Modern Irish (Scrappy) Bee: February Blocks

Happy February, Modern Irish Bee buddies!  I hope you had fun making Ruth's blocks.  They were really fantastic scrap busters, weren't they?  I can not wait to see what her finished quilt top looks like. It is going to be a stunner!

It's Cindy here, queen bee for the this (very short) month.  If you follow my blog, you know I have been slightly obsessed with spool quilts for nearly a month now.  I have finally found an online tutorial for spools that I adore, so I hope you will join me in making a few blocks over the coming weeks.

I ask you to use Kona White for the background and then somewhat monochromatic fabrics for the spools.  You can see I took "monochromatic" quite liberally in my test blocks above, but you get the idea.  I ask for bright, cheery modern-type fabrics preferably with only medium or small spools in brown (there's a place for brown...I know...). No batiks or civil war-type fabrics.  They're not my thing.

There will be four colors of Aurifil spools in the final quilt: Kona Tangerine (orange), Kona Red (well, for red), Kona Medium Grey (you get the idea) and Kona Kiwi for green.  A parcel including including a F8th of one spool color is on its way to you right now.  A F8th should be more than enough for you to make your blocks, so send back any scraps you have greater than 2.5 inches square.  I can use that to finish the quilt off.  Please let me know if you need more spool fabric.  Cutting mistakes happen :)  

The tutorial is more of a set of cutting instructions than piecing instruction.  The blocks are quite straight forward and direct to piece, but if anyone has problems getting from their cut fabric to the finished block let me know and I will happily go through it with you. 

Now, how many of these weirdo shaped blocks will I ask you to make?  I did a bit of figuring based on the surface area of two 12.5 inch square blocks.  Here are two possible options that are equivalent size-wise to traditional blocks:

Option 1: 

1 large spool

3 medium spools

5 small spools

OR

Option 2:

0 large spools

5 medium spools

6 small spools

Depending on your stash, one option might suit you better than the other.  I do not mind which you choose.  Hive buddies, I hope you have fun making these blocks.  I am very excited to see what you create.  Thank you for taking part in making my next quilt :)