I have my January Monthly Color Challenge block to show you today. The 2026 Monthly Color Challenge is a monthly block challenge hosted by Patterns by Jen. Each month, Jen sends out a block pattern and the colors to use. The block challenge is free, and the blocks are easy to make. If you are interested, you can read more about the challenge and sign up at the above link.
Each year, Jen finds something fun to inspire her color choices. This year she has chosen frogs in all their glorious colors. I immediately thought of the fabric frog that my grandmother made me – I still have it and thought it would be fun to include in this post. However, I have stashed it safely away where I wouldn’t forget it. Once/If I do unearth Freddy the Frog, I will include a pic in one of my posts. Meanwhile, the little frog you see in my photos is one I’ve had from my youth. He has traveled around with me for many years, and even though we’re both vintage now, I still think he’s kinda cute.
I have participated Jen’s monthly color challenges in the past. Here are two quilts I made from the challenge blocks. Both are lap size quilts, and both have been gifted.
You can read about this quilt in this post.
And you can read about this quilt in this post.
The January Month Color Challenge block uses two shades of green, so off I went to look through my stash. These two fabrics were the first two I picked up. That doesn’t happen very often, so I was pretty excited!
This block went together quickly. It was so much fun to make that I am considering making a few more. I love combination of these two greens. The lighter green is a Kona scrap (maybe pistachio?) and the darker green may be a scrap of shot cotton. The block is 12-1/2 inches unfinished.
And that’s my January Monthly Color Challenge block. Thanks, Jen, for a fun one! If my block has encouraged you to join us, there’s plenty of time. You have the whole month to make the block!
Wendy
This is nice block. I like the greens together and I love your little frog 🙂
What a great start to your stitching year. The green block is beautiful and calm. And i gave fallen in love with your vintage frog
What a cute little frog! All of your quilts and blocks look so good. I still need to finish a couple of quilt alongs that are long past due.
Cute frog! I love the greens you used.
I really like the design of that second monthly color challenge quilt. And you have a great start on this year’s challenge.
We all get that… putting something in a very safe place… a place where we’ll remember where it is… One day, you’ll stumble back across it and be surprised!
Haha when I glanced at the title of your post I read “Color Challenge Black” – lol! Those greens look fabulous together! I remember participating in Jen’s challenge, always such neat patterns. Your little frog’s eyes are sweet. Glad he had a spot in your photo. 🙂
Your color choices look great together and I think would make a lovely quilt when tiled together. I hope you can find the fabric frog your grandmother made you!
What a cute little frog! The block turned out beautifully. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that one before? I like the color combo but of course, green (as is yellow) my fave color. (Okay, I like oranges and reds, too. Fall stuff ya know!)
Earthy greens are one of my favorite colors. I got that from my father I think. He used a lot of olive green shades in his work. You inspired me to try the challenge and I did my block. I used cherrywood fabric in about the same values as yours. It was an easy block to complete. I hope you get Freddy out and show us what your grandmother made. Happy sewing and thank you for sharing. Your photos are always enjoyable and informative to look at.
Cute block. I like the quilts you’ve made from this challenge.
A lovely green block! The colors do match your little froggy. So fun!
I love the greens in that block!
Love your color choices, Wendy. It will be fun to watch this grow!
That is a great block! I haven’t participated in Jen’s color challenge for a few years because I have plenty of that kind of challenge with my Rainbow Scrap Challenge projects. But I love that block – it’s calling me, lol! Are you keeping your blocks this year to all solids? I love the light green and dark green together!
You picked too great greens. Looking forward to seeing all your blocks come together.
This looks like a very fun challenge! Nice start.
We. have a cement garden frog painted green that has moved from one house to another-always sitting somewhere in our yard. Silly old thing but it’s a part of our story. I am participating again after a few years’ hiatus. So nice to have a nice simple block each month.
You have one adorable frog right there, Wendy! It is going to be fun to see this project progress! 🙂
Ohhhh…. Ahhhhh…. Frogs!!!! Jupp… I am in and signed…. Closing my sewing with christmas fabrics … no Halloween nor Holiday sewing untill summer… (lol), prep for SAHRR 2026.. and now the frogs! There is a big box of collected frog fabric, will see if it work with the colours she gives us. May be I will not hit the point, bad girl as I am.. never following what the teacher says…. But … having fun…. Thank you for encouraging !!!
I highly approve of the colors you picked!