The Web of Inspiration

Last Saturday the Bear Patch Circle of Quilters gathered for some fun.  This is something you should mark on your calendars and sign up for because it is a great time at a very reasonable price--only $5!  You even get freebies and discounts for attending, so you will come out ahead in the long run!  Our next meeting is April 13 at 9:30.  

We talked about new things happening at the store and had a great show-and-tell.  The group got first viewing of 8 great new purse samples that are now on display in the window.  Jeanne brought Valentine's cookies for everyone and her little itty bitty granddaughter, Piper, even helped make them.

I was present to talk to the group about sources of inspiration from the internet--places that I visit to get new ideas or help me get inspired.  One of those places is Quiltville.  This is Bonnie Hunter's website and blog, and if any of you are familiar with her books and designs, you will know that she is a master of scrappiness!  She has a whole list of patterns that you can use for making up scrap quilts.  One of them is Scrappy Trips Around the World, and it has become a popular project out there among bloggers and quilters.  There is something appealing about using simple random 2 1/2" strips to put together a quilt top with repetitive rings of colors.  The people in the group on Saturday each received a little pack of pre-cut strips, enough to make 2 blocks if used alone.  The challenge is to add some of your own into the mix and continue assembling the blocks using the Quiltville instructions.  You can make many or only a few blocks, depending on how the mood strikes you.  It is up to you to decide what size you want to make.  I hope to see many blocks back in 2 months for show-and-tell!

So even if you didn't make it to our February meeting, you are more than welcome to jump on the Scrappy Trips bandwagon and see what you can come up with before our April meeting.  If you want to see more examples, you can see many examples, including the 2 below, on the Flickr group.  And now Bear Patch has our own Flickr group so we can share pictures that way, too!  You don't have to be standing in the store to enjoy show and tell anymore!

Here are examples of sample blocks that I made.  The first one was done with random colored scraps from my own stash.  Kind of fun to see how the layout plays with the eye.

The second one was done with more of a plan.  I picked 4 greens, 4 yellows, 4 reds, 4 whites, 4 blues and 4 oranges.  Then I placed them in the same order for the 4 blocks.  

So, depending on your preferences, you can do it either way.  Or, use alternating light/dark strips.  Or shades of 1 color from dark to light.  Or children's novelty prints.  Or Christmas.  Or Halloween.  Or Valentine's.  Make some blocks and show me what you can come up with!

Keep stitchin'!   Pam