Hive 1 Block for Adrienne

This is such a lovely idea for your friend! I have always admired bookshelf quilts. I hope these books are a good fit - I had fun looking at all the bookshelves around my house for inspiration.

Enjoy!

- Julia H.

Hive 1 August block for Adrienne

 

These book blocks are so much fun and such a good way to use the smaller strips of fabric in my stash. I have to keep this idea in mind for my next scrappy quilt.

-Starla

Hive 1 August block for Adrienne

 Hey again!

I made this stack and have not trimmed it to exact size as i think that should be up to the queen! I made a set of books that can be divided into 4-5 and if it's to chunky Adrienne can easily discard the rest!

This was so fun and simple - I think the finished quilt will be amazing!!!!

Hive 1 August block for Adrienne

I love the idea of a bookshelf quilt! And these were really fun to make!
I have some more fabric pieces with text on them, that I will also include. But making this kinda makes me want to make my own bookshelf quilt :D

 

Hive 1 July block for Kelsey

I didnt pay enough attention to the sizing on my first try, so I have a slightly smaller and a tight size block. I will send you both and maybe you can use the smaller one as an accessory to the quilt :) 

The block was fun to make, though I had a tough time finding any pink fabrics in our stash!

 

Hive 1 August Block for Adrienne

 I enjoyed this block so much! I've thought about doing a bookshelf quilt, but I don't think I have the patience--making this one block was such fun though. I surprised myself with the backstory I came up with for each of them! In my head, the big red one reminds me of the dictionary we had in my house growing up--the purple on its side is some sort of local flora field guide--the small black ones are a mystery series--not sure what the next three are, but something fancy!--and then the last one looks like a few journals I had when I was young. 

Phew! That's it. I'm sure your friend will love the quilt! 

Hive 1 August Blocks

 I love the variations that you can make when creating book blocks. The sky is the limit! Here are the blocks that I made. I originally intended 2 of the blocks to be laying on their side so that a trinket could be placed on top of it -- I do that often on my own bookshelves.

But then I laid them out more traditionally and I almost like that better!

However you decide to use them, I hope you like them, Adrienne.

~ Diana @ Red Delicious Life

Hive 1 July block for Kelsey

 Hi there, this was fast and easy although I did struggle on which snowballed pink square to put where... Looks good in the end though!!!

Hive 1 August Block for Adrienne

Hi Adrienne,

So excited that you choose this type of block! I've wanted to make a book quilt for a long time but felt overwhelmed about how to start it. I hope you like these "books". Have fun piecing them all together. Can't wait to see the final product. I know your friend is going to love it!

-Nicole

Hive 1 July Block (Take 2) for Kelsey

 Hi Kelsey,

I am so sorry this is getting to you late! This block was really cute and simple! Kudos to you for being so flexible with us. I went with a medium/light combo. I hope this goes along with what you envisioned for your final quilt. Can't wait to see the final version :)

-Nik

Books for Adrienne

 Hey Adrienne,

I'm actually slowly working on a bookshelf quilt for my sister. Your books gave me some fun new ideas for my own spines. I hope you like the colors I picked and that nothing's to bright. 

- Kelsey

Hive 1 Block for Kelsey

I always have fun digging through my stash for pinks! I got lucky and found some that didn't tend towards red. 

I think these are going to make such a beautiful garden altogether! I'll put this one in the mailbox tomorrow. 

Enjoy!

- Julia H.

Hive 1 Library Books for Adrienne

Hi Adrienne, I was so excited about your project that I included a tourist book about Paris:) If you like my selection of fabric, you'll have to thank Julia C! I used the fabric scraps she gifted me last month, and I chose rich colors, worthy of Sherlock Holmes' library.  I will send you green/book/selvage from my own stash in a separate envelope. Happy sewing!

Hive 3 August Tutorial - Jack-in-the-Box for Mary Ann

 

Sorry about all the controversy with my first block.  Here's a second try if you didn't feel good about the first.  It is called Jack-in-the-Box, and will be a start for black and white (with a teeny bit of red) quilt.

Fabric:

1 strip of majority black print (with maybe a teeny bit of red) 3" x 24 1/2 "

1 strip of majority white print (same comment as above) 3" x 24 1/2" 

1.  I've found the fastest way to sub-cut is to lay the strips right sides together and cut the two into 3" squares.  You will need 8-3" squares of each fabric.

 

 

 

2.  Mark a diagonal line on the back of the white fabric. 

 

Sew the two together 1/4" away from the marked line on both sides. 

