New Orleans House Project

Saturday, January 2, 2016

Rainbow Scrap Challenge 2016 Edition

Angela of Soscrappy has been hosting the Rainbow Scrap Challenge for several years.  It began as a challenge to use up scraps, guided by Angela's monthly color choices.  The challenge was to use up scraps, and the choice of project was completely up to the participant.  Angela has added some sampler blocks to the project, but participation in those has been strictly optional.  The RSC has been a great opportunity to play with fabric and color AND to meet new blogging quilter friends.

This year I have not settled on any specific new RSC projects.  Angela will be providing instructions for a new sampler - a variation on the row quilt samplers so popular over the past year or two.  I will continue making blocks in a few of the patterns I started last year, in hopes of having enough blocks for a quilt at the end of 2016.  I had thought I'd start making a stack of rainbow-hued Ohio Stars this year, but I'm dithering on that idea.  I'm really feeling the need to focus on UFOs this year - at least until inspiration strikes hard enough to dislodge that plan!

The RSC color for the month of January is blue.  This year we'll also have an accent color to use if we wish - this month's accent color is purple.  I love the idea of combining blue and purple in the same block, so maybe an Ohio Star block will get made.  In the meantime, I've got some other projects to play with.

Last year I made Maverick Stars as one of my RS projects.  I have enough stars, but I wanted to alternate the stars with string-pieced "plain" blocks.  I made up a few string-pieced blocks last week, and I'm pleased with the result.  Now I just need to make more string blocks - an ongoing project!

Another of last year's blocks was Sugar Bowl.   I have a nice collection of these blocks, but the rich fabric choices of Maureen at Mystic Quilter inspired me to do another round of blocks in Kaffe Fassett prints.  I've chosen my blue fabrics for January - and the fabric on the far left even has some purple accents in it!

I found these blocks when I was doing some sewing room cleaning last year.  They are souvenir blocks from a quilt show by the Pensacola Quilter's Guild (I lived in Pensacola once upon a time) in 1993.   Since the blocks are blue, I figured January is a good month to at least come up with a plan for setting them.  They are 6" blocks, but not all uniformly pieced, so they might need individual borders to make them work well together.

These scrappy blue blocks have been waiting patiently for their turn to shine.  I wanted a scrappy blue quilt for my guest room and made a plan for Sawtooth Stars and uneven 9 patches.  I stitched the blocks as leader-enders in 2014, but haven't assembled the finished blocks yet.  There are 50 of each 8" block in just about every blue fabric from my stash.  If January lasts long enough, I might just be able to get them assembled! 

The Rainbow Scrap Challenge has always had a weekly linky party and this year is no exception.  I always look forward to Saturdays when I can see what the other Rainbow Scrappers have been creating all week!