Hive 6 June Tutorial- Block for Monica

 Hello, Beemates! I hope you're all enjoying the beginning of summer! Here's the block for June.

I chose this block for my month after seeing an Instagram post by @quiltpraylove. Isn't it gorgeous!?

A huge thank you to her for sending me the measurements for her 8.5" block! I modified those measurements to make a 12.5" block. This will be a lot like Carla's plan, where one block will be the same color family plus low volume for the background. Let's get started, shall we?

Here's what you'll need to cut:

Color prints: 3.5" squares (4 for the center)

                     2" squares (8 for the corner 4 patches)

Low volume prints: 3.5" squares (8 for the sides and top/bottom)

                                2" squares (8 for the corner 4 patches)

First, sew the 4 3.5" color squares in a 4 patch to make up the center.

Then, we'll make the corner 4 patch units. You'll need to make 4 of these. If you're using directional fabric, you'll have to pay attention to fabric placement to make sure you get 2 units with color prints going in each diagonal direction like this:

Once these 4 patches are finished, we can layout the block like this:

Sew the pairs of low volume square together and then sew the rows together as for a 9 patch. Here's what the finished block will look like:

Please use whatever color you want or have enough of in your stash. I'm not worried about having duplicates of colors because I want to make this quilt fairly big so I'll need lots.

This is the first tutorial I've written so let me know if you have any questions. Thanks everyone!

Monica Smith (cable_and_selvage)

Hive 1 June Block for Jayne

 

Hi Jayne,

I hope you like those flowers :).

The blocks went into the post box today.

They were perfect for summer sewing.

Take care, 

Rita.

Hive 2 June Tutorial- Log Cabin Block

I don’t know about anyone else when they were planning their queen bee block, but I had such consternation. I first picked out a block and I wanted to make changes to fit an idea in my head. I made a test block, and didn’t like it.This morning inspiration struck, how about a LOG CABIN. 

Many years ago as an aspiring quilter, not actually sewing, just reading books and patterns. It might have been in the early 2000s, I read a quilt pattern book and there was a log cabin pattern called Sunshine in the Window, where the author used a yellow block instead of a red block to start the cabin. Why not use this block as my first block bee?! So here’s my tutorial for the log cabin block.

I really like a scrappy look and seeing what kinds of fabric people have in their stash. My two requests is that the yellow chosen for the middle block be vibrant enough to stand out from the low volume strips and try to avoid navy blue for the dark/medium strips. Most of my stash is HEAVY with navy blue. I most likely will make additional blocks using navy blue prints.

YOU WILL NEED:

From Yellow	One 2.5x2.5 inch Square
From Low Volume	One 2.5x2.5 inch Square
	One 2.5x4.5 inch Strip
	One 2.5x6.5 inch  Strip
	One 2.5x8.5 inch  Strip
	One 2.5x10.5 inch Strip
	One 2.5x12.5 inch  Strip
From Dark or Medium	One 2.5x4.5  inch Strip
	One 2.5x6.5  inch Strip
	One 2.5x8.5 inch  Strip
	One 2.5x10.5 inch  Strip
	One 2.5x12.5  inch Strip
	One 2.5x14.5 inch Strip

Don’t be like me and forget to cut the 2.5x8.5 inch strip EEEKKKK!!

This log cabin block is constructed like a traditional log cabin block.

First sew the yellow square to the low volume square, and then the low volume 2.5x4.5 strip to the two squares.

Then add your dark/ medium strips and low volume strips following the diagram below.

Your block should measure 14.5 inches square.

If my directions are difficult to understand, please use the link below.

How to construct a Log Cabin Block

I am so excited to see what you all come up with. My favorite part of this bee is seeing everyone’s blocks posted.

Happy Quilting!

<3 Deanna

Hive 1 May block for Katherine

 

Here is my block, just barely making it in time! I went with some orangey-reds. I even did the fun bonus step you offered of sewing things backwards on my first attempt. In the mail today! -Julia C.

Hey Katherine, 

A little late on your block.... school snuck up on me but I'll have your block in the mail tomorrow! I picked several of my favorite blues, I hope you like them. 
 