 

 

 Cut on the line and press toward the dark.  You will have 16 half-square triangles.   Trim each to 2 1/2" square.

3.  Arrange these half-square triangles as shown.  Sew the patches in to rows, then sew the rows together.  I found it easiest to press open but that is your choice.  The block will be 8 1/2" square.

This is a picture of the original 1923 quilt as seen in 101 Fabulous Rotary-Cut Quilts by Judy Hopkins and Nancy J. Martin.

Hive 1, August block for Adrienne

 

Hi Adrienne,

Your block came just at the right time for some well needed sewing therapy!

I had lots of fun with those books. Hope they are, what you are looking for.

They'll go in the post on Saturday.

Happy sewing,

Rita

Hive 1 - August Tutorial - Books Disassembled for Adrienne

Hi everyone, this being my first Stash Bee, I had a really tough time deciding on what block I would choose for my month. 

My best friend just graduated with a Master's in Library Sciences and is moving across the country for her dream job! I am asking everyone to help me create books for a bookshelf quilt, I have not decided on the background color so I just need help with the books.

I am hoping this will be an excellent strip scrap buster 👏  I am planning on making each person's books into a block for the bookshelf, so your books can coordinate or be unique, but they will be together on the shelf (if that makes any sense?)

The parameters for this month's project are:

    - I would like the books to be disassembled and don't worry about squaring up

    - Being mindful of the 1.5 hour time limit, don't make the book covers too complicated 

    - Choose less than 10 fabrics total, repeats are fine

    - The book height can be no higher than 9 3/4" 

    - The book width can be no thinner than 1" and no wider than 4 1/2"    

    - Make your book pile to be a total of 16" wide or less - make as few/many you like!

            for example: make 8 - 2" books, or 16 - 1" books, or 4 - 2", 3 - 1.5", and 1 - 3.5" books 

The main wall color will be mauve(y) with the bookshelf looking like an old/dark library. I am deciding on the background of the bookshelf, so for the books I am thinking rich, muted/greige tones; colors like olive, emerald, plum, eggplant, navy, dark gold, maroon, black, grey etc but anything will work except neon colors.

Any fabric styles would look great as a book, so use whatever you would like; bonus if it looks like a book! I found the below eyeshadow palette the other night and thought it was a perfect representation of some of her favorite colors for some inspiration!

                                                                                 **

**

I found a lot of color combo/fabric style/book cover shape inspiration on Fandom for Stitches, check out the Bookcase Quilts section! FYI it's a fantastic resource for some FREE paper piecing and embroidery patterns that are wonderfully curated for any of your future projects. 😊

                                                                                 **

A couple ideas for making book covers that I have started: 

(I guess we can't click on the tiny picture but zooming in will work)

Some doodles of book cover ideas

I literally grabbed a handful of fabrics from one of my scrap bins.

Also, meet Grace my bossy supervisor.... 

    How to assemble the books:

For any of these with seams, press any way you like 😀

    A Plain book:

Pick a strip and trim to the length and width you would like it and done! This one is my favorite 😁

    A decorative binding strip: double binding, top and bottom, on an angle:

Pick a strip for the book cover and a scrap of contrasting color, decide where you want to place the contrasting color: at the top, bottom, top and bottom or on an angle. Cut the book cover strip where you would like to place the contrast edge, then sew the strips together. I trimmed off the excess for the photo but you don't have to do that.

    A diamond shape binding:

Pick 2 fabrics, I chose a gold scrap that was 3" wide and navy that I cut into 2" squares. If your squares are more than 1/2 the width of the bigger piece, there will be more overlap so your points don't get chopped off. Place the square in a corner of the rectangle and stitch from point to point across the square. Trim 1/4" from your seam and press open. Place another square on the other corner and repeat.

    An applique binding: (If you are feeling like a challenge, use your preferred applique method)

Pick a strip for the book cover and a scrap of contrasting color, trim the contrasting piece to the shape you would like: oval, circle, square, rectangle. Place the applique piece 1/4" away from the edge of the book cover unless you want the edge in the seam allowance (I did both examples below) Applique shape to the strip.

The book on the left: I want the corners of the gold fabric to be in the seam allowance

The book on the right: I trimmed my oval so that the edges are more than 1/4" away from the edge and won't be in the seam allowance.

A set of books:

Pick a larger scrap for the book cover and contrasting strip for the decorative edge. I chose a large scrap that was 8”x8” and the contrast strip was 1.5”x 16”. I cut the large scrap into thirds; one section wider than the other two and then cut the contrast strip in half. I placed the contrast strip between the book cover sections. I sewed the strips together into one block and then, subcut into strips of different widths of 1.5", 1.75", 2", 2.5 to make a set of identical books.

