BeeSewcial Inspired Modern Quilt

The BeeSewcial group was created a couple of years ago.  One of my goals for 2016 is to follow along and design my own quilt blocks using the prompts created by this very inspiring group of modern quilters.

You may recognize the #BeeSewcial and #InspiredbyBeeSewcial tags from Instagram or their Flickr feed.  Although this is a closed group, they have encouraged other quilters to follow along and use their monthly prompts to create blocks.  I’ve been watching their work on Instagram for several months, and then decided late in January to join in.  Good thing January has 31 days because I decided very late–ahem–on January 30th!!!

Another goal I set this year is that I want to design quilts using solids, grunge solids and solid ombres a lot more this year.  I may throw in a print or two somewhere…..

My BeeSewcial Goals

Here’s my challenge parameters for the 2016 BeeSewcial:

  1. Make two blocks (at least) each month and post on time (by the end of that month) on Instagram using the #inspiredbybeesewcial tag
  2. Sew My Stash:  I’ll start by using a stash of solids by American Made Brands that I bought at a local quilt shop and online last year.  I haven’t used them at all so this will be a great project.  I may have to supplement with some other solids from my stash depending on what’s needed each month.
  3. Post my results on my blog describing my inspiration and showing the results.
  4. Use the blocks to make one or more large quilts by December 31st.

 

JANUARY 2016 BeeSewcial Theme & My Blocks

This month, the inspiration was lines and the color palette was grey, mustardy yellow, a neutral and a pop of color.

Here’s my palette for this month:

BeeSewcial

The fabrics are all from American Made Brands:  dark gray, dark purple, light cream and dark yellow (I think…might be called gold).  The purple is my POP of color. (It looks a bit blue in this photo but it is very purple.)

This grey is much darker than the grays I typically use.  I was tempted to put it back and then remembered–this is a CHALLENGE.  Get out of my little pale gray box (smile…)

And, typically, I would go to RED as my pop color so I stretched a bit out of my norm there too.

 

I decided that I wanted the purple to show up in very thin tapering slivers–setting myself a piecing challenge.   I started by making two strata and ‘squaring’ them up:

BeeSewcial
Strata #1 and #2

I even tapered one of the gold strips a bit in the strata #1 on the left.

The strata measured about 8 by 18 inches and 6 by 10 inches.

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Close Up of a purple skinny tapered line in Strata #2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then, I started improvisationally cutting and piecing the two strata together.  The two blocks have pieces from both of the strata.  This is a process I will definitely use again.

Here are the two blocks that I ended up with.  (photographed on a grey background).

BeeSewcial
Block #1  Size: 8-1/2 by 13-1/2

 

 

At the top left of Block #, I pieced cream to cream, creating a very subtle line and intersection.  I like that element and will do it again.

I noticed that I ended up with a horizontal line parallel to the block edge in both blocks–something I would never do in my improv blocks.  At first I was going to rip them out and resew them.  Then I decided to let them be and just reflect on them.  This is a ‘happy accident’ that happened twice so I need to see how I can incorporate angle AND parallel lines in my work.

I wanted to have some of the lines intersect exactly and other lines shift away from each other.

BeeSewcial
Block #2 Size: 7 by 17

 

Overall, I am very, very pleased with these two blocks and I think there are ideas here that could be expanded into full size quilts.

 

Already learning a lot and looking forward to February!

Here are some of the BewSewcial Blogs–and be sure to follow the #BeeSewcial tag on Instagram to link up with the other BeeSewcial members and #InspiredbyBeeSewcial to see work by many many other quilters:

Spontaneous Threads

Capitola Quilter

A Quilters Table

Entropy Always Wins

She Can Quilt

 

 

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