Hive 1 June Block

June has really kicked my butt.  I did finally get this done a couple of days ago. Enjoy, Sherry!

Hive 1 Finish

Here’s the quilt I donated made with Ohio Star blocks from my Hive 1 bee mates.  The Veterans Administration facility in Chillicothe was very appreciative and I plan on making another to donate soon.  Thanks ladies for the blocks.

Pink Star for Hive 4 June

Tori, this was a delightful block to put together, I'm excited to see your quilt with its rainbow of stars!

It went in the mail on Monday, so hopefully you receive it by the end of the week!

Meredith

June Block for Sherry

Queen Sherry has asked for the Checker Block for her reign this month.  Here is my version.  It will go in the mail today.  I’m excited to see her finished quilt.  Such an easy block.

Garden fence together

I received my final block last week. Thanks to all of Hive 4 for making these bright blocks for me. 

I made an additional 33 blocks to add to them and make it twin size.

For the last couple of days, I laid it out and pieced the rows together. (I so hate borders.)  And between measurements and extra lengths it is my least favorite of all jobs except piecing a back. 

But It Is Together!  Alleluia! 

Total 58 by 91 inches. 

I have a gorgeous stripe for the binding. 

And it is going to the quilter as soon as I get my batting... and the back pieced. 

Here are the 2 grandboys for Father's Day. They were inhaling food after shoveling and shoveling sand into the lake. Jensen is the one on the left and this quilt is for his big boy bed. He is 2 and a half.

Sherry’s Checker Block

The blocks went together quickly, but I confess I did have to take out a couple of seams to get to the right size.  It proves that a 1/4 inch seam can vary machine to machine. I am sending the extra half square triangles along in case you need a couple of additional blocks and am looking forward to seeing how this one all goes together. The colors suggest a very happy quilt!

Rainbow Star Block for Tori

Here's my bright red rainbow star for Tori! Getting to do blocks I wouldn't normally do is so much fun, and part of the reason I enjoy Stash Bee as much as I do!! 

It was in the mail this morning, and you should have it soon. Thanks!

Tu-Na Quilts: A block for Tori in Hive 4

On the first of June, I gathered my fabrics for Tori's quilt block. Surely, the yellow fabrics would work perfectly with her quilt. She asked us to use bright solid or tone on tone fabrics with no prints. I didn't have a lot of choice except in yellows.

And then they sat, until a few days ago. After seeing that several other bee mates had actually made and sent their yellow blocks already and that she has already made and received a bunch of yellow ones from last year's Bee, I knew I'd have to rethink this block. She was looking for a rainbow of colors. So I headed back to my shelves to dig a little deeper for another color or that rainbow quilt of hers would be mostly yellow.

I hope you like your green block, Tori, and that it will play nicely with all the other ones that arrive.

 You can find the tutorial for this pattern here on Tori's post. It sewed up quickly. Although my pic loaded lying on its side, it doesn't really matter, as this block is square and can be turned any direction.

What I Learned Today:

1. The early bird gets the worm or in other words, those that procrastinate must work a little harder. In my case this means, if I had sewn that block up right away and mailed it I wouldn't have had to scramble to find a different color.

Question: Do you make your blocks right away or are you scrambling at month's end to get them finished? Although, I have good intentions each month, I'm usually scrambling to get them finished and in the mail. Maybe next month will be different.

If you enjoyed reading this and would like to read more about me or about my adventures and misadventures or even follow me so you won’t be left out, please see my blog Tu-Na Quilts, Travels, and Eats and subscribe by email, WordPress, or Bloglovin. I’d enjoy having you join my family of blog readers. 

Karen, Tu-Na Quilts

Checkers from Robin

I enjoyed learning a new-to-me block, especially one this easily made. Special Note to Sherry: No apologies necessary for not pressing seams open--there are lots more of us lurking out there. I agree that opening the seams is really fiddly plus it makes them harder to match perfectly.

Hive 4 Star for Tori

Hi all!  Here is my star block for Tori.  I hope the colors and mix of solid and tone on tone work well in your quilt.  I'm still unpacking so I was happy to find a good selection of fabrics for your block. 

