Hive 9 February Block

Hi all.  Here are my February blocks for Meghan.

These were fun blocks to make.  I hope that you like them.

To answer the question, my first quilt has the most meaning.  It was the first one that I totally completed myself; piecing, quilting, and binding.  I just love it.

Current Girlfriend gets "String-ed" Along

I had a good time sewing this string block.  Cyndi's tutorial was well presented and fun to follow. I love the modern, crisp look of this block and can imagine different impressions with color changes. Here is my block. I look forward to seeing the others.

Cyndi and her spouse are moving soon to a spot that sounds ideal for both of them. Her question to us was,  " Where would you live if you could move right now? Why?" My sister Pam is my best friend and is also a dedicated quilter. We dream about sharing a duplex with a common sewing studio or adjoining studios. We like the climate and quilting community of central Oregon area, Bend/Sisters. We have more fun together than should be legally allowed. We talk on the phone every Sunday morning and miss each other like crazy! One drawback to the plan is that there isn't much cooperation from our spouses, and so it is a long range plan.  Right now she lives in Seattle, and I live about 400 miles away in Central Idaho, Riggins. Fortunately, Pam and I get together for quilt retreats and sister shenanigans every spring, and she will be here in 50 days (but who is counting?) 

Jane and Pam last spring, boarding the ferry to Port Gamble for a Gwen Marston class.

HIVE #9 March Tutorial

HIVE #9 MARCH TUTORIAL

     

     Hi Ladies!  Greetings from frozen solid Michigan!  Thankfully, Spring is right around the corner, and I am ready!

     This is my 2nd year in the Stash Bee and I thoroughly enjoy it.  Everyone is so creative!  

     My question for you is this:  If you could go back in time and witness any moment in history, what would it be?

     For my block, this is what I have chosen:

It's called Linked Squares, and was designed by Christina at A Few Scraps.com for the Desperate Housewives quilt.  The link is HERE

This is what I would like for my colors:  For the squares, Print 1 &2 , I would like nice bright saturated colors. I want them to really "Pop" against the back ground.  Batiks are fine, I love them!

For the background I would like a scrappy look using greys and grey prints, any shade as long as it's not too dark. Stay away from Charcoal and Lead.  Here is my pull:

Lets get started!

Fabric A (Lg Square) :  1.5" x 22" Strip subcut into:  3)  4.5" pieces 1) 6.5" piece and 1) 1.5" piece

Fabric B (Sm Square):  1.5" x 14" Strip subcut into:  3) 4.5" pieces

Scrappy Back Ground:  1) 1.5" x 4.5" piece             *Note:  If you want the inside of the Lg. Square

                                       1) 1.5" x 3.5" piece                          to be the same fabric, cut the 3.5" x 4.5" 

                                       2) 2.5" x 4.5" pieces                        and the 1.5" x 3.5" pieces from the same

                                       1) 3.5" x 4.5" piece                         fabric.  If not, never mind! 

Do this first:  Sew one of the Fabric B pieces (1.5" x 4.5") to the 1.5" x 4.5" BG piece.  Now cut this into 3rds.  Each piece will be  1.5"x 2.5"

Now you have all your pieces. Follow the directions from the link and create vertical rows:

Then just sew your rows together:

This block only has 3 small seams to match and finishes at 8 1/2"

I made a few to see how I want to arrange them.  I don't have a set idea yet but I'm leaning towards the 1st pic.

 

    

Thanks so much for helping me with my next creation!

I finished Hive 4's February block for Kathy.  I love the colors and design of this block.  It will be on it's way later this morning.

Her question was how do we design quilts.  I haven't designed many, but the ones I have have been improv as I go or drawn on paper.  I love just experimenting as I go.  It doesn't always turn out, but it's fun.

Hive 8 February Block

Getting this one in just under the wire!!

Amanda

Block for Cyndi

This was a fun block to do. I did it last time in the Stash Bee so it was fun to repeat it. Here are the images of the front and back.

I love how fun the colors pop with one another. I can't wait to see this quilt. :) So the question was where would you live if you could move right now and why? That is a very good question, because I don't think I want to move right at this time. If I picked anywhere, I might move back to Logan, UT. It's a great little town where I attended USU, and it's a half hour away from my mom and dad. I guess I wouldn't move out of UT, unless I got crazy and we moved to Europe for a year. I have to say I love my family, I love my friends and I have a support zone that I wouldn't want to leave at this time. I'm glad you are getting your dream move!

