2019 BeeSewcial "Portraits" - March Prompt

Two Humanoids

Nat 

Felicity requested that we make two Portrait blocks for our March BeeSewcial Prompt and name them.  They could be realistic or abstract, they just needed to read as Humanoids.  As someone who always cringed when it was time to draw faces in art class because I found it intimidating, I was both excited and nervous about the challenge.  

My local guild had a sew day on NATional Quilting Day so NATurally, I named her NAT.   She was actually the second block to be made but I wanted to share her first because I'm so smitten I can't stand it.  She's sporting a new hairdo with a streak of gray as a nod to transitioning to my own natural color although she's in no way a self portrait.  I had a blast bringing her to life and immediately wanted to make one to keep.

Marley

So here's my first block made while at retreat and a few process shots to see how he evolved.   The hair bits were left over from a previous challenge and they jumped right out.  I wanted him to have attitude and the eyebrows are another favorite feature.

Auditioning parts

Laying parts on before cutting and stitching them into place gives me a general idea and is useful.  In the end he gives off a Cheshire Cat vibe, probably because of the pupils.

I named him Marley.  He's laid back, not a care in the world with a life philosophy we could all use at times, "Don't worry, be happy".   I almost named him Dude.

Back to Nat

Curved left overs

The very first thing to be sewn was her lips.  So tricky but they gave me a direction of personality right away.  I had made a bunch of quarter circles for another project that left me with some great cut offs in solid that I pulled from the scrap bin.

You can see the "notch" where the concave and convex template positioned in the photo above.  That "flip" was originally going to be preserved but I liked the balance of the purple and what happens with the part in her hair.  With improv, I typically do ruler free work until trim up so I thought these might be too uniform at first but I think the contrast is successful.

Here's hoping your day is filled with a little bit of Nat's badass sassiness and Marley's kick back joy.

Happy Stitching, Karen

2019 BeeSewcial - Triptych Jewels February Prompt

As queen bee for February 2019, this is what I wrote as a guideline for my be mates to help them create a "Triptych Jewels“ block for me:

Blocks Received (not final layout)

"When choosing my prompt, I kept coming back to the concept of stages: Past-Present-Future, Birth-Life-Death, Before-During-After. I’m curious to see your interpretation of this idea with three segments that differ – they do not need to be equal portions and can transition subtly or abruptly with changes in design elements like scale, shape, value and color for example. .

Size: ONE Block equal to the usual size 12.5x24.5 The actual dimension is makers’ choice (long and thin, square, whatever fits with your composition) Puzzling together has become an enjoyable step in the process for me so don’t feel constrained and do not trim down. "

Prompt Logo

Palette: Think emerald, topaz, sapphire and amethyst etc. Use three or more colors in as many shades as you like. Bright and happy. Think less primary than my previous “Freeform Connection 2018 “ and less pastel than “Reflections 2015”.

Makers Tagged on IG

from Wikipedia “Despite its connection to an art format, the term is sometimes used more generally to connote anything with three parts, particularly if they are integrated into a single unit” 

The definition seems appropriate with a nod to collaboration - the individuals each have their own story and it will be interesting to put the chapters together.  I want to share a little more about what each maker referring to the tagged image above:

Stephanie (spontaneousthreads)  Fabric Pull/Sewing together/Finished composition. She felt the prompt reminded her of the quilt process:
Leanne (shecanquilt) : Seed/Leave-Stems/Flowers She included tourmaline for the palette with garnet, citrine and sapphire.
Felicity (felicityquilts): Triangle/Square/Circle shapes of A B C.  Her jewels are amethyst, emerald and ruby.
Debbie (aquilterstable): Water in three forms Solid (ice)/Liquid (an ocean wave)/Gas (steam). Her focus was amethyst, sapphire and emerald with a hint of topaz
M-R (quiltmatters): An emphasis on getting different facets in the jewels to pop. Amethyst, sapphire and aquamarine.
Ken (thekingslacker): "The Birth of Enlightenment" in jewel tones
Marci (marcigirl): "The evolution of Improv" HST and a homage to our BeeSewcial roots
Silvia (astrangerview): Lion/Witch/Wardrobe Narnia, Citrine eye, nose and mane, Aquamarine ice castle or crown, Ruby door slightly open and drawers at the bottom.  She also chose the theme for the spiritual representation.

So much meaning in the blocks and I love them all.  
Happy Stitching, Karen 

2019 BeeSewcial "Be (Bee) Counted" January Prompt

Made and mailed by deadline, I'm realizing that my 2019 BeeSewcial blocks aren't anywhere to be found on the blog.  So,  better late than never - I present 2019 prompt for January "Be (Bee) Counted" for Stephanie.

Be (Bee) Counted block 13.5" x25"

Stephanie wrote the following instructions on her  Instagram post : "in anticipation of the 2020 census I’d like for us to count and to be counted. I have always loved the simplicity of Tally Marks. 

As a method of counting they have been around for a very long time and appear in slightly differing variations in many cultures. My vision is a quilt of tally marks: bold ones, skinny ones, all improvisationally pieced"

process detail

The prompt immediately made me think of the score pad for bunko (I was in a group for ten years) and how easy it was to identify which player was tracking by how orderly the marks were. Mine were the messy ones. Deciding on what my number would be was immediately apparent. 

process detail

I love that our members are from all over. It’s pretty much the only time I visit the post office to mail my blocks each month. Mine represent the five digit zip code for Capitola, using spacing for the zeros 95010 and the significance of the red diagonal dash on the five is in honor of our 5th year as a bee.

the underside

Five with a red slash

Freehand rotary and scissor cut for the sections with rulers used to true up. My poor penmanship extends itself to hashtags so they aren’t neat. Intentional irregularity was tricky but fun. 

Check back for blog posts catching up with the February (my month), March and April BeeSewcial prompts.  Happy Stitching, Karen