ALWAYS IN STITCHES Bee Pottery Challenge

Recently one of my bees decided to do a quilt challenge, largely inspired by a program presented by the All Hands Around bee from Downers Grove presented at our Big Red Quilters Guild program.  Their bee has been around for more than a quarter century! Doesn’t that sound so much older than say 25 years?!  This group does A LOT of challenges, and they don’t shy away from the tough ones.

Our bee decided to take baby steps first, and do something small and simple, a pottery challenge.  Everyone brought a favorite piece of pottery hidden so no one knew whose it was or what it looked like. Each participant picked their surprise, and opened so the group could see what each had to use for their inspiration.

Keeping it simple, we decided the size to be 12-24” on each size, so nothing smaller than 12” square, but not larger than 24”. It could be rectangle or oval, whatever shape seemed inspired by the pottery. We gave ourselves less than 2 months, before some of our snow birds left the winter. 

We had a blast, and here is a snapshot of what we did:

Missing - Nancy's quilt for Ines

A wool crazy quilt with blanket stitching made by Joan, inspired by Barb’s modern pottery tray

A charming applique pattern made by Sally, inspired by Joan’s mothers antique hobnail milk glass chicken dish, honoring her pie making skills

Quilt made by Ines, honoring Janice’s blue and white delft inspired dish

Quilt made by Janice, inspired by Nancy’s Dream Big dish

“Broken Dishes” quilt done in mid-1850’s reproduction fabrics commemorating Sally’s great grandmother born in 1849 in the Netherlands, her last remaining English china tea cup.