Hive #8 February Block for Bonnie, DONE!

Making Bonnie's blocks were fun and easy. I ended up pulling fabric for ten or so blocks. I cut it down to six though. The sewing and cutting took me about an hour and fifteen minutes for the six. I think this would be a quick and fun quilt to make for myself.

I chose to join Stash Bee this year because I have been in it for the past two years, this makes year thee. I really enjoyed the concept of a quilting bee and giving/receiving to/from all over the world. Also the idea of using up what we had in our own stash really appealed to me. It made me get in to my scraps, of which I have totes FULL of them.

Here are my blocks:

Hive #5 - February Block

This was a fun block.  Enjoy!

Thanks!  

Christina

Hive 3 February Block

Hi, I'm Heather from Quilts Actually and my blog is QA Creations.

This month Bonnie asked for a brown strip block with a little bit of wonky in there.  I'm not very experienced with wonky, so I tried but it's mostly straight.  It's a little longer than 16.5", so I left it un-trimmed so that she could trim as desired.

She also asked what our 5 favorite notions and 5 favorite foods are (mine are listed in no order than what I thought of them in).

5 Favorite Notions:

• the super thin silk pins from Clover
• Rotary Cutter/mat/ruler
• Elmer's school glue (counting the glue stick and liquid glue together)
• washi tape to mark the 1/4 inch spot on my machine
• thread snips

5 Favorite Foods:

• Lasagna
• Grilled Salmon
• Tomato
• Warm Bread
• Chocolate

Hive #9- February 2015

Hi, Meghan!  Nice to meet ya!  I really love this block- it's one of the first I ever made in a bee many, many moons ago.  I don't know what ever happened to the blocks- I didn't make anything out of them.  My bee mates thought I was a little wierd (maybe not unfounded) because I had them make just one paw, like you have asked us to do, instead of the traditional 4 paw block.  I didn't know it was wrong until they said so.  

I don't really listen to that kind of thing anymore.  I hope you don't either.

So, here's my fishy block- I hope you like it!

Right now, the quilt below is the one that holds the most meaning for me, but I'd have to say that the answer to that question is never concrete.  This one is called Home is Where You Launch and Land, and I made it for a swap partner in the Schnitzel & Boo Mini Quilt Swap on IG.  I wrote about it on my blog, thegreenapricot.com, so you can read about it there if you are interested.  

Hive 9: Shauna's Block for Meghan

I can't believe that February is almost gone, but thankfully I'm finished my blocks for this month and they will be in the mail today. I had fun with these blocks, but not so much the first ones I did. I sent Meghan an email asking which of my fabrics she liked best and she picked out a couple of combos. I then made blocks and set them aside while I did other things. I kept looking at them and something seemed wrong and I couldn't put my finger on it. The I realized that I had assembled them wrong, and when I went to take them apart, I tore one and the second one wouldn't lay flat.  So I just re-cut them and these blocks went together much easier and look better.

Now for the question Meghan asked. Which quilt that I have made holds the most meaning for me? This is hard for me. I love the quilts I've made, but they don't hold any great meaning, they were just fabrics and patterns I liked. But I did make a quilt last year that was special to me. It was the first quilt that I made as a gift. It was a baby quilt that I made for a dear friend.

The quilt is special for a couple of reasons. First I was able to give something to a friend that she totally loved. But even more I was able to add a little touch to the label. The label on the quilt looks a little odd, and it is because it is small scraps of shirts that the baby's daddy used to wear. He died suddenly just weeks after the baby was conceived. It felt good to give both my friend and her baby something that will always be special.

My February block - Hive 2

Wow did I have the most difficult time with this block. It was completely unlike me to mess up so many poor butterflies (5!) when I have used this method so many times before. In the end it took a nice blizzard and some comfy warm fuzzy socks to get me to relax and get some beautiful butterflies done. I love my blocks so much, I hope Mrs. Jo loves them too!!

(oh, i always make 2 blocks. Why? because there are 11 of us, and 11 blocks dont make a quilt... :D )

Block 1:



Block 2:



Im in love with how that purple one turned out!!!

Oh, for the question: Who would I have for dinner? GASP Id have to clean!! But who would i have seriously if i could have anyone... hmm... Really, the first person would be my grandmother, I miss her so much and she was a quilter and before I started she died. The others, lets see... someone gorgeous to look at .... Johnny Depp... and someone funny... Terry Pratchett... and last one... Gosh this is hard.... I dont remember her name, but id invite the one person who believed in me and gave me the umph to go further in life... my 3rd grade teacher from Moab.