Happy quilting!

Hive 4 Star for Tori

Half way through June and I finally have my block done for Tori.  What a great star block.  This looks darker than it really is.  I managed to find 15 shades of red that were more or less tone on tone.  Even a fossil fern.  In the mail on Monday to you.  Enjoy.

Finished! Thanks 2017 Hive 3 Hivemates

I just now finished my 2017 Hive 3 quilt, and I LOVE how it turned out.  I really love how the scrappy blocks work well together.  I added sashing to separate the busy blocks a bit and to make up for some inconsistencies in the size of the blocks.  I densely straight-line quilted it, and added a mottled turquoise binding from my stash. 

 This will be a gift for a niece who is learning to sew.  I hope she likes it, I know I do!  Thanks to my talented hive-mates for your lovely blocks. 

Hive 4 June Block

Had fun picking out the fabrics and making this block for Tori.    After I finished the block, I noticed from your post that you may be a little heavy on yellow.....sorry I didn't see that earlier.

Hive 1 June from Kathie to Sherry

I also made this block in a previous block exchange, so I know what a great block it is.  Here are two from me since I didn't want the other half of the HSTs to go to waste.  Enjoy.
Kathie L

Checker Block for Sherry

I can't believe how quickly this block came together. I don't think I've ever put a block together so fast! Good thing, too, because school is out and I've got an 8-year-old who has WAAAAAY too much energy and time on his hands and is not leaving me much time to sew.

I hope you like the block, Sherry! And don't worry, despite the photo, those rectangles really are gray (not black). It will be in the mail later this week.

May block for Debbie

So sorry for my tardiness; this block was fun!  I can't wait to see the great quilt Debbie will be making.

The block should be arriving shortly in Wisconsin.  Hope all are well!

Hive 4 May and June blocks for Debbie and Tori

Hello!  I am so excited to be part of my first quilting bee!  Thank you all for welcoming me halfway through the year.  Please have grace and kindness for me as I try to muddle my way through this :)  Here are a May block for Debbie (made in the colors of my Alma Mater, Furman University- Go Paladins!) and a June block for Tori.  Tori, I did the best I could but don’t have many blenders or super bright colors in my stash, but I loved making this aqua block and I hope you enjoy it too (it’s brighter in real life than in the photo).

So now that I’ve finished my first post, my question is, how do I send these blocks?  Can I use a regular envelope?  How many stamps?  I am a mom of two toddlers so I would prefer not to have to run to the post office if I can help it.  I will get these in the mail as soon as I can :)

Happy summer all!

Katy

Hive 4 - June block

Due to a slightly small stash, I had a bit of trouble trying to get fabrics that all read about the same color.  Hopefully the fabrics I found will be ok.

Checkers for Sherry!

Hi Sherry!

Hi from up north in NJ! These were fun blocks to make--I think I made them before when I was part of the Blossom Heart bee. It may look like red, but I think it's more of a burnt orange. And since I had the other HSTs, I made you a second block--that'll be a surprise! I hope you like them, and I look forward to seeing your finished quilt!

Liz

"Checkers" Hive 1's June block for Sherry

Fun, fast. and and pretty!  These blocks will be in the mail Monday morning.

Looking forward to seeing the completed quilt.
~Kathy

Hive 4 May Block

Holy Moly....  I am late again.  Debbie here is the block I made for you.   I am so excited to see the end result of your quilt.   I like the pattern and the color scheme.   Will put it in mail on Monday.

A Block for Debbie

All I can say is that May just flew by. Here's Debbie's block. It will be on it's way on Monday since the post office is closed today.

It was a quick one and ohh, so pretty! It should be a lovely quilt.

Now I have to thank her for adding yet another quilt onto my "must make" list. I could see this block in this color with others made from a blue-greenish, and a yellow-orangish, and a orange-reddish, and a yellow-greenish. Oh, those tertiary colors. Do they have names?

What I Learned Today:

1. Time does not stand still. Whoever said that any way?
2. I have another quilt I'd like to make.
3. Being in a Bee group is not helping me eliminate the number of new quilts I want to make.
4. Three year olds have more energy than I do.

