The beginnings of my January block based on the "Uneven Coins" quilt in the "Modern Block Party" book
When I first came to work at C&T Publishing last year, I saw quilts and bits of quilts everywhere in the office. The “bits” were all part of C&T staffers’ own modern quilting bee, The Buzz, that I just had t0 join!
If you haven’t experienced a quilting bee for yourself, you can read about the basics in Block Party—The Modern Quilting Bee by Alissa Haight Carlton and Kristen Lejnieks. I got hooked on The Buzz after reading this post by our Design Manager, Kristy, who started our group after working on the design for Alissa and Kristen’s book.
Kristy asked us if we had any great quilting bee experiences to share on this blog. Hmm, there have been so many for me…but what could I share?
Could it be the fun fabrics I’ve gotten to work with as a part of Bee Happy, an in-person bee made up of Los Angeles Modern Quilt Guild members that began in March of 2010?
Fun red & aqua prints
Could it be learning new things?
How NOT to line up your points!
Could it be having a little fun embellishing a block with embroidery?
Embroidered flowers on a fabric windowbox
Could it be getting (and giving) cute little gifts with your block?
A "Play Hooky" pencil
Could it be getting enough blocks for a fantastic bed-sized quilt?
Unquilted top of blocks made by my fellow Bee Happy bees (and a few of my own)
Really, the best part of being in a quilting bee is something no photograph can really show – the friendships. I now live many miles from my Bee Happy friends (having moved from Los Angeles to the Bay Area to work here), but we’re still in regular contact, mailing fabrics and blocks, sharing tips and stories, making quilts in secret together via mail for members’ new baby bees, and encouraging each other when we’ve had a rough sewing day or a rough real-world week.
A quilt for baby Emma, made of Elizabeth Hartman's "Mod Mosaic" blocks. Photo courtesy of Janice Ryan.
Every month I look forward to what new block I get to make for The Buzz, and I get to know each month’s Queen Bee better in the process!
To find other online quilting bees who are looking for new members, check out this Flickr group for information about new online bees starting up. Visit the Modern Quilt Guild site to see if there’s a guild in your area that you can join and meet new friends in person. I am making lots of new friends since relocating because I joined both the Bay Area Modern Quilting Guild and the East Bay Modern Quilting Guild. Stay tuned for more of my posts about what’s happening at these two guilds!
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10 Comments
i love bees! i’m only in one (ahem, bee happy, ahem), but i’m thinking of starting up another one later this year.
This is so cool! I love the network you all have created for yourselves and how the support is for both sewing and the real world. Thanks for the insight into the world of the quilting bee!
p.s. your non-quilting friends miss you too, but I’m so happy to see how happy you are since relocating!
I love being in sewing bees. I get to socialize with other quilters and I am able to attempt lots of new and challenging blocks that I probably never would have thought up on my own. Great post!
I’ve had such a great experience with my first bee that I jumped right in and am in 4 now! Ack! It keeps me busy, that’s for sure, but I love that I get to play with fabric I might not otherwise have purchased. I have a special section of my scrap bin with scraps from my bees so I can use them when I want to incorporate memories in later blocks or quilts. I have definitely tried new things and been YANKED out of my comfort zone. And I don’t regret one minute of it!
Well, I kinda regret how sad my first spiderweb block turned out…
So many cool quilts (and piles of awesome blocks that will eventually be made into quilts) came out of the first year of Bee Happy. I’m so glad I got to be a part of it. Looking forward to more blog posts, Alison!
Bees are wonderful and I think you’ve captured all of the best parts here! Now, if I could just make those bee blocks into a quilt
What a great post. It’s inspiring on every level and it reminds me just how much we have in common because of of our love of fabric and quilting…and how in terms of friendship and bees, we really do reap what we SEW! Keep sharing your experiences, Alison. And BEE HAPPY!
Participating in a bee is a wonderful education. As a newer quilter in a short amount of time I’ve learned more techniques and sewn a greater variety of blocks than I ever would have if left to my own devices. Being in a bee is also a great way to make new friends that share your love of fabriv
Bees help me learn new things, play with new fabric, and become better friends with new people. They really are a great medium for connecting with other quilters.
I have participated in my first bee over the past year. It’s been a wonderful experience. Finding a community to share a new passion & playing with fabrics and techniques I might not otherwise. I’m really excited for my month, to see what my bee mates produce. Getting mail will be soo fun!
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