Projects, colors, etc.

It's hard to believe that I only have one month in one quilting bee left after this month. It's my month now for Quilting newBEES and I had everyone make blocks like the following scrapbuster square:
(Don't mind the poor quality photo - just wanted to get a quick shot!)

Originally, I planned to start working on a baby quilt for a friend this afternoon but after working on the block above, I think I'm "sewed out" for the day! (To all my bee ladies - I love you guys for making these blocks for me, as I know they're no small task!!!) I'm sooo psyched that I'll eventually have a big quilt filled with blocks like the one above, including so many little snippets from everyone's stashes. The block is about 15" square so the quilt will be BIG - I'm thinking that I'll actually be able to have a bed quilt from these ones. Yay!

In light of the randomness of the block above, I wanted to talk a little bit about choosing fabrics and picking projects. Both Brooke and Jeni have blogged about these steps in the creative process, and it was something that Brooke and I discussed yesterday too during our chat. I love that there are so many different ways to approach quilting. Some people use patterns, some go from their own design. There's a widely used software for quilt design out there while many people use graph paper. I think the best thing that I've discovered about quilting that while there certainly are a few basic aspects of the craft used by most, there's no right or wrong way to make a quilt! My love for knitting will never go away but when you mess up in knitting, it's pretty obvious and that can be a big frustration.

I'm someone who doesn't really have a set way for quilting. I have built up a collection of fabrics I like, not really paying attention to pattern size or color balance. While I certainly understand the color wheel and the need for harmony when quilting, a lot of times I find that rules don't really matter and if you like it, then go for it! That's pretty much how I approached my most recently finished quilt. I definitely paid attention to color coordination, but I wasn't too concerned with exact color matching, print size, etc. That being said, I have great respect for people who have a much more thoughtful, planned process. I wish I had the patience sometimes to approach a project like that! I think we all just grow into our own style of quilting that works for us. Along the way, we may pick up new tips here and there but once you get in your own groove, stick with it. Sometimes I like to use patterns, sometimes I don't. I've said before that I don't have too much patience with the math part of quilting so I try to keep things simple. When pulling fabrics, sometimes I'll use a whole collection (or just a few from one) or sometimes I'll mix it up. I'm pretty new to this whole quilting thing (just under 2 years!) so I'm definitely learning as I go. And I'm having a blast! :)