Question: What have you been working on? I have a new grandson who finally decided to make his appearance into this world 14 days overdue. We were all pacing towards the end. But mom and baby are now doing well. However, his Papa and this Tu-Na are tired after caring for his older brother.

If you enjoyed reading this or would like to know more about me and read more of my quilting, traveling, and eating adventures and misadventures, please visit my blog, Tu-Na Quilts, Travels, and Eats.

Thanks for stopping by and do come again.

Karen, Tu-Na Quilts

Tori's block

Star block completed! I selected purple as there were not a lot of them in your photo.

I did use some tone on tone prints to add some texture.

Hope it is o.k. and you like it.

I will put it in the mail next week.

Debbie

Hive 7 - June Tutorial

I'm excited to be the queen of Hive 7 this month.  I have such a long list of blocks to make that I had a difficult time choosing just one.  I've chosen the Crown & Thorns block,  which looks complex but really isn't. It took me longer to choose fabrics than make the block.

I used the tutorial from Generations Quilt Patterns which can be found here.  I'm not too fussy about color.  Choose two colors that you can make a bit scrappy and low volume background fabrics and I'll be happy.

Fabric Pull - Just to give you an idea.  Choose your own colors.

For 1 block you need :
Center fabric - (4) 3 1/2" squares + (2) 4" squares
Outside fabric - (6) 4" squares
Low Volume Background Fabric - (5) 3 1/2" squares + (8) 4" squares

* I used 4" squares for the HSTs and then trimmed to 3 1/2.  

After making HSTs, I place the pieces to see how it would look.  As you can see, I had one piece going the wrong direction.  And in the end, the units found new homes.

I did spin the seams but it didn't always work out for me!

I can't wait to see the colors you choose!  

RobinSue

Hive 5 June Tutorial

      I'm so happy to be this month's Queen Bee and am looking forward to having everyone make a fun, scrappy block for me. This is my second year in Stash Bee; I sometimes get photos of the sweet baby quilt (getting lots of love) that my hive mates helped me with last year. This year I have chosen the color wash block designed by scrap quilter extraordinaire, Cynthia Brunz. She puts these blocks together in a quilt called Geese Migration. I'm not exactly sure how I will put my blocks together - but I know it will be beautiful, with your help!

    I would like blocks made with a wide variety of low volume prints and one solid color that pulls out the most common color of the low volume prints you select. I especially like blues and greens, except teal, but will be happy with any choice you make. I pulled a pile of low volume squares from my container of 2.5" squares and then choose a solid color that coordinated.

This is what I started with, then realized the peachy pinks did not fit. I swapped a few fabrics exchanging pinks for greens.

My low volume prints needed a blue or green solid. My solid fabric stash is limited, I keep saying I'll buy more solids but the prints always call to me! 

For this block you will need:

 (15) 2.5" low volume squares

 (10) 2.5" solid colored squares

 (5)  2.5" x 4.5" low volume rectangles

Lay out the low volume squares in a pleasing way. These can fade top to bottom, from light to dark, dark to light, or mixed, as I did. Then, use the solid squares with the rectangles to make five flying geese units. I used the Folded Corners ruler to make my flying geese; I'm enjoying this ruler when making geese one at a time. Lay out your print squares and geese units in rows and sew together to make five rows. Press seams in each row in alternating directions to enable the rows to fit together nicely. The block will finish at 10", or 10.5" unfinished. 

Cynthia has made the pattern for Geese Migration available free to everyone! Please take a look at her website for many examples of this block if you are not familiar with it.  You will find a link to the free pattern just below the third photo on this page from Cynthia's blog, Quilting is More Fun than Housework, <http://quiltingismorefunthanhousework.blogspot.com/search?q=geese+migration>

Thanks everyone! I look forward to seeing the colors you choose!

 

   

Tutorial - Hive 3 June

I am so excited to be Queen Bee for June. I have chosen a block which I think should be really fast for everyone to do. I want to do scrappy cross quilt and want you all to make a block for me. This is the same block I asked for last November. I really love it and want to make a large quilt.