May block for Katherine - Hive 1

 I always love the look of flying geese but the decision on how to make them always makes me fret (no-waste 4-at-a-time vs. traditional). Measure even a bit off and your goose could be too small. But it's good to sew out of one's comfort zone every once in a while.

I'll get this in the mail early next week.

~ Diana

Hive 1 Block for Katherine

This was such a fun block to make - they are all going to look great together! 

Enjoy!

- Julia D.

Hive 1 May Block for Katherine

 I love this big, bright block!  I look forward to seeing the finished top one day.  I hope these oranges and yellows play well with the other beautiful blocks I've seen posted.  Putting in the mail today.  Karen

Hive 1, May block for Katherine

 Katherine, what a fun block to make. With all your different colors this will be a very happy quilt. The large blocks will make it go together quickly. Thank you for the pattern.  Jayne

Hive 1 May Block for Katherine

 

Hi Katherine,

I think Flying Geese are so timelessly stylish! :) Enjoyed making them.

As I don't have any 'funky' yellow fabrics, I just made two. Hope you like them.

They will go into the post-box this evening.

Take care,

Rita.

Katherine's May Hive 1 blocks

 I've made this block many times in the past, usually in sampler quilts.  It's very popular and I like making flying geese.  I've made two just in case Diana needs an angel block this month.  

Kathie Laposata 

Hive 1 block for Katherine

 

I’m glad I got to make this block. I have been quilting a long time but have never made a flying geese block.  So 2x2 the geese are flying.  How fun and easy they are, and the size of the rectangles really gives you a large block quickly.  This was a good stash buster project, everything came from my stash.  

The pinwheel in the center is really dynamic, I love the design of this block.  Enjoy! And hope you will love your colorful quilt.

Carolyn B.

Block for Katherine

Hi Katherine, I am so happy you gave me the thumbs up to use my layer cake "funky" parrot fabric in your block! I love the pinwheel...it will give a lot of movement to your quilt. This will be a great relaxing summer project! Have fun! Take care, Marie

Hive 2 May Tutorial

 Happy Spring,  

   I can’t believe May is here already.    Pineapple blocks are wonderful but lots of work and special cutting.  Bonnie Hunter’s free tutorial called Pineapple Blossom is a simple pineapple block.  I would like that to be my block this month.  

  Fabric pull for the block comes from my bins of scraps.   

For the white pull any fun low volume print.  Cut 5 3.5 inch squares.                             

  

Pick any bright colors.  No brown or black.  The colorful fabric may have some brown or black in it. You will need 8 different fabrics   From the 8  fabrics cut 2)  2 x 3.5 pieces,  4) 2 x 6.5 and 2) 2 x 9.5 strips.   Your fabrics for the block will look like this.

   Block ends up as 9.5 square.   Pictures below step by step.    

First step above. Sew together.  Then using white square make diagonal line corner to corner.  Place on top of square as pictured and sew on line.

Trim off each corner. Iron and add next 4 strips. 

 

Once sewn place final two squares.  Sew on line and trim 1/4 inch from line.  

The block is finished.  Measures 9.5 square.

 Here is a picture of multiple blocks.

 

I hope this makes sense.  If not Bonnie Hunter’s tutorial is great.  Have fun.

Hive 4 May Tutorial - Stacked Squares Block

 Hi Everyone -

I'm Joan from New York City and this is my first year in Stash Bee.   I've been quilting about 8 years and love my hobby, but I have way too many scraps that I find hard to throw away!   Stash Bee is helping to  tame the scrap basket a bit  and I'm enjoying  sewing up our blocks as well as crashing other hives.

My favorite quilts are scrappy ones and I'm always looking for  new and fun blocks to use up my seemingly endless bucket of scraps.   I recently found this Stacked Squares block and tutorial from Melissa Cory of Happy Quilting (www.happyquiltingmelissa).    Super scrappy block which uses brights and low volume fabrics and sews up like a log cabin block.   I am fine with all bright colors so that there is a good contrast with the low volume.  For the bright blocks, try to use small prints or near-solids so that they pop.   I am not a fan of neon, but everything else goes!

