Featured Bee Member: Jessica of Give it a Go

I'm excited to introduce a new series here on Quilting Bee Blocks - Featured Bee Member. With over 650 members in our Flickr group, most of whom are active in Virtual Quilting Bees, I thought it was about time to start learning a little bit about each other and the different bees we all participate in.

Help me welcome Jessica! (flickr: give.it.a.go | blog: Just Give it a Go)  I first met Jessica when I fell in love with the flying geese block she made for one of her bees and asked her if I could use it in the header I was making for this Quilting Bee Blocks blog.  She was very gracious and said of course!  Since then, she's been a big supporter of our blog and is an active member of the Virtual Quilting Bee community - is even a Bee Mama to a few bees!

I asked Jessica a few questions - here's what she had to say, and I've sprinkled some of her beautiful blocks throughout her interview for some eye candy.  :]

How did you first hear about Virtual Quilting Bees's? I first heard of VQBs through various blogs, but they were always very mysterious to me...I couldn't figure out how to get connected with people of similar interests. I have been sewing for a long time but was just getting started with quilting. Then Alissa from Handmade by Alissa announced that the Block Party VQB was going to be expanded into a book, and the flickr group formed...and that's where I first found other people who, like me, were interested in doing a bee but didn't know how to connect with each other.

What Bees are you involved in? I actually started my first bee (The Bee's Knees--I actually made that flying geese block that's on your blog header for that bee), then joined another (A Spider Bee) through someone I met there. I eventually found the 3x6 mini bee through your flickr group, and then started another bee focusing on Gwen Marston's Liberated Quiltmaking style--Bee Liberated. I think it's really interesting how blogs & flickr work together to facilitate the quilting community that I'd read about but couldn't find...each one serving an important purpose that the other doesn't fulfill.

What types of blocks / themes are you thinking about for your next turn in one of your bees? For my turn in Bee Liberated, I'm planning on asking for liberated log cabins with lots of curves and pieced sections, all the same size in one dimension but varied in the other. I'm debating whether to use a rainbow of solids or stick to all grays or all blues with little bursts of brighter colors...I have a month or so to decide on that.

Pick one block from the QBB Flickr group that you're loving at this moment, and tell us why. A block I'm loving right now (and it was so hard to narrow it down to just one!) is this one--which I guess sort of reminds me of the blocks I'm planning to ask for in my own bee! I really love the crisp neutrals with the pops of color and print, and the sort of balanced asymetry (an oxymoron, I know!) works really well. I'm also so in love with pieced sections of blocks--that one strip that uses both the khaki and white makes the block for me. Finally, it sort of exemplifies the direction I'm starting to move in with my own quilting. When I first discovered modern fabrics, I loved all the bright prints out there to the exclusion of everything else. Now I'm realizing how beautiful solid quilts are.

block made by Flaun for Sewn Together

What takes up your time outside of sewing? I'm delighted to be at home full time with my almost-four-year-old son--he definitely keeps me on my toes! Outside of sewing, I enjoy other craftiness (mainly knitting), cooking & baking, and books with next-to-no literary value (a welcome break after majoring in and teaching English until I left my job when my son was born). I'm also active in a local volunteer group.

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Are you an active member in the Virtual Quilting Bee community and want me to feature you on Quilting Bee Blocks .com?  Email me - I'd love to hear from you!