This is a link to my inspiration quilt.  https://thelilaccat.com/2017/09/07/plus-quilt-for-grenfell/

Here are 2 blocks that I have made.

They are 10.5 inches unfinished and 10 inches finished.

You will need 4 - 4.5 inch squares of any low volume fabric. I would prefer these to be different.

                        4 - 2.5 inch squares of low volume - these should be the same

                        5 - 2.5 inch squares of a bright happy color or you can make these all the same and use       

                                    2 - 2.5 inch squares and a 2.5*6.5 inch rectangle.

I do not have a specific color plan, just use any bright happy color you have for the cross :)

Layout like the following:

And sew together. No need to trim the blocks.

Any and all low volume is fine with me. Here are some that I will be using. As long as it reads as a light, whites, gray, cream what ever you have is fine.

I hope you will find this to be an easy block and that you have fun with it.

Hive 4 - Rainbow Stars Tutorial for June

Hi There....I'm Tori Manzi and I'm your Queen Bee for June. This is my 4th year participating in the Stash Bee. I'm a wife and mother of two grown girls living in idyllic Camden Maine.  If you've ever seen the old movie Peyton Place...well it was filmed here. Its a beautiful small town right in the mid-coast. 

 My goal with quilting this year is to finish up projects before starting a new one.  And boy do I have a lot of unfinished projects. Its called Crafters Attention Deficit Disorder.  So instead of starting another quilt, I'm asking all of my bee mates to help me finish the one I started in Hive 1 for 2016 Stash Bee.  

I found this block on Pinterest that I liked but couldn't find a tutorial...I didn't know what the blocks "name" was so I tried all kinds of different descriptors to see if I could find one....but no luck.  So here's my attempt at a tutorial for a block for a quilt that I've named "Rainbow Star Patch".  I love the colors of the rainbow in quilts and I've done a number of Mini's that really showcase these colors.  I like the bright colors more so than the "primary" colors.  So here is my block. 

Pretty Simple....sixteen 4.5 in squares with a star.  I used Solids and tone on tone fabrics only...no prints.  I did get to use some of my Benartex Fossil Fern fabrics on some of the blocks I've made for this project and they worked well.  Here is a sampling of the colors I pulled from my stash.  Feel free to use any "bright" color you have in your stash as long as its all the same tones and they "blend well". 

Fabrics and Cutting info:

From solids/tonal prints - cut 14 - 4.5" blocks

From White - 1 - 4.5" block

8 - 2 3/4" blocks

I made each block I did based around one color scheme.  I used two solids and two tonal prints for each block.   First I cut my 15 blocks of "color" fabric (4.5" each) and one square of white fabric (I used Kona White).  Then I laid out my pieces for the color combination that worked best.

I then cut out 8 -  2 3/4" squares for the "star" points.  I drew a diagonal line from corner to corner on one of the white blocks for a straight sewing line.  Then placing it on one corner of one of the blocks adjacent to the white square, I sewed directly on the line. 

Once I sewed that block on I then trimmed the corner off 1/4" from the line we had just sewn.

Turn over and press the seam toward the white.  The pictures show pressing towards the teal fabric in these photos, but I went back and pressed them the other way because the fabric worked better that way.  

After pressing repeat on the other side of the color block.  Trim to a 4.5" square.  This will become two of your eight star points.  

Repeat for the other three adjacent blocks.  Lay out your blocks again for the layout you like the most.  The block is a square so it doesn't matter which of the four center blocks you make the center of the star because the blocks can be turned all different ways when I figure out my layout.

Sew each row together and then sew the rows together and voila!  Block should be 16.5" square.

I'm planning on this being a king size quilt for my bed so I made a bunch of my own and then thanks to my past bee mates and some hive crashers I have 19 blocks.  I'll need at least 36 to complete my quilt.  Here are some pictures of the blocks/colors I have so far.

Here are ones I made:

and these are from Stash Bee friends:

I really love the bright colors!!!!

Thank you to everyone for helping make this stash bee experience a fun one!