Thats it... I am excited and ready for March!

Hive 5, February block

Hi, Everyone!

Kim asked for a string block this month, and I love her color choices!

Kim asked us what was on our bucket list for quilting, and the La Passacaglia quilt by Willyne Hammerstein is on mine. It's definitely a long-term project. Sharon from Lilabelle Lane has made some amazing blocks, and you should check out Alexandra's blocks on instagram (she's @alexouq). Love, Patchwork Quilting shared some of her blocks in a demo at QuiltCon.

Liz

hive 3 february block for Bonnie

well, this was a bit of a challenge for me, because I don't own very many solids, and I have never been one to buy too many brown-ish or tan fabrics! I did manage to find some that seemed to fit what Bonnie wanted, though, and here's what I came up with:

 

It ended up at about 18X18, so I didn't trim it to give you the option of how you wanted to do that. I really hope you like it despite my limited fabric options! I will be taking it to the post office this afternoon :)

 

As far as the questions go, here are five notions I can't live without:

 

1. my little curved edge scissors

2. thimbles

3. buttons

4. perle cotton thread

5. my small ironing board that sits next to my sewing machine (not sure if this counts as a notion, but I included it because it keeps me from having to get up and down so much. at six months pregnant, this is becoming VERY important!)

 

and food:

 

1. root beer floats

2. cinnamon toast crunch

3. big big salads

4. mashed potatoes and gravy

5. grapefruit

6. chicken pot pie with homemade noodles

7. potato pancakes

8. ben and jerry's

 

            oops! I guess I couldn't stop at just five!

 

as a pregnant lady, I have to say the food wins out as most important! that may change after june :)

 

thanks for reading :)

 

erin

Hive 6 Finished Block - February

Good evening!

For February, our queen bee, Samantha, asked for 9-patch blocks with grey, navy, blue and lime green.

I really love these colors, but was surprised to see I didn't have that many blue and lime green fabrics in my stash.

It was fun putting these together, and I really look forward to seeing what Samantha does with these after they're chopped up and put back together. I love scrappy quilts!

In answer to the monthly question, I have quite a few sewing goals for the year--a few things I want to finish, and some new skills, like learning to FMQ and sew curves -- I'm hoping that blogging and tracking my progress online will keep me on track!

I just dropped my blocks in the mail a few moments ago, so you should have them soon!

Kate

Hive #3 February block for Bonnie

Hi Hive 3!

I'm Bianca. This was my first ever Stash Bee block- and it was fun to not have to worry about perfect points and straight lines! But brown was scarce in my stash, and I think I only had one tone on tone. I like brown, so when I get some, it's usually used up right away. I hope you like it Bonnie, it should be halfway to you already!

As for Bonnie's questions, the five notions I can't live without are:
1. Thread clippers (I use them for just about everything and have a pair in every room)      
2. My cutting mat and rotary cutter
3. Clover clips
4. Hand sewing needles
5. A good ruler (for cutting and pressing)
 
5 foods I can't live without:
1. Seafood
2. Pineapple
3. Bacon
4. Bread
5. And since I love to bake, Cake (of the Chocolate variety).

Hive #1 Feb. block for Sara...

So I finally figured out how to get a pic from my phone/instagram to this blog !!  By the time I hit publish my block has probably already reached Sara's house :)  So anyways... here it is

I love this color combo and can't wait to see the whole quilt when finished.  Sara's question for the month:  What was our most memorable vacation? Probably my trip through Yellowstone and our annual Bear Hunting trip in the spring when we take the horses.  I hope to get in more horse camping this summer.  Another one I will never forget... my parents waited until I moved out to go to Disneyland...without me.  Nice :)

February Hive 1 block for Sara

This is such a cute color combination, Sara! Can't wait to see the finished quilt!

Hive Six Feb.

I love the colors I got to use, though I realized as I put these together, I have a lot of grey, green, and navy but no other blues! Now I need to go out and beef up my stash with some other shades of blue! 

I'm really sorry about the quality of this picture I have been sewing at night and I always forget to take a picture or two in sunlight. 

I can't wait to see how this quilt comes together! 

To answer the monthly question: I too have been trying to be on time or early. My whole family are pretty shoddy time managers so it has been a challenge to break free from my family tradition!

