Bee Sewcial wrapped up it's 10th year together this week with a holiday Zoom call, as we are spread around the US and Canada. With no prompt scheduled for December, we're anxious to start in on a new year of improv making, just maybe with a new face or two. Meanwhile, several of you have asked for a little round-up of this year's prompts and the blocks I've made, so I'm glad to take a look back with you.
January: Ringette for M-R @quiltmatters
An ice sport invented in Canada, M-R's prompt was my intro to Ringette, but what a fun one. My blocks were inspired by 1 - the goal net; and 2 - the sticks the players use, along with a 'pile' of extra rings.
February: Grids for Jen @jenbroemel
These blocks for Jen were great fun! Creating improvisationally - yet with a tentative vision - in an engaging palette - was the most fun I'd had in the studio in ages.
March: Tumble for Stephanie @spontaneousthreads
One section in each block could be improv pieced, so I pieced the tumbler in one block, and one of the sides in the other. Also, Stephanie likes a mix of substrates, and I was able to include shot cotton, linen-cotton blends, and textured cotton, in addition to quilter's cotton.
May: Folk Art Cats for Felicity @felicityquilts
The cats were supposed to be primarily black or grey, with a scrappy background in bright, cheerful colors. For both blocks, I planned the kitties out first, then focused on the background. I found these a bit challenging.
June: Summer Lovin' for Marci @marci_girl
Continuing in her series of season-inspired prompts, I started off thinking about roasting marshmallows for s'mores...
July: Minimal Shapes for me
Here are my sample blocks for my prompt, more minimal-leaning than some. As for a palette, I asked for something similar to a purple and orange collage by Liz Roache - ie. orange, purple, brown, and gray.
September: whisper wind sky for Leanne @shecanquilt
Leanne asked for improv blocks using fabric “crumbs” - no piece larger than 2” on a side. That's not something I keep around, so I had to make some! Both blocks were created ruler-free, and evoke impressions for skies we often see where we live.
October: Kelp for Karen @capitolaquilter
Karen provided a link to Monterey Bay Aquarium as a source for ideas, and asked for a palette similar to her previous prompt of Jellyfish.
November: Spicy Glyphs for Irene @hixsonir
For our last prompt of the year, Irene gave us 8 unique figures to recreate in warm, spicy colors. I really, really enjoyed making these.
So that's it for this year! Looking forward to what next year holds!
It's lovely to see all these creations together! Such a nice range of design inspiration and colors - so much personality imbued in each one. Ten years of participation is pretty incredible! I admire your efforts and dedication to Bee Social, and hope you have as much fun in 2025.
ReplyDeleteGreat recap! I look forward to seeing these blocks turn into quilts and what the next year holds for your group.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun recap! And 10 years! How cool is that? I like all of the blocks you made, but those cats are just too fun!
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