It's like Christmas every month

It's the time of month I look forward to every month, New Block of the Month Day!

Kinda like Ralphie and his longing for the Red Ryder BB Gun I cannot wait to see all the new blocks for the quilt-a-longs I am trying to keep up with.  Two or three days before the beginning of the month I start checking the pages (sometimes they post early) to see if they are out yet.  I MUST HAVE THEM!  Most have posted that they will not be posting them until the 2nd of the month for February, so instead of pouting I've decided to write about them.

Goal one for the year is tackling all of the UFO quilt tops laying around, but my second goal for the year is to lessen my fabric stash.  I'm happy to say that the piles of unused fabric laying around are not as bad as they could be but I do not want to turn into a hoarder either.  I want to be known for beautiful creations not as that crazy chick from that one episode of Hoarders Buried Alive.  BOM are a great way to use up fabric plus it's kind of exciting not knowing what you are going to end up with.  Plus most of them are FREE (all the ones I'm participating are).  Last year I participated in Pal Sloan's Globetrotting  BOM and her Aurifil designer block challenge.

This year I'm joining Pat again for her Vacation Time Mystery Challange and the Aurifil challenge as well.  Instead of a block of the month the Aurifil challenge will be 12 mini quilts!  Who doesn't love a mini quilt!  I should have Flurry finished this weekend.

  My husband asked me several years ago to make him a quilt with an Asian feel and I jumped on the fabric collecting.  Huge problem, I had no idea what to do with it and could not find a pattern that spoke to me.  So I stumbled onto this BOM hosted by Gold Coast Quilter's Guild.  Each month they are posting a Japanese block designed by Susan Briscoe.  Perfect! Sign me up!

The Gold Coast Quilter's Guild also has a mystery quilt underway.  Clue one is a supply list and these fabrics seem like this quilt will be a nice home for them.  Now to wait for clue two.

These are two of my smallest totes of "stash" containing mostly 2.5 and 3 inch blocks or strips.  I think the QM Bitty Blocks BOM will be the answer for weeding these babies out.  Really it's more of a row by row challenge.

The rest of my collection will fall victim to the Quilt Art Designs Beginners BOM 2015 and the Adventurous Quliters 2015 BOM.  Both are using paper piecing for their blocks.  I could use a little more work on my paper piecing so this kills two birds with one stone.  Quilt art Designs also has a Bitty Block going on as well but I think I might need to improve my skills be before I tackle that one.