    A book on it's side (if you decide to make one of these, please make the pages light like white, white on white, light grey, even light yellow) 

Pick a strip for the book cover and a rectangle of a light fabric for the pages. Trim the strip to 3/4"-1" width and the pages can be any width. My book example below was 1” book cover strips and 2”x6” rectangle for the pages. Subcut the book cover strip into 3; 2 sides of the book edge and 1 side for the binding edge, I didn’t measure the binding edge, I just approximated since I planned to trim it.

Sew the long strips for the book cover and pages together and then sew on the binding edge.

  

A book with a selvage title

Pick a strip for the book cover and a length of selvage.  I trimmed the selvage about 1/4" ish from the text. Cut the strip into 3 across the short side: 2 shorter pieces and 1 wider piece. Cut the larger piece in half down the long side, perpendicular to where you cut. Sew the long pieces to the selvage and then sew the 2 short pieces onto the end.

Here are my sample books laid out in 16" wide "blocks"

Please let me know if you have any questions!

Thank you very much for helping me with this project, I am excited to see what everyone makes!!

p.s. if you have any selvage to spare, can you send a couple bits? I am going to use them as book titles!

p.p.s if you have any green 3"+ squares, can you send one? I am making a philodendron for one of the shelves  😁

~Adrienne

Hive 5–August Tutorial—Irish Chain Block

I saw this on a Pinterest board and it just said summer to me.  (Photo from http://www.acraftyfox.net/quilt-tutorial/irish-chain-sewcial-quilt-read-along/)  It will, hopefully, be an easy block to put together.

I’d like the greens to be of a medium value …

… and the low volume to be a white/off white background.  

All squares are 2 1/2”.  You will need 13 green and 36 low volume. 

It can be pieced row by row or whatever way works best for you.   Please don’t iron the finished block.  (Which should measure 14 1/2”)   It will be easier to put the blocks together if not pressed.  Thank you for sewing for me this month.

Hive 4 - August Tutorial - Solid Improv Quarter Circles

Greetings Hive 4!

Have you noticed that curves are everywhere in modern quilting? My local quilting groups have been exploring improv and precise curves. I would really appreciate your help in finishing a project I started in a Brenda Gael Smith virtual workshop. You can check her website to see many design options using quarter circles. And if videos are more helpful, Cheryl Arkison has a great IG improv curves technique video. 

Here's what your finished block(s) might look like.

You can send me one or both. Sending two exceeds the maximum measurement, but the simplicity of the block might allow you to feel generous. Once you have two base blocks cut, you'll make just one freehand cut and then sew two seams.  Sound simple?!?! I hope so.

Here's my palette - a very muddy yellow, chartreuse, light and dark terracotta, four browns from light to very dark. Please choose two solids (one light and one dark) that would work well with this palette. 

If you don't have anything in your stash that might work well with this palette, I hereby grant permission to do some upcycling. If you have some solid cotton or linen in old clothes and/or table linens, please use those (as long as there are no obvious stains). This will be a color experiment for me, so just do your best. 

Cut 2 blocks approximately 10.5" square. You'll notice that my yellow block is slightly undersized. Slight variation to maximize fabric is allowed.

Layer the two blocks on top of each other. I put the slightly smaller one on top.

To guide my freehand cut, I marked a dot about 1" from the outside edge and 2.5" from the other outside edge at the beginning and ending of my curve. 

In the next picture, you can see that the beginning and ending of each curve is a one inch deep straight cut that helps with assembly. Leave a minimum of 2.5" in the background bit to allow for customization when I assemble the top.

The curve itself is a freehand cut. You might be tempted to draw a curve before cutting. Resist!  An improv curve cut can lead to interesting shapes. 

Now swap the two curves so that you have a dark with a light in each block. 

If you feel confident sewing curves, you can use one pin to hold at the beginning and then ease the rest of the curve in while sewing. Cheryl's reel shows this in process. If you don't feel comfortable with curves, you can pin in a few places and sew slowly. Either way, please lay your two pieces in this configuration with the background piece a half inch above the curve to begin.

And you are all done.  Please do not trim or square up. I will need the extra tails when determining my layout.

I hope this was fast and easy and may have you considering using curves in one of your future projects.  Like Em's Christmas trees from last month, I find curves addictive.

Email or message me through IG if you have any questions.

Cathleen aka Kitch Kouture