Step 1:  Cutting

From your BRIGHT  print scraps cut:

(1)  3.5"  x 3.5" square

 (4) 1.5"  x 2 .5" rectangles and (4) 2.5" x 3.5" rectangles -- Note: that you need to pair these.  See picture below.

From your LOW VOLUME  scraps cut:

 (2) 2.5 " x 2.5 " squares

(2) 2.5 " x 4.5 " rectangles

(2) 2.5" x 6.5"  rectangles

(2)  2 .5" x 8.5" rectangles

Step 2:  Assembling the block

Pair up the low volume rectangles with the matching/same prints.  Any combo is fine.  Using a 1/4" seam, sew each unit together.   Chain stitching makes this go really fast.  Press towards the prints.

From here on in, it's like a Log Cabin block where you continually build on layers.

Start with your 3.5" square and add the smallest unit you just sewed to the right of the square, press outwards.  Next add the matching print unit to the bottom,  always press away from the 3" square.

Continue to add pieces to the right, and then bottom as shown in the following pictures.

Finished square measures 11.5" x 11.5"

Here are a few blocks that I’ve sewn to give you an idea of how the finished quilt will look. 

Thanks for sewing for me.  I really look forward to putting this quilt together!

Joan

Hive 1 May Tutorial -- Dutchman's Puzzle

Hi guys and happy May! I am nervous to post my tutorial but excited to see what everyone comes up with for my block! I have never made a quilt that I kept before, so I am also excited to hog the finished quilt all for myself. 

I am a school psychologist, and May is typically the busiest (and worst) month of the school year for psychologists. It will be a nice distraction to have blocks coming in the mail this month. It will be even better to have the summer off to put them all together. 

I think this pattern is called Dutchman's Puzzle? But perhaps I'm wrong and someone can set me straight! Here's the finished block that I made. 

Fabric requests

White fabric: any kind of solid white, please. The sample block I did was an unbleached muslin so it wasn't bright white, but bright white is fine too. 

Color fabric: Either a single fabric or a group of multiple fabrics that reads about the same color. Funky prints are welcome. Large scale florals, animals, vehicles, robots; whatever you have that is fun and bright. I would like the block to be all the same color though (so all close blues or reds or whatever color you pick). If you have yellows or oranges those are especially welcome, because my stash includes almost none of those colors for some reason! I'd prefer reds, oranges, yellows, greens, blues, or purples. No pastels or neons please. No browns or tans or blacks. I did my block with four different purples, but you could do it with only two different fabrics or with 8 different fabrics or any number you desire. 

Here are some inspiration pictures from the fabrics that I pulled for my blocks. 

Cutting instructions

The flying geese units will finish 4.5 inches by 8.5 inches. I used the standard wasteful cut off a half of the square method--if you have a method your cutting sizes might vary. 

White fabric: cut (16) 4.5 inch squares

Color fabric: cut (8) 4.5 by 8.5 inch rectangles. If you have a directional fabric, they should be 4.5 inches tall and 8.5 inches wide. 

Sewing instructions

1. Construct 8 flying geese units by whatever method you like. Here's what I did:

• I chain pieced all of these, which made the construction go really quickly. 
• First, I drew a diagonal line down the center of each of my white squares. 
  
  
  
• I squared up the square with the right corner of one of my rectangles and sewed along the pencil line. 
  
  
  
• I repeated that with all 8 rectangles. 

• Then I used a ruler to trim a 1/4 inch seam allowance off from the seam. (whoops I didn't take a picture of trimming the purples...) I pressed all of the seams open. 

• For each rectangle, I added a second square to the other side, sewed along the seam, trimmed back to a 1/4 inch seam allowance, and pressed the seams open again. 

• That gave me 8 separate flying geese units. 

2. Next, sew the flying geese units together in pairs, with the triangles pointing in the same direction. 

3. Then, sew the pairs together in rows, then sew the rows together into the final block. Please make your arrows do a clockwise circle? It should form a little pinwheel in the middle. There's got to be a better way to explain that but see the picture below!

 

If you want a super fun extra step, you can do what I did and pay absolutely no attention at all when you're doing the last two seams and then have to pick them all out because you sewed them on backwards! 😁😂

The finished block should be 16 inches!