This summer, I spent a few months in the NuBees Quilting Bee on Flickr. This is a great block swap for new swappers and has a quick turn around time . . . no waiting months for it to be your turn. Each member of the hive chooses their own colors and then each hive member makes a block of their choice in everyone's colors with fabric from their stash.
For the three months I was in the swap, I chose red, white and blue.
The first month, I made the star-crossed block by Elizabeth of Don't Call Me Betsy.
Here are the blocks I got in return.
Month number 2, I modified the Stacked Quilt Block to make it a 12.5" block.
And for my final month, I made this block below and now I'm not certain where I saw it. It's pretty simple, since it is just half-square triangles. One swapper asked for a pop of color, so I added the little square in the middle on that bottom right. I had saved it 'til last because I wasn't certain how to add the pop, but it ended up being my favorite block.
For the most part, I really enjoyed the process and challenge of being in a Bee. I had to stretch out of my color comfort zone frequently and was always anxious to make something that would please my hive-mates. I felt it was important to do my best work and use quality fabrics.
Sadly, the blocks I've received in return have been added to the WIP pile . . . someday, they'll see the light of day. I should make it my goal to have it done by next July so we can use it for our Independence Day fireworks.
