Pick Five Monday: Melinda's So Pretty They Hurt edition

This is a going to be a quick intro to Pick Five Monday but it doesn't mean that the picks are any less amazing (just means I'm really busy this week lining up sponsors & teachers for The Sewing Summit)! Melinda really picked the cream of the crop with these blocks, they're all lovely, and she has great things to say about them! Thanks for guest posting, Melinda!

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Hi, I'm Melinda, otherwise known as quirkygranolagirl on flickr and my blog: quirky granola girl.

I currently participate in the 3x6 Sampler Mini Bee where I am also a beehive caretaker.
I'm the admin for the May 2009 Moms Bee and I am in the Sew Buzzy Bee and It's Sew Easy Bee-ing Green Bee.

It took me a l-o-n-g time to sort through my flickr favorites to pick only 5 blocks. In the end, I decided to go with the blocks are so pretty, they hurt. I think you know the feeling. You click on the next image and suddenly your breath catches in your throat and looking at it makes your chest ache a little. Then you continue to stare at it with your jaw open, listening to your heartbeat in your ears. After a minute, you finally shake your head and then look closer as the gears turn in your head to figure out how she or he did it.

(credit: cce181)

I love the rows of peas in the garden and the bushes next to the house and the sidewalk with the bunnies, but mostly, I love how the bright siding of the house jumps out at you from the muted colors of the yard. That, and the adorable chimney. So stinking cute.


(credit: badskirt)

I think everyone can agree that the piecing is absolutely stunning on this block. The points, the curves, the white border, the print colors.....and the cherry on top is that yellow stripe fabric. That is just too perfect.


(credit: Lilys Quilts)

I want to come up with clever words to describe this block, but quoting the comments for this block seems more effective: "pure genius"...."superterrifically talented"...."mind-bendingly incredible."


(credit: sewtakeahike)

I *love* Penny's ice cream blocks. she made 6 for the 3x6 bee and my breath caught with each one of them. But this block....this was the one that convinced me that maybe someday I'd use purple fabric and not just tolerate it. I could *love* purple fabric in a block like this.


(credit: ayumills)

I've tried to put together a sentence about this block for 30 minutes and words can't convey how drop dead amazing it is. Quilting is a visual art and you just have to see this block to believe it.

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Pick Five Monday is a weekly column on the Quilting Bee Blocks blog featuring five of my favorite bee blocks from our Flickr pool. I am currently scheduling guest posters for 2011 to pick five of their favorite blocks and write a post telling us why. Email me for more information on how you can write one!