October Bee Block: Monkeying Around

After a very busy summer, October snuck up on me. When we started the bee, I was planning and plotting and browsing fabric, but then life caught up with me, and I still didn't have a concrete plan. I looked at my stash, saw all the solids, and saw the traditional sampler quilt I was working on that's made up of all green solids, and I realized I wanted to combine these ideas.

Based on a piece by the amazing Sherri Lynn Wood of daintytime.net, I'd like you guys to help me make a loose and free quilt made up of blocks that are an improvisation of the Monkey Wrench, or Hole in the Barn Door, or Churn Dash (anything else?) quilt block.

I'm going to provide you with a selection of solid pieces, and if you'd like to or need to add some of your own fabric, please feel free to add anything--solids, patterns, textures, any fabric content, whatever.

If you can make a block that's around 12 inches square, that's cool. Bigger, smaller, that's fine too. Don't bother squaring the edges--I'll add pieces as necessary to make all the blocks work together. If you have some usable pieces left over from the fabric I send, please send those back so that I can work them into the final quilt.

The block I made that's pictured at the top of this post is just an example. I made it quickly, without much thought, and I hope you do the same for yours. Just grab some fabric and go! Make one big crazy off-kilter Monkey Wrench, or several smaller ones that make up one block. Close your eyes and grab the next available piece. Everything and anything is going to work.

Do whatever, but don't do it the way you've done before. Monkey around, my friends!