An update!

I haven't done much since my last post, but I have done a few things.  One, I've finished the quilts for my grandsons, so now each of my six grandchildren has a quilt I made, and my daughter Janelle and my daughter-in-law have quilts I made.
At the beginning of 2011, I committed myself to making "Blocks of the Month" from two different patterns.  One is an Amish BOM, using black and five bright colors (red, blue, purple, green, and yellow).  The other is called "Black & White Delight," and it can be done either with black-on-white, white-on-black, and six bright colors OR with black-on-white, white-on-black, and ONE bright color.  I decided to make it for my daughter Melyssa, asked her which way she wanted it, and agreed to make it with hot pink.

This is the "Black & White Delight" quilt, ready for quilting.  Isn't it striking?

Some months I was able to get both blocks done in a timely way, but other months I got behind.  However, by Dec. 31, 2011, I had finished the blocks for all 12 months for both!  AND I got the Black & White Delight ready to take to the quilter!
I have the fabric I will use to pull the Amish BOM quilt together, but probably won't get that done before Spring Break.  I just hope I can do it then!
In the meantime, I have started a "Block-of-the-Month" group for 2012.  There are 12 people involved, and each person is providing the pieces for a pinwheel block for one month.  The pattern is the same for each month, but the pieces will be seasonal, to the degree the person providing them chooses.  I chose the pattern, made three sample blocks (see pictures), and recruited members.  Those who are participating then chose the month they wanted, and I now have collected "baggies" of fabric pieces for 10 of the 12 months!

This is the pinwheel from the Black & White Delight BOM pattern, and it is the pattern we are using.  This option uses two fabrics for the pinwheel, with a third fabric for the "background."  

This block was made from the same pattern, using four different fabrics in the pinwheel:  two for the rectangle pieces and two for the squares.  Again, a different fabric was used for the "background."

For this block, I used eight different fabrics for the pinwheel, with a dark green for the "background."

Each member will choose the fabrics for his/her month, and also choose whether to use two, four, or eight different fabrics.  They will then cut four 3 1/2 inch squares and four 3 1/2 inch X 6 1/2 inch rectangles for each of the twelve participants.  It will be up to each participant, then, to add four 3 1/2 inch squares and four 3 1/2 inch X 6 1/2 inch rectangles of background fabric to complete each block.  Some are using all white or black; others are using a combination of white on black and black on white.  I personally have decided to use fabrics that coordinate with the fabrics for the month, so that each month's block will be completely different.  Below is a picture of the square I have made for January.

Of course, when I decided on my fabrics for my month (July), I decided to use one fabric for all four squares and four other fabrics for the rectangles.  When I told my sister Linda that I had decided to veer from the three options I had originally suggested, she asked, "Why am I not surprised?"  I wonder what she meant by that?  I have added a picture of those fabric pieces, although I have NOT made the July block yet!

I'll add comments & photos through the year, as I make the blocks for each month and put the quilt together.  Maybe YOU would like to join a "Block of the Month" group next year!