February 2019 Hive 5 Tutorial
Just like every year, it was so difficult trying to pick a pattern for my month as Queen Bee! This is my third year and I love making everyone's blocks each month. I just wish I could get around to finishing those first two years of quilt tops! This includes the blocks I received PLUS I made a matching block every month to make a sampler quilt (that makes four total tops to complete 😬). I vowed to make 2019 my year of finishes and I'm almost done with my 1st finish, yay!
This year I was very tempted to using Velda's October 2018 Hive 2 Block, since I instantly fell in love with creating a haunted house plus the fun of making your own unique paper piecing pattern. I may use her idea in another way but I'm keeping the Halloween vibe going strong.
This year I was very tempted to using Velda's October 2018 Hive 2 Block, since I instantly fell in love with creating a haunted house plus the fun of making your own unique paper piecing pattern. I may use her idea in another way but I'm keeping the Halloween vibe going strong.
I finally decided on the Gone Batty Pattern by Elisabeth DeMoo, which is available for a FREE download on Craftsy. You can download it here: Gone Batty Quilt Pattern . Since you will only be making one 11"x15" block (made up of two bats), please refer to my cutting list below. This is a very simple pattern, with no seams to match up, yay!
A BIG thank you to Elisabeth for creating such a great pattern and offering it to the world (and allowing me to use it here)! Check out her website for more great patterns.
Instructions:
You will need one white and black background fabric, along with two fabrics for the bats. I am asking for dark colored prints to be used on the bats - either black or dark gray, dark purple, deep orange, etc. You can use fabrics that have a colored print over black/gray, as I did with my Black/purple print, but please use your best judgement to pick out ghoulish/spooky Halloween colors/themes (no pastels, bright happy colors, cutesy prints, etc.). I would also prefer no batiks. You don't need to use Halloween themed fabric for this to work, just keep within those dark colors. I do ask that if you are making a colored bat, that you only make ONE colored bat in your block (for example, one black bat and one orange bat or one dark gray bat and one dark purple).
Here is a fabric pull I will use for a few blocks (I realized I need more of these colors and I do not have ANY dark oranges and not enough of any dark purple, I guess I now need to shop for fabric, HA!):
Cutting List:
White Background -
- 1 - 5" Square
- 2 - 4.5" Squares
- 4 - 4" Squares
- 4 - 2.5" Squares
Bat Fabric#1 -
- 1 - 5" Square
- 1 - 4.5" Square
- 2 - 2.5" Squares
- 1 - 2.5" x 7" Rectangle
Bat Fabric#2 -
- 1 - 5" Square
- 1 - 4.5" Square
- 2 - 2.5" Squares
- 1 - 2.5" x 7" Rectangle
On a side note, because my gray stripe was directional, I took care to keep the stripe vertical throughout the bat and needed an extra set of HSTs to do so. I ask that if you are using a directional fabric, that you do the same (pretty please). The extra HST is not included in the cutting list, you'll need one additional 4.5" background square and an additional 4.5" bat square.
Bat Wings/Half Square Triangle:
Draw a diagonal line (corner to corner) on your 4.5" bat fabric squares and place right sides together with a 4.5" white background square. Sew 1/4" from the line on both sides, cut, press seam open and trim to 4" square.
You now have 2 sets of HSTs for the bat wings.
Quartered Square:
Cut your three 5" squares into quarters, as shown below.
Sew one white background quarter to one bat fabric quarter as shown below, press seams open.
Sew both halves together, press seams open and trim to 4", as shown below.
If you'd like, please send me leftover pieces from cutting your quartered square (rather than trashing them!). I was thinking I could sew extra quartered square blocks to make a pillow that had all the matching fabrics in it!
Bat Ears Square:
Draw a line on your 2.5" bat squares from corner to corner. The pattern advises you to put the 2.5" square slightly over the edges on the 4" square, I lined them right up to the corner, please do the same. Sew on your marked line (I find it works best for me to sew just outside the line for extra wiggle room.), cut 1/4" from the seam, and press seam open. Repeat on the other side. Trim, if needed, to 4" square.
Sewing the rows together:
I don't know about you, but I always lay out each piece so I can clearly see what I'm doing and where I'm going next. Start by assembling your HST to your bat ears block, your 2.5" square to your rectangle (for both bat blocks), and the background 4" square to your quartered square. Press open, and repeat.
Continue by sewing the completed rows together - starting with sewing your bat ear row to the 2.5" strip (bat body row), press seams open. Sew one bat top to the bat bottom row (quartered square row), paying careful attention to match the correct bat bottom to the correct bat! Press seam open and repeat. You can square the block to 11" x 15" or leave as is and I will do so when I put them together, up to you!
AND YOU'RE DONE!
If you need me to clarify any part of my tutorial, please let me know.
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