Hive 8 July Block Tutorial

Hello Hive Mates!

I'm so excited it's finally my month to be the Queen! This is my 2nd year with Stash Bee and I've known since I joined LAST year what I'd be doing (just held my breath for 6 months hoping no one else took it first!)

I live in CT with my husband and our 2 small children (3 & 4.5), our 2 rescue dogs from Louisiana, &  3 cats that my oldest son (26) left here before he moved out. I'm originally from Cape Cod, and really miss the ocean and the breeze. I'm close enough to go home to visit, but it's not the same. After a decade, CT is finally starting to feel like home!

I love to read, sew, garden and bake. We will be homeschooling our daughter starting this fall, so it will be interesting to see how much time I have left for any of those hobbies! OK, enough of the chit chat...lets get on with it!

Since I love reading and sewing, I decided to combine the two. I am really wanting to finish my bookcase shelf! I'll link to a tutorial, but you'll need to tweak the sizes since she is doing a 15" block, and I'd like mine to be 16.5" high. (just add a little to the top).

• I'd like my backgrounds to be black (unless you have something amazing that you think would work with a bookcase.
• I'd like the blocks to be 16.5" high, by any width you'd like.

• PLEASE add whatever you'd like to the bookshelf. Pictures, Coffee cups, candles, art, sculpture....ANYTHING! (yes, cobwebs are okay *grin*) Let this reflect your personality! Below you'll see some from last year :) one girl was from overseas....guess which  block is hers!!

Here's a link to  a tutorial that will give you a basic idea on how to make a bookcase block (ANY method is fine, this is just for those who aren't familiar)
http://www.dontcallmebetsy.com/2011/04/mini-bookshelf-quilt-tutorial.html

These are the blocks from last year. I love how the girls used the selvage edges for the book spines!

Feel free to google "bookshelf blocks" or "bookshelf quilts" for more ideas! I hope you have fun with this! Please don't stress....and please don't make them more perfect and organized than the real bookshelves in my house!

My question of the month......

What's your favorite tool? (I am excluding the obvious like rotary cutters/sewing machine, etc).  I ADORE my June Tailor Half Square Triangle maker. Life has never been the same since I discovered it. As a matter of fact, I think it's almost time to replace it!

Thanks ladies! Seriously CAN'T WAIT to see these!

Karyn!