I rarely write blog posts about my Bee, Myself and I goals, but sewing has been happening quietly in the background.
At the start of the year, I set myself the goal of making three flowering snowball blocks a month. I have treated it like a sewing bee, but a bee in which I am the only participant. I thought that if I chipped away at it, I would slowly see the quilt grow, no matter what other new and sparkly projects I allowed myself to be distracted by. The plan has worked, and my quilt top is complete.
If I had stuck strictly to my target, I should not be finished yet. I should have made 36 blocks by the end of the year. I actually made 64 blocks. Yes, it grew beyond my plans and is now a generous 96 inches square.
I do not have a plan how to quilt the giant, so I will pause to think for a while. I fear that my original plan to hand quilt it with perle cotton like Mary’s might be a bit rash, given its size. I might need to build up my courage. Also, I do not have a piece of quilt wadding or backing fabric large enough: yet another reason to pause.
My arms are too short for ginormous-quilt-top-holder-uppering, so I can only share a folded sneak peek.
I need time to pause and think before quilting.
With that top finished, it is time to switch gears. For my next monthly Bee, Myself and I goal, I aim to hand sew at least three of my Liberty hexagons (from Katja Marek’s The New Hexagon). To help me get a head start, I have cut and basted about a dozen blocks – and been super nerdy organised and put them in plastic sleeves in a folder.
There is a block with my name!
My Liberty project is a good fit at the moment because it is portable. I can easily take it along to social sewing days. Another reason it is a good fit is that I have started working one day a week at Calico and Ivy, a lovely shop that sells fabric and yarn and all sorts of other crafty goodies, including Liberty! I sometimes wonder whether my working there is like an alcoholic taking a job in a pub, but I have managed to pace myself so far. I have not yet spent all of my wages on fabric and yarn. Not yet …
I am sewing blocks in fabrics I like with not much of a plan.
Anyone is welcome to join in and set their own solitary sewing bee goals. The details and a button are here.
Granny Mauds Girl 
Love the variety in those hexies! And I’m deeply impressed with the scope and scale of your Flowering Snowball epic…
Congratulations on completing the Flowering Snowball quilt top! That is quite the accomplishment and the size sounds fantastic. Pausing to plan quilting, etc., sounds like a good plan. I appreciate the organization you put together for the hexies and hope they are a fun and satisfying make. Do you have a number you’d like to make before considering that goal met or will you play it by ear as you go?
The flowering snowball quilt is beautiful with lots of scrumptious fabrics. I love your hexorganisation too 😉
You are a tease to only show that wee bit of the flowering snowball! Love the hexie project too!
Wow, I can’t believe the progress you made on your flowering snowball quilt! That’s amazing. Me, I’ve completely fallen off the personal sewing wagon. Oh well, I’m okay with that. I’m still enjoying what I’m sewing so there’s always that. I saw your instagram pic of you in the shop – that would be a dream job for me! I hope you’re enjoying it immensely.
I’m looking forward to seeing more of your snowball quilt, the teaser looks good! Preparation is not nerdy, it’s how quilts like that get finished! (Or is that because I’m a nerd?)
Lucky you working in a patchwork shop. If the reality is not what we would expect, please keep it to yourself so I can keep my dream alive 🙂
I love your hexie blocks without a plan. That is going to be one gorgeous quilt. Do you also just make one of those every now and then?
Compliments all round. Your snowball quilt (from what I can see!) is spectacular. Think it would be outstanding quilted in Perle thread, though the time factor would be tremendous.
The hexies, well I am just swooning. They are gorgeous. You have been sew, sew busy.
Congratulations, on the job at Calico and Ivy.
All those finishes are wonderful. Maybe you can do some ‘ in the ditch’ quilting as well as a bit of perle thread stitching for your Flowering Snowball. Some machine and some hand stitching!
Congrats on not spending all your wages! LOL Glad to hear you got all your blocks made and then some. I intend to play along with Bee Myself and I this time around.
Your comments about working at the fabric shop made me laugh–when I used to work at one, back in the Dark Ages, it was a struggle to get that paycheck home. I love your Bee, Myself and I sewing, and went back and read some of your other posts about them. I loved the one that said when you did Bee Blocks for others, it was always at the first of the month, and when we do them for ourselves, it’s always at the end of the month. So true! But look at that wonderful quilt you finished, just by having your own bee. Super Idea. I signed up again to receive your blog, as I don’t know what happened last time. Here’s hoping I can make this technology work!
Gorgeous hexies! So fun to work with all that gorgeousness
I love your organization! That’s the same way I keep things in order. So far I love your liberty hexagons and that snowball quilt is just awesome. Hand quilting would look super amazing but a major project. Good luck with whatever you choose.
Hi my name is Carla, and I’m a Libertyholic. Thank you for the link to the most winsome shop. I am wagering that they ship overseas. Living in the backcountry, my nearest quilt shops are online, and this one is going to get a thorough search. How fun it must be to work there and see what people are creating.
My hat is off to you for overachieving your Bee, Myself, and I goal. That pattern makes a charming old-fashioned quit. I admire it. Please share the giant someday. My own goals have been somewhat half measures, but I am recommitting to the plan to sew my own things, and join the Bee, Myself, and I group. I am binding a little quit that I have no plans for, might be a keeper.
yay, looking forward seeing that quilt! you go girl!
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A great idea and a great top (assuming the rest looks like the bit we were shown).
I seem to have fallen off the Bee wagon as well. Might have to revisit the idea in the new year. (ack! already?!) Well done on the Flowering Snowball. That will be a job indeed to get quilted – good luck with that!
What a great idea – your own bee group. I am loving your Liberty hexagons. I keep debating whether to get that book ……
Je découvre votre blog ….Et j’aime beaucoup !