Best, 

Nicole

February Block - Hive 2

I really loved the freedom of this block and was so happy to get some sewing done this weekend. (I've been out of commission for about 3 weeks so this was a treat!)

I hope you like it, Jo. (I was going to give her some antennae but don't trust my embroidery skills that much.)

If I could have 4 people over for dinner, I would have to choose Maya Angelou, Paule Marshall, Nikki Giovani, and Julie Anne Peters. I would love to pick their brains about what inspired their stories/poems and just get to know them better.

February Hive #4

This block is on its way to Kathy. I use graph paper and colored pencils to design and my cell phone is full of inspirational pictures.

February Hive #4

This month Kathy designed a really interesting block for us. I really enjoyed making a block that was simple and turned out so beautiful.

Kathy asked how we like to design quilts. I am old fashioned and have a graph paper notebook that I use to work out designs. I have also used illustrator to design, but keep going back to good old graph paper and colored pencils.

February Block, Hive#1

desparate times call for desparate measures - I can't find my camera at the moment, I'm starting to think I forgot during a training weekend ... so I searched the interweb, there had to be a way to get pictures off my admittedly now rather old (going on 6 years) mobile phone ... and I was right - the quality could be better, so let's just pretend I did take the picture in the evening, or on a rainy day (the sun is shining and warming my back while I type):

The question of the month: What was your most memorable vacation and why?

Now after thinking very hard  when the last time was that I actually went on vacation and did not spent term breaks working (for the money or the family) - I'm coming up with a trip to Amsterdam shortly before Christmas (in a year long gone by). Amsterdam of course is a great city, but the jounrey home was the most memorable part - and why? because it was snowing and apparently it never really snows that bad in the Netherlands. So bringing a friend to train station to catch the train to the ariport come the bad news - there are currently no trains leaving in direction of Germany, but there might be one leaving from Rotterdam, so back I ran get my stuff and get on a train to Rotterdam. From there in it was a "passangers to Germany please take the next train leaving on platform X" in the train stations and a "passengers to Germany please leave the train in the next station" ... very memorable - and yes I did get home in time

Hive 7 Block for Cyndi

Cyndi requested a block she called "Woven Strings" blocks, with bright strings pieced into a 9" white square.  I didn't have any solid white fabric, so I bought some Kona Snow.  (I later realized that Cyndi had offered to send people white fabric if they didn't have any - but that's okay!  This way I saved her some postage.)  I have plenty of bright fabrics!  That was easy.  Most of what I pulled were scraps, plus a little of a Kona solid in some shade of teal (I'm not sure which one) and a purple print from my Aunt D's stash.

Cyndi's instructions were really easy to follow.  I was nervous about piecing such narrow strips on curves, and I thought it would take me forever, but it went pretty quickly.  I had a much easier time pressing my seams toward the dark than pressing them open on January's block!  Here's my finished block and I think it's really cute.  I hope Cyndi likes it!

Cyndi asked us where we could live if we could move right now.  Given that right now it's about 10 degrees outside (and it feels like it's below zero), my first instinct is somewhere warm!  Actually, I like the area where I live, but I'd rather live out in the suburbs where I could have more space.  (I have no room for all my quilting stuff!)

Hive #4 Block for Kathy

Hello fellow bees!  I am Katie and live in Hartford, CT.  I feel so lucky to get to participate in this year's Stash Bee!  This is the first bee that I have participated in - after following the blog last year, I knew that this would be a great way to build skills and meet lots of other quilters around the world.  As I just joined in February, this is my first post.  This month's block pattern was very easy to put together, and I love the results!  Since I just got a large amount of fabric (from someone who thought they wanted to start quilting but never did), I had lots of navy and yellow to choose from, so I made two blocks!  I hope you like them, Kathy!

In answer to this month's question: I have not done a lot of formal quilt design.  Most of the time, I take a pattern and work from that.  However, the most experience I have quilting is making T-shirt quilts (mostly for friends and family).  While looking around the internet for a cheap way to design these, I found Vectorworks, which is actually an architectural design tool that civil engineers use (similar to CAD).  This works WONDERFULLY for what I do with it (and I got it for free because I work at a University and could get a student version).  

I look forward to seeing the blokey quilt!  Hope everyone is staying warm where they are!  We have about 2 feet of snow on the ground here, and it's not over yet!

Hive 2 February Block for Jo

How's it going so far? So far, so good. Two months in and I have enjoyed both January and February blocks for Stash Bee, Hive 2. And by that I mean, I have felt comfortable with progress so far and felt I have been able, I hope, to meet the standard.

