do. Good Stitches May Blocks

I am slowly getting caught up in all my crafty endeavors. Some things I can't share quite yet, but I will soon. Others, like these Hope Circle bee blocks for May, I can tell you about. Last month Robyn asked for two 12.5" blocks in any design of our choosing. She was only strict about the color scheme: true green (not minty or limey), and white with grey, charcoal or black accents. Green is my favorite color so I immediately went right to my stash and much to my surprise I didn't have any green fabrics that I thought would work. Crazy, huh? Not a one "true" green in the mix. So I headed to the LQS to find some. I restrained myself and only ended up buying three 1/2 yd. cuts of greens that would be appropriate. I ended up with two green apple greens and one evergreen green - all Christmas fabrics but none of them distinctively holiday. I thought about testing out a block pattern that I've been designing in my head but in the end my creativity and time were at a minimum. Instead this is what I came up with...

I've been drooling over this asymmetrical sunburst design for a while and I royally screwed it up! Oh my. You should see the craziness I hid under the appliqued circle. None of my points matched up and it was all kinds of crazy so I really don't have any tips for this kind of block yet because I am so far from mastering it. It's amazing what we can do in our sewing to hide little (and in this case BIG) imperfections and still be pleased with the results. I actually really like how this block turned out.

I turned to the old favorites HST for the second block. Each square was 2.5" and then I added a border to bring my block up to the desired 12.5 inches. I decided to add the border for two reasons and both of them are a result of my laziness. Yep! I'l admit it. I was L-A-Z-Y when I got to this block. A) I didn't want to do the math. B) I got tired of making all those HSTs. Funny thing is, I really want to make another HST quilt soon but this block was getting tedious. Maybe it was just my mood yesterday and the fact that I really wanted to get these blocks done and out the door.

I hope Robyn is pleased with the blocks and I can't wait to see her final creation. If you're interested in joining us over at the do. Good Stitches Bee on Flickr I encourage you to check out our group and then fill out a new member form. New circles are starting up all the time and we're always looking for new members to fill in spots when other members have to leave. It's a great way to put your sewing skills to good use to help others.