Let the Fabric Speak!

This block creates a colorful, expressive portrait of a woman, using fabric to bring her face, hands, and personality to life.

At Bquiltin Studio, there are no rules about color—only possibilities! The International Queen lets you use your favorite scraps or mix and match fabrics to create the face and hands. 

I seem to always start in a quiet cloud... waiting for the creative urge in picking fabric from my huge stash.  I often choose bold, subtle, unexpected, or beautifully mismatched fabrics. I encourage you today to also be creative and let your imagination lead the way!

There are several ways for the  background fabric to frame the Queen -

adding color, dimension, and movement within the block, helping the entire portrait come alive.

Your fabric. Your colors. Your story. Let the fabric speak!

Oooooh Decisions: Border or Facing a Quilted Art-piece

 

Still Stitching ~Squares into Masterful Art

 

Creek Freemen Quilted Artistry

 I am filled with joy and gratitude to have recently quilted a unique commissioned quilt for the Muscogee Creek Freedmen Museum in Oklahoma City. 

My original design celebrates the enduring legacy, resilience, and contributions of the Freedmen community -especially vivid in Dolly Stidham glance in the photograph — I picked up on the imagery of soaring swallows gracefully flying across rich, dusty-brown textured fabrics.  Machine stitched and appliqué plus a beautiful African themed backing!

The swallows symbolize freedom, hope, perseverance, and the journey toward new horizons.  It is both an honor and a privilege to have created and contributed to the story of the Creek Freedmen!  This quilt that commemorates history while inspiring future generations to remember, celebrate, and cherish this remarkable heritage.

Each stitch is a tribute to the spirit of those who came before us and a celebration of the vibrant legacy that continues to soar. 🕊️🧵✨

Weekend Reflections from Bquiltin Studio

 

• Quiltin' Pieces of Me

Quilted Pieced of Me! 

This weekend has been filled with gratitude, creativity, and purpose.

On my design floor, fabric pieces continue finding their place as colors, patterns, and possibilities come together in unexpected ways. Every quilt begins with a vision, but it is the journey of arranging and rearranging that often reveals the true story.

On my longarm, stitches have flowed steadily, connecting layers of cloth while connecting me to generations of makers who understood the power of creating something beautiful with their hands.  

Completing a quilt.... I felt the quiet joy (immensely) in designing and watching this quilt come alive beneath the needle. Tomorrow is the opening display of "Wings of Destiny" during the Creek Freedmen UNITY Gathering in South Oklahoma City. It is an honor to share this quilt and participate in a gathering that celebrates heritage, community, resilience, and hope.

Beyond quilting, life continues to be richly rewarding. I remain gleefully engaged in writing our family book, listening to the Audio Bible each week, and attending the Health and Wellness Center in Northwest Oklahoma City. 

As I am aging gently... I want the best-life-ever..... so these are the things / activities that nourish my spirit, strengthen my mind, and remind me that creativity flourishes when we care for ourselves and remain connected to our family, neighbors and friends. 

As another week begins, I am thankful for every stitch, every lesson, every friendship, and every opportunity to let the fabric speak.

Thanks for being.... hoping you will --keep stitching, keep learning, and keep believing in the beauty of your own story.

— Beverly Kirk
Bquiltin Studio

The Soul of Black Folks Quilt Reception

The Soul of Black Folks: 250 Years of Creativity, Leadership and Innovation

presented by

Women of Color Quilters Network, Fitton Center for Creative Arts

The Soul of Black Folks, featuring 50 artists of the Women of Color Quilters Network, celebrates the resilience and creativity of African American culture, utilizing quilts as a vehicle for healing, remembering and reclaiming narratives.

The quilts’ tactile and colorful qualities engage people emotionally through artist receptions, guided gallery tours and story quilt workshops.

The exhibition is organized by Carolyn Mazloomi, a nationally-acclaimed quilt artist, lecturer and founder of WCQN.

Medium: 

Fiber, Mixed Media

 https://www.handwork2026.org/event/the-soul-of-black-folks-250-years-of-creativity-leadership-and-innovation/

Bquiltin Stitch and Sail Experience 2027

Creative People who look like me!

  What is a CREATIVE?   

Active creatives are defined as individuals who have made a creative project in the past 12 months.) 

the quilt market is expected to reach $5 billion by 2027. There are now 85 million “active creatives” in the US and Canada, representing more than $35 billion in sales. (

Quilts - Healing Medicine for the Soul

 There's been a really keen and heartwarming interest in a recent Netflix short that shows the healing power of quilting, I;m sharing this the short documentary, The Quilters, which is a wonderful example of the saving grace of stitching the sometimes broken pieces of our souls.  Such creativity, an escape and a chance to share our humanity when this group of incarcerated men make birthday quilts for kids in foster care.   

Take a  listen to Elizabeth Chappell's conversation with the the documentary's creator.

Sippin my tea ~ livin' good!

Sri Lanka's (an island in South Asia) 

most widely known export, Ceylon tea, which ISO considers the cleanest tea in the world in terms of pesticide residues. Sri Lanka is also the world's 3rd largest exporter of tea.

QKS 2026

I will demo

3D Folded Flowers

OPEN STUDIO

 

Mindful ~ Meditation ~ Stitchin Comes later

 

I CHOOSE TO

Sit comfortably and soften your gaze or close your eyes.

Inhale slowly through your nose for a count of 4…

Hold for 2…

Exhale through your mouth for 6.

Let your shoulders drop with each exhale.

If your mind wanders, simply return to your breath—no judgment.

Log Cabin Summer Days

 

Quilt Layout Designs - Designed by My Husband!

I’ve been traveling, teaching, and working on 20+++ quilts this past year — shows, exhibits, and so much inspiration (even from last year’s Quilt Cruise to Mexico 🌊).

This week he timidly told me — for the second time — he didn’t like something I added.

The lettering. On my Curved Log Cabin.

The fabric was already brilliant. The movement spoke for itself — side to side, top to bottom. It didn’t need words.  So I removed the letters and sent her off to my long-arm quilter — free to breathe.

Next quilt adventure is below... --- my NE 63 Street Quilter Guild (STQG) gathered as 20 women making 20 blocks of the International Queen Block.   Colors... background and patterns were varied!

Here's my first layout.

This is the re-make!

Hubby said to re-space out the heavy weight of black fabric on queens along the bottom portion.  

OK..... okkkkkkkkk..... aaaahhh    hmnnnnnn

Better layout.... by a QUILTER"S HAPPY HUSBAND

Thanks - Dude