A quilting bee...

We were chatting away at the studio the other day when the topic of a Quilting Bee came up. The idea met with some enthusiasm, so I thought it might appeal to others too. Consider this a little research. Anyone interested?  Do you know what a Quilting Bee is?  Forgive me, those who are familiar with the concept, a small description. I am putting a spin on the tradition, so read on.

A Quilting Bee in the old days was a group of women getting together to make a quilt, usually for an occasion- a wedding, a baby etc. Many hands make light work, right? Bees were social gatherings where woman could share in some communal bitching or gossiping or consoling or advice or whatever groups do when they congregate, while working on a project for one of their members.  The tradition was disrupted by sewing machines and telephones and cars and distance, although gatherings still happen in some places, and forms.  As the Modern Quilting world grows, many of the better parts of the traditions are being revived, with a modern spin. Those of us who like to craft still like to congregate to talk over the trials and tribulations of our days and nights. What is a Stitch n' Bitch but a gathering of knitters to commune over knitting? The modern expression of the Quilting Bee is often a virtual one, with quilters across the country gathering online to confer over blocks and fabrics, creating blocks in their own homes and then sending them out to other Bee members. I would like to combine the best of both of these ideas. What do you all think of a Bee that meets at A Gathering where we make a whole bunch of quilts, one for each member, on a rotating basis? If we can pull together a large enough group we could meet monthly (?), each session being dedicated to one members idea. Each member in turn could choose a block and or fabrics/colors and assign to the group that they make one (or more) blocks by the next meeting. Then at the next gathering the author would have a quilts worth of blocks to construct and finish as they choose. It's often an opportunity to work on blocks, fabrics and colors,  that you might not normally work with. 

There are many different ways to structure this concept, but I thought I would throw the idea out to you guys and see who, if anyone, is interested, and then we can go from there.  Leave a comment here, or on the Facebook page, or email me at info@agatheringofstitches.com if you'd like to join in this process.