Welcome to 2022! I don’t know about you, but I have so many fantastic projects lined up for the new year and I am thrilled to get started. There are so many fun sew alongs and block of the months that will keep me busy all the way through the year. I thought it might be fun to share some of the projects I have lined up. Here we go!
Block of the Month (BOM)
A Quilting Life 2022
Sherri McConnell with A Quilting Life has a fantastic blog and each year she walks us through a new block each month. At the end of the year, she gives the finishing requirements and it is all for FREE! I love picking out the fabric I’m going to use for her BOM. She releases her free block every first Thursday of each month. This is a slower paced program, so it is perfect for the quilter who has a lot going on, but would like to participate in a fun block of the month program and learn new skills along the way.
Last year I used Lori Holt’s Flea Market fabric. This year I have quite a bit of Bonnie & Camille Sunday Stroll left from a fat quarter bundle, so I am tackling this BOM with this beautiful line. I am also switching from the 12″ version to the 6″ this time around. I think it will be fun to challenge myself with some smaller blocks and have a smaller quilt at the end.
Riley Blake Block Challenge 2022
The Riley Blake Block Challenge is a great project that includes blocks from 16 different designers. The first month was designed by my personal favorite, Lori Holt. Other designers include Bev McCullough, Christopher Thompson and Riley Blake’s own Cindy Cloward. This program is weekly, so the pace is a bit quicker than a traditional block of the month. They release a new, FREE pattern each Tuesday. This project runs through May 17th. The block size for this challenge is 10″ so it is a nice size. The final quilt is a surprise so you’ll want to stick around to the end!
This year I have decided to take my inspiration from the sunset view from my quilt room. This particular day, I was mesmerized by all of the colors. I took that photo to my local quilt store and one of my friends helped me pick the fabrics. I went with Moda’s Basic Grey Grunge in six lovely colors. I’m excited to see how this one turns out. It will definitely be a quilt for my studio!
Sew Alongs
Flea Market
I am very excited to start working on this beautiful quilt! Lori Holt designed this beautiful 96″x96″ quilt. It starts with a medallion center. This will be the first time I’ve built a quilt from the center out, so I’m excited for this new challenge! I am using her Flea Market fabric line for this one. It follows a monthly calendar and will go through all of 2022. The first month is the center block. It is a nice size at 18 1/2″!
You will need the book to get started and your favorite fabrics. I chose her Flea Market fabric line since it goes right along with the book and I have tons of leftover from the fat quarter bundle I used to create my last quilt. The Jolly Jabber blog has all of the information on the schedule, as well. The Fat Quarter Shop will also be releasing an alternate pattern in a couple of months for those who do not want a huge quilt. I love that they think of customers and those who may not want a large quilt!
Chicken Salad Sew Along (SAL)
Chicken Salad is a beautiful 64″ x 80″ quilt that incorporates both piecing and appliqué. For those of you who are nervous about trying appliqué, don’t be! Lori Holt has fantastic tutorials available on how to make the process easy and fun! This sew along starts on February 14th and uses Lori’s latest fabric line, Cook Book. If you haven’t seen it, you’re missing out. It is adorable with a vintage feel.
To get started, you will need the quilt kit and the Sew Simple Shapes. I also recommend Lori’s sew-in interface. It is the best weight for her appliqué projects. She will be releasing the patterns through her blog each month. The blocks will be 12″, so they will be a fun size to see a lot of progress quickly!
I look forward to seeing how many of you join along in these journeys in 2022! Good luck with your projects and happy quilting!
XOXO,
Leslie
lesliequilts.com 
Hi Leslie, I’m rapidly becoming a fan of yours. No, I AM A FAN. I love this quilt. Obviously, the quilt along was a while ago, however, do you know if there is a pattern out there similar to this?
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Did you already do this quilt?
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No. I’ve been looking for a similar pattern. Not the chicken quilt, but the large star quilt.
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If you like that look, Missouri Star has a nice Carpenter’s Star pattern that is great!
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