Jo asked for a little applique for February. She asked for a low volume block, made up as we chose and to applique a free style butterfly or two or three in whatever colour we chose.

Luckily I took part in a lv charm swap last year. I have used most of them in my maple leaf quilt ( 17 years wip and counting) but there were enough left to make a start. I made them into a large enough square and then added some red polka dot (from my lqs)  butterflies. We have a colloquial expression in Norn Iron (N Ireland) that polka dot fabric is a shower of hail and I think this sums it up pretty well. After sewing on the wings, I sewed some feelers or antennae on the wings. After I added the black bodies I realised the feelers come out of the bodies not the wings!

I was so pleased with this I decided to make a second for Jo. I used a pale lemon stripe from my lqs and some lemon pearl bracelets. I added cerise pink shower of hail (Rose and Hubble) butterflies, and made the same mistake with the feelers. (Nothing like learning your lesson). I don't know if the lemon will be a LLLOOooow enough low volume for Jo, but if it is too strong, she can use it in the backing or in a cushion, or not.

I decided to make an executive decision and not cut these to size, They are both the required depth but broader than necessary. I haven't trimmed them as I may trim off the left side and they may have been the bit Jo really likes. The other reason is because I trimmed 2 other bee squares earlier in the week, and drastically mis measured!

I also included some peach butterfly fabric for Jo. I bought this specifically for a bee last year, I wanted to do an entomology square, and had some left over.  Now, entomology, isn't that a big word!!

Jo asked if we had a dinner party who would our 4 guests be. The answers have been interesting and varied. One of my other worker bees said she would ask her great great grandfather, a sea captain. I think that is a great idea. I am really into my genealogy. The problem is who to pick. Now even I think that 4 of my long dead relatives is a little macabre. So, back as far as I can go, to my antecedents in Yorkshire, England, way back in 1640. This ancestor was about  at the time of the English civil war in 1842. Where we Roundheads or Cavaliers? I think we have been Cavaliers,judging by the names of children born around that time. There was a sudden influx of small boys called Charles.  I would also like to reassure this ancestor that his family lived on through the Tudors, the Napoleonic wars and the two world wars to end in up living in Belfast, N Ireland. The other three guests, hmmm. Maybe Jane Seymour, 3rd wife of Henry V111. She has a story to tell and is often overlooked by Anne Boleyn.. I think I would have to have Sir Frances Drake who "discovered" America. Finally  Olive Baden Powell. One of the biggest influences on me growing up was the Girl Guide movement. I would like to thank Lady Baden Powell for all the fun I had between the ages of 10 and 17.

Looking forward to next month's bee challenge, I wonder what Yanick has in mind for us.

Helen xx
midgetgemquiltsblogspot.co.uk

Second Try-Hive #1, Sara's Block

In my last pic, I saw a wonky star and puckering that I just couldn't live with.  Since I was remaking blocks, Sara asked for more black to be included.  Her wish is my command!

I've also learned that I'll never make anything full of flying geese! Wonky stars for the win!

Hive 4: February's Block for Kathy

Hello! I am excited to be sharing my finished February Block with you all today. 

I love the color combo Kathy requested, and immediately thought of two specific pieces in my stash. I've had that script fabric for a while and actually just rediscovered it when cleaning out my fabric storage. The mustard floral was leftover from a skirt-gone-wrong project. (I'm glad to be able to put it to good use this time.)

In fact, I love this combo so much that I'm considering working it into to a couple of my own projects. Though, as I mentioned last month, I've got to bulk up my stash in the navy department. 

Also, as a note to anyone in hive 4 still waiting to sew their blocks: I misread the directions and sewed this block in more of a log cabin order as opposed to row by row. You can sort of see it clearer in the finished photo below. Even so, the block finished beautifully, and I don't believe the order impacted the overall design. That being said, I cannot wait to see Kathy's finished quilt. 

In her tutorial post, Kathy asked what's our favorite way to design. I would not say that I design quilts very often - I usually work from someone else's main pattern, altering only the color ways or sizes. But, on the rare occasion that I do design my own pattern, I tend to use Quiltography on my iPad or plain ole graph paper. 

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Emily shares her love for sewing, gardening, and children’s ministry on her blog, With Elephant Grace. When she’s not picking numerous loose threads off her lap, Emily likes to post about encouraging Compassion International Sponsors, straw-bale gardening, and crafting. You can find out more about Emily by following her on Instagram.