white.

You can easily see the value of each pile when you convert to black and white.

Always remember you can use the wrong side of a fabric, too. It doesn't always work for each fabric, but these two pieces are the same fabric, the lighter one is the wrong side of the darker one.

For this block we need to have our quarter units the same all the way around, that means we can't sew up a bunch and cut on drawn lines, we need to cut triangles first.

After you make your first cut, leave the square where it is, and make the second cut. The less you move your pieces, the more accurate your cuts are.

When starting to sew a triangle, I always start with my needle in the fabric, not on the edge. This gives the presser foot and feed dogs a chance to grab the fabric, and should keep the fabric from getting pulled down into your machine.

At the other end of the triangle, I hold the corner and stitch slowly so that the fabric doesn't pull off to the side. This helps keep my seams straight and means I won't get wonky points.

Make sure you note which color goes where, and line up your triangles correctly. Taking an extra moment to double check can help cut down your quality time with Jack!

Happy Stitching!
Jen

New to Patterns By Jen?

Find paper and digital patterns in my Etsy shop.

Follow me on Instagram and Facebook for daily sneak peeks and updates.