Sewcial Bee Sampler – Row 1 Roundup

I have been so excited participating in the Sewcial Bee Sampler hosted by Sharon Holland of Sharon Holland Designs and Maureen Cracknell of Maureen Cracknell Handmade.
I’m not sure if it’s due to our lovely hosts. The fun blocks. Or the awesome
community that has been participating and sharing their progress. But this is
hands down my favourite sew along I’ve participated in to date. 

I’m literally
giddy every Wednesday when the next block is released. And once I’ve completed
it, I’m instantly wishing I had another to just keep going! It’s like watching
your favourite mini-series and being left on a cliff hanger at the end of each
episode! It’s the first time I’ve ever felt like this, but I’m not complaining,
it’s awesome!!

If you haven’t heard of the Sewcial Bee Sampler,
you can find all the details about this free sew along on either Sharon or Maureen’s blogs. And don’t worry about keeping pace with the release of each block. Before
I committed, I had mentioned my concern to Sharon about some constraints in my
schedule later this spring and summer and she assured me this was about having
fun and working at my own pace. So, if keeping up was holding you back, fear
not!

I’ve got a few projects on the go at the moment, so when it
came time to deciding on my colourway I wanted to go with something that was
pure fun! And that was readily available in my stash. Yup, I’m still sticking
to my #workingmystashoff goal for 2017 😉

My colourway for 52 Weeks with the Quilter’s Planner ranges from dark indigos to light blue and I wanted something that was bright
and fresh and conjured images of spring! So after quite a bit of deliberation,
I decided on a mixture of maroon paired with coral, orange and pink. 

I’ve had
this deep maroon linen in my stash for awhile and I’ve been itching to pair it
with coral (big surprise, right?! Me and my love for coral!). I thought the
oranges and coral would help liven up the maroon while the pinky tones would
add some softness.  I haven’t entirely
decided on the block borders and sashing, but right now my plan is to do a mix
of maroon and beige linen with coral sashing. I haven’t bordered any of my
blocks just in case I change my mind…so we shall see how this one plays out!

To date I have tackled the first 5 blocks in the top row.
Again, I’m not sure if I will stick to layout provided but, for tracking
purposes, it will be easier to share it all with you this way.

Week 1 was the Patience Corners block and, although I didn’t initially love my fabric choices, I adore this
block. It’s actually become one of my favourites and I refer back to it regularly
to remind me of the tone and feel I wanted this quilt to have.

The second block I tackled was A Dandy block. This one got a lot of love on Instagram, but I was concerned that it was
too floraly! My good quilting bud Amanda of Gypsy Moon Quilt Co. assured me
there could be no such thing 😉

I love the boldness of the fabrics I chose for the Flock block. Just watch your block placement, as I somehow managed to attach the top
and bottom incorrectly. A quick double check is better than having to whip out
the seam ripper, right?!

Block 4 is Crow’s Nest and I love this block for the simple fact I FINALLY got to use that central
floral fabric. It’s been in my stash for awhile and every time I look at it I
smile. So, I’m thrilled to finally be dipping into it. I haven’t a clue who
designs it, so if you do, please let me know in the comments below!

Rounding out the top row is the July Fourth block. What I love about this one is the subtle movement.

Along the way, Sharon and Maureen are sharing loads of
quilting tips and resources to help ensure our piecing game is on fleek. This
is a perfect sew along to perfect your skills, join an extremely engaged
quilting community and let your creativity flow. What more could you ask for?!

You must also checkout the #sewcialbeesampler hashtag to see everyone’s interpretation of these blocks – it’s truly a sight to see!  

Happy quilting my friends!

xo

Shannon

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