Hive 1 blocks for Robin

These blocks are being put the in the mail today by my husband (one of the positives to having him be retired!) LOL


The lighting was bad, and I could not find my camera so I had to use my iPad. . .but I love the way the blocks came out.

I can't believe that we are at the end of the year already. . . both for the swap and the actual year. . . it seems like it was just January a couple of weeks ago.


Robin, I hope these blocks work well with the others that you have.


Regards,


Sherry V.

Hive 1 for Robin

                 Hello hive 1....

We are almost  done for the year. One more month to go. This has been a great year for us. We have been busy with moving and enjoying our grandchildren. I really haven't gotten very much sewing done. I will do better next year. 

I enjoyed this block for Robin. I never tried this one before. It went together very easy.  I hope the colors work for you Robin. I have 5 done, because one was a test block. They all turned out great so, I mailed them all. This was dropped off at the Post office today. 

Have a great Halloween! Happy sewing, Rose.

Hive 4

This was an amazingly simple block, but I think the results are going to be stunning!  I'm excited to see how all the blocks go together.

Unfortunately, I didn't have any tone-on-tones of red or black, so I went with solids for those.

Hive 1, October for Robin

Always good to learn something new.  Never spun my seams before....  can you tell I’m not a big lover of piecing. :)

Nice quick and easy...  and off on their way across the ocean.

Hope you like.

Tu-Na Quilts: Block for Kristi in Hive 4

Happy Fall to you all! This is one snazzy block for Kristi. I think the quilt will be gorgeous!!

This is a Granny's Choice Block. Kristi wants it untrimmed so here it is. You can find her tutorial here.

It will be in the mail tomorrow. Thanks, Kristi, for introducing me to this block. Now I want a whole quilt of them.

What I Learned Today:

1. Being in a Bee Swap was supposed to satiate my appetite for a variety of blocks but instead my list of those I want to make into quilts has grown.
2. I've been going thru old emails and discovered I sent Carolyn (Queen from September) her delightfully beautiful block (see a pic of it here) to her old address. I hope she still gets it.
3. Technology is handy when you have it. I had over 3000 emails while I was gone to Europe for a month. With little to no internet, I am just now getting to some and I am only half way through September.
4. I am now knee-deep into dealing with our apple harvest. Meaning we still have 67 cloth grocery bags left from the 250 that we started with. We were up to our eyeballs then! They have been sold, given away, cidered,
   
   dried,
   
   sauced.
   
   eaten fresh,
   
   diced into several salads, turned into several varieties of apple pies
   
   and lots of apple crisp. This afternoon half a bag will meet the crockpot for some apple butter. 
5. The neighbors all have apple trees that produced abundantly, too.
6. The deer are not eating them anymore.

Question: Help!! I need more ideas on what to make with apples or how to use them up. What do you suggest?

Thanks for stopping by and do come again.
Karen, Tu-Na Quilts

If you'd like to read more about me or read about my adventures and misadventures in quilting, traveling, and cooking, please visit my blog, Tu-Na Quilts, Travels, and Eats. You're welcome to join my reading family by subscribing to follow me using one of the three ways: Wordpress, Bloglovin, or email found on my sidebar on my blog (if viewing on a mobile phone, just keep on scrolling down).

Changes in Store for StashBee 2019

 

Can you believe that we are nearing the end of Stash Bee this year? That means it's time to start thinking about next year. I've actually been thinking about it for quite a few months already. This was a year of firsts for the bee, notably adding Instagram and Facebook hives, both of which were very successful.  Running this bee for the last 2 years has been a great experience for me but it's time for me to decide where I want to go next on my quilting journey. I bought a long arm back in 2016 and I'm gearing up to start my own business. My son is getting older and is getting more involved in extracurricular activities. I'm taking on new responsibilities at a job that I absolutely love. These are all the reasons why I felt it was time to hand over the reigns to someone new. Or two someones, as the case may be. Alanna, the mama from Hive 3, and Laura, the mama from Hive 7 have graciously offered to take over co-hosting the bee for next year. They are both amazing quilters who are going to bring a fresh new outlook on the bee and I can't wait for next year.

So thank you for letting me be a part of this bee journey with all of you and please welcome Alanna and Laura!

Diana @ Red Delicious Life

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hello!
My name is Laura VanVleet and this will be my fourth year with Stash Bee.  I live on a little lake in northern Michigan with my husband and two naughty cats.  I work for the Post Office and I'm also a proud Grammie of an energetic 8 year old and 1 year old.  The past two years I've been Hive #7 Mama and I'm really looking forward to sharing the admin position with Alanna in 2019.

