Hive 8 January Tutorial

Happy New Year Hive 8!  After the craziness of the holidays I am ready to have a play date with my sewing machine, but before we start, Alison has asked us to start our month as Queen Bee by answering the following questions instead of posing a question:

1. Name: Laura

2. Where you live: Loris, SC (20 miles from Myrtle Beach, SC)

3. Tell us about your family: I am married to my best friend and we have three daughters.

4. Tell us about your pets: We currently have no pets which is unusual for us.  We took in and adopted several pets when the girls were still home. Now my husband is a transplant patient and cannot be around animals.

5. How long have you been quilting?  I made my first quilt when I was 10 and my next when I left teaching to help care for my husband while we waited on a kidney transplant.  The first was all hand stitched with my grandmother watching over my shoulder.  I still have it. :)

6. What crafts do you do other than quilting?  I have dabbled in knitting and crocheting but my sewing machines always call my name.

7. Fabric line you want to buy next: This is the year I sew from my stash, so it would really have to knock my socks off for me to buy it.  Quilt backing does not count, right? Neither does Carolyn Freidlander or Alison Glass?  Bottom line, I like it I will buy it, but I am not anxiously awaiting the release of a fabric collection.

8. Preferred quilting method (FMQ, long arm, hand, etc.): My goal in 2016 is to learn to FMQ on my sewing machine.  Did I say I have 17 quilt tops waiting to be quilted?

9. Where we can find you on social media:  Instagram @1lousypetunia (I have very few posts but hope to get better at it in 2016)

10. Favorite book: Tough question as I have so many.  The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Warner ranks at the top.  I checked it out of the library so many times in elementary school that the librarian bought me a copy to keep. Embarrassing!

11. Favorite show to binge watch:  Gilmore Girls or Big Bang Theory

Okay, on to the fun stuff, for this month, I would like you to make a star block.   I recently finished piecing my Moda Modern Building Blocks quilt top and after working with all the tiny star points, I was not going to ask you to make star blocks where you had to stress over keeping the points.  This is supposed to be fun!

This is my first attempt at a tutorial, so ask questions if I am not clear.  

This is my fabric pull, teals and low volume.  (The weather is so dreary that this is not the best picture, but hopefully you get the idea or recognize the fabric.  They really are teal and not as aqua as the picture makes them look.  If the weather is better today, I will try again and edit so you can see more clearly) I am not asking for these fabrics, but fabrics in this color family.

Cutting list:

8 - 5" squares of low volume, as scrappy as your stash will allow.  If you are using fabric with black in it, just be sure it is not too over powering.

These are cut from the same teal fabric
1 - 5" square
8 - 3" squares


Draw a diagonal line on the back of each 3" square.  Sew one square on the right bottom corner of four of the low volume 5" squares. Stitch on the drawn line then trim 1/4" on the corner side of the line of stitching. (Make sure you are trimming on the corner side and not the block side. ) Flip to the right side and press the seam toward the teal fabric.  Now stitch a 3" square to the left side overlapping the one you just did.

Trim seam to 1/4" and press with seam toward the teal fabric.

Your square should measure 5" (trim if necessary.)  Layout the nine squares and sew each row.  If you press the seams toward the sides on the top and bottom rows and toward the center square on the middle row, the seams will nest and the block will stay nice and flat.

Your block should measure 14".

I cannot wait to see what you come up with. If you have any questions, please let me know.

Happy Sewing!