Checking in...

There's been a lot of 'stuff' happening here lately - our oldest daughter came home for a few days last week, and we used that time (and her muscles) to switch 2 rooms around.  My sewing / craft room moved from upstairs to the spare bedroom in the basement, and the bedroom furniture that was in that bedroom went upstairs to make a proper guest bedroom.  I loved that space - it had it's own bathroom, and was so convenient for sewing or card-making.  The benefit of being downstairs though, is that the family room with it's lovely wood-stove is just next door, so my sewing room will be toasty warm - when I actually have time to find places for all of the things that currently occupy my sewing and cutting tables!
I've managed to get just a wee bit behind in my quilting as a result of missing my crafting time almost all last week - so I'm trying to make up for lost time this week.  I still have my New Year's mystery quilt to assemble - the rows are finished - I just have to put them all together, and then take a few pics.  I'm also still working on my monthly challenge too....  Then, as if I didn't already have enough different challenge projects, I've also decided to join the Rainbow Scrap Challenge at soscrappy (http://superscrappy.blogspot.ca/p/rsc12.html).  I've been accumulating rainbows of scraps for as long as I've been quilting, and last year I spent a fair bit of time separating them all by colour.  Now's the time to put some of those scraps to good use!  January's colour is blue, concentrating on darks and brights - the pastels will be used later this year.  (I didn't pay enough attention to that comment when I chose and cut my fabrics...).  The blocks have now been made - it took a bit of time to pick the pattern that I want to use.  I chose 2 different ones, and am still trying to figure out how to use the Japanese X and + block - it's a fun-looking block!  I also made 2 blocks using a pattern that I got a few years ago - it's called Kicking Stash, and is perfectly suited to using up scraps.
So, here are the pics of the 3 blocks - first the Japanese block, then the KS blocks:

I'll be linking up my blue blocks in the next few days...