Hive 7 January Tutorial

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Hello Hive 7,

Let get the 2016 Stash Bee started.  I have been looking forward to this years Stash Bee and can't wait to see what everyone will pick as their block.  This is my second year in the Stash Bee and my first year as a Hive Mama (just a little scary).  Feel free to contact me with any questions that arise.  This month Allison wanted us to introduce ourselves instead of posing a question so let's do that before January's Block.  When you post your made blocks later this month please include your answers to the "getting to know you" survey.

1. Name: Cyndi Black

2. Where I live: Columbia, Tennessee which is south of Nashville.

3. Family: I have been married for 27 years to my best friend and we have one 19 year old son, which I lovingly refer to as, the Favorite Son.

4. Pets:  We have an old cat named Angel that wandered up years ago so we don't know exactly how old and this past July we brought home a German Shepard mixed rescued from a local pound that we named Loki.  He is about 2-3 years old.  Both of course are spoiled and rotten and believe we are here to serve them.

5. How long quilting:  Well my first quilt I made in 1995 and then quilted for 7-8years and then I stopped for about 4 years until I resumed with a new found passion about 3 1/2 years ago.  So much so that I bought the little local quilt store a little over 2 years ago, The Dancing Bobbin.  Of course I am still Nursing full time but have EXCELLENT help running the store.

6. Other crafts than quilting:  I don't really have any time for any others.  As it is I don't have enough time to get as much quilt making done as I would like.  There are so many patterns I want to make and have plans for.

7. What Fabric line to buy next:  That is a hard one because obviously I LOVE fabric.  I pretty much love anything Art Gallery but, I do know that Cotton and Steel have some new lines that just came out that I would like to get some Fat Quarter Bundles of.

8. Preferred Quilting Method: Well when I bought the store I also bought the Gammil Long Arm.  So I have only been long arming for 2 years and only do Edge to Edge.  I don't have the time to try to take up Custom Long Arm quilting.  I now quilt everyone else's  quilts and occasionally get to mine.  I absolutely avoid anything that calls for Hand sewing.  I must confess I even have my Mom hand stitch my bindings down.

9. Social Media:  Email is thedancingbobbin@gmail.com and  Instagram is thegrinch1964 or thedancingbobbin.

10. Favorite Book: I have always loved books and have always enjoyed reading.  I don't know that I have a favorite but I will pick Unbroken because it is definitely one of the top ones. 

11. Favorite show to binge watch:  I don't get to watch much TV or binge watch but I can always watch episodes of Friends when I see them and still laugh just as much as the first time.

Now on to the Block...

Well I thought that I had the block all picked out that I wanted right up to this past Monday night when I was looking through last year's Stash Bee tutorials and found one by Lynn that I really liked.  So at the 11th hour I changed directions and went with the new block.  I don't know what its official name is so I am going to call it the Scrappy Diamond Block.

I would like you to use bright colors.  I chose 7 colors to have a large variety to choose from.  Purple, Grey, Mustard, Aqua (blue), Navy, Green some may call it Kelly Green, and Pink.

For the Background I use "low volume" in white/grey and white/black or white/white.

Here are some pictures of fabric that I pulled that may help give you my color choices.

You will need 18 squares of each: Low volume background and Bright colored prints.

You will be making half square triangles from these.

Please feel free to make them using your favorite method, but your finished HST should measure 3".

Most will use a 3 1/2" square to make their HST.  I actually use 3 3/4" square because I like to then square them all up to the exact size I need.  For me this works better and makes sewing the block together smoother.

Draw a diagonal line across your low volume squares.  Then place a low volume square and a colored square right sides together.  Sew 1/4" away from each side of the line and then cut in half on the line. Iron open and square to 3".

Lay out your block following the picture and sew them together in rows and then attach the rows.  I found nesting and pinning at where each block meets helps keep them aligned.

Feel free to iron your HST away from the background.  I ironed my seams opened because of all the HST and then ironed each of my rows in opposite directions to help them nest.

These blocks should measure 15 1/2".  Don't forget to post your finished blocks to Stash Bee along with your answers to the survey so we can get to know each of you.  Also, Thank you in advance for your time in making these blocks.  I can't wait to get them all together and put into a quilt.

If you have any questions regarding the block just email me.

Cyndi