Laura @ laura4448

Hello!
My name is Alanna Schroeder and 2019 will be my third year in Stash Bee. I live in Fort St John, which is a small city in Northeastern British Columbia (about 14 hour drive north of Vancouver, BC). Quilting is a fantastic hobby for living in the north because it helps keep me warm! I live with my boyfriend and my rescue dog, Indi.

I still think of myself as a fairly new quilter, and I love Stash Bee because it has helped me learn so many new blocks, and given me a sense of community- I have loved getting to know other quilters from around the world! This last year I was the Hive Mama for Hive #3. I am looking forward to working with Laura to keep Stash Bee running for 2019.

 

Alanna @Blanketfort.quilts

Hive 4 for Kristi

Here is my block for Kristi. It sewed up super fast. It will be I. It’s way next week. 

Happy sewing. 

Hive Four Grandmother's Choice

What a fantastic block! Tons of interest for very little effort! This is definitely going on my "make it for myself" list!

It'll be heading for Canada tomorrow!

Meredith

Hive 1 October Bow Ties

I struggled with the background color request, so I hope these work for you.  Let me know if they don't.  I didn't want to use actual muslin because of the looser weave, but I can ... just let me know.  Thanks for an easy block!

Hive 1 September Block

Oh Goodness.....  I am so late.   This is such a great block; one that I am hoping to use in a future quilt.  I love the idea of your quilt with the blues and the greens.   Hope this will work well.
Again, I apologize for being so late.  This will be in the mail this evening or tomorrow morning.  Happy Sewing.

Hive 4 blocks for Carolyn and Kristi

Happy October all!
I realized as I was posting this months’ block I forgot to post my block last month.  Pictures are below; Carolyn you should have received yours by now (although I think I might have sent it to your old address by accident, I hope it got forwarded to you!) and Kristi, I will pop yours into the mail on Monday. (How many stamps to send to Canada?  Anyone know?).  Happy quilting!!

Hive 4 Block for Kristi

I love it when I get to try a totally new block.  This one was super easy but the possibilities are endless.

I followed the tutorial and trimmed it to 12.5" and then I reread your post and saw it said not to trim it.  Well I'm sending this to you...but if it turns out you need one with all the trimmings, let me know.  I'm sending along my extra black and white prints. 

Super Bow Ties!

Wow, what awesome Bow Tie blocks are being posted! I haven't seen any ugly fabrics yet, but I know everyone has at least one or more. They can just disappear into a scrap quilt. I know because I made an entire quilt out of uglies. A strange bunch of not quite fat quarters of dark, muddy prints was given to me and they hung out in my stash for years before I resolved to get rid of them. Here is what happened:

See? All gone now.

Bow-Tie Blocks for Robin

As everyone else has mentioned, these blocks for Robin come together lightning fast!  I had mine done last week but just got around to posting them this evening. Can't wait to see her finished quilt.

~ Diana @ Red Delicious Life

Sept Block for Hive 4

Yes, I am late with this block!! But I did have a good excuse.

Here's the island of Burano, off the coast of Venice, Italy. It was very colorful and had few tourists.

 I returned the end of September after a month long trip around Germany, Austria, and Italy with a 14 hour lay over in Copenhagen, Denmark and an unplanned night in Chicago because the airlines "lost" our return tickets to home.

We toured Rome, too. One just has to take a picture with people in it as there's always a crowd of people around.

Needless to say, I had to rest, unpack, and do laundry before I could set foot inside the sewing room. And add to that, a bountiful apple harvest was waiting for us.

We have 8 trees. Two are honeycrisp and one is a yellow apple. The other 5 are delicious mysteries.

We have been harvesting apples for the past 10 days. It looks to be the second largest crop we've had. The largest produced 10,000 pounds of apples off 8 trees!! My dehydrator has been running constantly for those 10 days and I've made lots of applesauce for the freezer as well as apple pie filling and fresh pies and crisps. I've probably eaten several dozen myself.

We also started pressing apples in our cider press having made 30 gallons on Saturday. Of course, I had to cook and feed the crew, kind of like the old threshing bees of days gone by. We'll be cidering for the next 3 weekends!!

But I was able to manage sewing Carolyn's block this afternoon. I fretted over the fabric picks for a week. I only had one navy fabric and a couple of low volume prints for the background. And mustard??? What color is mustard anyway?

It did end up to be rather cute in the end. I hope you like it, Carolyn!

What I learned today:

1. I am really low on low volume prints.
2. And navy. You'd think with all the fabric I have I wouldn't be low on anything!
3. Smile! You never know when you'll end up on some stranger's vacation pictures!!

Question: What's the longest vacation/trip you've taken? I've had a 3 month trip. That one was much more relaxed.

Karen, Tu-Na Quilts
I blog at Tu-Na Quilts, Travels, and Eats.

