starting fears and a virtual quilting bee

I have been so out of the blogging scene for the last several months (or maybe close to a year) that I haven't been keeping up with posting here, let alone reading others blogs.  I just came across something that a dear friend of mine is doing and I wanted to give you a heads up!

I know a lot of you are seasoned quilters but I also know a lot of you (and others who I'm going to direct here to see this) are beginners and want to start quilting but don't know quite where to start or how to get the information you need.  I've had several friends ask and I always point them towards Amy's blog, Diary of a Quilter, because she's so down to earth and explains things very well.  Not to mention that each of the quilts she makes are gorgeous, and I'd like to replicate pretty much every single one!

She is hosting a virtual quilting bee!  Starting this month and going through the fall!  The first month of posts focus on basics with block tutorials following every other week.  Click on this button here to take you to the posts!!

I'm always afraid to start projects and cutting into my fabrics.  I have a theory I wrote about several years ago, The Science of Fabric Love, why it's scary to make that first cut!  I also find myself learning new things all the time from the basics section of various quilt books and tutorials found online.  Plus having a deadline and following a schedule are always good ways to improve my chances of completing a project!!

So go check this out!  Let me know if you are planning on participating!