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WIP Wednesday - still making blocks! For October in the Aqua and Orange Bee, I get to be Queen Bee, a first for me!  It was really hard to figure out what I wanted the members of the bee to make for me. I wanted it to be interesting and fun for them and I really want to make a quilt that I love, just for me. Finally, I decided to send everyone solids and to ask them to make improv blocks, any size they like, any way they like, just one orange and one aqua. I found every scrap of solids in my stash that fell within my very broad definition of those colours and put together packages for everyone which I shipped yesterday. Cutting, packaging, addressing, filling out customs forms, etc. takes much longer than I had realized.

These blocks were great fun to make and they were fast, I did not plan much and I just put the fabrics together as I went and cut them, moved them and played until I had something I liked. I hope that my bee mates have fun and I can hardly wait to get the quilt back. If you want some improv inspiration, go have a look at my inspiration gallery by following this link - it is full of excellent work. Despite my good intentions, the rest of my time last weekend and this week has been on catching up on bee blocks I owe. This one is for Alix in the Twelve Month Quilting Bee, who sent us Central Park by Kate Spain and asked for square in square blocks. This centre print is amazing, the whole line of fabric is beautiful. This mosaic block (based on the pattern by Elizabeth Hartman at Oh, Fransson!) is for Cassey in  the Aqua and Orange Bee. I ran out of the white part - these blocks take a lot of the framing fabric. I think this one used about 95" of it for a 12.5"square. Seriously. Last night I cut some Kona white, which I think matches, and made her another block as there were loads of prints left from her package. Also, since I was about to send her fabrics to make two blocks, I just felt it was wrong not to send another to her.

The mosaic blocks are really dramatic and lovely. Having made these and some in the past in my other bee, I have to say that I really do not not like making them much. A good choice for a bee, to spread the work around because a quilt of these will be wonderful.

I am so behind on everything else on my WIP list that I am not talking about it. It is a long weekend for Thanksgiving coming up in Canada and maybe I can sew a bit between fall yard clean up, cooking apple pies and turkey, and visiting.

I almost forgot, the 4 x 5 Modern Quilt Bee is open for the next round of sign ups. This is a lot of fun, you make 5 blocks for your group (and one for you) and get 5 back. You sign up for whatever rounds work for your schedule and eventually you have enough blocks for a whole quilt. The group is talented and there is still room, so if you are interested, hurry over before it's too late.
I am linking to Lee at Freshly Pieced and to The Needle and Thread Network. Click the buttons to go to see the excellent work always posted there. Posted by Leanne at 11:56 AM 
Your improv. blocks are gorgeous - so fresh, original and zingy. I particularly love the top blue one.

October 5, 2011 at 12:10 PM 
mmm I love the lines in that first blue block. Looks like water & sails. ; )
Thanks for linking and HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
~Monika in Saskatoon

October 5, 2011 at 12:24 PM 
Beautiful blocks! You do nice work! ;-)

October 5, 2011 at 1:46 PM 
What lovely blocks. I really must try some of this improvisational piecing.

October 5, 2011 at 1:54 PM 
I just love your eye for color and form.

October 5, 2011 at 2:40 PM 
Great work Leanne - I held an Improv Day last week and we had fun "making it up as we went along" very liberating.
Isn't that Central Park fabric divine?
And - the mosaic blocks are striking but I agree, likely to be rather tedious to make.

October 5, 2011 at 3:32 PM Annaliese said...

I slobber all over my laptop whenever I see your pieced blocks. Seriously loving the improved mosaic blocks! Brava!

October 5, 2011 at 5:07 PM 
Lovely blocks! Especially the orange and blue combo. I love it!

October 5, 2011 at 5:11 PM 
Gorgeous blocks Leanne, I especially love the solids ones!
 
The mosaics are absolutely stunning! I love them!

October 5, 2011 at 5:15 PM 
Beautiful blocks Leanne.

October 5, 2011 at 5:50 PM 
I particularly love those mosaic blocks. I think that might be on my to-do list now...not that I need any more ideas haha!

October 5, 2011 at 6:34 PM 
Lovely improv blocks!

October 5, 2011 at 10:43 PM 
Everything is beautiful! Love all your bee blocks!

October 7, 2011 at 10:41 AM 
Love your blocks, Leanne! Very cool!

October 7, 2011 at 3:24 PM Silvinha said...

Are beautiful blocks here , is possible I do too ?
it's possible I'm to participate of Brazil ?


October 11, 2011 at 6:15 AM