Bow ties for Robin

I've seen these blocks plenty of times before in books and in quilts; and in the back of my mind, I knew they were simple blocks; but I never made them.  They REALLY... ARE... SIMPLE.  O my!  These four all but materialized out of thin air!

(There's that frog fabric again!)

Fast, Fun Blocks for Robin

Coincidentally, I decided this week to spend time getting a big pile of scraps sorted, cut and filed into size boxes.  I couldn’t walk past the overflowing basket another day, so sorting scraps came in handy to test this block.  Robin, I really love your block and a quilt with these cute bow ties is now on my short list.  Can’t wait to see your quilt and to show you all my Polaroid picture baby quilt with the perfect fabric you sent me for the backing.  I am quilting  and binding it next week.   Thank you!

Fun blocks!

Hi Robin,
These were fun and quick!! So I did another set--you'll see them when they get there!

I hope to get them in the mail to you this week.
Liz

Hive 4 blocks for Kristi

These were a breeze to sew up.  I look forward to seeing what you do with them.  Happy mail is on its way. 

Hive 1 October done

I had muslin right at my fingertips from a recent project, so it took no time to whip these blocks together for Robin.  I made a quilt with this block using plaids for my grandson and a quilt for charity using 30s fabric.  It's great for using a variety of fabrics.  Good choice, Robin.
Kathie L

Granny's choice block for Kristi

Here is my striking red, black and white block. This will be a stunning quilt. Easy evening to sew.

Done on Day 1, Teehee!

Hello everybody!

I just got back from a wonderful trip out west and was itching to stitch, so I snuck a peek at the tutorial for this month and finished it last night.

The picture does look dark, but the reds are vibrant.  These cuties are in the mail as of today too!
Have a great October!

Hive 6 October Tutorial - Pineapple Block for Martha Grace

Hello Hive 6 - I am very excited about posting my block!

If you are like me, which I believe is probably true due to all of us wanting to be part of this Stash Bee experience because quilting is such a part of our souls, then I know that all year you have been expectantly awaiting the first of each month to see what Stash Bee challenge is posted!

I say challenge because it seems that every month I have stewed over how to best fit each Hivemate’s request while using fabrics that I have accessible, sewing skills that I am continually developing, and time that never seems to be enough!

Please allow me to describe my motivation for choosing my block . . .

My dear friend, Belinda, is always serving others through her gift of hospitality. She holds a full-time administrative/receptionist  job at a local elementary school, is a pastor’s wife, and is a wife, a mother, and a friend to thousands! She successfully fulfills all of these roles I due to her being given the gifts of humor, graciousness, discernment, and hospitality. Her home is always open, and she is always serving others. She loves pineapples, so I would love to make her a pineapple quilt to use as a throw since the pineapple is seen as a symbol of hospitality.

I spent hours looking at different pineapple blocks, staying away from “the quilter’s pineapple block,” as Belinda is not a quilter and wouldn’t recognize it. Due to her petite 5’2” stature I decided on a, what I think is really cute, recognizable, and not too time-consuming, pineapple block that is little - a six inch one!

Here is a photo of one block I sewed last night.

Isn't it adorable?!?!?!?

Here are the instructions that I used last night to sew my block:

I screenshot this pattern. It is the pieced version of the Moda Blockheads 2 pattern for Week 8 of this year. The Moda version is an applique on that is really cute, as well. If you are interested, you can see it by clicking on this link: http://blog.modafabrics.com/2018/07/block-heads-2-block-8/ .

You can find out all about this pieced version by typing, "Blockheads Week 8 - Coriander Quilts" in a search engine or clicking on http://corianderquilts.com/2018/07/blockheads-block-8/ .

Note: I am wondering if I am the only person who has to continually measure all along the way in order for my seams to match well and my block to end up the correct size?!?!?!? If someone would let me know how she just sews and it all comes out well without measuring all along the way, please let me know as my constant measuring throughout my sewing of a block makes me an extremely slow sewer!!!

Now, for colors to use:

If possible, please use as as happy and bright green and yellowish/goldish/pineapplish prints if possible for the pineapple - no solids!

For the background, please only use solid white like Kona Snow or a white-on-white - no color, not even a cream or an off-white!!!

I found that the following pressing helped me to nestle seams together nicely:

   (1) After cutting the excess part of the one-inch white square blocks on the pineapple fabric to make a quarter-inch seam allowance, press the seam allowance to the pineapple fabric side.

    (2) After cutting the excess part of the one-inch white square blocks sewn onto the green rectangle, to make a quarter-inch seam allowance, press the seam allowance to the white fabric side.

     (3) After cutting the excess part of the green one-inch square blocks on the middle white rectangle on the top row to make a quarter-inch seam allowance, press the seam allowance to the green fabric side.

      (4) Please press all other seams open.

Here is a picture of the pressing on the backside of the block I sewed.

