If the Block Lotto sometimes seems to demand too much of my time, it also keeps me connected to quilting by sewing blocks, sometimes writing directions and almost always creating the monthly virtual quilt.
This month we're making Bonnie Hunter's Pineapple Blossom blocks in a subdued scrappy colorway: gray and gold (or yellow) are included in each block. Details here.
A benefit of all that photo cropping and editing and HTML code copy-pasting to create the virtual quilt is that I get to see how well my color guidelines translate into blocks that will ultimately play nicely together in the quilts made by winners ... and I can randomly insert photos of my blocks into the mix to see how well I did in making blocks that contribute to pulling the whole thing together.
You can click any of the "blocks" in the virtual quilt for a closer look or find all the individual block photos on Flickr here: Pineapple Blossom
Someone in the block lotto community said that her husband complimented her blocks on the wall. I think somehow the grays make these blocks feel gender neutral and, perhaps, a bit more contemporary than an all-out scrappy quilt.