PB&J February: Work in progress!

As I said before, February is my month for the PB&J quilting bee. I have sent some bright and bold fabrics out to my fellow bee members, and cannot wait to put this quilt together.

I used a fat quarter bundle of Kaffe Fassett fabrics for the fabric this month. I asked my bee members for wonky log cabin or square-in-square inspired blocks out of these fabrics, and provided an inspiration gallery on flickr for them, so they could get a feel for what I'm looking for.

Here are the fabrics I started with, pre-cutting. (Colors are a bit off, because I took this picture in the dark!)

Fabrics, pre-cutting

And after spending an evening cutting them into varying size strips, I put together 11 packages that looked something like this!

strips and strips

Most of the packages have been confirmed received, and one speedy bee member has already finished blocks, so here's a little sneak preview! 

block from Chrissy

Needless to say, I cannot wait to get these blocks together and into a gorgeous quilt! I bought a grey kona to play around with borders and possible sashing once I get all the blocks together.

PB&J: November, December, & January!

I finally caught up on my PB&J Bee blocks today, getting January's block in the mail just 2 days late. And just in time, because February is my month! I'm hoping to have my fabric all cut this afternoon and in the mail by the end of the week. I realized I haven't shown blocks since October though, so this post will catch us up. 

November

This was Ashley's month, and we made a variation of Little Miss Shabby's Scrapbuster #2 block. Ashley sent us scrap squares and white fabric, and asked if we wouldn't mind adding in some of our own scraps (which I was happy to do!). I got a little carried away cutting squares from my scraps, and made Ashley two blocks. I love these blocks, and have put them on my "to-make" list. 

November block #1

November block #2

December

December's block was for Corley in Pennsylvania, and this block was both new to me and fell outside my comfort zone! We made wonky house blocks out of beautiful warm colors with a blue sky behind them. My house isn't very wonky, but it was fun to make. 

December house block

January

And last but not least, January's block for Jill. I've had this block bookmarked since I first saw it, and was thrilled to make it for Jill. We made a liberated wedding ring block, (using another of Little Miss Shabby's tutorials) and this was my first foray into foundation piecing. I used a shorter stitch length and ironed a lot (as recommended), and the block was actually easy to put together. 

January liberated wedding block

So now we're all caught up! February is my month, and I have a fabulous set of 33 Kaffe Fassett fabrics that I'm going to send out to my fellow bee members. Can't wait to get them all packed up and sent out! 

PBee&J

I am a member of a virtual quilt bee called PBee&J, that started in September. The basic premise of a bee is that there are 12 members and it takes place over one calendar year. Each member is responsible for coordinating one month - preparing packages of fabric and instructions to send to the other participants. With this package the participants create one or more blocks, which are returned to the sender. At the end of your month, you should have 12+ blocks - enough for an entire quilt! 


It's lots of fun to be part of a virtual group like this. Not only have I "met" 11 new people, but I've also gained 11 new sources of inspiration and feedback. Making a different style block each month gives me the opportunity to try new sewing styles and techniques. So far, all three months have been blocks that I had no experience with and used skills that were new to me. So, lots of learning going on! 


September's blocks were for Patricia in Portugal. These blocks were a brand new concept for me, but were fun to make! I was very proud they turned out nicely. (I loved the bright fabrics!)

October's blocks were for Liz in Canada. They were christmas-themed wonky log cabin blocks - my first wonky blocks. 

I received November's fabric and instructions from Ashley over the weekend. We are making Little Miss Shabby's Scrapbuster #2 block, one I've been admiring. I love the look of scrappy blocks and quilts. Lots of little squares, and I am looking forward to getting started! 


Hopefully this month will be busy with sewing - I have several projects I want to complete before the holidays!