I am sure that those of you who have been reading my blog off and on are aware that I have taken part in multiple virtual quilting bees over the last couple of years. I've not only taken part in, but have had an amazing experience, learned many new techniques, tried things I wouldn't otherwise try, and most importantly have met some absolutely wonderful individuals in the process!! I'd go so far as to say I've made some friends over the years (though haven't had the pleasure of meeting them all face to face yet)!

That said, I've made the decision to go into 2014 with less on my plate. Actually, that's inaccurate... I have new things on my plate that take precedence, and have made the somewhat difficult decision to take the year off from bees, with the exception of the do.Good Stitches Bee. I love the creativity that goes into them, the community that builds around them, and of course sharing our handiwork among friends. But I fear that I won't be able to be as diligent as I'd like to stay on top of the schedules.

So, I guess you could say that today I made my final bee blocks for a friend. Jenn wrote up a tutorial on her blog SunnyInCal for these Wonky Braid Blocks. These were made using a paper foundation method, and though I struggled initially, once I got to the point of removing the paper it all fell into place.

And here's the brutal truth... out of something like 6 virtual bees I've been a part of in the last 2 to 3 years, I have finished ONE quilt. Granted, I have one other almost completely quilted and another ready to be quilted, but the others are in various stages of incompleteness. And I feel bad about that. So maybe it's time to take a breather. Maybe this will allow me to use some of the time finishing these UFOs instead of taking on more unfamiliar techniques. At least that's the plan. And if other projects fill in the void, I'll let y'all know!