Hive #5 June Block Tutorial

My name is Anne Trudel, my husband and I live in Potomac Maryland 16 miles northeast of Washington D.C.   We just celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary.  We met on a blind date through college friends. Our two sons are married, and  have two grandsons. 

I began sewing with my Nana when I was 12.  I started making patchwork articles, starting with tennis racket covers and moving up to quilts. The quilts I do now are just for family, QOV and Children's Hospital.   My other hobbies are jewelry making, stained glass, swimming, golfing, and reading.  At the moment the sewing group The Mixed Pickles, is reading Outland by Diana Gabaldon, and we are anticipating the cable tv series in August, Outlander.   My mini-group worked on the Flag Project in Baltimore MD, as part of the Anniversary celebration of the first flag stitched.  That was really fun. 

My favorite fabrics are from Jane Sassaman, Kaffe Fassett, Stonehenge, Fossil Ferns, Moda Dimples, and Robert Kaufman.

Some of the best quilting tools I use on a daily basis are Best Press Spray, Chatelaine that holds scissors, glasses, needles, thread heaven, thread cutter, and my thimbles.  Creative Grids 8 x 24 inch ruler, the revolving cutting mats from Fiskars, and the add a quarter ruler were helpful with the paper piecing last month's Stash Bee block.

Tips I wish I knew when I started was to press as you go along, and the importance of accuracy in cutting and sewing.

 

My studio is large and bright, but not organized yet.   I have cubbies from Lowes for sorting the fat quarters, yardage is stored in plastic drawers, I have bookshelves for lots of quilting books and my dvd's.   I have more fabric that I could ever use in my lifetime, and some I will never use, as it is too pretty to cut into, but I love to look at it.   Ikea shelving with fabric cubes store my scraps and strip sets. 

My favorite author is Jane Austen.  Even 200 years after her death, I still read her books each year.  I would choose to be one of her heroines, and like to think of the English Garden where Elizabeth Bennett would sit with Mr. Darcy.

The tutorial is from http://www.freshlemonsquilts.com/?p=2000 under Patterns & Tutorials- Butterfly Strands.   I would love bright colors for the strip sets, as this block will be mixed with a variation of Gwen Marstons Liberated Star block.  Please use a white or white on white for the background and you can leave the locks untrimmed.