If you would like to piece some fabrics together for the pineapple fruit or use different greens together for the leaves, this is fine - the pineapple fruit doesn't have to be just one fabric - just no solids, please.

If you want to make more than one block due to this pattern lending itself to being able to be put together quickly, then please do - this quilt will demand a large number of these six-inch blocks!

If you want to make a block using the applique instructions, then please do!

I hope that this block will satisfy everyone's creative streak and sewing expertise.

It has been so helpful for me to see how everyone has interpreted this year's instructions every month! I am so thankful to be able to sew again and have been blessed to have been given this opportunity to learn from each of you.

I so appreciate your time in helping me to thank my dear friend for all of the time she has invested in making others lives awesome! I also appreciate the opportunity to get to know each of you this year!!

If you have any questions, please email me at martha.cranor@gmail.com .

Hive 7 - October Block for Rachel

Hi everybody, here's the  October block: Hidden Gems  designed by Diane at From Blank Pages, I just love her work! 

The pattern comes with detailed instructions, cutting templates if you like to use those for FPP, and coloring pages that help with fabric placement. Also, Diane has paper piecing instructions on her site that are fabulous if you need them. 

The colors you'll need include:

• Three shades of blue - I’m hoping for a transparency effect in the points where they overlap
• a light
• a medium,
• a dark   
• At least two teals in slightly differing shades so there’s some contrast when they’re assembled next to each other
• Random low volume white scraps
• Random low volume black scraps

Here's my sample block: 

Here's a tile I did, just to see the effect of the blocks together: 

Yours will be added to the blocks I received from my other bee earlier this year (love them!). I'm aiming for enough for my queen size bed (don't mind the one in the lower-right corner, it just needs to be rotated :) 

The block went together really well, her patterns always do. I will say I was glad to have basted the last seam as I pulled it out and pinned some of the points - it's a long diagonal and even though it's on a paper foundation, it was a little touchy. 

Let me know any questions!

Hive One October Block

Stop the presses!!  I can’t believe my blocks are done for this month.  Didn’t the month just start today..lol.  I’ve been wanting to do this block for a long time and couldn’t believe how fast it went together.  It didn’t hurt that I already had 4.5” squares on my sewing table from another project and came across the vintage unbleached muslin just yesterday.  They’ll be in the mail tomorrow.

October Bow Ties - Hive 1 Tutorial

October Bow Ties

As the year winds down, we all seem to get  busier and busier, so for my turn as Queen, I bring you a super easy block, the old fashioned Bow Tie. My plan is to use this setting that I found on the (old) Free Spirit website. I want to use up all my chunky scraps but will try to make the “rounds” each in the same color family. This pic is for setting only, ignore all those pale blues and pinks! My quilt is going to be a fiesta of medium to dark scraps.

This month please 4 blocks in the 8-1/2” unfinished size. From choosing fabric to admiring the finished blocks, it won’t take you more than 1 hour.

Do not sew them together, I will need to rearrange them to make the setting work.

The background fabric (B) should be the color of unbleached muslin. Below are the ones I have pulled, some are just edge trimmings from quilt backings of long ago.

For the bow tie fabric (A) you will need 4 pieces about 5 x 14 (corrected) or some equivalent pieces. Choose from your available chunky scraps. Use anything! Use ugly fabric you want to get rid of, or something special you want to share with me, or just the first chunk that comes to hand. It doesn’t matter, this is to be a very scrappy quilt. I am making all the other blocks from whatever is in the bin that is big enough but not too big.

(Avoid pastels, using only medium to dark fabrics for the bow tie parts. Nothing lighter than a bright yellow.)

Instructions for assembly can be found all over the internet but of course sizes vary. 

Here is how I am making mine.

For each block:

Cut 2 – 4-1/2” squares of the Focus fabric (A)

Cut 2 – 2-1/2” squares of the focus fabric (A)

Cut 2 – 4-1/2” squares of the background fabric (B)

Draw a horizontal line on the back of the 2-1/2” squares.

Sew the 2-1/2” squares to the background squares,

(Bonnie Hunter’s method)

Then iron and trim the excess from the back.

Lay them out for assembly and sew the top 2 parts together, then the bottom 2 parts.

Press the top seam toward the bow tie (A). Press the bottom seam toward the background fabric (B). After joining the top to the bottom, you will be able to spin the seams on the back just like Bonnie has taught us.

Here are four of my blocks, all done (and grouped together just for this picture). Below that are some more finished blocks. As you can see, anything goes. Bow Tie fabrics don’t even have to be the same, as long as they are kind of the same color.

Due to Free Spirit's recent demise, their old website can no longer be accessed. The free pattern I downloaded some time ago and/or a pdf of this article are available by email from me: 9lizards at gmail dot com